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

May 14, 2022 by Lauren Graves

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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.

The Ultimate Guide to the Capital One Travel Portal [2022 Edition]

May 11, 2022 by Adam Luehrs

The official travel-booking arm of Capital One, Capital One Travel, is a portal full of flexibility, points potential and breezy bookings for cardholders.

In 2022, Capital One has been expanding access to their travel portal. As of May 2022, all Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders will now earn 5 and 10 miles per dollar, respectively, when they book through the Turo website or mobile app.

There’s also some big news for lounge lovers that might make them consider converting over from whatever travel program they’re plugged into already. Capital One plans on adding new lounges in Washington DC and Denver, CO this year.

The emerging developments with the Capital One Travel portal make it necessary to talk about the program’s long-standing setup, recent changes and the changes that are being rolled out in the months to come.

In a world of loyalty programs and booking websites, it’s time to investigate if Capital One Travel is the one.

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

Who is it For

First, Capital One Travel isn’t a “replacement” for Expedia, Orbitz or any other booking platforms you’ve been using to book your annual vacation. This is a program for serious spenders who do some serious spending on travel.

What’s more, the best way to really maximize your miles with this program is to take advantage of 1:1 miles transfers with partner airlines. Many of the best transfer deals are with international partners. When all is said and done, Capital One Travel is for people who trot the globe! It’s especially beneficial if you rack up tons of miles on business travel.

The Basics of the Capital One Travel Portal

The concept behind Capital One Travel is nothing new in the credit card world.

Cardholders who sign up can reserve flights, hotel rooms and car rentals using miles, cash or a combination of miles and cash. People who use their cards the most stand to gain the most. However, where Capital One Travel stands apart is its flexibility. Let’s cover the basics of what life looks like once you’re flying, cruising and spending with Capital One.

You can book flights, hotels and car rentals using the same portal once you’re plugged into the Capital One ecosystem. However, being a Capital One Travel user hinges on the fact that you’ve already been approved for a Capital One credit card. You’ll need one of these cards to enter the Capital One Travel portal:

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

Owning any of these cards comes with its own perks because you’re getting automatic bonuses like thousands of free miles if you spend a certain amount within the first few months of opening your card. However, the Capital One Travel portal brings the benefits to the next level by simply offering a very easy way to book your travel. It’s so easy to stay organized with your trip planning while also getting the perk of instantly applying your “free travel” in real time. No, the Capital One Travel portal isn’t really anything “brilliant” compared to most rewards sites and travel-booking platforms. However, it’s really great for what it is.

What You’ll Really Like

Let’s start with what is probably the top reason to choose Capital One Travel over another option.

Capital One miles earned come with a fixed value.

That means you don’t constantly feel like you’re on a game show where you have to strategize to actually make your points do something for you. Capital One’s fixed-value travel miles mean that you’re never dealing with blackout dates or reward restrictions. The points you’ve earned are fully and truly yours to keep, use and enjoy!

Yes, Capital One still has lots of catching up to do with competitors that are already firmly entrenched in the travel category. Its recent announcement about new lounges that we cover further down shows that Capital One is ready to get in the ring. While it’s still working out some kinks in terms of providing good transfer options, the strength of the Capital One Travel program rests in the strength of what you can do with your Capital One miles. Offering the ability to combine your miles transfers with fixed redemptions, Capital One Travel is worth looking at. Its increasing list of transfer partners makes this program much more attractive than it was even just a year ago.

Capital One also does something really neat with its travel miles that you don’t see a lot. Cardholders can actually redeem previous travel purchases that they’ve made within the last 90 days. Yes, that means that you can retroactively apply miles to flights, hotel rooms and general travel-related purchases. In fact, Capital One is shockingly lenient about what it will consider a travel-related purchase. If you used your Capital One card to make the purchases on the road, things like food delivery, streaming services and Uber rides can all count!

Booking Accommodations With Capital One Travel

Let’s start by talking about how you book flights. You’re simply entering your travel dates, departure destination and arrival destination to check for availability. Capital One gives you the option to search by lowest price if you prefer. Love a specific airline? Capital One will let you search by airline when displaying your results.

The price-comparison features in the Capital One Travel portal really make you feel like you’re not getting pushed toward the most expensive option. For instance, the default is the lowest fare based on the idea that you’ll be purchasing an economy ticket. It also offers the rare perk of actually giving you a quick rundown of price difference between fares.

