Lauren Graves

United Airlines Baggage Policy, Exceptions and Fees [2022]

May 17, 2022 by Lauren Graves

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If you’re planning on flying with United Airlines this year then you’ll want to know what to expect in terms of potential fees and luggage restrictions for both your carry-on items and checked bags.

So for your convenience, whether you’re traveling with carry-ons, checked bags, or both, here’s a comprehensive list of every important United baggage policy all passengers should be aware of in 2022.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

United Airlines Carry-On Allowance

Don’t risk arriving at the airport for your flight and having your carry-on luggage turned away or unexpectedly checked. United Airlines lets most passengers travel with one carry-on bag and one personal item each, free of charge, as long as the items do not go over the airline’s size and weight restrictions.

Basic Economy tickets allow for one personal item only and do not include free carry-on luggage. If you do bring a full-sized carry-on bag when flying economy, you will be required to check the bag and pay the checked bag fee (whatever it is for your flight) and a $25 gate handling charge on top of that. All other flight classes include one free carry-on and one personal item.

Your carry-on bag technically has no weight restrictions, but it is expected to fit in the overhead bin. This means it must not exceed 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches or 22 centimeters x 35 centimeters x 56 centimeters. This includes all exterior hardware such as handles and straps. Your personal item, which is expected to fit under the seat in front of you, must not exceed 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches or 22 centimeters x 25 centimeters x 43 centimeters.

Other items that all passengers may bring in addition to their carry-ons include standard “special” items such as umbrellas, FAA-approved child restraint systems and safety seats, assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, and pet carriers.

Carry-On Allowances for Toddlers and Children

Bring the essentials free of charge! Details below.

If you are going to be traveling with an infant or young child, there are a number of necessary items you can bring that United Airlines will not charge you for. These include:

A diaper bag 🎒
A breast pump and milk 🍼
An FAA-approved child or infant restraint seat 👶
A compact folding stroller that meets carry-on size restrictions (9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches or 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches) 👩‍👧‍👧

All children under the age of two may travel with one car seat and one stroller. This allowance is included in all flight classes and on all flights. Strollers usually need to be checked at the gate but if they do not collapse, you’ll need to check them at the ticket counter.

Bringing Pets Onboard

Small dogs and cats are allowed on most domestic and international flights, but you will, of course, need to pay for your pet to travel with you in the cabin. A service charge of $125 is charged each way for a pet, and an additional charge of the same amount is assessed for every stopover of greater than four hours.

Service animals are not under the same restrictions as pets. See this page for information on traveling with service animals.

Pit Bull breeds are not permitted on the airplane at all.

The requirements for traveling with pets are as follows:

Puppies and kittens must not be younger than 16 weeks old
Unaccompanied minors are not permitted to fly with pets
Additional pets require an extra ticket and an additional $125 each way
Pets that don’t fit in kennels may not accompany you in the cabin and will need to travel in a separate compartment of the plane through United Airlines’ PetSafe transport program
You and your pet must be on the same flight
Oxygen services are not available for pets in the event of an emergency

Your pet will need to be up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations and you must bring a health certificate showing that they are to the airport. Some states, like Hawaii, have their own restrictions in place that you need to research.

Musical Instruments

Small instruments such as violins and guitars are permitted as long as they are in a hard case. If they are placed in the overhead bin, they’ll count as your carry-on. If they are placed beneath the seat in front of you, they’ll count as your personal item.

Prohibited Items

Certain items are strictly prohibited on United Airlines flights. These restrictions are put in place by the federal government and there are no exceptions.

Items never allowed on a flight include:

Self-balancing or self-riding bags
Camping equipment that contains fuel of any kind
Defense sprays such as pepper spray, tear gas, or mace
Explosives including but not limited to fireworks, flares, and gunpowder
MREs containing flameless heaters
Shock absorbers
Smart bags with batteries that cannot be removed
Tasers
Select electronic devices
Perishable items

Items allowed on flights with restrictions include:

Batteries
Power tools
Mobility devices
Firearms

United Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance

How many bags you can check for a United flight and how much each of those bags will cost to check depends on your loyalty status with the airline and the flight class you’ve chosen. Size and weight restrictions are also dependent on flight class and loyalty status.

Here’s a Visual Breakdown:

For United Economy flyers, checked baggage may weigh up to 50 pounds or 23 kilograms. United Business, United First, and United Polaris checked baggage may weigh up to 70 pounds. The latter is also the restriction for passengers with Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, and Star Alliance Gold (First, Business, or Polaris) MileagePlus status.

No bag may exceed a combined total of 62 inches (length + width + height) unless checked by an active-duty U.S. military member traveling for official business.

You can pay for your checked baggage, provided that it meets size and weight requirements, online before your flight or at check-in.

Cost of Checked Bags

To get the most accurate cost breakdown on how much it will cost to check your bags on your next United flight, use their baggage cost calculator.

The cost varies not only by route but also by which cabin you’re sitting in (economy, premium economy, business or first) as well as your membership and status. Your membership and status are determined by the credit cards you hold and whether or not you are active in the U.S. military.

In general, for North American economy flights you can expect to pay $30-$35 per bag depending on whether you prepay or not. If you need to carry a second bag this will cost an additional $40-$45.

For flights to Europe the first checked bag is free even for those in the economy cabin, however second bags will cost up to $100 to check.

Here’s a closer look of what you can expect to pay per bag from the US to popular international destinations:

Destination	1st Bag	2nd Bag
London, UK	$0	$100
Madrid, Spain	$0	$100
Berlin, Germany	$0	$100
Hong Kong	$0	$0
Beijing, China	$0	$0
Tokyo, Japan	$0	$0
Mexico City, Mexico	$35 at airport, $30 prepaid	$60 at airport, $55 prepaid
Cancun, Mexico	$35 at airport, $30 prepaid	$60 at airport, $55 prepaid
San Jose, Costa Rica	$35 at airport, $30 prepaid	$45 at airport, $40 prepaid
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil	$0	$65
Cape town, South Africa	$0	$0
Sydney, Australia	$0	$100
Perth, Australia	$0	$100
Queenstown, New Zealand	$0	$100

Flights based out of LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) United Economy Cabin

If you’re flying any level above economy both your first and second bag will be checked free of charge. Same goes for acting U.S. military members. You can read more about this in our “Exceptions and Waivers” section further below.

📍 Please Note: If you’re flying Basic Cabin to Europe your first bag will cost $75 and your second bag remains at $100. Also, when flying Basic Cabin to Asia your first bag will still be $0 but your second bag will be $100. This differs from United Economy Cabin which is the prices you see in the chart above.

Checked Baggage for Children

The same checked baggage policies apply to children with purchased tickets and infants flying internationally on 10% of adult fare as for adult passengers. Should a child’s baggage exceed their personal allowance, the fare-paying adult accompanying them will need to assume the excess baggage as part of their own allowance.

Excessive Baggage Fees

If you must bring a bag that exceeds the above size and weight restrictions or you want to bring an additional bag, you may do so for a fee. Some flights do not allow oversized or overweight bags at all, so be sure to look into this every time you fly.

Checked baggage may never exceed 115 linear inches. Most baggage may never exceed 100 pounds. Musical instruments and mobility devices, however, may weigh up to 165 pounds. Overweight bags (weighing over 70 pounds but less than 100) can cost up to $200 each. Oversized bags measuring more than 62 linear inches also incur a fee, which is dependent on the flight destination and subject to change.

Please note that if a bag is more than one of these things—extra, overweight, or oversized—you’ll be charged more than one service fee. Extra bags are permitted only when there is space available on the plane.

Fragile and/or Bulky Items

If you happen to be flying with an oversized, bulky or fragile item that is too delicate to transport as checked baggage, you may choose to purchase a ticket for it and have it sit next to you or in another open seat. This item and ticket purchase must be approved by a United Airlines agent.

Some examples of cabin-seat baggage that would be approved by United may include the following:

large musical instruments
electronic devices (cameras, computer hardware, medical devices)
artifacts
garment bags

Please note the following cabin-seat baggage restrictions:

Item(s) must not exceed 165 pounds (75 kg).
Item(s) must be safely covered in a way that avoids injury to other customers.
Item(s) must be secured in a seat adjacent to the owner.
Item(s) must be properly secured by a seat belt to avoid shifting during flight.
Item(s) must not restrict access to, or use of, any regular or emergency exit or aisle of the cabin.
Item(s) must not obscure any customer’s view of “seatbelt,” “no smoking” or “exit” signage.
Item(s) must not contain dangerous goods.
Item(s) must be reserved in advance and applicable charges paid.

You can read more on United’s cabin-seat baggage restrictions here.

