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![The 15 Best U.S. Domestic Flight Redemptions for Max Value [2023]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/New-York.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
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At Upgraded Points, we are big fans of being world travelers — visiting the most exotic, far-and-away destinations, and doing so in first class while enjoying pure luxury and opulence.
But sometimes, domestic travel is just as reinvigorating. It’s possible to visit somewhere close to home and feel like you’re a world away. And that way, you don’t need to worry about flipping time zones, flying 24 hours at a time, and the increased planning required with going someplace totally foreign. Some of the easiest, best vacations are domestic!
So if you’re focused (at least in the near term) on booking trips within the U.S., you’ll want to keep this guide handy. We’ll give you some inspiration for high-value ways to redeem your points for domestic U.S. flights!
You may get the greatest value for your points when you use them for typically expensive flights, whether that’s domestic or international. Among the numerous types of vacations you can book within the U.S., 2 that are known to be the most expensive are beach vacations and ski vacations.
If you live in a cold area and find yourself frequently looking for sunny places to escape to like Hawaii, California, and Florida, you will inevitably come across a situation where plane tickets are ridiculously expensive.
Similarly, if you’re booking a ski vacation during the peak winter high season, it’s not surprising to shell out thousands of dollars for flights and hotels.
As with all points redemptions, you should always compare the cash price with the points price to determine if it’s a good deal (and by extension, whether you should use points or cash).
In the case of U.S. domestic redemptions, don’t worry about hitting that crazy 10 cents-per-point redemption sweet spot, because it’s not going to happen.
When redeeming points for domestic flights, you’ll typically achieve a redemption value similar to the accepted valuations, though you might sometimes get a better-than-expected outcome. You might also get a lower redemption value, but chances are you’ll always get at least 1 cent per point of value.
In this next section, we’ll show you some of the best ways to use your points for U.S. domestic flights.
For domestic travel, you’ll want to earn points and miles you can use with U.S. carriers. Because of the way U.S. frequent flyer programs such as United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles work, it’s a bit more challenging to redeem partner airline miles for travel on a U.S. airline.
For example, Delta SkyMiles’s dynamic award pricing system makes it extremely difficult to suss out which award tickets are bookable by partners. Its mileage prices are mostly reasonable for domestic travel, anyway.
United MileagePlus is a 1:1 Chase transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards.
In addition, it’s a 3:1.1 transfer partner with Marriott Bonvoy (which also offers a 5,500-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred).
Lastly, numerous co-branded credit cards enable you to earn United miles directly.
But broadly speaking, the best way to earn United miles is via Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards, which can transfer points to United MileagePlus. Here are our recommended picks:
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
Delta SkyMiles is a 1:1 Amex transfer partner within the American Express Membership Rewards program.
Also, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.
Amex also offers a variety of co-branded credit cards to earn Delta SkyMiles.
You can certainly accumulate a lot of Delta SkyMiles with the co-branded cards, but it’s easier to earn more miles on everyday spending with Amex Membership Rewards cards. Here are some recommended cards you can consider opening:
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The American Express® Gold Card is a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
American Airlines AAdvantage has a 1:1 transfer partner in Bilt Rewards, but its primary transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers at a 3:1 ratio to American Airlines AAdvantage with a bonus of 5,000 miles after every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.
Also, Barclays and Citi both issue co-branded American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards to earn AAdvantage miles directly:
Status lovers will enjoy the variety of benefits that come with this card. From free bags to reduced-price inflight beverages, AA still flies in style.
Blue skies and fair winds make for a good day to fly! Choosing your airline can be difficult, since factors like location, time, and destination all go into whether or not you can fly somewhere.
An easy choice for many people is American Airlines, because they’re the largest airline in the world. If you’re an American, you’ve probably flown American Airlines at least once.
Frequent fliers tend to enjoy the treatment they can get, from boarding privileges to free bags to lounge access. There’s many reasons to fly with AA, and if so then getting a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® could be for you.
Access to Admirals Clubs, tons of added benefits, and a way to spend towards elite status make this a great option for American Airlines loyalists.
The Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a go-to card thanks to its exclusive perks and benefits for people who love to fly American Airlines. With a complimentary Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, inflight discounts, and the ability to earn Loyalty Points for every $1 you spend, there is plenty to love about the card.
Earn 2x miles per dollar spent on American Airlines flights and at grocery stores, all without needing to pay an annual fee.
The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® is perfectly suited for those looking for a way to earn more American Airlines miles and earn Loyalty Points, all without needing to pay an annual fee.
A low annual fee, a free checked bag, and tons of perks and discounts make this card valuable for business owners who travel.
With the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®, you get a card that gives you perks like boarding privileges, free checked bags, and discounts on inflight purchases, while also earning more miles for your next award redemption.
