Travel Points & Miles Valuations — How Much Are They Actually Worth? [June 2024]

Updated: June 6, 2024, 2:04pm CDT

Edited by:

Travel Points & Miles Valuations — How Much Are They Actually Worth? [June 2024]

Upgraded Points’ June 2024 Points and Miles Valuations
Upgraded Points’ Highest-Valued Points
Movers and News
Final Thoughts

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Credit cards, airlines, and hotels don’t publish their own points and miles valuations, so there are no official answers on what points and miles are actually worth. Therefore, it’s up to you to make your own conclusions on that value.

But we’re here to help.

Many factors come into play when determining this metric. Below are questions you should ask yourself when evaluating the value of points, and we’ve taken them all into account to create our point and mile valuations:

How valuable are these points?
How flexible are these points, and how many transfer partners are there?
What are your redemption options?
How much would you buy points and miles for?
What’s the average redemption value from 3 different bookings?
How abundant is award availability?

Upgraded Points’ June 2024 Points and Miles Valuations

Flexible Points Programs

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Flexible Point Program	May 2024 Value (cents/point)	June 2024 Value (cents/point)	Value of 50K or 100K Points
Amex Membership Rewards Points	2.2	2.2	$1,100 / $2,200
Bank of America Preferred Rewards	1.0	1.0	$500 / $1,000
Barclaycard Arrival Miles	1.0	1.0	$500 / $1,000
Bilt Rewards	1.8	1.8	$900 / $1,800
Brex Rewards	1.0	1.0	$500 / $1,000
Capital One Miles	1.8	1.8	$900 / $1,800
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points	2.0	2.0	$1,000 / $2,000
Citi ThankYou Rewards Points	1.6	1.6	$800 / $1,600
Diners Club Rewards Points	2.0	2.0	$1,000 / $2,000
Wells Fargo Rewards Points	1.5	1.5	$750 / $1,500

Hot Tip:

Use our dedicated transfer partner tool calculator to review transfer ratios, times, and bonuses for all major flexible point programs.

Airline Loyalty Programs

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Airline Loyalty Program	May 2024 Value (cents/point)	June 2024 Value (cents/point)	Value of 50K or 100K Points
Aer Lingus AerClub Avios	1.25	1.25	$625 / $1,250
Air Canada Aeroplan Points	1.5	1.5	$750 / $1,500
Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles	1.6	1.6	$800 / $1,600
American Airlines AAdvantage Miles	1.4	1.4	$700 / $1,400
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club Miles	1.4	1.4	$700 / $1,400
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club Miles	1.6	1.6	$800 / $1,600
Avianca Airlines LifeMiles	1.4	1.4	$700 / $1,400
Breeze Airways BreezePoints	1.0	1.0	$500 / $1,000
British Airways Executive Club Avios	1.25	1.25	$625 / $1,250
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles	1.2	1.2	$600 / $1,200
Emirates Skywards Miles	1.1	1.1	$550 / $1,100
Etihad Airways Etihad Guest Miles	1.4	1.4	$700 / $1,400
Frontier Airlines FRONTIER Miles	1.1	1.1	$550 / $1,100
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles	0.9	0.9	$450 / $900
Iberia Plus Avios	1.25	1.25	$625 / $1,250
JetBlue TrueBlue Points	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
Korean Air SKYPASS Miles	1.6	1.6	$800 / $1,600
Lufthansa Miles & More Miles	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios	1.25	1.25	$625 / $1,250
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles	1.35	1.35	$675 / $1,350
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Points	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
Spirit Airlines Free Spirit Points	1.1	1.1	$550 / $1,100
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Miles	1.3	1.3	$650 / $1,300
United Airlines MileagePlus Miles	1.2	1.2	$600 / $1,200
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Virgin Points	1.4	1.4	$700 / $1,400