Exceptions and Waivers

Both active-duty U.S. military personnel and their dependents and MileagePlus Premier members and their travel companions can have checked baggage fees waived. For these flyers, a maximum weight of 70 pounds is enforced rather than the standard 50 pounds.

Active-duty military personnel and their dependents receive 3 complimentary checked bags for personal travel, 2 for travel orders, and 5 for official business travel. MileagePlus Premier Silver members receive 1 complimentary checked bag on most domestic and select international economy flights, Gold receive 2 complimentary checked bags on economy flights, and Platinum and 1K members receive 3 complimentary checked bags on economy flights. All premium cabin travel permits 3 complimentary checked bags for those with Silver, Gold, Platinum, or 1K status.

Some destinations such as flights to San Salvador and Havana have additional restrictions in place when it comes to complimentary checked baggage. See these here.

Credit Cards That Give You a Free Checked Bag With United Airlines

As you can see, United Airlines does not offer free checked baggage to just any customer, as some budget airlines do, but there are a couple of ways to check a bag for free when you’re a United passenger.

Not a member of the military or a United Airlines favorite customer? A United Airlines credit card might be the way to go for you. United offers five different credit cards through Chase bank and all cardholders receive at least one checked bag for free.

Here’s how many free bags you can check when you’re a United cardholder:

United℠ Explorer Card: 1
United Club℠ Infinite Card: 2
United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card: 2
United^SM Business Card: 1
United Club^SM Business Card: 2

According to United, having the United℠ Explorer Card (first card on the list above) can save you up to $140 per round trip! The primary card holder plus one companion on the same United reservation both get their first standard checked bag for free on all United-operated flights. You’ll have to make the purchase with the United Explorer card for the deal.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

How to get United Airlines Elite Premier Status + is it worth it in 2022?

May 14, 2022 by Lauren Graves

United Airlines is known for two things:

having a ton of flight routes (including ultra long haul flights)
and having one of the best (if not the best) frequent flyer programs.

MileagePlus is well known for having valuable miles that don’t expire and a wide variety of awards to choose from. Even basic members who don’t travel often get preferential treatment and save more when flying, but fans of the airline know that being an elite member is the way to go.

Here’s how to reach elite status with United Airlines loyalty program, MileagePlus, and what elite membership with this particular airline looks like.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

About MileagePlus Membership

If you’re not already a MileagePlus member, this is your sign to enroll.

There is no fee for becoming a MileagePlus member. Just fill out this form with your personal information to create an account. You must be over the age of 18 to join, but parents can create an account on their children’s behalf.

Miles you rack up as a MileagePlus member can be used to book award travel, pay for seat upgrades, stay at hotels, pay for rental cars, and so much more. You can also use your miles to book travel for someone else, whether that’s flight tickets or hotel reservations. But we’ll go into more detail about how to use your miles later on in this article.

MileagePlus miles don’t expire as of 2019, but you do need to keep your account in good standing in order to make sure they’re still there when you need them. Always update your personal information when it changes and respond to communication from United Airlines promptly if there is a problem to avoid having your account closed. While some people have had success in getting their miles back in these scenarios, it’s not guaranteed and may cost you.

Anyone can earn miles, but premier members earn the most. To become a premier member, you need points.

Earn Points to Reach Elite Status

From now through January 31, 2023, it’s actually easier than ever to reach premier status within the MileagePlus program. This is because United has lowered the point and flight requirements to reach elite status and allowed United credit cardholders to earn points on their spending too.

Here are some of the best ways to earn enough points to qualify for premier status through the MileagePlus program.

Fly With United Airlines

Starting with the obvious, you can earn miles by taking flights through United Airlines.

For United flights and tickets issued by United for flights on partner airlines, points are not calculated by distance traveled but by Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) and Premier Qualifying Flights (in other words, it goes by how much you spend not how far you fly). For partner flights booked outside of United, points are calculated by distance.

You can increase your status with a combination of PQF and PQP or PQP. Here are the points and flight thresholds for each premier membership tier.

Premier Silver – 8 PQF and 3,000 PQP OR 3,500 PQP
Premier Gold – 16 PQF and 6,000 PQP OR 7,000 PQP
Premier Platinum – 24 PQF and 9,000 PQP OR 10,000 PQP
Premier 1K – 36 PQF and 13,500 PQP or 15,000 PQP

Contrary to how it seems, you can’t qualify for premier status with PQP alone. Even with the minimum number of PQP required you need to fly at least four segments on United or United Express flights to be eligible to bump up your level.

Lifetime Gold, Platinum, and 1K status are possible. If you reach one million miles, you will be a Premier Gold member for life. If you reach two million miles, you will be a Premier Platinum member for life. And if you reach three million miles, you will be a Premier 1K member for life. Unless you reach lifetime status, you need to qualify for premier each year.

In addition to earning points when you fly, members earn miles (but you already knew that).

Certain flight classes and routes are eligible to earn more miles than others. For example, business and first class tickets earn you more miles than economy tickets. In fact, Basic Economy tickets earn 50% premier qualifying miles while Premium Plus tickets earn 150% premier qualifying miles. Here’s what each fare class earns in bonus miles.

You also earn points more easily with premier status regardless of what flight classes you choose. For example, base MileagePlus members do not earn any bonus miles when they fly, but Premier Platinum members earn four miles per dollar on top of the five miles per dollar granted to everyone for a total of nine miles per dollar spent.

Base members: 5 miles/dollar
Premier Silver members: 7 miles/dollar
Premier Gold members: 8 miles/dollar
Premier Platinum members: 9 miles/dollar
Premier 1K members: 11 miles/dollar

No matter what your membership status, you can only earn up to 75,000 miles on any single flight.

Please note that you only earn miles when you’re the one doing the traveling. If you, for example, book a flight for another MileagePlus member or non-member, you will not receive points in your account for that trip unless you also take it yourself.

Purchase Preferred Seats

You can earn more PQP per ticket when you pay for seat upgrades. Economy Plus seating and subscriptions and other types of preferred seating qualify you for more points, and you can earn even more when you pay for upgrades. Upgrade to a higher flight class such as Polaris or First Class or pay for a seat with more legroom or closer to the door.

Not all flights offer seat upgrades and some make them available after booking rather than during. Premier members, those who have booked premium seating, and Chase cardholders who spend at least $25,000 per year are prioritized for upgrades on the waitlist. You are not guaranteed an upgraded seat unless you receive confirmation from United before checking in.

Only upgrades you pay for earn you PQP. You can use your miles to purchase MileagePlus Upgrade Awards, but you won’t get any points for it. And if your loyalty status qualifies you for free upgrades, these won’t earn points either.

Use Accelerators

You also have the option to purchase additional award miles at a reduced price when you are making a booking with United’s “Accelerator” products. These are specifically designed to help you pad your account with miles (not points).

Award Accelerator lets you add award miles to your purchase when making a flight booking. These are discounted off their base price and go right into your account within 24 hours. Premier Accelerator lets you specifically by elite qualifying miles. You need to purchase miles through Award Accelerator in order to apply Premier Accelerator boosts.

Fly With a Partner Airline

United partners with a number of other airlines through the Star Alliance network. You are eligible to earn premier qualifying credit on flights you take through partner airlines when you are a MileagePlus member of any status.

Preferred partners within the Star Alliance network include (but are not limited to) Air China, All Nippon Airways, Air Canada, SWISS International Airlines, and Lufthansa. MileagePlus partners include Singapore Airlines, SAS, Aegean Airlines, EgyptAir, Olympic Air, and Air India.

See a complete list of United Airlines preferred Star Alliance partners and MileagePlus partners here. Note that Aer Lingus, Aeromar, Boutique Air, Cape Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Vistara, and Silver Airways, though currently or previously part of the Star Alliance network or MileagePlus network, do not participate in the MileagePlus program.

Preferred partner flights earn more than MileagePlus partner flights. You can earn up to 1,500 PQP when you fly first or business class with a preferred partner or 1,000 when you fly first or business with a MileagePlus partner. Economy and Premium Economy points are capped at 750 for preferred partner flights and 500 for MileagePlus partner flights.

To determine how many PQP a partner flight will earn, determine how many award miles you would be eligible for if you were booking a United Airlines flight (reference the previous section to see how many miles per dollar you’ll earn based on your loyalty status) and:

Divide by five for preferred partners or
Divide by six for MileagePlus partners

Your award status may make you eligible for miles bonuses as well, though they may not exceed the maximums above and do not count as part of your base miles.

Certain flight classes such as Basic Economy and certain destinations such as Cuba and Venezuela are not eligible to earn PQP at this time (subject to change).