Similar to American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan does not have any 1:1 transfer partners; indeed, the only transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy, which follows the same transfer ratio of 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus after transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Bank of America is the sole issuer of co-branded Alaska Airlines credit cards, which offers one of the best ways to earn Alaska Airlines miles:
Provides the potential to earn plenty of miles to fly with Alaska Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23)!
With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card in your wallet, you could get great perks and earn miles at the same time. This is a win-win if Alaska is the airline you prefer to fly with! Plus, its annual companion fare is a great benefit for traveling couples.
When you’re booking a flight on a U.S. airline such as United, your first instinct should be to redeem miles belonging to that airline (United MileagePlus miles in this example).
Using an airline’s miles to book will almost always steer you in the right direction. But if you have extra time and are willing to try to find partner award availability (particularly for premium cabin domestic flights), you may be able to cut down on the number of points you spend by up to 50%!
That American Airlines flight that costs 50,000 AA miles? You could possibly get that same flight booked for 32,500 Amex Membership Rewards points! That United Airlines flight that costs 50,000 miles? You might be able to get the same ticket booked for 15,000 Citi ThankYou Points!
To be clear, this generally only works on select premium cabin flights; you’ll still find the vast majority of availability when booking using the U.S. airline’s frequent flyer program. And in most cases, the mileage prices are reasonable enough to warrant booking through these programs.
Enough talk — let’s get into our top U.S. domestic redemptions you can make for maximum value.
We’ll dip our toes in partner-level award tickets for premium cabin redemptions early in this section, but we’ll focus on the cheapest realistic price you’ll find on a given domestic flight without worrying about the lowest theoretical price you’d find if you spent all day looking for partner award space.
Let’s get started!
Our top redemption on this list also happens to be one of the most difficult to pull off in practice, but if you can pull it off, you’re getting a steal of a flight using points.
Usually, United charges 25,000 miles for Saver-level Polaris class availability on transcontinental flights.
But if you book your flights through Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (a Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou, and Marriott Bonvoy transfer partner), you can book one-way business class flights for 15,000 points!
That’s a savings of 40% of your points! And if you’re fine flying in coach, one-way economy tickets cost just 7,500 points!
Hot Tip: The challenge in pulling off this sweet spot redemption is in finding Saver-level availability. United is extremely stingy in releasing Saver-level Polaris class award space on transcontinental routes. Keep your dates as flexible as possible!
Check out some of these nonstop transcontinental routes you can fly aboard United Polaris class:
Hot Tip: Need to earn more Citi points? Check out our complete guide to the best ways to earn Citi ThankYou Points!
One of the most comfortable ways you can fly in the U.S. is aboard American Airlines’ Flagship First product, which is only offered on A321T and 777-300ER aircraft.
Traditionally offered on select premium transcontinental flights, the cash prices that these flights command are immense (think $1,500 one-way).
Normally, American charges 50,000 miles for a one-way Flagship First ticket on a Saver award ticket, which actually isn’t a bad deal considering the high cash prices.
But if you are looking for the best deals possible and can be flexible, you can find Saver award space on American’s website and book that same ticket using Etihad Guest miles (transferred from Amex, Capital One, Citi, or Marriott Bonvoy) to save big!
In general, American Flagship First Saver award space is more generous than United’s transcontinental Polaris class Saver award space, so you probably have a better chance of booking the flight you want by using Etihad Guest miles.
For this flight, expect to redeem around 32,500 Etihad Guest miles one-way.
Here are a few example redemptions you can make:
In addition to a top-quality first class product, American also offers a great business class product, should you be interested in booking lie-flat seats.
The benefit of Flagship Business is that it can be a bit cheaper than Flagship First. Plus, it’s easier to find a Flagship Business product, thanks to its offerings on other 777 and 787 aircraft.
On select domestic flights, you can find lie-flat business class seats akin to what you’d encounter on a long-haul international flight, which will maximize your comfort.
Here are the best routes you’ll often find lie-flat business class seats on:
Flying Delta to Hawaii is often the most convenient option, in addition to a great quality product. The diamond-stitched leather seats, warm service, and edible catering options make this one of the better airlines to fly nonstop to Hawaii.
The catch? It’s really difficult to book these flights using partner miles such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles. To maximize your odds of booking these tickets, you ought to accumulate Delta SkyMiles or Amex or Marriott Bonvoy points (which can then be transferred to Delta).
The great news is that Delta is excellent about offering a “baseline value” for your points, so while redeeming Delta SkyMiles may not theoretically be the cheapest option, you’ll probably get at least 1.2 cents per point of value, often more.
Here are some of Delta’s terrific routes to Hawaii:
Planning a ski vacation to Aspen? Depending on which airport you fly out of, you could see large cash price tags upwards of $400 one-way!
Fortunately, it’s easy to use points to avoid paying hundreds of dollars for a short-haul domestic flight to Aspen.
United, American, and Delta all offer nonstop flights. If you can get 2 cents per point of value on this trip, consider it a success!
