PointsInsider

Author: Joseph Hostetler

  • Capital One Venture review: 75,000 miles + $250 credit ending soon

    Capital One Venture review: 75,000 miles + $250 credit ending soon

    Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are PointsYeah’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Some links on this website will earn an affiliate commission. 

    The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a lower version of The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and one of the most user-friendly travel credit cards on the market. It’s excellent if you’re new to the points and miles world.

    But don’t misunderstand: It’s not some entry-level rewards card that you’ll graduate from when you become a travel rewards “expert.” I’ve had this card for many years — and I’ve got no intention to ever cancel it. That’s because it:

    • Earns rewards at a high rate
    • Makes redeeming your miles effectively foolproof (you’ll see why in a minute)
    • Gives you access to helpful programs like Capital One Travel and Capital One Entertainment

    You can earn one of the highest bonuses we’ve ever seen from the card: 75,000 bonus miles and a $250 travel credit (redeemable through Capital One Travel) after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

    Here’s a quick Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review. You’ll know if the card is right for you by the time you’re finished.

    How do Capital One Venture rewards work?

    How to earn Capital One miles

    Again, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card currently offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles plus $250 in travel credit (to be used through Capital One Travel) after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

    The card also earns:

    • 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
    • 2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

    When it comes to travel credit cards, this is as straightforward as it gets. A 2x base earning rate for your spending means you’re guaranteed to get a solid return on everything.

    How to use Capital One miles

    When redeeming miles for travel, you’ve got a couple options. Both are virtually effortless — especially if you’re a PointsYeah user:

    1. You can transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners.
    2. You can simply swipe your card to pay for a travel purchase (airfare, cruises, Uber, hotel stays, even many on-site hotel restaurants). You’ve then got 90 days to offset your eligible purchase with miles at a rate of 1 cent each.
    3. You can use miles to book flights, accommodation, or rental cars through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 cent each.

    Transferring miles to airlines and hotels is typically the way you’ll squeeze the most travel from your rewards. Here’s a look at all the loyalty programs that partner with Capital One (1:1 transfer ratio unless otherwise noted).

    Accor Live Limitless (2:1)EmiratesSingapore Airlines
    AeromexicoEtihadTAP Portugal
    Air Canada AeroplanEVA Air (2:1.5)Turkish Airlines
    AviancaFinnairVirgin Red
    British AirwaysFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Wyndham Rewards
    Cathay PacificJetBlue (5:3)
    Choice PrivilegesQantas

    As you can see, Capital One has a great list of airline partners that can help you to get nearly anywhere on the planet. If you’re not sure how to use them, defer to the PointsYeah search engine.

    PointsYeah lets you filter your award search by bank program. This makes it simple to quickly find flights and hotels you can book with Capital One miles.

    PointsYeah helped me to find a United Airlines business class seat to Germany by transferring 70,000 Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles. That’s a steal for a Polaris seat!

    Is the Capital One Venture worth a $95 annual fee?

    The Capital One Venture charges a $95 fee upon account opening and after each cardmember anniversary. If you make good use of its perks, that price tag may easily be worth it.

    In other words: If you’d pay $95 for the below card benefits, the Capital One Venture is a good deal.

    Speed through airport security checkpoints

    The Capital One Venture comes with up to $120 in credit to reimburse you for the application fee of either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

    TSA PreCheck grants you the humanity of keeping your shoes, belt, and light jacket on when going through most domestic security checkpoints. You can also keep your laptop and TSA-approved toiletries in your bag (instead of pushing dozens of gray bins through the x-ray machine). You won’t even have to raise your arms in that invasive phone booth scanner thing — you’ll walk through a friendlier metal detector.

    Global Entry Global Entry lets you skip the immigration line when returning to the U.S. from another country. You can walk up to a self-serve kiosk, let it take a quick glance at your face, and head out the door. You’ll walk through a short checkpoint where an officer may ask you a question or two, but that’s it.

    Global Entry comes with TSA PreCheck privileges — so it’s the better one to apply for.

    Membership with both of these programs lasts for five years. And because the Capital One Venture’s $120 credit renews every four years, you’ll never have to pay out-of-pocket for these programs.

    Access to Capital One Travel

    Those with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card can access Capital One’s online travel booking agency — Capital One Travel. This is one of the better online travel agencies because of perks like:

    • Price drop protection. Get up to $50 in travel credits if your flight price decreases within 10 days of booking.
    • Price freeze. Hold the current price of your itinerary for up to 14 days for a small fee.
    • Cancel For Any Reason coverage. Change or cancel your travel details for any reason (even Basic Economy fares) and get up to 90% of your money back for a small fee.

    You can also book hotels through the Capital One Lifestyle Collection, which gives you elite-like benefits (think room upgrades, late checkout, and a $50 experience credit) during your stay.

    No foreign transaction fees

    Several credit cards charge an arbitrary fee (often around 3%) when you buy something outside of the U.S. That makes any travel purchases, shopping, etc. during your international trip notably more expensive.

    The Capital One Venture eats this fee, making it a good spending option for traveling overseas.

