Christmas 2026: 10 Magical Luxury Winter Destinations Reachable with Points
Imagine this: 24 December 2026, you're sitting in a heated overwater villa in the Maldives. Outside, rain clouds tap against the glass, but you're gazing out over turquoise water so clear you can count the rays beneath your feet. Behind you lies a bed with fresh frangipani. And the best part? You barely paid any cash for it. Celebrating a luxury Christmas on points, from Belgium. It sounds like a dream, but I experienced it myself last year.
That business class flight from Brussels? Booked with Membership Rewards points. The Fine Hotels + Resorts stay with daily breakfast and a complimentary room upgrade? Included in the deal. And it all started on a weekday evening in my apartment in Ghent, when I calculated how many points I actually had sitting on my Amex Platinum card.
Christmas 2026 is still eight months away. That sounds like a lot, but honestly: if you want to book a luxury winter holiday with points, now is the moment. Award seats fill up incredibly fast for the holiday season. Today I'm sharing ten destinations that I've either visited myself or have concretely calculated and planned. All reachable from Brussels Airport, all bookable with points.
Quick overview for Belgian travellers: With the Amex Platinum card (€780/year) you earn Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to 15+ airlines, including Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Via the TravelLux.be referral link you receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 points. Enough for at least one business class return flight to these destinations. This article shares 10 luxury winter destinations for Christmas 2026, including routes, points prices and hotel tips.
Why you should already be planning Christmas 2026 with points
I won't make this mistake again. Christmas 2023 I wanted to go to Lapland. Business class, nice hotel, four nights. I started searching in September. Too late. All award seats on Brussels Airlines to Rovaniemi were gone. The only option was a detour via Stockholm, with a six-hour layover. You don't do that with two small children and a suitcase full of presents.
The lesson: award seats for the Christmas period are released as early as May and June by most airlines. Those who start planning in April have the widest choice. This is especially true for popular routes like BRU to Male (Maldives), BRU to Rovaniemi (Lapland), and BRU to Dubai. Demand among points travellers is enormous during that period.
There's another reason to start early. Fine Hotels + Resorts availability for Christmas at top hotels goes fast. Last year I booked the St. Regis Maldives in June and even then only three room types were left. Wait until October? Then you're stuck with the standard room, if there's anything left at all.
Now let's get concrete: how many points do you actually need? For a business class return from Brussels to the Middle East or the Indian Ocean, expect 80,000 to 120,000 Membership Rewards points, depending on the airline and route. The welcome bonus of 150,000 points you receive via TravelLux.be already covers more than one flight. Sometimes even two, if you book smartly via partners like Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles or Etihad Guest.
Five warm luxury winter destinations for Christmas 2026
Let's start with the destinations where the sun shines while Belgium shivers. Honestly: Christmas on the beach felt "wrong" to me for a long time. But since I did it once, I understand why so many Belgians do it. That combination of letting go, warmth and no obligatory Christmas market with glühwein... it's liberating.
1. Maldives: overwater villa with Christmas tree
The Maldives are the classic choice, and for good reason. Christmas there is dry season, 28°C, and the resorts go all out with Christmas decorations among the palm trees. Via Fine Hotels + Resorts you can book stays at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi or the St. Regis with complimentary breakfast, upgrade and a welcome gift of approximately €100. I stayed there for five nights last year and paid zero euros cash for the flight. The hotel nights were covered via FHR with points as statement credit.
Tip for Belgian travellers: book the Qatar Airways QSuite. That flatbed suite is incredible for an overnight flight from Brussels. Transfer your points to Avios (British Airways) and book via Oneworld. Often cheaper in points than booking directly via Qatar.
2. Dubai: glitter, desert and 25°C at Christmas
Dubai at Christmas is an experience like no other. The entire city is lit up, the brunch scene is in full swing, and you're sitting in shorts on the terrace of a rooftop bar while it's hailing back home. The direct Emirates flight from Brussels Airport makes it extra attractive. No connections, depart in the morning, poolside by the afternoon.
