Appalling Methods to Maximize Your Rewards Points and Airline Miles [Year 2025]

Unraveling the unfavorable tactics for redeeming points: This article uncovers the pitfalls to steer clear of when cashing in your rewards and elucidates the reasons behind their inadvisability!

, and Administrator

2025 September 24 . 8:38 AM

3 min read

Lamentable Methods for Using Your Rewards Points and Miles [Year 2025]

Appalling Methods to Maximize Your Rewards Points and Airline Miles [Year 2025]

In the world of travel rewards, understanding the value of points is crucial to maximising their potential. Here's a breakdown of some common redemption options and their relative values.

Firstly, it's important to note that not all redemptions are created equal. Redeeming points for statement credits may seem convenient, but it's one of the worst ways to use points, offering a return of just 0.7 cents per point when redeemed as a statement credit with Amex Membership Rewards. This is over three times lower than the usual valuation of Amex Membership Rewards points.

Redeeming points for inflight Wi-Fi passes is another option, but the redemption rates are poor compared to other options. Airline credit cards like The New United QuestSM Card offer a discount off inflight Wi-Fi, making it a better deal to pay cash instead of using miles.

Redeeming points for merchandise is one of the worst options from a value perspective, often offering values of just 0.3 to 0.5 cents per point. On the other hand, using points for Amazon (or other online merchants) offers at best a 1 cent per point valuation, making it a worse option than simply redeeming points for cash-back.

The options for using travel rewards points can be dizzying, including first class flights on Emirates and Singapore Airlines, hotel stays at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, Park Hyatt Sydney, and St. Regis Hong Kong. However, these high-end options often require a significant number of points, making them less accessible for most travellers.

Gift cards offer a low value compared to other redemption options, often providing a mere fraction of the value you could get from other redemptions. Lounge club memberships are also a poor use of travel rewards miles, as you can get complimentary access by holding the premium credit card for each airline.

Redeeming miles for hotel stays or rental cars is not a good value as it provides significantly less value than using miles for flights. Similarly, redeeming miles for lounge memberships is not a good value either.

Letting travel rewards points expire is the worst way to use them as they will not last forever and can result in lost potential free flights or hotel stays.

Our guide to travel points and miles valuations, updated monthly, provides a baseline value for various points and miles programs. For instance, United allows redemption of miles towards monthly North American Wi-Fi passes starting for 7,500 miles ($49 savings) or 80,000 miles ($539 savings) for an entire year. This gives a value of just 0.6 cents per United mile, which is almost 1 cent per mile less than the usual valuation of United miles.

If you are primarily interested in earning cash-back or redeeming points as statement credits, focus on using credit cards that offer cash-back rewards. Alternatively, credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards often offer higher redemption rates than 0.7 cents per point when points are redeemed as statement credits, depending on the card and redemption method.

In conclusion, while the world of travel rewards can be complex, understanding the value of your points and making informed decisions about how to redeem them can help you maximise the benefits of your travel rewards programme.