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American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts: 2021 Guide

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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.

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 a complimentary third night on bookings made and completed between now and the end of January 2022. 

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 December 2021.

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 Amex 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. American Express Platinum card members 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.

image credit: americanexpress.com

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

Log in to your American Express account and navigate to the Travel section.

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 Amex Business Platinum card, the Amex Corporate Platinum card, and the Amex Centurion Card.

All of the following credit cards also qualify you for a $200 Hotel Credit on Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings.

  • 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 $200 statement credit for purchases made from Dell Technologies, 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 Amex Platinum cardholders: sorry, but this card doesn’t make you eligible for the Fine Hotels and Resorts program. 

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

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.

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

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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 usually 60,000 points, which is an attractive offer, but Chase is currently offering 100,000 points to new applicants who spend $4,000 in the first three months after opening the account. 

That translates to $1,250 in free travel, 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. That promotion is currently in place until the end of September 2021. 

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.

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 is not a good time to get that premium card because the sign-up bonus is only 60,000 points and the annual fee is now $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.

FoundersCard Review: Are the Benefits Worth the Cost in 2021

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image credit: founderscard.com

FoundersCard, founded in 2009, is a business that aims to give entrepreneurs the same travel benefits and networking opportunities as senior members of established corporations.

The idea is that the people working hard to make their businesses successful, entrepreneurs, deserve special treatment when they travel, network, and make purchases to grow their company.

The FoundersCard is an elite perks card that instantly grants cardholders VIP treatment with a number of airlines, hotels, and retailers—sometimes in the form of access and other times in the form of discounts.

There are over 50,000 FoundersCard members using their memberships to save money when promoting their small businesses and enjoying more than 650,000 benefit redemptions.

Find out how this program works and what membership benefits include here.

FoundersCard Explained

FoundersCard membership comes with a variety of perks for small business owners, especially those who travel. Because of the exclusive nature of this membership, FoundersCard doesn’t readily advertise the specifics of this card very well. But you don’t have to become a part of the club to understand what you’re getting yourself into.

What Is It

The FoundersCard is something like a good travel credit card combined with universal loyalty membership. You don’t use it to make purchases and it doesn’t affect your credit, but it can help you save money. This card is your ticket to elite status with a number of loyalty programs and gets you discounts codes, promotional rates, and VIP status with hundreds of businesses.

This is a private program for entrepreneurs and business owners, so many of the benefits are designed to help you save on business-related expenses such as travel and workplace solutions.

How to Get One

Anyone is eligible to apply for a FoundersCard, but membership isn’t guaranteed. FC lets in a limited number of people to keep its network private. The program is available to entrepreneurs around the world but some benefits may not be available globally. 

There is a limit of one active account per member. Users under the age of 21 are not eligible for FoundersCard membership.

You will need to provide credit card information during the application process both to pay the annual and initiation fee and to give you access to membership benefits that require billing information. The company will take a couple of days to review your application and get back to you about whether you’ve been accepted. As soon as your application is approved, you become part of the community and can start redeeming perks and benefits.

How Much Does It Cost

This card isn’t cheap. The annual fee for FoundersCard membership is $595 and the cost to join is $95. You might be able to get a discount on the membership fee if you receive a referral code when you apply to sign up, which could knock your fee down to $395.

While expensive, many members say they easily make the membership fee back in benefits redemption. This is especially true for those who already spend a considerable amount of money each year on travel costs and various business expenses (i.e. most business owners).

For example, one user claimed to save over $5,000 on her purchase of a new car just from FC membership. Another saved $600 in Stripe fees. If you really use the membership for all it’s worth, you can save a lot more than you spend on membership.

Keep an eye out for free trials. FoundersCard occasionally runs promotions that let you try membership for up to six months before paying.

FoundersCard Elite

If FoundersCard membership isn’t elite enough for you, you can apply for FOUNDERSCARD ELITE. Basically, this card gives you even more perks and comes with a heftier price tag. Elite members get more complimentary upgrades and benefits as well as an additional FC membership for a spouse or business associate at no cost. The secondary member will enjoy the benefits the primary member has redeemed.

The spouse or significant other does not need to qualify for membership or pay a separate annual fee, but they do need to have their own credit card on file in order to access the full membership benefits. If the primary member cancels their membership, then the significant other’s membership will also be automatically terminated. 

Benefits of the FoundersCard Membership Program

There are over 500 exclusive benefits in the FoundersCard membership program. These include travel discounts and elite status bumps, some of which are ideal for personal use and others which are designed more for business expenditures.

VIP Travel

image credit: founderscard.com

Let’s start with VIP travel as a FoundersCard member. This is one of the top, most popular benefits of the membership.

