Knowledge Hub · Glossary
Award Chart
An award chart is a published table that lists how many points a redemption costs, usually by region, cabin, or hotel tier. When a program uses one, the price is fixed and predictable. Charts are where most sweet spots come from, because the fixed price can fall well below the cash fare.
What it means in practice
A real award chart lets you plan. You can look up a route, see it costs a set number of miles, and know that number will hold whether the cash fare is 400 dollars or 4,000. That predictability is what makes charted programs attractive for high value redemptions.
Many programs have moved away from fixed charts toward dynamic pricing, where the points cost floats with demand. When a program still publishes and honors a chart, it is worth learning, because the gaps between chart price and cash price are where the value hides.
Example
An award chart might list a one way flight between two regions at 35,000 miles in coach and 70,000 miles in business, no matter what the cash price is that day.
Ready to Cash Out Your Points?
Get your live estimate in under a minute. Most payouts complete within 1 business day.