Two Trips, Two Weeks Apart—Was Redeeming Miles for Puerto Vallarta Worth It?
I got back from Japan in mid-March. I was jet-lagged, a little broke, still half-living out of my suitcase—and yet, less than a week later, I booked a trip to Puerto Vallarta. Using miles, of course. And now, fresh off that second trip (I literally got back at midnight), I’m unpacking more than just my beachwear. I’m asking the question that haunts every travel rewards nerd: Was using my miles worth it? Let's Start With the Basics At the time, I had about 67,479 AAdvantage miles and 6,515 loyalty points. Thanks to flights, credit card points, and some impulsive Mileage Multiplier purchases, I had a nice little stash. American Airlines miles are generally valued at 1.7 cents per mile, which is kind of the golden rule when deciding whether to redeem. If your redemption hits or exceeds that number, it’s probably a smart move. Here’s the math: Cash price of flight ÷ miles redeemed = value per mile (Then multiply by 100 to get cents) The Puerto Vallarta Breakdown I booked a round-trip t...