    Reserve fancier rental cars for less

    With a few clicks through your Capital One Venture online account, you can enroll in Hertz Five Star elite status. This status otherwise requires 10 rentals or $2,000 in Hertz spending. Benefits include 25% bonus points on paid rentals, upgrades when available, and more.

    Decent travel insurance

    The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with travel insurance that, while not stellar (the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s travel insurance is considerably better), are sufficient for a mid-tier travel credit card. Coverage is automatic as long as you make your travel purchases with the card.

    You’ll get:

    • Rental car insurance. You are covered for theft or collision damage up to the actual cash value of most cars. Coverage is secondary when renting domestically, meaning the card will only reimburse what your personal insurance won’t cover. You’ll get primary coverage when renting outside the U.S.
    • Lost luggage reimbursement. Capital One will give you up to $3,000 when the airline, cruise ship, etc. loses your luggage.
    • Travel accident insurance. Get up to $250,000 in compensation against loss of life, limbs, sight, speech, or hearing when the common carrier (like an airline) is at fault.

    The card’s also got helpful benefits like Roadside Dispatch (similar to AAA) and Travel and Emergency Assistance Services. These aren’t “insurance,” but they can work to get you out of a bind when you’re away from home.

    Book events and restaurants that others can’t

    Capital One routinely gives its cardholders early and/or exclusive access to reserve popular events such as concert tickets, sports, culinary experiences, etc. Some restaurants even save tables for Capital One Venture cardholders in case they decide to book a last-minute reservation.

    Is the Capital One Venture right for you?

    If you’re still not sure whether to go for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, ask yourself the following questions.

    Can you make $4,000 in purchases within the next three months? The card’s current bonus is really good. But to earn the 75,000 bonus miles + $250 in travel credit, you’ll have to spend $4,000 on purchases within three months.

    This bonus is incentive enough to at least kick the tires on the card for a year to see if it complements your travel style.

    Do you hate mentally juggling bonus spending categories? The card’s got a flat return rate of 2 miles per dollar for most purchases — which is excellent. You don’t have to stress about when to use the card and when not to. It’s great for all purchases.

    Is the Capital One Venture easy to get?

    The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card isn’t hard to get. It comes with many of the same standards as other similar rewards credit cards — though Capital One enforces some unique rules of its own:

    • Credit score. You should apply for this card if your credit score is 670 or above (considered “good” by FICO). If your credit score is lower, it may be tougher to get approved.
    • 48-month rule. If you’ve received a Capital One Venture welcome bonus within the past 48 months, you won’t be eligible for another.
    • 1/6 rule. Your results may vary with this one, but generally Capital One won’t approve you for more than one credit card application every six months.

    So yeah, that’s the deal

    For good reason, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a super popular travel credit card. It’s got a huge welcome bonus — 75,000 bonus miles plus $250 in travel credit to use through Capital One Travel after meeting minimum spending requirements.

    The card also has a high-octane earning rate that’ll help you to replenish your miles long after that bonus is spent.

  • Capital One Venture X Business Card

    Capital One Venture X Business Card

    The Capital One Venture X Business Card was forged from stainless steel exclusively for business owners with a passion for travel. It’s a premium card that comes with hundreds in annual travel credits, bonus points after each account anniversary, airport lounge access, and much more.

    And for a limited time, the card offers up to 350,000 bonus miles after completing tiered spending requirements. The scientific term for an intro offer that high is “whopping.” This is the highest bonus the card’s ever had.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the Capital One Venture X Business — and how to use its rewards.

    How do Capital One miles work?

    How to earn Capital One miles

    The Capital One Venture X Business currently comes with a tiered welcome offer of up to 350,000 bonus miles:

    • 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
    • 200,00 additional bonus miles after spending a total of $200,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening

    That’s a high minimum spending threshold (though businesses with considerable expenses may not bat an eye at that figure). Even if you can only manage to earn the 150,000-mile tier, the bonus is still more generous than just about any card on the market.

    The Capital One Venture X Business also has a great return for purchases:

    • 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5 miles per dollar on airfare and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • 2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

    In other words, if you were to earn the full Venture X Business bonus, you’d end up with at least 750,000 Capital One miles after meeting minimum spending requirements ($200,000 in minimum spending x 2 miles per dollar = 400,000 additional miles).

    How to use Capital One miles

    Capital One gives you a few simple ways to redeem your rewards. You can:

    • Convert points into airline miles or hotel points with Capital One travel partners, such as Avianca and JetBlue.
    • Offset travel purchases you make with your card up to 90 days later at a rate of 1 cent per mile. You can redeem your rewards for transactions like flights, hotels, rental cars, ferries, timeshares, and more.

    You’ll almost always get the most travel from your miles by converting them into airline miles and hotel points.

    For example, if you were to purchase the below $366 United flight from Indianapolis (IND) to Miami (MIA), you’d spend 36,600 Capital One miles to offset the transaction. But by transferring Capital One miles to Avianca, the flight would cost just 7,500 miles and $5.60 in fees.

    Here’s a look at the airline and hotel programs that partner with Capital One. All transfers are 1:1 unless otherwise specified.

