The worksheet behind the site
Travel Points Math is an independent worksheet desk for one decision: points or cash, on a real booking. No card sales, no “free travel” hype, no insider claims — just the math, dated.
- Why points math needs a second opinion
Points prices look free and cash prices look expensive, which is exactly how people burn 60,000 points on a $400 flight. Transfers are usually one-way, availability vanishes, and fees hide in the fine print. A second pass with the numbers written down catches most of these mistakes before they cost anything. That second pass is this site — written for anyone holding transferable points or miles who is about to book something real.
- What we calculate
Every guide reduces to the same worksheet:
value per point = (cash fare − award taxes & fees) ÷ points required
We compare that number against a stated baseline, show every input, and date the example. If you disagree with an input, you can re-run the whole thing with your own numbers — that’s the point.
The whole method fits on one notebook page. - What we will not claim
- Guaranteed savings, or that points travel is “free.”
- That any award price or transfer bonus will still exist tomorrow.
- Inside knowledge of airlines, banks, or card programs — we read the same public terms you do.
- Financial advice. This is arithmetic plus published program rules, nothing more.
- How to use the examples
Sample fares and award prices in our guides are labeled illustrative and stamped with the date we checked them. Treat them as the shape of the math, not the current price. Swap in today’s numbers before deciding anything; if a guide’s date looks stale, assume the inputs moved.
- When to verify with the program
Always, for anything binding: award availability on the exact date, taxes and fees at checkout, transfer ratios and posting times, and cancellation terms. The airline, card, or program website is the only source that counts at booking time — a guide here tells you what to check, never what will still be true.