Put the reward seat and the cash fare side by side. We factor in the taxes you still pay and your own Avios valuation to tell you which is the smarter buy — every time.
Last updated: September 2026
What one Avios is worth to you. Most people use around 1p as a baseline.
We compare the effective value the reward delivers against your own Avios valuation to tell you which is the smarter buy.
Using Avios wins
This reward returns about 1.44p per Avios — above your 1.00p valuation, so redeeming is the better deal here.
“True cost of the reward” values the Avios you spend at your own valuation and adds the cash taxes and fees. This is general information, not financial advice.
Every time you find a reward seat, you face the same decision: hand over your Avios, or pay cash and keep them? The instinct is to grab the points booking because it feels free — but it rarely is. A reward seat still carries taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges, and the Avios themselves have real value you could spend elsewhere. This tool turns that gut-feel decision into a clear, numbers-based answer.
First we calculate the effective value the reward delivers: the cash fare you avoid, minus the taxes and fees you still pay, divided by the Avios required. That is pence per Avios. Then we compare it against your personal valuation — what one Avios is genuinely worth to you. If the reward beats your valuation, redeeming is the better deal. If it falls short, paying cash and banking your Avios wins.
We also show the “true cost” of each option in pounds. The reward booking’s true cost is the cash taxes and fees plus the value of the Avios you spend. Seeing both totals side by side makes the trade-off obvious, even on a marginal booking.
Short-haul economy is the classic trap. A £60 cash fare that costs 15,000 Avios plus £35 in taxes is delivering barely 0.17p per Avios — a terrible use of points. On routes and dates where cash is cheap, pay cash and save your Avios for long-haul premium cabins where they routinely clear 1.5p to 2p. Peak pricing, heavy surcharges and low cash fares all push the answer towards cash.
The reverse is true for expensive cash fares. When a long-haul Club World seat costs £4,000 in cash but 100,000 Avios plus £600 in taxes, you are getting around 3.4p per Avios — exceptional. Off-peak dates, low-surcharge partners such as Qatar Airways or Aer Lingus, and premium cabins all tilt the maths firmly towards redeeming. Run your own numbers above and the calculator will call it for you.