Teach me about travel credit card points

[husky429]

I have a Chase Sapphire card. Between my wife and I we have something like 270,000 points racked up. I've been collecting these things for years...not a big spender

I've heard the best bang for your buck is to transfer the points to a partner airline and do that.

Past that... I'm clueless. Help a brother out.

Any advice? We have one three week trip booked to Europe this summer. We'd go anywhere internationally or domestically, but I've had my eye on Namibia and Jordan recently.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I use a dedicated airline card now, but in the past the way it worked was: figure out what airline you need to use -> figure out the points needed for your flight -> transfer points to your reward account. Essentially you're using Chase points to buy airline points. If you're like my sister and always use one airline (Delta) then you can just dump them more indiscriminately. But you may want to spread them out.

Works the same for hotels. The variance in points needed depending on when and where you fly or stay is pretty high.

 

[husky429]

I use a dedicated airline card now, but in the past the way it worked was: figure out what airline you need to use -> figure out the points needed for your flight -> transfer points to your reward account. Essentially you're using Chase points to buy airline points. If you're like my sister and always use one airline (Delta) then you can just dump them more indiscriminately. But you may want to spread them out.

Works the same for hotels. The variance in points needed depending on when and where you fly or stay is pretty high.

Ahh okay. So if I were using United for example, I'd need to make a rewards account with United and transfer over points.

 

[nomar]

Ahh okay. So if I were using United for example, I'd need to make a rewards account with United and transfer over points.

Yes, and then you could use the points to book a hotel outside Newark Airport after your United flight gets canceled.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Love this thread because I'm clueless about this stuff - if anyone has an Amex Platinum that they've racked up a ton of points on please weigh in as to the best way to take advantage of them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Love this thread because I'm clueless about this stuff - if anyone has an Amex Platinum that they've racked up a ton of points on please weigh in as to the best way to take advantage of them.

It's the same as with Chase except that Amex has a travel agency feature so you can alternatively book direct with them and use points without moving them to an airline/hotel reward account.

American Express Travel: How to Pay with Points | Amex US

Use American Express Membership Rewards Points to Pay for your Next Trip. Find Out How to Use Amex Points on Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals & More.

www.americanexpress.com

Travel and leisure says not to do that by the way.

7 Best Ways to Redeem Amex Membership Rewards Points

Looking to maximize your American Express Membership Rewards? While the best way to use Amex points is by leaning on airline transfer partners, there are a few other ways to make the most of your savings.

www.travelandleisure.com

 

[uconn1999]

Review these

14 Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred - NerdWallet

Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits include a rich sign-up bonus and flexible point redemption, as well as multiple travel transfer partners.

www.nerdwallet.com

How do you redeem credit card reward points? | Chase

Redeeming reward points may help you save money on expenses and travel, there may be various ways for you to redeem your points. What are your options?

www.chase.com

 

[husky429]

Yes, and then you could use the points to book a hotel outside Newark Airport after your United flight gets canceled.

I spent 4 full days in a hotel in Lima once because my United flights kept getting canceled. Saw a bunch of cool things and went to the (supposedly) #1 rated restaurant in the world. But man that sucks.

Newark's TSA agents are also fascists. I got yelled at for having out my phone TWENTY MINUTES before we were up in line.

 

[nomar]

Love this thread because I'm clueless about this stuff - if anyone has an Amex Platinum that they've racked up a ton of points on please weigh in as to the best way to take advantage of them.

I have literally a million Chase points. I fly Delta and (per my research triggered by this thread) it's the only freaking airline to which you can't directly transfer Chase points.

 

[nomar]

I spent 4 full days in a hotel in Lima once because my United flights kept getting canceled. Saw a bunch of cool things and went to the (supposedly) #1 rated restaurant in the world. But man that sucks.

Newark's TSA agents are also fascists. I got yelled at for having out my phone TWENTY MINUTES before we were up in line.

I liked Lima a lot and ate some amazing food there. But 4 extra days there is a lot...

 

[Durks07]

I have a Chase Sapphire card. Between my wife and I we have something like 270,000 points racked up. I've been collecting these things for years...not a big spender

I've heard the best bang for your buck is to transfer the points to a partner airline and do that.

Past that... I'm clueless. Help a brother out.

Any advice? We have one three week trip booked to Europe this summer. We'd go anywhere internationally or domestically, but I've had my eye on Namibia and Jordan recently.

There are a bunch of youtube, instagram (and i assume TikTok) accounts that really know all the tips and tricks. The thing I would do is try and price out the best flights and then transfer the Chase points to that airline if possible. If not, you usually can transfer them to a partner airline and book flights through them.

For example, you cannot directly transfer Chase points to Delta, but you can transfer them to Air France which is a partner with Delta. Same deal with American and British Airways. This website gives a pretty good overview of it. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners: Guide to redeeming your points - The Points Guy

 

[husky429]

I liked Lima a lot and ate some amazing food there. But 4 extra days there is a lot...

Yeah I mean generally the whole point of Lima is to stop over to get to Cusco/Sacred Valley, the rainforest and/or Nazca. I enjoyed the soccer.game and some weird Inca sex art museum I went to lol

 

[B1GEast]

You should have multiple. An airline and a good hotel card, Hilton, etc.

Check what what bill pay services might be doubled or even tripped if you pay with your card.

For instance if I pay my Internet or cellular bill with my chase card, the points are doubled. It adds up.

Some cards give nice annual points, and several other benefits such a credit towards travel as well.

