It’s no secret that oil prices have surged in the past month. And if they stay high, we’re going to have to ask some tough questions about summer travel.
We’re not the only ones paying more at the pump. As you know by now, oil prices have ripple effects across other industries. Airlines are also paying more for the fuel they need to fly.
While that may not have sent plane ticket prices soaring yet, higher fuel costs mean we may see fewer bargains this summer.
So at a time like this, you might be wondering if this is a good time to book your summer flight—or your next flight—with points.
For the most part, the points price of a flight—also called an “award ticket” if you want to use the fancy insider lingo—isn’t directly tied to fuel costs in the same way that a cash ticket is. The exceptions are airline tickets whose points price closely mirrors the ticket's cash price.
If you’re debating between using points or paying in cash for a flight, you’re in luck. Keep reading because we’ve got a way to help you decide which booking option is best for your travel plans.
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Looking to earn more points and miles while at the pump?
Check out our picks for cards that earn on gas purchases.
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The future of award ticket fees with high oil prices |
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How will high oil prices affect award tickets in the long term? We don’t know, but here’s my best guess.
And as of now, the fees you’ll pay for a domestic US award ticket will be $5.60 one-way, or a little less than $12 roundtrip. Fees on award tickets for international flights vary by carrier and destination.
If oil prices stay high for a long time, I wouldn’t be surprised if airlines consider raising award ticket fees to help offset the added fuel costs.
That would be a bummer since the fee is like the co-pay for an award ticket. Even if the points price stays the same, higher fees would mean you’d need to shell out more cash for the award ticket, making your points a little less valuable.
But don’t worry about this yet. Let’s focus on planning your next trip.
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If you are considering paying with points for your next flight to dodge the higher costs of airline tickets, it’s more important than ever to know whether to pay with cash or points.
Here at Going, we built a little tool to help you decide. Head to shouldibookthisflight.com to check it out.
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If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re not alone. Here at Going, we get this question all the time. Honestly, we ask it ourselves, too.
The answer, like most things in life, depends. So if you want to prevent buyer’s remorse—or redeemer’s remorse—this tool is for you.
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You can use this tool in three steps. |
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Plug in your flight details. Start with your departing airport and the region of the world you want to visit.
- Then tell us which cabin your seat is in, how many points you need to redeem for the seat, and the dollar amount of fees you’ll pay.
- Finally, enter the ticket price if you paid in US dollars.
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Click Analyze. We use our internal flight deal metrics to instantly tell you which way to pay! |
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Our calculator is built to check roundtrip flights, but you can also use it to check one-way redemptions.
- Right now, the tool doesn’t check points redemptions for domestic flights. But let us know if this is something you’d like to see in a future version!
- Entering the cash price isn’t required, but adding it will get you a better answer.
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Need more points for your next trip? |
If you don’t have enough points for the flight you’re eyeing, I’ve got plenty of options for you: |
Note that each card has its own minimum spending requirements to earn the bonuses, so make sure to check what’s right for you. |
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Kurt Adams is the Points and Miles Expert for the Going travel app. As a personal finance expert with a deep understanding of credit card rewards and frequent flier programs, Kurt helps consumers navigate the intersection of money and travel. A graduate of Princeton, he lives in New York.
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A disclaimer about card names: |
Due to the quirks of credit card compliance, we are sometimes not allowed to use the actual names of cards or certain banks in emails. This means we have to resort to using more generic language when talking about some credit cards.
We know this can be confusing or frustrating, but we encourage you to click through to our site, where we can name and talk more candidly about the cards and their benefits. While we are bound by the rules of credit card compliance, our mission will always be to put our readers first and help you travel better for less.
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