    Accor Live Limitless (2:1)EmiratesSingapore Airlines
    AeromexicoEtihadTAP Portugal
    Air Canada AeroplanEVA Air (2:1.5)Turkish Airlines
    AviancaFinnairVirgin Red
    British AirwaysFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Wyndham Rewards
    Cathay PacificJetBlue (5:3)
    Choice PrivilegesQantas

    No matter where you want to visit, a Capital One partner can get you there. And PointsYeah makes finding the perfect award seat super easy. Enter your origin and destination into the PointsYeah search bar and filter results by Capital One partners. We’ll show you all your options in seconds.

    If you’re feeling adventurous, try our Daydream Explorer tool to explore entire countries or continents at a time. You can even search all of Earth at once by typing “anywhere” as your origin and/or destination.

    Is the Capital One Venture X Business worth a $395 annual fee?

    The Capital One Venture X Business charges a $395 annual fee. But with one ounce of effort, you’ll be able to recoup that fee. We consider this card to be effectively a no annual fee card thanks to the following benefits.

    Yearly bonuses

    Here’s the key to squeezing more value from the Venture X Business than you’re investing in its annual fee. You’ll get two annual rewards that post to your account after each anniversary year:

    • Up to $300 in travel credit to be redeemed through Capital One Travel for flights, hotel stays, rental cars, etc. (you receive this credit upon account opening, as well)
    • 10,000 bonus Capital One miles (beginning on your first account anniversary)

    Remember, the 10,000 bonus miles are worth a minimum of $100 in travel. Between the annual travel credit and the bonus miles, Capital One is basically giving you $400 in free travel each year.

    But transferring your miles to travel partners can make the deal even better. Check out our guide to where you can go with 5,000 miles or less for some inspiration.

    Access to airport lounges

    While walking through the terminal, have you ever noticed the sliding glass doors that business travelers are always ducking into? You don’t have to be a big shot to get in. You just need a card like the Capital One Venture X Business.

    It gives you access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world. Airport lounges often come with free food and alcohol, fast Wi-Fi, conference rooms, lots of electrical outlets, and sometimes even showers and day beds.

    You can visit Capital One Lounges, a collection of upscale lounges, as well as Capital One’s new restaurant-first concept, Capital One Landing. You can also use Priority Pass lounges — which are just about everywhere. And you can bring two guests for free.

    More freedom to charge big expenses

    The Capital One Venture X Business is a NPSL (No Preset Spending Limit) card. This means you don’t have a firm credit line. Instead, the card learns your spending habits and gives you extra leeway if you’re in the habit of making large purchases.

    If the nature of your business demands that you charge tens of thousands of dollars at a time, you’re likely better off with a NPSL card than a standard credit card. Just note that you must pay your debt in full each month — the card doesn’t allow you to carry a balance month-to-month.

    Expedited airport security experience

    Every four years, the Capital One Venture gives you up to $120 in credit to reimburse you for the application fee to “trusted traveler” programs TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.

    TSA PreCheck costs $78 for a five-year membership. It gives you the ability to (practically) sprint through the domestic airport security checkpoints without having to remove your shoes or belt — or even take your laptop out of your bag. Plus, you’ll go through an exclusive security lane that processes much faster.

    Global Entry costs $120 for a five-year membership. It helps you to skip the immigration line when entering the U.S. from overseas. Instead of getting grilled by an immigration officer, just find a dedicated kiosk and it’ll quickly confirm your identity. Global Entry also comes with TSA PreCheck privileges.

    Get special access to restaurants and events

    Capital One caters heavily to dining and entertainment. It partners with some restaurants to help you land a reservation even when the joint is fully booked. Its Capital One Dining platform also hosts special experiences like cooking classes with prominent chefs.

    And through Capital One Entertainment, you can book super popular music and sporting events and experiences through presale opportunities — so you can be one of the first to buy.

    Is the Capital One Venture X Business right for you?

    The Capital One Venture X Business is a uniquely capable business card that can serve just about any entrepreneur. But it’s especially great for business owners that answer “yes” to the following questions.

    Is your business spending unconventional? If your business expenses don’t fall into a typical bonus category (think office supplies, shipping, online advertising, gas, etc.), this 2X everywhere card is a stellar option to funnel all your purchases through.

    Does your business have lots of expenses? If you need a sizable credit line to make big business purchases, the Capital One Venture X Business is one of your best options since it has no preset spending limit.

    Do you have travel aspirations? This card is meant for travelers. if you don’t travel for pleasure or business, a cash back credit card may better serve your goals.

    Is the Capital One Venture X Business easy to get?

    Again, the Capital One Venture X Business is a premium travel card. But it’s not notoriously hard to get. Here are some guidelines to follow:

    • You must own a business. This card is exclusively for business owners compared to the Capital One Venture X built for all travelers.
    • You have a good credit score. As a premium card, lower credit scores might not get accepted.
    • Abide by the 1/6 rule. Capital One usually won’t approve you for more than one credit card application within a six-month period.

    So yeah, that’s the deal

    Though the Capital One Venture X Business is a premium business card, its $395 annual fee is notably lower than its high-end competitors. You can very easily negate that fee thanks to its anniversary bonuses such as a $300 travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles.

