The Amazon Prime Visa is a sneaky good card for those who regularly shop at Amazon or Whole Foods.
Not only does it have no annual fee, but it also comes with several bonus earning categories that can reward the shopping you’re already doing.
And if you’re not a cardholder yet, now might be an ideal time to apply. Through January 7, 2027, new applicants can get a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval, with no spending requirement.
That might just be the easiest welcome bonus you’ll ever earn.
Here’s what to know about the card and how to take advantage of this limited-time offer.
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card With the Prime Visa
The Prime Visa is issued by Chase, and the current welcome offer is both easy and rewarding: Apply and get approved by January 7, 2027, and you’ll receive a $200 Amazon gift card.
There’s no minimum spending requirement, and you don’t need to wait several months to receive the bonus. The gift card is automatically loaded into your Amazon account upon approval.
AMAZON PRIME VISA
To qualify for the Prime Visa, you’ll need an eligible Amazon Prime membership. If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for Prime before applying.
You’ll also need to be signed in to your Amazon account to submit an application. If you’re not signed in, you won’t see the elevated offer.
The offer is available to new cardmembers, subject to the eligibility requirements we’ll cover below.
The welcome bonus is attractive, but the Prime Visa also has some useful ongoing benefits, particularly if you shop frequently at Amazon or Whole Foods.
With an eligible Prime membership, the card earns:
5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
5% back on purchases through Chase Travel
10% back or more on a rotating selection of eligible Amazon products and categories
2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
1% back on all other eligible purchases
The card also has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
One important distinction is that the Prime Visa’s 5% earning rates require an eligible Prime membership. Without Prime, the standard Amazon Visa earns 3% back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel.
There are a couple of things to know before applying.
First, the Prime Visa is issued by Chase, which means applicants should be mindful of the bank’s unofficial 5/24 rule.
Generally speaking, Chase may decline an application if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards across all issuers within the past 24 months.
There are also specific restrictions on the welcome offer.
According to the offer terms, the card is available to applicants who don’t currently have an Amazon Visa or Prime Visa credit card. The $200 gift card is awarded only to new cardmembers at the time of approval.
That means existing Amazon Visa and Prime Visa cardholders aren’t eligible to receive the gift card through this offer.
Chase is giving Sapphire Reserve cardholders another way to use their annual The Edit statement credits. Starting January 1, 2027, those credits will also work toward qualifying vacation home bookings, rather than just stays at luxury hotels and resorts.
The expansion will bring more than 10,000 vacation homes to The Edit, Chase Travel’s collection of luxury accommodations. Eligible cardholders will be able to book these properties through Chase Travel and receive additional benefits, including a $150 in-stay credit.
It’s a potentially useful addition for travelers who prefer the space and flexibility of a private home, particularly when traveling with family or a group.
The Edit Is Expanding Beyond Hotels
The Edit currently includes more than 1,500 luxury hotels and resorts. Starting in January, it’ll also feature over 10,000 vacation homes curated in partnership with Plum Guide.
Plum Guide specializes in vacation rentals and evaluates properties against more than 150 criteria covering comfort, design, and location.
The homes will be bookable directly through Chase Travel, with the option to pay using cash or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
And (perhaps most importantly), qualifying bookings will be eligible for the annual The Edit statement credits offered by select Chase cards.
What Benefits Will You Get at The Edit Vacation Homes?
Eligible cardholders booking a vacation home through The Edit are eligible for a few useful benefits, including:
A $150 in-stay credit for services such as airport transfers, private chefs, massages, mid-stay cleaning, or a stocked refrigerator.
Early check-in and late checkout, when available.
Annual The Edit statement credits toward qualifying prepaid bookings.
There’s one important catch, though: Vacation home bookings must be at least four nights to receive The Edit’s additional benefits.
The annual statement credits offered by eligible Chase cards have a different requirement. These credits apply to qualifying prepaid bookings of at least two nights.
In other words, you could book a two- or three-night stay and qualify for your card’s statement credit without receiving the additional $150 in-stay credit or other vacation home benefits.
The $150 in-stay credit is separate from the card’s statement credit, and the services it covers may vary by property.
Which Chase Cards Get These Benefits?
The new vacation home collection will be available to Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Sapphire Reserve Business®, and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders.
Here’s how their annual The Edit statement credits compare:
Up to $1,000 beginning Jan. 1, 2027 (four $250 credits)
For personal Sapphire Reserve and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders, the $500 annual credit is available as two $250 credits during the calendar year. Qualifying bookings must be prepaid through Chase Travel for stays of at least two nights.