Via the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts programme you can book the Jumeirah Al Naseem, the Four Seasons DIFC or the Atlantis The Royal with all the extras: early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast and an upgrade when available. That easily saves €400 to €650 per stay compared to a regular booking.
3. Thailand (Koh Samui): tropical Christmas, Belgian budget
Koh Samui in December is stunning. The island is greener than in summer, temperatures around 29°C, and the luxury resorts along Chaweng Noi Beach are a fraction of the price of the Maldives. The Six Senses Samui and the Banyan Tree are both available via FHR.
Transfer your points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for the best deal on business class. The Singapore Airlines service is, in my opinion, the finest of all Asian carriers. And if you fly via Singapore, you can add a two-day stopover there. Christmas in two countries for the same points price.
4. Oman: the quiet luxury of the Middle East
Oman is my personal favourite for Christmas. Less commercial than Dubai, much more authentic, and the desert landscapes around Jebel Akhdar are breathtaking in December. The Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar resort sits at 2,000 metres altitude and offers canyon views you'd normally only find in Utah. In the evening it's 15°C, during the day a pleasant 22°C.
Turkish Airlines business class is superb and affordable in points via Miles&Smiles. Transfer your Membership Rewards to Turkish and you fly for around 80,000 points return. Oman hasn't been "discovered" by the masses yet. That makes it extra special for a peaceful, luxurious Christmas.
5. Mauritius: the Belgian favourite, but with points
Belgians love Mauritius. Rightly so. It's far enough to feel exotic, close enough in time zone to avoid jet lag, and the hotel quality is exceptional. The One&Only Le Saint Géran, the Shangri-La Le Touessrok: every one of them a Fine Hotels + Resorts partner. Christmas there is summertime, 30°C, and the Creole Christmas table is a feast in itself.
Via Air France-KLM Flying Blue you earn points that are directly transferable from Membership Rewards. A business class return BRU to MRU via Paris costs around 95,000 points if you book early. And the Air France lounge at CDG is a fine stopover.
Five cold luxury winter destinations for a white Christmas 2026
Not everyone wants to celebrate Christmas in a bikini. Some people (myself included, some years) want snow, fireplaces, hot chocolate and that quintessential Christmas atmosphere you can only find in the cold. These five destinations deliver exactly that, but with a generous dose of luxury on top.
6. Lapland (Rovaniemi), Finland: the ultimate Christmas experience
There's something magical about celebrating Christmas on the Arctic Circle. Honestly: I was sceptical. I thought it would be a commercial Christmas circus with plastic reindeer and a fake Santa. But Lapland completely surprised me. The Arctic TreeHouse Hotel just outside Rovaniemi has glass suites overlooking snow-covered forests. You lie in bed and watch the northern lights dance above you.
Finnair flies from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and you can transfer Membership Rewards to Finnair Plus or book via Avios. The points price is surprisingly low for Europe: around 50,000 points return in business. That leaves you enough for another trip later in the year.
7. Zermatt, Switzerland: Christmas with Matterhorn views
Zermatt is car-free, fairytale-like and surrounded by the most iconic mountain in Europe. The Mont Cervin Palace is a Fine Hotels + Resorts option where at Christmas you'll sit in a suite with views of the Matterhorn, including daily breakfast and spa credits. The train journey from Zurich to Zermatt through the Swiss countryside is a Christmas gift in itself.
The flight BRU to ZRH is incredibly cheap in points via Brussels Airlines: often just 15,000 points one-way in business. The rest of the budget goes to the hotel, and that's where FHR makes the difference. An upgrade to a Matterhorn view room that normally costs €200 per night extra? Simply included.
8. Iceland (Reykjavik): fire and ice at Christmas
Iceland at Christmas is raw, wild and incredibly beautiful. The days are short (sometimes four hours of light), but that also means: maximum chance of northern lights. The Retreat at Blue Lagoon is one of the most extraordinary hotels in the world. You bathe in milky blue geothermal water while snow falls outside.
