What Are Credit Card Points and Miles?
Credit card points (also called miles or rewards) are a currency you earn by spending with a rewards credit card. Every dollar you spend earns a certain number of points. Instead of cashing them out or using them for statement credits, you can transfer them to airline partners or use them directly to book flights at special award rates—often saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to cash prices.
The beauty of points is that they're not worth a fixed amount. A point worth 1 cent for a cash redemption might be worth 2–3 cents when used strategically for an award flight. This is why smart travelers focus on maximizing the value of their points, not just accumulating the most.
How Award Travel Works: Step by Step
Here's the simple process:
Get a Rewards Credit Card
Apply for a rewards credit card that earns travel points. Popular options include Chase Sapphire Preferred, American Express Platinum, or Capital One Venture X. Each has different earning rates and benefits.
Earn Points Through Spending
Use your card for everyday purchases. You'll earn points on groceries, gas, restaurants, hotels, and flights. Most premium travel cards also offer bonus points for hitting spending targets in the first few months.
Search for Award Flights
When you're ready to book, use an award flight search tool like PointPilot to compare prices across different airlines and dates. This is where you'll find the best value redemptions.
Transfer or Redeem Your Points
Transfer your points to an airline partner for better value, or redeem directly through your card's booking portal. Transfer partners — airlines you can move your credit card points into — typically offer more flexibility and better pricing than your card's own travel portal.
⚠️ Important — confirm before you transfer: Point transfers are almost always irreversible. Always verify that your award flight is available and showing on the airline's website before initiating a transfer. Once points leave your credit card account, they cannot be returned.
Book Your Flight
Complete your booking using your transferred or redeemed points. You'll still need to pay taxes and fees, but you'll save the bulk of the ticket price.
The Best Points Programs for Flying
Not all points programs are created equal. Here are the ones that offer the best value for flight redemptions:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Best for: Flexibility and simplicity. Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most straightforward programs with excellent transfer partners including United, Southwest, IHG, and Hyatt.
Earning: 2–5x points per dollar depending on card and category
Top Cards: Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited
American Express Membership Rewards
Best for: Premium travel with elite benefits. Amex offers strong airline partnerships and excellent transfer rates for business class awards.
Earning: 1–5x points per dollar depending on card and category
Top Cards: Platinum, Gold, Everyday Preferred
Capital One Miles
Best for: Beginners who want simplicity. Every mile is worth the same whether you're booking economy or business class, and you can use them with any airline.
Earning: 1–3x miles per dollar depending on card
Top Cards: Venture X, Venture, SavorOne
Citi ThankYou Points
Best for: Maximizing value through transfer partners. Citi has excellent airline relationships and competitive transfer rates.
Earning: 2–5x points per dollar depending on card and category
Top Cards: Prestige, Premier, Double Cash
Bilt Points
Best for: Earning points on rent, a category most cards ignore. Bilt's travel partners include most major airlines, and points never expire.
Earning: 3x on rent, 2x on travel, 1x on everything else
Top Cards: Bilt Rewards Mastercard
Understanding Transfer Partners
One of the most important concepts in points strategy is understanding transfer partners. A transfer partner is an airline or hotel program that accepts points transferred directly from your credit card. Transfer partners are crucial for getting the most value from your points.
Why Transfer Partners Matter: When you transfer points to an airline partner, you gain access to their award pricing, which is often much better than what you'd get redeeming directly through your credit card. A flight that costs 30,000 points through your card's portal might cost only 12,500 points when booked with the airline directly.
Example: How Transfer Partners Work
Let's say you have 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and want to fly from New York to Los Angeles. Chase has partnerships with United, Southwest, IHG, and Hyatt, among others. You could:
- Transfer 50,000 points to United and book a round-trip flight for roughly the same value
- Use 100,000 points directly through Chase's travel portal for the same flight (usually worse value)
- Transfer points to multiple partners to access different award availability
The transfer partner option gives you flexibility and typically better pricing.
How to Search for Award Flights
The key to finding great award deals is knowing where and how to search. Use an award flight search tool like PointPilot to compare availability and pricing across different airlines and dates simultaneously.
When to Search
- Domestic US flights: Search 2–3 months in advance for peak seasons, or 1 month ahead for shoulder seasons
- International flights: Search 6–12 months in advance when awards open for booking
- Last-minute: Some airlines release premium cabin award space 1–2 weeks before departure
Flexible Search Tips
- Search from nearby airports if applicable (LAX, Burbank, Long Beach)
- Use flexible date searches to find the cheapest award pricing
- Consider off-peak times (Tuesday–Thursday) which are usually cheaper
- Compare one-way awards—sometimes two one-ways cost less than a round-trip
Ready to search now? Our quick-start guide to finding flights walks through the exact workflow — from knowing your balance to clicking "book."
Try PointPilot →Booking Your Award Flight
Once you've found an award flight with good value, the booking process is straightforward. Here's what to expect:
Step 1: Confirm Availability, Then Transfer Points (if needed)
⚠️ Do this first: Before transferring any points, go to the airline's website and confirm the award seat is available for your exact flight and date. Transfers are almost always irreversible — you cannot get points back once they're sent.
Once you've confirmed availability, initiate the transfer from your credit card rewards account to the airline's loyalty program. Transfers typically complete within 1–3 business days, though some happen instantly.
Step 2: Book on the Airline Website
Go to the airline's website and search for your flight. Log into your frequent flyer account and select "Book Award Flight" or similar option. Enter your flight details and proceed to booking.
Step 3: Review the Award Rate
Before confirming, verify the points cost matches what you found in your search. Make sure you have enough points in your account and review any taxes and fees (usually $5–$15 for domestic, $50–$200 for international).
