Points Vs Cash for Cheap Flights: What Gets You Less?

Points feel like free money. Then you see the taxes, the blackout dates and a points price that looks oddly like the cash fare. We built a free flight search, so we see this every day: the cheapest option is not always the one with the most glamour.

Here is the plain version. Cash wins most of the time on cheap fares. Points win in a few specific places. This guide shows you which is which, and how to check in two minutes.

Points or cash for cheap flights

Cash usually wins the cheapest fares. Points earn their place on long-haul trips, premium cabins and peak-price dates, where cash fares climb and an award can give you far more value for each point.

That split holds because a point has no fixed price. Its worth changes with every booking, so the same 10,000 points can be a great deal on one flight and a poor one on the next.

Here is how we sort it:

• Cash tends to win: short hops, budget carriers, and any fare that is already low.
• Points tend to win: long-haul flights, business or first class, and peak dates such as the year-end holidays.
• Either can win: mid-range routes on full-service airlines. Run the sum.

None of this is a case against points. It is a case for checking before you spend them, because a redemption that looks generous can still lose to a cheap cash fare you did not look up.

What your points are really worth

Every award has a price in points and a price in cash. To compare them, you turn the points into a figure you can set beside the cash fare. That figure is cents per point, and you can work it out on any phone.

Think of it as a flight redemption value calculator that needs nothing but a basic calculator app.

Airline points vs cash value, step by step

The sum has four steps. Use the same flight, the same dates and the same cabin on both sides.

1. Find the cash fare for the seat. Take it from a live search, not from memory, because fares move.
2. Subtract any taxes and fees you would still pay in cash on the award ticket.
3. Divide what is left by the number of points the award needs.
4. Multiply by 100. The answer is your cents per point.

Say a return flight costs $620 in cash. The award costs 40,000 points plus $60 in taxes and fees. That leaves $560. Divide by 40,000 and you get 0.014. Multiply by 100 and the redemption is worth 1.4 cents per point.

Now set a bar. If you would happily sell a point for 1.5 cents, this award misses it, and you keep your points. If your bar is 1 cent, it clears easily.

That bar is yours to set, and it will depend on what else you could do with the points. A bar you set before you search keeps a flashy award from talking you into a weak deal.

This sum does not tell you whether a trip is worth taking. It only tells you which way of paying is cheaper once you have decided to go.

Taxes and fees that cut the value

Award tickets can still carry government taxes and airline surcharges payable in cash. These vary by carrier and route. Some awards come with a small bill. Others come with a bill big enough to wipe out the saving.

That is why the sum takes the cash charges off the fare before it divides. Skip that step and every award looks better than it is.

If you only look at the points price, you will overrate the redemption. Check the cash side every time, and check it before you transfer or book anything.

When cash beats points on cheap flights

When the cash fare is already low, points have little room to add value. A low fare leaves few dollars to “save”, so each point buys less. The points price rarely falls in step.

Short budget hops often come out cheaper in cash than the points an award would cost. You do not have to feel bad about paying cash for them. It is the sensible move.

Short hops and budget carriers

Many budget carriers run no points programme at all. Others limit award seats or sell them at poor rates. On those airlines, cash is often the only route.

What that means for you:

• No programme, no award. There is nothing to redeem against.
• Few seats, high prices. Where awards exist, they can cost more than the fare is worth.
• Fees stack up. Bags and seat choices are paid in cash either way.
• Cash fares are easy to compare. One search shows every option side by side.

You lose nothing by paying cash here. Your points stay put for a trip where they work harder.

When the cash fare is already low

A cheap fare on a full-service airline works the same way. Run the sum and a low fare usually returns a low cents-per-point figure. The award would cost a fair number of points to save a small sum.

One test is worth remembering. If the figure falls under your own bar, pay cash and keep the points for a better flight.

We would rather you spend $89 and keep 8,000 points than spend the points to save the same $89. Points can buy something bigger later, and an $89 fare is not worth them.

When to use flight points

Points stretch furthest where cash prices run high. That means long-haul trips, premium cabins, and dates when everyone wants to fly. The test stays the same throughout: redeem only when the value per point clears your bar.

Long-haul premium fares are where points tend to deliver the stronger value per point. The cash price is large, so the same sum gives a bigger figure.

Long-haul and premium cabins

Take the same sum on a business class seat. The cash fare is $2,400. The award costs 80,000 points plus $150 in taxes and fees. That leaves $2,250, which divided by 80,000 gives 0.028. You are getting around 2.8 cents per point, well above the 1.4 cents from the economy example.

The points did not change. The cash price did. A premium seat costs a great deal in cash, so the same points go further against it.

Picture a honeymoon across the Atlantic. You want to lie flat on the way out, and the cash fare for that cabin is steep. If an award seat is open on your dates and the cents-per-point figure clears your bar, that is a good use of points.

