A published table that a loyalty program uses to set fixed points or miles costs for flights and hotel stays. Rather than letting prices shift with demand, an award chart assigns a specific redemption cost organized by distance band, geographic zone, or hotel category, so travelers can plan exactly how many points they need before they start earning. World of Hyatt and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer are two well-known programs that still publish award charts.
TL;DR: Key takeaways
- An award chart is a fixed redemption table published by a loyalty program that shows exactly how many points or miles you need for a flight or hotel night.
- Charts are structured one of three ways: distance-based (price increases with miles flown), zone-based (flat rate for any flight between two regions), or category-based (hotel tier system from cheapest to most expensive).
- Programs with published award charts let you plan your redemption strategy in advance, since the price does not fluctuate with demand the way dynamic pricing does.
- Sweet spots are routes or properties where the fixed chart rate delivers far more value than the cash price. Zone-based charts are especially fertile ground, since a short and a long flight within the same region pair cost identical points.
- Award charts can change. When a program raises rates or reclassifies properties, the points you have already earned buy less. Staying current on program news protects your balance.
How award charts work and the three main types
Award charts are published documents, typically found on a loyalty program’s website, that list redemption prices by category rather than by specific flight or hotel. The key distinction from dynamic pricing is predictability: once you know which category your trip falls into, you know the price.
Most published award charts fall into one of three structures:
| Chart type | How it works | Example programs |
|---|---|---|
| Distance-based | Price rises as flight distance increases, grouped into mileage bands. A flight under 1,000 miles might cost 10,000 points; a flight over 5,000 miles might cost 50,000. | British Airways Executive Club, Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank |
| Zone-based | Any flight between two defined geographic regions (zones) costs the same number of points, regardless of whether the flight is 2,000 or 8,000 miles long. This is where most sweet spots live. | Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, ANA Mileage Club, Air Canada Aeroplan (partner awards) |
| Category-based | Used primarily by hotel programs. Properties are assigned to numbered tiers, and every hotel in a given tier costs the same points per night. | World of Hyatt (Categories 1-8) |
Award charts vs. dynamic pricing: what is the difference?
The award chart model is not the industry standard it once was. Most major U.S. airline programs, including Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus and American Airlines AAdvantage, now price their own award flights dynamically, meaning the points cost moves up and down with demand just as a cash fare would. Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors have made the same shift on the hotel side.
That said, a number of programs still publish fixed award charts, including ANA Mileage Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air Canada Aeroplan (for partner awards), Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (for partner awards) and World of Hyatt. Get a full breakdown of which programs use each model.
| Feature | Award chart (fixed) | Dynamic pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Cost predictability | High. You know the price before you start saving points. | Low. The price can change daily or even hourly. |
| Planning horizon | You can set a target and save toward it for months in advance. | Difficult to set a savings target without a current search. |
| Peak travel impact | Price stays the same on holidays as off-peak dates (unless peak/off-peak tiers are published). | Prices can spike dramatically during high-demand periods. |
| Award availability | Programs may limit the number of saver seats or rooms available at chart rates. | More inventory is typically released, since every seat or night can be priced to match demand. |
| Sweet spot potential | High. Fixed rates on long-haul or luxury redemptions can far outpace cash value. | Lower. High-demand dates rarely produce outsized value. |
How to use an award chart to maximize your points value
Reading an award chart is straightforward once you know which type you are working with. For zone-based charts, identify which zone your origin falls in and which zone your destination falls in, then find the intersecting price. For distance-based charts, calculate your routing’s mileage, locate the corresponding band and read off the cost. Hotel category charts simply require you to check the property’s current tier on the program’s website.
Getting strong value requires a few additional steps:
- Compare the chart rate against the cash price. First, subtract any taxes and fees from the cash rate, then divide the cash value of the trip by the points required to calculate your cents-per-point return. TPG publishes monthly point valuations to compare against.
- Look for zone or category mismatches. Within a zone, a longer flight may cost the same as a shorter one. Book the longer routing where it makes sense for your itinerary.
- Transfer flexible points to programs with favorable charts. Several transferable rewards currencies let you move points to airline or hotel partners that still publish award charts. This is worth exploring when the partner program’s fixed rate significantly undercuts the cash price of your target trip. Transfers are typically irreversible, so always search for availability before moving points. Check your card issuer’s website for any active transfer bonuses.
- Watch for chart changes. Programs devalue their charts by raising category rates or reclassifying properties. When changes are announced, it can be worth accelerating a planned redemption before higher rates take effect.