Booking a hotel is equally as easy. Again, you’re just searching for available rooms based on the dates and location of your stay. This next part is where Capital One’s portal really shines as a shopper’s companion.

The platform doesn’t just display how much a room will cost you per night. It also does the math to show you the full cost of booking each room for your stay.

Next, it displays TripAdvisor ratings next to each option to help you avoid the need to leave the portal to do your “investigative” work. If you’re really serious about getting specific amenities at a hotel, Capital One gives you the option to simply turn on a filter to only see hotel rooms with specific amenities and features.

Honestly, it’s easy to forget that you’re not shopping with a “real” travel-booking website when you hunt for your hotel room with Capital One. They clearly aren’t just resting on the idea that you’re stuck in the funnel based on the fact that you want to cash in points.

Lastly, we get to car rentals. Capital One Travel starts you off by asking about where you want to pick up and drop off your rental vehicle. If you’re a visual person, you can select the option to see a list of available rental locations on a map. Everyone else can just scroll down the list that’s provided. In addition to being able to sort by lowest price, you can check off boxes to narrow your search down based on rental company, car type and car features. It’s beautifully straightforward.

Can You Book Travel Packages?

No, Capital One Travel doesn’t let you book packages.

However, there’s speculation that this is something that will be coming down the pipeline in the future as the company devotes more time and money to its travel program. This is the one area where it’s really lacking compared to options like Hotwire and Expedia.

If you use either of those third-party booking sites, you know that they often advertise amazing deals that place your whole trip just one simple click away. You also often get rock-bottom rates on last-minute getaway deals that bundle everything together with very little “planning” needed on your part. That’s something you’ll really miss if you’ve booked some little trips that ended up being some of the best experiences of your life all because you saw a hot deal come through in your email.

Does Your Elite Hotel Status Carry Over to Capital One Travel?

Here’s another category where going with Capital One Travel loses a few points. Due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel company, you’re not able to use your elite hotel status the way you can when you book directly with your preferred hotel. As a result, you’re losing the ability to take advantage of package deals the way you are with most third-party booking platforms while also losing the benefit of booking directly with the hotel chain you have elite status with. It’s a bit of a lose-lose situation if you happen to have status at a chain like Hilton or Marriott.

Honestly, someone who books frequent hotel stays might do better by using Google Flight Matrix to simply zone in on getting the cheapest flight that can be paired with a hotel room that’s booked directly with the hotel chain.

What’s New With the Portal

Spring of 2021 marked a big sea change for Capital One Travel. The common theme is expansion. For cardholders with the Capital® One Venture® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark® Miles for Business Credit Card and Capital One Spark® Miles Select Credit Card, this is what’s coming:

A new 1:1 transfer tier.
Loyalty partnerships with more airlines.
Access to new lounges.
An updated, AI-powered booking app in partnership with Hopper.

Let’s start with that new 1:1 tier for miles transfers. What does it mean? For cardholders with Venture® and Spark® Miles cards, the living is already pretty easy with 2X miles dished out with every purchase made any day of the year. It’s about to get better. Under the updated policy, Venture® and Spark® Miles cardholders can now look forward to 2X travel loyalty points on every dollar they spend when transferring precious miles to any member on a long list of new partners.

A big piece of news for global travelers, this new 1:1 transfer ratio is good for major global brands like Avianca (LifeMiles), Etihad (Etihad Guest), Asia Miles, AeroMexico (Club Premier), Finnair (Finnair Plus) and Qantas (Qantas Frequent Flyer). In an exciting turn of events, it even applies for Wyndham Rewards.

This helps to take care of the “downside” covered earlier because it’s a nice loophole around not being able to use elite hotel points when booking through Capital One Travel due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel site. If you’re already a loyal Wyndham Rewards member, the news could not be bigger.

Most of the partners on the 1:1 ratio list previously had ratios of 2 points to 1.5 points. With the new update, members are effectively getting a boost of 33 percent more miles when they choose to travel with the 1:1 partners. All of Capital One’s other hotel and airline partners will maintain their existing ratios that range from 2 points to 1.5 points to 2 points to 1 point. The way that point values and miles values work out means that these lower transfer ratios aren’t necessarily bad deals even though they don’t have the wow factor of 1:1.

