Lesson Plans & Layovers Ultimate Points Calculator

Award vs. Cash Calculator

Compare cash prices to award bookings, calculate cents per point, include taxes and fees, and get a simple recommendation on whether to pay cash or use points.

Easy

Beginner Friendly

Best Use

Flights + Hotels

Flight Award Calculator

Check whether a flight redemption is worth using points.

Cash price ($)

Points required

Taxes and fees on award ($)

Your target point value (¢)

Formula: Cents per point = (cash price − taxes and fees) ÷ points × 100
Estimated award cost using your valuation: (points × your target value) + taxes and fees

Flight redemption

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Target value: 1.5¢ per point

Cash value replaced by points

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Your estimated point cost

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Award booking effective cost

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Estimated value gap

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Hotel Award Calculator

Compare a hotel cash rate to the points redemption value.

Cash room cost ($)

Points required

Taxes / resort / booking fees ($)

Your target hotel point value (¢)

Tip: Hotel points often have a lower target value than airline points, so use your own benchmark here.

Hotel redemption

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Target value: 0.8¢ per point

Cash value replaced by points

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Your estimated point cost

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Award booking effective cost

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Estimated value gap

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How to use it

Enter the cash price, the number of points required, and any taxes or fees you still have to pay on the award booking. Then compare the cents per point result to your own target valuation.

Flight rule of thumb

Many travelers look for around 1.5¢ per point or better for flexible airline points, but your own goals matter more than internet averages.

Hotel rule of thumb

Hotel redemptions often land closer to 0.6¢ to 1.0¢ per point, depending on the brand. Premium stays can sometimes do better.