{"id":196568,"date":"2025-10-01T19:30:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T19:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/i-saved-almost-1000-on-flights-with-1-easy-trick-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T19:30:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T19:30:48","slug":"i-saved-almost-1000-on-flights-with-1-easy-trick-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/i-saved-almost-1000-on-flights-with-1-easy-trick-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"I saved almost $1,000 on flights with 1 easy trick – The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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‘Tis the season … for flight prices to skyrocket!<\/p>\n

As a budget-conscious traveler, booking a decent cash or points and miles fare can be difficult. However, finding a good deal during the holiday season<\/a> can seem almost impossible.<\/p>\n

But one easy trick helped me snag three one-way flights during the peak holiday season<\/a> for about $500. Keep reading to find out how I saved almost $1,000 out of pocket with this one points and miles hack.<\/p>\n

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Travel hack: Buying points or miles can save you a ton of money<\/h2>\n

Since most airlines operate using dynamic pricing<\/a>, fares are constantly in flux. However, during the holiday season, rates typically lean toward the higher end, with airlines cashing in on what are typically the busiest days to travel: the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the Christmas and New Year’s rush.<\/p>\n

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EVGENIA PARAJANIAN\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Therefore, it’s not uncommon to find flight prices up, award availability limited and partner award fares almost nonexistent.<\/p>\n

So, when trying to book three nonstop flights from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on Sunday, Nov. 30, I can safely say I was sticker-shocked by the $447-per-person price.<\/p>\n

But before I purchased these American Airlines tickets \u2014 which cost a total of $1,341 \u2014 I considered my options.<\/p>\n

Related: 11 strategies to find cheap airfare<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Why buying points and miles can sometimes work in your favor<\/h3>\n

Just because you don’t have points or miles with a particular airline or hotel loyalty program<\/a>, you shouldn’t automatically write it off. While purchasing rewards isn’t always<\/em> a great deal, when a program is running a promotion on buying points, you can potentially snag a low award fare and save a few hundred dollars.<\/p>\n

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Though I didn’t have American Airlines AAdvantage miles in my account to book these flights, I still wanted to get an idea of the award cost. For this particular flight, American was charging 8,500 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees per person.<\/p>\n

I decided to check how much it would cost to purchase American miles. The airline is currently running a promotion to save up to 40% when buying miles (note that the discount depends on how many miles you purchase). Calculating the cost on American’s website, I found out I could purchase 26,000 miles (which would then give me a 15% discount) for $831.52.<\/p>\n

Buying American miles to purchase the November award flight would save me about $500; however, I still wanted to look at other alternatives in hopes of finding an even better deal.<\/p>\n

Related: 50% off Rio hotel: How buying Hilton points saved me over $600 during Carnival<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Look at partner award flights<\/h3>\n

Did you know that you can book American award flights<\/a> on partner airlines? American is part of the Oneworld alliance<\/a>, which means partner airlines, such as Alaska Airlines and British Airways, sometimes offer customers the opportunity to book award flights via their loyalty programs.<\/p>\n

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ZACH GRIFF\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this situation, I checked to see if this specific American Airlines flight was available to book through British Airways Club. Since I have both Chase Ultimate Rewards points<\/a> and American Express Membership Rewards points<\/a>, I could transfer my points directly to British Airways Club at a 1:1 ratio.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this American flight was not available, probably because of the holiday. As I mentioned, award availability on partner airlines is limited during peak travel times. (Note: I also checked other Oneworld alliance programs for American Airlines award availability.)<\/p>\n

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THOMAS BARWICK\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But as luck would have it, Alaska Airlines’ Atmos Rewards<\/a> was offering the Nov. 30 American Airlines flight for 7,500 points and $18.10 per person. At the time, I had 2,500 Atmos Rewards points in my account, so I checked to see how much it would cost to buy 20,000 points.<\/p>\n

Atmos Rewards is offering up to a 90% points bonus (depending on how many points you purchase).<\/p>\n

By purchasing 12,000 points for $451.50, I’d receive an additional 9,600 points (an 80% bonus), bringing my total to 21,600 Atmos Rewards points. When adding the 2,500 points already in my account, I’d have a grand total of 24,100 points.<\/p>\n

Breaking down the math:<\/p>\n