How points and miles actually work
Six things worth understanding. None of them require you to become a hobbyist, and together they cover most of what people get wrong.
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How airline miles work
A plain-English explanation of what an airline mile actually is, who decides what it is worth, why programs devalue, and what that means for anyone holding a balance.
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Airline miles vs credit-card points
Airline miles live inside one airline's program; credit-card points are a bank currency that can move into several. Here is what the difference means in practice.
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What cents per point means
Cents per point measures how much cash each point saved you on one specific booking. Here is the formula, a worked example, and what the number does not tell you.
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Cash or points: how to decide
The math tells you what a redemption is worth. It does not tell you whether to do it. Three questions that sit outside the calculation, and how to weigh them.
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Why you check award space before transferring
Transfers are one-way. If you move points before confirming the award seat, and the seat is gone, you are stuck holding miles in a program you may never use.
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How alliances and partner awards work
Alliance membership lets you book one airline's flights with another program's miles. It does not mean your points can reach that program, and partner award space is a smaller pool.