Case study · City breakWith proof

Vienna, November 2024

2 flights, 6 days.

Austria
Florian HartlFounder of Benefit SystemsData as of 27 November 2024
The baroque Josefsplatz in Vienna with the bronze equestrian statue before the Austrian National Library facade.
Illustrative image, AI-generated
Short answerVienna in November 2024: 2 flights for $166 paid, against a documented comparison value of $325. We used 10,500 points and miles, 1.5¢ per point on average. Anything paid in cash appears without a comparison value. The comparison value is not money paid out.

Key figures

$166 paid, $325 documented comparison value. The 49% difference came from 10,500 points and miles.

Paid
$166
flights, hotels and transfers
Comparison value
$325
documented cash value
Difference
49%
$159 documented
Points and miles
10,500
1.5¢ per point

At a glance

Booking classes
Economy (2)
Flight numbers
  • Outbound flight Airport → Vienna
  • Return flight Vienna → Airport
Airports
Vienna (VIE)

Day by day

22 November 2024
AirportVienna VIEEconomy
Outbound flight
Paid
$117
Value
$191
points
4,500
per point
1.6¢
27 November 2024
Vienna VIEAirportEconomy
Return flight
Paid
$49
Value
$134
points
6,000
per point
1.4¢

The whole trip

The whole trip: paid, comparison value, difference and points used.
CategoryPaidComparison valueDifferencePoints and miles
Flights (2)$166$325$159 49%10,500
Total (2 bookings)$166$325$159 49%10,500

Proof

Excerpts from the booking confirmations, personal data and booking codes made unreadable.

United MileagePlus award booking: outbound flight to Vienna, economy, 6,000 miles plus 23.20 US dollars, origin and flight number made unreadable
United MileagePlus award booking: outbound flight to Vienna, economy, 6,000 miles plus 23.20 US dollars, origin and flight number made unreadable
Air Canada Aeroplan award booking: return flight from Vienna, economy, destination and flight number made unreadable
Air Canada Aeroplan award booking: return flight from Vienna, economy, destination and flight number made unreadable
Purchase summary return flight: 4,500 Aeroplan points plus 163.50 Canadian dollars
Purchase summary return flight: 4,500 Aeroplan points plus 163.50 Canadian dollars

3 records · swipe or use the arrows, click to enlarge3 records · swipe, tap to enlarge

Editorial noteThis case study is our own trip analysis and not tax, legal or financial advice. Award prices, availability and cash prices change all the time.

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Terms in this trip

  • Award ticket: An award ticket is a flight paid for with miles or points instead of cash; taxes, fees and surcharges almost always still have to be paid in money.
  • Award availability: Award availability is the number of seats an airline releases on a given flight for redemption with miles, which is usually far smaller than the number of seats still on sale.
  • Cents per point: Cents per point is the measure of a redemption's value: the cash price avoided, minus any co-payment, divided by the number of points spent.

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