Hotel Loyalty Programs

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Hotel Loyalty Program	May 2024 Value (cents/point)	June 2024 Value (cents/point)	Value of 50K or 100K Points
ALL – Accor Live Limitless Rewards Points	2.3	2.3	$1,150 / $2,300
Best Western Rewards Points	0.6	0.6	$300 / $600
Choice Hotels Choice Privileges Points	0.6	0.6	$300 / $600
Hilton Hotels Hilton Honors Points	0.5	0.5	$250 / $500
Hyatt Hotels World of Hyatt Points	1.5	1.5	$750 / $1,500
IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG One Rewards Points	0.5	0.5	$250 / $500
Marriott Hotels Marriott Bonvoy Points	0.7	0.7	$350 / $700
Radisson Rewards Points	0.25	0.25	$125 / $250
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Rewards Points	0.9	0.9	$450 / $900

Upgraded Points’ Highest-Valued Points

Not all miles and points are created equal, so naturally, each category has its own winner with the most valued points. Here’s what we ranked as the highest-valued points and why:

Transferable Points: American Express Membership Rewards Points

American Express Membership Rewards continues to be the king of transferable points. Amex partners with all 3 major alliances (SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and Oneworld), along with many non-alliance partners, so it’s easier to find award space with them than with other transferable points. Amex transfer partners include Qantas, Air Canada, and Emirates, among others.

Hot Tip:

It is no secret that transferable points are our favorite rewards to earn, thanks to their flexibility and the powerful redemptions they offer. If you’d like more information on the major transferable point currencies, we’ve put together complete guides on how we value Amex Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou Points.

Airline Miles: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles

Alaska Airlines has the best of both worlds: a variety of partners and solid redemption rates. Some of Alaska’s Oneworld partners include American and Japan Airlines, and the airline’s non-alliance partners include Emirates, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, and more.

Hotel Points: World of Hyatt Points

World of Hyatt has the most reasonable redemption rates of all the major hotel chains. Further, we’ve found that there are virtually no blackout dates and that all hotels are on a standard award chart, so you always pay the same price for a room at any hotel. This allows you to explore fantastic Hyatt redemption opportunities, ensuring maximum value.

Movers and News

It was a busy month in the world of points and miles. Here is what made waves last month:

Bilt Rewards Adds Hilton Honors as Its Newest Transfer Partner

Bilt has now announced its latest transfer partner: Hilton Honors. All Bilt Rewards members can transfer Bilt Rewards points to their Hilton Honors accounts at a 1:1 ratio. Additionally, members who make their first transfer from Bilt Rewards to Hilton Honors between May 8 and June 8, 2024, will receive a bonus of 1,000 Hilton Honors points.

With this development, Bilt Rewards has become the only program that enables transfers to all of the 4 most popular hotel programs in the U.S.: World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors.

Google Flights Rolls Out 2 More Awesome Features To Help You Find Cheaper Flights

Everyone’s favorite search tool just got a major upgrade — including several new features that simplify the process of finding the best deals.

Most travelers know that there are many factors to consider when finding the cheapest flight. For instance, it’s not worth your time and money to book a 1-stop flight to save a mere $20 when you could book a nonstop flight for only slightly more.

That’s why Google Flights has rolled out a “Best vs. Cheapest” tag, which allows you to see flights based on price and convenience — or, if you prefer, results purely based on price.

This new feature can be helpful for those who live near smaller airports and need to connect through a major hub first. The new “Best” tag allows you to see flights that minimize long layovers for a reasonable price.

Additionally, Google has added a feature allowing users to search for flights in and out of nearby airports, useful for travelers near multiple places to fly out of. The flight search result is tagged with a warning that says, “Returning to a different airport,” but this new search feature can help you find a great flight deal by booking 2 different airports on 1 itinerary.

New Citi Strata Premier℠ Card Open for Applications

Citi has debuted its newest ThankYou Rewards card, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, which is now open for applications.

The Citi Strata Premier card has similar earning rates to its predecessor, the Citi Premier^® Card:

10x points on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
1x points on all other purchases

The 10x points category for select CitiTravel.com bookings is an ongoing benefit (for existing Citi Premier cardholders, this benefit expires on June 30, 2024). EV charging stations is also a new category that the Citi Premier card did not offer. The Citi Strata premier card comes with an annual fee of $95.

The Citi Strata Premier card also has these additional benefits and travel coverages:

$100 off of a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com (once per calendar year)
No foreign transaction fees
Travel insurance coverage, including trip delay, trip cancellation and interruption, lost or damaged luggage, and MasterRental Coverage (car rental insurance)

Virgin Atlantic Increases ANA Business Class Award Rates [Devaluation]

One of our favorite award sweet spots just received a major devaluation: ANA business class to Japan now costs more Virgin Points. While devaluations are common in the points-and-miles world, a 26% increase overnight definitely hurts.