New partnerships with the loyalty programs of British Airways (Avios), Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges), TAP Air Portugal (Miles&Go) and Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles) are making things even more exciting. If you’re already plotting some trips, here’s a glance at what ratios look like right now when you’re using hotel and airline transfer partners:

Aeromexico Club Premier: 1:1
Air Canada Aeroplan: 2:1.5
Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 2:1.5
Alitalia MilleMiglia: 2:1.5
Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1
British Airways Avios: 2:1.5
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1:1
Emirates Skywards: 2:1
Etihad Airways Guest: 1:1
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands 2:1.5
Finnair Plus: 1:1
JetBlue TrueBlue: 2:1.5
Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 2:1
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go: 1:1
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: 2:1.5
Accor Live Limitless: 2:1
Choice Privileges: 1:1 (Pending)
Wyndham Rewards: 1:1

The real superstars on Capital One’s list of partners are the partners that provide that 1:1 ratio while being members of major airline alliances. For instance, an airline with a 1:1 ratio like Cathay Pacific that also happens to be a member airline of OneWorld alliance opens up options for redeeming miles for flights booked with fellow OneWorld airlines like American Airlines. Similarly, a Star Alliance airline like Avianca allows you to book flights throughout the United States and Europe using sister carriers like United and Lufthansa.

How Will the Collaboration With Hopper Change Capital One Travel?

Of course, the big buzz is that Capital One is in the midst of revamping its travel portal app in collaboration with Hopper. Let’s rewind to discuss Hopper to demonstrate just how big this is for members.

Hopper is a travel-booking platform that uses data to get customers the lowest prices on flights, hotels and cars. This “smart” booking platform is also designed to help travelers make better booking decisions using data-driven insights. That means you’re more likely to get the right accommodations at the right prices if you believe Hopper’s “claim to fame” that its algorithms create a 95-percent accuracy rate for giving you the best travel choices based on your personal needs.

All of these customer-friendly perks are now coming to Capital One Travel members. In fact, Capital One has already revealed which dynamic features will be carried over once it integrates Hopper’s AI-powered tech into its own booking platform. Here’s a look:

Price predictions.
Price alerts.
Dynamic pricing recommendations.
Better integration of Capital One Travel and Capital One Rewards to make it easier to redeem rewards.
Improved mobile app interface.
Improved inter-app messaging and support capabilities that make it easier to change or cancel reservations.

The big takeaway is that customers are going to be able to book with more confidence. For existing customers, the temptation to “check rates” against what they can find on other platforms is likely to vanish. While it looks like lots of bells and whistles coming through, there’s really just one big point to focus on.

This new platform update that’s being done in collaboration with Hopper ultimately protects Capital One cardholders from price volatility. In an era when hotel chains and airlines are increasingly using dynamic pricing tools to adjust prices in real time based on demand, this is a big deal for giving customers peace of mind without the need to obsessively check rates before making booking decisions.

Did Somebody Say New Capital One Travel Lounges?

Yes! Capital One is peppering its news of an expanded and redesigned Capital One Travel portal with the announcement of two new lounges in the coming months.

The newest one is at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) which opened at the end of 2021. The second is set to open its doors at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) later this year. Designed to be state-of-the-art rest zones, both lounges will feature Wi-Fi, work spaces, private showers, luggage lockers, relaxation suites and workout rooms.

As Capital One enters the lounge arena to do battle with big names like American Express for the first time, there’s still a lot that’s not known. As of summer 2021, Capital One had not announced who would be eligible for lounge access. While all cardholders may be permitted to use the lounges, it’s possible that only elite cards will get you entry. It’s also very likely that cardholders will still need to pay to get in most of the time. The only thing that Capital One has revealed so far is that cardholders will be eligible for special entry rates based on card type. Of course, free lounge access may be a carrot that is dangled for some of the top-tier cards that charge higher annual fees.

Tips for Using Capital One Travel to Book Trips

If you decide to jump into the Capital One Travel pipeline, it helps to know how you’ll be redeeming the miles you earn through spending for travel. Like all programs in this vein, Capital One Travel requires that you be intentional and strategic to get the best deals.

Begin by becoming familiar with the different loyalty programs you can transfer all of your points to when you want to book a trip. This isn’t as simple as just selecting an airline because it’s on the list of partners. You’ll need to look at each airline’s reward chart to see how much the value will be when you redeem your miles.

