How to Search Using Points

Hotels and airlines offer the option to search using points. They may refer to them using different terms: points, miles, awards. Be sure to select this option when you are performing your searches.

For American Airlines, you would click “Redeem Miles” as one of your search criteria.

For Marriott, you would check off “Use Points/Awards” to complete your search.

Availability is not the same when you pay with points
- You might find seats available to purchase with cash on a specific flight but then there are no seats available when you search using the “pay with miles” option
  - There are typically less “awards seats” than “cash seats” This applies to hotel rooms too
  - Booking early can help you secure the trip you want
  - Award availability can change, so check often
The amount of points needed to book flights can vary significantly
- You can move your travel date by one day and the points amount could double (or be cut in half!)
  - Be flexible in your searches so you can get an idea of when you should plan your trip and how many points you will need

Award Search Results

In this United search, notice the variation in pricing. Some days are 40,000 miles. Others are as high as 70,000 for the same trip.

Flight Search Results

When paying for flights with points, you’ll still need to pay taxes and fees. These are determined by each airline and can vary significantly. But using points for the airfare itself, makes paying those taxes and fees a lot easier to handle.

Here are search results for flights from Boston to Paris with 3 different airlines. The searches are for the same dates, nonstop flights only, for 2 people.

You’ll see that the results vary, depending on the airline.

Air France: 60,000 points & $400.40 taxes and fees
Virgin Atlantic: 104,000 points & $515.80 taxes and fees
Delta: 236,000 points & $177.80 taxes and fees

Images of the actual searches are below, scroll through each airline’s prices to compare

Hotel Search

Depending on which hotel you choose, the amount of points it will cost can vary significantly

Let’s compare Hyatt and Hilton for this stay in Paris:

As you can see in the picture of the Hilton search, you can book a standard room for 47,000 points per night at one of their lower-category hotels
- So, if you get a Hilton compatible card that has a 100,000 point sign-up bonus, you would get 2 nights at the lower category hotel (Hotel Camille Paris Gare de Lyon)
For the Hyatt search (also pictured), you can book a standard room for 18,000 points per night at one of their lower category hotels.
- If you get a Hyatt compatible card that has a 100,000 point sign-up bonus, you could stay 5 nights at their lower category hotel (Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile)

Hilton search results

Hyatt search results

Choose Your Credit Cards

Things to keep in mind when choosing a card:

Bank cards offer transferable points that can be used with several airlines and hotels
- This gives you more flexibility during planning
- Bank card examples: American Express Gold, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture
Co-branded cards offer points that can only be used with that particular hotel or airline
- For example: The World of Hyatt card (pictured) earns Hyatt points that cannot be transferred elsewhere
Make sure you are comfortable with the minimum spend and the annual fee when choosing a card

Book Your Trip

You chose your airline and hotel
You got the right credit cards and earned your sign-up points
All you have left is to book your trip and pinch yourself when you see how little this is going to cost you

Overwhelmed?

I’ve done the research for you. Let me help you piece together your Points Puzzle.

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