On the business side, beginning January 1, Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders will be eligible for up to $1,000 in annual The Edit statement credits, capped at $250 per stay.
That’s double the card’s current $500 annual benefit.
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Taking full advantage of the business card’s credit would therefore require at least four qualifying stays.
What to Know Before Booking
The expansion gives eligible cardholders more options for using their annual The Edit credits, especially if they’re traveling with family or friends and would rather stay in a house than book multiple hotel rooms.
There are a few things to keep front of mind, though. The $150 in-stay credit and early check-in or late checkout benefits require a stay of at least four nights, while the annual statement credits apply to qualifying prepaid stays of two nights or more.
It’s also worth comparing the total cost of a property through The Edit with other booking options. The statement credits and additional benefits can help offset the price, but nightly rates, fees, and available services will vary.
Chase hasn’t yet shared the full collection of participating homes or their pricing. Once the expanded program launches on January 1, 2027, we’ll have a better picture of the available properties and how they compare with other vacation rental options.
Marriott Bonvoy points are most often used for hotel stays, but that’s not the only way to redeem them. You can also transfer your points to more than three dozen airline loyalty programs, including some that are difficult (or impossible) to access through traditional credit card transfer partners.
There are a couple of reasons you might want to do this. Maybe you’ve accumulated more Marriott points than you plan to use for hotels, or you’re just a few thousand miles short of booking an award flight.
Here’s how Marriott Bonvoy airline transfers work, which programs participate, and what to know before moving your points.
How Marriott Bonvoy Airline Transfers Work
Marriott Bonvoy partners with more than three dozen airline loyalty programs, and most transfers happen at a 3:1 ratio.
That means transferring 3,000 Marriott points generally earns you 1,000 airline miles.
But there’s a useful bonus when you transfer larger amounts. For most participating airlines, Marriott adds 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred.
Here’s how that works for programs eligible for the standard bonus:
Marriott Points Transferred
Airline Miles Received
3,000
1,000
15,000
5,000
30,000
10,000
60,000
25,000
120,000
50,000
With that bonus, transferring 60,000 Marriott points gets you 25,000 airline miles instead of the usual 20,000.
There are a few exceptions worth knowing:
United MileagePlus: Marriott awards 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred, meaning 60,000 Marriott points become 30,000 United miles.
American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, and Delta SkyMiles: These programs don’t qualify for the standard 5,000-mile bonus. Transferring 60,000 Marriott points earns 20,000 miles.
Air New Zealand Koru: Transfers use a different ratio of 200:1, with a separate bonus structure.
Marriott allows members to transfer between 3,000 and 240,000 points per day.
Marriott Bonvoy Airline Transfer Partners
Marriott has one of the largest airline transfer partner lists of any major loyalty program.
Airline Loyalty Program
Transfer Ratio
Aegean Miles+Bonus
3:1
Aer Lingus AerClub
3:1
Aeromexico Rewards
3:1
Air Canada Aeroplan
3:1
Air China PhoenixMiles
3:1
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
3:1
Air New Zealand Koru
200:1
American Airlines AAdvantage
3:1
ANA Mileage Club
3:1
Atmos Rewards
3:1
Avianca LifeMiles
3:1
British Airways Club
3:1
Cathay Pacific Cathay
3:1
China Southern Sky Pearl Club
3:1
Copa ConnectMiles
3:1
Delta SkyMiles
3:1
Emirates Skywards
3:1
Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles
3:1
Etihad Guest
3:1
Frontier Miles
3:1
Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
3:1
Iberia Plus
3:1
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
3:1
LATAM Pass / LATAM Pass Brazil
3:1
Qantas Frequent Flyer
3:1
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
3:1
Saudia Alfursan
3:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
3:1
Southwest Rapid Rewards
3:1
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
3:1
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
3:1
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
3:1
United MileagePlus
3:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
3:1
Virgin Australia Velocity
3:1
Vueling Club
3:1
Why Transfer Marriott Points to Airlines?
There are two situations where transferring Marriott points to an airline program can be particularly useful.
Topping off an airline mileage balance
Suppose you’ve found an award flight but don’t quite have enough miles to book it. If you’ve got Marriott points sitting in your account, transferring a small amount could help you cover the difference.
You don’t necessarily need to transfer in 60,000-point increments, either. While the bonus makes larger transfers more attractive, smaller transfers can still be useful when you only need a few thousand miles.
The catch is timing. Marriott transfers aren’t guaranteed to be instant, so this approach works better when you’ve got some flexibility rather than a ticket you need to book immediately.