Next, search for any reward seats that might be open.

Lastly, you can transfer your Capital One points to the loyalty program you choose. Just make sure you’re verifying the price against the value of the reward miles you have to transfer. You should never transfer your miles unless you have a specific seat ready to book!

Final Thoughts

The truth is that Capital One Travel hasn’t exactly been an industry leader. While you could sometimes get the lowest price through the portal, that wasn’t something that was to always be expected.

In fact, airfare and hotel rates pretty much sat at average compared to other booking channels. However, that’s likely to change now that Capital One is revamping its usability with Hopper. As an AI-driven, predictive platform, Capital One Travel appears to be gearing up to become the savviest booking platform in terms of pricing among credit card travel portals.

The brand’s decision to ramp up partnerships really makes this a great time to hop on if you’ve been looking for a dedicated travel portal where you can easily compairson-shop while easily applying your miles.

The overall consensus is that Capital One Travel is a decent product that’s rapidly getting better.

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

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:

Credit Score Needed for Southwest Airlines Credit Cards

May 9, 2022 by Adam Luehrs

Getting super-cheap flights isn’t the only reason to stay loyal to Southwest. Home to the Rapid Rewards program, this budget airline has poured a lot into its suite of personal and business credit cards. Tens of thousands of reward points are on the table right now as part of a specific limited-time offer if you have the credit score and income in place to get approved. We’ll get to the details on that in just a minute.

Southwest is one of the better rewards platforms out there to tie your sails to for a number of reasons.

First, it’s the only program that offers unlimited reward seats that are totally unfettered. You’re not dealing with things like blackout dates and expiration deadlines for your points. There’s also tons of built-in ways to save when you make Southwest your go-to airline for earning points. Just the fact alone that your bags fly free with Southwest by default means that you don’t have to worry about applying any of your hard-earned rewards to luggage when you could be scooping up choice seats instead. Southwest also doesn’t ding you with change fees. The point being made here is simply that Southwest really makes you feel like you can dig into your rewards without tons of restrictions and red tape.

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

Currently you have 4 Southwest Credit Card Options to choose from. Here are those offers followed by some of their features and highlights:

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (annual fee of $149)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 7,500 anniversary points and a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year
3X points on Southwest purchases
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (annual fee of $99)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year
3X points on Southwest® purchases
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (annual fee of $69)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (annual fee of $99)

Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

How to Determine the Credit Score Needed for a Southwest Card

While Southwest doesn’t publish its formula for determining who qualifies for Southwest-branded credit cards, there are a few open secrets regarding how the company qualifies cardholders. First, you should know that there’s more scrutiny as you move up to the elite cards. If your credit is a little shaky, you may still be able to get your hands on one of the basic cards in the Southwest roster. However, you also have to be prepared to appeal for manual approval to “make your case” if you don’t get approved automatically.

Credit Range Required for Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards

As a rule, Southwest only automatically approves card applicants with credit scores in the “good” range for its basic cards. That means that going in with a credit score between 700 and 850 is ideal. While there may be some wiggle room below 700 if you only need a basic card, you’ll need to hit 600 at the minimum. Once you’re going for the premium cards in the Southwest lineup, the threshold where people seem to be getting approved smoothly is around 740.

Income Needed for Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards

Again, Southwest doesn’t post any requirements for income. Like most credit cards, Southwest cards use an approval process based on the CARD Act that requires credit card companies to ensure that applicants have the monthly income needed to make monthly payments without necessarily setting a specific minimum requirement for income. That means that Southwest is mostly concerned with your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio when approving you for a credit card. Your DTI is actually what any lender is looking at whenever you apply for a loan, mortgage or some type of financing product.

DTI is a percentage expressing how much of the gross monthly income that you’re taking in goes toward paying down debt. A person with a higher income can have a much higher DTI than a person with a lower income. This is why there’s no “clear” answer about income requirements. While making six figures is going to put you in a better spot to qualify for a Southwest card than someone making $50,000, your DTI can skew things away from your favor.

In the mortgage world, lenders probably aren’t going to give you a loan if your DTI is up above 43 percent. Where it gets tricky is that there’s no standard in the credit card world. While we know that credit card companies like a lower DTI, we don’t exactly know what number they use for cutting applicants off. However, we do know that the Federal Reserve’s standards see anything above 40 percent as being a sign of stress. The Federal Reserve considers a DTI of 20 percent to be good. It’s estimated that credit cards are generally happy with applicants with DTIs of 30 percent. You can figure out your own personal DTI right now by dividing your total monthly debt by your total monthly gross income.

