No Result
View All Result
Eye of the Flyer
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Point value is simply what it is worth to you (not what other’s think is right).

René by René
May 25, 2014
in Travel Related
17

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

 

sbn to swf price to buy a ticket on delta

Travel bloggers spend a vast amount of time and page after page of data and justifications of why some program point is worth .001 cents more than some other one. While I am not dismissing their painstaking calculations, there are limits. Just because you can send points to some program and get a “value” of whatever out of them does not mean you would ever pay that much yourself. Yes that is the point, of the points, but not always practical in real world examples.

Since anyone who has a Delta AMEX airline travel card can use “Pay with Miles” and get a firm 1 cent each of a Skymile, they have an intrinsic value at 1 cent each. After that, it is all subjective and up to you.

To me, and if you read the blog you will see me say, I value a Skymile at 1-2 cents. How do I personally come to this number? For me it is a simple calculation of a trip to Sweden to see my mom. I want to fly business but if I were paying out of my own pocket I would MAX pay $2500 for such a ticket (and not easy, if not impossible to find from my SBN home airport) but $2000 would be an even better number of what I would shell out. So 1 to 2 cents value each – that is my simple math.

stewart int airport what airlines fly to here

I am today returning from a wedding in Newburgh NY (SWF). Delta flies from DTW to SWF. There are, as you can see, not a bunch of choices; I guess when you see a CRJ200 as the choice of advertising you should know what to expect (yes I know SBN only had CRJ200 service too). So my trip was two CJR’s each way (at least I got a HOOU each way to ease the pain).

So on to the point of this Sunday trip down the path of point value. 1.5 cents – that’s the value I got redeeming 65,000 Skymiles for Lisa & I to fly SBN-SWF. Did I get great value for my points? Well I did not have to spend $1,000 of my own money. That is value. Oh, and I rented the car with 50% Hertz points and paid for the rest on my Barclays Arrival+ World MasterCard so I will pay myself back for the rest of the charge. My hotel was not good and I will post about that later but I also paid with Arrival points so that will cost me zero out of pocket. Bottom line, $20 for the award tickets, some gas, tolls (I brought my own I-Zoom btw – tip), and that is about it.

What do you think a point is worth? Wait, don’t answer that, they are worth just what you think they are worth to YOU! – René
.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

➲ Barclaycard Arrival(TM)
World MasterCard®
Earn 2x on All Purchases

a close-up of a number

. .

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Previous Post

Oh Delta “IT”, is this really too much to ask for? What is your pet peeve?

Next Post

Delta “downgrades” us again – no more Woodford Reserve in…

René

René

René de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Delta’s top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles.

Next Post

Delta "downgrades" us again - no more Woodford Reserve in...

Comments 17

  1. Deltasegmentflyer says:
    11 years ago

    Rene – one of the best points I have ever seen on points. I agree with you 100%. I use points so I don’t have to spend my money. I value the points at what it would have cost me to fly. The current trip my points are valued at 1.5 cents. I have two other skymiles trips planned at 1.5 and 1.8 cents value a piece. Interesting to not that the two 1.5 cent trips was at the saver level while the 1.8 cents was a complicated iternery that was at the intermediate level. Anyways I don’t complain about the value I just earn and burn. 3 trips with differnent family members this year. Priceless! ✈️✈️✈️

    Reply
  2. JP Traveler says:
    11 years ago

    Amen, brother! I, too, feel the same way. To me, the money side of the equation is minimal. Instead, it’s about being able to take my family to some of the best cities in the world and exposing my children to cultures that I never got the chance to experience at their age.

    And personally, I value being able to do this more often, as opposed to flying up front. Yes, it’s not as comfortable, but if I can get an extra trip by flying coach, it’s well worth it to me.

    In this case, it’s Hawaii over the summer where I will take my family to see where my father was on December 7, 1941. That is what value is all about in my mind. Priceless!

    Reply
  3. WanderingEntrepreneur says:
    11 years ago

    That’s a CRJ700 🙂

    Reply
  4. Grant says:
    11 years ago

    My current trip this weekend (SNA-SLC/CNY-SLC-SNA) was cheaper to use pay with points than book an award ticket. Finally was able to cash in a bunch of Delta miles I was sitting on.