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Accessing harder-to-reach airline programs
This is arguably the more interesting use of Marriott’s transfer partnerships.
Some airline loyalty programs have few, if any, transfer relationships with the major U.S. credit card currencies. Marriott can provide another route into those programs.
For example, Aegean Miles+Bonus and Saudia Alfursan have limited transfer options (at least for U.S. residents), compared with more widely accessible programs like Air Canada Aeroplan or Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
Of course, the 3:1 transfer ratio means you’re giving up a significant number of Marriott points to earn airline miles. It’s worth considering what you want to book before making a transfer.
How to Transfer Marriott Bonvoy Points to Airline Miles
Marriott handles airline transfers directly through your Bonvoy account.
Select the airline loyalty program you want to transfer points to.
Enter your frequent flyer membership number and the number of Marriott points you’d like to transfer.
Review the transfer details and confirm your request.
For most airline partners, the name on your frequent-flyer account must match the first and last name on your Marriott Bonvoy account.
Just don’t assume your miles will arrive immediately. According to Marriott’s terms, transferred miles will post to the receiving airline account within one week in most cases.
Some transfers may arrive much faster, but others could take several days. And because award availability can change while you’re waiting, transferring Marriott points to book a specific flight, particularly one departing soon, carries some risk.
What Else to Know Before Transferring
Marriott’s airline partnerships are useful, but the transfer ratios mean they won’t always be the best use of your Bonvoy points.
For example, transferring 60,000 Marriott points to most airlines earns 25,000 miles, including the bonus. Those same points could potentially cover multiple hotel nights, depending on the property.
But if you’ve got a large Marriott balance, need to top off an airline account, or want miles in a program that’s otherwise difficult to access, it’s a useful option to have.
American Express Membership Rewards points currently transfer to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs. That’s a lot of options, particularly if you’re looking to book flights using points.
Here’s the full list of Amex transfer partners, their transfer ratios, and which cards give you access to them.
American Express Airline Transfer Partners
Amex has 16 airline transfer partners spanning all three major airline alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam), plus a handful of independent carriers.
Most transfers occur at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 1,000 airline miles. But there are some notable exceptions.
One thing worth remembering is that you don’t necessarily need to transfer points to the airline you’re flying.
For example, Air Canada Aeroplan lets you book Star Alliance partners like United and Lufthansa. Or you could transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to book eligible Delta or Air France flights. Several programs also use Avios, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways.
Amex regularly offers limited-time transfer bonuses, which can make some of these options even more attractive. For a look at current offers, check out PointsYeah’s transfer bonus tracker.
Hilton is an outlier with its 1:2 transfer ratio. This means 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 2,000 Hilton Honors points. Meanwhile, transfers to Leaders Club work in the opposite direction: 1,000 Amex points become just 250 Leaders Club points.
But of course, a higher transfer ratio doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting better value.
How to Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points
You can transfer Membership Rewards points through your American Express account. Here’s how:
Sign in to your American Express account.
Open Rewards & Benefits, then select Transfer Points.
Choose your airline or hotel loyalty program and link your account if necessary.
Enter the number of Membership Rewards points you’d like to transfer.
Review the information and confirm your transfer.
Amex requires transfers in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. Transfer times vary by partner, with some processing almost instantly and others taking a day or more.
One other thing worth knowing: Amex charges an excise tax offset fee when transferring points to U.S. airline loyalty programs, including Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue. The fee is $0.0006 per point transferred, up to $99. You can also pay this fee with Membership Rewards points, but it’s generally better to charge it to your card rather than use points to cover it.
And once you’ve transferred points out of your Amex account, you can’t move them back.
That’s why it’s worth confirming award availability before transferring. It’s also a good idea to link your loyalty accounts ahead of time, particularly if you’re planning to book an award with limited availability.
How to Search Amex Award Flights and Hotels With PointsYeah
PointsYeah searches live award availability across supported loyalty programs, including several American Express airline and hotel transfer partners.
Enter your route and dates (or your destination for a hotel stay), then filter by program, cabin, and airline. You’ll see how many miles or points each program charges, making it easier to compare your options before transferring any Membership Rewards points.
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Which American Express Cards Earn Transferable Points?
American Express has several personal and business cards that earn Membership Rewards points. If you have an eligible card, you can transfer those points to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Unlike Chase and Capital One, where eligible cash-back rewards can be combined with transferable points through another qualifying card, Amex’s cash-back cards earn Reward Dollars rather than Membership Rewards points.
That means you can’t move rewards from one of those cash-back cards into your Membership Rewards balance, even if you also have a Membership Rewards card.
