Here’s How Many Points You’ll Need for a Free Flight on 7 Airlines

Whether you’re planning to stay in the U.S. or take a trip abroad, credit card points and miles can help you cover most of the cost of your flight. But not all rewards are created equal, and each major frequent-flyer program has a different take on how many points or airline miles it takes to get from point A to point B. American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United are just a few of the airlines you’ve heard of with wildly different approaches to award flights — and we’ve done the research on all of them.

If you want to book a flight with points to get a free ticket, understand the differences between static and dynamic award flight pricing, how your favorite airlines determine point costs for different fare classes, and which credit cards you might consider.

Award flight pricing

Airline rewards programs have a dynamic pricing system. This means that the value of your points or miles can vary based on several factors, including the cash price of the ticket. In other words, you can’t expect to get one cent per point or mile every time you redeem like you can with some general travel rewards programs.

A dynamic pricing system can make things more complicated when you’re trying to find out how much value you’re getting from a redemption. But depending on how you plan your trip, you could squeeze much more value out of your rewards than with a static or fixed pricing system.

Dynamic vs. static pricing

Airlines use two different pricing models to determine the cost of an award flight: dynamic and static pricing.

Dynamic pricing is the same model used for pricing cash flights. Demand determines the price of a flight, which can vary widely for any given route depending on the season, day of the week, and time of the day. Prices go up during peak travel times and drop during off-peak times.

Static or region-based pricing uses a fixed-rate award chart to determine the price of award flights based on the route. For example, an economy award flight from the U.S. to Western Europe may always cost 60,000 miles if you can find availability at the lowest award rate.

I found it much easier to squeeze value out of my airline miles years ago when region-based award charts were more common, but unfortunately, most airlines have migrated to dynamic pricing models. That said, if you can travel during off-peak and shoulder season, dynamic pricing might work to your benefit.

Factors that determine how many points you need for a free flight

If you’re wondering how many points it takes to get a free flight, it can vary based on a few different factors, including:

• Airline: Frequent-flyer programs all differ, and each one determines how many points or miles are required for a flight. This means that if you’re booking a flight from Los Angeles to New York, the number of points or miles required to get there will vary from airline to airline.
• Destination: If you’re flying within the U.S., you’ll typically need fewer points or miles to book a flight than if you were traveling internationally. Also, some domestic short-haul flights may be cheaper than other flights within the U.S.
• Travel dates: If you’re planning to fly during a peak travel season, such as the summer or holiday weekends, you may need more rewards to book your trip than if you were to travel during off-peak times. Also, flying over the weekend may be more expensive than traveling during the week.
• Ticket class: Economy tickets tend to be the cheapest across the board, so if you’re planning to book a first- or business-class ticket, you can expect to fork over more points or miles to make it happen.

Minimum points for award flights by airline

To give you an idea of how many points you’ll need for a free flight, here’s what to expect from the top U.S.-based airlines:

Southwest Airlines

Minimum points needed for award flights: ~2,500 for domestic economy

Factors that affect pricing: Cash price of ticket

Despite its popularity with budget travelers and large fan club, Southwest Airlines doesn’t have an award chart, instead basing its award flight values on the cash price of the fare.

For example, a one-way flight from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas might cost you $49 or 2,671 points, and a one-way flight from Dallas to Los Angeles could run you the same. With both those flights, you’re getting about 1.8 cents per point.

This setup can make it difficult to book award flights when tickets are expensive. But this also means award flights get cheaper when the airline runs fare sales.

Credit cards that earn Southwest points

You can earn Southwest points with the following credit cards (check out our full comparison of the best Southwest credit cards):

• Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy points at a 1:1 ratio.

JetBlue Airways

Minimum points needed for award flights: 5,000 for domestic economy, 30,000 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Cash price of ticket

Like Southwest, JetBlue Airways doesn’t have an award chart for its flights, opting instead for a cost-based approach. In other words, the number of points required to book a flight is directly tied to the cash price of the ticket. Reward flights can be redeemed for as few as 5,000 points or less.

On JetBlue flights operated by Hawaiian Airlines, however, there is an award chart. On these flights, one-way economy fares range from 6,000 to 30,000 points within the U.S. and 30,000 to 50,000 points for international destinations.

If you’re flying business class, you’ll need 12,000 to 70,000 points for domestic flights and 70,000 to 120,000 for flights abroad.

Credit cards that earn JetBlue points

We only recommend the JetBlue Card and the JetBlue Plus Card if you’re loyal to this airline. For less frequent flyers, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points at a rate of 250:200 or Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1:1.

Delta Air Lines

Minimum points needed for award flights: 4,500 for domestic economy, 25,000 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Destination, fare class, demand

Unlike other airlines on our list, Delta doesn’t have an award chart, which makes it difficult to plan and know whether you’re getting the best value.

Based on our research, however, we found reports of main cabin fares as low as 4,500 miles each way within the U.S. and 25,000 miles each way for a trip to Korea. In first class, we found international flights costing as much as 320,000 miles each way.