Airlines

FoundersCard partners with many domestic and international airlines to give members not only elite loyalty status but also discounts on flight tickets. And while some airline benefits aren’t quite as straightforward as instant premier status or cheaper rates, there is a lot of potential to save on VIP travel.

FoundersCard partners with the following airlines:

  • American Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific Airways
  • Qantas
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Surf Air
  • United Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Wheels Up
  • XO

If you are a loyalty member with any of these airlines, you might be in for a status upgrade.

Take a look at the flying benefits available currently below:

  • American Airways: AAdvantage status challenge – instant Gold elite status and lowered qualification thresholds for higher tiers
  • Virgin Atlantic: Instant Flying Club Silver status and lowered qualification thresholds for higher tiers
  • Cathay Pacific Airways: Instant Marco Polo Silver status and fares discounted up to 15%
  • British Airways: Fares discounted up to 10%
  • Qantas: Fares discounted up to 25%
  • United Airlines: Fares discounted up to 8%
  • Singapore Airlines: Fares discounted up to 15%
  • Wheels Up: Purchase a Wheels Up Connect Membership at a discounted rate of $1,995 (full price $2,995) or purchase a Wheels Up Core Membership for $17,500 and receive $9,000 in flight credit
  • Surf Air: Receive preferred fare pricing (e.g. purchase a round trip flight for $350 off) and two complimentary round-trip guest flights when you purchase an All-You-Can-Fly membership (prices start at $1,950 a month)
  • XO: Receive 3-month complimentary trial of XO RISE membership (priced at $595 per year)

Remember that these particular benefits are subject to change and FoundersCard may even decide to partner with different airlines. Still, these benefits should give you a pretty good idea of the kind of perks FoundersCard membership can get you.

[You may also like: How to get United Airlines Elite Premier Status in 2021.]

Car Rentals

If you often find yourself in rental cars, you can make your drives a bit more comfortable while saving money using your FC membership. Complimentary upgrades and rental discounts are always available.

Here are some of the discounts available to redeem now in the Ground Transportation category: 

  • Hertz: Complimentary Elite status and up to 20% off rentals
  • Avis Rent A Car: Complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership status (President’s Club status for FC ELITE members) and up to 25% off rentals
  • Sixt Rent a Car: Complimentary Platinum Sixt Card membership and up to 15% off rentals
  • Silvercar by Audi: Save up to 20% off rentals
  • EmpireCLS: Save up to 15% off all services globally
  • Carey: Receive 15% off premium chauffeured limousine service
  • Go Rentals: Save up to 20% on luxury car rentals

Whether you’re renting a reliable car for a business trip or looking to travel in style on a personal vacation, don’t forget to see what ground transportation benefits FoundersCard has to offer.

Other Premium Benefits and Services

Besides airline loyalty rewards, fare discounts, and car rental perks, there are usually several other travel benefits. For example, members are eligible to receive a discount of 15% off ongoing Heathrow VIP Concierge bookings and 20% off their first Heathrow VIP booking. 

There is also an air medical transport benefit, with members saving up to 45% on Medjet services for individuals or families. Members are saving $104 with this benefit on average.

And should you need help planning your trips, you can redeem a benefit for complimentary TripIt Pro membership for one year and a discounted rate of $39 for three years after.

FoundersCard Hotel Program

image credit: founderscard.com

When you join FC, you can get complimentary elite status with select hotel loyalty programs. Here are the current upgrades available to members:

  • Caesars Rewards: Complimentary Caesars Rewards Diamond status
  • Hilton Honors: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
  • Marriott Bonvoy: Platinum Elite challenge – members who stay 15 paid nights within the first 3 months of Marriott Bonvoy enrollment are bumped up to Platinum Elite status for one year
  • Omni Select Guest: Complimentary Omni Select Guest Platinum status (FC ELITE members only)

Besides loyalty program status upgrades, members can receive discounted room rates at select hotels. FoundersCard partners with the following hotel chains:

  • Park Hyatt
  • Rosewood Hotel Group
  • The Peninsula Hotels
  • Omni Hotels & Resorts
  • Belmond
  • W Hotels
  • The Standard
  • Caesars Entertainment

Cardholders receive exclusive hotel rates when staying at these brands, complimentary upgrades in the form of upgrades and amenities, and are granted more cancellation flexibility than non-FC members. 

However, these perks don’t apply to every hotel within a given brand. Participating hotels and resorts are only located in San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, London, Tokyo, Miami, Paris, Chicago, Singapore, and Vancouver.