Step 4: Complete Payment
Complete the booking. You'll pay taxes/fees with a credit card, but the bulk of the ticket cost is covered by your points. You should receive a confirmation email immediately.
What About Seat Selection?
Most airlines let you select seats free with award tickets, though premium seat selections (exit rows, extra legroom) may require an additional fee. Check the airline's policy before booking.
Flying Business Class With Points
One of the biggest advantages of flying with points is access to premium cabins at reasonable prices. You can even book business class with points—often for less than you'd pay for a premium economy ticket in cash.
Why Business Class with Points?
- Massive savings: A business class seat worth $5,000–$12,000 might cost 80,000–150,000 points
- Better experience: Lie-flat seats, premium meals, better service on long flights
- Less competition: Business class awards are more available than economy on many routes
- Great value: Points are often worth 2–3 cents each in business class (vs. 1–1.5 cents in economy)
For specific strategies on booking business class, check out our complete guide to booking business class with points.
10 Beginner Tips for Flying With Points
1. Start with Flexible Points
Begin with transferable points programs (Chase, Amex, Citi) rather than airline-specific cards. Flexibility is more valuable when learning.
2. Focus on Transfer Partners
You'll almost always get better value transferring to airline partners rather than using points directly through your card.
3. Avoid Airline-Only Cards Initially
Airline cards lock you into one airline. Master flexible programs first, then add airline-specific cards for loyalty bonuses.
4. Understand Devaluation Risk
Devaluation is when an airline increases the point cost of flights without warning. Airlines change award pricing frequently, so use points when you find good value rather than hoarding them.
5. Know Point Expiration Policies
Most programs never expire points if you have account activity. Don't worry about points expiring if you use your card regularly.
6. Search Multiple Programs
The same flight might have different availability and pricing across different airline programs. Always check multiple options.
7. Track Award Pricing Patterns
Each airline has peak and off-peak pricing. Learn when awards are cheapest on your preferred routes.
8. Don't Overspend for Bonuses
Chase the sign-up bonus, not the minimum spend. If you can't naturally reach the threshold, the card isn't right for you.
9. Read Award Booking Rules Carefully
Some awards require specific connections or have restrictions. Always verify the award rules before transferring points.
10. Measure Value Properly
Don't just look at cash price vs. points. Consider if you'd actually book that flight for cash, and whether points deliver better value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start flying with points?
Apply for a rewards credit card that earns travel points, then use it for everyday spending to accumulate points. Once you've earned enough, search for award flights using a tool like PointPilot, transfer your points to an airline partner, and book your flight. Most people can take their first award flight within 3–6 months of starting.
Which credit card points are best for flights?
The best programs are Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points, and Bilt Points. Chase and Amex offer the most flexibility and transfer partners. Capital One is best for beginners who want simplicity. Choose based on which airlines you fly most frequently and which transfer partners align with your travel goals.
What is an award flight?
An award flight is a flight ticket you book using your accumulated credit card points instead of paying cash. Airlines price award flights in points rather than dollars, and the pricing varies based on demand, date, and route. Award flights give you the same seat and service as a paid ticket—you're just paying with points instead of money.
How many points do I need for a flight?
Pricing varies significantly by route and airline. Typical domestic US flights cost 12,500–50,000 points, international economy awards range from 40,000–80,000 points, and business class starts around 100,000 points and goes up to 250,000+ for premium routes. Use an award flight search tool to see exact pricing for your specific travel dates and routes.
Can I book business class with points?
Absolutely. Business class is one of the best uses of points because the savings are enormous. A business class ticket worth $5,000–$12,000 might cost only 100,000–150,000 points through an award redemption. This is often the best value you can get with points—you're saving thousands of dollars while accessing a premium experience.
What is a transfer partner?
A transfer partner is an airline or hotel program that accepts points transferred directly from your credit card account. Transfer partners allow you to access the airline's award pricing, which is often significantly better than what you'd get redeeming points directly through your credit card. For example, Chase has partnerships with United, Southwest, IHG, and Hyatt, allowing you to transfer points to these programs.
What happens if I can't find award availability?
Award availability varies by airline and route. If one airline is sold out, try booking with a different airline's frequent flyer program. Sometimes the same flights have different availability across airline partners. Being flexible with your dates, times, and airports also increases your chances of finding available award flights.
Do I have to pay taxes and fees on award flights?
Yes, you'll always pay taxes and fees (called carrier-imposed charges) with award flights. Domestic awards typically have $5–$15 in fees, while international awards can range from $50–$200. However, you're still saving the majority of the ticket price by using points instead of cash.
Can I change or cancel an award flight?
This depends on the airline and your frequent flyer status. Most airlines allow free cancellations with award tickets, though change fees may apply if you modify your flight. Some airlines with elite status offer free changes. Always check the specific airline's policy before booking. Generally, award tickets are more flexible than paid basic economy fares.
How long does a points transfer take?
Transfer times vary by program. Most complete in 1–3 business days; some programs (like Amex to certain partners) transfer instantly. The airline will generally hold your award booking while points are in transit. Always confirm that your specific award seat is available on the airline's website before initiating a transfer. Transfers are almost always irreversible.
Ready to Fly With Points?
Start your award travel journey with PointPilot. Search millions of award flights and find the best value redemptions for your trips.
Try PointPilot →Related Guides
Award Flight Search: The Best Tools for Beginners
Learn how to use award flight search tools like PointPilot to find the best award pricing and availability across multiple airlines.
Read Guide →Find Flights With Points: A Quick-Start Action Guide
Our quick-start guide walks you through the entire process of finding and booking your first award flight.
Read Guide →How to Book Business Class With Points
Discover the best strategies for booking premium cabin award flights and getting the most value from your points.
Read Guide →