Credit Card Hotel Points and Airline Miles Converter

The most informative, down-to-earth financial advice on the internet (and best of all, it's free)

Overview

When you fly, you have two options: you either get rewards or you don't. That's probably why most people don't really think about how much their miles are worth in cash. But when it comes to reward credit cards, your options are endless; trying to decide between hotel points, airline miles, or hard cash could be a daunting task without the right tools. That's where we come in: we've created a free tool to help you figure out exactly what type of reward is the most valuable.

Best and Worst Points and Rewards Programs


Best:
Worst:
1. Miles By Discover Card Discover Miles Credit Card
  • 3.12% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • No blackouts and redeemable on all major airlines
  • Excellent APR and No Annual Fee
 1. Northwest Visa
  • .98% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • $40 annual fee
2. Blue Sky From American ExpressAmerican Express Blue Sky Credit Card
  • 2.97% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • No blackouts and redeemable for flights, hotel, car rental, or cruise
  • American Expess service and features / No Annual Fee
 2. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
  • 1.12% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • $75 annual fee
3. Chase Flexible Rewards Platinum VisaChase Flexible Rewards Platinum Visa Credit Card
  • 2.96% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • 0% APR for 12 months and extremely flexible use of points
  • No Annual Fee
 3. Platinum Delta Skymiles Credit Card
  • 2.23% Cash Back Equivalent*
  • Value of points above average, but $135 annual fee

*The cash equivalent values are determined by the number of points needed to redeem an off-peak economy class ticket to any destination in the continental US and by the average value of tickets on each airline.

Points and Miles to Monetary Value Conversion

 



Practical Advice

So now that you know exactly how much your points are worth and which credit cards will earn you the most valuable rewards, here are some practical tips to help you stay the course with your rewards

  • Try to focus all your spending on just one or two cards. This will help you reach the minimum amounts needed to redeem flights and hotel stays faster
  • Choose a points or miles card that has some flexibility built in, just in case you want to use the points and miles for something other than a flight or hotel stay
  • Never buy points or miles! The prices are often 4 to 5 times more than what they are worth