Case study · City breakWith proof

Vienna, December 2024

2 flights, 7 days.

Austria
Florian HartlFounder of Benefit SystemsData as of 29 December 2024
The expansive baroque facade of Schönbrunn Palace in cool winter light with the grand courtyard in front.
Illustrative image, AI-generated
Short answerVienna in December 2024: 2 flights for $279 paid, against a documented comparison value of $658. We used 21,500 points and miles, 1.8¢ per point on average. Anything paid in cash appears without a comparison value. The comparison value is not money paid out.

Key figures

$279 paid, $658 documented comparison value. The 58% difference came from 21,500 points and miles.

Paid
$279
flights, hotels and transfers
Comparison value
$658
documented cash value
Difference
58%
$379 documented
Points and miles
21,500
1.8¢ 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

23 December 2024
AirportVienna VIEEconomy
Outbound flight
Paid
$46
Value
$387
points
12,500
per point
2.7¢
29 December 2024
Vienna VIEAirportEconomy
Return flight
Paid
$233
Value
$271
points
9,000
per point
0.4¢

The whole trip

The whole trip: paid, comparison value, difference and points used.
CategoryPaidComparison valueDifferencePoints and miles
Flights (2)$279$658$379 58%21,500
Total (2 bookings)$279$658$379 58%21,500

Proof

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

United MileagePlus award booking: outbound flight to Vienna, economy, 12,000 miles plus 46.80 US dollars for two, origin and flight number made unreadable
United MileagePlus award booking: outbound flight to Vienna, economy, 12,000 miles plus 46.80 US dollars for two, 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: 9,000 Aeroplan points plus 326 Canadian dollars
Purchase summary return flight: 9,000 Aeroplan points plus 326 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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