‘Your Rich BFF’ Vivian Tu: How To Use This Travel Hack To Score Serious Savings
Written by
Laura Beck
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Rebekah Evans
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If you’ve been hoarding airline miles without knowing exactly when to use them, financial expert Vivian Tu (known as “Your Rich BFF” on social media) has a simple hack to ensure you’re always getting the best value and savings.
The former Wall Street trader shared a straightforward method on TikTok to determine whether you should pay for flights with cash or points — and it could save you hundreds on your next trip.
The Points Guy Calculator: Your Secret Weapon
Tu showed how she saved $650 on a business class trip from Miami to London and then London to New York by using a free online tool to calculate the best redemption strategy.
“Some of you are not redeeming your points correctly and you’re wasting your own money,” Tu explained in her viral TikTok. Her solution? The TPG (The Points Guy) awards versus cash calculator.
This free tool helps travelers make smarter decisions about when to use their hard-earned points and when to save them for later opportunities.
How To Use The Calculator
The process Tu shared is simple:
- First, research what your desired flight would cost if you paid in cash.
- Check what the same exact flight would cost in points, plus any taxes and fees.
- Visit the The Points Guy calculator .
- Enter details including: which airline you’re flying, how many points required, additional fees and the cash price.
- Review the results to see which option provides better value.
The calculator instantly shows whether using points or paying cash would be more advantageous for that specific trip — and exactly how much you’d save.
Real Savings Example
In Tu’s case, she discovered she would save approximately $650 by booking her business class flights using American Airlines AAdvantage miles rather than paying cash.
Based on this example, it’s worth taking the extra minute to run the numbers before booking any travel.
“In some cases, you’d be better off paying in cash and others you’d be better off paying in points, but you want to know which is which,” Tu said.
Beyond Immediate Bookings
The calculator isn’t just useful for decisions about current travel plans. Tu suggests it can also help with future trip planning by allowing you to calculate how many miles you’d need to save for particular destinations. If you’re thinking Hawaii in the fall — now is a great time to check.
The financial expert’s core message is clear: don’t blindly spend your points without checking their actual value first.
For travelers planning 2025 getaways, this simple calculator hack could be the difference between spending unnecessarily or scoring significant savings on flights — particularly for premium cabins where redemption values can vary dramatically. First class, here you come.
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