Points vs. Cash Calculator
Enter what the ticket costs, what the award costs, and what you still pay in taxes. You get the cents per point you are actually getting, and a straight verdict.
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What the ticket costs in dollars.
The award price for the same seat.
What you still pay in cash on the award.
Sets what we compare your result to.
You are getting
2.12¢ / point
Our valuation, Chase UR
1.80¢
Good redemption. Use the points.
You are beating our valuation for this currency and saving $1,270 in cash. Book it.
Show the math
Cash fare $1,450 − award taxes $180 = $1,270 of cash avoided.
$1,270 ÷ 60,000 miles × 100 = 2.12¢ per point.
Compared against 1.80¢, our conservative valuation for Chase UR on transatlantic redemptions. Our editorial benchmark includes the flexibility to choose the partner after finding an award. Eligible Chase cards reach Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue, United and Avios programs; confirm your card's transfer access and the available seat before moving points. Valuations last reviewed .
How the number is worked out
One formula, and it is the whole tool: (cash fare − award taxes and fees) ÷ miles × 100. That gives the cents of value you get per point on this specific booking.
The part most calculators skip is subtracting the award’s own cash cost. On transatlantic routes that is not a rounding error. A British Airways award out of the US can carry several hundred dollars of carrier-imposed surcharges, and an award that looks like it saves you $1,400 might really be saving you $800. Once you take the surcharges out, plenty of “great” redemptions stop being great.
Where the valuations come from
The verdict compares your result against our own valuation for that currency, shown beside it. These are deliberately conservative and specific to flying to Europe. They are not the headline numbers you see quoted elsewhere, which are usually built on the single best redemption someone found that year, on dates nobody could actually use.
Every valuation carries a basis explaining why it is set where it is, and all 16 are below rather than hidden behind the dropdown. They are reviewed quarterly and whenever a program devalues; last reviewed .
| Currency | Our value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate RewardsCard points | 1.8¢ | Our editorial benchmark includes the flexibility to choose the partner after finding an award. Eligible Chase cards reach Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue, United and Avios programs; confirm your card's transfer access and the available seat before moving points. |
| American Express Membership RewardsCard points | 1.8¢ | Our editorial benchmark values the best transfer for the trip rather than the average partner. Eligible US Membership Rewards accounts can reach ANA, Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue and Avios programs; checking-only accounts have more limited transfer options. |
| Bilt RewardsCard points | 1.8¢ | Our editorial benchmark reflects the strength of the best options for a trip, including Atmos, Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue, Turkish and Avios programs. Bilt lists these at 1:1; transfer minimums depend on status, and award availability must be checked separately. |
| Capital One MilesCard points | 1.7¢ | Our editorial benchmark values the best partner for the trip, including Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Turkish and Avios options. Capital One transfers to Virgin Red; linking Flying Club combines the Virgin Points balance. Confirm availability and eligibility before transferring. |
| Citi ThankYou PointsCard points | 1.5¢ | Our editorial benchmark reflects the ability to choose the partner after finding a suitable award, including AAdvantage, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish and Qatar Avios. Transfer eligibility and ratios depend on the Citi card; check the account's terms before comparing point costs. |
| Atmos Rewards (Alaska, Hawaiian)Airline | 1.6¢ | Our editorial benchmark applies to Alaska and Hawaiian's combined Atmos Rewards program. Compare an available partner award and its cash charges with a feasible cash alternative. The recorded transfer options include Bilt at 1:1 and Marriott at its published ratio. |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying ClubAirline | 1.4¢ | Our editorial benchmark accounts for the need to find usable award space and include cash charges. Flying Club can book eligible partner awards, including Delta, but partner availability and rules differ; compare the actual quote before transferring. |
| Air Canada AeroplanAirline | 1.4¢ | Our editorial benchmark is not a promise of a particular award price. Aeroplan's flight reward chart varies by travel region, distance, cabin and operating carrier; use the applicable chart and a bookable quote, including taxes and fees, for your itinerary. |
| American AAdvantageAirline | 1.4¢ | Our editorial benchmark uses available awards, not a guaranteed chart price. American publishes partner award charts; awards on American vary by date and flight. Confirm the miles and cash charges for the itinerary before transferring or redeeming. |
