Friends,

It is easy to assume points are best saved for long-haul business class redemptions—and to be sure, those are awesome. But some of the best value redemptions out there are actually for short flights, especially if you're looking to stretch your points or avoid paying cash for a last-minute departure.

Let’s start with Avios. For a long time, British Airways Avios were the gold standard for short domestic flights on American Airlines—think 4,500 points for a one-way under 650 miles (or more recently 7,500). That’s all changed. BA recently raised award prices again on many of those routes, so what used to be a remarkable deal is now just okay. Still useful in certain markets, but not what it once was.

Now, Hawaiian Airlines is a lesser-known play here. Amex points transfer 1:1 to HawaiianMiles, and their award chart can make short West Coast or inter-island flights a steal. If you’re feeling creative, HawaiianMiles can even be transferred to Alaska Airlines at a 1:1 ratio and used for redemptions on their partners, including American. This has resurfaced the 4,500 point one-way, which is awesome.

Another one of my favorite sleeper values is with Avianca LifeMiles. They let you book short United flights (think under 500 miles) for as few as 6,500 miles one-way, and there’s no close-in fee. These bookings work great if you need to get somewhere quickly and cash fares are high—I have literally saved thousands (of dollars) thanks to Avianca.

And don’t forget Virgin Atlantic. Booking Delta flights with Virgin points can be surprisingly affordable. Delta might want 25,000+ SkyMiles for a short hop, but Virgin can often get you there for under 10,000 points. The catch here is Delta closes partner award availability roughly three weeks out, so there is no utility when it comes to last minute flying.

The bottom line is that even in a world of dynamic pricing, sweet spots are alive and well—you just have to know where to look. Short flights booked with points can be a home run.

Fly well.

Links

Today was fairly dull in points world, so I have no meaningful links to share. Check back tomorrow!

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P.S. If I can ever help you plan your next travel adventure (slash help make your points go farther), I’d be delighted. You can schedule time together here.