Keep in mind that income isn’t just “wages” when you’re talking about credit card applications. In addition to personal income, you can submit information regarding gifts, allowances, Social Security benefits, trust distributions, scholarships and grants to boost your income. The income of a spouse or partner can also be included.

The Chase 5/24 Rule

Before dipping your toe into the Southwest family of credit cards, you need to know about the Chase 5/24 rule. This infamous rule that is technically “off the record” is one of the biggest determining factors regarding whether or not you’ll get a credit card. It’s known that Southwest credit cards are subject to the 5/24 rule.

The gist of the 5/24 rule is that you’ll be automatically denied for a new Chase credit card if you’ve already been approved for five credit cards within the last 24 months. That means that opening five cards or more in two years will get you cut off from new cards that come with tons of shiny perks. The reason why Chase does this is simply to knock out the “churn” problem that is so common when cards offer perks and rewards. Customers will often try to legally “scam” the system by opening tons of new credit cards with generous sign-on bonuses before closing them before the next annual fee is due. While most credit card companies don’t want to discourage people from opening multiple cards, the policy of no more than five cards every two years is in place to prevent excessive activity with opening and closing accounts. This makes searching for the right card with the right perks even more important because you don’t want to waste one of your approvals on a card that won’t serve you as well as another card.

Credit Score Needed for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Let’s talk about what you need for a credit score for the baseline Rapid Rewards card. While this is a great card for someone who travels here and there, it is by no means a powerhouse travel credit card. It offers some great everyday perks that definitely make it worth considering. While you may be interested in this card if you’re only a light traveler, it’s also a good card to consider if you’re a heavy traveler without the credit score to qualify for a more elite card within the Southwest roster. The two points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases combined with one point for every $1 spent on everyday purchases will make this a great option for everyday purchases with a travel slant even though you’re not getting the cash back and travel credits packed into the other credit cards. Keep in mind that this card is the only one in the Southwest roster of personal cards to not waive foreign transaction fees.

Generally, you’ll need to be up over 600 with your credit score to even be considered for this card. Getting to the 650 range is better for an automatic approval. If you get denied with a credit score below 650, you can appeal to have your application manually approved if you’re convinced that your income and DTI will be enough to get you over the line.

Credit Score Needed for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

If you want 7,500 anniversary points, $75 in Southwest annual travel credits, four seat upgrades per year and 20 percent back on all in-flight drink and Wi-Fi purchases, be prepared to show up with a higher credit score. Considered the elite card in the lineup, the Priority card from Southwest typically requires a credit score of 700 and above. While there may be some leeway if you’re up near 680 or 690, be prepared to make a case with a very high income and low DTI if you appeal your denial because you’re below 700. This is a great card for someone who travels with Southwest frequently. The 20 percent back on in-flight drinks and Wi-Fi is a really good catch. This is also the only card of the three to offer upgraded boardings simply because you happen to own the card. You don’t have to reach any minimum balance to get these four free boarding upgrades. It’s also the only card of the three to give an annual travel credit. Your purchases with this card also set you up for tier-qualifying travel credits. While this card comes with an annual fee of $149, the perks built into the card will more than pay for the annual fee if you travel just a handful of times in a year.

Credit Score Needed for Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

A great pick if you have a small business that sees you boarding Southwest flights a few times per year, the Premier card gives you 6,000 bonus anniversary points each year on a card with an annual fee of just $99. We can see some pretty big overlaps between what this card offers and what the cards in Southwest’s personal lineup offer. The biggest similarity is that you’re getting two times the points on Southwest purchases with that consistent matching of one point for every dollar on everyday purchases.

A credit score of 700 to 850 is recommended when applying for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Visa. Ideal for small-business owners who make frequent trips with Southwest, this card offers a smart way to earn points and perks without a big investment. It offers quite an upgrade from the already impressive Premier business card. Just keep in mind that it comes with an annual fee of $199 that’s essentially double the annual fee of its “younger sibling.”

