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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
- Earns valuable and highly flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
- Extensive travel protections -- including lost luggage insurance and a damage waiver on rental cars.
- 3X points on dining means you can rack up points quickly!
Pros
- You can offset the annual fee by more than half with the $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
- Earns valuable and highly flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
- Extensive travel protections -- including lost luggage insurance and a damage waiver on rental cars.
Cons
- A low earning rate of 1x point per dollar on other purchases keeps it from being an ideal everyday spending card.
- High credit scores required for account opening.
- Lack of travel benefits like a Global Entry application fee credit.
The Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, and Ink Preferred all have the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners. We use an average value that you can expect to get by utilizing your points for these transfer partners. If you do not have at least one of these cards, Ultimate Rewards are worth exactly 1 cent per point. Also keep in mind that when you redeem your points, you can elect to book travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal where the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred have a point value of 1.25 cents per point and the Sapphire Reserve has points worth 1.5 cents each. You can move points freely between your Ultimate Rewards cards, i.e. from a Chase Freedom Unlimited to a Chase Sapphire Reserve. You can also read our Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER - Buy One, Get One + 50,000 Bonus Miles! Buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) and get 50,000 bonus miles with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; otherwise earn 1X
Including EV charging stations
Including ride share, trains, even tolls and ferries
- Earn Alaska's Famous Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes) after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
- 3x miles on Alaska flights; 2x miles on useful categories from gas and EV Charging to local transit; and 1x miles on all non-bonus purchases
- A free checked bag on Alaska flights can save you at least $30 one-way. Multiply by that the number of Alaska flights you take in a year, and you could save hundreds! Available for co-applicants and authorized users when they book a reservation too!
Pros
- Earn Alaska's Famous Companion Fare after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
- Rack up thousands of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles from the welcome offer to Alaska Airlines purchases to everyday spend
- Free checked bag and priority boarding for you and up to six travelers on the same reservation. Available for co-applicants and authorized users when they book a reservation too!
Cons
- Earning rates could be more competitive to rival other airline and travel cards
- The annual fee has recently increased from $79 to $95
- The $100 lounge membership discount may not move the needle for you to purchase a membership that costs at least $550 per year
Alaska miles have a few things going for them that make them worth a bit more than the average mile, especially to Asia, Fiji, and the South Pacific where they still have separate charts with great rates on First and Business Class. However, since joining Oneworld, they are increasingly making awards more expensive as they integrate new programs. They also partner with luxury Taiwan based Starlux. Additionally, only Marriott points transfer to Alaska making them harder to acquire than most.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
United Quest℠ Credit Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
- Generous United-specific perks (and unique among airline credit cards) including a $125 annual credit on United purchases, two free checked bags, and up to 10,000 miles back on award tickets.
- Spending on the card helps you earn towards United elite status.
- Long list of travel and purchase protections.
Pros
- $125 annual United purchase statement credit that will help offset the $250 annual fee.
- Up to 10,000 miles back: Automatically get 5,000 United miles back into your account after taking a United award flight -- up to two times per anniversary year.
- Priority boarding and complimentary space-available upgrades when flying on award tickets if you have United elite status.
Cons
- No airport lounge access
- $250 annual fee is steep at first glance, but easy to maximize for semi-frequent United flyers
- United miles are not transferable and its best uses are for United, Star Alliance, and partner flight redemptions.
They have a similar network to AA in terms of reach via the Star Alliance and also (unlike Delta) allow for booking First Class international awards in the Star Alliance network, but they charge noticeably more for Partner Awards and the rates keep (stealthily) rising. United partner Lufthansa tends to have good availability to Europe making it somewhat easier to use to Europe than American, which relies heavily on British Airways and BA charges incredibly steep surcharges on those awards.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Applies only to tickets purchased directly from Southwest. Other airfare earns 1X.
- Excellent Southwest-specific perks - including an annual travel credit and bonus points every cardmember anniversary.
- Earn points toward Southwest Companion Pass and Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List and A-List Preferred Status.
- Solid purchase and travel protections.