    And for a limited time, the card offers one of the biggest welcome offers we’ve ever seen: up to 350,000 bonus miles after meeting tiered spending requirements.

  • Where can you go with 5,000 miles or less?

    Where can you go with 5,000 miles or less?

    Collecting travel rewards is about more than just fancy lie-flat business class seats to Asia and Europe. Sometimes you just want to book a quick jaunt to Grandma’s house a couple states away for Thanksgiving — or maybe a weekend getaway to the nearest beach for a mental recharge.

    Award travel has changed. You don’t need to stack up a whole lot of points—instead, you can book your next free trip for 5,000 miles or even less. PointsYeah makes these flights easy to find. Here’s how it works.

    How to find 5,000-mile awards with PointsYeah

    To begin our search for these 5K-point awards, we began with the Daydream Explorer tool. Its interactive map and extensive filters make it simple to get inspiration about possible trips. The tool is an excellent way to unearth great flight deals to just about everywhere.

    You’ll find Daydream Explorer in the menu on the left side of the home page.

    Click it, and you’ll be brought to a snappy interactive map. Enter your origin or destination airports, and you’ll see awards for routes to all over the world. Or, if you’re really feeling adventurous, you can search from “Anywhere” to “Anywhere.”

    You can then filter the results displayed on the map by price. Enter 5,000 under the “Max Points” tab to find flights that can be booked for 5,000 points or less.

    You can also filter by airline or bank program to give you a better snapshot of what you can book with the specific points you’ve got.

    Which airline programs offer 5,000-mile flights?

    Let’s take a look at some fun examples of 5,000-mile flights you can book with popular airline programs.

    United MileagePlus

    You’ll most often find the lowest-priced United Airlines awards when hopping around California — and in some cases, Western Canada. Most (not all) tend to start or end with San Francisco (SFO), a major United hub.

    For example, you can fly between San Francisco (SFO) and Vancouver, BC (YVR) for 5,000 United miles and $5.60 in fees. Not bad for an 800-mile flight.

    And because United is a Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partner, you could book 20 flights like these after earning the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s current welcome bonus of 100,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

    That’s a lot of travel for very little effort.

    Delta SkyMiles

    Delta is one of the rare breeds that prices a select few awards under 5,000 miles. You can typically find them all around the Northeast between Boston (BOS) and regional airports like Augusta (AUG), Adirondack (SLK), Nantucket (ACK), and more. But other routes around the U.S. occasionally pop up. Be on the lookout for Delta flash sales.

    For more popular routes, be prepared to pay 5,000 miles. Here’s a route between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and New York (JFK) for 5,000 Delta miles and $5.60 in fees.

    Even better, if you’ve got a qualifying Delta credit card, you’ll get a 15% miles discount on Delta-operated award flights. That means you’d pay a mere 4,250 miles for the above seat.

    American Airlines AAdvantage

    American Airlines is considerably generous with its presence of 5,000-mile routes. Flights priced this low tend to have a travel distance of 500 miles or less.

    For example, a 453-mile flight from Detroit (DTW) to Philadelphia (PHL) costs 5,000 AA miles and $5.60 in fees.

    If your upcoming AA trip is under 500 miles, you’ve got a decent chance at scoring a low price. Of course, it’ll help to be flexible with your travel dates.

    Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

    Alaska Airlines has an extensive loyalty programs allowing flights below 5,000 miles on both its own metal as well as on partner airlines.

    For example, here’s a flight on Alaska Airlines between Oakland (OAK) and Seattle (SEA) for 4,500 Alaska miles and $5.60 in fees.

    And here’s one on partner American Airlines between Miami (MIA) and Grand Cayman (GCM) for 4,500 Alaska Airlines miles and $18.10 in fees.

    For some routes (typically around the West Coast), you can find economy seats for just 4,000 miles each way.

    JetBlue TrueBlue

    JetBlue, known for its strong presence in the Northeast part of the US, has plenty of 5k point redemptions from major hubs.

    For example, the below flight from New York (JFK) to Nashville (BNA) costs just 3,200 points and $5.60 in fees!

    JetBlue is a Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partner. With the limited-time 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s bonus, you could book 30+ flights like these by converting your rewards into JetBlue points.

    Avianca LifeMiles

    Avianca LifeMiles are all-stars for sub-5,000-mile adventures — sometimes offering long-haul flights for less than half that figure.

    Take a look at this gem from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO). This 2,722-mile flight costs just 3,950 miles and $52.47 in fees.

    To boot, Avianca offers a paid membership called LifeMiles+. This subscription discounts your award flights by up to 25% (depending on which airline you’re flying). If you book flights with LifeMiles even a few times each year, LifeMiles+ could be a great deal. Don’t forget current $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year+75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases

    Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

    Aside from some niche intra-Caribbean routes, Virgin Atlantic saves its 5,000-mile routes for those jumping around Europe. And there are lots to choose from, thanks to partners like SAS, Air France, and KLM.

    Here’s a flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Vienna (VIE) for 4,000 points and (an admittedly high) $93.41 in fees.