Amex also offers Membership Rewards through certain banking products, although transfer partner access may be limited if you don’t have an eligible Membership Rewards card.
Barclays and Wyndham are running limited-time welcome offers on the Wyndham Rewards credit cards through February 24, 2027.
Of the four cards, the headliner is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card, which now comes with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95), plus the opportunity to earn up to 90,000 bonus points.
The other three cards have offers of their own, including one worth up to 120,000 points. Here’s a look at each.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card: Up to 90,000 Points
With the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card, you can earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. You’ll earn another 45,000 points after spending $500 on Hotels by Wyndham purchases in the first 180 days.
The annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $95. The card earns 6X points at participating Hotels by Wyndham, 4X on Wyndham Destinations, dining, groceries, and travel, and 1X on everything else.
You’ll also get Diamond status for the first 12 months, followed by Platinum status. Other benefits include a 10% discount on free-night redemptions and 15,000 bonus points each year after paying the annual fee.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card: Up to 120,000 Points
You’ll earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases and paying the $395 annual fee in full, both within the first 120 days. You’ll earn another 30,000 points after spending $750 on Hotels by Wyndham purchases in the first 180 days.
The card earns 8X points at participating Hotels by Wyndham, 4X on Wyndham Destinations, dining, groceries, and travel, and 1X on everything else.
It also comes with Diamond status, a 25% discount on free-night redemptions, and 30,000 bonus points after each card anniversary once the annual fee is paid.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Card: 45,000 Points
The no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card offers 45,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
It earns 5X points at participating Hotels by Wyndham, 3X on Wyndham Destinations, dining, groceries, gas, and EV charging, and 1X on everything else.
Cardholders also receive Gold status and a 10% discount on free-night redemptions. Plus, spending $15,000 in a card anniversary year earns an additional 7,500 bonus points.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card: 45,000 Points
With the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card, you can earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases and paying the $149 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
The card earns 8X points at participating Hotels by Wyndham and 5X on Wyndham Destinations, gas, EV charging, marketing, advertising, shipping, and office supply stores.
Other benefits include Diamond status, a 20% discount on free-night redemptions, 15,000 bonus points each anniversary after paying the annual fee, and a $65 annual statement credit after spending $65 on qualifying wholesale purchases.
What Can You Do With Wyndham Points?
Wyndham uses four free-night redemption tiers: 5,000, 15,000, 30,000, and 45,000 points per night.
That makes it relatively easy to figure out how many points you’ll need for a hotel stay, or how many nights you could book with one of these welcome offers. And the redemption discounts offered by the Wyndham credit cards can bring those prices down even further.
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Vacation rentals are also on the table, too.
Wyndham ended free-night redemptions with Vacasa on November 2025, but launched Homes & Havens in October 2026. The new platform includes nearly 800 vacation homes and villas, with award nights starting at 15,000 points per bedroom, per night.
Barclays’ terms indicate that welcome bonuses may not be available to current or former cardmembers of the same Wyndham card.
Barclays also mentions that it reserves the right to revoke an ineligible bonus, deduct the points, or charge the card account for its value.
More broadly, Barclays notes that an offer may not be available if you currently have or previously had an account with the bank.
And if you’re interested in the Earner Business, you’ll need a qualifying business to apply. That doesn’t necessarily mean a formal company; activities like freelancing or selling items online may qualify.
Capital One miles currently transfer to 23 airline and hotel loyalty programs. That’s a sizable list, and it’s one of the reasons Capital One miles are such a useful rewards currency.
Here’s the full list of Capital One transfer partners, their transfer ratios, roughly how long transfers take, and which credit cards give you access to them.
Capital One Airline Transfer Partners
Capital One has 20 airline transfer partners spanning all three major airline alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam), plus several independent carriers.
Most transfers occur at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1,000 Capital One miles become 1,000 airline miles. That ratio can get even better when there’s a limited-time transfer bonus.
One thing worth remembering is that you don’t necessarily need to transfer miles to the airline you’re flying.
Take Air Canada Aeroplan, for example, which lets you book Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa and ANA. Or Virgin Red, whose Virgin Points can be shared with a linked Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account and used to book partner flights, including Delta.
Transfer bonuses to these programs come up fairly often. For a look at current offers, check out PointsYeah’s transfer bonus tracker (and bookmark it for future reference).
You can transfer Capital One miles online or through the Capital One mobile app. Here’s how:
Sign in to your Capital One account.
Select View Rewards.
Choose Transfer Rewards.
Select your airline or hotel transfer partner.