Here are a few examples of the hotel benefits available:

  • The Standard High Line New York: 25% or more off room rates, upgrades when available, welcome amenity at check-in, and flexible cancellation
  • NOBU Hotel at Caesars Las Vegas: 20% off standard room rates, 10% off suite rates, and complimentary Caesars Rewards Diamond status
  • St Martins Lane Hotel London: 20% off best rates, complimentary Wi-Fi, and flexible cancellation
  • Park Hyatt Tokyo: Discounted rates starting at JPY 42,000 for Park Rooms, JPY 47,000 for Park Deluxe Rooms, and JPY 102,000 for Park Suites; flexible cancellation and World of Hyatt points
  • Hotel de Crillon Paris (a Rosewood Hotel): 15% off most room rates and flexible cancellation
  • Chicago Athletic Association Hotel: Up to 25% off room rates, complimentary premium Wi-Fi, welcome amenity at check-in, upgrades when available, flexible cancellation, and World of Hyatt points

Important Considerations

Some discounts are not available for every type of room, but it depends on the property. Each hotel’s version of flexible cancellation is a little different too, so make sure you check with a hotel about the cancellation terms. Also, some hotels will have blackout dates, which you can see in the fine print of the benefits page for each hotel or resort. FoundersCard members do not, as a rule, get priority status over other guests when it comes to blackout dates.

Business Solutions

FoundersCard members can choose from a wide variety of business-related benefits from marketing discounts to service credits.

You can save a considerable amount of money in business and personal expenses using these discounts. There are too many to list them all, but we’ll highlight several of the business benefits available now:

  • AT&T Wireless: Save up to 15% on monthly service charge for personal wireless plans including the AT&T 4GB Plan; save up to $10 per line, per month on the AT&T Unlimited Elite Plan
  • Stripe: Receive up to $50K in fee-free payments up to $1,450 value on new and existing Stripe accounts ($20K for FC standard members and $50K for FC ELITE members)
  • Salesforce Essentials: Save 50% off first year of subscription after free 14-day trial (savings up to $1,500 value)
  • UPS: Save up to 47% on ground, air, and international shipping (can stack on other discounts)
  • HubSpot: Save up to 30% on email marketing plans including HubSpot Pro and Enterprise
  • Airtable: Receive $2,000 Airtable credit and access to Airtable for Startups perks and services
  • Dell: Save up to 40% on most Dell products
  • Lenovo: Save up to 60% on select Think and Lenovo products ($1,500 average savings)
  • Google Workspace: Save 20% on Business Standard and Business Plus Google Workspace plans
  • Dropbox: Save 40% on Dropbox Business or Dropbox Plus annual subscriptions
  • Zoom: Save 20% off of list price on Zoom services (when you have a minimum of 10 Business licenses) and 10% on Zoom phone services, receive one complimentary Zoom Rooms license
  • Slack: Save 30% on plan upgrades for the first 12 months including Free Plan to Standard or Plus Plan and Standard Plan to Plus Plan upgrades if your business has less than 200 employees OR receive access to Sales team for special pricing if your business has more than 200 employees
  • Zendesk: Receive 6 free months of Zendesk Support and Sales SRM services
  • Indeed: Receive $200 Sponsored Job credit for new accounts in select countries
  • Skillshare: Save 30% on Skillshare Premium Annual Subscription (for up to 2 years) after complimentary trial period

These benefits can help you save money running your business and even cut personal costs you may incur networking, traveling, or otherwise investing in the growth of your business. The bulk of FoundersCard membership benefits are business-related.

Important Considerations

Keep in mind that some of these discounts only apply to new accounts and others apply whether you are a new or existing customer. Some discounts cannot be applied to certain service plans or may have minimum order requirements. 

Also, most benefits can only be redeemed once. Many benefits have specific duration requirements such as a minimum subscription of 1 year or a maximum subscription of 3 years as well.

Lifestyle Privileges

Finally, it’s time to talk about the lifestyle privileges that come with a FoundersCard membership. These include special pricing, discounts, and exclusive access to events and promotions. The categories are Experience & Access, Food & Wine, Health & Fitness, Holiday Favorites, and Premium Retail.


Again, there are far too many lifestyle benefits to name them all, so here are some of our favorites:

  • Audi: Receive exclusive member pricing
  • BMW: Save up to $3,000 on new BMWs, receive a $500 credit on the purchase of a new MINI, and save up to $11,000 on new BMW i3s
  • Montblanc: Save up to 15% on every online purchase
  • Adidas: Save up to 30% on every online purchase
  • Harry & David: Save up to 20% on most orders
  • Jonathan Adler: Save up to 20% on all online and in-store purchase
  • Herman Miller: Save 15% on all online purchases and get access to a dedicated contact for customer service and support

Members also receive preferred pricing on a number of live performances including concerts, sporting events, theatre performances, and more.

How to Redeem Benefits

The benefits offered to FoundersCard members are not automatically applied to every account. You have to log in to your FoundersCard account to see current benefits and click onto the ones you want to apply.

