TPG introduces a new points calculator to streamline your award booking process.

TPG aims to make travel easier and more accessible, empowering you to use your points and miles to unlock your dream travel adventures. We strive to simplify this journey by enhancing our tools and resources to complement our guides and articles.

We're excited to unveil yet another tool designed to help you travel more while spending less: the TPG points calculator.

If you've been following TPG for some time, you might be aware that we update our valuations for popular travel loyalty programs every month. The value of points or miles can vary significantly between programs, making it challenging to assess the worth of their rewards unless you’re well-versed in a particular program.

We prioritize keeping our points and valuations up-to-date for several reasons, primarily to assist you—our readers—in understanding the value you should expect when redeeming your hard-earned awards.

Even if your reward valuations differ from TPG's, having a general range in mind can assist you in deciding whether to redeem your rewards for a trip or save them for future use while paying cash instead.

With these valuations, the new TPG points calculator simplifies the decision-making process on whether to use cash or points for your booking with just a few clicks. Here’s how it works.

You'll be able to book awards like an expert.

If the airline ticket you desire is priced at either $300 or 25,000 miles, should you choose to pay cash or redeem miles?

Ultimately, the choice is yours based on your unique situation, but our calculator can assist with the mathematical calculations involved.

Should you use some hotel points for that $150 airport hotel stay, or save them for the overwater villa of your dreams? Only you can decide, but our new tool can quickly evaluate the value of your points for easy comparison with the cash price.

The TPG points calculator will assist you in navigating these scenarios and more, providing insights based on your unique points situation and the specific rewards you wish to book against the current cash rates.

Essentially, we handle the groundwork for you, enabling you to redeem your rewards with greater confidence.

Awards versus cash calculator

We're thrilled to announce that the TPG points calculator is now live on the TPG homepage.

In contrast to the TPG app, which provides an overview of your total "points net worth," the TPG points calculator helps you quickly assess the value of a particular award and determine whether to use cash or points, based on TPG's points valuations, which are refreshed each month.

Keep in mind that this is simply a recommendation based on calculations; ultimately, you'll need to evaluate what's best for your individual circumstances. The tool is available at no cost and doesn't require account registration.

When you access the calculator, you'll be prompted to specify the type of points you wish to redeem, the required points or miles for an award, along with any applicable taxes and fees. You may also enter the cash price for the flight or hotel stay to make a comparison, though this step is optional. The calculator is compatible with any airline or hotel program for which we have a valuation listed on our site.

Ensure you select the appropriate loyalty program, as the worth of points and miles can differ significantly between programs. It's equally crucial to include any fees linked to the award. For instance, if an airline imposes hundreds in fuel surcharges on an award, the value assessment will be entirely different compared to a mere $5.60 in taxes.

The same principle applies to hotels that do not waive resort fees on award stays, which can increase the nightly charge by $50 or more in some instances. The excitement of the points and miles game lies in not spending more points on an award than you would if paying in cash.

The calculator will assist you in determining whether it's more advantageous to book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to the U.K. for 47,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points plus around $700 in surcharges, or to use 120,000 Delta SkyMiles with only $6 in taxes. It will also provide the cash equivalent of your miles, allowing you to consider booking a cheaper flight with cash instead.

Here’s a glimpse of a sample award based on this scenario.

The only factor not included in the calculation is the opportunity cost of unearned rewards, which varies from person to person depending on your booking habits, status levels, and more.

Generally, when you book an award flight, you won't accumulate award miles or elite credits (though elite night credits are typically awarded for hotel stays). You can include the value of any unearned rewards in the "fees" section. If you have rewards nearing expiration, it may be wise to redeem them, even if the value isn't optimal, since some value is preferable to none.

Final thoughts

We hope our readers will find this tool incredibly helpful as they plan their travel strategies for the upcoming months and years. By entering the required points and assessing their value, you can evaluate everything from whether a credit card sign-up bonus is worth pursuing to deciding if now is the right time to use your accumulated hotel points for a specific redemption before a program undergoes significant changes.

As TPG continues to release data-backed valuations for various reward currencies in the upcoming months, the TPG points calculator will only grow in accuracy and usefulness. For the time being, you’ll see us integrating it into different articles as we explore the do's and don'ts of rewards and assist readers in crafting optimal points strategies to meet their needs.

You can save the new calculator right here for easy access whenever you require assistance.

We aim to enhance our tools and offerings over time, so we’d love to hear your feedback on the new tool and any features you'd like to see added. Feel free to reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or via email.

All screenshots by Dinogo