If Delta Air Lines is your preferred carrier, it may take more research to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. It can help if you’re flexible on your dates and destination. If you are, take some time to check different itineraries to see which one will give you the best result.

Cards that earn Delta SkyMiles

If you’re looking to earn more Delta SkyMiles, you can rack them up easily with one of these:

• Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card

This isn’t the full lineup. Check out the full comparison of Delta credit cards to see which one we’d recommend for you.

You can also transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles at a ratio of 1:1.

United Airlines

Minimum points needed for award flights: 5,000 for domestic economy, 20,000 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Route, fare class, demand

United Airlines no longer has an award chart. You'll need to search different routes and dates to find the best fares. In our search, we found one-way domestic economy flights for as little as 5,000 points. We also saw a one-way economy ticket to Japan for about 35,000 points and one-way economy to London for 20,000 points.

Credit cards that earn United miles

You can earn United Airlines directly with the United℠ Explorer Card or the United Quest℠ Card. You can also transfer points to United from your Chase Ultimate Rewards account at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott Bonvoy account at a 3:1 ratio.

American Airlines

Minimum points needed for award flights: 7,500 for domestic economy, 12,500 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Destination, fare class, fare type, demand

American Airlines’ award chart is relatively straightforward. Simply choose where you’re flying from, and you’ll get a full list of miles requirements based on your destination, fare class, and fare type (MileSAAver or AAnytime).

While MileSAAver awards are cheaper, you may run into limited availability. And in my experience, you’ll also see more layovers and red-eye flights. With AAnytime, on the other hand, there are no award restrictions, giving you more flexible and favorable ticket options.

Credit cards that earn American Airlines miles

To earn American Airlines miles, you can apply for any of the airline’s co-branded credit cards, including:

• Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^®
• Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®
• AAdvantage^® Aviator^® World Elite Silver Mastercard^®

This is just a small sampling of the many co-branded cards for this airline. Check out a full comparison of the best credit cards for American Airlines before applying.

You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines at a 3:1 ratio.

Alaska Airlines

Minimum points needed for award flights: 5,000 for domestic economy, 10,000 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Destination, flight distance, fare class, demand

Alaska Airlines has one of the more complicated award charts among the major U.S.-based airlines. If you’re traveling within the U.S. or to Canada or Mexico, the number of miles you’ll need is based on the distance you’re flying in miles.

For other international flights, however, the cost in miles depends on the region and which of the airline’s partners you’re flying with. If you’re thinking of booking a flight with Alaska or one of its partners, check the Alaska Airlines award chart to find out which partners have the lowest mile requirements.

Credit cards that earn Alaska Airlines miles

To rack up more miles with Alaska Airlines, consider signing up for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® Credit Card. With it, you can earn 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account (limited time offer), plus get 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services, and local transit (including ride shares, trains, tolls, and ferries); and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases. The card also offers a companion fare certificate every year.

You can also transfer rewards earned with the Marriott Bonvoy program to Alaska Airlines at a 3:1 ratio.

Hawaiian Airlines

Minimum points needed for award flights: 7,500 for domestic economy, 27,500 for international economy

Factors that affect pricing: Destination, fare class, fare type, demand

Hawaiian Airlines’ award chart has different rates for inter-island flights than for ones to the mainland U.S. and international flights. One quirk you won’t find with other airlines is that Hawaiian has up to eight levels in its main cabin, each progressively more expensive.

You may also qualify for a discounted award ticket, and you can upgrade to business or first class with miles.

Credit cards that earn Hawaiian Airlines miles

To earn Hawaiian Airlines miles, consider the Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^®. You can earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, plus 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases; 2X miles on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases; 1X miles on all other purchases.

You can also transfer Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio.

How to get the best flight deals

• Avoid flying during peak times.
• Travel with international airlines.
• Look for flash sales.

You can get the best deals on award flights by traveling during off-peak times, learning how to search for award availability, and collecting the most valuable miles. According to travel experts, American Airlines miles are generally considered some of the most valuable domestic airline miles, followed by Southwest. I've always had better luck finding affordable peak-season award flights with Southwest, even when other airlines are price gouging.

International airlines typically offer even more valuable miles. I've found the best deals by booking award flights with international airlines, using either domestic miles to book flights on partner airlines or transferring my credit card points. For example, I once used 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to book a flight from San José, Costa Rica to Madrid, Spain on Iberia Airlines. It would've cost over $1,000, netting me 1.67 cents per point.

Finally, don't overlook airline promotions. Many airlines, including JetBlue, United, American, Alaska, and Southwest, regularly run sales on award flights or publish roundups of the best current deals on award redemptions.

FAQs

Bottom line

Depending on where you want to fly, one airline may be better than another. That’s why the best travel credit card might be a general one that earns rewards in programs such as Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. These rewards programs allow you to transfer your points to multiple airlines, so you can always take advantage of the best deal.

This arrangement gives you a lot of flexibility when trying to find the right price for a flight, especially if you’re traveling internationally. And remember, if you’re ever short just a few thousand miles, you do have the option to buy the difference, though this strategy is often best used sparingly.

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