In fact, in that case you may as well have bought flights with cash instead of trying to earn miles on a credit card. (blog.tortugabackpacks.com)
Most of us don't have an unlimited supply of points and miles, which is one of several reasons why even the most passionate award travel enthusiast occasionally books flights with cash rather than rewards. (thepointsguy.com)
If you were to book this same flight with cash or credit, it would cost you a lot of extra money to include Paris in your itinerary... but not with a rewards flight, paid for using miles that you've accumulated by spending money on your credit card. (creditwalk.ca)