    Virgin Atlantic is another Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partner, meaning you can mobilize the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s current 100,000-point bonus to book dozens of flights like these around Europe.

    Spirit Airlines Free Spirit

    Spirit Airlines prices its award flights similarly to JetBlue in that the amount of points you pay is directly proportional to the seat’s cash price.

    As an ultra-low-cost airline, Spirit’s got plenty of inexpensive routes. Awards start at just 2,500 points. For example, a flight from Chicago (ORD) to Cancun (CUN) costs 2,500 points and $48.13 in fees.

    Pretty simple, yeah?

    Lots of airlines give you the ability to book a seat for 5,000 miles or less — even on international flights. They’re often shorter trips, but they can represent a great value.

    PointsYeah can help you to find these flights with Daydream Explorer. And be sure to sign-up for the PointsYeah newsletter — we’ll send you an alert when we see a screaming 5,000-mile deal.

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review: Massive 100k sign-up bonus for a limited time

    Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review: Massive 100k sign-up bonus for a limited time

    Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are PointsYeah’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Some links on this website will earn an affiliate commission. 

    I’ve had the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for over 10 years. I’ve used its points and travel perks to hop all over the world for nearly free.

    Case in point: My first award flight was to the Philippines for 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and $5.60. That’s less out-of-pocket than the Grande six-pump Cinnamon Dolce Flat White I nursed while waiting for my flight.

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a near-perfect travel credit card for three reasons:

    1. You don’t have to know a ton about travel rewards to squeeze lots of trips out of its points.
    2. The rewards it earns can be transferred to over a dozen airline and hotel programs. In other words, it’s a good points currency to invest in if you don’t have firm travel plans.
    3. Its travel insurance is fantastic. It’s saved me thousands of dollars over the years.

    And get this: For a limited time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a whopping 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. You can do just about anything with that big of a points stockpile. I’ll show you what I mean — and why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth opening even without this huge bonus.

    How do Chase Ultimate Rewards work?

    How to earn Chase points

    For a limited time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That’s 40,000 points higher than its standard offer. It’s been nearly four years since the card has touted a bonus this juicy.

    Beyond its welcome bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns points at the following rates:

    • 3 points per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services)
    • 3 points per dollar for online grocery purchases (except for Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
    • 3 points per dollar for eligible streaming services
    • 2 points per dollar on travel purchases (flights, hotels, Airbnb, rental cars, rideshare services, tolls, etc.)
    • 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

    You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar when you book flights, hotel stays, rental cars, etc. through Chase Travel℠ (excluding expenses that are reimbursed by the card’s annual $50 hotel credit — we’ll talk about that in a minute).

    How to use Chase points

    You’ve got a lot of options when it comes to redeeming Chase points. You can cash them out at a rate of 1 cent per point; you can “buy” flights, hotels, and more through Chase’s proprietary booking platform, Chase Travel℠, at a rate of 1.25 cents per point.

    But you’ll typically get the most travel (by far) when you convert points into airline miles and hotel points with Chase’s travel partners.

    Here’s a quick look at all the loyalty programs that partner with Chase.

    Aer LingusEmiratesIHG OneSingapore AirlinesVirgin Atlantic
    Air CanadaFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)JetBlueSouthwestWorld of Hyatt
    British AirwaysIberiaMarriott BonvoyUnited Airlines

    PointsYeah lets you filter your award flights and hotel stays by bank program — giving you a quick and easy look at fun ways to use your Chase points no matter where you’re heading.

    With the exception of that frigid white continent to the south, you can get just about anywhere with the current 100,000-point bonus.

    PointsYeah also lets you set alerts to help you find inexpensive awards for super popular flights and hotels. I managed to book an $1,800 room at the Park Hyatt New York with 45,000 Chase points thanks to PointsYeah Hotel Alerts.

    Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card worth a $95 annual fee?

    You’ll pay a $95 membership fee when you open the Chase Sapphire Preferred — and after every cardmember anniversary. But those who book even a couple of trips each year can easily justify the card’s fee.

    Let’s take a quick look at the card’s best benefits. If you think these are worth more than $95 per year, the card is worth its annual fee.

    Loads of statement credits

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with several credits and refunds. With very little effort, you could conceivably save hundreds of dollars per year:

    • $50 hotel credit. Each account anniversary year, you’ll get up to $50 in statement credits toward prepaid hotels booked through Chase Travel℠. If you regularly book your hotel stays through an online travel agency, like Expedia or Kayak, you’ll have no trouble using this credit.
    • DashPass membership. Get 12 months of free DashPass ($0 delivery fees, exclusive offers, and more) and $10 per month in non-restaurant orders when you activate the offer by Dec 31, 2027. DashPass otherwise costs $9.99 per month, so this is a nice value if you already pay for DoorDash.
    • Chase Offers. These are digital coupons and promotions that you can manually add to your card from your online account. Many times you’ll see offers that can save you money on purchases you planned to make anyway, such as gas, wireless services, streaming, etc.