| Air France/KLM Flying BlueAirline | 1.3¢ | Our editorial benchmark is a comparison input, not a guaranteed return. Flying Blue publishes monthly Promo Rewards for selected routes and travel periods; verify the current offer, eligible fare and total cash charges rather than assuming every award is discounted. |
| ANA Mileage ClubAirline | 1.3¢ | Our editorial benchmark weighs the usable award and its cash charges. ANA has allowed one-way partner flight awards for reservations and tickets issued from June 24, 2025; confirm the applicable zones, class and available seats before transferring. |
| Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus)Airline | 1.2¢ | Our editorial benchmark covers a currency used by separate airline programs. Compare the actual Avios amount and cash charges through the program you will book; the same flight need not have the same price or availability through every Avios program. |
| United MileagePlusAirline | 1.2¢ | Our editorial benchmark does not establish that partner awards beat United-operated awards. Search the actual itinerary in miles, include its cash charges and compare a feasible cash ticket for the same trip before redeeming. |
| Delta SkyMilesAirline | 1.2¢ | Our editorial benchmark is not a forecast of a sale. Delta's award calendar shows available mileage prices for your dates; include taxes and fees and compare the ticket you would otherwise buy, rather than assuming a flash sale is required for value. |
| Turkish Miles&SmilesAirline | 1.1¢ | Our editorial benchmark is a judgment, not a documented booking-success rate. Miles&Smiles publishes award rules for Turkish and partner flights; confirm the applicable chart, available seats and cash charges before transferring, without assuming it is the cheapest program. |
| Marriott BonvoyHotel | 0.7¢ | Our editorial benchmark treats these as hotel points first. The recorded airline routes have a 3:1 base ratio, with eligible transfer bonuses and exceptions. That arithmetic alone does not establish the point value; compare the exact airline top-up with keeping the points. |
Jon’s take
The honest answer is that economy awards to Europe are usually a poor use of points, and business class awards are usually an excellent one. The cash gap between a $400 economy ticket and a $4,000 business ticket is enormous; the miles gap between them rarely is. That asymmetry is the entire game.
So if the calculator tells you that your economy redemption is worth 1.1 cents a point, that is not a failure of the tool. That is the tool telling you to pay the $400, keep the miles, and use them on the seat that actually costs money.
The one exception is the trip that only happens if you use the points. A mediocre redemption you take beats a perfect one you never book.
Common questions
- What is a good cents-per-point value for a flight to Europe?
- Anything at or above our valuation for that currency is a good redemption, which for most transferable points is around 1.7 to 1.8 cents. Above roughly 2.2 cents you are doing well, and that usually means a premium cabin. Below about 1.3 cents on a transferable currency you are better off paying cash and keeping the balance.
- Why do you subtract the award taxes and fees?
- Because you still pay them. An award that costs 60,000 miles plus $600 in carrier surcharges has not saved you the full cash fare, it has saved you the fare minus $600. Skipping that step is the single most common way people talk themselves into a bad redemption on transatlantic routes, where surcharges are highest.
- Why are your point valuations lower than the ones I see elsewhere?
- Most published valuations are built on the best redemption anyone found that year. That number is not useful if you cannot book it on your dates. Ours are deliberately conservative, based on what these currencies reliably get on transatlantic routes, and each one shows its basis. They were last reviewed in 2026-08.
- Does this work for flights outside Europe?
- The math does, but the comparison does not. Our valuations are specific to transatlantic redemptions, where award pricing and carrier surcharges behave differently from other regions. Use the cents-per-point figure anywhere; only trust the verdict for Europe.
- Should I ever redeem points at a low value?
- Sometimes. Points are not an investment, and a balance you never spend is worth nothing. If the trip only happens because you used the miles, a below-average redemption that gets you there beats a perfect one you never book.
Next: the transfer partners and sweet spots to Europe, or the cabin reviews that tell you whether the seat is worth the miles in the first place.
Built and maintained by
Jon Miksis
Jon Miksis has run travel businesses since 2017 and spends 3–6 months a year traveling, two to three of them in Europe. He has taken 250+ flights and booked every one himself, and regularly flies Boston to Europe for under $300 round trip. Every “Flown” review is from his own seat.
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