Enter the number of miles you’d like to transfer and confirm.
Capital One transfers require a minimum of 1,000 miles and can be made in increments of 100 miles thereafter.
For example, if you’re booking an award flight that costs 14,500 miles, you can transfer exactly 14,500 Capital One miles, provided the transfer ratio is 1:1 and there’s no active transfer bonus.
Some transfers process almost instantly, while others can take a day or more. And once miles leave your Capital One account, you can’t move them back.
That’s why it’s worth confirming award availability before transferring. It can also help to link your loyalty accounts ahead of time, since first-time transfers can occasionally trigger security checks or delays.
How to Search Capital One Award Flights With PointsYeah
PointsYeah searches live award availability across supported loyalty programs, including several Capital One airline and hotel transfer partners.
Enter your route and dates (or your destination for a hotel stay), then filter by program, cabin, and airline. You’ll see how many miles or points each program charges, making it easier to compare your options before transferring any Capital One miles.
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Which Capital One Credit Cards Earn Transferable Miles?
Capital One lets eligible travel rewards and business rewards cardholders transfer miles to airline and hotel partners.
Cash-back cards like the Quicksilver, Savor, or Spark products don’t offer transfers to airline and hotel partners on their own.
However, if you also have an eligible Capital One miles-earning card, you can generally combine rewards between accounts. Cash back converts to miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile, meaning $100 in cash back becomes 10,000 Capital One miles.
If you only have a cash-back card, you won’t have access to transfer partners.
In other words, you don’t necessarily need to put all your spending on a Venture card to take advantage of Capital One’s airline and hotel partners.
Capital One has quietly added another airline to its list of transfer partners, and there’s a limited-time bonus to go along with it.
Capital One miles can now be transferred to Copa Airlines’ ConnectMiles program at a 4:3 ratio. And through December 1, 2026, Capital One is offering a 30% transfer bonus.
That makes the effective transfer ratio 1,000 Capital One miles to 975 ConnectMiles during the promotion.
Under the standard 4:3 transfer ratio, every 1,000 Capital One miles becomes 750 Copa ConnectMiles.
But with the 30% transfer bonus available through December 1, the math improves by a good margin:
10,000 Capital One miles → 9,750 ConnectMiles
20,000 Capital One miles → 19,500 ConnectMiles
40,000 Capital One miles → 39,000 ConnectMiles
80,000 Capital One miles → 78,000 ConnectMiles
That’s nearly a 1:1 transfer ratio, but not quite.
For comparison, eligible premium Citi ThankYou cards transfer points to Copa at a standard 1:1 ratio, with no bonus required.
What Can You Book With Copa ConnectMiles?
Copa Airlines is a Star Alliance member based in Panama City (PTY), and its ConnectMiles program can be used to book flights on Copa and other Star Alliance carriers, including United, Avianca, ANA, and Turkish Airlines.
15,000 miles in economy or 30,000 in business for Copa flights between parts of the southeastern U.S. and Panama, Central America, or the Caribbean.
20,000 miles in economy or 40,000 in business for Copa flights from the rest of the continental U.S. and Canada to those destinations.
30,000 miles in economy or 70,000 in business for Star Alliance partner flights between the U.S. or Canada and Europe.
ConnectMiles also has several non-Star Alliance partners, including Emirates, KLM, Azul, and GOL.
There are some potentially useful redemptions here, but finding partner award availability isn’t always easy. And just because a flight is available through another Star Alliance program doesn’t mean it’ll appear through Copa.
Before transferring, it’s worth comparing award prices with other Capital One partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca LifeMiles. As always, find an available award first, since transfers can’t be reversed.
Before you even get to the fun part of redeeming points and miles, there’s the other half of the equation: earning them.
You can’t apply for a new credit card every day. And while the cards you already have might offer some pretty rewarding earning rates, everyday spending doesn’t always build your balance quickly enough to book the trip you have in mind.
That’s why it’s worth keeping a few other ways to earn miles in your back pocket.
My go-to, when I’m not flying, using a shopping portal, or working on a credit card welcome bonus, is AAdvantage Hotels.
AAdvantage Hotels (or AA Hotels, for short) is American Airlines’ hotel booking platform. It’s a third-party online travel agency (OTA) powered by Rocket Travel that lets AAdvantage members book hotel stays and earn redeemable miles and status-qualifying Loyalty Points.
Here’s how it works, plus a few tips for getting more out of the stays you book through AA Hotels.
How AAdvantage Hotels Works
When you book a stay through AAdvantage Hotels, you’ll earn American Airlines miles and Loyalty Points instead of the rewards you’d typically earn by booking directly with a hotel.