Each benefit has its own page of details and fine print, so review this carefully to make sure that a benefit is available in your area, you understand the policies associated with privileges such as cancellation flexibility, and make a note of any expiration or blackout dates. Then, redeem the benefits you want by selecting “Redeem Now.” This will give you a promotional code that you can use when making purchases.

Available benefits are always changing, though some tend to renew each year. Benefits can become unavailable without notice, so get into the habit of checking a benefit each time you go to use it. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to which benefits are pulled when.

FoundersCard Network

The FoundersCard community is an extensive network in and of itself. Because every member is a business founder, you will share a lot in common with other cardholders and can leverage your membership to make valuable connections. 

You can also promote your brand to other FC members by creating an exclusive benefit they can redeem with FoundersCard. The Community section of the FoundersCard platform features benefits created by businesses founded or run by other FC members. 

For example, CEO of Namecheap.com Richard K. is offering 20% off most Namecheap domain services for FC members; the CEO of Wine Access is giving members 20% off their first order and a 10% discount after that; and the founder of MOO Inc. is offering a discount of 20% to FC members on business cards and stationery.

Is It Worth It

If the question you’re now asking is “Is it worth it?” then our answer is that it depends. If your business is pretty small and you don’t find yourself traveling a lot or paying for luxury services and top-tier business solutions, then you might not make your annual membership fee back easily and this membership could just become another expense to pay. In this case, it might end up being stressful trying to make the membership worth it

But if the opposite is true—you fly, you stay at hotels, you invest in premier business solutions regularly, etc..—then you can probably justify the membership fee no problem and you’ll enjoy the discounts and VIP treatment the FoundersCard can give you.

Overall, we don’t recommend the FoundersCard to businesses that are struggling or not particularly active, to entrepreneurs that do little to no traveling, or to individuals who already have travel credit cards that give them loyalty status upgrades and discounts.

Our biggest piece of advice is to read the fine print on benefits being offered before committing to membership. You can do this by completing the first stage of application, which just requires an email address and some personal information. Once you’re in, check out the benefits available and try to find several that would be immediately useful to you. You don’t want to cough up $400+ for membership if you’re going to have to alter your lifestyle or business to get the discounts and perks.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you feel like you have a much clearer picture of this exclusive program, which tries very hard to keep its benefits a secret, after reading this article.

Will you be joining FoundersCard?

Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

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image credit: chase.com

If you’re a savvy traveler, you’re probably always looking for new ways to earn points. And if you’re a Chase cardholder, you’re in luck. The Chase Ultimate Rewards program allows you to cash in your points with airline and hotel partners at full value. 

You’d do well to familiarize yourself with this program and how to stretch your points as far as possible as a Chase customer. Here’s how to transfer points to other rewards programs through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

About the Chase Ultimate Rewards Program

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is an exclusive points-earning program for select Chase cardholders. You are automatically enrolled in the program when you sign up for an eligible card. You can redeem your points in a variety of ways including to purchase travel (Chase travel is powered by Expedia, so prices and offerings are comparable to what’s available on this site).

But though this program seems to be geared toward those who use their cards to pay for flight tickets, hotel stays, and other travel-related expenses, there are so many ways to redeem your points. 

If you just want to keep things simple and convert points to dollars, you can redeem your points for cash and have your earnings deposited right into your Chase account or converted to a credit on your whole statement. Generally, you can redeem points for $0.01 per point (unless a promotional rate is available). 

Or, you can “pay yourself back” and have your points applied to certain transactions, which you can pick and choose to maximize points values. If you go this route, you will be able to see all of your recent transactions and select which ones you’d like to apply points to and be reimbursed for. You can see prices in points on the right. Chase rotates which categories are discounted. For example, dining will sometimes be eligible for up to 10% more points value.

You can also use your points to make purchases. Each point is worth $0.008 when you Shop With Points, on average, but Chase runs promotions that make your points worth more at select stores. You can shop through over 500 different retailers and earn up to 5x bonus points on your purchases. Participating stores include Nike, Home Depot, and Dell.

Points can also be redeemed for gift cards, with some being discounted and requiring up to 10% fewer points than full price.

You can use points to pay for Amazon or Apple purchases as well. Just link your card with these sites and use it at checkout, then decide how many points you’d like to deduct to help pay for your purchase.

When you sign in to your Chase account and go into the Ultimate Rewards page, you will be able to see your total points in the upper lefthand corner of the screen. Click on this and a menu will drop down with all of your redemption options.

How to Earn Points

The easiest way to boost your Ultimate Rewards account with points is to use your credit card as often as possible. Using your card for everyday purchases including grocery shopping, dining, gas, and more earns points; be sure to activate your 5% categories to get even more on select spending categories. You can also earn between 1 and 15 points for every dollar you spend when you Shop through Chase at more than 450 stores online and in-person. 

