New to points and miles? Start here. These are the questions I ask before deciding whether to pay cash or redeem rewards.
What are points and miles?
They are rewards you earn through credit cards, airlines or hotels and can use toward eligible travel. The useful question is not just how many points you have, but what a particular booking costs in points and cash.
Is a points booking free?
Not necessarily. Award flights may still have taxes and fees. Hotels can leave a cash balance, and meals, activities or transport may be separate. I show those costs rather than calling a trip free.
How do you decide whether to redeem?
I compare the cash price for the same trip with the points required and any cash left to pay. Then I check the booking rules and whether I would actually choose that flight or hotel at that price. A big-sounding points saving is not much use if the dates, route or stay do not suit you.
Can I use your trip costs as today’s prices?
No. The figures in a trip report describe that booking and its evidence. Fares, availability, reward rates, card benefits and programme rules change. Check the live terms and the final checkout price before you book or move points.
What if part of a trip’s cost is still unknown?
I mark it as unknown instead of filling the gap with an estimate. A booking confirmation can differ from the final hotel bill, and a fare remembered later is not the same as a saved quote. In the Goa points story, for example, the final cash balance at one hotel still needs reconciling.
Where should I start?
Read the Goa trip breakdown. It puts flights, three hotel stays, points and known cash charges side by side. You do not need to know the loyalty-programme jargon to follow the maths.