    Reply
  5. Delta Points says:
    11 years ago

    @WanderingEntrepreneur – so it is! 😉 Another example of bait-N-switch airplanes then! 🙁

    Reply
  6. FredW says:
    11 years ago

    Exactly! I really dislike it when people say “I got this $10,000 ticket for 100K mile so I got 10 cents for each mile.” The actual value is really the point where you can’t decide whether to purchase a ticket or use miles — we’ll sort of I guess, because the MQM/EQM you earn when you purchase a ticket have value as well, but you get the idea. If you really would pay $10K for that ticket, then you can say you got 10 cents/mile.

    Reply
  7. Tom G says:
    11 years ago

    I agree 100%. I almost always buy my own ticket (I need the MQM’s). But we go on vacation twice a year, and I have not paid a dime for my wife or daughter to fly in over 4 years. That’s what it’s worth to me.

    Reply
  8. Mark R. says:
    11 years ago

    I have an I-Pass because my daughter was living in Chicago (I’m in Detroit) & my wife is from Pittsburgh. It’s great that it (same as I-Zoom) works all over the northeast.

    Reply
  9. Markj says:
    11 years ago

    To me it is more useful to figure out what is the minimum value I will take to spend a mile/point.

    While in the past I have spent SkyMiles as low as 1.5 cents in value I would not spend them now for less than 2 cents as I think one way awards will generate a lot of value for me.

    Similarly, I won’t spend Starwood Starpoints for less than 3 cents in value while Hilton points I will let go at .5 cents each.

    Reply
    • Delta Points says:
      11 years ago

      @Markj – Good for you. You make my point in two ways. One, you have your set of standards. Now perhaps someone who makes less money and can not afford to hold points will spend them for less as otherwise it is money out of the household budget. That is not smart. There as SO many ways to play this game and the way you are #winning is the right way for you (you being the readers choice)! 🙂

      Reply
  10. john says:
    11 years ago

    To me the value of a point/mile is also dependent on what you have to pay to acquire it not just what you get when you spend it. It seems cost should figure in there too.

    Reply
  11. Gary says:
    11 years ago

    The value is based on their opportunity cost, the value of the next best alternative.

    When you burn points that means you cannot do something else with those points. It’s the opportunity foregone that determines what your points are worth.

    Reply
    • Delta Points says:
      11 years ago

      @Gary – ah yes same goes for $$$$$$ 🙂

      Reply
  12. pawtim says:
    11 years ago

    SWF was my hometown airport growing up — I hope you enjoyed your trip to the Hudson Valley!

    Reply
    • Delta Points says:
      11 years ago

      @PAWTIM – I really did. What a beautiful part of the county. Truly a treasure. Fun to drive but I bet hard in the winter on some of the narrow winding roads.

      Reply
  13. Pingback: Delta "downgrades" us again - no more Woodford Reserve in... - Delta Points - Delta Points
  14. Pingback: Jose Cuervo Tequileria Detroit DTW Airport - Delta Points review - Delta Points - Delta Points

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

➤ Search Eye of the Flyer

No Result
View All Result

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

GREAT Travel and Cash Back Card Offers for Spring 2025!

Eye of the Flyer may receive a commission from the links below. See our Privacy Policy

See some of the biggest and best offers now!
Capital One Venture X Business: Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Then, earn an additional 200,000 miles after you spend a total of $200,000 within the first six (6) months. That's a total of 350,000 miles. Learn here how to apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn up to 150,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points. First, earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Earn additional 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Long story short: Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of being approved. (Terms Apply.). Read more and learn here how to apply.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Learn more here.

 

American Express® Business Gold Card

American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, enjoy a 0% introductory APR for the first six (6) months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.49% to 27.49% variable APR. (See Rates & Fees) Terms apply.. Learn more here.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 bonus American Express® Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on the card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. This offer expires on June 30, 2025. Terms apply.. Plus, enjoy select airport lounge access, statement credit opportunities galore, and more! Read here why we love this card.

Eye of the Flyer partner offer!CardMatch™CardMatch™
Offers may not be available to all users.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eye of the Flyer with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Resources

  • ✍ Editors Disclaimer
  • 💰 Advertiser Disclosure
  • 🔒 Privacy Policy
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

Cleantalk Pixel
No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.