Purchasing your travel with your Chase card is another quick and easy way to pad your account. Purchases available include:

  • Flight tickets
  • Hotel bookings
  • Car rentals
  • Timeshare rentals
  • Cruise trips
  • Train tickets
  • Transportation such as buses, taxis, and ferries
  • Road tolls
  • Travel agency fees

How much you’ll earn on travel depends on which credit card you’re using, with certain cards such as the Sapphire Reserve having higher point values when redeemed.

Be sure to compare your options to see where your points are worth the most when it’s time for you to use them, and don’t think that they have to stay in your Chase account. Transfer some or all of your points to Chase’s transfer partners to save money on flights and hotel bookings.

Transfer Hotels

Chase has partnered with three hotel brands and their rewards programs. These are:

  1. IHG Rewards Club,
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Program, and
  3. World of Hyatt Loyalty Program.

These are some of the largest loyalty programs in the country and each one allows you to redeem loyalty points for reward nights, room discounts, and complimentary perks and upgrades. Transfer points from your Chase Ultimate Rewards account to qualify for higher tiers and unlock more earnings potential.

If you’re an IHG Rewards Club member, you can transfer your Chase points over as elite qualifying points. The highest membership tier, Spire Elite, requires either 75 qualified nights in IHG hotels or 75,000 points. These members are eligible for more perks and earn more points on their stays. Each point is worth about 0.5 to 0.6 cents, on average.

The Marriott Bonvoy rewards program is a good one for people who travel a lot, as this hotel brand has incredible geographical coverage. You can purchase an award night for as little as 5,000 points. There are six rewards statuses with Ambassador Elite being the most premium. This membership tier requires more than 100 qualifying nights a year and at least $14,000 total in annual qualifying purchases and bookings. Points are worth about 0.7 cents apiece.

Finally, there’s the World of Hyatt Loyalty program. Often called one of the best, this program tends to have the highest points values by a wide margin at an estimated 1.9 cents per point. To qualify for elite status, Globalist status, you need to have at least 50,000 points in your account or 30 or more tier-qualifying nights under your belt.

You can’t transfer points from a hotel loyalty account back to Chase, so be sure to find out where you can get the highest point value before making the transfer. Although points transfer at a 1:1 ratio, some hotel stays have relatively low points values compared to what you could get if you were to redeem your points through Chase or another partner. It is probably wise to favor the rewards programs through which you have the most elite status. 

Speaking of, find out if your favorite airlines are also Chase transfer partners.

Transfer Airlines

Chase partners with 11 different airlines that allow you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to their loyalty programs. These are:

  • United MileagePlus
  • JetBlue TrueBlue
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Aer Lingus AerClub
  • Air France Flying Blue
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Iberia Plus
  • Emirates Skywards

Of course, you need to be a member of these rewards programs too in order to transfer your points. Generally, airline loyalty status can get you award flights, complimentary seat upgrades, and perks such as priority baggage check or check in. Airlines tend to run promotions that temporarily increase points values, so always be on the lookout for these.

Remember that you can’t transfer points back and forth between your Chase account and your airline loyalty accounts.

Which Transfer Partners Give You the Most Value

Of Chase’s transfer airline partners, here are the three we feel are most rewarding overall based on point value, reward availability, and how easy it is to reach elite status. 

United MileagePlus

image credit: united.com

United MileagePlus is often considered to be one of the best airline loyalty programs in the world. MileagePlus miles never expire (whether your account stays active or not) and this loyalty program boasts the most award destinations and economy award flights of any airline.

The highest membership tier, Premier 1K, requires either 36 Premier Qualifying Flights and 13,500 Premier Qualifying Points or just 15,000 Premier Qualifying Points. Points are valued at about 1 cent each and award flights start at about 12,500 points (for economy class).

JetBlue TrueBlue

trueblue.jetblue.com

The JetBlue loyalty program, TrueBlue, consists of just two membership tiers: basic and Mosaic. Everyone who joins TrueBlue becomes a basic member and can work their way up to elite status by booking flights. To qualify for Mosaic status, you need to earn 12,000 qualifying points and fly at least 30 times through JetBlue in a year or earn 15,000 qualifying points. Points don’t expire.

These points are valued at between 1.3 and 1.5 cents each. Award prices are proportional to cash prices, so the points you need to purchase an award ticket depends on the travel season and ticket availability.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

image credit: southwest.com

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards loyalty program is another great one. These points don’t expire and reward seats are not limited as they often aren’t. To achieve elite status, called A-List status, you need to fly a minimum of 25 qualifying flight segments or earn 35,000 qualifying points.

These points are valued at about 1.3 cents apiece and award flights start at roughly 6,600 points for the lowest flight classes.

