How to get the most value from your EuroBonus points
Two people with the same number of points can get wildly different value out of them. One books a long-haul Business Class seat that would have cost a fortune in cash. The other spends the same points on a gift card from the points shop and gets a fraction of the value. Same balance, very different outcomes.
Here is how to be the first person.
The one question that matters
Before any redemption, ask: how much would this cost in cash, and how many points am I spending? Divide one by the other and you get the value per point. Do this a few times and you develop an instinct for what is good.
You do not need a spreadsheet. You need to stop spending points on things where the cash price is low, because that is where points are wasted.
Where points stretch furthest
- Premium cabins on longer flights. A Business Class seat has a high cash price and a fixed points price, so the value per point is usually excellent. This is where points genuinely save you money you would never have spent.
- Flights during expensive periods. School holidays, peak summer, big events. When cash prices spike, the points price often does not move as much, so your points buy more.
- Long-haul over short hops, generally. A cheap domestic ticket is already cheap, so paying points for it rarely beats paying the modest cash fare.
Where points are usually wasted
- The points shop. Merchandise and gift cards almost always give poor value. If you find yourself browsing it, you probably have points burning a hole and no trip in mind. Better to plan a trip.
- Cheap cash routes. If a flight is inexpensive in cash, just pay cash and keep your points for something that is not.
- Topping up to buy points at a bad rate. Only buy points to close a small gap for a specific high-value booking, never to stockpile.
A simple rule of thumb
Save your points for the bookings you would struggle to justify paying cash for. A Business seat to Asia, a peak-season family trip, a last-minute flight when cash prices are brutal. Pay cash for the cheap and the easy. Points are for the expensive and the special.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of flying
There is a trap on the other side too. Some people chase the theoretical best redemption for so long that their points sit unused and slowly lose value, or expire. A very good redemption you actually book beats a perfect one you never find. Set a sensible bar and pull the trigger when you clear it.
Putting it to work
Good value starts with seeing the real prices side by side. The Bonussøk search shows Economy, Premium Economy and Business together so you can compare what each cabin costs in points, and the points calculator helps you weigh points against cash before you commit. Spend a few minutes there and you will stop leaving value on the table.