Cash still has a role there. Before you commit, look at what the long-haul route costs in cash. Our guide to the cheapest flights to Europe from the USA shows what live fares look like, so you can see the gap for yourself.

Peak dates and expensive routes

Cash fares spike around the year-end holidays and other busy weeks. Awards on some programmes rise too, but not always by as much, and that gap is where points can win.

Take a family of four flying to Europe for the holidays. Four cash fares at peak prices add up quickly. An award that covers some or all of those seats could save a large sum, if the seats exist together on your dates.

That “if” matters. Families need several seats on the same flight, and award space is often thin at peak times. You may find one seat but not four.

Points are also a poor fit if you fly once a year and your balance is small. A few thousand points rarely cover a peak-date long-haul trip. In that case, cash and a good comparison search will do more for you.

Card points and the fine print

The value of a redemption can change quietly. Two things catch people out most: points that expire, and tickets with different rules once you need to cancel.

Some programmes let points lapse if an account sits idle. Others do not. Check the terms on yours before you save for a trip two years away.

Cancellation terms can also differ between award and cash tickets. A cash fare might give you a credit or a refund under one set of rules. An award might follow another, with fees to put the points back. Read both before you book, and weigh a flexible cash ticket against an award you might need to change.

Credit card points for flights: fixed values vs transfers

Credit card points for flights usually come in two plain options.

• Fixed-value travel portals. Each point has one set value when you book travel through the card’s own portal. That makes the comparison simple. You set the portal price against the cash fare and see which is lower.
• Transfers to airline schemes. You move your card points to an airline programme and book an award. This can stretch value a long way, but only when a suitable award seat exists. If it does not, the points sit in the airline account until you find one.

For a quick decision on a short or mid-range flight, a fixed-value portal is the easier test. For a long-haul premium trip, a transfer is worth exploring. Check the seat is available first, because transfers usually cannot be reversed.

Redemption timing: check cash first

Cash fares change often. Some programmes price awards by demand. Good award seats can appear and vanish in a day. So the order of work matters, and cash goes first.

If you check cash first, you know what you are trying to beat. If you check points first, you can talk yourself into a deal that a cheaper fare would have beaten.

Run through this before you commit points:

• Cash fare for your exact route and dates, checked today
• Cash taxes and fees on the award, written down
• Cents-per-point figure, compared with your own bar
• Cancellation terms for both tickets
• Points expiry date on the account you plan to use

A short note on timing. Cash prices can also fall at short notice, so it is worth looking at last-minute deals you can compare before booking if your dates are flexible. A drop in cash can turn a good award into an average one overnight.

Why award seats come and go

Airlines release award seats in batches, and they take them back as flights fill. Some programmes also move award prices with demand, much as cash fares move. A seat you saw yesterday may be gone, or cost more points, today.

You cannot rely on an award staying put. That is the biggest reason to settle the cash baseline first, so you can judge quickly when a good seat does appear.

Compare cash prices before you spend points

You only need one number to start: the lowest live cash fare for your flight. Getting it takes a few minutes.

Here is how it works in our free flight price comparison tool:

1. Search the same route and dates you are considering for the award.
2. Read the live prices from our partner sites.
3. Note the lowest fare, and the cabin it covers.
4. Put that figure into the cents-per-point sum and see whether your points beat it.

We show live cash prices from partner sites. We do not sell travel ourselves, and we add no cookie-based price inflation. If you want a wider check, look at the best travel search engines for cheap tickets. If you want to judge a site before you rely on it, read how to choose a flight comparison site you can trust.

If cash wins, you click through and book. We hand you off to the partner site with one-click booking with no fees. If points win, you have a number to prove it, and you can book the award with confidence.

Check the live cash fare for your route and dates first. Then decide what your points are for.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good cents-per-point value for flights?

There is no single figure that suits everyone. Set your own bar before you search, based on what else you could do with your points. If an award clears that bar after you take off cash taxes and fees, it is worth booking. If not, pay cash.

Are points ever worth using on a cheap flight?

Rarely. When the cash fare is already low, the sum usually returns a low cents-per-point figure, so the points buy little. Keep them for a long-haul or premium trip, where the same points go further.

Do I still pay anything on an award ticket?

Often, yes. Award tickets can carry government taxes and airline surcharges in cash, and these vary by carrier and route. Take them off the cash fare in your sum, or the redemption will look better than it is.

Is it better to use a card travel portal or transfer points to an airline?

A fixed-value portal is easier, because each point has one set value and you can set it straight against a cash fare. A transfer can stretch value further, but only if a suitable award seat exists. Confirm the seat before you transfer.

Why should I check the cash price before the points price?

Cash fares change often, and award seats can appear and vanish quickly. Some programmes also price awards by demand. A live cash fare gives you the figure to beat, so you can judge any award in moments.