Key takeaways. Cash back credit cards are generally the better choice if you want to earn simple rewards on your regular purchases. A points or miles card may be a better option if you travel often or want to start earning travel rewards on your purchases.
Here's the catch. Air Miles themselves do not expire. But, if your account “expires” by being “dormant” (or inactive) for 24 consecutive months, then the points on it will disappear. An account is considered inactive if there are no points transactions within that period.
Ultimately, deciding whether to redeem points rather than pay cash for travel is a personal choice. You'll get more value by using them for high-priced travel experiences. But if you're a budget traveler who just wants to save a few bucks, use your points for that economy flight or low-category hotel redemption.
Pay with Miles is a benefit of select Delta Amex Cards where you can use miles to pay for all or part of the cost of eligible flights. It is always available as a payment option on all Delta operated flights as long as you have 5,000 miles in your SkyMiles account.
On the downside, airline-specific cards will often limit your ability to shop for the lowest-cost ticket because you are only earning and redeeming rewards with a single carrier. Sometimes, the rewards can be redeemed at more favorable rates, especially during off-peak travel times.
You need 6,000 to 20,000 miles for a free one-way flight, depending on how far you're flying, which airline you're using and the dates of your travel. A one-way international flight will usually cost 35,000-50,000+ miles. Airline miles and points are generally worth around 1 cent each, but their value can vary.