The Flexibility Triangle of Award Travel

You can find an award ticket from almost any airport to virtually any airport on any day.  The problem is that an award ticket might require 700k miles. (I’m talking to you, Air France!)

If you cannot allow for flexibility in your travel plans, points and miles might not be the best option for booking a flight, and you might need to use cash instead. 

Flexibility Is An Essential Element Of Award Travel

Since learning about points and miles, I have tried very hard to avoid being boxed into a specific destination on a specific day and then looking for a flight. The primary reasonis that I need to be flexible with my travel plans if I want to use points or miles and get the best value.

To explain this concept I have come up with the principle of “The Flexibility Triangle.”

The Sides of The Flexibility Triangle of Award Travel

If your goal is to use points or miles for flights then at least one or maybe even two sides of the triangle must be flexible UNLESS you have an unlimited bank of points.  If your bank of points is unlimited, why are you reading this?

Importance Of Schedule Flexibility For Award Travel

By schedule I am not only talking about time of day. To maximize your use of points and miles schedule flexibility includes time of day, date, and month. 

Everyone wants to go to Japan during Cherry Blossom Season, but you might not be lucky enough to find award tickets at a rate you can “afford.”  Don’t worry; Japan is amazing at less-peak times of the year as well!

The Importance Of Departure Location Flexibility For Award Travel

My home airport is DFW, but when looking for tickets to Japan (or any overseas destination), especially during Cherry Blossom or another peak season, I will search from many different major US airports. 

It is important to me to fly long-haul overnight flights in the comfort of Premium Economy or Business Class so my departure location is without question a side of the triangle I flex.

It’s usually pretty easy to reposition to another major US airport. A short domestic flight in Economy is usually easy to find on points or a lower cash fare.

Pro Tip: If you are repositioning, allowing sufficient time between flights is very important, especially when you have separate tickets. You might be completely out of luck if you miss the long-haul flight because your repositioning flight was delayed.

The Importance Of Flexibility In Number or Type of Points For Award Travel

I use tools like PointsYeah to look at all award flight options and then decide which points to use based on a variety of factors. How hard are the points to earn? Am I planning for a specific flight that requires specific type of points or miles?

I love it when I can use British Airways Avios on American Airlines flights, but that booking option is not available 100% of the time.  Sometimes, the only seats available on American Airlines flights are those with American Airlines Miles.  If I want that flight and there are no other booking options available, I have to make the tough decision to drain my precious pile of American Airlines Miles.

What To Do If Travel Plans Are Inflexible

Don’t travel. Just kidding!

If you have travel requirements that cannot be flexed, not all hope is lost. There are plenty of other ways to use points and miles.

Use Points For Hotels

Points and miles are not only good for covering the cost of flights. I have saved thousands on hotels with points and miles. I generally never recommend using miles, especially my precious American Airlines miles on hotels. If you don’t want to pay for a hotel or you just don’t have the cash, you can use the points or miles for a hotel room. Remember, there is no wrong way to use your points.

Use Points To Erase Your Travel Purchase

In keeping with the theme of there never being a wrong way to use your points, I want to ensure you are informed that you can use some types of points or miles to essentially erase purchases that code as travel. I have used most of my Capital One Miles to erase a few thousand dollars of Disney tickets, but if you needed to use them to cover a flight, you do have that option.

Final Thoughts About The Importance of Flexibility For Award Travel

Points and miles allow me and my family to travel more often and enjoy more luxurious accommodations. Just because you are interested in using points and miles does not mean you have to use them for every fight, every hotel, every trip. The overall goal is to save money on travel when you can.

Ultimately travel when and how you want. Use points and miles when and how you want to use them. Most importantly, if you do choose to pay for flights or hotel stays make sure to choose a travel credit card that earns you the most points.

Thanks for reading, friends. Happy Travels!