You’ve worked hard to earn your precious points, and now it’s time to enjoy the rewards. But let’s be smart about it. The goal? Get the maximum value out of your points.
Here’s the golden rule: NEVER redeem your points through any credit card travel portal. We’ve made that mistake, and we still regret it. A friend of ours redeemed 137,000 points through a travel portal for a trip, but we later found the same trip for just 34,000 points. When she told us, we couldn’t believe it—it was painful to hear. For that amount, she could’ve flown business class! Thankfully, she’s learned from our advice and now makes much smarter choices after reading our articles.
Book Early
The first step to maximizing your points is planning your trip in advance. The earlier you book, the fewer points you’ll need to spend. On many occasions, we’ve booked trips as much as a year ahead. We know it’s hard to plan that far in advance, but if you’re traveling for major events—like Christmas, weddings, or other planned occasions—booking early is the best way to secure the most valuable points deals.
Another advantage of booking with points is flexibility. Most loyalty programs offer better cancellation policies when booking with points compared to cash tickets. With cash, you might face costly change fees or risk losing your money on non-refundable fares. If your plans aren’t set in stone, use points—it’s the safer choice.
One-Way Tickets – A Smarter Way to Book
When using your points, we always book one-way tickets—even if we are flying the same airline for the return trip. You might be thinking, why double the work? Well, spending a few extra minutes upfront can save you a major hassle later.
Here’s the deal: when you book a round-trip ticket, both flights are tied together like an overly attached ex. If you need to change one leg of the journey, you might end up having to cancel the whole thing—meaning you’ll have to rebook, often at a higher points cost or with limited availability as your travel date gets closer. But with one-way tickets, you can modify only what you need, keeping the other flight untouched.
Same points, more flexibility, and zero drama—plus, you get to skip the soul-crushing experience of being trapped in an airline hold music for hours. You’re welcome!
The Power of Friendships (Or Partnerships, In This Case): Exploring Airline Alliances
Here’s something most people don’t realize—airlines have their own besties (partners or alliances), and they share flights and routes when booking with points. You might instinctively go straight to the airline you usually fly with and book through their website, but knowing who their friends are can save you a ton of points (and money).
For example, let’s say you’re eyeing a flight on United. Log into your United loyalty account and check how many points it costs. Now, before you book, check Lifemiles (Avianca’s mileage program). That exact same United flight might require fewer points or come with lower fees. Or maybe your credit card only allows transfers to Lifemiles—now you know you can still book United flights through them since both belong to Star Alliance.
When planning a trip, do a quick Google Flights search to find your preferred flight. Then, check which airlines are partners with that carrier and compare their redemption rates. A little extra research can score you a much better deal on the exact same seat. Overpaying in points feels just as bad as realizing you could’ve used a promo code after checkout.
Points Devaluation
Sadly, inflation has entered the chat, and just like cash, points tend to lose their value as time goes on. Airlines and hotels often raise the number of points needed for flights or stays. Our advice? Don’t be a points hoarder, earn them and use them. Always be smart and strategic, but make sure to redeem them while they’re still valuable.
When planning a trip, always compare the cost in miles versus cash. Booking one way with miles and the other with cash could help you take double the trips for half the cost. Be creative with your points, but for the love of travel—use them!
How Many Miles Do You Need?
Here’s a quick guide to the typical number of miles needed for one-way economy flights from the U.S.:
Domestic flights within the U.S.: 5K–10K miles
International flights to the Caribbean: 10K–15K miles
International flights to Europe: 20K–30K miles
International flights to Japan: 40K–50K miles
These ranges will vary depending on your departure city, airline, and travel dates, but they’re a solid starting point. Keep an eye out for special promotions—airlines occasionally offer lower-mileage deals during sales, and credit cards sometimes have transfer bonuses that can help you snag that flight for even fewer points.
Final Thoughts
If you have points and a trip is on the horizon, always check the cost in miles for that journey. If it’s a good deal, don’t hesitate. After all, the goal is to save money by redeeming your points for unforgettable travel experiences.
