Check your email for an offer on the Bilt Rewards credit card: <Subject: Earn 5K bonus points this month>
Get up to 5,000 bonus points for using your Bilt Mastercard with any of these eligible merchants: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Comcast, Xfinity, Spectrum, Spotify, Netflix, and Hulu.
You’ll earn 1,000 points for your first transaction with each eligible merchant. But hurry, this offer is only valid for the next 30 days so start earning today.
P.S. this is in addition to earning 1X Bilt Points when you use the card 5 times each statement period.
Our Verdict
I’m not sure if this is a targeted offer or if it was sent out to all cardholders. Most people should be able to get one or a few of these 1,000 points bonuses. Not clear if prepaid cellular plans will work.
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is best known for its unique standout feature: the ability to earn rewards with no transaction fee when paying rent. Indeed, the Bilt credit card is a game-changer for renters. Beyond rent, though, how does Bilt compare with a more traditional general-purpose credit card like the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card?
Both cards carry no annual fee. They both earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining, offer cell phone protection and certain travel protections, plus charge no foreign transaction fees. But in most other respects, the benefits of these two cards couldn’t be more different.
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers a compelling sign-up bonus and introductory APR, while the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card offers neither. But the Bilt credit card, along with its most obvious benefit for renters, earns points that can be transferred to various hotel and airline travel partners, giving the potential for outsize value. Currently, the Autograph offers no such transfers.
Let’s dig into the specifics of each card so you can make the right pick for your lifestyle.
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How the cards compare
Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Annual fee
Sign-up bonus
Limited Time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $300 cash redemption value.
Rewards
3 points per $1 spent on dining.
2 points per $1 spent on travel.
1 point per $1 spent on rent (up to 100,000 points annually).
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
3 points per $1 spent on restaurants.
3 points per $1 spent on travel, transit, gas stations and EV charging stations.
3 points per $1 spent on popular streaming services and select phone plans.
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
APR
See Terms.
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months from account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR .
Foreign transaction fee
Still not sure?
Why the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is better for renters and travelers
Pay rent with a credit card
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card‘s standout feature is its ability to earn rewards on rent payments without any transaction fees. That’s a unicorn in the credit card world, as most cards can’t be used directly toward rent payments without such fees. Previously, renters looking to pile up credit card rewards relied on intermediary services like Plastiq, whose high fees cut into any rewards earned.
Though the benefit caps out at 100,000 points per year, this still makes the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card the obvious choice for renters looking to get more out of their biggest monthly expense. Even if you don’t live in a property that’s part of the Bilt network, you can still charge rent on the card (with no transaction fees) and they’ll mail a check to your landlord.
Transfer to travel partners
Both cards earn points, but only points earned from the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card have the potential for higher value toward travel. Points earned from the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card are worth 1 cent each and can be redeemed for travel, gift cards or statement credits — or when checking out online with PayPal.
Bilt Points are also versatile and can be used toward rent, fitness classes, home decor and even a home downpayment, for varying value. But as a card with no annual fee, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card stands out for its ability to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to a wide range of travel partners. Travelers often find greater value than 1 cent each for their points when they transfer this way.
This is a rare perk among no-fee cards, most of which require pairing with a higher-fee card to transfer points. For example, Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders can transfer points to travel partners only if they also carry a higher fee card like the $95-annual-fee Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Plus, Bilt’s list of travel partners is excellent, including American Airlines, United, Hyatt and IHG. In fact, despite American Airlines issuing co-branded credit cards with both Citibank and Barclays, neither issuer allows transfers of its points to the airline. Here’s a look at the full list of available transfers:
Full list of Bilt transfer partners
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France (1:1 ratio).
American Airlines (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Cathay Pacific (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Hawaiian Airlines (1:1 ratio).
Hyatt (1:1 ratio).
Iberia Airlines (1:1 ratio).
IHG (1:1 ratio).
Marriott (1:1 ratio).
Turkish Airlines (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Bonus points in several categories, with an extra boost on “Rent Day”
Beyond rent payments, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card earns solid rewards on a variety of everyday expenses. That includes 5x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel and 1x on all other purchases.
But Bilt’s biggest benefit to cardholders comes on the first day of each month, when point values double for all nonrent categories, up to a cap of 10,000 bonus points per month. On that day, Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card holders earn 6x points on dining, 4x on travel purchases and 2x on everything else.
Why you may prefer the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Snag a sign-up bonus
Like many more traditional rewards credit cards, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card greets new users with an attractive new cardholder bonus: Limited Time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $300 cash redemption value.
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card, on the other hand, offers no bonus for new cardholders, meaning it will take longer to rack up the same level of rewards.
Pay over time with 0% introductory APR
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is also the better pick for cardholders who need to finance purchases over time. Currently, new cardholders will get 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months from account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR .
Since the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card doesn’t offer an introductory interest rate, it’s a less attractive choice for cardholders who need some breathing room on interest.
Earn higher rewards on travel, gas stations and streaming services
Both cards earn 3x points at restaurants, but the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card wins by a nose on travel purchases, earning 3x points per $1 spent compared with 2x with Bilt.
The Autograph also earns 3x points on certain popular streaming services and phone plans. Bilt’s baseline earnings rate for these categories is just 1 point per $1 spent — but you can bump that up to 2x points per dollar by setting these recurring bills to be charged on the first of every month.
When it comes to fueling your vehicle, though, the Autograph really races ahead on rewards, earning 3x points at gas stations and EV charging stations. For comparison, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card earns a modest 1 point per dollar spent in these categories.
Potential tie-breakers
Still can’t decide which card is right for you? Here are a few minor points of distinction to consider.
Simplicity of earning rewards
A major downside of the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is its transaction requirement. According to the card’s terms, you must complete five transactions per billing period to earn any rewards. That means if you only make four transactions on the card one month, you won’t earn rewards on any of those purchases. There’s no minimum spend per transaction, but this does present an extra hoop to make sure you maximize your rewards.
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card won’t earn you rewards on rent, but it also doesn’t include any such complicated requirements.
Metal vs. plastic
If you have strong preferences about the feel of the card, it’s worth noting that the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card comes in a sleek metal design, adding some sophistication to your wallet. The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is plastic, making it a lighter weight to carry.
Which card should you get?
The distinction here is pretty clear. If you’re a renter, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is the obvious choice. No other card offers comparable rewards on rent payments, and the card’s additional rewards plus travel partners make it a good value on everyday spending as well.
Not a renter? The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card will provide more overall value on everyday spending.
Then again, given that both cards carry no annual fee, renters with good credit may choose to pick up one of each. Use the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card for rent, Lyft rides and to pick up extra rewards on the first day of each month. For the rest of the month, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card will earn you higher rewards in most categories, along with a strong intro APR and sign-up bonus.
Bilt Rewards is a unique credit card rewards program that allows members to earn points on rent payments without paying transaction fees. Members with the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card can also earn Bilt Points on non-rent spending, including bonuses on dining and travel purchases.
One way to redeem these points for travel expenses is to transfer Bilt Rewards points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. Prominent Bilt transfer partners include American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, Emirates Skywards, World of Hyatt and the company’s newest transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.
Bilt airline transfer partners
Bilt Rewards members can transfer their points to 12 airline frequent flyer programs. Notably, that includes the American Airlines AAdvantage program — which is exclusive to Bilt.
Bilt members can transfer points to the following airline loyalty programs at a rate of 1:1 (1 Bilt point will become 1 airline mile).
Bilt Rewards hotel transfer partners
Bilt Rewards members can transfer to three hotel partners at a rate of 1:1.
Marriott Bonvoy is the newest transfer partner for Bilt Rewards. Members can transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy at a rate of 1:1. Plus, for every 20,000 points transferred to Marriott in a single transaction, Bilt Rewards members will receive an additional 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
How to earn Bilt Rewards points
With a $0 annual fee, cardholders earn 1 Bilt Rewards point per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year) without paying any extra transaction fees. If necessary, Bilt will charge you for your rent and then send a check to your landlord on your behalf.
Bilt cardholders also earn:
3 points per dollar on dining.
2 points per dollar on travel booked directly through a hotel, airline, or car rental agency.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Members must use the card on five transactions within each statement period to earn points.
On the first of the month — which the company calls “Rent Day” — Bilt cardmembers earn double points on non-rent categories, including 6 points per dollar on restaurants, 4 points per dollar on travel and 2 points per dollar on other purchases. There are usually other promotions as well on Rent Day.
How to transfer Bilt Rewards
The easiest way to transfer Bilt Rewards points to partner loyalty programs is in the Bilt Rewards app.
After logging in, navigate to the “Travel” tab.
From there, select “Flights” or “Hotels.” Then scroll down and select a specific loyalty program. At that point, you’ll be able to enter your partner loyalty number to link your loyalty account with your Bilt Rewards account. You’ll get 100 Bilt points for each loyalty program you link.
Then you can enter however many points you’d like to transfer.
🤓Nerdy Tip
In some cases, the app cautions that transfers may not happen instantaneously. For instance, the app specifics that American Airlines AAdvantage transfers may take up to 72 hours to complete.
Which Bilt transfer partners are best?
NerdWallet values Bilt Rewards points at 2 cents per point. Here is how NerdWallet values some of the top transfer partners when you redeem these programs’ points or miles for flights or hotel stays:
Transfer partner
Estimated value
American Airlines AAdvantage
1.7 cents.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
1.2 cents.
