Use this calculator to decide whether to pay cash or use your points for a flight. Enter the cash price, points required, and any award taxes and fees, and it’ll show you the value per point along with a clear recommendation.
If you’re just getting started, I have a post on how I earn points and miles and another one on how I find these kinds of flight deals.
Is this award flight a good deal?
Enter the cash price, points required, and any award taxes to see your value per point.
How to fill this out
Cash price ($)
This is what the flight would cost if you paid with a credit card instead of points, on the same dates and same route. Use the actual price you see when you search, not an average or a guess.
Points required
The number of points or miles the airline is asking for to book that same flight as an award ticket. You’ll see this number when you search award availability instead of cash fares.
Award taxes & fees ($)
Most award tickets aren’t fully free, airlines still charge taxes and carrier fees even when you pay with points. This is usually a small amount, but it comes out of your pocket in cash, so it’s part of the true cost of the redemption.