    Top-notch travel insurance

    The most compelling reason I keep the Chase Sapphire Preferred in my wallet year after year is its travel insurance. Coverage is automatic as long as you pay for your travel with the card. Here are some of the perks you’ll get:

    • Primary rental car insurance. Instead of paying the $10+ per day for a rental agency’s in-house insurance plan, the Chase Sapphire Preferred covers you up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage on most cars.
    • Trip delay insurance. If your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours (or requires an overnight stay), Chase will reimburse you for up to $500 in “reasonable” expenses — including a hotel night and meals.
    • Baggage delay insurance. When your bag is delayed by more than six hours, Chase will give you $100 per day (up to five days) to buy things that you need for your trip. This includes clothes, toiletries, a phone charger, etc.
    • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. You’ll get reimbursed up to $10,000 per covered traveler (max $20,000 per trip) when your nonrefundable travel is canceled or cut short for a qualifying reason (such as inclement weather or injury).

    Here’s an amusing/nightmarish anecdote: During a trip to Dublin, United Airlines lost my checked bag for over a week. Because I had paid for my flight with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase reimbursed me for $500 in new clothes. And on the same trip, I ended up scraping my rental car and was charged $2,300 by the rental agency. I sent the bill to Chase — and they cut me a check for the full amount within a few weeks.

    No foreign transaction fees

    A lot of credit cards will stick you with a 3% fee when you make purchases outside the U.S. That can add up in a hurry, especially if you book expensive hotels or do a lot of shopping.

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred waives this ridiculous fee — so it’s a great companion if you’ve got international travel plans.

    Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card right for you?

    There are a handful of questions you can ask yourself to quickly determine if the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a good match for your wallet. Say yes to any of these and the card is a no-brainer.

    Can you make $5,000 in purchases within the next three months? The card’s 100,000-point bonus after spending $5,000 within the first three months is too good to pass up. Again — while the points are best used by transferring to airline and hotel partners, you could simply cash it out for $1,000. It’s like Chase is giving you a free $1,000 just to try the card out. That’s crazy.

    Do you pay for travel insurance? You know how airlines and hotels often have a travel insurance add-on during checkout? If you typically opt for this coverage, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can save you a lot by giving you similar protections automatically.

    Do you travel at least a couple times each year? For those who almost never travel, there are better cards out there with benefits that are more relevant to your lifestyle — such as cash back credit cards.

    Do you spend a lot on dining, streaming, or online grocery shopping? The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases in these categories. You could easily earn many tens of thousands of points each year from these expenses alone.

    Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card easy to get?

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred isn’t more difficult to get than most other travel credit cards. Still, there are a few things that will guarantee you an application denial:

    • Credit score. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is recommended for those with a credit score of 670 or above. If your credit score isn’t quite there yet, keep exhibiting good credit habits. You’ll get there.
    • Chase “5/24 rule”. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months (excluding most small business credit cards), you won’t be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
    • Sapphire 48-month rule. If you’ve earned a welcome bonus from a Chase Sapphire card in the past 48 months (including the Sapphire Preferred’s fancy sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®), you aren’t eligible to earn another bonus.
    • One Sapphire rule. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’re not eligible to open another Sapphire card and earn the bonus. To open the Chase Sapphire Preferred again, you’ll have to either cancel your current card or downgrade it to a no annual fee Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

    So yeah, that’s the deal

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of our absolute favorite rewards credit cards. Chase has crammed a lot of great travel benefits inside its thin metal chassis.

    And best of all, the card comes with a monster 100,000 bonus points after meeting minimum spending requirements. I know it’s only April — but this may be the best credit card offer we’ll see all year.

    Learn more here.

  • How to convert points into airline miles

    How to convert points into airline miles

    Got a whole bunch of credit card points but aren’t sure how to spend them? PointsYeah’s search tool is a foolproof way to make your travel planning easier. From converting points into airline miles to formally booking your travel, we hold your hand the whole way.

    Although PointsYeah does the heavy lifting, it’s still worth understanding simple details like:

    • Which airlines partner with each points program?
    • Which credit cards can you open to quickly amass the points that’ll best fit your travel goals?

    American Express Membership Rewards points

    Which airlines partner with Amex Membership Rewards?
    Aer LingusCathay PacificIberia
    AeromexicoDeltaJetBlue
    Air CanadaEmiratesQantas
    ANAEtihadQatar Airways
    AviancaFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Singapore Airlines
    British AirwaysHawaiian AirlinesVirgin Atlantic

    While looking for award flights, PointsYeah displays live search results that show you how many points you’ll need to transfer to each specific airline program. It even shows you active transfer bonuses.

    Most transfers are instant — so you can book your travel immediately after you initiate the conversion.

    Another quick note: When transferring Amex points to a U.S. airline (like Delta or JetBlue or Hawaiian Airlines), you’ll be subject to a fee of 0.06 cents per point. For example, you’ll pay $60 for every 100,000 points you transfer. You’ve also got the option to redeem Amex points at a rate of 0.5 cents each to offset the fee.

    Again, this doesn’t apply to foreign airlines — only those based in the U.S.