Air Canada Aeroplan
1.4 cents.
British Airways Avios
Emirates Skywards
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
1.2 cents.
IHG One Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy
United MIleagePlus
1.2 cents.
World of Hyatt
2.3 cents.
The best Bilt transfer partners are generally the highest valued ones: World of Hyatt and American Airlines. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever transfer to other partners, especially if you need to top off your account to be able to book a trip or if you find a surprisingly good redemption rate with one of the other loyalty programs.
Is transferring your Bilt Rewards worth it?
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:
New member does not get any bonus on the Bilt card, though often people do get an official 5x spend signup bonus. This increased offer for the referrer is a nice bump up from the usual.
Update: my mistake, seems it’s just the same old .55 cents redemption option. I think what’s new is that you can now offset regular purchases whereas previously you could only get the .55 toward rent payments.
Bilt Mastercard sent out an email that they’ve added an option to cashout points at 1 cent per point. The points can be applied as a statement credit against any charge on the Bilt Mastercard.
While most people will value the travel transfer options more, this is a nice improvement. At a minimum it gives a backup 1-cent baseline value for the points, and might also be useful for someone who isn’t interested in travel. We’ve updated out full Bilt Mastercard review with this additional option.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® overview
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is best for American Airlines flyers who value lounge access. It provides a full Admirals Club membership, as well as several other benefits that make flying American Airlines more enjoyable, such as a free checked bag, priority check-in, priority airport screening and priority boarding privileges, along with a boost toward elite status. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
While many credit cards offer airport lounge access, the types of lounges each card gets you into can vary greatly. There’s only one cobranded credit card that includes complimentary access to the American Airlines Admirals Club lounges: the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
The card has a $595 annual fee, which might seem steep but is still much less expensive than an Admirals Club membership.
This card underwent major (mostly negative) changes, effective July 23, 2023. TPG director of content Nick Ewen wasn’t thrilled with them.
Today, we’ll review all the refreshed benefits on this American Airlines cobranded card to help you decide whether to carry — or keep — it in your wallet.
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite welcome offer
The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is currently offering its best-ever bonus. Through Sept. 6, it’s offering 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months of account opening. This bonus is worth a very high $1,770, based on TPG’s most recent valuations.
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite benefits
What sets this card apart from the competition is that it provides complimentary Admirals Club access. The primary cardholder receives a full Admirals Club membership, which allows you and your immediate family or two traveling companions access to the club when you have a same-day boarding pass for American or one of its partners. Your credit card will be tied to your AAdvantage account number, so you don’t have to carry it to get club access.
Admirals Club membership ordinarily costs between $750 and $850, depending on your status level with American. That means the annual fee covers the lounge access — and that’s without all the other benefits factored in.
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You can add up to 10 authorized users. They cost an additional $175 annual fee for the first three authorized users and $175 for each authorized user thereafter. Each authorized user receives Admirals Club access for themselves and up to two traveling companions. Just be aware that authorized users only get Admirals Club access, as opposed to a full Admirals Club membership.
There are three statement credits available:
Up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget car rentals every calendar year
Up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases (up to a $10 statement credit each monthly billing statement)
Up to $120 in Lyft credits ($10 Lyft credit each month), but you have to take three eligible rides each month first to receive this credit
Here are some other valuable perks the card offers:
Enhanced airport experience: You and up to eight travelers on the same reservation will get priority check-in (where available), priority airport screening (where available) and priority boarding privileges. You can even check in at any business-class check-in position (or first-class check-in when business class is not available), regardless of the class of service in which you’re traveling.
First checked bag free on domestic itineraries: On domestic itineraries flown by American or any regional subsidiary, the first checked bag for you and up to eight traveling companions on the same reservation is free. The flight must be marketed, sold and operated by American in order to get the free checked bag.
25% off eligible inflight purchases: This essentially means 25% off inflight food and beverages when you pay for them with the card (not including inflight Wi-Fi).
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee statement credit: Get an up-to-$100 statement credit when paying the Global Entry fee ($100) with the card or when enrolling in TSA PreCheck ($78). You’ll receive the credit once every four years. Because you also receive TSA PreCheck when enrolling for Global Entry, there’s no real reason you should ever just enroll in PreCheck.
This card removed travel protections a few years back but has reintroduced trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, and lost baggage protections as well as car rental insurance coverage as part of the card’s refresh.
Finally, are no foreign transaction fees, making this card a good choice when traveling abroad.
Earning miles on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite
With the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, you’ll earn 4 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases. Then, if you spend $150,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you’ll earn a boosted rate of 5 miles per dollar spent on American purchases for the remainder of the calendar year.
You’ll also earn 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American’s car rental and hotel booking sites, respectively.
