Loyalty Register glossary
Award chart
A published table that sets how many points a reward costs, such as a flight between two zones or a night at a hotel category.
An award chart is a published table that sets the points price of each reward. In airline programs it typically lists the miles needed between regions or zones, by cabin and season. In hotel programs it lists the points per night by property category. In retail programs the equivalent is a reward catalog with fixed prices: Sephora Beauty Insider members, for example, can redeem 500 points for $10 off, and Rouge members can redeem 2,500 points for a $100 Rouge Reward.
Updated · By Loyalty Register Editorial TeamRelated terms
How does an award chart work?
The chart groups rewards into bands, so members do not need a separate price for every flight or hotel. A flight from one zone to another in economy costs one amount; business class costs more; a category 5 hotel costs more per night than a category 2. Some charts add off-peak and peak prices, or saver and standard levels, so the same reward costs more at busy times.
The chart is fixed for a period, often until the program announces a change. That predictability is its main value to members: they can plan a goal, such as a specific trip, and know how many points they need.
How does a chart compare with dynamic pricing?
With dynamic award pricing, the points price follows the cash price of the seat or room, so it changes with demand. Many airline and hotel programs have moved partly or fully in that direction.
| Award chart | Dynamic pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Points price | Fixed by band | Moves with cash price |
| Member planning | Easy to plan a goal | Harder; prices shift |
| Value per point | Varies by redemption | More even, near a set rate |
| Program control | Manages cost through availability | Manages cost through price |
| Visibility of changes | A new chart is a clear event | Changes happen gradually |
Neither model is always better. Charts can give outsized value on expensive dates, which members like and finance teams may not. Dynamic pricing ties costs to revenue but removes the sweet spots that make some members enthusiastic.
What does changing an award chart mean?
Raising chart prices is a devaluation: members need more points for the same reward, so every point they hold is worth less. Because a chart is public, the change is visible and comparable, which is why it draws attention. Programs that change a chart well give advance notice, show old and new prices side by side, and allow members time to book at current prices. Removing a chart entirely in favor of dynamic pricing is also a material change and deserves the same notice, even if no single price rises on day one.