These costs get so exorbitant because many
weddings are:
— In the summer.
— On weekends.
— Near smaller airports.
Any one of these factors drives up the cost of
flights and hotels, but all three combined can
create a perfect storm of expenses. Short of
asking the betrothed to move their ceremony to
a less pricey time and location, there are a few
options to offset these wedding travel costs.
TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY...
The sticker shock of weekend summer airfare
can be so great, it’s natural to wonder if credit
card points and airline miles can rescue you. The
short answer is an unsatisfactory “It depends.”
ALWAYS COMPARE
Many airlines (including American, Delta and
United) now offer “dynamic pricing” for their
award flights, which is a fancy way of saying they
can change how many miles a given flight costs
however and whenever they want. That means
it’s extra important to compare the cost of a cash
ticket to the equivalent cost of an award ticket
you’re buying with miles.
To do this, either use a calculator like this one, or
do the calculation yourself:
— Get the cost of the flight or hotel room in
cash. For example, let’s say a round-trip flight
costs $450.
— Find the equivalent cost using points or miles.
For example, let’s say an equivalent round-trip
award ticket costs 40,000 Delta miles plus $50 in
taxes and fees.