Check the cards travel portal as well and earn points when you select travel through them. One of my chase cards gives rental car discounts and bonus points as well

Good luck

 

[nomar]

Yeah I mean generally the whole point of Lima is to stop over to get to Cusco/Sacred Valley, the rainforest and/or Nazca. I enjoyed the soccer.game and some weird Inca sex art museum I went to lol

Yeah, we went to Cusco & MP. But we stayed a few days in Lima (purposely) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of crudo and pisco sours. But some very high-end places as well.

I'll tell you a town you don't want to be stuck in: Aguas Calientes. We abandoned our tickets on the white-glove Hiram Bingham train back to Cusco for tickets on an earlier cheapo train just to get the hell out of there.

 

[Kitaman]

I needed this course years ago. Still good to know.

 

[husky429]

Yeah, we went to Cusco & MP. But we stayed a few days in Lima (purposely) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of crudo and pisco sours. But some very high-end places as well.

I'll tell you a town you don't want to be stuck in: Aguas Calientes. We abandoned our tickets on the white-glove Hiram Bingham train back to Cusco for tickets on an earlier cheapo train just to get the hell out of there.

I was in Aguas Calientes on the way back (we hiked) for a few hours. I don't remember much. What was so bad?

 

[husky429]

You should have multiple. An airline and a good hotel card, Hilton, etc.

Check what what bill pay services might be doubled or even tripped if you pay with your card.

For instance if I pay my Internet or cellular bill with my chase card, the points are doubled. It adds up.

Some cards give nice annual points, and several other benefits such a credit towards travel as well.

Check the cards travel portal as well and earn points when you select travel through them. One of my chase cards gives rental car discounts and bonus points as well

Good luck

The advice I'm seeing online is to almost never use the Chase portal and to move points directly to the company's reward program. You can get 1.5x the dollar value on plenty of things. Looks like some Hyatt deal are 3x.

 

[nomar]

I was in Aguas Calientes on the way back (we hiked) for a few hours. I don't remember much. What was so bad?

Nothing to do at night. No good restaurants. Not great hotels. Sketchy people.

 

[husky99]

I use it with my wife. We put everything on that card and pay 100% at the end of month. We are doing scotland and paris on a good amount of points. Oil bill, car payments, loans, we even try to pay my step daughter colleg3

 

[husky429]

I use it with my wife. We put everything on that card and pay 100% at the end of month. We are doing scotland and paris on a good amount of points. Oil bill, car payments, loans, we even try to pay my step daughter colleg3

We're similar. Pay it off every month. We each have a Chase Sapphire and a Freedom. We combined the points recently and didn't really know what to do next.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Feel free to DM me. I’m happy to help you put them to good use. @BigErnMcCracken Feel free as well.

I churn credit cards as a hobby/side hustle.

Since 2019 we’ve accumulated 7.5 Million points and we’ve redeemed 4.2M of our points for the equivalent of $170,000 in travel. Basically fly business class everywhere we go and stay in really nice hotels most of the time.

We just returned from Turks & Caicos in January and stayed 6 nights in a two bedroom suite at South Bank Resort that would have been $17k. In September we stayed 5 nights at Villa Petriolo in Tuscany, 5 nights at Grand Hotel Victoria in Lake Como, and 3 nights at Goldene Rose Karthouse in the Dolomites. The Italy trip would have been $20k.

Last 3.5 years we’ve done Maldives, Turks & Caicos x2, Anguilla, Antigua, Italy 3x (Florence, Venice, Lucca, Amalfi Coast, Dolomites, Tuscany, Lake Como), Paris, Amsterdam, Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Douro Valley), Napa Valley, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, The Hamptons, Newport RI, Portland Maine (2x). We have California and Turks & Caicos booked in the next 12 months.

It’s not for everyone but it’s a fun and rewarding hobby for us.

 

[auror]

The advice I'm seeing online is to almost never use the Chase portal and to move points directly to the company's reward program. You can get 1.5x the dollar value on plenty of things. Looks like some Hyatt deal are 3x.

I've always used the portal. I have been a fool.

 

[Flipside]

"I don't spend a nickel if I can help it unless it somehow profits my mileage account" - Up In The Air

Frequent traveler here ... 20+ years straight of top tier flyer status (w/o having to fly that much in the last 5 years, since most airlines reward spend rather than distance)

If airline miles/status is the goal, then

• Pick one airline that suits your needs, and always fly it (or one of it's partners) ... even if the itineary is indirect
• Sign up for every promotion the airline offers, even if you don't think you'll do it
• Get an airline credit card
  • Pay it before interest is charged!
  • Use it for everything from a candy bar, electricity bill, tax bill, a bathroom renovation. You can even pay a mortgage via Western Union (but that's 200-level frequent flyer sickness)
• Understand who the airline's partners are, and how you can double or triple-earn miles - e.g. American Airlines, Marriott & Uber ... link your Uber account to accumulate Marriott Points, then transfer them to American Airlines. Most of the time I book hotels through the AA travel portal that offers bonus points for certain hotels.
  • Example: UConn / Texas game last Fall ... between the flight miles, status miles multiplier, a promotion going on at the time, Uber miles, and the hotel bonus miles (15,000 in this case), I earned 40,000+ miles for the one trip (that's 20% of what it takes to become Executive Platinum on American) ... and if that wasn't enough, it was the team hotel

 

[storrsroars]

I have literally a million Chase points. I fly Delta and (per my research triggered by this thread) it's the only freaking airline to which you can't directly transfer Chase points.

With that many points, you might be able to actually buy a plane from Spirit.

 

[formerlurker]

United is also linked with Marriott