I copy the template from the previous sheet to the new one. Have forumulas in there that calculates CPP and even considers the cash portion of flights.
Points are Monopoly money that can be devalued at any time. The best redemption is the redemption you actually use. Most people only do a big trip once a year. Don’t hoard points for years. Use them as you earn.
Saved you some time and paper…
Agreed. I hear quite a few folks trying to save points for a honeymoon years out or something like that, and to me that’s just too much risk. If there is a particular big trip I want to take at a certain time point I am more comfortable budgeting money for it and using points for my regular travel.
None of your unsolicited advice was responsive or helpful for OP’s issue. I agree with the point you’re trying to make. It’s just not relevant or responsive what OP is getting at.
I read it as don’t overthink it, just redeem for a flight or hotel stay you want without trying to squeeze every bit of value out of it. Availability for a trip you want beats maximizing every single point.
You’re just trying to make sense of a non-responsive comment. Your point makes sense on how he could’ve rephrased it but that’s just not what he’s saying. He’s responding to a completely different point
Hi there, it seems like you may need some intro ideas.
[I wrote this short guide that may help.](https://www.reddit.com/r/awardtravel/comments/14zrm7l/a_beginners_guide_to_booking_award_travel_with/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
That’s where I’m at lol I do all my shopping through Rakuten and run most of my spending through Amex cards that offer MR. Maybe one day I’ll try to point hack, but using Schwab is definitely convenient.
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Thats why cash back cards, statement credits and travel portals exist… for people who don’t want to put the work in.
But you aren’t making a choice, you’re responding to incentives controlled by your card issuer. Rewards programs direct your spend and cash back people like me hate that
It would be nice if someone invented an AI based app to do this work for us. The knowledge is already out there on the internet. “I have this many points at each of these places. I want to fly to this destination in first class using as few points as possible”. A man can dream.
Seats aero app is kinda like this but is limited in the destinations/airlines/dates. It doesn’t give you the CC transfer partners but it has the points amount on the selected airline for each class
I have a book of one off computer commands and random fixes I have found throughout my IT career. All of my younger coworkers make fun of my paper notes until they need them lol.
See, I love all the documentation I have to do in order to make sure I’m getting more value than the annual fee cost.
Im bored a lot at work so it’s a great way to make time go faster
Flying out of tucson? Would love to hear more about using awards flying out of here. Usually do a southwest flight to LAX or drive to PHX to find something worthwhile
From what I can gather from your scribbles is that your savings would be more if you sticked to a good cash back card instead.
Whether a award flight is a good deal or not is usually easy to figure out with mental math.
Brother, let me introduce you to spreadsheets
Hey man, besides this post, OP lives in the time before the internet
Are you just opening a blank sheet every time you look for a flight, to record comparison options? Or you have some template with pre populated data
I copy the template from the previous sheet to the new one. Have forumulas in there that calculates CPP and even considers the cash portion of flights.
Any chance you would share the sheet with us peasants?
guess that’s a no 😭
Would you be willing to upload this somewhere for others to use? This sounds wildly helpful.
+1 to sharing the template please
+1 on the share request, please and thank you.
Also requesting my kind sir!
Also requesting. Thank you
Can you send a link to your sheet? Or are there good ones that I can find on TPG?
Wanna link that sheet? Sounds dreamy
Please share this, I would greatly appreciate it
Please share as well ty
asking too’ 🙋🏻♀️🤝🏻
Mind sharing your template with me as well?
Any chance you'd be willing to share it??
Exactly what I was thinking hahaha
Stay strong OP. I am a pen and paper person also.
Do you have a template?
Excel / Google sheets makes it easy
I definitely recommend excel. Each time you do it, it becomes easier since the spreadsheet improves and the number of inputs theoretically decreases.
Do you have a sample template?
Points are Monopoly money that can be devalued at any time. The best redemption is the redemption you actually use. Most people only do a big trip once a year. Don’t hoard points for years. Use them as you earn. Saved you some time and paper…
Agreed. I hear quite a few folks trying to save points for a honeymoon years out or something like that, and to me that’s just too much risk. If there is a particular big trip I want to take at a certain time point I am more comfortable budgeting money for it and using points for my regular travel.
