By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 18, 2026. Editorial Policy
How much are airline miles worth in dollars? For the large US programs, about 1.2 to 1.55 cents each when used for flights, in The Points Guy’s October 2026 values: 50,000 Delta or United miles are worth about $600, and 50,000 American miles about $725. No US airline pays cash for miles; the nearest official options, such as Delta’s Pay with Miles or American’s gift cards, return 0.3 to 1 cent a mile.
Calculator
Airline miles to dollars
What the airline itself gives you without booking an award:
- Gift cards: about $250 (0.5 cents a mile)
- Gift cards for elite members with an AAdvantage card: about $350 (0.7 cents a mile)
No airline pays cash for miles. A broker sale breaks the program terms; read the risks first.
Value of Airline Miles, October 2026
| Program | The Points Guy | NerdWallet | 50,000 miles at The Points Guy value |
|---|---|---|---|
| American AAdvantage | 1.45 cents | 1.70 cents | $725 |
| Atmos Rewards (Alaska and Hawaiian) | 1.55 cents | 1.40 cents | $775 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.20 cents | 1.20 cents | $600 |
| United MileagePlus | 1.20 cents | 1.20 cents | $600 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1.25 cents | 1.40 cents | $625 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.35 cents | 1.40 cents | $675 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1.50 cents | 1.10 cents | $750 |
| Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, Aer Lingus) | 1.40 cents | 1.20 cents | $700 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1.40 cents | 1.00 cents | $700 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1.50 cents | 0.80 cents | $750 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1.20 cents | 1.00 cents | $600 |
| Turkish Miles&Smiles | 1.10 cents | 0.80 cents | $550 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1.60 cents | 1.30 cents | $800 |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 1.30 cents | Not listed | $650 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1.40 cents | Not listed | $700 |
| Cathay Asia Miles | 1.30 cents | Not listed | $650 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1.25 cents | Not listed | $625 |
These are travel values: what a mile is typically worth when you book a good award. They are estimates, they change monthly, and the two sources often disagree. If you would only ever use a program’s gift cards or cash-and-miles options, use the lower figures in the program notes below.
What Each Airline Pays Out Without an Award Ticket
| Program | Closest official option | Value per mile |
|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles | Pay with Miles on Delta flights, for Delta Amex cardmembers | 1 cent |
| American AAdvantage | Gift cards | About 0.5 cents; about 0.7 for elite members with an AAdvantage card |
| United MileagePlus | Money + Miles on flights; gift cards in the MileagePlus X app | 1 cent or less; about 0.3 cents for gift cards |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Cash + Points on flights | About 1 cent |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Cash + Points on flights | About 0.9 to 1 cent |
| Atmos Rewards | Hotels, booked with points or points and cash | Not published |
Program Notes
Delta SkyMiles to dollars
Worth 1.2 cents at both The Points Guy and NerdWallet, so 50,000 miles are worth about $600. Delta Amex cardmembers can take 1 cent a mile off Delta flights with Pay with Miles: $500 for 50,000. SkyMiles do not expire. Moving miles to another member costs 1 cent a mile plus $30. See how to redeem Delta miles.
United MileagePlus to dollars
Worth 1.2 cents at both sources: about $600 for 50,000. Money + Miles on United flights returns up to 1 cent; gift cards in the MileagePlus X app about 0.3 cents. Miles do not expire, and up to five members can pool miles free. More in United miles to dollars.
American AAdvantage to dollars
Worth 1.45 cents at The Points Guy and 1.7 at NerdWallet: $725 to $850 for 50,000. Gift cards return about 0.5 cents (about 0.7 for elite cardholders), and American launched cash-and-miles bookings on October 2, 2026. Miles expire after 24 months without activity. See how to redeem AA miles.
Southwest Rapid Rewards to dollars
Worth 1.25 cents at The Points Guy and 1.4 at NerdWallet. Southwest awards track cash fares, and Cash + Points returns about 1 cent. Points do not expire.
Atmos Rewards to dollars
Worth 1.55 cents at The Points Guy, the highest of the US airlines, and 1.4 at NerdWallet. Points do not expire, but an account with no activity for 24 months can be locked.
JetBlue TrueBlue to dollars
Worth 1.35 cents at The Points Guy and 1.4 at NerdWallet. Cash + Points returns about 0.9 to 1 cent. Points do not expire, and up to seven people can pool them free.
Air Canada Aeroplan to dollars
Worth 1.5 cents at The Points Guy and 1.1 at NerdWallet. Aeroplan books United and other Star Alliance flights and takes transfers from Amex, Chase, Capital One and Bilt. Points expire after 18 months without activity; the pause on expiry ends November 30, 2026.
Avios to dollars
Worth 1.4 cents at The Points Guy and 1.2 at NerdWallet. Avios are shared by British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Aer Lingus and expire after 36 months without activity.
Flying Blue to dollars
Worth 1.4 cents at The Points Guy and 1.0 at NerdWallet. Miles expire after 24 months without earning; since May 4, 2026 any earning extends the whole balance.
Emirates Skywards to dollars
Worth 1.2 cents at The Points Guy and 1.0 at NerdWallet. Each batch of miles expires three years after it was earned, whatever your activity.
Expiry rules for every program are in our miles expiry date calculator.
Can You Turn Miles Into Cash?
Not from the airline. Selling miles to a broker is the only route to actual cash, and every major program’s terms forbid it; the airline can cancel the miles or close the account. Read the risks of selling miles and points and how to turn airline miles into cash before deciding. If you decide to sell a balance you will not use, our sell miles page explains how a sale works with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are 50,000 airline miles worth?
About $550 to $800 at The Points Guy’s October 2026 values, depending on the program: $600 for Delta or United, $725 for American, $775 for Atmos and $800 for Avianca LifeMiles.
How much are 100,000 Delta miles worth?
About $1,200 at 1.2 cents, or $1,000 off Delta flights through Pay with Miles.
Why is my mile worth less than the calculator says?
The travel values assume a good award booking. Gift cards, merchandise and cash-and-miles options return less, often 0.3 to 1 cent a mile.
More calculators: Cents per mile, Miles expiry date, Credit card points value, or see all our calculators.
Sources
- The Points Guy: monthly valuations, October 1, 2026
- NerdWallet: points and miles valuations, updated October 6, 2026
- Delta: Pay with Miles, read October 11, 2026
- Delta: buy, gift and transfer miles, read October 11, 2026
- American Airlines: cash and miles announcement, October 2, 2026
- AwardWallet: AAdvantage miles for gift cards, March 13, 2026
- The Points Guy: how to redeem United miles, updated October 2, 2026
- AwardWallet: Southwest Cash + Points, April 8, 2026
- AwardWallet: JetBlue Cash + Points, April 8, 2026
- NerdWallet: do Atmos points expire, December 5, 2025
- The Points Guy: Aeroplan resumes points expiration, November 4, 2025