London is one of the most-visited cities on earth, and it's also one of the priciest. But a recent points-and-miles guide from The Points Guy makes the case that the British capital is one of the easiest expensive destinations to hack, as long as you know which loyalty programs to use — and, crucially, which ones to avoid.

The big trap: taxes and fees. Award tickets to London can carry anywhere from a few dollars to more than $1,000 round-trip in surcharges, depending on the airline you book through. Virgin Atlantic is the headline bargain — Flying Club redemptions start at just 6,000 miles each way from the East Coast in economy, with premium economy from 10,500 miles and Upper Class from as low as 29,000. The catch is fees: expect roughly $450 to $1,700 round-trip depending on cabin. Still, with cash economy fares sometimes topping $1,400, it can pencil out.

British Airways releases award seats generously, but its fuel surcharges are notorious. The workaround is booking BA flights through programs that don't pass on the full fees. American AAdvantage charges only 57,500 miles each way in business, but taxes can hit $750-$1,000 each way. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles costs a bit more in miles (63,000 from the East Coast, 93,000 from the West) but cuts surcharges to roughly $200-$450 per direction. Booking through BA's own Avios program runs 88,000-99,000 miles with fees around $400-$500 each way — more miles, but hundreds saved per person.

United offers the cleanest deal of all. Award tickets on United's own flights to London carry just $5.60 in taxes outbound and around $200-$400 on the return, and MileagePlus elites or cobranded cardholders get discounted redemption rates — for example, Polaris business class drops from 80,000 to 72,000 miles. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, meanwhile, transfers 1:1 from most major bank points programs, and occasional transfer bonuses from issuers like Amex and Bilt can stretch your balance further.

On the ground, points hotels span the city and some programs throw in free nights or property credits. Neighbourhood choice matters: Kensington and Notting Hill for a quieter stay, Knightsbridge for shopping, Mayfair for restaurants, and the City for business trips.

For anyone sitting on a pile of credit card points, this is the practical playbook: pick your airline program based on fees, not just mileage prices, and time your transfers around bonus offers.