If you book a flight on a partner airline but purchase the ticket through United, your award miles will be calculated using the price of your fare. If you book a flight on a partner airline and purchase the ticket through that airline, your award miles will be calculated using the flight distance and fare class.

Tickets purchased from United usually earn more miles than tickets purchased through a partner, but that shouldn’t stop you from capitalizing on opportunities to earn MileagePlus points when flying internationally.

Use Your Credit Card

United MileagePlus Chase Cardmembers are now eligible to earn points on their annual spending in addition to bonus miles for their accounts. PQP earned through card spending can be applied up to 1K status as long as you still have enough PQF to level up. Only United Presidential Plus and United Presidential Plus Business cardmembers can work their way up to 1K with card PQP and other PQP without having to meet PQF requirements.

The more elite your card, the more you can earn.

All cardholders can earn 500 PQP for every $12,000 they spend, up to 1,000 points per year for the majority of cardholders but up to 3,000 points per year for MileagePlus Select, Club, Club Infinite, and Quest cardholders. Presidential Plus cardholders can earn up to 10,000 a year by earning 500 PQP for every $12,000 they spend.

All cardholders except Presidential Plus cardholders can earn up to 5,000 PQP in a year. Presidential Plus cardholders can earn up to 10,000.

You still need to have enough PQF or ther PQP to qualify for Premier 1K status because it’s not possible to get there through just credit card spending, but points you get using your card can really add up.

United Airlines offers several different branded credit cards in partnership with Chase Bank. These include the following:

Note that the United MileagePlus Select has been discontinued and is no longer available to new customers and the Club card is now the Club Infinite card. Read more about these cards below. You may also be interested in our best credit cards for United Airlines frequent flyers guide as well.

United Gateway℠ Card

This card earns two miles for every dollar spent on United purchases, fuel purchases, and transportation and rideshare purchases and one mile for every dollar spent on everything else. Earn up to 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 or more within three months of opening your account. There is no annual fee.

United℠ Explorer Card

This card earns two miles for every dollar spent on United purchases, dining, and hotels and one miles on everything else. Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles in total. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 miles after you spend $6,000 total on purchases in the first 6 months your account is open. The annual fee for the United Explorer card is $95 after the first year.

United Quest℠ Card

This is the newest card in the lineup. Earn 70,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 or more within three months of opening your account. This card earns three miles for every dollar spent on United purchases (including airfare, cruises, hotel bookings, car rentals, transportation, etc.); two miles for every dollar spent on all other travel, dining, and streaming services; and one mile for every dollar spent on everything else.

United Club℠ Infinite Card

This is the most elite United credit card there is. Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles when you use your card to spend $5,000 or more within three months of opening your account. This card earns four miles for every dollar spent on United purchases, two miles for every dollar spent on dining, and one mile for everything else. The annual fee for the United Club Infinite card is $525.

How to Earn More Miles

What good is a loyalty account without a balance? Here are a few of the best ways to earn miles besides flying.

Shop and Dine Through MileagePlus

If you don’t have anywhere to go anytime soon, just stay where you are and use the MileagePlus shopping and dining portals to earn miles on purchases you’d be making anyway.

MileagePlus shopping is a portal that lets members earn miles shopping online or in-person at select stores. According to United, members earn an average of 3,123 miles annually just by shopping.

There are over 900 stores featured in the MileagePlus shopping portal and most of them earn you about a mile or half mile per dollar you spend. Different retailers offer different bonuses, and the deals always rotate. Shop online right through the portal or shop in-person by linking a credit or debit card to your MileagePlus account and paying with that.

Sometimes, you can earn as much as three or four miles per dollar. Often, however, extra miles are limited to certain spending categories. For example, you can earn up to four miles per dollar at Sam’s Club right now, but only on spending toward new memberships. Be sure to read the fine print and shop the places offering extra miles. There may also be miles caps.

Refer Friends

If you have a co-branded United MileagePlus credit card, one of the fastest and easiest ways to earn miles is to refer people. All cardmembers can earn 10,000 bonus miles for every friend they refer up to five friends of 50,000 miles per year. Just share your unique referral link with a friend and they can use it to sign up.

People you refer have their pick of any MileagePlus credit card available and do not have to get the same card as you.

Buy More Miles

While we don’t typically recommend purchasing miles outright, this is a pretty easy way to bulk up your account. Before buying miles through MileagePlus, calculate the cost of each mile. MileagePlus miles are estimated to be worth about 1.6 cents apiece, so you’ll want to keep this in mind. Look for discounts and BOGO offers

You can use this option if you’re really close to reaching elite status but not quite there or if you see a great deal on miles. Otherwise, we suggest you try the above methods for getting award miles.

How to Use Miles

You can use your miles in a number of ways. You can use them to purchase award travel, bump up your seat class, or book hotels.

Buy Award Tickets

Most premier members use their miles to fly. To book award travel, use this link and sign into your account. This tool shows only available award tickets for your destination and preferences. Award travel is often limited to select flights and seats, so it helps to not be too picky.

Book Hotels, Cars, and Cruises

Flights aren’t the only kind of travel you can book with miles. You can also pay for hotel stays, rental cars, and even cruise trips using your MileagePlus balance by making reservations through United Hotel Awards, Cruise Awards, or Car Awards.

If you have a loyalty account with a particular rental car company or cruise or hotel chain, be sure to enter your loyalty ID when checking out to earn points for that account too.

Purchase Gift Cards and Experiences

If you download the MileagePlus X app, you can use your miles to purchase physical or electronic gift cards at stores and restaurants.

MileagePlus members also have exclusive access to events and experiences through MileagePlus Exclusives. Examples include concerts, wine tastings, and private tours. Some VIP events are reserved only for members with premier status.

Transfer Miles to Someone Else

If you’re feeling generous or want a simple gift, you can always transfer some of your miles to another MileagePlus member’s account. It costs $7.50 per 500 miles to do this.

Perks of Elite Status – Is It Worth It

You’re probably wondering whether making the effort to reach elite status is worth it. To that, we say absolutely. Because MileagePlus miles never expire, this loyalty program is definitely more rewarding than others that’ll have you scrambling to keep your miles from voiding. MileagePlus miles also don’t have as significant a markup as other airlines, so you get more for your “buck.”

And although earning points more easily as a premier member is a definite plus, elite status comes with a number of perks and advantages besides miles in your account. Premier members get:

Priority boarding and check in
Complimentary seat upgrades whenever they’re available
Free checked bags on every flight
Early access to seats for themselves and their travel companions (plus access on sold-out flights)
Fees waived for changes and cancellations
Premier status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hertz

Click here to see the full benefits chart for premier members.

Final Thoughts

All in all, we have to agree that the MileagePlus loyalty program is one of the best out there. Achieving premier status is not as difficult as it is for some other frequent flyer programs and rewards members with miles, perks, and savings. It’s definitely worth climbing the ladder to premier status for the miles that don’t expire and the freebies.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts: 2022 Guide

May 12, 2022 by Lauren Graves

Does your travel credit card qualify you for rate discounts, complimentary amenities, and booking flexibility at luxury hotels and resorts? For many travel cardholders, the answer is yes, but certain American Express cardholders are treated to even more. This bank is known for having prestigious credit cards and being particularly travel-friendly, and it continues to set itself apart with its elite travel program.

The American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program is an exclusive platform that allows members to book discounted travel and earn more rewards per stay than they would if they purchased travel elsewhere. Find out what this program is all about and who is eligible to join in this article.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

What is The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program by American Express

The Fine Hotels and Resorts program is a Platinum Travel Service available to elite cardmembers through American Express.

The platform includes more than 1,200 luxury properties with discounted room rates and complimentary amenities available exclusively to Fine Hotels and Resorts guests. The benefits of this program are estimated to be worth $550 in total for every member based on average rates for properties.

To become a part of this program, you have to have a premium American Express card. We’ll cover which travel cards qualify later on. And if you do have one of these cards, you’re automatically enrolled in the Fine Hotels and Resorts program and all you have to do is create a free account. This program does not cost anything to join and you’ll stay enrolled as long as your qualifying card remains in good standing.

You can book travel through the platform for yourself and members of your family as long as you are one of the guests traveling.

Program Benefits

To start off, every booking made through the Fine Hotels and Resorts Program is backed by a Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee. This means that if you find the same room at the same property available at a lower rate through a different booking site, American Express will refund you the difference in price when you book through the Fine Hotels platform.

Please Note: You must submit the lower rate you found with another site here.

Besides rate discounts, the Fine Hotels and Resorts Program includes six different travel benefits that are available for most bookings.

