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If travel is out of the question, figure out how many earned miles — or points, which tend to be more flexible — you have, and how to get the best value when redeeming them. Consider these
options. CHARITABLE DONATIONS. Times are tough for many, so you may want to give all or some of your points away. JetBlue, for example, has designated a list of 21 charities in three
categories — youth and education, environment, and community — that Jet Blue TrueBlue members can choose from, including the American Red Cross; the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Inc.; Make-A-Wish Foundation; the Ocean Foundation; and its own Jet Blue Foundation. Members simply select one or more and decide how many points to give — starting at 500 with no limit.
They will be sent directly to the charity. Such donations are not tax deductible for individuals or the airline. WEEKEND GETAWAYS. Flying is out, and you need a break. Consider visiting a
hotel with a liberal cancellation policy that you trust will be socially distanced and sanitized. Just do the math to determine if it makes more sense to use your miles or points for your
room, or to purchase the room outright, using a credit card that will award you even more points. CASH BACK/STATEMENT CREDITS. In this uncertain economy, deferring the cost of everyday
expenses might help you relax. Why not redeem your miles or points for statement credits? Assuming that each mile or point equals a penny, and you have 100,000 points, you could shave $1,000
off your credit card bill. MERCHANDISE AND GIFT CARDS. If you can't go places, you can always get stuff. Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit cardmembers, for instance, can choose products
from a list of name brands, including Weber, North Face, Cuisinart, Dyson, Nintendo, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, GoPro, Gucci and Dooney & Bourke. They can also purchase
air purifiers, humidifiers, no-contact thermometers, rechargeable toothbrushes, digital scales, blood pressure monitors, and other wellness products. Finally, Southwest offers gift cards
from restaurants, department stores and other merchants. More flexible points awards often have a panoply of offerings for customers.