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Updated: 17 June 2026

Summer Cityhopping: Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona on Membership Rewards

Three round-trip flights to Southern Europe for less than 50,000 points total. That might sound like a flyer you find in your letterbox and immediately toss in the recycling. Yet it's exactly what I did last summer with Membership Rewards points from the Amex Platinum: cityhopping through Madrid, Lisbon and Barcelona without spending a single euro on airfare. Just the taxes, basically.

Honestly: it wasn't entirely hassle-free. Transferring points to the right airline, checking availability across three different systems, juggling dates. But the maths behind it? That checks out. And that's what I want to lay out clearly here, so you can decide for yourself whether it's worth the effort.

Because that's what TravelLux.be is all about: not selling, but calculating. And if the numbers don't work for your profile, I'll say so plainly.

Why Madrid, Lisbon and Barcelona are ideal for points flights from Belgium

From Brussels Airport (BRU), these three cities are simply the sweet spot for Membership Rewards. Why? They all fall within zone 1 or 2 of most frequent flyer programmes, which means you need very few points per flight. Flight times range between one and a half and three hours. And there are plenty of direct connections or short layovers that qualify for award bookings.

Compare that to, say, a trip to Bangkok (where I go regularly): there you're quickly looking at 60,000 to 90,000 points per round trip in economy. For the same points balance, you can fly three times to the Iberian Peninsula. That's the beauty of short distances: your points go further.

On top of that, Madrid, Lisbon and Barcelona are cities where you can already do a lot in two to four nights. No jet lag, no entire day on an aeroplane. You leave early in the morning from Brussels and by the afternoon you're sitting with a caña on a terrace. That makes them perfectly suited for summer city breaks that you combine into one big round trip, or plan as separate weekends throughout the season.

Which transfer partners should you use for cityhopping from Brussels?

This is where it gets interesting, because there are multiple roads to Rome. Or to Madrid, in this case. Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to a whole range of airline partners. Not every partner is equally smart for every route. I'll line up the most relevant options.

My personal choice? For Madrid and Barcelona I usually use Iberia Avios. Low points price, low taxes, and regular availability on direct flights. For Lisbon I alternate between TAP Miles&Go (direct) and Flying Blue (when Promo Rewards are available). But that's my approach: yours depends on when you want to travel and how flexible you are with dates.

The maths: three cities on one welcome bonus

Let's make it concrete. Say you apply for the Amex Platinum via the TravelLux.be referral link and receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards points. This bonus is one-time and requires you to spend approximately €4,000-6,000 in the first three months. That's a threshold you need to think about honestly: if you can't reach that spending naturally, don't force it.

But assuming you hit that threshold, how far do 150,000 points get you?

41,000 of your 150,000 points. That's less than a third of your welcome bonus for three round-trip flights. The rest you can save for a longer trip later that year, or transfer to a hotel programme.

Business class on short flights — you can honestly debate that one. The difference from economy on a two-hour flight is: a slightly wider seat, a free drink, and priority boarding. No flatbed, no five-course meal. Still: if the points price is low enough, why not? In this case you're not paying a single cent extra for it (apart from taxes), and you still have nearly 100,000 points left over.

For comparison: if you book those same flights with cash, in summer you'll quickly pay €150-250 per round trip in economy and €300-500 in business. Three economy round trips would cost you €450-750 in cash. That's also the fair reference value of your points: you're saving roughly €450-750 on flights alone. Not €2,000, but certainly not nothing either.

Planning the route: multi-city or booking separately?

You have two options for your summer cityhopping. Option one: you book three separate round-trip flights Brussels-Madrid, Brussels-Barcelona, Brussels-Lisbon on different weekends. Simple, straightforward, and you can plan each city independently.

Option two: you turn it into a multi-city trip. Brussels to Madrid, Madrid to Lisbon, Lisbon to Barcelona, Barcelona back to Brussels. That feels like a real round trip, and you see three cities in ten to fourteen days.

That second option is often cheaper in points, but harder to book. The intermediate flights (Madrid-Lisbon, Lisbon-Barcelona) are short hops that you're sometimes better off booking with cash. Iberia and TAP fly those routes for €30-60 per one-way if you book early. On points they cost 6,500-10,000 per one-way. Do the maths: cash is sometimes smarter here.

My approach was a hybrid. The flights from and back to Brussels I booked on points (that's where the savings are greatest), and the short hops between cities I simply bought with the Amex. Pay for those with the Platinum, and you'll earn points on them too: 1 point per euro, or 4 points per euro if you've activated the Booster option (€10/month extra).