These include:

Noon check-in, when available
Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
Daily complimentary breakfast for two people
Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Experience credit

These benefits show up on your bookings when you go to check out. A property’s experience credit must be valued at a minimum of $100 but could be as high as $300. This could be for anything from spa treatments to dining experiences to private tours, but often, it’s a general food and beverage voucher. You will need to check with each hotel or resort about what their experience credit includes.

Some benefits such as early check-in and room upgrades are subject to availability and others such as late check-out and breakfast are guaranteed.

This program also features special offers for select properties. These hotels and resorts may include complimentary nights or increased points-earning potential—it just depends on the property.

The Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort and Club in Dana Point, California, for example, is offering members the following:

$150 resort credit per night
15,000 Hilton Honors bonus points per night
Complimentary parking each night ($60 value each night)
Waived resort fee ($55 value each night)
Guaranteed 1 p.m. late checkout

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida, is including a complimentary $250 property credit on every member booking of four consecutive nights or more made and completed between now and the end of May 2022.

Terms and Conditions

Some hotels or resorts may not offer early check-in on certain room types or cannot guarantee the type of room you prefer. If you have any questions about what benefits will be available for a particular destination, you can call Platinum Travel services at +44 (0) 1273 576 454 for help with a booking.

Note that you can’t may not be able to combine these offers with other offers or promotions and you can’t redeem these benefits for cash. Some locations may have their own rules about how to redeem these benefits, so it’s always a good idea to check before staying.

Only one benefits package can be applied to a single booking and cardmembers are limited to booking only three rooms at a time with these perks. The cardmember who makes and pays for a booking must stay at the hotel or resort to be eligible to receive these exclusive benefits. Also, the stay must be paid for in full with the qualifying American Express credit card. Back-to-back stays within a 24-hour period are considered one stay.

You might not be eligible for the Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee if you are comparing American Express prices to promotional prices elsewhere, trying to use coupons or loyalty points to reduce the price of the comparable offer, or trying to access an offer not available to the general public.

Fine Hotels & Resorts VS The Hotel Collection

The Hotel Collection is a separate travel program offered by American Express that offers similar but different benefits and its own set of hotels to choose from. You may be eligible to become a member of both programs, though.

Earn Points booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts

Yes, you can absolutely earn Amex points when booking through Fine Hotels and Resorts. In fact, you might be eligible to earn up to 5x Membership Rewards points on 5-star hotel bookings, depending on your card. You can use points to pay for bookings as well.

Participating Hotels and Resorts

93 hotel and resort brands to choose from!

There are 68 luxury hotel brands featured in the Fine Hotels and Resorts platform. These include:

Alila
Autograph Collection Hotels
Baglioni Hotels and Resorts
Conrad Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Gran Melia Hotels and Resorts
Grand Hyatt
Hilton Hotels and Resorts
Hyatt Regency
Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts
JW Marriott
The Leading Hotels of the World
The Luxury Collection
MGM Resorts International
Montage
Omni Hotels and Resorts
Park Hyatt
Regent Hotels and Resorts
Ritz-Carlton Reserve
The Ritz-Carlton
Rosewood
Six Senses
Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts
The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
W Hotels Worldwide
Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts

This is not a comprehensive list, but you should see some of your favorite luxury brands here. To see all hotel brands, go here.

When you click on a property, you will be taken to a page that describes unique features of that property. You’ll see a description of the hotel, Insider Tips, dining suggestions, relaxation suggestions, and leisure suggestions.

For example, the famous La Reserve Paris Hotel and Spa features a view of the Eiffel Tower and is home to the Michelin-starred Le Gabriel French restaurant. You will also find La Reserve Spa here, which includes three treatment rooms, hammam, an indoor pool, and a fitness center. Guests are encouraged to visit the nearby Passages of Paris or take a private river ride on the Seine River.

How Prices Compare

After doing some comparisons, we can say that American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts doesn’t actually have the best prices. You can often save a bit of money booking directly through a property or with another travel site. The Special Offers category, however, often has some of the best deals when you factor in the complimentary nights and credits.

The benefits you get booking with American Express, including an experience credit worth at least $100 and late check-out, often surpass price differences in value as well. Plus, you’ll earn Amex Membership Rewards points on your bookings. So really, Fine Hotels bookings aren’t always cheaper up front, but they could save you money.

Let’s take a look at an example to give you an idea of what you’ll spend.

You’re booking a stay at the Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica, a five-star property. You choose a Garden View room at Founders Cove.

Through the Fine Hotels and Resorts platform, prices start at $442 a night. Booking direct with the Half Moon, prices start at $431 a night. Neither price includes tax or fees, but the Amex booking comes with complimentary benefits and the Half Moon booking comes with only standard amenities (e.g. no experience credit, standard check-in and check-out, etc.).

Pros and Cons

There is a lot to love about this exclusive program, but there are also a lot of stipulations that come with it. Here are the top advantages and disadvantages.

✅ Pros

Obviously one of the top benefits is that you can save money. If you can manage to get a complimentary night with a Special Offer, you can instantly save hundreds. And on top of that, you’ll get an experience credit worth at least $100. It’s a good idea, though, to search for better credits if you can. The average total value of this program is estimated to be around $550, but some members save considerably more.

Another advantage is the $200 Hotel Credit. If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express you can also earn a $200 annual statement credit when they prepay for Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings with their qualifying card or American Express points. A booking paid in full at the time of reservation is considered to be prepaid and may qualify you for this credit (you will be able to see for sure when checking out). There is no minimum required payment to qualify. You’ll receive this credit automatically and it renews each year, so make sure you spend it while you have it because it won’t roll over to the next year.

The platform is also just generally easy to use and navigate. It’s possible to find and book a hotel in just a few minutes (unless you like to shop around and compare your options), and you can always call the dedicated Platinum Travel services line for help.

🛑 Cons

One of the biggest disadvantages is that you can’t use hotel loyalty points to book travel through this platform. Say you’re a devoted member of World of Hyatt, for example, and you’ve managed to stash away enough points for a booking. If you want to get the benefits of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program, you must use your American Express card or your American Express points to book. You can’t use your hotel loyalty points and there’s a chance you won’t receive points on your stay either (every hotel is different—some let you earn loyalty points on Fine Hotels bookings and others do not).

This program is also fairly limited. With less than 1,200 locations, you’ll run into problems finding hotels from time to time and may need to choose a type of room you normally wouldn’t. On top of this, some benefits are not guaranteed, and you may not want to have to call every hotel or resort beforehand to see exactly which benefits you qualify for.

You can’t book travel for other people either unless you’re on the itinerary.

Overall, we definitely recommend using this program if you have access to it. Amex Platinum cards aren’t cheap, so you can try to make some of your annual fees back this way. However, always do your research before booking a stay to make sure you’re getting the absolute best prices and perks available. Also, always filter results on the Fine Hotels platform for the best credits and discounts when you have the traveling flexibility to do so, and remember to browse the Special Offers section for promotions.

How to Find a Hotel

There are a few ways you can start your search when preparing to book a stay.

One option is to explore by location using the Hotel Finder tool, which shows you hotels that check all of your boxes. Using this tool, you can select a region—United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or Asia Pacific—and then select for the following factors: Ambiance, Environment, Guest Experience, and Features and Activities. Here are the choices for each of those categories.

Ambiance

Romantic
Historic
Artistic
Environmental Certifications
Boutique

Environment

Metropolitan
Tropical
Beachfront
Secluded
Private Stays

Guest Experience

All-inclusive
Family-friendly
Pet-friendly
Business-friendly
Adults-only

Features and Activities

Spa On-Site
Fitness Center On-Site
Restaurant and/or Bar
Ski Destination
Safari Excursions
Pool On-Site
Casino On-Site
Golf Course
Culinary Classes
Guided Adventures

You can select for as many of these interests as you want then click to see how many hotels match your search.

You can also search Platinum Card Member Favorites or browse within the Get Inspired category. The Get Inspired category includes articles and travel guides to help you plan the perfect getaway.

If you prefer to keep things simple, you can just use the hotel search tool on the Fine Hotels and Resorts platform. This asks for the name of a hotel or destination, the dates you’ll be traveling, and the number of travelers. You can search by hotel brand if you’re partial to one, but this will limit your location options.

Many people choose to filter their search by which properties offer the best, highest-value experience credits; which properties offer free nights for longer stays; or which properties are the most highly-rated.

How to Book a Hotel

Then, choose a hotel.

Once you’ve decided on a property by following the guidance in the section above, enter your travel dates and number of travelers if you haven’t already.

Then click View Rates or scroll down to see your room options.

The featured room, the one shown at the top of the list, is often the least expensive option, with larger and more inclusive rooms shown at the bottom. Note the prices, shown in dollars and points, and view the cancellation policy before selecting “Book.” On the next page, you will see all of the benefits included with your chosen room and be able to make special requests. Pay in full when booking to qualify for the $200 Hotel Credit or opt to pay a portion of the price now and the rest when you check in.