Icelandair doesn't offer a direct flight from Brussels, but via Copenhagen or Amsterdam you'll get there quickly. Book via SAS EuroBonus or Avios for the best points price. And don't forget: no foreign transaction fees on your Amex Platinum for overseas payments. That makes a difference in Iceland, where everything is in Krónur.
9. Vienna, Austria: the classic European Christmas city
Vienna at Christmas is cliché, but in the most beautiful way. The Christmas markets around the Rathaus, the warm Sachertorte at Hotel Sacher, the carriages through the city centre: it's like walking through a Christmas film. The Hotel Sacher Wien and The Ritz-Carlton Vienna are both FHR partners.
And let me be honest: Vienna is one of the cheapest luxury destinations on this list in points. You fly for 25,000 points return in business from Brussels. That's a fraction of your welcome bonus. Combine it with the Dining for 2 benefit of your Amex Platinum (3x per year a complimentary 2-course menu for two at top restaurants) and you have a Christmas weekend that costs almost nothing.
10. Tromsø, Norway: arctic Christmas with whales and northern lights
Tromsø is less well known than Rovaniemi, but perhaps even more impressive. In December you can do whale safaris (orcas and humpbacks follow the herring schools into the fjords), the northern lights are spectacular, and the city itself is surprisingly cosmopolitan with excellent restaurants. The Sommarøy Arctic Hotel outside the city offers sea-view suites with fireplace.
SAS EuroBonus points are transferable from Membership Rewards. The route BRU to TOS via Oslo is fast and comfortable in business. And after the whale safari you warm up in a wooden sauna by the fjord. That's Christmas the Norwegian way.
How to book these Christmas trips with Membership Rewards points
I often get the question: "But how does it actually work, booking flights with points?" Let me explain it step by step based on how I do it myself.
Step one: you collect Membership Rewards points on your Amex Platinum card. Every euro you spend earns 1 point. With the Booster option (€10/month extra) you earn as many as 4 points per euro. Daily expenses like groceries, fuel, restaurants: it all counts. The welcome bonus of 150,000 points gives you a solid foundation right away.
Step two: you transfer your points to an airline partner. This is where it gets interesting. Membership Rewards points are transferable to more than 15 airlines: Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Etihad, Air France-KLM and many others. Each airline has its own points pricing, so it pays to compare. For the Maldives, Qatar Airways is often the most economical. For Europe, Avios (British Airways) is almost always the best choice.
Step three: you book the flight through that airline's loyalty programme. You search for "award seats" on your desired date and book with your transferred points. Note: there are taxes and surcharges that you pay in cash, usually €100 to €300 return depending on the route.
The hotel you book separately via Fine Hotels + Resorts, where you automatically receive a complimentary room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast for two and a welcome gift of approximately €100. The total added value per stay can amount to €650. You pay for the hotel with your card and meanwhile earn points again for your next trip.
And then there's the lounge. With the Amex Platinum you get access to more than 1,550 lounges worldwide via Priority Pass Prestige, including a guest. At Brussels Airport you also get the Fast Lane at security (normally worth €169/year) and twice a month a Dining Experience at Black Pearls restaurant. It sounds like a list of benefits, but in practice it makes an enormous difference. No stress, no queues, just a relaxed start to your journey. Also read our comprehensive article about the Amex Platinum for Belgian travellers for all the details.
My personal Christmas 2025 experience: what I learned
Last year, Christmas 2025, I flew with my girlfriend to the Maldives. BRU to Doha with Qatar Airways QSuite, a two-hour layover in the Al Mourjan lounge (which had just been renovated and now has a restaurant where you can dine for free), and then onwards to Malé. From there a speedboat to the resort.
The QSuite is, without exaggeration, the best business class product I have ever experienced. Sliding doors. A private space. A bed that lies truly flat. Champagne they pour for you while you're still boarding. And it cost me 105,000 points return for two people, booked via Avios with a transfer from Membership Rewards.
The hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, I booked via Fine Hotels + Resorts. Six nights. The room upgrade brought us from a standard overwater villa to a reef villa with direct access to the house reef. Normally a difference of €350 per night. Free. The daily breakfast (buffet with everything you can imagine, from fresh sushi to fresh coconut) saved us around €80 per day.