Pros
- $75 Southwest annual travel credit
- 7,500 bonus points each cardmember anniversary (worth $105)
- Four Upgraded Boarding passes each year
Cons
- $149 annual fee is the highest annual fee of any personal Southwest credit card.
- Rapid Rewards points are only really valuable for Southwest award flights.
When used on Wanna Get Away fares, 1.3 cents is the approximate value you get. On certain international routeswith high taxes, however, you may be able to yield close to 2 cents. Those are the exceptions to the rule, though, so I peg the value at 1.4 cents.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Applies only to tickets purchased directly from Southwest. Other airfare earns 1X.
- Lowest annual fee of any of the Southwest credit cards.
- Cardmember anniversary bonus and EarlyBird Check-In more than offset the card's annual fee.
- Solid travel and purchase protections.
Pros
- Two Early-Bird Check-Ins each year
- 3,000 bonus points every account anniversary
- Lowest annual fee of any Southwest credit cards
Cons
- Bonus Spending categories could be better
- This card does have foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases, unlike the Southwest Premier and Priority credit cards
When used on Wanna Get Away fares, 1.3 cents is the approximate value you get. On certain international routeswith high taxes, however, you may be able to yield close to 2 cents. Those are the exceptions to the rule, though, so I peg the value at 1.4 cents.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 Points + 1 Free Night after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. 1 Free Night valued up to 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Earn 3X at Marriott Bonvoy properties booked direct. Earn 2X on all other hotel bookings.
Select Streaming services
- Beginner-friendly travel card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees to worry about
- Automatic Silver elite status with 15 annual elite night credits for holding the card
- Important travel and purchase coverages, including baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and purchase protection
Pros
- No annual fee
- Automatic Silver elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program and 15 elite night credits every year
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points at participating Marriott hotels
Cons
- Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status won't get you much besides priority late checkout
- The card doesn't come with a Marriott free night award
- The earning rate on non-Marriott purchases is mediocre (2x points on travel purchases and 1x points on all other eligible purchases)
While Marriott Bonvoy dropped all award charts in favor of a dynamic pricing system, it hasn't gotten out of hand and the 5th night free on awards can still provide outsized value. It's also hard to beat the breadth of Marriott Bonvoy properties all over the world.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
$200 in the form of 20,000 bonus ThankYou® points when you spend $1,500 within 6 months
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
- The Citi Custom Cash rewards you with 5% cash back on your top spending category each month, on up to $500, from a broad range of selected categories.
- The only credit card to offer 5% on home improvement stores.
- The Citi Custom Cash card pairs well with a Citi Double Cash card, Citi Premier, or both!
Pros
- 5% is the highest possible reward for many of the Custom Cash Card's bonus categories
- No annual fee
- Includes very rare bonus categories, like home improvement stores
Cons
- With the Citi Custom Cash, your 5X earnings are capped at $500 per statement cycle on your top spend category each billing period
- Has a fairly low bonus offer, although not too bad for a no-annual fee credit card
- Charges a foreign transaction fee
If you have a Citi Strata Premier® card or a legacy Citi Prestige card, you can transfer your points to Citi's full range of airline and hotel partners. Other ThankYou points-earning cards can be pooled with your Premier or Prestige to unlock airline and hotel program transfers. We calculate that you can get an average of 1.6 cents per point when redeeming this way. If you have any other Citi ThankYou point cards and do not have a Strata Premier or Prestige, then your ThankYou points are worth 1 cent each.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
At IHG brand hotels and resorts booked directly; otherwise earn 2X.
- Despite no annual fee, get IHG Silver Elite and a fourth reward night free on rewards of 4 or more consecutive nights
- Earn bonus points at IHG hotels and resorts, at gas stations, streaming services, and more
- Get solid purchase and travel protections
Pros
- Get a fourth night free on all reward night stays of 4+ nights.
- No annual fee.
- Solid sign up bonus points, especially for a no annual fee card.
