Celebrate Pride with points: A guide to using your miles for Pride celebrations in 6 U.S. cities this year

New Orleans Pride (June 7-9)

Where better to express your Pride than the vibrant streets of the Big Easy? This year's New Orleans Pride features drag brunches, comedy performances, an arts market, a grand gala, and a lively parade through the iconic French Quarter. It's not too late to plan your weekend escape and join the celebration.

Flight options to New Orleans

When looking for flights, Google Flights is a great place to start, especially now that it includes fares from Southwest Airlines. It will only show cash prices, but since these often reflect award fares (as many U.S. airlines use dynamic pricing), it can guide you to the most affordable airlines for your desired route. From there, you can visit the airline's site to explore award flight options more thoroughly.

For instance, if you're based on the East Coast, JetBlue offers award fares from Boston to New Orleans for the weekend of June 7-9, starting at 13,700 TrueBlue points each way.

Southwest offers flights from Denver for approximately 20,000 Rapid Rewards points for a round-trip ticket.

Where to stay in New Orleans

For a stay close to the lively French Quarter, consider booking the Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans for 15,000 World of Hyatt points or $239 per night. This equates to 1.6 cents per point, which is nearly in line with TPG’s estimate of 1.7 cents for Hyatt points.

The New Orleans Marriott is also in the heart of the French Quarter. Over Pride weekend, rates begin at 32,800 Bonvoy points or $219 per night. This comes out to just 0.67 cents per point, lower than TPG’s 0.85 cent per point valuation for Marriott points. In this case, we suggest paying cash or checking your credit card’s travel portal for a better deal.

For example, you can find the New Orleans Marriott for the same dates on Capital One Travel for just $137 per night plus taxes, totaling $274 for the weekend. This is significantly cheaper than Marriott's rate, and you can use your Capital One miles at a fixed rate of 1 cent per mile, saving you 65,600 Bonvoy points. A two-night stay would cost only 27,382 miles.

Booking through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile is still well below TPG’s valuation of 1.85 cents per mile for Capital One miles. However, if you're aiming to celebrate Pride without spending cash, this option can help you save points and miles compared to booking directly with the hotel.

If you’re open to paying cash, booking through the portal could be a better option. You'll earn 5 points per dollar (if you have the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card) or 10 points per dollar (with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card). Keep in mind that bookings made via travel portals or third-party sites won't earn hotel points or count towards elite status benefits.

Capital Pride (June 7-9)

If you're considering attending D.C. Pride, there are plenty of ways to plan a last-minute trip while making the most of your points and miles.

Flights to Washington, DC

If you're heading to D.C., Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is likely your best bet. It's conveniently linked to the city via Metro, with a quick $2-$4 ride to Union Station. D.C. is very walkable, so you can save on car rentals, especially for a short weekend visit.

Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) are also nearby, but they’re further out and require an Uber, taxi, train, or rental car to reach the city center.

JetBlue offers award seats from Seattle to DCA around Pride weekend, starting at 18,400 TrueBlue points each way.

For East Coast travelers, American Airlines offers flights from Atlanta to BWI for just 12,000 AAdvantage miles and $11.20 round-trip.

Where to stay in Washington, DC

Washington, D.C. boasts numerous hotels that you can book with points. Given the city’s walkability and excellent Metro system, you can be just minutes away from all the action, even if you're not staying in the heart of the city.

Hilton offers a wide range of properties just a few miles from the main events. The map view can help you see the hotel locations and how many Hilton Honors points you'll need per night.

Hyatt offers multiple properties in the area starting at just 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Denver Pride (June 22-23)

Denver is celebrating 50 years of Pride with a packed schedule of events at iconic locations, including Capitol Hill, Civic Center Park, the Denver Zoo, and the Museum of Western Art. The festivities will culminate with Pridefest on June 22-23, a weekend full of celebrations in downtown Denver.

Flights to Denver

For flights into Denver International Airport (DEN), Southwest offers a good selection of award flights from Phoenix, ranging from 4,000 to 9,000 Rapid Rewards points one way.

From the East Coast, United Airlines and American Airlines are offering round-trip flights from Atlanta and Miami for just over 30,000 miles and $11.20.

Where to stay in Denver

If you're looking to be close to the Pride events, Hyatt offers five properties in downtown Denver. Four of them are award category 3 or 4, meaning they cost 12,000 or 15,000 points per night. Alternatively, if you have a World of Hyatt Credit Card, you can redeem your annual Category 1-4 free night certificate. The Thompson Denver, a boutique Category 5 hotel, is another option with rooms starting at 20,000 points or $353 per night.

San Francisco Pride (June 29-30)

Flights to San Francisco

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the nearby San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) are both excellent options for flying in for Pride. However, flights to SFO tend to be more affordable. Thanks to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, it's simple to travel from either airport to downtown, with fares costing just $10.55 from SFO to Montgomery station or $12 from OAK to Montgomery.

Southwest has great award availability from Dallas to SFO, with flights starting at around 12,000 Rapid Rewards points each way.