The lesson I learned: booking early makes the difference between a good and an amazing Christmas trip. And the combination of points for the flight and FHR for the hotel is hard to beat. You easily save €3,000 to €5,000 on a trip that would normally cost €6,000 to €8,000 for two people.
Practical tips for Belgian travellers who want to book Christmas 2026
After five Christmas holidays with points, I've learned a number of lessons I'm happy to share. Not as a marketer, just as someone who made the same mistakes so you can avoid them.
- Book your flights in April or May 2026. Award seats for Christmas are released by most airlines during that period. Wait until September? Then it's clever searching and creative routing.
- Only transfer your points to an airline once you've checked availability. Transfers are one-way and cannot be reversed.
- Use tools like seats.aero or ExpertFlyer to check award availability before you call or book.
- FHR hotels are best booked by phone via the Amex concierge. They can sometimes find room types that aren't visible online.
- Don't forget the travel insurance: it's included as standard with your Amex Platinum. Trip cancellation, baggage loss, medical expenses: everything is covered when you pay with the card.
- With the Fast Lane at Brussels Airport you easily save 30 to 45 minutes at security during the Christmas rush. That's priceless when you're travelling with children.
And if you don't yet have an Amex Platinum: applying now means you'll have plenty of time to earn your welcome bonus of 150,000 points before Christmas 2026. Those points never expire as long as your card is active, so there's no pressure. Want to know more about how earning points works? Then check out our guide to Membership Rewards points.
Frequently asked questions about luxury Christmas trips with points
How many points do I need for a business class flight at Christmas from Brussels?
According to TravelLux.be, for a business class return flight from Brussels at Christmas 2026 you need on average 80,000 to 120,000 Membership Rewards points, depending on the destination and airline partner. A flight BRU to Dubai via Emirates costs around 85,000 points return in business. To the Maldives via Qatar Airways, expect approximately 100,000 to 120,000 points. European destinations like Vienna or Zermatt cost only 25,000 to 50,000 points return.
Can I book a hotel with Amex Platinum points for Christmas 2026?
Yes. Via the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme of the Amex Platinum you have access to more than 14,000 luxury hotels worldwide. You automatically enjoy complimentary room upgrades, daily breakfast for 2 people, early check-in, late check-out and a welcome gift worth approximately €100 per stay. You can also use Membership Rewards points as statement credit to offset the hotel costs.
How much does the Amex Platinum card cost in Belgium?
The American Express Platinum card costs €65 per month in Belgium, or €780 per year. An additional Platinum card for your partner costs €10 per month. You can add up to 4 free Green cards for family members. Via the TravelLux.be referral link you receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards points, more than with a direct application.
When should I book my luxury Christmas 2026 trip with points?
At TravelLux.be we recommend booking your Christmas 2026 trip as early as April or May 2026. Award seats for the Christmas period are limited and popular routes (BRU to the Maldives, Lapland, Dubai) are often fully booked by summer. Fine Hotels + Resorts availability for top hotels at Christmas also goes quickly. The earlier you plan, the more choice you have.
Which airlines can I book with Amex Membership Rewards points from Belgium?
From Belgium you can transfer Membership Rewards points to more than 15 airline partners: Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, British Airways (Avios), Emirates Skywards, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Etihad Guest, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and many others. This gives Belgian travellers enormous flexibility for both European and intercontinental destinations.
Ready to plan Christmas 2026 with points? Via our referral link you receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards points on the Amex Platinum card. That's enough for at least one business class return flight to these destinations.
✦ Apply via referral link — 150,000 pointsOr view all details at americanexpress.com/be
Transparency: TravelLux.be receives a referral bonus when you apply for the Amex Platinum card via our referral link. This costs you nothing extra and you receive the same maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 points. Our opinions and experiences are always honest and independent. Valid in 2026. American Express Platinum card: €65/month. Terms and conditions at americanexpress.com/be.