🚀 Redemption success: how I achieved 6.9 cents per Amex MR point on a TAP Air Portugal flight ✨

I get often asked if there is still value in the miles and points game. It's a fair question given the flurry of devaluations. Finding a suitable stellar redemption may well take some time. But there is still outsize value to be had.

I was looking for a good fare from the US to Portugal this autumn when I stumbled upon the following on the Avianca Lifemiles website: 35,000 Avianca Lifemiles plus 27.80 USD for business class from JFK to Lisbon. 

I quickly converted 35,000 Amex (US) Membership Rewards points into Avianca Lifemiles. The transfer was instant. So was the booking confirmation -- though just before hitting pay, I noticed that the taxes had increased to 52.80 USD. It's still a bargain given that the cash fare for this exact flight was 2,440.30 USD at the time of booking:

[edit: LifeMiles charges a 25 USD booking fee on top of taxes. NB: You pay this fee per booking, so booking a roundtrip as two one-way tickets will set you back by 50 USD. If you need a roundtrip, just book a return ticket, and you'll only pay the booking fee once.]

And sure, maybe if I booked a return, the cash price for this leg might well be less. But I actually only need a one-way ticket on this occasion. 

Crunching the numbers here (2,440.30 USD / 35,000 Lifemiles) gives $0.0697 per Lifemiles or Amex MR point. Now that is a stonking deal.