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Frequent Miler on the Air · Sunday, July 26, 2026

Miles vs. Cash: The Value of Appreciation

A key consideration in deciding between miles and cash for flights is that miles rarely appreciate in value, unlike cash which can be invested. Therefore, having a large stockpile of miles makes prioritizing their use over cash a sensible strategy, as cash can continue to grow in value.

personNick

The tape

2 quotes
You know, I think that a key point for me anyway, is the miles rarely appreciate in value, you know, they're not often going to go up in value over time, cash is.
Nick
So if I've got a million miles to use, then I'm going to prioritize using those miles first, keeping cash in the bank or investments or whatever the case may be, rather than taking money out to use for airline tickets and preserving miles for the future.
Nick
Heard on Frequent Miler on the Air — “How do you decide whether to buy flights with cash or miles? | Question of the Week Ep10 | 7-26-26, published Sunday, July 26, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
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Miles vs. Cash: The Value of Appreciation — Heardvine