'Earn them & burn them': Why it's crucial to use (not hoard) your travel points

July 4, 2026 - 17:30

The old advice to save your travel points for a big dream trip might be costing you money. Industry experts are now warning that holding onto airline miles and hotel rewards for too long is a bad financial move, especially in the current economic climate. The strategy is simple: earn them and burn them.

Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, recently discussed this with Yahoo Finance. He explained that loyalty points are not like a savings account. They do not earn interest, and their value is constantly eroding due to inflation and devaluation. Airlines and hotel chains regularly change their award charts, often requiring more points for the same room or flight. A ticket that cost 25,000 miles last year might now cost 40,000 miles.

The core issue is that points are a form of currency controlled by the issuer, not the holder. When inflation hits the broader economy, companies adjust their point pricing to protect their own bottom line. This means your hoard of 100,000 points is worth less in real terms every year you wait. The best defense is to redeem them as quickly as possible for trips you actually want to take. Even a short domestic flight or a weekend hotel stay is better than letting the value evaporate. The golden rule for frequent travelers is to stop treating points like an investment and start treating them like a perishable asset. Use them before they use you.