Going on a trip will require you to look at the flights for your trip. The question is, should you pay in cash or use your miles towards these flights? This guide will go over all the things you should know when it comes down to booking your flight. So read below for more information on rather or not you should use cash or your miles for your flight.
Check out our list of the best credit card bonuses to help you earn miles.
Award Availability
Think about using your miles if there is award availability for you. Just put in your departure date and where you’re going. So the more flexible your schedule is, the better your chances are in finding saver award availability.
However, since there are tons of frequent flyer programs who are switching to dynamic award pricing now. In other words, saver awards can become an old thing to use. Airlines that use dynamic award pricing will require you to check on award prices frequently. This is because it can change every now and then.
Your Miles Balance
After you find the price of your flight in miles, you’ll be able to check your rewards balance. See if you have enough miles built up to cover an award flight. However, if you don’t have enough, you should pay for it in cash and use your miles another time. Possibly for a future redemption rewards instead.
Flight Cash Price
Be sure to look at the cash price for the award flight that you want before hand. You can do this by checking directly with the carrier or use Google Flights to do so. Plus, if you use Google Flights, you’ll be able to find flight prices much faster.
Keep in mind, Google Flights will not show Southwest flights at all.
Mile Value
When you know the price of the flight in both cash and miles, you need to know what your miles are worth. By knowing what your miles are worth, it will help you decide if you should use them for award flight instead.
Calculating the value of your miles is simple. Just take the cash price for the flight and divide it by the award price. Here are some examples below:
| Flight A | Flight B | |
| Cash Price | $500 | $250 |
| Award Price | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Miles Value | $0.02/mile | $0.01/mile |
If you want the exact value for your miles, be sure that you include taxes and additional fees that come with the awards.
To Spend or Not to Spend Miles
Keep in mind, not all mile currencies are made the same. Their values will range depending on the programs you sign up for. To figure out if it’s a good idea or not to use your miles, check out our valuations of well known rewards program currencies. Furthermore, it would be a better idea if you go for award flights that come with higher cents per mile.
An example would be, if the value of Delta SkyMiles is $0.012 per mile, Flight A (example from above) will give you a great deal at 2 cents a mile. But, Flight B will come with subpar value at 1 cent per mile. In other words, you should consider getting it in cash and saving your miles towards a better future redemption option.
Other Considerations
Gaining elite status will normally need you to fly a specific amount of paid miles in a year. If the status is important to you, then you can consider going with a cash ticket instead of an award ticket.
If you like going on international flights in business or first class, the only budget friendly option is to use your miles. For this, you will want to pay the cash price for a shorter domestic trip and save your miles towards a longer flight in a luxurious cabin.
Other than cash and miles, you’ll be able to pay for your flight with fixed-value points from a credit card rewards program. For example, you’ll be able to book your award flight with Ultimate Rewards points with the Ultimate Rewards points travel center. Gaining these points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with every point at a fixed value of $0.0125.
Some of the perks are:
- Earn redeemable and elite-qualifying miles.
- Award availability isn’t restricted.
Best Airline Credit Cards
Some co-branded credit cards can come with a great value for loyal customers at specific airlines. Check out our complied list of the best credit cards for each major airline in the United States. This is just a snippet from our best airline credit cards guide.
 The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion(R) Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you'll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a First Class, Delta Comfort+(R), or Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. You'll earn: • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required. • $200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members can earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. • Receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. • Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. This card does come with a $650 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
 The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers earn a Companion Pass good through 2/28/26 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you'll earn 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year. You'll earn: • Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. Some perks include $75 Southwest travel credit each year., receiving 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available, savings of 25% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi, and more! This card carries a $149 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. |
 The United Explorer Card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. You'll earn: • 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. • 1x mile on all other purchases Perks of this card include: • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary • Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. • Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card There is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. Member FDIC |
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Conclusion
When it comes down to booking a flight for your next trip, there are different ways you can pay for your flight. There isn’t a right or wrong answer for you when it comes to getting a flight. However, there are some good tips and pointers to keep in mind to book a flight. It’s up to you if you want to use your miles or pay in cash for the flight.