The 9,000 anniversary points given every year really put a bow on this card. This card also brings things up to the next level from the personal cards because it allows you to earn three points for every $1 spent on Southwest purchases instead of just two. It also gives you a special category for earning two points for every $1 spent when you make purchases for social media, advertising and more using your card. That all comes on top of the one point for each $1 spent that you get for all purchases. The reason why this is a top business card for anyone who books flights frequently with Southwest is that it packs in tons of traveler perks that will only be appreciated if you actually fly with this card. Business owners who don’t fly often probably won’t appreciate these ultra-specific perks. The first notable perk is that you can earn up to 365 in-flight Wi-Fi credits per year. The second is that you get Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ credits totaling up to $100 every four years. You’re also getting four boarding upgrades per year like you get with the Priority personal credit card.

Final Thoughts

The big thing to remember is that required credit scores are only recommendations. Like all credit card brands, Southwest doesn’t publish or publicize its minimum requirements to qualify for cards. There’s no doubt that the company uses complicated formulas to identify low-risk and high-risk cardholders. However, we don’t know the specific cutting-off points used by the company when determining who can qualify. This is why you’ll see outliers discussing how they were approved for a credit card with a credit score below 600 even though it’s thought to be “impossible” to get a card with a score that low. In these cases, Southwest may be approving a person because they happen to have a very strong income.

What is the big takeaway when figuring out the credit score needed to be approved for a Southwest personal or business credit card? Generally, you won’t be approved for any cards in the Southwest roster without a credit score of at least 600. As you move up to the more elite cards, 700 becomes the assumed minimum. Southwest’s business cards also tend to prefer applicants in the range of 690 to 850.

If you get denied for a Southwest credit card when you apply online, it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. You can contact customer service to ask to have your application manually reviewed by someone. While this isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get your application approved once someone gives it a second glance, this can be an option if you have a high income with low a DTI even if your credit score is lagging just slightly.

What should you do if you want to sign up for one of these cards? First, check your credit score to see where you stand. This is going to help you avoid any unnecessary pulls that are going to be done when you apply for cards that are “out of your league.” Once you’ve decided that you definitely want to get your first Southwest card, sign up for the Rapid Rewards program if you’re not already enrolled. This is actually the program you’ll be using to redeem the travel perks and rewards you earn with your Southwest credit card.

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

Credit Score needed for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card + odds of approval

May 9, 2022 by Rosemarie Clancy

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel credit cards in the market for many reasons, but one of the biggest draws is its huge sign-up bonus.

The welcome offer is 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

That translates to $1,000 in free travel (when redeemed through the travel portal), which more than makes up for the $95 annual fee. It’s the kind of bonus you usually only see with a premium card that costs $500 or more a year.

The Sapphire Preferred card earns points in the popular Chase Ultimate Rewards program, and you can use the card to book travel through the bank’s portal at a value of 1.25 cents per point because this card offers a 25% bonus.

You can also redeem the points for cash which means that 100,000 points is equal to $1,000 in cash back. Or you can get statement credits for purchases with the “Pay Yourself Back” feature and get a 25% bonus on select categories.

The points also transfer to airline and hotel programs for even better potential value. This is great if you want to get extra value from your points, especially when booking premium airline seats.

It’s also good if you belong to a travel loyalty program and have some points or miles from flights, hotel stays or credit card sign-up bonuses, but don’t have enough miles or points to book a free hotel stay or award flight.

If you don’t already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, this is the perfect time to sign up and take advantage of the elevated welcome bonus.

But before you hop right into their application process you should know what credit score is required along with general income recommendations and other factors that Chase considers.

To get a better understanding of these factors and requirements, continue reading our comprehensive guide below.

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

Credit Score Required

Remember, Chase considers a number of factors besides credit score.

If neither of the Chase rules preclude you from having a successful application, then this is a great mid-tier card, and this is the perfect time to apply for it because of the elevated bonus. You will still need to have a good or excellent credit score though to get approved.

In most cases a credit score of 720 or more will get you approved for most travel credit cards. This one is no different. You can even be approved with a score of only 700 or even less in some cases, but keep in mind that banks look at a number of factors before making a decision on whether to approve an applicant or not.

Credit History

Chase will also look at your credit history to see if you’re a good candidate.

As a general rule [per consumer.gov] credit history aims to tell a story about how you use your money. Things like:

How many credit cards you have
How many loans you have
Do you pay your bills on time?