    Which credit cards earn Amex Membership Rewards?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    The Platinum Card® from American Express$695 (rates and fees)80,000 bonus points(limited Offer)
    The Business Platinum Card® from American Express$695 (rates and fees)60,000 bonus points
    American Express® Gold Card$325 (rates and fees)150,000 bonus points
    American Express® Business Gold Card$375 (rates and fees)100,000 bonus points
    American Express® Green Card$150 (rates and fees)40,000 bonus points
    American Express® Business Green Rewards Card$95 (rates and fees)15,000 bonus points
    The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express$0 (rates and fees)15,000 bonus points

    How to transfer American Express Membership Rewards to airlines

    Step 1. Log into your American Express online account and select a Membership Rewards-earning card (like the Amex Platinum Card).

    Step 2. Click the “Rewards & Benefits” tab. Under the “Earn and Redeem” drop-down menu, find the “Transfer Points” option. This will take you to a page listing all Amex transfer partners.

    Step 3. Choose the airline program you’d like to transfer your points to. Before you transfer, Amex will ask you to enter your airline loyalty number. It’ll save your info for future use.

    Step 4. Review and submit your transfer. You’ll need to authenticate the transfer by inputting the three-digit code on the back of your card, entering a temporary code sent to your email, or completing another verification method.

    Bilt Rewards

    Which airlines partner with Bilt Rewards?
    Aer LingusCathay PacificTAP Portugal
    Alaska AirlinesEmiratesTurkish Airlines
    AviancaFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)United Airlines
    Air CanadaIberiaVirgin Red (Virgin Atlantic)
    British AirwaysSouthwest

    Again, PointsYeah will show you live award inventory and give you links to help you transfer your points instantly (in most cases) to your preferred airline program — and even alert you of transfer bonuses to make your flight even cheaper.

    Which credit cards earn Bilt Rewards?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    Bilt Mastercard®$0N/A

    How to transfer Bilt Rewards to airlines

    Step 1. Open the Bilt Rewards app on your phone and click the “Rewards” tab at the bottom of the screen.

    Step 2. Find the “Transfer” button at the top of the screen and select it. This will bring you to a page with all of Bilt’s transfer partners.

    Step 3. Choose the airline you want to transfer your points with. Input the number of points you’d like to transfer.

    Step 4. Review and submit your transfer.

    Capital One miles

    Which airlines partner with Capital One miles?
    AeromexicoEtihadSingapore Airlines
    Air CanadaEVA AirTAP Portugal
    AviancaFinnairTurkish Airlines
    British AirwaysFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Virgin Red (Virgin Atlantic)
    Cathay PacificJetBlue
    EmiratesQantas

    Transferring Capital One miles to airlines is typically instant. And because PointsYeah displays live award availability, you can transfer your miles to the airline and book your trip in just a minute or two. We’ll tell you how many miles you need to convert for your desired flight — and also let you know of any Capital One miles transfer bonuses.

    Which credit cards earn Capital One miles?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$9575,000 bonus miles
    Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card$39575,000 bonus miles
    Capital One Venture X Business Card$39575,000 bonus miles
    Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card$020,000 bonus miles
    Capital One Spark Miles for Business$95 (waived the first year)50,000 bonus miles
    Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business$050,000 bonus miles
    Capital One Spark Cash Plus$95 (waived the first year)$750*
    Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card$0$200*
    Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card$0$200*
    Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card$39N/A*

    *You can convert the cash back you earn with Capital One credit cards into transferable miles as long as you also hold a Capital One miles-earning card, like the Capital One Venture. The transfer rate  is 1 mile per cent. For example, you could convert $50 in cash back into 5,000 Capital One miles.

    In other words, even cash back Capital One cards are great for earning travel rewards.

    How to transfer Capital One miles to airlines

    Step 1. Log into your Capital One online account and click the “View Rewards” button on your dashboard. You’ll then be taken to the rewards page with several different redemption options.

    Step 2. Click the “Transfer rewards” box to find the list of all Capital One airline partners.

    Step 3. Choose the airline program you’d like to transfer your miles to. You’ll need to enter your airline loyalty number if you haven’t previously linked it to your Capital One account.

    Step 4. Enter the number of miles you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points

    Which airlines partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards?
    Aer LingusFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Southwest
    Air CanadaIberiaUnited Airlines
    British AirwaysJetBlueVirgin Atlantic
    EmiratesSingapore Airlines

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points convert to airlines programs instantly. PointsYeah gives you a live look at award seats — so when you find the flight you want, you can have it reserved in minutes. The search results will tell you how many Chase points you’ll need to book the flight, as well as any current transfer bonuses.

    Which credit cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card$9575,000 bonus points
    Chase Sapphire Reserve®$55075,000 bonus points
    Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card$9590,000 bonus points
    Chase Freedom Unlimited®$0Up to $300*
    Chase Freedom Flex℠$0$200*
    Ink Business Cash® Credit Card$0$750*
    Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card$0$750*

    *You can convert the cash back you earn with Chase credit cards into transferable points — but you must have a Chase Ultimate Rewards point-earning credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You’ll get 1 point per cent, meaning, you could convert $100 in cash back into 10,000 Chase points.

