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Anyone dreaming of a European getaway this summer has probably noticed that prices are even more expensive than usual, thanks to sky-high jet fuel costs and last-minute bookings. But somehow, people are still going. If you want to be the one posting pics from the Amalfi Coast this summer, not the one scrolling and wishing you would have booked a trip, keep reading.
Our data shows there are effectively two flight prices for Europe right now: the cash price, which is rising by the day, and the points price most customers don’t realize exists.
For example: A business class seat from Atlanta to Naples on Air France/KLM in August will cost you $3,747. But that same flight is only 60,000 points, or a value of almost 6 cents per point — an amazing deal.
Once you know how to actually use points, visiting Europe this summer suddenly looks completely different and a lot more doable. Yes: Cash flight prices are currently surging – but for the most part, award flight prices are insulated. If you’ve been wondering when is the right time to use your points, this may be the ideal window.
“We’re seeing a lot of variation on cash vs points pricing for this summer,” said point.me Loyalty Specialist Jimmy Yoon. “Some programs, such as Delta SkyMiles and Southwest Rapid Rewards, are pegging their points at a certain value relative to the cash ticket, around 1.2-1.3 cents per point, while others are pricing award tickets aggressively, where you can get extremely outsized value.”
Cash fares vs points fares
We pulled live pricing on some of the most popular Europe routes right now, looking at flights departing in June, July, and August — both in cash and in points.
To figure out if you’re getting a good deal, it’s important to understand that your points can be “worth” different amounts based on where and how you are booking. As a rule of thumb, point.me’s Jimmy Yoon says not to settle for less than 1.2 cents per point. Anything lower, and you’re not really getting a deal. The easiest way to determine the points value is to divide the cash price of a flight (minus taxes) by the points required to book the same route.
And FYI: if you're just booking flights with points through your credit card portal, you are only getting 1 cent per point.
Let’s look at a few economy fares we found on point.me:
Nonstop economy from New York’s JFK airport to Amsterdam departing on June 8:
Cash price: $1,154
Points price on point.me: 12,000 points.
Tax: $181
Cents per point value: 8.1
Boston to London departing on June 8:
Cash price: $674
Points price: 6,000
Tax: $109
Cents per point value: 9.42
San Francisco to Rome on August 3:
Cash price: $495
Points price: 18,750
Tax: $122
Cents per point value: 2
As you can see, some of these cash fares aren’t too crazy, but the points deals are so low as to almost be the price of domestic flights. These are just a few of the dozens of incredible deals we found.
Here are some premium economy examples:
Dallas-Fort Worth to Paris on July 7:
Cash price: $1,253
Points price: 35,000
Tax: $18
Cents per point value: 3.5
Dallas-Fort Worth to Rome on August 3:
Cash price: $1,058
Points price: 45,000
Tax: $18
Cents per point value: 2.3
San Francisco to Athens on August 4:
Cash price: $869
Points price: 40,000
Tax: $179
Cents per point value: 1.7
Even, or maybe especially, business fares are looking better when booked with points.
Atlanta to Naples on August 9:
Cash price: $3,747
Points price: 60,000
Tax: $259
Cents per point value: 5.8
Dallas-Fort Worth to Venice on July 26:
Cash price: $4,418
Points price: 71,500
Tax: $5
Cents per point value: 6.2
Los Angeles to London on July 22:
Cash price: $3,354
Points price: 57,500
Tax: $54
Cents per point value: 5.7
Airline miles vs credit card points
It’s clear that booking an award flight can be a better option this summer than paying cash, because those fares are somewhat sheltered from rising prices.
But, you are only getting this outsized value for your points when you book an actual award flight. When you book a flight with points through your credit card’s travel portal, it’s basically like buying a cash ticket with points that are pegged at only 1 cent per point.
But this doesn’t mean you have to have thousands of points with a specific airline. If you have a travel credit card with flexible points (so not an airline or hotel-specific card), the trick is to transfer your credit card points from your credit card to an airline loyalty program to use them most effectively. This means you can look around for the best airline deal, rather than being limited to one airline.
Say you find an amazing deal on Virgin Atlantic (where we’re seeing a lot of incredible deals lately). Simply transfer your credit card points to Virgin Atlantic and then book the fare there.
This is the “secret” that’s allowing your friends to find amazing last-minute fares to Europe, even though you know they haven’t racked up the miles with a specific airline.
How should you use your points this summer?
If you see an amazing points fare, like the ones listed above, pounce on it to secure your European summer trip.
We’ve seen especially great deals on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, due to the airline’s aggressive dynamic points pricing on its own flights in addition to competitive fixed pricing on partner flights. If you don’t have many Flying Club points, see if you can transfer credit card points to cover the fare.
The most affordable routes we’ve seen are New York and Boston to London. If you find a low fare to London, look into taking a budget airline flight to your final destination once in Europe. It’s not as convenient, but it could save you money.
Determining points value can sound intimidating, especially if you’re new to the points game. point.me helps you find the absolute best points deals, even if you’re a beginner. We’ll help you save up to 90% on your award flights compared to simply redeeming points for flights in your credit card portal.
Most travelers are only seeing one pricing system this summer, but savvy points users are working in a different market. Europe isn’t universally unaffordable, but it depends on which system you’re using.