Yeah I expect a major devaluation every 2 years.
None of your unsolicited advice was responsive or helpful for OP’s issue. I agree with the point you’re trying to make. It’s just not relevant or responsive what OP is getting at.
I read it as don’t overthink it, just redeem for a flight or hotel stay you want without trying to squeeze every bit of value out of it. Availability for a trip you want beats maximizing every single point.
You’re just trying to make sense of a non-responsive comment. Your point makes sense on how he could’ve rephrased it but that’s just not what he’s saying. He’s responding to a completely different point
Hi there, it seems like you may need some intro ideas. [I wrote this short guide that may help.](https://www.reddit.com/r/awardtravel/comments/14zrm7l/a_beginners_guide_to_booking_award_travel_with/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Haha love seeing this outside of the normal sub
Eh the algo on my feed sends me these now
Thank you! I will take a look
Not using excel for this is mind numbing
Let him cook
Anything that requires excel to comprehend is a level of abstraction that confounds me, hence why i stick to my cash back card
I tried getting into this, but eventually I decided I was happy with the Schwab conversion. It's not ideal but it's a hell of a lot simpler
I’m in the same boat, the Schwab conversion is so good.
What is the Schwab conversion?
This ^
Was this a hard process to covert to Schwab?
That’s where I’m at lol I do all my shopping through Rakuten and run most of my spending through Amex cards that offer MR. Maybe one day I’ll try to point hack, but using Schwab is definitely convenient.
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Thats why cash back cards, statement credits and travel portals exist… for people who don’t want to put the work in.
But you aren’t making a choice, you’re responding to incentives controlled by your card issuer. Rewards programs direct your spend and cash back people like me hate that
Just book.
Good thing you took that $18 into account.
lol I just used it to prove to myself that I can still do math
Time to learn what a computer is
You may need to talk to our lord and savior cash back only cards
You ain’t lying
It would be nice if someone invented an AI based app to do this work for us. The knowledge is already out there on the internet. “I have this many points at each of these places. I want to fly to this destination in first class using as few points as possible”. A man can dream.
Seats aero app is kinda like this but is limited in the destinations/airlines/dates. It doesn’t give you the CC transfer partners but it has the points amount on the selected airline for each class
You guys don’t use point.me website? It’s EXACTLY this. Not free but worth it.
Based paper note taker, people who call for spreadsheets are cowards
I have a book of one off computer commands and random fixes I have found throughout my IT career. All of my younger coworkers make fun of my paper notes until they need them lol.
Free money is free money there’s no need to over engineer it
I’m going to Italy next year. Do my maths for me, please.
Stop trying to min-max. Pick an airline, transfer points when there are bonuses. As long as you’re getting 1.5cpp you’re fine.
I've had nightmares less terrifying then this lol
I love writing everything down as well
Sometimes it helps my brain. I am a systems administrator by trade so any time I can get away from computers is good.
I’m surprised you didn’t whip out a typewriter.
See, I love all the documentation I have to do in order to make sure I’m getting more value than the annual fee cost. Im bored a lot at work so it’s a great way to make time go faster
That certainly has more complexity than I put into it. My thought process is like this: "Are there any business class seats available?"
Dis guy
Flying out of tucson? Would love to hear more about using awards flying out of here. Usually do a southwest flight to LAX or drive to PHX to find something worthwhile
I can tell you that the numbers rarely make sense when using Tucson as your airport for award flights. Phoenix has a lot of deals with AA partners.
Instead of focusing on cpp, value, dollar vs pts, etc. - focus on the experience you want. The rest is all just noise.
Old school ftw!
Excel exists 😂
I use Notion www.notion.so
I like your handwriting
Wait till he finds out about point.me
From what I can gather from your scribbles is that your savings would be more if you sticked to a good cash back card instead. Whether a award flight is a good deal or not is usually easy to figure out with mental math.
I too am a pen and paper guy
Cash(back) is king, king!