Question about booking flights incognito vs using loyalty points - which saved me more?

I was booking a trip to Denver last month and my flight got cancelled last minute. I was at the airport, stranded, with a $200 budget to get home. I booked a new flight using my credit card points on Delta but later checked the same flight incognito on a budget airline and it was $50 cheaper in cash. Now I'm torn - is it better to hoard points for emergencies or just hunt for cash deals? Anyone found one method works way better for last minute mess ups?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_martin932mo ago

Read an article saying airlines deliberately hide lower fares from logged-in users.

amy6921mo ago

Oh man, that's such a rough spot to be in. I've had similar last minute scrambles and it's always a gamble trying to decide which way to go. Honestly, for emergencies I'd probably lean toward whatever gets you home fastest, but it stings when you realize you could've saved fifty bucks.