And you’ll earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Cardholders earn a bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Points after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. They will receive another bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Points after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year.
You will receive the bonuses regardless of how you earn the Loyalty Points. For example, you could earn 50,000 Loyalty Points by buying American Airlines tickets and shopping through the AAdvantage portal and get the 10,000 bonus just by holding the card.
Redeeming miles on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite
The lowest round-trip tickets in the U.S. tend to start at 7,500 miles one-way for flights less than 500 miles long.
Web specials previously offered include domestic cross-country flights for 5,000 miles each way in economy or 15,000 miles each way in first class, flights to Europe from 9,000 miles each way and flights to Brazil from 15,000 miles each way.
Alternatively, you could get a ton of value redeeming your AAdvantage miles for premium-cabin awards on partner airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Etihad and Finnair.
Related: How to redeem miles with the American Airlines AAdvantage program
Senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt’s favorite way of redeeming AAdvantage miles is to book business-class flights on Etihad or Qatar Airways to the Middle East, India and Africa.
Which cards compete with the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite?
American is not a transfer partner of any of the major points programs except Bilt Rewards, so the biggest competitors of this card are mostly other cobranded American Airlines cards, but you can also get tons of value from a more general premium card.
If you want a lower annual fee: The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard is a solid mid-level credit card that offers elite-status-like benefits, all for a lower annual fee of $99. For more information, read our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select.
If you’re not an avid AA flyer: It could make more sense to stick to a premium travel rewards card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, which allows you to earn up to five points per dollar on airfare (when booked directly with the airline or Amex Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and take advantage of myriad airline transfer partners. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.
For additional options, check out our full list of premium travel cards.
Related: Choosing the best credit card for American Airlines flyers
The information for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite worth it?
Since the price of an Admirals Club membership is at least $750 each year, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard should catch the eye of any frequent American flyer’s attention. If you want Admirals Club access and to boost your AA mileage balance with a sign-up bonus (while also easing elite status requirements), this card might be a good fit. However, you might want to look elsewhere if you’re looking for a card that will give you a better return on your spending.
Bottom line
With full Admirals Club membership and several other American Airlines benefits, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite American Airlines is best for flyers who can maximize its lounge access. If that’s you, then the card could definitely be a fit.
Official application link: Earn 100,000 miles with the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Offer ends Sept. 6.
Additional reporting by Matt Moffitt, Ryan Wilcox and Stella Shon.
Here at TPG, we’re all about maximizing every dollar you spend. Often, you can accomplish that by using the best credit card to enjoy the highest return for a specific purchase. But sometimes, you can go a step further.
Enter “double dipping,” or the practice of earning two different types of points on a single transaction. Taking advantage of double-dipping opportunities will help you accelerate your points-earning — bringing you that much closer to your dream award trip.
Below, we’ve outlined some of our top double-dipping opportunities that you can (and should) work into your everyday points practices.
Use online shopping portals
One of the simplest ways to double dip is to use shopping portals for your online purchases. These third-party sites partner with various retailers to give you points, miles or cash back when you click through their links. This is in addition to the points and miles you earn from putting the transaction on your credit card. So, you earn one bonus from the portal and another from your card.
No matter what type of points you’re trying to earn, there’s likely a portal out there that will suit your needs. Several airlines and hotel chains have their own portals, as does Chase Ultimate Rewards. Meanwhile, Rakuten allows you to receive your earnings in the form of American Express Membership Rewards points as an alternative to its usual cash back. You can even earn a one-time $30 bonus by joining Rakuten and spending $30 in the first 90 days.
Not sure which portal to use? Try using a shopping portal aggregator such as Cashback Monitor to compare earning rates across numerous portals for a given retailer.
Join restaurant rewards programs
Dining out can be a lucrative activity by itself, with cards such as the American Express® Gold Card offering 4 points per dollar on worldwide restaurant purchases. But it’s also an opportunity to double dip using airline and hotel dining rewards programs.
Once you register, participating restaurants will automatically award you points or miles when you pay for a meal with a linked credit card. Once again, these earnings are on top of the points or miles you net just for purchasing with your credit card.
There’s just one key thing to remember: Each of your credit cards can only be registered for one dining program, so you can’t earn through two airline or hotel programs for a single purchase.
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Related: How to earn 1,000 Southwest points the next time you dine out (or order in)
Earn more with Uber and Lyft
Whether you use Uber or Lyft, you can make your rides more valuable by linking certain rewards accounts to earn points on every ride.
With Lyft, you have several choices when it comes to earning bonus points or miles, though you must select one of the following as your designated loyalty rewards partner:
Note that Chase also partners with Lyft. So, in addition to selecting one of the above programs, you can use an eligible card — like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — to earn up to 10 points per dollar spent on the platform. Sapphire Reserve cardholders also enjoy complimentary Lyft Pink All Access for two years.
