New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- For many cardholders, those points eventually go towards shopping vouchers, merchandise or statement credits. But for people planning a trip, they could potentially be used to reduce the cost of flights and hotel stays instead.

The catch is that not all redemptions offer the same value.

A reward point does not have a universal rupee value. What 10,000 points can buy depends largely on the credit card issuer, the redemption option and, in some cases, the airline or hotel loyalty programme involved.

The simpler option is to book directly through the credit card issuer's travel platform, if the card provides one. Cardholders can search for flights or hotels and use their accumulated points to offset some or all of t...