Award redemption changes include:

Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam: 8% increase
Hawaii, India, and Indonesia: 7% increase
Western U.S., Australia, and Canada: 17% increase
Central and Eastern U.S., Europe, and Mexico: 26% increase

Here’s a closer look at the new rates for examples of popular U.S. city pairs:

Honolulu (HNL) and Tokyo (NRT, HND): 37,500 points one-way (previously 35,000 points one-way)
Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) and Tokyo (NRT, HND): 52,500 points one-way (previously 45,000 points one-way)
Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), New York (JFK), or Washington-Dulles (IAD), and Tokyo (NRT, HND): 60,000 points one-way (previously 47,500 points one-way)

New Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and Points Transfer

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo has introduced a brand-new credit card, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card (rates & fees).

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card comes with a $95 annual fee and earns points according to the following structure:

Unlimited 5x points on hotels
Unlimited 4x points on flights
Unlimited 3x points on other travel purchases and dining
1x points on all other purchases

The card also features no foreign transaction fees, a $50 annual statement credit for airfare purchases, and a suite of travel protections (including trip cancellation insurance, which provides up to $15,000 for lodging, flights, and activities if a trip is canceled for a covered reason).

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card also introduces an all-new feature for the Wells Fargo Rewards ecosystem. Called Points Transfer, it’s a platform that provides a range of redemptions for those who have cards that earn Wells Fargo Rewards points. Eligible cardholders can transfer their rewards points to participating partners, which include Aer Lingus AerClub, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, Choice Privileges, and Iberia Plus.

All transfers occur at a 1:1 ratio, with the exception of Choice Privileges, which is at a 1:2 ratio. Points Transfer is up and running, and Wells Fargo says more transfer partners are expected to join as the year goes on.

New Opportunities To Purchase Points

If you need to boost your mileage balances but aren’t in the market for a new credit card, here are the latest opportunities to purchase points with a bonus:

Hot Tip:

Keep track of the latest point purchase promotions and discounts on our dedicated page, which we update each time a new promotion launches.

New Airline Route Changes

Here are the airlines that announced last month that they were adding, removing, or relaunching routes:

U.S. Airlines

International Airlines

New Hotel Openings

Here’s the latest on hotel openings:

Hilton

Conrad Hotels Makes Its Debut in Bahrain

Hyatt

IHG

Marriott

Boutique and Luxury Properties

Ennismore To Open SO/ Budapest Hotel in 2026

Final Thoughts

The value of points and miles can vary, but you always want to ensure you get great value when redeeming those hard-earned points.

When it comes to flexible points, Amex Membership Rewards points are valued the highest on a cent-per-point basis. These points are extremely flexible, thanks to the large number of Amex airline and hotel partners. Membership Rewards also offers good transfer rates with a ton of redemption options, ensuring you can get the most out of your points.

The information regarding the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Premier^® Card has expired and the card is no longer open to applicants.

Featured Image Credit: lovelyday12 via Shutterstock

Frequently Asked Questions

What are points and miles worth?

There is no single set value for most points and miles programs. So the valuation is entirely subjective and depends on what the points are worth to you and how you plan to redeem them.

Why do Upgraded Points valuations change month to month?

Loyalty programs and the points or miles associated with them are constantly changing. Programs gain or lose transfer partners, change the number of miles required for a given route, or sometimes even ditch their award charts altogether. When these things happen, certain programs’ miles or points can increase or decrease in usefulness based on the changes that were made.

Are points and miles the same thing?

The terms points and miles are used interchangeably, and it really just depends on which term a given program calls its loyalty currency. Some loyalty programs refer to their currency as miles and others points, but they ultimately have the same function.

How many points do you need for a free flight?

That depends entirely on the type of points you have and where you’re hoping to fly. Each airline loyalty program has its own method for pricing redemptions. Some use an award chart where the number of miles needed for a certain flight route is predetermined. Others use revenue-based redemptions where the number of points needed for a free flight depends on how expensive the cash price of the ticket is.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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