As we’ve recently seen, fuel prices have been skyrocketing, causing airfares to rise and schedules to be reduced. What should you do? NOW’s the time to use your miles and points, especially if you stockpile them.

Is it worth it to use my miles?

Not all award prices are tied to airfares. While airfares have risen, it doesn’t necessarily mean award prices have. Even if they have, and you want to travel, use your miles.

This is where you need to look at how you value your miles. Would you rather pay 90,000 miles or $1,000 in airfare for a flight that may have previously cost $400? If your goal is to avoid paying out of pocket, use your miles. You may think your points are worth more than 1.1 cents each, but if your goal right now is to avoid paying crazy-high airfares and out-of-pocket costs to fly, it may be worth using your miles. $0 out-of-pocklet is a lot less than $1,000.

But I like having a lot of miles

If you are worried about depleting your miles, I have a few thoughts:

• Miles and points devalue over time airlines and hotels increase award prices. They are worth more now than they will be worth down the road.

• You can rebuild your miles balances.   There are so many ways to do this, including flying, making purchases through shopping portals, and opening credit cards to get sign-up bonuses.

• Credit cards may reduce transfer partners, leaving you with points sitting in a bank card account instead of an airline you may want to redeem an award on.   I’m not saying to prospectively transfer points for the sake of it, but if you have travel you are thinking about, the sooner you transfer, the better to lock in award flights.

When should I book travel?

If you are looking to travel this summer, NOW’s the time to book. Use your miles and points. I can help you find the best deals using your miles and points, paid travel, or a combination of both.

About Miles Man

Miles Man provides a unique service: helping travelers book trips with miles and points through its Award Booking Service, as well as paid trips, as a certified IATAN Travel Agency.