How to Use Points for Flights: The Insider’s Guide

Award prices rarely match cash fares one-to-one. To know whether a redemption is a deal, subtract taxes and fees from the comparable cash fare, then divide the net cost by the points required. That sounds straightforward, but most advice about how to use points for flights starts in the wrong place. It tells you to transfer points, search an award chart, and celebrate when a business-class seat appears. The...