How to Transfer Rewards

To transfer rewards points from Chase to a transfer partner rewards program, log in to your Ultimate Rewards account and select the credit card you’ve been earning points with. Then choose “Transfer to Travel Partners” from the menu and find the travel partner you’re transferring to in the Hotels or Airlines section. 

You will need to provide information for the rewards account that the points are going into to verify your membership, so have your other account pulled up or your reward card ready. You can only transfer Ultimate Rewards points you’ve earned to loyalty accounts under your name or an authorized user’s name. Typically, transfers are instant. Be sure to confirm through both Chase and your chosen loyalty account that a transfer has been processed successfully.

Chase Travel Credit Cards That Earn Points

Not all Chase credit cards earn travel points, and a few Chase travel cards that do earn points do not permit you to transfer points to other loyalty programs.

Here are the three credit cards that earn points and allow rewards transfers:

Chase Sapphire Preferred

This card has long been one of our favorites. You can earn 5x points on all travel purchases made through Ultimate Rewards except for hotel bookings that are eligible for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit. All other travel purchases earn 2x points and everyday purchases on dining, fuel, and grocery earn 3x points. New cardmembers are eligible to earn up to 100,000 bonus points. The annual fee for this card is $95 but you can usually get the first year free.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

A step above the Preferred card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card gives you 5x points on all flight tickets and 10x points on car rentals and hotel bookings purchased through the Ultimate Rewards platform. All other travel purchases earn 3x points. New cardmembers are eligible to earn up to 60,000 bonus points. This card comes with a hefty annual fee of $550 (plus $75 for each authorized user), but it does give you a $300 annual travel credit.

Chase Ink Business Preferred

This business credit card lets you earn 3x points on the first $150,000 you spend on shipping, advertising, internet and phone services, and travel and 1 point for every dollar spent after this maximum and on everything else. New cardmembers are eligible to earn up to 100,000 bonus points. The annual fee for this card is $95.

When purchasing travel, be sure to go through the Ultimate Rewards platform to earn as many points as possible.

Final Thoughts

With so many great ways to earn and redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards programs and its partner hotels and airlines, there’s no excuse for not getting in on this saving opportunity. Get the most out of your Chase travel points by transferring them to partner hotel and airline loyalty programs.

How to Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points Fast

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image credit: americanexpress.com

The American Express Membership Rewards program is one of the largest credit card rewards programs and the most established flexible points programs. Reward programs with flexible currency are very popular with travelers because cardholders can use reward points to purchase travel or they can be transferred to hotel and airline programs.

Many travelers prefer flexible redemption options because they don’t always have flexible travel plans. With flexible points, you can transfer points to over a dozen American Express travel partners or you can use your points to book travel directly through Amex. This is a great option when awards seats are limited or if you are not familiar with how airline programs work or don’t have the time to search for award space.

The Amex rewards program is also popular because the card issuer has a lot of credit cards that let you earn Membership Rewards. They range from ones with no annual fee to premium cards. Cardholders earn one point for every dollar spent and they earn bonus points on select categories depending on the card.

Which Cards Earn Membership Rewards?

Popular Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points include:

For small business owners, the Blue Business Plus card, the Business Gold Rewards card and the Business Platinum cards are the most popular ones that earn Membership Rewards points.

Amex also issues a number of co-branded hotel and airline cards, but these cards earn miles or points in the associated airline or hotel loyalty program rather than the Amex Membership Rewards program. Amex also has a number of cashback cards which also earn points, but those are redeemed for cash and are not Membership Rewards points so keep that in mind when choosing a card.

All American Express cards that earn points in the Membership Rewards program earn 1x point per dollar spent. You can maximize the points you earn by using an Amex card that lets you earn bonus points in select categories. 

In this article, we’re going to cover some of the ways you can boost your Membership Rewards points balance by taking advantage of bonus points earning opportunities using both personal and business charge and credit cards issued by American Express.

12 Ways to Earn Amex Rewards Points Quickly

image credit: americanexpress.com

Take Advantage of Sign-Up Bonuses

  1. Credit card sign-up bonuses are the best way to jumpstart your Amex rewards balance or build your points stash. There are five personal American Express credit cards that offer welcome bonuses to get you on your way. Amex will only allow you to earn one sign-up bonus for any particular card so it’s a good idea to apply when there is an elevated offer.

Two Amex cards are currently offering big bonuses for a limited time including the Platinum Card from American Express, which is currently offering a whopping 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in the first six months you have the card. The card does have a $695 annual fee though, so make sure the rewards and benefits are worth it for you before hitting the apply button. 

If that annual fee is too high for you, then you might want to consider the Amex Gold card, which has a $250 annual fee and an elevated sign-up bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $4,000 within the first six months. Most other Amex cards in the Membership Rewards program also offer sign-up bonuses, but these are the two largest bonuses currently available for personal cards.