You can pay using your American Express premium credit card or you can actually use Amex Membership Rewards to book as well. Every booking will show the price in both dollars and points, and members are often able to save money by using points to pay some or all of the price. Generally, 50,000 points are equal to roughly $500.

Amex Credit Cards That Qualify

An American Express premium card is your ticket to the Fine Hotels and Resorts program. There are four that qualify you for Fine Hotels:

the Amex Platinum card,
the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express,
the Amex Corporate Platinum card, and
the Amex Centurion Card.

Below is a breakdown of each (terms apply):

Amex Platinum

American Express Platinum credit card offers a $300 Equinox Credit, good for any type of club membership or Equinox+ purchases; a $200 Airline Fee Credit for incidental fees you incur flying any airline; and access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection. Plus, earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels when you book directly with an airline or through American Express Travel. The annual fee for this card is $695.

New members can earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points and 10x points on dining when they use their card to spend $6,000 in the first 6 months of opening. Restaurant and small business purchases qualify for the 10x points.

See credit score requirements here.

Amex Business Platinum

The American Express Business Platinum credit card offers a statement credit of up to $400 for purchases made from Dell Technologies (enrollment required), 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, 1.5x points on eligible purchases worth $5,000 or more, and $200 Airline Fee Credit. The annual fee for this card is $595.

New members can earn up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points when they use their card to spend $15,000 in the first 3 months of opening. Qualifying purchases include those made by the card holders or an employee for goods and services.

Amex Corporate Platinum

The American Express Corporate Platinum credit card offers a variety of travel benefits including Uber Perks (2x points on rides and 3x points on Uber Eats orders), Trip Delay Insurance (reimbursement up to $500 for covered trips delayed more than 6 hours), up to $179 per year in CLEAR statement credits, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status, a $200 Airline Fee Credit, and a $100 statement credit for Global Entry fees or $85 credit for TSA Pre-check fees. The annual fee for this card is $550.

Amex Centurion Card

The American Express Centurion credit card, often referred to as the black card, can only be obtained by invitation (your chances are higher if you’re already an Amex member and you have a high net-worth). Complimentary Platinum Medallion status with the Delta Air Lines loyalty program, private lounge access, and hefty travel fee credits are just a few of the benefits offered to members. There is a $10,000 initiation fee for this card and a $5,000 annual fee.

📍 Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card holders: This card does not provide eligibility for the Fine Hotels and Resorts program.

Every Platinum card holder is offered the same travel benefits through the Fine Hotels and Resorts program.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Final Thoughts

Considering that the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program is completely free to use (unless you count the annual fee of having a Platinum credit card) and full of opportunities for members to save on luxury travel bookings, we’d say it’s well worth using. This platform gives you access to premium hotels and resorts across the world with exclusive complimentary benefits and amenities, and lucky Platinum Amex cardholders that qualify to use it are saving hundreds every year.

15 Best Marriott Luxury Hotels to Book with Points in 2022

May 10, 2022 by Lauren Graves

Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world with over 7,640 properties (as of May 2022), and the list just keeps growing. In 2021, the chain added almost 25,000 rooms and expects to continue growing at a rate of at least 6%.

Marriott Bonvoy, the hotel’s loyalty program, just hit 153 million members this year. Members can use their loyalty points to purchase award nights at 30 well-known hotel brands. These include affordable and family-friendly options such as Springhill Suites and Fairfield and high-end options such as Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis.

This hotel chain features hundreds of luxury hotels and resorts in top travel destinations around the world. Whether you’re traveling on business or leisure, you will have no problem finding a first-rate Marriott property to give you the comfort, convenience, and amenities you look for in a high-end hotel.

We’ve rounded up 15 of the top luxury hotels you can book with points. These are the best of the best Marriott properties in 2022 and how much you can expect to pay to stay.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

About Marriott Bonvoy

Anyone can join the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program to start earning points. Plus, you get extra benefits when booking as a Marriott Bonvoy loyalty member. Everyone gets mobile check-in and free WiFi just for being a member, but elite members qualify for enhanced room upgrades, a 48-hour guarantee, lounge access, and more.

There are six membership tiers in this loyalty program. Here’s how many nights you need to book to qualify for each.

Member Status: 0 – 9 nights a year
Silver Elite: 10 – 24 nights a year
Gold Elite: 25 – 49 nights a year
Platinum Elite: 50 – 74 nights a year
Titanium Elite: 75 – 99 nights a year
Ambassador Elite: 100+ nights a year and a least $14K in annual qualifying spend

You can qualify for lifetime elite status with enough qualifying lifetime nights and years of being a member. For example, you will get Lifetime Platinum Elite status when you have been a member with Platinum Elite status for at least 10 years and stayed 600 lifetime nights.

You earn a higher points bonus for your bookings when you reach a higher status, with Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite members earning a bonus of 75%.

Hotel Categories

Marriott Bonvoy divides hotels into eight categories with 1 being the least premium and 8 being the most. Award pricing is determined by hotel category and the season. During peak travel season, you’ll use more points for a booking just as you would pay a higher price.

Take a look at the seasonal redemption rates for every category when you use just points to book.

Category	Off Peak	Standard	Peak
1	5,000	7,500	10,000
2	10,000	12,500	15,000
3	15,000	17,500	20,000
4	20,000	25,000	30,000
5	30,000	35,000	40,000
6	40,000	50,000	60,000
7	50,000	60,000	70,000
8	70,000	85,000	100,000

These rates are reduced by up to 20% when you use PointSavers to book. PointSavers promotions are applied only to select hotels, dates, and room categories, so you won’t be able to find these discounted rates on every stay. But you can search for these promotional rates when booking travel and choose from what’s available. There is no added cost for using PointSavers and anyone can use it regardless of their membership tier.

You may also choose to use a combination of points and cash to book. Here is the redemption chart for cash and point combinations.

Category	Off Peak	Standard	Peak
1	55 USD + 1,500 points	55 USD + 3,500 points	55 USD + 4,500 points
2	65 USD + 4,000 points	65 USD + 6,000 points	65 USD + 7,000 points
3	80 USD + 6,000 points	80 USD + 8,500 points	80 USD + 9,500 points
4	105 USD + 8,000 points	105 USD + 12,000 points	105 USD + 15,000 points
5	140 USD + 13,500 points	140 USD + 17,000 points	140 USD + 21,000 points
6	190 USD + 19,000 points	190 USD + 25,000 points	190 USD + 30,000 points
7	250 USD + 25,000 points	250 USD + 30,000 points	250 USD + 40,000 points
8	440 USD + 27,500 points	440 USD + 42,500 points	440 USD + 57,500 points

How to Earn Points

You can earn points for your Marriott Bonvoy account by:

Booking a Marriott stay
Renting a car through Hertz
Cruising With Points (take a cruise with a partner line)
Eating Around Town (eat at more than 11,000 restaurants
Booking an event through Marriott (e.g. a party, conference, or meeting at a hotel)
Using a co-branded Marriott credit card

We recommend using a co-branded Marriott credit card to easily rack up points on travel and non-travel purchases. Here’s a summary of the two Marriott credit cards available.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

This travel credit card lets you earn up to 17x points on every $1 you spend on Marriott hotel bookings. You’ll get 10x points for being a member, 6x points when you use this card, and an additional 1x points if you have Silver Elite status. You’ll also get 2x points on all other travel purchases. This card has an annual fee of $95.

🏨 Get 3 Free Nights up to a 150,000 Total Point Value (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

This is the less elite version of the previous card, but it still offers serious points-earning value. You can earn up to 14x points total on every dollar used to pay for Marriott stays, and 2x points on all other travel, and 1x points on everything else. There is no annual fee for this card.

Earn 30,000 bonus points once spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

You can use your points to book a stay at any participating Marriott hotel, but to get the most out of them, it makes a lot of sense to go with luxury to make your points count. The following hotels and resorts are some of our favorites.

Ritz-Carlton – Los Angeles

This 5-star Los Angeles hotel is one of the most popular Ritz-Carlton hotels in the world. It is located right in downtown LA within walking distance of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Staples Center, and Los Angeles Convention Center. This is a category 8 hotel, the highest level of luxury Marriott Bonvoy offers.

You can get a room here for between $400 and $1,400 depending on what type of room you get and when you’re traveling. Prices spike during the peak travel season, or around the holidays and during the summer. On average, you can expect to pay around $700 a night and generally not more than $1,000.

To book this room using points, you will spend between 70,000 and 100,000 per night, but likely about 85,000.