Meanwhile with Uber, you can link your Marriott Bonvoy account and earn the following:
6 points per dollar on Uber Eats restaurant and grocery orders of $40 or more delivered to a hotel in Marriott’s portfolio
3 points per dollar on rides with UberXL, Uber Comfort, Uber SUV and Uber Black
2 points per dollar on all other Uber Eats restaurant and grocery orders above $40.
Make sure you’re also using a credit card with a great return on travel purchases; for instance, the American Express® Green Card, which offers 3 points per dollar spent on travel and transit purchases, including ride-hailing services.
Related: Frequent Uber or Lyft passenger? These credit cards are for you
Rent with Airbnb
Make your Airbnb stays more valuable by booking them through Delta Air Lines’ or British Airways’ online portals. Simply choose a program and click the booking button on its dedicated Airbnb page to rack up extra miles. You’ll earn 1 mile per dollar if you go through Delta SkyMiles and 3 Avios per dollar if you book through British Airways Executive Club. So, expensive Airbnb bookings can quickly add up to award flights.
Like with Uber and Lyft, make sure to pay with a travel credit card that earns a bonus on vacation rentals to maximize your points-earning.
Related: 12 tips for choosing the perfect beach house rental
Earn bonus United miles with MileagePlus X
This app provides endless double-dipping possibilities for those looking to rack up United miles. It awards you bonus miles for buying electronic gift cards through the app, which you can later use online or in person at shops and restaurants. This is particularly great for merchants not included in popular bonus categories on credit cards.
The deal is even sweeter for those with a cobranded United credit card, like the United Explorer Card. If you link your United card to the app, you’ll earn a 25% mileage bonus for every gift card you buy, whether or not you use that card to pay for the purchase.
The best part? With MileagePlus X, you can actually take things to the next level for a triple dip. Simply buy a gift card through the app — earning points from the app and points for the transaction on your credit card — and then use that gift card to make an online purchase while utilizing a shopping portal.
Related: Here’s why it matters which card you use to pay in the United MPX app
Leverage the American Airlines and Hyatt partnership
American Airlines and World of Hyatt have a partnership offering reciprocal points-earning opportunities to elite loyalty program members. Hyatt elites can earn 1 bonus point per dollar spent on qualifying American flights. American elites can earn 1 bonus point per dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays — all on top of the points and miles they’d normally earn when flying American or staying at a Hyatt.
Luckily, it doesn’t take much to nab Hyatt elite status. Just take out the World of Hyatt Credit Card for automatic Discoverist status to participate.
Related: Everything you need to know about World of Hyatt
Give RewardsPlus a go
Long before Hyatt and American joined forces, United and Marriott partnered to offer their members elevated benefits and bonus points through the RewardsPlus program.
With this program, United Gold (or higher) elites automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status, while Marriott Titanium and Ambassador elites automatically receive United Premier Silver status. Of course, it’s relatively easy to get Marriott Gold status with credit cards — including The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. As a result, top-tier Marriott elites get the better end of this deal. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
In addition to reciprocal elite benefits, all members enjoy extra miles when transferring Marriott points to United, regardless of status. While most (but not all) of Marriott’s transfer partners receive a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred, United members get 10,000 bonus miles for transferring 60,000 points. That means you can effectively convert 2 Marriott points to 1 United mile.
Leverage retail loyalty programs
While they won’t get you first-class tickets or luxury hotel stays, many sports retailers, restaurants, office supply stores and pet supply stores offer loyalty programs that you can maximize when purchasing. Most of these programs give you rewards in the form of future discounts (e.g., spend $100 and get a $5 coupon) on top of the standard earnings you’d get from using your credit card.
If you’re not familiar with these programs, you can check out our list of the nine most underrated loyalty programs.
Related: The best credit cards for buying clothes
Credit card offers and discounts
Applying for a new credit card typically comes with a large number of points or miles as a welcome bonus (after you meet the minimum spending requirement, of course). However, once you’ve opened a card, there are a number of other ways to earn bonus rewards or unlock discounts on everyday purchases.
Most of the major issuers offer a program along these lines, including:
These are targeted to each individual cardholder, and you typically must activate them before making a purchase. You also may find several obscure merchants with whom you have no intention of doing business. However, by frequently checking your online accounts, you may be able to find some good opportunities for bonuses or savings.
