Summary of if 20,000 Miles is Worth it? For the most part, 20k miles are worth from $200 to $300 in award flights with credit card rewards programs.
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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.
We sampled flight awards available with U.S. carriers and found that consumers need between about 8,000 and 57,000 miles to get a free one-way coach flight. Free flights in business or first class start at around 25,000 miles and climb to well over 150,000 miles one-way.
Depending on the airline and credit card you choose, you may earn anywhere from 1 to 3 miles per dollar spent on the card. You usually earn more when you use the card to purchase travel directly from the airline.
Most airlines allow travelers to redeem their miles for flights, seat upgrades, or other travel-related perks, but they don't convert them directly to cash. Some airlines also permit the transfer of miles to other reward programs, such hotel loyalty programs, which may include the option of cash redemption.
The number of miles you can earn from shopping typically depends on the retail partner, but in most cases, it works out to 1 reward mile for every $20 spent. When using an AIR MILES credit card, you can double dip at participating merchants.
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.
With this benefit, all Delta Amex Blue, Gold, Platinum and Reserve Card Members can reduce the cost of a ticket by $50 for 5,000 miles, $100 for 10,000 miles and so on.