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Whether you’re rushing to book a last-minute return trip or preparing for the vacation of a lifetime, travel rewards are one of your most valuable tools for securing last-minute flights and hotels. With the right credit card, you can take advantage of perks that can make last-minute travel incredibly easy. Some of the most attractive points and miles awards often become available just weeks or even days before departure, allowing smart travelers to make the most of their points and miles by booking last minute. Paying with points instead of cash makes it easier to respond economically to unexpected situations.
In this guide, we look at some real-life examples where points and miles have come in handy and explore strategies for converting Hilton Honors points into hotel stays and Capital One miles into airline tickets.
Three years ago, due to unforeseen circumstances, my mother and I had to return home to San Francisco from a European vacation at short notice.
I booked my original trip using American Express Membership Rewards® points earned through my American Express® Gold Card welcome bonus, transferred those points to Flying Blue, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ loyalty program, and purchased a ticket on Royal Dutch Airlines. However, when I tried to change my return flight, Flying Blue had two seats available from Brussels at short notice and no acceptable flight options.
I searched Google Flights for alternative flights and found that a one-way ticket to San Francisco was exorbitantly expensive, costing about $3,000 per person in economy class. Although the cash rate was unreasonably high, there were two Polaris business class seats available for miles on a United flight from Brussels to San Francisco via Chicago-O’Hare departing within a few hours. The price was lower than average at just 62,800 MileagePlus miles plus about $50 each in taxes and fees. (Oddly enough, the price for an economy class seat was 70,000 miles).
So I booked two business class seats to San Francisco. My mom and I have a total of 125,600 miles, plus about $100. If you were to purchase these business seats in cash, the amount would be approximately $15,000.
Upon my return, I contacted Flying Blue and after submitting my medical documentation, they redeposited my miles without penalty and refunded all taxes and fees.
Points and miles came in handy in this case. This flexibility allowed me to change my flight without losing points or cash. Since the pandemic, most major U.S. airlines and many European carriers have lowered or lowered cancellation and change fees for all award tickets.
This policy change can result in significant savings, which can amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars if something unexpected happens before or during your trip.
Learn how to apply for the American Express® Gold Card.
Flying Lufthansa First Class to Europe will be an unforgettable journey. The problem is, you need flexibility in your calendar to use your miles to book those fancy seats.
Lufthansa Miles & More members have early access to First Class Award bookings, subject to capacity restrictions. Lufthansa typically releases first class award seats at least 15 days before departure, but not all seats may be available. Availability tends to improve closer to departure.
However, recent reports indicate that Lufthansa may be tightening these restrictions further, releasing first class award space only a few days before or on the day of departure. There are further restrictions when redeeming miles from partner programs (such as United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan), which affect most Americans, as the Miles & More program is inconvenient for U.S. residents.
Last year, my flexible dates allowed me to book a Lufthansa first class award ticket from San Francisco to Frankfurt and transfer the 100,000 Capital One miles I earned with my Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card to Air Canada Aeroplan. If you book with cash, Lufthansa’s first class fares on the same routes typically cost around $14,000 each way. The Points Guy values Capital One miles at 1.85 cents, so when converted to miles, it was a great deal, worth just $1,850.
Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Many popular hotels such as The St. Regis Bora Bora, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, and Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme are difficult to book using Hotel Points.
Often this is because there are very few standard rooms that can be booked with points. However, as check-in approaches, hotels often upgrade some guests and open standard rooms again.
For example, over the next six months, St. Regis Bora Bora will only have consistent reward space for the next two weeks. If you can wait, you might be able to score a room for a fair amount of points. If you don’t have enough Marriott points, you might want to check out the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Learn how to apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Although not the most preferred option, delaying booking flights and hotels until a week or two before departure is a great way to make that bucket-list travel dream come true.
The following FAQs are answered by Kyle Olsen, CNN Underscored’s travel editor and credit card expert.
Will points make last-minute flights cheaper?
Reward prices for many airline loyalty programs don’t necessarily increase closer to your travel date, so it may be cheaper to book with points on a last-minute flight than to pay with cash. Cash fares typically increase closer to departure, but some programs may also offer consistent points rates or discounted points rates for late bookings, depending on demand and availability. However, airlines like Delta and United often use dynamic pricing, which fluctuates the number of miles required, so there’s no guarantee that every last-minute award reservation will be a better deal than cash.
Will my flight be cheaper if I book last minute?
Booking at the last minute rarely reduces ticket prices. In fact, due to limited seat availability and airline revenue management strategies, tickets are likely to become more expensive as the departure date approaches. Most airlines increase prices right before travel, targeting business travelers and those with urgent needs. This means that last-minute bookings are usually more expensive than planning in advance. Exceptions may occur during periods of low demand or when seats are available, but this is unpredictable and not the norm.
Is it better to use credit card points for flights or hotels?
Whether it’s better to use credit card points for flights or hotels depends on your loyalty program, current redemption rate, and the purpose of your trip. Many credit card points offer better value or a premium experience when redeemed for airline tickets, especially business class or first class seats, but on peak travel days or expensive destinations, they can also offer great value when redeemed for hotels. Some programs may offer more benefits with one benefit than the other, so it’s a good idea to compare the cents per point value of each option before booking to get the most out of your benefits.
CNN Underscored’s travel team evaluates travel rewards, credit cards, and loyalty programs, providing actionable insights for real travelers. Travel Editor Kyle Olsen has extensive experience booking last-minute flights, securing high-value hotel redemptions, and maximizing points and miles across a variety of programs. All tips and examples in this article are based on Kyle’s first-hand experience using perks to book last-minute flights, hotels, and upgrades.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author alone and not of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any organization included in the post.
