Air Miles Value Calculator
Cents per point — should you book with cash or miles?
Enter your values
Enter the cash price of the ticket in $.
Enter the points or miles required you are working with.
Enter the taxes and fees on the award in $.
Enter the your programme baseline value in ¢/pt.
Enter the points you would earn paying cash you are working with.
Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed. Your values are remembered on this device, and the shareable link reopens the calculator with exactly these numbers.
- Redemption value
- 1.27 ¢ per point
- Verdict
- Below baseline — pay cash and keep the points
- Value of the points used
- $546.00
- Cash saved by redeeming
- $535.00
- Points forgone by not paying cash
- 3,100 pts ($40.30)
- True net benefit
- -$51.30
Quick answer
Redemption value in cents per point = (cash price − award taxes) ÷ points used × 100. Anything above your programme's baseline is a good redemption.
cpp = (cash price − taxes) ÷ points × 100
At a glance
| What it does | Cents per point — should you book with cash or miles? |
|---|---|
| Category | Travel |
| Inputs needed | Cash price of the ticket, Points or miles required, Taxes and fees on the award, Your programme baseline value, Points you would earn paying cash |
| Main output | Redemption value |
| Formula | cpp = (cash price − taxes) ÷ points × 100 |
| Cost | Free — no sign-up, no download |
How to use the Air Miles Value Calculator
- 1Look up the cash price and the award price for the same flight.
- 2Enter the taxes and carrier fees payable on the award.
- 3Set your baseline value — 1.2–1.5 ¢ suits most airline programmes.
Inputs explained
- Cash price of the ticket($)
- Enter the cash price of the ticket in $.
- Points or miles required
- Enter the points or miles required you are working with.
- Taxes and fees on the award($)
- Enter the taxes and fees on the award in $.
- Your programme baseline value(¢/pt)
- Enter the your programme baseline value in ¢/pt.
- Points you would earn paying cash
- Enter the points you would earn paying cash you are working with.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Cash price of the ticket620 $
- Points or miles required42000
- Taxes and fees on the award85 $
- Your programme baseline value1.3 ¢/pt
- Points you would earn paying cash3100
Results
- Redemption value1.27 ¢ per point
- VerdictBelow baseline — pay cash and keep the points
- Value of the points used$546.00
- Cash saved by redeeming$535.00
- Points forgone by not paying cash3,100 pts ($40.30)
- True net benefit-$51.30
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cents-per-point value?
1.0–1.5 ¢ for economy, 2–5 ¢ for business and first class, where cash fares are far higher relative to the award price.
Should I include the points I would have earned?
Yes — booking with points means you earn nothing on that flight, and that opportunity cost is included in the net benefit above.
What do I need to enter into the Air Miles Value Calculator?
Just 5 values: cash price of the ticket, points or miles required, taxes and fees on the award, your programme baseline value, points you would earn paying cash. Every field starts with a realistic example, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result update instantly.
How does the Air Miles Value Calculator work out the answer?
Redemption value in cents per point = (cash price − award taxes) ÷ points used × 100. Anything above your programme's baseline is a good redemption. It applies the formula cpp = (cash price − taxes) ÷ points × 100 and shows the working so you can check each step by hand.
Is the Air Miles Value Calculator free, and do I need an account?
It is completely free with no sign-up, no download and no usage limit. Everything is calculated in your browser, so the numbers you type never leave your device.
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.