Here’s just a sampling of the offers that TPG staffers currently have on their cards:
An Amex offer to earn 5 extra American Express Membership Rewards points per dollar spent, up to 1,000 points
An Amex offer to earn 50% back on purchases with Dropbox
Multiple Chase offers to earn 10% back when you spend $100 with multiple Marriott brands — including Autograph Collection, SpringHill Suites and Renaissance Hotels
A Citi offer to earn 5% back on Lyft rides
You can also stack these with many of the other “dips” on this list to create a double dip or triple dip. For example, stack an Amex Offer at a nearby restaurant with a dining rewards program or an online purchase with a shopping portal.
Bottom line
There are plenty of great ways to rack up points and miles quickly, but everyday spending often gets overlooked as one of them. There are many concrete things you can start doing today that will unlock a world of rewards for tomorrow.
With these double-dipping efforts as a part of your overall strategy, you’ll build your account balances and get that much closer to your next award trip.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here. For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
Airline credit cards typically offer standard benefits, like bonus miles on airfare purchases, free checked bags and priority boarding. But one of the most valuable perks any airline credit card can offer is a companion ticket that can cut your cost of travel in half.
Thanks to its high welcome bonuses, earning structure and airfare discounts, the British Airways Visa Signature Card has long been considered one of the best credit cards from a foreign airline offered in the U.S., especially when you consider British Airways’ extensive U.S. route network. But it also comes with one of the most interesting companion travel benefits: the Travel Together Ticket.
The rules around redeeming this perk have recently been improved, and it is now easier to use and more valuable than ever.
Here are the details on this companion deal and how to maximize it.
How to earn the British Airways Travel Together Ticket
U.S.-based British Airways Visa Signature Card cardholders who spend $30,000 on their card in a calendar year can earn a Travel Together Ticket (posted within 4-6 weeks). The voucher is valid for outbound travel up to 24 months from the issue date (the return flight can be after that).
The British Airways Visa Signature Card offers 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first three months and exclusive offers when flying the carrier, such as a 10% discount on British Airways flights originating in the U.S., up to $600 in statement credits for award flight taxes and fees every year and earns 3 Avios per $1 spent with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. The annual fee is $95.
Only the main cardholder with a registered address in the U.S. is eligible to earn the Travel Together Ticket; additional cardholers are not. Only one voucher can be earned each calendar year, even if the cardholder spends more than $30,000 on the card.
Rules for redeeming The Travel Together Ticket
The Travel Together Ticket comes with several conditions worth considering when it comes time to redeem it, some of which are positive and some negative.
Previously, these vouchers could only be applied to award bookings using British Airways Avios and on British Airways-operated flights. However, this rule has recently been relaxed, so they can now be redeemed on flights operated by Aer Lingus and Iberia, though note you must still book your flight(s) through British Airways Executive Club.
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The Travel Together Ticket differs from other companion tickets, which are more like a two-for-one paid deal. In this case, you’re getting a two-for-one award redemption but are still responsible for the taxes and other carrier-imposed charges on your ticket (which can be substantial). This also means you’ve got to find two awards open on the same itinerary in the same cabin. If you wish to travel in first class, two award seats on the same flight can be tough to come by.
For solo travel, you can redeem it for 50% of the Avios required for one passenger, which is a handy perk if you would rather travel alone and save Avios.
Previously, the voucher could only be used on round-trip itineraries originating in the United States. However, this rule has also recently been relaxed, so voucher holders can now commence their itinerary anywhere in the world that British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus operates from (provided there is Avios availability).
Your companion must be booked in the same cabin on your itinerary (unless you redeem it for solo travel). So if you book a business-class award for yourself, you must find a second one for your companion on the same itinerary. Stopovers are allowed.
Though the terms are not explicit, you should plan to have your card open and in good standing at the time your want to use your Travel Together Ticket.
Related: How to avoid fuel surcharges on award travel
When it makes sense to redeem the Travel Together Ticket
Now we come to the real question: Is it worth using the Travel Together Ticket? The answer depends on how you plan to redeem it.
British Airways awards are notorious for high taxes and surcharges on flights through London. While this generally makes economy awards a bad value, it can still be worth paying less than $2,000 per person to fly in business or first class as part of an award ticket compared to shelling out the cash fare, which will be many thousands of dollars, especially with premium fares across the Atlantic as high as they currently are.
BA introduced a new option in 2022 called Reward Flight Saver to use more Avios to reduce the cost of the taxes and surcharges on Avios redemptions.
British Airways award availability between the U.S. and Europe tends to be much better than what U.S. and other European carriers make available. So if you want to book an award, your chances of finding it are good.
The other key benefit is that British Airways has retained an award chart, so you can be confident of how many Avios you will need on any day — no 400,000 points per flight pricing with this program.
Related: Dynamic pricing vs. fuel surcharges — which is the lesser of two evils for your next redemption?
Now, let’s take four scenarios and compare the cost of using the Travel Together Ticket compared to purchasing airfare to determine whether this is a good deal.