Find Bonus Spending Categories that Fit Your Life

  1. Bonus spending categories are a great way to maximize your points earning ability. It’s a good idea to make sure the card you are applying for rewards you in the areas where you spend the most.

For example, as part of its sign-up bonus, the Amex Platinum card lets you earn 10x points per dollar spent at restaurants and when you shop small in the US for the first six months on up to $25,000 in combined purchases. You’ll also earn 5x on flights and prepaid hotels, and one point per dollar on all other purchases. 

The Amex Gold card offers 4x per dollar on dining and groceries and 3x on flights. These are both good options for travelers. Other cards in the American Express Membership Rewards lineup also have bonus spending categories, but in general the better bonuses can be found on cards with an annual fee.

Book Flights Using Amex Gold or Platinum

  1. Book a flight using the Platinum Card by American Express (see credit score requirements) or the Amex Gold Card (see credit score requirements) and earn 5x or 3x points respectively. Airline tickets purchased through third-party airline booking sites don’t trigger the bonus so be sure to book directly with the airline.

If you spend $10,000 a year on airfare and book it with the carrier using the Platinum card, you’ll earn 50,000 points a year. The same amount charged to your Gold Card will earn you 30,000 Membership Rewards points.

There is no limit on bonus points earned with the Gold Card, and the bonus is maxed out if you spend $500,000 on airfare annually with the Platinum card. Most people don’t spend that much money flying, but if you travel frequently, fly first class and bring companions, you might max out this bonus. If you do, that would earn you 2.5 million Membership Rewards points.

Use Amex Travel

  1. Use Amex Travel to book your travel and earn bonus points. Most Amex travel cards offer bonuses on bookings through their portal. For example, the Platinum offers 5x per dollar spent on prepaid hotel bookings through Amex, and the Gold offers 3x per dollar spent on airfare booked through the Amex portal. The EveryDay Preferred card earns 3x points on all travel booked through Amex Travel.

Business cards in the lineup also offer bonuses for booking through the Amex portal. The Business Platinum Card for example offers 5x on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.

Use an Amex EveryDay card

  1. If you don’t travel that frequently, there is a way to earn 20% or 50% extra points per month if you use one of the Amex EveryDay cards often. The no-fee Amex EveryDay card earns 2x on groceries and one point on everything else. The Amex EveryDay Prefered credit card, which carries a $95 annual fee, earns 3x per dollar spent on groceries and 2x at gas stations.

If you use one of these card cards 30 times or more per month, you’ll earn a bonus that month. The no-fee card has a 20% bonus and the Preferred version offers a 50% bonus every month you make the required number of charges. 

There is no minimum amount needed to qualify for the bonus, so even buying a pack of gum will count. But if the purchases are small the bonus will be as well, so keep that in mind. You can use the card every day to buy your morning coffee and to pay for your daily commute to work and easily hit the bonus, but be sure to take advantage of bonus earning categories like gas stations and supermarkets to maximize the points you earn.

Buy Groceries

  1. Using an Amex card to buy groceries can be very rewarding. If you use the Amex Gold Card, you can earn 4x points on groceries at US supermarkets up to $25,000 per calendar year. If you spend $1,000 a month on groceries, you’ll earn 4,000 Membership Rewards points a month or 48,000 a year.

If you use the EveryDay Preferred card for your grocery shopping and you spend $500 a month on groceries which earn 3x with that card up to $6,000 a year, you’ll earn 1,500 points per month. If you make 30 purchases of any kind to get the 50% bonus, those 1,500 points from grocery spend will become 2,250 points.

After bonus categories are maxed out, you earn one point per dollar spent, so keep track of how much spend and switch to a new Amex card with a supermarket bonus if you reach the cap. 

Bonuses are only at US supermarkets and some stores that sell groceries may not be categorized by Amex as supermarkets. For example, Amex does not classify specialty food stores, superstores like Walmart or Target, or warehouse clubs like Costco as supermarkets. When in doubt, check your statement to see how the store is categorized.

Dine Out or Order Takeout

Earn 4x points per dollar spent eating out w/ Amex Gold!
  1. If you dine out or order takeout and you have the Amex Gold card, you can earn 4x points per dollar spent on those purchases up to $25,000 per year. If you max out that category by spending a little more than $2,000 per month at restaurants or for food deliveries, that adds up to 100,000 points a year.

Also, the Platinum card is currently offering 10x points on restaurant dining worldwide and at small business in the Amex Shop Small collection as part of its welcome bonus. That bonus is only good for new cardmembers in the first six months of holding the card, and it caps out at $25,000 in combined purchases. But if you max out that bonus, it’s worth 250,000 bonus points.