Here are some of the best nonstop flights available to Aspen:
Hot Tip: Be prepared for your next trip to the Rockies with our guide to airline ski/snowboard baggage policies and ultimate ski and snowboard trip packing list. Learn more about the 2 passes that cover Aspen Snowmass in our ultimate guide to season ski passes around the world.
Booking a ski trip to Vail can get ridiculously expensive, just like booking a ski trip to Aspen.
And while there are differences, there’s no way to get around it — you’ll be spending quite a bit of money here.
The closest airport to Vail is Eagle County (EGE), and there are many nonstop flights operated by the big 3 U.S. airlines.
Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
Jackson Hole is known for its outdoorsy and rugged terrain, as well as the annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium that hosts dozens of Federal Reserve and finance professionals.
Often voted as the best ski resort location in North America, it’s no surprise that the idea of flying to Jackson Hole for a domestic vacation has probably crossed your mind.
Well, hesitate no longer because those traditionally expensive flights are now almost free, thanks to points!
All of the Big 3 U.S. carriers operate flights out of their hub airports to Jackson Hole (JAC). If you’re interested in the best deal, American and United offer reasonable fares, while Delta tends to be the priciest.
Here are some of the best example redemptions you can make:
Alaska’s scenery and wildlife are often associated with storybook imagery and picturesque wilderness you’d only find in high-budget Hollywood movies.
Whether it’s glaciers, fjords, rivers, national parks, wildlife spotting, or rugged activities like fishing, a trip to Alaska will make you one with nature.
But getting to Alaska can be expensive — most of the flights from the continental U.S. you’ll find fly into Anchorage (ANC), and depending on when you fly, you might observe economy ticket prices exceeding $500 one-way!
Here are some solid redemptions you can make on flights to Alaska:
A visit to Yellowstone National Park is one of the glorious trips you can book within the U.S. As the first national park in the U.S. and also widely accepted to be the first national park in the world, making a vacation to enjoy the natural wonders of Yellowstone is a must-do.
To check out Old Faithful and all of its surrounding attractions, you can fly into Bozeman (BZN). Here are a few great redemptions you can make using points:
The Northeast is home to some of America’s most quaint towns. And although visiting states like Maine and Massachusetts isn’t quite as popular as Florida or California, it’s still definitely worth a look.
Here are some great example domestic redemptions you can make:
If you’ve ever looked at ultra-short-haul flights within the Pacific Northwest, you’ll know that Alaska Airlines basically has a monopoly on these routes. Furthermore, these plane tickets are often very expensive when you take into account how short they are.
So if you’re booking a short-haul flight within the Northwest, you can redeem either Alaska miles or Delta SkyMiles to save a few hundred dollars:
Need to travel within Florida and can’t take a car?
If you’re using points, chances are you’ll get a good deal booking American economy flights with AAdvantage miles.
Here are a few solid redemption ideas:
Nashville is a fast-growing city. Known to be an incredible music mecca, Tennessee’s economic hub is a popular domestic vacation spot.
Here are some examples of nonstop first class flights you can book using points:
The winter season in the Midwest can get blisteringly cold. To avoid being cooped up in your house all day, go ahead and make your way down to Phoenix. The weather is much warmer year-round, and American offers tons of nonstop flights.
To book first class, you’ll redeem around 25,000 AAdvantage miles. Here are a few interesting nonstop flights you can book:
Our last redemption in this guide is booking first class flights for a short vacation to Las Vegas!
There are plenty of things to do in Las Vegas besides gambling, like shows and live entertainment, resort hopping, sightseeing, and sunbathing!
Flying in first class can be affordable — check out these sample redemptions:
In short, redeeming points and miles for U.S. domestic travel won’t net you those ultra-aspirational redemption values you’d find on international flights aboard Emirates or Lufthansa first class. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve excellent redemption value domestically!
To maximize your redemption value, the best flights to book are transcontinental or Hawaii flights aboard lie-flat-configured aircraft with true premium seats. These tickets are much more comfortable than your run-of-the-mill domestic recliner seat with enhanced legroom.
But if you would prefer not to visit a major coastal city, you can also redeem points to check out Nashville, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Yellowstone, Aspen, Jackson Hole, and much more.
The information regarding the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Our top 4 favorite ways to redeem points for domestic U.S. travel are:
One of our top ways to use Chase points for domestic travel is to transfer them to United MileagePlus. You can then redeem United miles for domestic flights.
Our 2 favorite ways to use Amex points for domestic travel are:
By following either of these, you can readily book flights on both American Airlines and Delta!
In general, it’s best to save your points and miles for international flights. That being said, if you can find a good deal for your miles, go ahead and use them!
With American AAdvantage miles, you may redeem anywhere from 7,500 to 12,500 miles for an economy flight. With United, that number is usually closer to 12,500 miles. With Delta, a domestic flight might be as cheap as 7,000 SkyMiles or as expensive as 40,000+ SkyMiles. Alaska Airlines charges as few as 5,000 miles for flights shorter than 500 miles in distance.
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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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