💸 Price: ~$630 – $1,400

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000

Ritz-Carlton – New York Central Park

Another iconic Ritz-Carlton destination, this category 8 hotel in the heart of New York offers spectacular views, luxurious suites, and a number of upscale amenities. This hotel is a short walk away from the Museum of Modern Art, the Rockefeller Center, and Fifth Avenue.

Guest room rates at this hotel start at about $800 or 85,000 points per night at standard pricing and go up to about $1,800 a night during peak travel season or the summer months. You can get a room for between 85,000 and 100,000 points per night.

💸 Price: ~$800 – $5,800

💳 Points: 85,000 – 100,000

Ritz-Carlton – Cancun, Quintana Roo

This Ritz-Carlton hotel in sunny Quintana Roo is a category 6 beachfront property. Guests can dine and swim without leaving the resort, or venture out for entertainment, shopping, and immersive cultural experiences.

Prices for guest rooms here start at about $520 per night or 40,000 points during the off-season or when there is a promotion available. In the summer (who doesn’t want to go to Cancun in the summer?), you could be paying $1,500 a night or more for the lowest rate room, or up to 60,000 in points. Deluxe suites with oceanfront views can cost more than $2,600 a night.

💸 Price: ~$520 – $2,600

💳 Points: 40,000 – 60,000

Ritz-Carlton – Montreal, Quebec

If you’re Montreal-bound and you want a luxe travel experience, consider staying at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal. This is a category 7 Marriott destination at the city’s center that has been named the best hotel in Montreal several years in a row, well-known for its on-site French restaurant and large suites.

Staying in a guest room here costs anywhere from about 500 CAD to 750 CAD a night and prices don’t fluctuate as much as some other hotels. In points, you’re looking at either 50,000 or 60,000 a night, but probably 60,000.

💸 Price: ~$500 CAD – $750 CAD

💳 Points: 50,000 – 60,000 points

Ritz-Carlton – Bali, Indonesia

A category 6 property in Indonesia, the Ritz-Carlton Bali is a luxury resort with an unbeatable spot on the coast of Nusa Dua. It’s a five-star private paradise that offers best-in-class amenities (like a hydra-vital pool, spa, and more) and hospitality for a memorable Bali getaway.

Prices for standard rooms at this location start at about 1,950,000 IDR or about $140 a night and max out at around $4,988,000 IDR or about $350 a night. Using rewards, you will pay between 45,000 and 60,000 points for every night of your booking.

This location regularly offers PointSavers promotions, so keep an eye out for these if your dates are flexible. For example, you can get a night for as little as 35,000 points using this feature.

💸 Price: ~$140 – $350

💳 Points: 45,000 – 60,000 points

St. Regis – Washington D.C.

St. Regis in Washington, D.C., is a city staple that towers over the downtown district. It is a historic building with original fixtures and old-school elegance that offers guests prime access to the city’s epicenter and a short two-block walk to the White House. This is a category 7 Marriott property.

To stay here will cost you anywhere from about $270 to $615 if you choose a standard guest room. If you book with points, you will need to use between 50,000 and 70,000 points per night. The peak travel season starts in mid-March at this location.

Most rooms at this hotel let you choose between non-refundable, prepay, and member rates that vary slightly in price. You can save the most money if you are willing to prepay and book a non-refundable room.

💸 Price: ~$270 – $615

💳 Points: 50,000 – 70,000 points

St. Regis – Punta Mita, Mexico

St. Regis Punta Mita is a category 8 resort with 22 gorgeous acres of property in the scenic Mexican peninsula of Punta Mita. There are many luxury hotels in this destination, so the competition is stiff, but this property is a favorite with many tourists. Butler services and private villas await you.

Prices here for standard guest rooms range a lot with travel peaks, starting at about $780 and going all the way up to $1,500 a night. Most likely, you’re looking at around $1,000 per night. You’ll pay between 70,000 and 140,000 points per night, per room

💸 Price: ~$780 – $1,500

💳 Points: 70,000 – 140,000 points

St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort – Puerto Rico

St. Regis is a luxury Marriott retreat located in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. This category 8 property on Bahia Beach is wedged between the sea and the El Yunque rainforest, with spacious suites offering extravagant accommodations and views.

To stay here in a guest room, you could be paying anywhere from $650 to $2,000 per night. Avoid visiting in the summer if you don’t want to pay $2,000. Using points to book, the rate is between 70,000 and 100,000 a night. These rooms tend to fill up well in advance, so try to plan as far ahead as possible.

💸 Price: ~$650 – $2,000

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000 points

The Gritti Palace – Venice, Italy

Stay at one of the most elegant and prestigious hotels in Venice, Italy, when you book a room at the Gritti Palace. Built in 1475 and beautifully preserved, this five-star, category 8 hotel is located right in the heart of the city on the canal.

A standard room here starts at about 780 EUR and tops out at around 1,470 a night. From May through September, you’ll pay about 1,200 EUR per night. In points, a room will cost you anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 points a night. This is another hotel that you definitely want to book in advance if you can.

💸 Price: 780 EUR – 1,470 EUR

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000 points

The Miami Beach EDITION – Miami, Florida

Check out the EDITION hotel on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida, the next time you’re in the area. This is an ultra-modern, boutique category 8 hotel right on the ocean with a spa and bowling alley on the property and world-class dining.

You will pay at least $450 a night for a guest room here and as much as $2,640. This range is extreme because Miami Beach is a popular travel destination around the holidays, so avoid going during Thanksgiving and Christmas. When you book with points, you will pay between 70,000 and 100,000 a night.

💸 Price: ~$450 – $2,640

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000 points

Vedema, the Luxury Collection – Megalohori Santorini, Greece

The Luxury Collection is a division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts that features unique hotels in culturally rich and breathtaking destinations. The Vedema Resort, for example, is a Luxury Collection property in Megalohori Santorini, Greece, iconic to the already-scenic region with regional architecture and one-of-a-kind views. This is a category 8 Marriott property.

The price of a room here begins at around 300 EUR and can reach up to 5,000 EUR a night. There is a limited number of rooms here, so getting in might be difficult. The rate in points is between 70,000 and 100,000 a night.

💸 Price: ~300 EUR – 5,000 EUR

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000 points

JW Marriott Maldives – Maldives

Stay at one of the most opulent hotels in the Maldives when you book at the JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa. This is a category 8 resort on the tiny island nation of the Maldives offering watersports, spa packages, a variety of dining options, and more.

You can expect to be paying at least $780 a night here, but you’ll likely pay much more. This property has one of the craziest price ranges we’ve seen with rates up to $9,300 a night for guest rooms. Point rates are a little more steady at 70,000 to 100,000 per night.

💸 Price: $780 – $9,300

💳 Points: 70,000 – 100,000 points

JW Marriott Mauritius Resort – Mauritius

This JW Marriott property, rebranded in 2021 from a St. Regis, had to be on our list. It is a category 7 property on the Le Morne Peninsula of Mauritius off the coast of Africa that puts guests right on the beach of the Indian Ocean.

You can get a guest room here for as little as about $560 and as much as $1,570 a night. You are pretty much guaranteed the lowest prices when you travel in February or March, and you can expect to pay the highest prices in the summer months. When you use points to pay, you’ll spend between 50,000 and 70,000 per night with rates starting to top out in March.

💸 Price: ~$560 – $1,570

💳 Points: 50,000 – 70,000 points

W Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Lumpur

The W Kuala Lumpur is a five-star hotel located in the center of Lumpur, Malaysia. This is a category 5 Marriott property within walking distance of the Kuala Lumpur City Center and the Perdana Botanical Gardens. Though not as extravagant as other hotels on this list, we still recommend this property for a lush Malaysian trip.

To stay here, you’ll pay 590 MYR on the lowest end and 1,800 MYR on the highest end. You’ll need to use at least 30,000 points every night and at most 40,000. To avoid heavy rain, the best time to visit Malaysia are the months from February to September.

💸 Price: ~$140 – $430

💳 Points: 30,000 – 40,000 points

Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porta de Monaco – Cap d/Ail, France

Finally, we want to put a Marriott property in Port de Cap d’Ail, France, on your radar. The Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porte de Monaco is situated between the sea, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, and Monte Carlo. Though only a category 5 property, this hotel is perfect for a French getaway that feels luxurious but won’t break the bank.

Rooms here cost anywhere from 170 EUR to 1,100 EUR a night. If you’re using points, you will need between 30,000 and 40,000 a night (sometimes up to 50,000).

