How to Book a Flight with Points
Overview
Unlocking domestic flights with points & miles
The video above is from Katie's podcast, Points for Normal People. It's a great overview of booking flights with points -- a lot of the information is also covered in the next few lessons but I've learned sometimes hearing this a few different ways helps to solidify it.
Why Booking Flights with Points Feels Overwhelming
Within the U.S., you have a handful of major airlines and then a number of smaller regional or discount airlines. But it's not just the number of airlines that makes it hard to decide which method is best.
For any given flight on United or American, there may be a dozen different ways you can use different kinds of points to book it. And sometimes the only way is directly through United or American.
The goal of this module is to help you understand the principles of award flights, so you can go through the process of booking a domestic flight between any two destinations with the least stress.
Good news
You don't need to memorize any of this. As long as you understand the principles, you can look up the exact charts, partners, and pricing when you need them.
Sometimes a Partner Is the Best Deal
Sometimes, using a partner airline to book onto a U.S. airline gives you the best deal.
That's great news, because in many ways it's easier to earn points with internationally-based airlines. Lots of bank cards let you transfer points to a whole lot of airlines — but most of them aren't U.S. airlines.
Chase, Citi, American Express, and Capital One all have different airlines you can transfer to, with some overlap. With a few exceptions, most bank points transfer to airlines at a 1:1 ratio.
A Few Caveats
There are some limitations to point transfers, especially to foreign-based airlines.
Transfers can't be reversed
Once you move points from Chase to Aeroplan, they're stuck in Aeroplan. You can't take them back and send them to Hyatt instead. Always make sure your flight is available before you transfer.
Taxes and fees vary
Within the U.S., most U.S. airlines charge only $5.60 each way in taxes. But pricing a United flight through Aeroplan showed about $55 in fees. It's even more pronounced on international flights, which is why our destination flight guides always compare taxes and fees.
Cancellation fees can be high
Delta, United, American, and Southwest have all done away with cancellation fees. But some partner airlines charge from around $50 up to $150 per person or more. That really adds up for a family.
You're adding a middleman
Right up to the day you travel, you deal with the customer service of the airline you booked through. That can be more challenging with a schedule change or questions. Not a deal breaker — just something to be aware of.
“It's not a mistake to not transfer. But it can be a mistake to not consider transferring.”
You'll often hear "don't forget to transfer your points!" The fact is, there are plenty of times when transferring costs more than other ways of covering a flight, like booking through a bank travel portal. Booking through a partner adds a middleman — and because of the weird world of award travel, sometimes that middleman saves you points. But it can also make things more complicated.
