‘SHOULD I USE MY MILES / POINTS?’ CALCULATOR

‘Should I Use My Miles / Points?’ Calculator

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Should I use my airline miles or points? Should I buy my ticket outright instead? Our travel miles/points calculator gives a fast accurate answer:

Easy Advanced Expert




← Your own or TPG valuation.

Looking for a cash value of your miles / points? See our miles / points to dollars tool.

Documentation: Easy mode uses an industry standard of 1.4 cents-per-mile/point to make a determination. The formula that powers advanced mode is complex and proprietary. We recommend it over Easy and Expert mode. Avoid using commas and periods, the calculator doesn’t like them yet.

Cost of Airline Ticket is the total cost you would pay after taxes, baggage and seat selection if you didn’t use miles or points. Think of this as your final cost without using miles/points.

Miles or Points Needed is the amount your airline requires for a rewards flight. For best results, visit your airline’s website and walk through booking a rewards ticket to see the actual miles / points needed.

Fees to Redeem are normally charged on a reward flight and are typically an airport tax or fuel surcharge airlines pass onto you. They range from $10 to $250 depending on the location and duration of your trip. It is typically the only cost to you when redeeming your miles / points.

Miles or Points Foregone are those you would earned if you purchased the ticket instead of redeeming miles / points for it. Do a run-through on your airlines’s website to see how many miles/points you would earn for this field.

Mile or Point Valuation is used only in the Expert mode and is the cents-per-mile/point valuation of your airline’s flyer program. Check ThePointsGuy.com for this valuation if you do not have valuation of your own. Advanced mode is recommended for most as Expert mode will not always produce the best results for those unfamiliar with valuations.