What the Amex Platinum offers you on the road (and what it doesn't)

Beyond the Membership Rewards points for flights, there are a few Amex Platinum benefits that are relevant for this city trip. I'll walk through them, including the limitations.

Lounge access at Brussels Airport. With Priority Pass Prestige (included with the Platinum card), you have access to 1,550+ lounges worldwide, including at BRU. You plus one guest, unlimited. For an early morning flight to Madrid, that's quite pleasant: a calm breakfast instead of spending €14 on a sad croissant in the terminal. At the airports of Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN) and Lisbon (LIS) there are also Priority Pass lounges, though quality varies considerably.

Fast Lane at Brussels Airport. The Amex Platinum gives you Fast Lane security at BRU, worth €169 per year. On a busy summer weekend, that sometimes saves you twenty minutes of queue time. Not life-changing, but nice.

No foreign transaction fees. In all three cities you pay in euros, so foreign transaction fees aren't relevant here. But good to know: if you continue on to London or another non-eurozone destination, Amex charges no foreign transaction fees. That's handy for those who travel outside the eurozone more often.

Travel insurance. The Platinum card automatically provides trip cancellation, baggage and medical insurance when you pay for the trip with the card. For flights booked on points: check the terms and conditions, as the insurance may depend on whether you pay the taxes with the Amex. In my experience, it's wise to always pay the remaining taxes and hotel stays via the Platinum, so that the insurance is activated.

Amex acceptance in Spain and Portugal. Here's an honest point: Amex acceptance in Southern Europe is inconsistent. At large chains, hotels and restaurants in the city centre, no problem. At smaller tapas bars, local markets and some taxi drivers: often cash only or Visa/Mastercard. Always bring a backup card. I use my Amex wherever I can (for the points), but always have a Visa debit in my back pocket. That's simply the reality.

When this plan doesn't work: honest advice

I want to be explicit here, because not every profile suits this strategy.

If you only take one city trip per year and otherwise spend little with a credit card, the Amex Platinum at €780 per year is probably not a smart choice. One round-trip flight to Barcelona on points saves you €150-200. The card costs nearly four times that. The maths doesn't add up then, even with the lounge, the Fast Lane and the Dining for 2 included.

Where it does add up: if you use the card daily for groceries, fuel, online purchases and business expenses, and fly three to five times a year on top of that. Then you accumulate 30,000 to 60,000 points annually (on top of the welcome bonus), use the lounge regularly, and get value from the travel insurance, the Fast Lane and the Dining programme. Then the €780 is an investment that more than pays for itself.

In between there's a grey area. Do you fly two to three times a year from BRU and use the card regularly? Then it depends on how much value you place on the soft benefits: comfort at the airport, no foreign transaction fees, concierge. That's a personal judgement call, not a mathematical certainty.

At TravelLux.be I always try to be honest: the Amex Platinum is a powerful tool for the right traveller. But it's not for everyone. If you're in doubt, also read our comprehensive review of the Amex Platinum in Belgium for a complete overview of costs and benefits.

Per city: what I would plan (and what I actually did)

A brief word about the cities themselves. I'm not going to turn this into a travel guide (there are better sources for that), but here are a few things that are relevant from a points travel and Amex Platinum perspective.

Madrid. Two to three nights are sufficient for a first visit. Check whether Fine Hotels + Resorts options are available: the Amex FHR programme gives you a complimentary room upgrade, breakfast for two, late checkout and a welcome gift of approximately €100 per stay. In Madrid there are several FHR hotels. The total extra value per stay can amount to €650. That offsets a significant portion of your annual fee. But be realistic: FHR hotels aren't cheap, so you're still paying a hefty room rate — you just get more for it.

Lisbon. Two nights is tight, three is better. Lisbon is a city where you want to walk, and those hills take time. TAP flies direct from BRU, which makes it easy. Amex acceptance in Lisbon has improved significantly in recent years, especially in the tourist areas. But in Alfama or at a traditional tasca: bring cash.

Barcelona. Perhaps the most expensive of the three in summer. Hotel prices skyrocket in July and August. If you're flexible: June or September are better, both in terms of price and crowds. Iberia and Vueling fly from BRU, and Avios availability is generally good if you book six to eight weeks in advance.

Also read: How to make the smartest use of Membership Rewards points for more transfer tips.

Related on TravelLux.be:

• Amex Platinum Belgium: full review and cost analysis
• Membership Rewards points: how to use them most effectively
• Priority Pass lounges at Brussels Airport: what can you expect?