Score a last-minute Labor Day trip with your frequent flyer miles

Reading Time: 6 min

Summer is winding down, and while it might seem like it’s too late to jump on that last-minute summer trip, think again.

There are still opportunities to get away during the Labor Day weekend, and it can even be a great time to use your frequent flyer miles. "There are so many last-minute deals available with points and miles — the trick is just finding them," said Julian Kheel, the founder and CEO of Points Path, a browser extension that shows the cost of a flight in miles alongside the cash fare right in Google Flights.

So, if you're trying to squeeze in an end-of-summer vacation, there’s still time to plan an awesome getaway without costing a fortune. Here are five possibilities we found with just a little bit of searching, all available with travel rewards and just a few bucks in cash.

Want to enjoy Hollywood, the Santa Monica Pier, or even Disneyland this Labor Day by flying to Los Angeles? You can still find a great deal with miles from many spots around the country.

As an example, using Google Flights with Points Path, we found roundtrip flights from Houston to LA on Delta for just 18,500 miles.

Using pricing data from millions of past and future flights, Points Path values Delta miles at 1.1 cents apiece. So you'd only be using roughly $200 worth of miles instead of paying almost $300 or more for this nonstop roundtrip itinerary.

Don't have any Delta miles? The airline partners with American Express, so you can transfer your credit card points to Delta and score this trip that way. That's one reason we like credit cards that earn flexible points instead of miles on a specific airline.

There’s no better time than the summer in New England, where you can have your pick of hundreds of miles of coastline between the beautiful beaches and cliffs of Newport, or all the lobster rolls and clams you can handle in Cape Cod.

But it can be hard to find cheap airfares at this late date, especially if you live in a city like Atlanta where one airline dominates.

"When I'm searching for an itinerary from a 'hub' city where a single airline has the vast majority of flights, I'll look closely at the options offered by that airline's competitors," said Kheel. "Even if it means making a connection, you'll often find you can score a much better deal, especially with miles."

When searching with Google Flights and Points Path, Delta nonstop flights between Atlanta and Providence, Rhode Island during Labor Day weekend cost upwards of $550 or more for a roundtrip ticket.

Even using Delta miles instead of cash isn't a good deal, as you'd need to spend 51,000 miles for the trip. But if you're willing to make a connection, suddenly the options open up.

Instead of shelling out a ton of cash, you can redeem as little as 15,000 American miles for a 1-stop itinerary. Points Path values American miles at 1.3 cents apiece, so that's less than $200 worth of miles for a roundtrip that would cost nearly three times as much in cash.

Want a quick trip to Europe? American Airlines offers nonstop flights between Philadelphia and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. But a roundtrip itinerary departing the Thursday before Labor Day weekend currently costs over 80,000 American miles.

Fortunately, you can also use Alaska Airlines miles to book those flights, since both airlines are part of the OneWorld alliance. And Points Path indicates that in this case, it costs just 55,000 Alaska miles for the exact same itinerary.

If you paid with cash, that last-minute roundtrip would cost over $1,600. But Points Path values Alaska miles at 1.45 cents per mile, making 55,000 miles worth roughly $800. Even with $125 in taxes and fees, you're coming out way ahead by using your miles.

And while Alaska miles aren't always easy to earn, the airline partners with Bilt Rewards, meaning you can transfer your Bilt points to Alaska and redeem them that way.

With a plethora of flights in and out of New York City, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which airline offers the best value. But with Points Path and Google Flights, all the options are laid out right in front of you.

"When searching for great points deals, I always take advantage of the search filters to ensure I'm finding flights that fit my needs," said Kheel. "I might limit my options to just nonstop flights, or I'll filter out later departures so I can get an early jump on my vacation."

How does this work? Let's say you live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and you're looking to spend Labor Day in the city that never sleeps. We chose to search for only nonstop flights leaving before 9am.

That gave us options on Delta, American, and United. But for the Labor Day dates we checked, using Delta miles was by far the best option at just 20,000 miles roundtrip. And using miles in this case is a good deal versus paying over $250 for the same flights.

While you might prefer using miles instead of spending cash, it isn't always the best deal. Here's an example for folks who might want to get away from the heat during the Labor Day weekend and explore the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

In our searches from Dallas to Denver, we found roundtrip options for 30,000 miles on United, or just a bit more on American. But some of those same flights are available for less than $300 in cash.

"While there's never a bad time to save cash by using your miles, some options are better than others," said Kheel. "It's good to know when you might want to pay with cash instead, and keep your points for a future trip."

With a few weeks left before Labor Day hits, there's no need to kiss your summer vacation plans goodbye just yet. If you're interested in any of the above trips, here are the links to them in Google Flights. You'll also need to install Points Path to view the prices in frequent flyer miles as well as cash.

• Houston to Los Angeles for $283 or 18,500 Delta miles
• Atlanta to Providence for $559 or 15,000 American miles
• Philadelphia to Amsterdam for $1,665 or 55,000 Alaska miles
• Charlotte to New York for $259 or 20,000 Delta miles
• Dallas to Denver for $291 or 30,000 United miles

Remember that both cash and mileage airfares change over time. The prices shown above were accurate as of the date of this story, but you may see different pricing if you search later down the line.

And if none of these trips fit your needs, try a few searches of your own. With a little bit of work, you can find plenty of options to use your frequent flyer miles to enjoy one last summer getaway.