"I wanted to find a way to get there without spending a lot of money and in Business Class," he said. "I redeemed 112,000 American Airlines miles for the flight along with $40 in fees."
He collects extra miles through spending, online shopping and credit card sign-up bonuses.
"I spent about 20 minutes on the phone to AA trying to find a route that worked and the Etihad flight [a codeshare flight] worked out the best as I could get Business Class," he says.
"Though flying through LA is quicker than going the long way through the Middle East, Business Class redemptions are rare."
And for his return journey, he will fly from Auckland to Las Vegas on Air New Zealand, using United miles.
"It's an airline I've always wanted to fly," he adds.
Kepnes started travelling in 2006 and his Nomadic Matt blog attracts more than 800,000 readers a month.
He has also written several travel books, including The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking, which lays out his tactics to use frequent flyer points schemes for free travel.
"The world is awash in miles and, if you know a few important tips, tricks, and strategies, you'll be able to get anywhere you want for as long as you want," he says.
- nzherald.co.nz
