travel

"I went on my luxury honeymoon for free. This is how I did it."

When Darren Noble and his wife Tiffany got engaged 15 months ago, they had one goal for their honeymoon: to holiday like the one per cent do, for as little money as possible.

And after a perfect, sunny wedding with close to 200 guests at the Adelaide Town Hall, the couple has just returned from a three-week trip to the Maldives that is the stuff of dreams for newlyweds.

Staying in a villa over the water, they woke up every morning with a jump into the ocean and they snorkelled late into the night.

“It was phenomenal,” Darren, 32, gushed.

But the indulgence did not start and end in the Maldives. The pair also flew in luxury. For free.

Darren and Tiffany on their wedding day. Picture: Supplied
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Of the four flight legs to reach their destination, they travelled one in First Class and the other three in Business with Singapore Airlines.

Lobster, caviar and wagyu beef were just some of the freshly prepared delights they dined on, washed down with some Dom Perignon.

And once they were all tuckered up, flight staff prepared a suite with a double bed, complete with pyjamas.

"We felt like billionaires. The experience was amazing," Darren said.

No doubt this was amplified by the fact their flights cost them zero dollars. Zilch. Nada.

Meaning, they only forked out for their accommodation, food and drink while on their tropical island.

Darren gave the low-down on his honeymoon strategy to Mamamia.

Dining in First Class. Picture: Supplied
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Within a couple of months of popping the question, the IT worker said he thought up what he deemed a gem of an idea.

He and Tiffany would each sign up for a credit card with a solid rewards points program that they could channel into travelling like royalty.

Darren said his then-fiancee, a speech pathologist, was at first a little apprehensive of the risks of credit card spending, but they vowed to play it smart and to keep on top of repayments.

They decided to register for a Velocity Platinum card with American Express. They each got bonus points for signing up, giving them a headstart in reaching their needed total of 350,000.

As daunting as this goal was, they managed - with their two cards and two incomes - to achieve it in four months.

Paddle boarding in the Maldives. Picture: Supplied
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They scored a big fraction of their points by referring friends and family to register for a card.

The rest they accrued largely by tweaking where they spent their money and putting a stop to using cash.

Darren said they used an app to find shops, restaurants and petrol stations that held partnerships with American Express in order to maximise their points.

"You don’t need to change your habits. You just need to change where you spend. For example, the servo around the corner didn't accept Amex so we went to BP instead," he said.

Darren said getting into the groove came naturally for him because he was always savvy with spending and technology.

Snorkelling outside their villa. Picture: Supplied
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But he said it was a whole new world for most people, and he has been trying to educate his friends.

"I'm the first in my circle to do this. Now I'm trying to madly train my friends," he said.

"I have friends now nearly at the stage where they can get a First Class trip. It feels good in that respect. A lot of people say that it's impossible and they get jealous. So I tell them I'll show them how to do it.

"It can take time. But with two cards and two incomes it's possible."

Now looking at trying for a baby, Darren and Tiffany are saving up points for their next project -- one that will no doubt take a bit longer to reach: a family holiday.