Each eligible hotel listing displays how many AAdvantage miles you can earn on the stay. Those miles count toward your Loyalty Points balance, too, so hotel bookings can help you qualify for AAdvantage elite status.
The number of miles and Loyalty Points you earn varies by property, dates, your AAdvantage status, and whether you have an eligible cobranded credit card.
According to American, the earning opportunities break dow like this:
AAdvantage status members: Earn up to 5 times more miles and Loyalty Points on hotels.
AAdvantage credit cardmembers: Earn up to 5 times more miles and Loyalty Points on hotels.
AAdvantage credit cardmembers with status: Earn up to 10 times more miles and Loyalty Points on hotels.
After completing your stay, rewards generally post within a few days, although it can take several weeks.
The tradeoff of booking through AA Hotels
The elephant in the room is the tradeoff. Since AAdvantage Hotels is a third-party booking platform, stays won’t qualify for hotel loyalty points, elite-night credits, or elite benefits through the hotel’s own rewards program. Depending on the rate, you might also have less flexibility, which means stricter change and cancellation policies.
But depending on your goals, that tradeoff might be worth it.
You also don’t necessarily need to be chasing elite status to find value here. Even if you’re primarily interested in redeemable miles, AA Hotels can be a useful way to build your balance through stays you were already planning to book.
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Tips to Get More Out of Your AAdvantage Hotels Stays
There are a few ways to get more out of your AAdvantage Hotels bookings. Some involve which credit card you use, while others come down to how you structure your reservations and where you are on the AAdvantage elite status hamster wheel.
Pay with an eligible AAdvantage credit card
If you’re looking to earn the most redeemable miles on AAdvantage Hotels stays, paying with a cobranded American Airlines credit card is worth considering.
Several Citi / AAdvantage cards offer bonus miles on eligible bookings:
Credit Card
Miles Earned on Eligible AAdvantage Hotels Purchases
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard
12X miles
Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard
6X miles
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
These are credit card earning rates, so they’re separate from the miles and Loyalty Points offered by the hotel booking itself.
You’ll also generally earn one Loyalty Point per dollar spent on eligible purchases with these cards.
One important caveat: Hotels booked through American Airlines Vacations or using the “Reserve Now, Pay Later” option aren’t eligible for the additional credit card bonus miles.
The Globe card is particularly interesting because it offers an annual Splurge Credit of up to $100. AAdvantage Hotels is one of the eligible brands you can select for this benefit, meaning you could potentially save $100 on a hotel booking each year.
That’s a useful perk if you’re already planning to book through the platform.
Be aware of the earning cap
A detail worth knowing is that AAdvantage Hotels has an earning cap.
Eligible reservations earn a minimum of 100 base AAdvantage miles per night, but there’s also a maximum of 15,000 base miles per reservation.
That means it’s worth paying attention to how you structure longer stays.
Say you’re booking a six-night hotel stay, and AAdvantage Hotels shows that you’ll earn 15,000 miles for the reservation. Before booking, try searching the same dates as two separate three-night stays.
Depending on the property and available rates, splitting the reservation could allow you to earn more miles and Loyalty Points than booking all six nights together.
Of course, you’ll want to compare the total price, cancellation terms, and any other costs before doing so. Splitting a reservation isn’t automatically the better deal.
And if you’re finding hotels that offer relatively few miles for the price, consider checking other properties or booking directly instead.
Sometimes the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.
Compare the different room rates
Another tip is to expand the available room rates before booking. The cheapest option isn’t necessarily the worst for earning miles, and the rate offering the most miles isn’t always the best value.
For example, I found several rates for the same three-night stay in Peru, with some pretty significant differences:
Total Price
Redeemable Miles
Loyalty Points*
Rate Details
$569
3,100
3,100
Free cancellation, pay at hotel
$569
14,600
14,600
Nonrefundable
$653
17,600
14,600
Nonrefundable, 3,000 bonus miles
$674
15,000
15,000
Free cancellation, breakfast included
Loyalty Points exclude any additional Loyalty Point Rewards bonuses or eligible credit card spending.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but two things stand out.
First, for the same $569, you could earn either 3,100 or 14,600 miles and Loyalty Points. The catch is that the higher-earning rate is nonrefundable, so you’d be giving up some flexibility.
Second, look at the two nonrefundable rates. For $84 more, you could earn an additional 3,000 redeemable miles, but no additional Loyalty Points.
That’s because AAdvantage Hotels sometimes offers rates labeled “Bonus miles applied.” These bonus miles are redeemable, but they don’t count toward elite status.