To make things simpler, we’ll look at a single route from Atlanta (ATL) to London Heathrow (LHR) over a single set of dates in November since award availability was open across all four cabins offered by BA on these flights (these are off-peak dates). The taxes and fees are typical examples of what you would expect to pay, both for two people traveling together and solo travelers, given the ticket can also be redeemed for solo travel.
First up, economy. A round-trip award on this itinerary for two people using the lowest surcharge Reward Flight Saver option would cost 120,000 Avios plus 300 British pounds ($393) in taxes/fees.
If you were using this as a Travel Together Ticket, you’d still be paying 60,000 Avios plus $393 for two tickets. This is because you would only be charged the Avios for one passenger but the fees, taxes and surcharges for both. Compare that to the regular economy fare on the same dates of around $1,000 per person for non-stop flights and this would be a great way to use Avios to save hundreds of dollars.
If you are a solo traveler, you can redeem the Travel Together Ticket for 30,000 Avios plus $196 in fees, taxes and surcharges, saving over $800 on the cash fares for the same flight.
Related: A review of British Airways’ A350 in economy from London to Dubai
Now for premium economy. Here’s a sample award from the same week that would cost 190,000 Avios plus 660 British pounds ($864) for two passengers.
A paid fare on the same dates would be $1,813 per person, so $3,626 for two passengers. With a Travel Together Ticket for two passengers, you would be charged 95,000 Avios plus $864, saving you thousands off the cash ticket.
Solo travelers could redeem 45,000 Avios plus pay $432 in taxes and surcharges, another excellent way to save big on the $1,813 cash fare.
Related: Is British Airways premium economy worth it on the Boeing 777-300ER?
In business class, British Airways will charge 360,000 Avios plus 900 British pounds ($1,179) in taxes and surcharges for two passengers at the Reward Flight Saver rate.
With the 50% reduction in Avios with the Travel Together Ticker, you would still be charged a huge 180,000 Avios plus the full $1,179 co-payment. However, with cash fares on these dates close to $4,000 each roundtrip in business class, you would still save thousands of dollars using the voucher.
For solo travelers, just 90,000 Avios plus under $600 in taxes and fees saves versus $4,000 for a cash ticket is a great deal.
Related: British Airways’ Club Suites don’t disappoint: On board a retrofitted 777 from London to New York
Reward Flight Savers are not offered in first class, so while you’ll only need marginally more Avios than the business class rates above, you must pay the full fees, taxes and surcharges. For two passengers using a Travel Together Ticket this would be 170,000 Avios roundtrip plus an eye-watering 3,263 British pounds ($4,279).
While this would represent a decent saving on the cash fares of almost $6,000 per person, given the thousands of dollars of surcharges you must pay for a first class redemption, using the voucher for business class instead would be a much better deal.
How to earn Avios
If you want to use a Travel Together Ticket but don’t have enough British Airways Avios in your Executive Club account, British Airways is a transfer partner of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of the easiest currencies to earn.
Points transfer from Chase, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (in addition to occasional transfer bonuses of up to 40%), while Marriott points transfer to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you’ll get a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios:
American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Check to see if you’re targeted for a 125,000-point welcome offer through CardMatch (offer subject to change at any time). Terms apply.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: (see rates and fees) Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: (see rates and fees) Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Bottom line
The British Airways Visa Signature Card’s Travel Together Ticket can save you thousands of dollars on British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus flights from anywhere in the world by allowing two passengers to travel together, in any cabin with award availability and only pay the Avios required for one passenger. The spending requirement to earn the perk is high, though.
Following last years Reward Flight Saver rollout to allow passengers to reduce the notorious BA carrier-imposed surcharges by paying more Avios, this voucher is a valuable credit card perk for economy, premium economy and business class flights. However, the savings are less in first class as the Reward Flight Saver option is not available.
Many loyalty programs don’t allow you to transfer points to other members, while some programs charge a fee to move points from one member to another. But, World of Hyatt lets its members combine points freely and with few restrictions.
That’s right: Hyatt members can transfer points to other members without any fee. Doing so can help make a stay at one of the best Hyatt hotels a reality. So, here’s what you need to know about how (and why) to transfer Hyatt points to other members.
How to combine points from World of Hyatt accounts
You can combine your World of Hyatt points with any other member. No family affiliation is required, but Hyatt says you can only combine points “to redeem an award.” Additionally, Hyatt notes that each member can only “transfer or receive points once every 30 days.”
To combine points, you must fill out a PDF form. In particular, you’ll need to fill in the name, World of Hyatt number, phone number, mailing address and email associated with both members’ accounts.
The member who wishes to transfer points must also fill in a section authorizing Hyatt to deduct a specific number of points from their account and transfer them to another member. Both members will then need to sign the form.