💸 Price: ~170 EUR – 1,100 EUR

💳 Points: 30,000 – 40,000 points

Final Thoughts

There’s no reason not to book luxury Marriott stays with your Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points. Marriott continues to add properties to its lineup, so we definitely recommend checking the list of hotels and resorts when traveling. If you’ve got loyalty points burning a hole in your Marriott account, use them to save money on high-end hotel and resort bookings.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

American Airlines Baggage Policy, Exceptions and Fees

May 1, 2022 by Lauren Graves

No traveler ever looks forward to annoying baggage and incidental fees, but airline charges are even worse when they are unexpected.

If you’re planning on flying with American Airlines in the near future make sure you know what the baggage rules are and what traveling with (additional) bags will cost you in 2022.

For all the information you’ll want to know before checking in at American Airlines, keep reading.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

American Airlines Carry-On Allowance

Like many airlines, American Airlines allows passengers to board with one personal item and one carry-on bag, free of charge. That is, at long as luggage meets size and weight requirements.

Carry-on bags may not exceed:

22 inches x 14 inches x 9 inches or 56 centimeters x 36 centimeters x 23 centimeters.

If you’re not quite sure whether or not your bags are within these restrictions, you can test them in a carry-on sizer at the American Airlines check-in. This will ensure that your bag fits either in the overhead bin or under your seat. If it does not, you will need to check it and pay the associated fees (more on that below).

Exceptions to the Rule:

One exception is that soft-sided garment bags are allowed to measure up to 51 linear inches or 130 centimeters and still qualify as complimentary carry-on luggage.

As for personal items, dimensions should not exceed 18 inches x 14 inches x 8 inches or 45 centimeters x 35 centimeters x 20 centimeters. Purses, laptops, and small handbags are typical.

Child restraint devices and mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs do not count toward your personal item and carry-on limit and can be brought with you at no additional cost.

Carry-On Allowance for Toddlers and Children

Children over the age of two must have their own ticket – purchased at the adult fare.

Children under the age of two are allowed to travel on the lap of an adult and have one carry-on diaper bag with them. Strollers and safety seats count as checked luggage.

The only way to carry on a safety seat is to purchase a seat next to you or hope for one to be open when you board. Otherwise, it will not travel with you in the cabin.

Bringing Pets OnBoard

Small domestic cats and dogs may accompany you on your next American Airlines flight. Depending on their size, they will count toward either your carry-on or checked baggage allowance. If they don’t fit in either, they’ll be transported in Cargo.

The following destinations allow pets:

The 48 contiguous U.S. states and Alaska
Flights between the U.S. and Canada (with restrictions)
Central America (with restrictions)
Mexico (with restrictions)
Puerto Rico
St. Croix
St. Thomas

For a complete list of restrictions on the above destinations as well as information about locations not included, visit this American Airlines page.

If you do bring a pet with you in the cabin, their crate or kennel will count as your free carry-on. Carried-on pets and their travel containers are not to exceed the under-seat dimensions previously mentioned (unless they are soft-sided/collapsible, in which case they may slightly exceed these dimensions as long as this is safe for the pet).

There is limited space for pets on each plane (7 kennels on American flights, not counting service animals, and 5 kennels on American Eagle flights), so you’ll want to arrange for their travel as far in advance as possible.

You may travel and check up to two pets per flight. You will need to provide a health certificate for all pets and allow for extra check-in time.

Each checked pet incurs a charge of $150 within the U.S. and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Carry-on pets cost $125 per kennel. Service animals may accompany you on any flight route and do not cost extra.

Certain dog breeds are restricted from traveling. These include but are not limited to Boxers, Bulldogs, Chow Chows, Pit bulls, and Shih Tzus. Burmese, Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair cats are also not allowed.

Musical Instruments

Musical instruments fall under the category of carry-ons and therefore must meet the same dimension requirements as carry-on luggage.

If an instrument does not fit in the overhead bin or beneath the seat in front of you, you will need to check it or buy an additional seat for it.

You will also need to pay extra if it exceeds size and/or weight restrictions. The maximum size for checked instruments is 150 inches or 381 centimeters.

Prohibited Items

There are many items prohibited to travel by the TSA for safety reasons. These include many types of:

weapons,
lighters,
high proof alcoholic beverages,
large sports equipment,
sharp objects, and
other potentially dangerous or overly bulky items.

This page provides a complete list of all restricted items on American Airlines flights.

American Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance

For all regions and routes, the American Airlines checked bag allowance—which pertains to not only how many bags you can check but how much each of these may measure and weigh—is determined by a combination of elite status and flight class.

Checked bags are permitted to measure up to 62 linear inches and weigh up to 50 pounds for most passengers. But if you are flying First or Business class, this weight restriction becomes 70 pounds.

Many flights will allow you to check up to 10 bags and others only five. Every additional bag costs more than the last until you get up to four bags.

On the majority of flights, the first checked bag costs $30, the second costs $40, the third costs $150, and the fourth (and every bag in excess of this) costs $200.

Checked Baggage for Children

If you’re traveling with a child, you may check one collapsible stroller and one government-approved safety seat for free. These must be checked at the ticket counter or gate.

Those traveling with both a car seat and stroller may check only one at the gate—most likely the car seat—and will need to check the other—most likely the stroller—at the ticket counter (strollers weighing more than 20 pounds or 9 kilograms need to be checked at the ticket counter). All other items are included as regular checked baggage.

Excessive Baggage Fees

Checked bags over the size of 62 linear inches will incur an additional fee of either $150 or $200, depending on where you’re flying to. No checked bags may exceed 126 linear inches or 320 centimeters.

First and Business flyers as well as Executive Platinum and oneworld Emerald elite members can check bags weighing up to 70 pounds without being charged extra. All others must pay $100 for every checked bag between 51 and 70 pounds and $200+ for every bag weighing in excess of 71 pounds.

No bags weighing over 100 pounds will be permitted on any flights. Overweight checked luggage is not accepted on European (transatlantic) flights, flights to/from Cuba, or flights to/from Australia. Bags on flights to/from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Australia (transpacific) weighing more than 71 pounds cost $450 each.

Here’s a full breakdown of checked baggage fees for American Airlines customers flying in the main cabin:

Country/Region	1st Bag	2nd Bag	3rd Bag	4th Bag +
U.S.	$30	$40	$150	$200
Mexico	$30	$40	$150	$200
Haiti	$0	$70	$150	$200
Cuba	$0/$30	$0 / $40	$150	$200
Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti)	$30	$40	$150	$200
Panama	$0/$30*	$40	$150	$200
Central America (except Panama)	$30^	$40 / $55**	$150	$200
Colombia	$0/$30*	$55	$150	$200
Ecuador	$0/$30*	$40	$150	$200
Guyana	$30	$40	$150	$200
South America (except Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana)	$0/$30*	$65**	$150	$200
Transatlantic	$0/$75*	$100	$200	$200
Transpacific	$0	$0	$200	$200

All published bag fees are base rates according to travel dates and destinations. The applicable taxes are not shown and will add to the overall cost.

Seasonal pricing applies for travel on June 1, 2022 – August 19, 2022.

*Free bag excludes Basic Economy which is their lowest priced cabin. For travel to and from Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, a $30 bag fee applies to your first bag. For travel to and from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana) a $45 bag fee applies to your first bag. For Transatlantic Basic Economy travel, a $60 bag fee applies for tickets issued on or before April 20, 2020, and $75 for tickets issued on or after April 21, 2020.

^{^} For travel to / from El Salvador, a $30 baggage fee applies to your first bag seasonally only.

**For travel to and from Honduras, you will pay $55 for your second bag seasonally only.

For travel to and from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana) for all Basic Economy tickets a $65 bag fee applies to your second bag.

For travel to and from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana) for Main Economy tickets issued on or before January 27, 2020 your second bag is free and for Main Economy tickets issued on or after January 28, 2020 a $65 bag fee applies to second bags.

Exceptions and Waivers

American Airlines waives checked baggage fees for many of its passengers. Active-duty U.S. military personnel and their dependents can check between one and five bags free of charge. Those traveling on orders can check up to five bags for free and those on personal travel can check up to three.

Confirmed first-class flyers on 3-cabin aircraft receive three complimentary checked bags as well and so can certain credit cardholders (more on this below).

Finally, those with elite status at this airline can take advantage of complimentary checked baggage. AAdvantage is the American Airlines frequent flyer program and oneworld is an airline alliance that links 13 global airlines to help flyers access international flights and benefits more easily. Those with the highest status in either of these programs are favored by American Airlines and rewarded with free bags.

AAdvantage Gold members and oneworld Ruby members, for example, get one checked bag for free. Platinum and Platinum Pro members get two and AAdvantage Executive Platinum and oneworld Emerald members get three. Basically, every AAdvantage or oneworld premier tier will get you at least one checked bag for free.

