Do We Know How Many Miles an Award Ticket is Going to Cost?

Episode 9 - Do We Know How Many Miles an Award Ticket is Going to Cost?

"It's exciting times in the world of miles and points...but I'm not terribly excited...more so nervous as a cat in a room of rocking chairs..."

In this world of made up currencies where the points don't matter, there have typically been published award charts, especially for airlines. This meant that there'd be standard rates for how many miles it would cost to go from A to B. Planning a trip, you'd have (in theory) a specific goal for how many miles and points it would take to fly in the cabin of your choice. Now? That's not so much the case. Following Delta's lead, United has announced this fall they will switch to "dynamic" award pricing. Other airlines have begun to either do so as well or are rumored to be getting ready to announce similar news. So, the question is now: "Do we know how many miles an award ticket is going to cost?" Tune in this week to get some great insight from points and miles expert Ed Pizzarello and find out how to best plan your next trip even if it seems like programs keep on moving the finish line.

Today's Episode Timestamps

4:48 - The shift to "variable redemption values"8:55 - The next airline rumored to drop their award chart14:30 - Why 2x miles on one card and 1x miles isn't a clear comparison21:40 - Why Richard is using a cash back card right now & how he's earning 3.75% back28:20 - Why Ed says not to burn off your balance right away

Today's Guest

Ed Pizza

Ed Pizza's father made sure that he and the family were on airplanes starting at a fairly young age. Ever since then Ed hasn't lost the travel bug. Discovering online travel communities early on as a road warrior, he mastered earning points and miles so as to enjoy traveling anywhere in the world (always in a comfortable seat and a nice hotel room.) Now, a husband and father of two, his goal is to share the world with his family (while still enjoying comfy seats and nice hotels). A believer in "paying it forward", he started Pizza in Motion a decade ago to share his expertise,  answer questions and just geek out on overall aviation and travel stuff. He's also the resident "Disney Expert" over on The Points Guy...

Resources

Ed's podcast Miles to Go

Ed's blog Pizza in Motion

Thanks to Our Sponsor

Stop paying too much for flights! Thrifty Traveler Premium finds cheap international flight deals and immediately sends them straight to your inbox. Save up to 50-70% off your next flight! Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community

For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. For more intermediate and advanced strategies, join Award Travel 201 community To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at [email protected]. Our next meetup is located in SEATTLE on AUGUST 16–18, 2024. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit "Out to SEA" on the award.travel website. Support the AT101 Podcast/Community