— Subtract the fees from the cash ticket. In this
case, $450 minus $50 equals $400.
— Find the value of the points or miles (e.g., 1.1
cents each for Delta miles). Multiply this by the
number of miles needed, then divide by 100.
In our example, 40,000 Delta miles times 1.1
divided by 100 equals $440.
If the number from Step 4 is lower than the
number from Step 3, then using points and miles
is a good way to save money. If it’s much higher
than the number from Step 3, you might want to
save the points or miles for a better redemption.
GET CREATIVE
If you decide to use points and miles to book your
wedding travel, then things start getting fun (if
your definition of “fun” is as limited as mine).
One of the biggest benefits of booking award
flights is the flexibility and options they afford.
For example, some airlines like Alaska and
United (sorta) offer free “stopovers” on award
flights. Technically, this means you can extend
your layover, but it’s also an opportunity to get
creative and nerdy.
For example, let’s say you’re flying from LAX to a
wedding in Seattle. We found a ticket for 7,500
Alaska miles plus $5.60 one-way.
That’s actually a pretty good deal for summer
travel. But you can make it even better. Using
Alaska’s “multi-city search tool,” you can add an
extra leg to Portland (or elsewhere in the Pacific
Northwest) for free.
In reality, this is a flight from Los Angeles to
Portland with a “stop” (for the wedding) in
Seattle, but it effectively acts as two separate
tickets for the price of one.