Credit Cards That Give You a Free Checked Bag

Being an active-duty military member or American Airlines elite passenger is not the only way to score free checked baggage. There are several American Airlines affiliate credit cards to choose from, and many of them offer anywhere from 1 to 3 free checked bags.

These include:

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and
AAdvantage Aviator cards

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Hilton Food and Beverage Credit – 2022 Rules for Elite Card Holders

April 26, 2022 by Lauren Graves

If you’ve been a Hilton Honors rewards member for a while, you might remember that the program used to offer free breakfast to Diamond and Gold members. In fact, you could still get a complimentary continental breakfast during any Hilton stay back in 2020.

Now, instead of free breakfast, these members get a food and beverage credit that can, but doesn’t have to, be used for breakfast.

Keep reading to find out more about the current breakfast credit rule at Hilton properties and why you just might prefer it to the old school system.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Current Breakfast Rule

As of 2022, Hilton uses a credit system for food and beverages. Gold and Diamond members used to get a complimentary continental breakfast with every stay. In place of this, they now receive a daily credit that can be used toward eligible food and beverage purchases made at participating Hilton properties.

The Hilton Honors member who arranged and is paying for the booking, and one additional guest in the room, receive the daily credit. There are no restrictions on what time of day you use your credit and the credit doesn’t come out of your Hilton Honors points balance.

Hilton launched this new system in July 2021 to replace the Continental Breakfast benefit given exclusively to elite members. The credit was only going to be available through 2021, but Hilton announced in February of 2022 that it would be extended through at least the end of this year. And along with extending the offer, increased the credit value and added locations.

The value of the credit and how exactly you can use it depends on the Hilton location you’re staying at. Luxury properties tend to have a higher credit value than less premium properties. We’ll go over which hotel brands participate and the credit for each in the next section.

This change does not do away with the free continental breakfast included with every stay at many Hilton properties. If you’re staying at a hotel or resort that offers free breakfast to all guests regardless of their loyalty status, this won’t change (in other words, you won’t receive a daily credit in addition to your complimentary breakfast, but you’ll still get your free food).

A lot of Hilton rewards members are actually pleased with these changes. These credits offer a lot more flexibility in terms of how and when you eat on Hilton’s dime, and the value is usually higher than that of a continental breakfast.

Which Hotels Offer Credits?

Not every hotel under the Hilton name participates in the new credit program. Out of 18 Hilton brands, only 11 offer the credit. The brands that participate are listed below.

Hilton brands that offer the daily F&B credit:

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
LXR Hotels & Resorts
Conrad Hotels & Resorts
Signia by Hilton
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Curio Collection by Hilton
DoubleTree by Hilton
Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Canopy by Hilton
Motto by Hilton
Hilton Garden Inn

The Hilton Honors Daily F&B credit is not included with stays at all-inclusive properties or select discount brands that provide complimentary food and beverage to guests of any membership status. Brands that offer complimentary continental or buffet-style breakfast to all guests include Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton.

📍 Conrad, LXR, and Waldorf Astoria: $25 credit value per day for each guest, up to $50 daily.

📍 Canopy, Curio Collection, DoubleTree, Hilton Hotels, Motto, Signia, and Tapestry Collection: $15 or $18 credit value per day for each guest, up to $30 or $36 daily.

These values are market dependent with the higher value being offered in big cities. These include Boston, Chicago, New York City, D.C., Key Largo, Key West, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and all properties in Hawaii. All other locations offer the $15 credit.

📍 Hilton Garden Inn: $10 credit value per day for each guest, up to $20 daily

If you will be traveling with a guest and want them to receive a credit of their own, make sure you add them to your reservation prior to your stay. The person receiving your second credit must be the same person for the entirety of your stay.

How to Use Your Food and Beverage Credit

Your credit should be applied automatically to eligible stays. If you make a covered food or beverage purchase either in your room (i.e. room service), at a restaurant, or at a kiosk or desk that offers to-go options, the total for this will be deducted from your final bill up to the daily credit value.

In other words, if you and another person are staying at a hotel with a $15 daily credit and you use the full amount each day for three days, $90 will be knocked off your bill automatically (the credit is also applied to any tax and gratuity you pay). If for some reason this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to get in touch with Hilton to fix it.

Prior to a qualifying stay, you will receive an email from Hilton letting you know that your upcoming booking will include a Daily F&B Credit and the value of that credit for you and one guest.

📍 This is important: If you don’t use your credit, it will not roll over. So you can’t stockpile credits for future stays or save them all for one night of a booking. You just forfeit whatever you don’t use. You cannot redeem the Daily F&B Credit for cash.

Note that the Hilton Honors member who qualifies for the credit must be the one paying for the booking and also staying at the property. Other people cannot use your rewards account to get the food and beverage credit. That said, there is no rule stating that the awards member must be the one eating the food purchased with their credit.

If you’re not planning to use the credit, you can actually opt to redeem it as Bonus Points for your Hilton Honors account instead if you’re in the Gold tier. Gold members are eligible to choose Bonus Points in place of their Daily Food and Beverage Credit (point value differs by the property) and Diamond members actually receive 1,000 Bonus Points in addition to their Credit.

Only Hilton Garden Inn requires Diamond members to choose between the credit and points, with up to 750 Bonus Points available instead of the food and beverage credit.

If you plan to redeem the credit for points, go into your Hilton Honors account to change your preferences for your MyWay benefit from the credit to bonus points. You won’t be able to change your selection after arriving for a stay.

Note that credits reset at the end of every day and “expire” after you checkout. There are no restrictions on when you can use your credit as long as you use it within the day it was issued.

What Can the Credit Be Used For?

The Daily F&B Credit can be used at restaurants and bars, cafes and lounges, snack bars, and buffet-style establishments. Room service and in-room dining are eligible as well. The credit also covers alcohol purchases in most states and cities.

If dining or grab-and-go food is offered inside a qualifying hotel or resort (excluding vending machines), the Daily F&B Credit can be used. You can use the credit at as many different places as you like.

Check the email you receive prior to your booking for details about a particular stay.

How to Become a Hilton Diamond or Gold Member

Not a Diamond or Gold member? No worries. You can work up through the ranks to get that Daily F&B Credit with the following activities:

Staying at Hilton properties
Using a Hilton credit card
Dining at qualifying restaurants
Purchasing points for your account

For every $1 you spend on a booking, you will earn 10 points for your Hilton Honors account (note: this is the base rate and increases with each membership tier).

Points can be redeemed for award nights, room upgrades, Lyft rides, car rentals, award flights, and more. And the higher your membership status, the easier it is to earn even more points with exclusive milestone bonuses. Look out for member-only opportunities to accelerate your points-earning on select stays as well.

You can also earn points for your Hilton Honors account or redeem points from it with partners like Lyft, Air France Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Delta SkyMiles, Qantas Frequent Flyer, United MileagePlus, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Gold status, which requires at least 28 qualifying nights, comes with an 80% points earning bonus on all stays, complimentary room upgrades when available (up to Executive Floor room types), the Daily Food and Beverage Credit, and milestone bonuses. You can also reach Gold with 21 stays of at least two consecutive nights each or 52,500 base points.

Diamond status, which requires at least 42 qualifying nights, comes with a 100% points earning bonus, executive lounge access, elite status extension, a 48-hour room guarantee, the Daily Food and Beverage Credit, and all the perks of Gold. You can also reach Diamond with 21 stays of at least two consecutive nights each or 84,000 base points.

If you’re not a member yet, sign up for free using this link to get more out of your stays with Hilton. Everyone begins at basic “Member” status and can achieve Silver status after staying for at least 7 nights. Silver members enjoy a 20% points earning bonus, a free fifth award night when you stay at least four consecutive nights, and elite rollover nights.

Is Elite Status Worth It?

And there are a lot more perks to loyalty than just free food and drinks, but is it really worth The answer to this question really depends on how often you travel and stay at Hilton properties.

And when you do stay with Hilton, which hotel brands do you prefer? The most perks are going to come with more luxurious, full-service properties and resorts. Things like lounge access and room upgrades are best at more premium Hilton properties

We recommend that the average traveler choose and focus on one or two hotel rewards programs to achieve elite status. Hilton’s loyalty program is great in a lot of ways, but Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond status are not easy to achieve and might not be worth the trouble for you if you prefer other hotel brands.

Final Thoughts

At least until the end of 2022, Hilton Honors is a good loyalty program to be a part of if you like free food and drinks and Hilton Hotel brands. The new Daily F&B Credit program, as popular as it has been so far, might be extended again after this year or made permanent, but no one knows for sure. So take advantage while you can if you’re a Gold or Diamond rewards member.

Especially great for business or luxury travelers, as these properties offer better credits and redemption opportunities, the Daily F&B Credit is a perk to get excited about.