All to say, don’t just look at the mileage total. Compare the price, cancellation policy, included benefits, and how many of those miles actually count as Loyalty Points.
OLEH SLOBODENIUK / ISTOCK
Take advantage of Loyalty Point Rewards
Your AAdvantage status can already influence how many miles and Loyalty Points you’re eligible to earn through AAdvantage Hotels.
But there’s another benefit worth knowing about, and it comes through American’s Loyalty Point Rewards program.
Once you earn 60,000 Loyalty Points in a qualification year, you’ll unlock a 25% Loyalty Point bonus on eligible spending with select partners, including AAdvantage Hotels.
The benefit lasts for six months after you unlock and activate it, so timing matters.
Here’s an example of how that works.
Say you have the 25% bonus active and book an AAdvantage Hotels stay offering 10,000 redeemable miles and Loyalty Points.
Once the stay posts to your account, you’d earn:
10,000 redeemable AAdvantage miles
12,500 Loyalty Points, including the 25% bonus
That’s an additional 2,500 Loyalty Points toward your next AAdvantage status threshold or Loyalty Point Reward, without needing to spend more on the hotel itself.
The important distinction is that the bonus applies to Loyalty Points, not redeemable miles. Your redeemable mileage earnings stay the same.
If you’re working toward AAdvantage elite status or trying to build up your mileage balance for an upcoming redemption, AA Hotels can be an excellent way to earn a substantial number of miles and Loyalty Points without getting on a plane.
But I wouldn’t automatically book every hotel stay through the platform.
If you have elite status with a hotel chain, booking directly might offer more value through points, elite-night credits, upgrades, and other benefits. And even if you don’t have hotel status, it’s worth comparing prices and cancellation policies before committing.
The way I look at it, AAdvantage Hotels is another tool in the toolbox. It won’t make sense for every stay, but when the price is competitive and the mileage earnings are generous, it can be one of the more useful ways to work toward your next award flight or AAdvantage status goal.
Rakuten is kicking off November with 10 days of boosted cash-back offers, including up to 30% back or 30X Amex or Bilt Points at select retailers.
The promotion runs through November 10, 2026, with a different featured retailer each day. And if you have an eligible American Express card or Bilt Rewards account, you may be able to earn points instead of cash back.
There are also some boosted travel offers worth checking out, including up to 14% cash back on tours and activities through Viator and up to 10% back on Priceline bookings.
Here’s what’s available.
Rakuten’s November Boosted Cash-Back Offers
Date
Retailer
Cash Back
November 1
Dick’s Sporting Goods
15%
November 2
Foot Locker
25%
November 3
Expedia (Hotels)
12%
November 4
Gap
20%
November 5
Dermstore
23%
November 6
Lands’ End
20%
November 7
AliExpress
30%
November 8
Dyson
15%
November 9
Skechers
30%
November 10
QVC
20%
These offers are scheduled for their respective dates, so you’ll want to check Rakuten for the applicable terms and eligible purchases before shopping.
To take advantage, head to Rakuten, find the featured retailer, and activate cash back before completing your purchase. You can also use Rakuten’s browser extension or mobile app.
Beyond the daily offers, Rakuten is also featuring increased cash-back rates at several travel booking platforms, hotel brands, and tour operators.
Some of the more notable offers include:
Travel Provider
Cash Back
Priceline
Up to 10%
Expedia
Up to 6%
Hotels.com
Up to 6%
Vrbo
6%
Viator
14%
Booking.com
Up to 8%
IHG Hotels & Resorts
6%
GetYourGuide
4%
Go City
12%
ResortPass
4%
SIXT
9%
Intrepid Travel
5%
MSC Cruises
4%
Celebrity Cruises
4%
There are also boosted offers at Vivid Seats (6% cash back) and CheapOair (up to $30 cash back).
These are worth checking if you’re already planning to book a hotel, rental car, cruise, or activity. Just remember that the advertised cash-back rate may only apply to certain types of bookings.
And before booking a hotel through a third-party platform, consider whether you’ll be giving up hotel loyalty points, elite-night credits, or status benefits. Sometimes booking directly is still the better deal, even with a generous cash-back offer.
Earn Amex or Bilt Points Instead of Cash Back
Rakuten lets eligible members earn American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt Points instead of cash back.
With Amex, 1% cash back translates to 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent. So, a 30% cash-back offer could earn you 30X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.
