We do a lot of research here behind the scenes. We always need to know just how to stretch our dollars, dong, yen, or pesos just as far as we can. Well, in the course of this research, I came across a rather startling deal: one that allows you to hit three continents for under $800. An important note: I am currently in the process of trying this out, so take care before following these guidelines. Also, be aware that signing up for new lines of credit could aversely affect your FICO score. Now, without further ado:

First, our three destinations are as follows: Quito/Bogotá, New York City, and Johannesburg.

I discovered this trick while browsing for international flights to Joberg on CheapoAir.com, which I’ve almost always found to have the best fares of the big aggregators. Turns out, you can snag yourself a one-way ticket from New York City for about $780 (taxes/fees incl.). That’s pretty straightforward– so here’s the trick.

You may have shredded a half-dozen or more credit card offers this week alone, but pay special attention to those that offer you bonus miles to sign up. I received an offer this week for 30,000 AAdvantage Miles (American Airlines) for a no-annual, high-interest card, but there are even better offers out there (like this 50,000-mile offer on Delta). As it turns out, 30,000 miles is almost exactly the rewards cost for a multi-city ticket from just about any major airport to Quito/Bogotá/Central America, and then on to New York City. I was looking for departures from Albuquerque, NM and found the rewards cost to be only 1.7k more than that.

The AAdvantage credit card offer requires you to make $750 of purchases before you earn your miles (Delta is only $250), which, lo and behold, is exactly the cost of your ticket to Joberg. Voila.

Step 1: Sign up for bonus mile credit card offer

Step 2: When you receive your card, head over to CheapoAir and book your ticket to South Africa

Step 3: 8-10 weeks later, use your 30,000 miles to book a multi-city ticket from your home airport to Central America and back to NYC

*REMEMBER: Be aware that there could be a 5-point hit to your credit score because of a hard-draw on your information. I’ve looked into the FICO scoring system, and believe it to be negligible, but you certainly will open this line of credit at your own risk.

Any insights into the deal? Any advice? Share it in the comments!