…are going to be some of the major factors playing into your overall credit history.

Besides checking to make sure you haven’t applied for more than five cards in the past four years as per the 5/24 rule, they will also check to make sure there are no late payments and that can go back a few years.

You will need to have some credit history to get approved, so if you are new to credit cards this is probably not the best card to start with. Although there are reports of first-timers getting approved, they are rare.

Before you hit the submit button on the application, check your credit score to see if it’s in the right range, and be sure to check your credit history to make sure there are no errors that might interfere with your application.

You can find your credit score for free at many online bank portals, or you can use a service like Credit Karma. You can also see your credit report on that site to make sure you don’t run afoul of the Chase 5/24 rule by counting the cards that you have been approved for in the past two years.

Keep in mind that any card, even retail credit cards, are included in that number. If you’ve applied for one of those in recent years to get a discount or a deal on financing, you might have forgotten about it by now.

Income Level Needed

You will also need to meet income level requirements. They are not formally published, but it is recommended that you earn at least $30,000 a year before applying for the Chase Sapphire card. As is the case with all credit card applications, the more you make the better your chances are of getting approved for this card.

There are many variables that card issuers look at to check your creditworthiness beyond just your credit score, which is determined by looking at credit mix, utilization, payment history, credit history and new credit. The bank will also look at your current employment status and income, and how you’ve used your credit cards in the past in addition to other factors.

Who is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card For?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a great credit card for people that are new to collecting miles and points for free travel because of its flexible redemption options. People that are new to using credit cards for award travel may be confused by the plethora of credit cards available.

There are airline co-branded cards that offer big bonuses as well, but those cards are tied to a particular airline which means the miles can only be used with that airline or its partners. When you want to redeem miles, you need to find award space which can be difficult especially if you want to fly during peak travel times or book multiple seats

Also, airline mileage programs get devalued on a regular basis, so if you’re saving points or miles for a big trip, Chase Ultimate Rewards are a safer bet. They also don’t expire like miles in an airline program can if you don’t fly on that airline or use a co-branded credit card to keep miles from expiring.

Chase Rules

The Sapphire Preferred is also popular with seasoned points collectors because of its big bonus, great earning potential and points value. It earns 2x points per dollar spent on dining and travel and one point on all other purchases so your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance can grow quickly.

But people that already have a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the premium card in the product line, cannot apply for the Preferred card. And you’re not eligible for the bonus if you have gotten one for signing up for either the Preferred or Reserve in the past 48 months.

There is also another Chase rule that may stop you from getting the card. You will not be successful applying for this card if you have gotten more than five personal credit cards in the past two years. And that’s not just Chase cards. It includes any credit card from any issuer, even if you were just added as an authorized user.

Odds of Approval

So what are the odds of getting approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

As our module indicates above, if you have an excellent credit score of 720 or more, your odds of approval are quite good if not excellent. If your income is more than $30k annually, then the odds get better and continue to increase with higher income levels. And if your credit history is clean on top of that then you should be a shoo-in.

If you’ve applied for too many credit cards in the past two years however, that will be a problem. Even though you can call the reconsideration line if your application gets rejected, Chase is not likely to approve you if the number of cards is more than five in the past 24 months.

If you don’t have much credit history, that will also count against you. And if you already have a Sapphire card, then the bank will not approve you. It has to be at least four years since you last held a card in the Sapphire family in order for you to be eligible for the 100,000 point sign-up bonus.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Some people that applied for the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® when it premiered in August 2016 with a $450 annual fee and a 100,000 point bonus would be eligible for this current offer on the Preferred if they no longer hold the Reserve card.

According to Chase, “This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.”

If you applied for the Reserve card when it was first introduced and no longer have it, then you are eligible for the sign-up bonus on the Preferred. If you still have the card, you are not.

If you haven’t applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve previously, this may not be the time to get that premium card because the sign-up bonus is only 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is a steep $550.

The Reserve does earn 3x on dining and travel purchases, which is one point more than he Sapphire Preferred. And if you hold the Reserve card, Ultimate Reward points are worth 1.5 cents each if you redeem them through the Chase portal. But the current sign-up bonus on the Reserve is still only worth $900 in travel through the portal, so the Sapphire Preferred is a much better deal..

Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits

It’s important to look at the card benefits in addition to bonuses and earning potential when making your decision to apply for a card, but if you’re eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and have been thinking about getting it, this is a great time to pull the trigger.

