Optimal Points and Miles for Last-Minute Award Flights

When faced with sudden travel plans or the desire for flexibility in booking close to departure, last-minute flights can pose challenges, particularly due to high ticket prices and limited options.

In a crisis, the last thing you want is to jump through hoops just to secure the necessary flights urgently.

Nonetheless, you can make the most of your points and miles with an effective strategy and possibly avoid inflated fares. Here’s what you should know.

Book Last-Minute Flights via a Credit Card Travel Portal

Booking last-minute award flights due to an emergency or urgent situation can be stressful and rushed. In such cases, time is crucial. You might consider redeeming miles from one of your preferred airline loyalty programs, even if it doesn't offer the best redemption value.

For instance, Chase Ultimate Rewards points hold a value of 1.5 cents each for flights booked through Chase Travel℠ for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders, and 1.25 cents for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card users.

Alternatively, Capital One miles can be a solid choice if the cost of paid flights is reasonable and you prefer straightforward redemptions. With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you can redeem miles for eligible travel expenses at a fixed rate of 1 cent per mile through the Capital One Travel portal. Additionally, you can use your Venture or Venture X card when booking on an airline or hotel website and then request a statement credit from Capital One within 90 days to offset the travel cost.

The Benefits of Earning Transferable Points

Six prominent credit card programs provide excellent flexibility for redeeming rewards, as their points can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs.

This is why we encourage travelers to earn transferable points. Here are the top transferable point programs available:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Wells Fargo Rewards

You have the option to select from various airline loyalty programs when transferring your points among these flexible currencies. This ensures that you aren't limited to booking with just one airline, giving you the freedom to transfer your points to a program that offers available flights and competitive award rates.

It's crucial to recognize that each program has varying transfer times for moving credit card points.

We have put together guides that outline the estimated transfer times for each program:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Wells Fargo Rewards

Moreover, certain airlines impose extra fees for last-minute bookings, making them less appealing when redeeming award tickets just days or hours before a flight.

Explore our guide to apps and websites that simplify award redemptions, including Point.me and Seats.aero, particularly if you're securing a last-minute international award, as a convenient way to check availability.

Top loyalty programs for securing last-minute award flights

When it comes to booking a last-minute domestic award, here are some of our top picks for loyalty programs for award flights within the U.S.

Air Canada Aeroplan

If you're looking to redeem for a United-operated flight, Air Canada Aeroplan can be a fantastic option.

Aeroplan offers great value, especially for last-minute bookings, and doesn’t charge close-in fees for award tickets.

You can redeem as few as 6,000 Aeroplan points for economy flights on United Airlines within the continental U.S. and Canada for routes up to 500 miles, like from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to various destinations in the Northeast.

Transfers from American Express, Bilt, Capital One, and Chase to Aeroplan are typically processed instantly.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways is a great option for redeeming awards due to its distance-based award chart. Using the British Airways Executive Club can often yield better rates for flights operated by American and Alaska compared to booking directly with those airlines. Despite a price increase for American and Alaska domestic award redemptions in July, it’s still wise to check availability for price comparisons.

British Airways is particularly attractive for quick last-minute redemptions since point transfers from American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Wells Fargo usually happen instantly, allowing online booking of redemptions.

Although Finnair Plus offers lower rates, especially for shorter domestic flights (and you can transfer Avios from BA to Finnair at a 1:1 ratio), it only partners with one credit card currency (Capital One miles) and requires phone bookings for American and Alaska flights, which can be inconvenient in emergencies.

However, if you can manage the extra steps, using Finnair Plus can help you save Avios.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles is a dependable choice for securing last-minute award flights. Earning Delta miles is straightforward by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta. Although there’s an excise tax for transferring Membership Rewards points to Delta, the transfer typically happens instantly, alleviating concerns about award availability vanishing while you wait for your miles.

A major perk of booking award tickets with Delta is the lack of last-minute ticketing fees. Even if you redeem Delta SkyMiles for a same-day flight, you’ll only incur the standard taxes and fees related to award tickets.

However, Delta frequently raises award rates as departure dates approach, functioning similarly to a close-in fee. Unfortunately, availability for domestic Delta flights booked with Air France-KLM's Flying Blue miles or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points is often limited.

Southwest and JetBlue

Southwest and JetBlue do not charge close-in fees for award bookings. However, both airlines tie their redemption rates to ticket prices at a relatively fixed rate. In some instances, it might be more advantageous to book a paid fare with a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, allowing you to redeem Capital One miles to offset recent travel costs.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Southwest and JetBlue instantly at a 1:1 ratio if you wish to use points for payment. JetBlue also accepts instant transfers from Chase, Citi, and American Express, though Amex points convert to JetBlue at a 1.25:1 ratio, unlike the 1:1 ratio offered by Chase and Citi.