Bilt’s conversion rate depends on your elite status:
Blue: 50 Bilt Points per $1 in cash back
Silver, Gold, and Platinum: 100 Bilt Points per $1 in cash back
That means a 30% offer could earn 15X Bilt Points for Blue members or 30X for Silver members and above.
These rewards are earned on top of whatever points or cash back you earn with the credit card used for your purchase.
New to Rakuten? Earn a $50 Bonus
If you haven’t joined Rakuten yet, new members can also earn $50 in cash back or up to 5,000 points after making $50 in qualifying purchases within 90 days of signing up.
We’re excited to introduce Multi-Region Alerts, a new PointsYeah feature designed to continuously find award travel opportunities in real time across multiple airports, states, regions, countries, and continents, with flexible travel dates.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Europe, exploring destinations across Asia, or simply flexible about where you depart from, Multi-Region Alerts help you find more ways to put your points and miles to work.
Award Alerts Built for Flexible Travel Plans
With Multi-Region Alerts, you can select entire geographic areas and receive notifications when PointsYeah finds award flights between major airports within your selected locations. You can mix and match from:
Major airports and airport groups: JFK, LAX, SFO, NYC, WAS, and more
States: California, Florida, New York, or any of the 50 U.S. states
Countries: Japan, Italy, Costa Rica, or any other country
U.S. regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, Southeast, West, or any of the 24 available regions
Continents: Europe, Asia, South America, North America, Africa, and Oceania
For example, selecting California to Europe allows you to monitor award opportunities between major airports in California and destinations across Europe, all within a single alert.
You don’t have to decide on a specific departure airport or European city before getting started.
POINTSYEAH
Customize Alerts Around Your Travel Preferences
Start by selecting your departure and destination areas, travel date range, cabin preferences, and maximum miles per passenger.
Then narrow down your alerts with additional preferences:
Travel Theme: Select a travel theme that fits your plans.
Bank Programs: Choose your preferred bank rewards programs.
Airline Programs: Focus on specific airline loyalty programs.
Stops: Set your preferred number of connections.
Number of Seats: Specify how many award seats you need.
Max Flight Duration: Set a limit on total flight time.
Max Taxes: Set the maximum taxes and fees you’re willing to pay.
For example, if you’re looking for business-class flights to Europe using no more than 70,000 miles per passenger, you can set those preferences and let PointsYeah notify you when matching award opportunities are found.
POINTSYEAH
More Ways to Make the Most of Multi-Region Alerts
One of the biggest benefits of Multi-Region Alerts is the freedom to plan trips around award availability.
Here are two ways to put that flexibility to work.
Find Opportunities Through Positioning Flights
For example, monitoring departures from California could help you find an award opportunity from a major airport elsewhere in the state. A separate positioning flight could make that redemption worth considering.
Just remember to allow sufficient connection time when arranging separate flights.
Let Award Availability Inspire Your Next Destination
Know you want to visit Asia but haven’t decided exactly where?
Select Asia as your destination and let Multi-Region Alerts help you identify available award opportunities across the continent.
You might find a flight to Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, or another city that inspires your next adventure.
Multi-Region Alerts for Free and Premium Users
Multi-Region Alerts are available to both Free and PointsYeah Premium members, with additional flexibility for Premium members.
Feature
Free
Premium
Origin selections per alert
1
Up to 3
Destination selections per alert
1
Up to 3
Maximum date range
30 days
90 days
Maximum Multi-Region Alerts
5
150
Geographic selections
Major airports, states, countries, U.S. regions, continents
Same
Custom flight preferences
Yes
Yes
Even with a Free account, one selection can cover an entire country or continent. Premium members can select up to three origin areas and three destination areas within a single alert, monitor longer date ranges, and maintain up to 150 Multi-Region Alerts.
Both features help you find award availability, but they’re designed for different travel plans.
Multi-Region Alerts are ideal for travelers with flexible travel plans who want to discover award flights across multiple major airports and/or regions, with a larger date range of up to 30 days for Free users and 90 days for Premium members.
Points Price Alerts are better suited for travelers with a specific route and travel dates who want to track award price changes or newly available seats. These alerts support a 4-day date window for Free users and an 8-day date window for Premium members.
Whether you have a specific flight in mind or are flexible about where and when you travel, PointsYeah has an alert option to match your plans.
Start Exploring With Multi-Region Alerts
Ready to find award flights beyond your usual routes?
Create a Multi-Region Alert, select your departure and destination areas, and customize your travel preferences.
Whether you’re planning a multi-city adventure, considering alternative departure airports, or letting award availability guide your next trip, Multi-Region Alerts give you more flexibility to find opportunities that fit your plans.