    How to transfer Chase points to airlines

    Step 1. Log into your Chase online account and click on an Ultimate-Rewards credit card. You’ll see a “Redeem” button near the top of the page. Alternatively, you can head directly to the Chase Ultimate Rewards website and choose your Ultimate Rewards credit card.

    Step 2. On your account dashboard, you’ll see a “Travel” tab at the top of the page. Find and click the “Transfer points to partners” link from the drop-down menu.

    Step 3. From Chase’s list of airline partners, choose the program you’d like to transfer your points to. You’ll need to link your airline account to Chase if you haven’t already. Just enter your loyalty number when prompted.

    Step 4. Enter the number of points you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

    Citi ThankYou points

    Which airlines partner with Citi ThankYou points?
    AeromexicoEVA AirSingapore Airlines
    AviancaFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Thai Airways
    Cathay PacificJetBlueTurkish Airlines
    EmiratesQantasVirgin Atlantic
    EtihadQatar Airways

    Citi ThankYou points generally transfer to programs instantly. PointsYeah will quickly show you how many points you’ll need for your flight (accounting for active transfer bonuses), and it’ll display live award availability. Just choose your flight, and we’ll show you how to quickly book it.

    Which credit cards earn Citi ThankYou points?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    Citi Strata Premier℠ Card$9575,000 bonus points
    Citi Prestige® Card$495N/A
    Citi Rewards+® Card$020,000 bonus points*
    Citi Double Cash® Card$0$200*
    Citi Custom Cash® Card$0$200*

    *You can turn any rewards you earn with Citi’s cash back cards into transferable ThankYou points as long as you also hold a ThankYou points-earning credit card like the Citi Strata Premier. You’ll get 1 point per cent, meaning, you can turn $100 in cash back into 10,000 Citi points.

    It’s also worth noting that the Citi Rewards+ Card’s redemption options are effectively identical to Citi’s cash back credit cards. So to unlock the full potential of that card’s rewards, you’ll also need to hold a card like the Citi Strata Premier.

    How to transfer Citi points to airlines

    Step 1. Navigate to ThankYou.com and login with your Citi credit card credentials. You may need to manually select the Citi Strata Premier — or another card that earns fully transferable points, like the Citi Prestige.

    On the home page is a “More Ways to Redeem” tab. Click “Points Transfer” from the drop-down menu.

    Step 2. You’re now looking at a list of all Citi transfer partners. Find the airline you want to transfer to and click “Continue.” Link your airline loyalty account (if you haven’t already) by entering it into the ThankYou website when prompted.

    Step 3. Enter the number of points you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

    Wells Fargo Rewards

    Which airlines partner with Wells Fargo Rewards?
    Aer LingusFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)
    AviancaIberia
    British AirwaysVirgin Atlantic

    In most cases, rewards will deposit into your airline account immediately after initiating a transfer from Wells Fargo. Take a quick look at available flights through PointsYeah’s live award search, and we’ll give you instructions for how to quickly transfer points and book your travel. We’ll even tell you when there’s a hard-to-ignore transfer bonus.

    Which credit cards earn Wells Fargo Rewards?
    CardAnnual feeWelcome bonus
    Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card$020,000 bonus points
    Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card$9560,000 bonus points
    Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card$0$200*
    Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card$0$100*

    Even Wells Fargo’s cash back cards that aren’t marketed as “travel” credit cards can be a boon for collecting travel rewards. If you’ve got a Wells Fargo points-earning card, like the Wells Fargo Autograph Card, you can convert the cash back you earn into Wells Fargo points at a rate of 1 point per cent — meaning $20 equals 2,000 travel points.

    How to transfer Wells Fargo points to airlines

    Step 1. Sign into your Wells Fargo online account and roll over the “Use Rewards” tab at the top of the page.

    Step 2. From the drop-down menu, find and click the “Rewards Points Transfer” link. This will take you to a list of Wells Fargo transfer partners.

    Step 3. Choose the airline you want to use and enter the number of points you’d like to transfer.

    Step 4. Review your transfer and click “Submit.”

    Cautions, caveats, and advice

    Take advantage of transfer bonuses

    Banks often publish bonuses which can help to stretch the rewards you earn by rewarding you for transferring your flexible points to specific airline partners.

    For example, you may find that American Express is offering a 30% bonus when transferring to Virgin Atlantic. This improves the standard 1:1 transfer ratio to 1:1.3. That’s an extra 300 miles for every 1,000 points you transfer.

    Transfers are final

    When you convert transferable points to an airline, you can’t convert them back. For this reason, we don’t recommend transferring points until you’re ready to book.

    Some points take a while to transfer

    In most cases, transferable points deposit into your airline account within a day (typically within minutes). But some partners may take longer to process. If you’re uniquely cursed, the award seats you want may have disappeared by the time you get your miles.

    It probably won’t happen to you, but it’s something to be aware of.

    Pretty simple, Yeah?

    Transferring bank points to an airline is simple and takes only a minute or two. The stressful part is trying to figure out how to best use those rewards. PointsYeah eliminates all that mental strain and feeds you the top options in seconds.

    Save your brainpower for earning travel rewards. We’ll do the rest.