The sign-up bonus has never been this high before and you may not see it again as these promotions are usually for a limited time. It’s very rare for a card like the Preferred at the mid-tier level with such high-value points to offer this much of a bonus just for signing up and meeting minimum spend.

We’ve already talked about the value of 100,000 points when used for up to $1,250 in travel including airfare, hotels and travel experiences like tours through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. You can even book local tours if you are taking a staycation. Cardholders also have exclusive access to events in entertainment, dining, music and sports including tickets to the Sundance Film Festival and the Chase Sapphire Private Dining Series.

We’ve also discussed the card’s ability to earn more points when you travel and dine out or order in as it offers double points on those purchases. It’s also important to note that Ultimate Rewards points never expire, especially after a pandemic that shut down travel and dining experiences over the past year.

Food deliveries also earn you 2x points when using the Chase Sapphire card and the card comes with a complimentary one-year DashPass, a subscription service from DoorDash that eliminates delivery fees and reduces service fees on food deliveries. You need to activate it by the end of 2021.

To work off those calories, you also get a $60 rebate on a Peloton Digital or All-Access membership through the end of this year. It lets you take cardio, running, yoga and other classes using a tablet or TV, which is perfect for travelers as no equipment is needed, so no need to head to the hotel gym.

And for a limited time you can earn 5x points on Lyft rides. That’s three extra points over the 2x you would normally earn for travel. This promotion is in place until March 2022, but if you use rideshares often, these points will add up quickly.

Airline and Hotel Reward Program Transfer Partners

When it comes time to redeem that sign-up bonus and all the points you’ll earn on bonus categories and regular spending, one of your best bets to get the highest value is to transfer them to airline and/or hotel loyalty programs, especially if your goal includes booking a seat in business or first class.

This is also a good way to top off your balance if you want to redeem points or miles with an airline or hotel program, but you are short on the amount needed especially if you don’t stay at a particular hotel chain frequently or fly much on an airline but still have some rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred transfers to airline frequent flyer programs on a 1:1 basis including:

Aer Lingus,
British Airways,
Emirates,
Air France/KLM,
Iberia,
JetBlue,
Singapore Airlines,
Southwest,
United and Virgin Atlantic

These airline partners give you access to all three of the major airline alliances:

Oneworld,
SkyTeam and
Star Alliance.

You can also transfer points to three hotel frequent stay programs including World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards Club and Marriott Bonvoy. Points also transfer on a 1:1 basis with these hotel partners.

Airline mileage programs can be difficult to navigate for people who are not familiar with the program rules or don’t have the time to search for award space, but if you are new to miles and points the Sapphire card is perfect as you can try to find space and book an airline award ticket with these points or simply use the Chase portal to book your next flight, hotel stay, cruise or car rental.

You can also use a combination of points and cash to book through Chase if you use the Sapphire Preferred so the travel possibilities are endless.

Other Travel Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Preferred also comes with a host of travel benefits including access to a Visa Signature Concierge service 24 hours a day, no foreign transaction fees, car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay and lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, emergency assistance and roadside dispatch.

The card offers car rental collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance, which can save you lots of money. Just use the card to book your auto rental and decline the CDW when picking up the car. Coverage is primary and will reimburse you for theft and collision damage on most rentals in the US and overseas.

If your trip is cancelled or interrupted by illness, bad weather or other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses including airfare, hotel stays and tours.

If your baggage is delayed for over six hours, Chase will reimburse you up to $100 a day for five days. There’s also up to $3,000 in coverage on the card If your luggage or a family member’s checked or carry-on luggage is damaged or lost,

There’s also up to $500,000 coverage if you use your card to pay for air, bus, train or cruise transport and there is an accident that causes death or dismemberment.

[Related: Read our guide on how to choose the right travel credit card for you.]

Final Thoughts

This is one of the best opportunities to get a huge stash of Ultimate Rewards points since many Chase cards that have traditionally offered them as a sign-up bonus, like the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards, are currently offering $200 cash sign-up bonuses.

While those cards are still great for earning Ultimate Rewards points because the Freedom card has rotating categories that offer 5x points each quarter, and the Unlimited version lets you earn 1.5x on all purchases, they don’t come near the value of the current 100,000-point bonus currently being offered for signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

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