Once the form is complete, you can email it to [email protected]. Alternatively, you could mail in a paper form, but email will almost certainly be more convenient (and faster) for most members.
Several times, I’ve received points from other World of Hyatt members via this process. In one case, it took as little as 31 hours for the points to reach my account after sending an email request to Hyatt. But, it took almost a week for a transfer in 2022. The time it takes for your transaction may vary.
Hyatt’s terms and conditions note that both members must have active accounts and that the member transferring points relinquishes all rights to the combined points.
Related: Most luxurious Hyatt all-inclusive resorts in the world
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When should you combine World of Hyatt points?
Combining points might seem like an excellent idea if you’re teaming up with other World of Hyatt members to plan a vacation. After all, pooling your points together could unlock the ability to redeem Hyatt points for an upgraded room or book a longer stay. Here are some of the other main reasons why you might want to combine World of Hyatt points:
To stop points from expiring: You’ll forfeit your World of Hyatt points if your account is inactive for 24 consecutive months. However, transferring points counts as account activity and could save your points by letting you move them into an account more active than yours.
To save for a specific award: While there are some excellent Hyatt Category 1 hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort in Malaysia and the Park Hyatt Chennai in India, you might have your sights set on a higher-category redemption. Combining points into a single account can bring more costly award stays within reach.
To share benefits: World of Hyatt Globalist members can share their elite benefits with friends and family by redeeming points to book Guest of Honor stays. If you know a Globalist member, you can transfer points to their account. Then, have the Globalist member book a Guest of Honor award stay for you.
Related: Best Park Hyatt hotels, according to Globalists
How to earn more World of Hyatt points
If you need to earn more World of Hyatt points, you could transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. This means you can transfer points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card to World of Hyatt.
You can also transfer Bilt Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
If you want to earn Hyatt points directly, consider the World of Hyatt Credit Card. This card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn up to 30,000 more points by earning 2 points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 point per dollar (on up to $15,000 spent).
Small-business owners can also earn Hyatt points with the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. This small-business card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
Related: Is the World of Hyatt Credit Card worth the annual fee?
Bottom line
World of Hyatt is popular with award travelers thanks to the Hyatt award chart and ease of earning points. Although most Hyatt loyalists would prefer a web form instead of a paper form, Hyatt still earns high marks for making it free and easy for members to combine points.
When World of Hyatt Globalist members book award stays for others, these stays carry Globalist benefits thanks to the Guest of Honor perk. As such, if you have a trusted friend or family member with Globalist status, consider asking whether they’d book special Hyatt stays for you if you combine points with them.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Virgin Atlantic has a great new offer to save thousands of points on your next redemption.
Virgin has discounted the cost of all redemptions between the U.S. and the U.K. by 30% for travel from now until Sep. 30. The carrier is following the lead of Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue Promo Rewards and Singapore Airlines’ Spontaneous Escapes,
The offer isn’t quite as generous as the “redemption deal of the year” we saw in 2022, which offered a 50% reduction in the Virgin points required for redemptions to almost all destinations. This new offer is only 30% off the cost of a standard redemption. However, all classes of service are included, and there are no blackout dates this summer.
The 30% off applies to Virgin Atlantic flights between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Virgin Atlantic’s routes from New York, Atlanta and Orlando to Manchester Airport (MAN) are also included — as is the nonstop flight from Orlando to Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
The discounts apply to flights in either direction, in any cabin with award availability. This offer is available for redemptions, upgrades and companion tickets. Virgin Atlantic must operate the flights to qualify for the promotion.
Related: Video alert! TPG reviews all cabins on Virgin Atlantic’s brand-new Airbus A330-900neo
Even for peak summer travel, round-trip redemptions start from just 28,000 Virgin points from the East Coast or 35,000 from the West Coast. You’ll see the points discount applied when booking online.
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Unfortunately, the full fees, taxes and substantial surcharges are payable on all routes in all cabins. Unlike British Airways, there is no way to reduce the carrier-imposed surcharges by redeeming more points. Even in economy, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars extra; in business class, the total is more than $1,000 round trip. These surcharges remain the biggest frustration with the Flying Club program.
Related: Is Virgin Atlantic premium economy worth it on the A330-900neo?
To take advantage of this great offer, you must book by July 24 and complete travel by Sep. 30. Unfortunately, the discount does not apply to existing bookings. You may consider canceling and rebooking if your existing flight falls within the eligibility window. However, availability is not guaranteed.
If you need to earn Virgin points for one of these awards, you can transfer them from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou. All of these transfers process at a 1:1 ratio and should post instantaneously to your Virgin account.
This is a great initiative from Flying Club, and it is generous, given it covers peak summer travel across the Atlantic in all classes. Just be mindful of those pesky surcharges when booking.