On a trip with Alaska airlines I booked one group of flights using miles, and another paying cash. The difference in dates was large enough that my value per mile differed significantly. In this post on “How to get the most value out of your miles or points,” I’ll give a specific example on how I decide whether to use miles or points when booking a flight.
How much of a difference do dates make for mileage use?
Everyone knows that airlines price seats differently over time. However, what’s less well known is that the miles required for a flight can vary just as much. Due to the fact that many airlines have a fixed number of seats for fewer miles, which are often much less than those for discounted airfares, it can pay significantly to book far enough in advance.
Roundtrip Flight from Spokane, WA to Portland, OR
– Trip 1 Flight Cost = 12,500 Miles & $11.2 in fees/person (or $261/person)
* This trip worked out to be around $0.02/mile
– Trip 2 Flight Cost = $261/person (or 17,500 miles)
* This trip would have been $0.014/mile
I opted to book trip 1 using miles and trip 2 using cash based on the difference in mile value. $0.014/mile isn’t necessarily a bad valuation, but I had just purchased a flight for $0.02/mile, so I wasn’t inclined to use my miles for that trip.
So, how to get the most value out of your miles or points?
The key is to know what a good valuation is for your miles and to be patient to wait for the right time to make the best use of them.
For me, I’m always looking to use my mileage at or above the higher end of “standard” valuation range (see Alaska Airlines mileage valuation here).