Several Amex cards also offer a monthly dining credit that will automatically appear on your statement the month the purchase is made. For example, the Gold Card offers up to a $10 credit every month on orders through GrubHub, Seamless, or at the Cheesecake Factory, Boxed and participating Shake Shacks. Other certain co-branded Delta, Hilton and Marriott Amex cards also offer dining credits from $5 to $20 so check the fine print to see if your card is eligible.

Fuel Up

  1. Fuel up or get snacks at the gas station and you can also earn bonus Membership Rewards points with Amex cards. The Amex EveryDay Preferred credit card, which is a mid-tier card that has a $95 annual fee, will earn you 2x points on US gas stations.

The American Express Business Gold Card automatically gives you 2x points each month on the two categories you spend the most on in that billing cycle up to $150,000 a year, and US gas stations is one of the categories. If you spend $500 a month in gas and it is one of your two top spending categories, you will earn 1,000 Membership Rewards points a month.

Use an Amex Business Card

  1. Use an Amex business card to earn bonus points. If you have the Business Gold you will earn 2x bonus points on your top two spending categories up to $150,000 as noted above. The categories that can potentially earn double points are gas stations, airfare purchased directly from the airline, US restaurant dining including takeout and delivery, advertising online, TV or radio in the US, shipping and select technology like hardware, software and cloud storage.

The Blue Business Plus card lets you earn 2x points on business expenses up to $50,000 per year. That can translate to 100,000 points. You earn one point per dollar spent after you reach that limit.

If you have the Amex Business Platinum you can earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on big purchases over $5,000 up to a million points per year. A $10,000 purchase for example will earn you 15,000 Membership Rewards points.

Review your Amex Offers

  1. Amex Offers are discounts and bonus earning opportunities on dining, shopping and travel. The offers are linked to your card, and you can find them by logging into your account and viewing your offers by card. If you have more than one Amex card, check offers for each card as the deals vary by card. And check often as offers expire and new ones are added frequently.

The offers typically have an expiration date, but there is no limit on how many you can add so if you think you might use an offer, go ahead and add it to your Amex card and be sure to use the associated card to make the purchase.

You can enable your location to view local offers, or you can find offers for online stores, restaurant chains, gas stations and retailers. For example, current offers on some cards include an extra bonus point up to 5,000 points on bestbuy.com purchases and two extra bonus points per dollar spent at Yard House, Longhorn Steakhouse or Capital Grille. There are also offers for BP, Amoco and Shell that earn two or three bonus points per dollar spent.

Shop through Rakuten

Rakuten has partnered with Amex so you can earn membership rewards points.
  1. Shop through Rakuten, which was formerly known as Ebates, to earn bonus points. Rakuten offers cashback rebates for in-store and online shopping, and they have partnered with American Express and you can now earn Membership Rewards instead of cash.

You need to set up a new account to earn Amex points as you can’t convert your current account from cashback to Membership Rewards. You’ll verify your Amex account by using your American Express login.

Once you sign up, you can earn 3,000 Membership Rewards points if you make a purchase over $25 in the first 90 days after opening your account. When shopping online, be sure to go to the online retailer from the Rakuten site to get the bonus offer. If you plan to use an in-store offer, you need to link your card and activate the offer.

Add more Users or Refer a Friend

  1. You can also earn Amex Membership Rewards points for adding an authorized user  or referring a friend to sign up for a card. The offers to add an authorized user are targeted or may be offered when you apply.

If you want to refer someone, go to the “Refer a Friend” section in your online account or in the app and share your custom link via text or email. The bonus points vary by card and the applicant has to be approved for you to get the points, but the Amex EveryDay and Blue Business Plus cards have a referral bonus of 10,000 points with a limit of 55,000 points earned by referrals each year.

Final Thoughts

American Express allows you to carry up to five of their credit cards at any time including business cards, so if you want to accumulate a boatload of Membership Rewards points to splurge on a first class ticket or take the whole family on vacation, you can apply for a few cards. Charge cards are not included so you can have the Amex Green, Gold or Platinum card plus five other personal or business cards.

Watch for elevated offers so you can get the biggest welcome bonus available since you can only get it once. Be sure to space out the applications to give yourself enough time to meet the minimum spend on each card. If your credit score is in the excellent range above 720, you can apply for the Gold or Platinum card. But if your score is borderline, you might want to start with the EveryDay card as it will be easier to get approved for.

When it comes time to spend, use the highest earning Amex card in your wallet for your spending categories, and be mindful of the caps on earning. You’ll be able to accumulate plenty of Membership Rewards points and reach your travel goal quickly with this strategy.

How to get United Airlines Elite Premier Status + is it worth it in 2021?

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image credit: united.com

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.

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

image credit: united.com

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

image credit: staralliance.com

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 30,000 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 when you spend $3,000 or more within three months of opening your account. 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 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $5,000 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

This is the most elite United credit card there is. Earn up to 75,000 bonus miles when you use your card to spend $3,000 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.