DP value: the card-comparison baseline
The DP value is our conservative editorial baseline in fils per mile or point. We use it consistently when comparing card earn rates. It is not the issuer’s cash-out rate, a best-case redemption, a sampled median, or a guarantee.
A redemption can come out above or below the baseline. We show the cash fare avoided separately, with the costs and assumptions that go into the calculation.
Value a particular booking
For a flight, start with a cash ticket you would actually buy for the same flights, dates and cabin. Subtract all the cash due on the reward, including taxes and carrier charges. Divide that difference by the total miles charged to get AED per mile. Multiply the per-mile figure by 100 to express it in fils.
Check fare rules and baggage before calling two tickets equivalent. Our Cash or Miles worked examples show how to use the calculation without mistaking an illustrative figure for a live fare.
What formal sampling will test
Once formal sampling begins, the method for each programme will be:
- Airline programmes: compare bookable reward seats and matching cash fares from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Record booking time, flight, cabin, passenger count, fare rules, miles charged and all cash due. Deduct reward cash charges before dividing by miles.
- Hotel programmes: compare the same property, dates, room and rate conditions. Count taxes and fees, and include any free-night benefit only if the example qualifies for it.
- Bank-proprietary points: compare published statement-credit, gift-card and transfer options. For transfers, use the verified conversion ratio and identify the airline valuation assumption separately.
Sampling cadence
Formal quarterly sampling has not begun. There is no confirmed start date or sampled range. Once it starts, the planned publication cadence is the first Friday of January, April, July and October, with each quarter dated and earlier figures kept accessible.
The table continues to show the published programme baselines. A single observed fare or a hypothetical worked example does not update them.
What we don't do
- We do not publish a single "industry average" Mile value. There isn't one — the redemption value depends entirely on the programme and the path.
- We do not adjust the value upward to reflect "elite-tier perks" (lounge access, free baggage, etc). Those are perks of the card or status, not of the Mile.
- Once formal sampling begins, we will not publish a sampled quarterly figure from a single redemption. The method requires the median of at least three sampled redemption paths in the same quarter. Pre-sampling estimates remain labelled separately.
- Once the sampled series exists, we will not change historical sampled figures. If a programme devalues mid-quarter, the next published figure will reflect it; the prior sampled quarter will stay on the record.
Caveats
The baseline is a starting point, not a booking rule. Take account of how much you would actually pay for the flight, how soon your miles expire and whether you need to conserve cash. Recheck both options before committing.