Alaska Airlines offers flights from several East Coast cities, including Charlotte and Philadelphia, starting at 17,500 Mileage Plan miles and $19 each way.

Where to stay in San Francisco

There are plenty of points hotels in downtown San Francisco near the Pride events, though the award rates during Pride weekend may not be the best. The Hilton San Francisco Union Square, a partner of the Pride event, is available for 51,000 Hilton Honors points or $187 per night, giving you just 0.37 cents per point in value.

Marriott's Courtyard San Francisco Downtown is offering a PointSavers rate of 30,400 Bonvoy points per night. With cash rates starting at $176, this comes out to 0.58 cents per point.

At the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA, rooms are priced at $171 or 17,000 points per night during Pride weekend, giving you a value of 1 cent per point.

Since the cash rates that weekend are so low and you won't get much value from your points, it's better to book with cash or use your points through a credit card travel portal. For instance, the Hilton San Francisco Union Square is available through Chase Travel℠ for $172 per night plus taxes, totaling $392 for two nights. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can pay with Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, making the stay cost about 31,000 points — much fewer than the 102,000 points needed if you booked directly with Hilton. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your points are worth 1.5 cents each on the Chase Travel portal, reducing the cost to around 26,000 points.

Chicago Pride (June 29-30)

Chicago’s Pride festival is one of the largest in the U.S. This year, the 53rd annual Chicago Pride Parade will march from Northalsted (known as "Boystown," the country’s first official gay neighborhood) to Lincoln Park. The event will also feature live music across three stages, dance performances, drag shows, and even a pet parade. (Note: the Pride in the Park music festival won’t return in 2024.)

Flights to Chicago

Chicago is served by two major airports: O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). O'Hare is a major hub with flights from nearly every international and domestic carrier. Midway primarily serves Southwest Airlines, though it also accommodates flights from other carriers like Allegiant Air and Delta Air Lines.

Delta is offering great award fares to Chicago from several of its hubs during Pride weekend. For instance, you can fly from Seattle to ORD for just 26,500 SkyMiles and $12 round-trip, or from Minneapolis-St. Paul to ORD for only 9,000 SkyMiles and $12 round-trip.

American Airlines offers some great options from the Southeast, such as flights from Atlanta to ORD for 23,000 AAdvantage miles and $11.20 round-trip, or from Miami to ORD for 21,500 miles and $11.20.

Where to stay in Chicago

Many hotel chains offer a wide range of options in downtown Chicago, also known as the Loop. However, if you prefer to stay near Northalsted, where most of the Pride events are taking place, here are a few hotels to consider.

Hyatt's Hotel Lincoln, a Category 3 award property, is located just south of Northalsted and is within walking distance of the Lincoln Park Zoo. During the weekend of June 22-23, it is classified as a "standard" rate on Hyatt’s award chart, meaning award stays cost 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night (or you can use a Category 1-4 free night certificate). With cash rates starting at $364 that weekend, this gives you a value of 3 cents per point, making it a fantastic use of your Hyatt points or transferable credit card points.

Another option is the Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace Hotel, located in the heart of Northalsted. Rooms are available for 60,000 Best Western Rewards points or $365 per night, which works out to 0.6 cents per point — right in line with TPG's valuation. While Best Western Rewards doesn't have major credit card transfer partners, it could be a solid choice if you have a reserve of Best Western points.

New York City Pride (June 29-30)

Flights to New York City

New York City offers three major airports — John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty (EWR), and LaGuardia (LGA) — providing ample options for travelers. Once you arrive, you can easily reach Manhattan using the city's extensive network of subways, trains, and buses, eliminating the need for a rental car.

Delta is offering award flights from Boston to LGA during Pride weekend, starting at just 10,000 SkyMiles plus $12 for a round-trip ticket.

American Airlines has flights from Miami to JFK available for 19,500 AAdvantage miles plus $11.20 round-trip.

For those on the West Coast, United offers excellent award availability to EWR, with flights from Seattle starting at 25,000 MileagePlus miles, Denver at 12,400 miles, and Los Angeles around 20,000 miles each way. Taxes and fees total just $11.20.

Hotels in New York City

Pride events in NYC take place throughout the entire month, with the main activities over the weekend of June 28-30 centered around Greenwich Village and Manhattan. Hilton boasts numerous properties in these areas; you can use the map view to explore your options and see how many points are required for each.

The Hyatt Place New York City/Times Square offers a central location at an affordable price, with rooms starting at 20,000 World of Hyatt points or $291 per night. For a more luxurious stay, the Park Hyatt New York provides premium amenities like a rainfall shower and marble soaking tub, available for 40,000 points or $1,009 per night — giving you 2.5 cents per point in value.

Bottom Line

Pride month is just around the corner, but it’s not too late to plan a weekend getaway. Points and miles are a fantastic way to save on last-minute trips. With so many cities hosting Pride events, the options are endless. Be sure to compare cash rates and travel portals to ensure you're getting the best value for your points.