Cons
- Doesn't come with a free night award, like the IHG Premier Card
- Complimentary Silver Elite status doesn't offer many perks
IHG, home of hotel brands like Intercontinental and Holiday Inn, generally provide about four tenths of a cent in value, following a 2021 devaluation and move to fully dynamic award pricing. I'll redeem when I can get more than that. While you can transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards to IHG, you really never should as you are cutting the value in half as they transfer 1:1. There is no cap on any hotel rates in points like with Hilton. If you have an IHG Premier or Business Premier credit card, you'll get the 4th night free on rewards which can add significant value.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
While it’s always hard to recommend speculative transfers, Hilton points have gotten more attractive since integrating SLH hotels into Hilton Honors (See Dave’s recent musing about his thinking on how Hilton points may be becoming more valuable). The integration is already providing exceptional value at properties with rates in the $1,000 – $2,000 a night range for, on average, 120,000 points a night. So, it appears his musing has become a reality.
And as long as you have at least the lowest tier Hilton status, the 5th night is free on any award and resort fees are also waived on award stays.
We value an Amex point at 1.7 cents and a Hilton point at 0.5 cents and while those values are an average, with a 5th night free award you can definitely do well transferring 1,000 Amex points for 2,800 Hilton Honors points.
Our advice is to run some sample searches for potential redemptions to see the value you’re likely to get before transferring.
For context on the size of this bonus, since 2022 Amex has had 5 transfer bonuses to Amex. A 40% one for Platinum Card holders only early this year and the other 4 were 30%, 25%, 30% and 30%. So this is in line with a standard offer that Amex offers 2 to 3 times a year.
The third of 3 Avios transfer bonuses today, it’s rare to choose the Aer Lingus program except specifically on awards from the East Coast to Dublin. You can transfer these freely to other Avios programs, but this isn’t where I’d move my Amex points all things considered.
On the same day as transfer bonuses to BA and Aer Lingus, keep in mind that all Avios can be moved between programs.
Iberia’s chart is similar to BA’s however, note that I recommend only using for travel on Iberia. That is not only because fees will be lowest (you can fly from the East Coast of the US to Madrid in Business Class off peak for 34,000 Avios) but because award travel on partner airlines booked with Iberia Avios is non-refundable!!
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
- 2X points rewards rate on all eligible purchases (up to the first $50,000 spent per calendar year), then 1X
- No annual fee; plus, add employee cards for no additional cost
- Business expense management tools and expanded buying power ability
Pros
- No annual fee, making the Blue Business Plus a great starter card for new or small business owners
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards points on purchases (capped at the first $50,000 in a year)
- Business expense management tools and expanded buying power ability
Cons
- The 2x earning rate is capped at $50,000 per year
- Charges a foreign transaction fee
Instant Transfers as well as solid transfer partners. The value would go up if they had any hotel partners with a fair exchange rate. ANA (an exception to instant transfers), Virgin, Air Canada and Avianca are top airline partners for maximizing your points. They can also transfer to Delta if you wish and while the rates aren't ideal, they can transfer to Marriott and Hilton as well. ANA provides almost unbeatable value for booking a Round the World flight all in Business Class. The stated value also assumes you will take advantage of transfer partners rather than book via their booking portal, where they are only worth between 1 and 1.5 cents. We've also created a Guide to American Express Membership Rewards.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Bonus Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
Bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
At U.S. Supermarkets on the first $6,000 of yearly spend; 1X thereafter. * American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)
On select U.S. Streaming Services
At U.S. Gas Stations
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarket purchases (up to the first $6,000 spent; then 1% cash back). If maximized, you could earn an outstanding $360 in cash back per year from U.S. supermarkets alone!
- Other important cash back bonus categories, such as 6% on select U.S. streaming services, 3% on transit and at U.S. gas stations; and 1% on all other eligible purchases.
- $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $95
Pros
- Industry-leading 6% cash back rate for U.S. supermarket spending (up to the first $6,000 per year) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- Monthly statement credits for The Disney Bundle that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year
- 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers during the first 12 months of account opening (See "Key Facts" and rates & fees for details)
Cons
- Charges a $95 annual fee every year after the $0 intro annual fee
- This card's foreign transaction fee clocks in at 2.7%
- Blue Cash reward dollars are limited to cash back redemptions
When a card earns cash back, it has a value in our calculator of $0.01, just as you'd expect! 😉
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
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