trip-calculator

Trip Cost Calculator

"Should I pay cash or use points?" answered with math.

Compares the true cost of booking with cash versus each available points currency, accounting for transfer ratios, taxes/fees, and the opportunity cost of burning your points.

No API key needed. Uses local JSON data files plus flight/hotel search results.

Data Files

File	Purpose
data/points-valuations.json	CPP valuations per program (floor/ceiling)
data/transfer-partners.json	Credit card → loyalty program transfer ratios

When to Use

• User has both cash prices (from Duffel/Ignav/Google Flights) and award prices (from seats.aero)
• User asks "should I pay cash or use points?"
• User wants to know the CPP of a specific redemption
• User is deciding between multiple booking strategies for a trip

Core Concepts

Cents Per Point (CPP)

The value you're getting per point when redeeming:

cpp = (cash_price - taxes_on_award) / points_needed × 100

A CPP above the floor valuation from points-valuations.json means you're getting above-average value. Below floor = poor redemption.

Opportunity Cost

Points have value even when unspent. Burning 100K Chase UR at 1.7 cpp (floor) means you're "spending" $1,700 in future travel flexibility:

opportunity_cost = points_needed × floor_cpp / 100

If the cash price is lower than the opportunity cost, pay cash. If higher, use points.

The Decision Framework

IF cash_price < opportunity_cost → PAY CASH (points are worth more saved)
IF cash_price > opportunity_cost → USE POINTS (good redemption)
IF cash_price ≈ opportunity_cost → PAY CASH (preserve flexibility)

The tie goes to cash because points maintain optionality.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Prices

Cash prices (use one or more sources):

Duffel API → exact bookable fares
Ignav API → fast comparison prices
Google Flights → browser-based, includes Southwest

Award prices (use seats.aero):

Seats.aero API → cached availability across 25+ programs
Seats.aero web → live search (local Patchright only)