How we got there: The French Riviera

We started our babymoon in London, and I was able to find a business class award booking on the Air France/KLM website flying on Virgin Atlantic metal from SFO-LHR (San Francisco to London Heathrow). The ticket cost 114,000 miles each and we transferred Chase points to Air France for the flight. There was a transfer bonus happening at the time we transferred the flight, so our points were worth 25% more than usual. It was our first time flying on Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, and we were excited for the trip. The Virgin Atlantic lounge at SFO was small but stylish. The food and drinks were pretty good, and you could order items directly from your seat in the lounge using a QR code on each table. The flight itself was comfortable and we were able to stay up for most of it to try and get our bodies used to London time. 

For the flight back we also flew Virgin Atlantic from LHR to SFO, but this time it was through Virgin directly. The miles required were slightly lower than on Air France, but the taxes/surcharges were more expensive.  The Virgin Atlantic experience departing LHR is a step above compared to flying into London. Upper class passengers have their own departure area when getting to LHR via car, where a  representative will meet and greet you as you arrive. There is a separate immigration and security area as well, and the whole thing makes the experience feel much more exclusive. The lounge at LHR was very spacious and nice, with similar food and drink options to the SFO Virgin Atlantic lounge.