Where 100,000 Points Can Take You: First Class Seats, Five-Star Suites and VIP Upgrades

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways - Episode Summary

Episode Title: Where 100,000 Points Can Take You: First Class Seats, Five-Star Suites and VIP Upgrades
Release Date: April 30, 2025
Hosts: Sally French & Meghan Coyle
Guest: Benjamin Din

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Introduction

In this episode of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, NerdWallet’s travel experts, Sally French and Meghan Coyle, delve into maximizing your travel points. With a special guest, Benjamin Din, a self-described "proud aviation geek," the trio explores creative and valuable ways to utilize 100,000 credit card points. The discussion ranges from hotel redemptions to luxurious flight upgrades, ensuring listeners can make the most of their travel dollars.

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News Segment

Credit Card Partnerships & Transfer Ratios

• Southwest Airlines and Built Rewards: Sally announces that Built Rewards has added Southwest Airlines as a new transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio. However, she expresses disappointment over Southwest reintroducing expiration dates for flight credits.
  “Southwest points are worth about 1.3 cents per point now, so it's better than the 1 cent per point as a baseline,” says Megan (00:58).

• Citi's Transfer Ratio Changes: Citi revealed adjustments to transfer ratios with partners like Emirates Skywards, moving from a 1:1 to a 5:4 ratio for Citi ThankYou points — effectively a 20% reduction.
  “For City Thank You members, a couple of months to transfer at the current more favorable transfer rate ratio,” advises Sally (02:44).

• JetBlue’s New Partnership: JetBlue has enabled point redemptions for Japan Airlines, enhancing travel options to one of the world's top-rated airlines.
  “Any other ways to book flights on points to and from Japan is a win for consumers,” notes Sally (03:03).

• Chase's Travel Portal Expansion: Cruises are now accessible via Chase’s travel portal, making it simpler to browse and compare cruise options without needing to call directly. Benefits for Chase cardholders include perks like specialty dining and onboard Starbucks.
  “Even if you don't have enough Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a cruise, you can also Pay for your cruise on a Chase card to earn points,” Sally highlights (04:13).

• Disney Dining Plan Offer: A special deal for families visiting Disney World in 2026 includes a free dining plan for children aged 3 to 9 when booking a Disney resort collection hotel.
  “Kids eat free. I like the sound of that,” Megan reacts (04:53).

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Main Discussion: Maximizing 100,000 Points

Overview

Sally, Meghan, and Benjamin explore optimal strategies for redeeming 100,000 credit card points across various rewards programs. Each host presents tailored recommendations based on their respective credit card programs: American Express, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One.

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Chase Ultimate Rewards: Benjamin Din’s Recommendations

1. Hyatt Hotels Transfer Partner

   • Value Proposition: Hyatt remains a standout due to its award chart and reasonable redemption rates.
   • “Standard room is 45,000 points per night,” Benjamin explains (10:24).
   • Example: Sally shares her successful redemption at Andaz Maui at Wailea, highlighting the flexibility before its upgrade to Category 8.
     “It is a Category 8. I still love it,” she states (12:05).

2. Flights: Lufthansa First Class via Air Canada’s Aeroplan

   • Redemption Value: Over 11 cents per point for a one-way flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, valued at more than $11,000 in cash.
   • Experience Highlight: Exclusive facilities like private check-ins, sleeping rooms, and gourmet dining. Benjamin fondly recalls receiving a rubber duck as a Lufthansa first-class souvenir.
     “My favorite part is getting a rubber duck from the lounge as a souvenir,” Benjamin shares (17:36).

3. Additional Flight Options

   • Iberia Business Class: Fly to Madrid for 34,000 points each way.
   • ANA First Class to Tokyo: Booked through Virgin Atlantic’s partnership, offering flights from the West Coast for 72,500 points or East Coast for 85,000 points.
     “I flew ANA first class to Tokyo, which was an incredible experience,” Benjamin recounts (16:51).

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Capital One: Meghan Coyle’s Recommendations

1. Choice Privileges Transfer Partner

   • Value Proposition: Affordable nights at brands like Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Radisson, and Cambria Hotels.
   • “A boutique hotel in Oslo is only 15,000 points per night, worth about 1.6 cents per point,” Meghan illustrates (13:12).

2. Vacation Rentals via Capital One

   • Lifestyle & Premier Collection Properties: Option to book vacation rentals on points, coupled with property credits ranging from $50 to $100.
     “There are some vacation rentals that you can book on points through Capital One,” Megan mentions (21:08).

3. British Airways Flights

   • Short Haul Flights: Ideal for infrequent travelers within Europe, with low surcharges and high redemption value.
     “British Airways is a good program to book with and also if you need British Airways points,” as Megan advises (23:00).

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American Express: Sally French’s Recommendations

1. Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) Program

   • Premium Redemptions: High-end hotels offering perks like early check-in, room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and $100 resort credits.
   • Example: Andaz Maui at Wailea, providing excellent value especially when combined with the Amex Platinum’s $200 hotel credit.
     “If you have an Amex Platinum, you need to look into the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts,” Sally explains (14:33).

2. Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) Transfers

   • Economy Flights: Monthly promotions offer flights to/from Europe for under 20,000 miles, perfect for budget-conscious travelers.
     “Another great trip for you to book your own trip to Europe for that 100,000 points,” Sally suggests (20:45).

3. Delta SkyMiles

   • Deals: Affordable domestic and international flights, such as LA to Seattle for 10,000 miles or LA to Detroit for 30,000 miles.
     “Some good deals if you can find them especially internationally or even throughout the US,” Sally notes (22:03).

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Listener Questions

Couples Maximizing Signup Bonuses

Curtis inquires whether both he and his wife can receive miles from opening individual Citi American Airlines MasterCards. Sally confirms:

“If you both open up a card in your individual names, you could both receive the signup bonus,” Sally answers (25:01).
Meghan adds strategic advice:
"A two player credit card strategy can be really effective because you've got double the spending power and you can earn two signup bonuses at once," she advises (25:13).

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Hot Takeoffs: Benjamin Din on Southwest Airlines

Benjamin criticizes Southwest’s decision to list prices on third-party sites like Google Flights and Expedia. He argues that once consumers can easily compare Southwest’s prices with other airlines, the perceived value diminishes.
“Those platforms make it really easy to compare prices across airlines. But personally, I found that Southwest isn't the cheapest option,” Benjamin states (25:34).

Sally and Megan express agreement, noting that Southwest’s unique selling points are being eroded by these changes. They discuss recent personal experiences with Southwest, highlighting both pros (spacious cabins) and cons (added fees).
“I actually didn't have that great of an experience. There's no free drink can,” Benjamin shares (26:42).

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Conclusion

Sally and Meghan encourage listeners to actively use their accumulated points rather than letting them sit unused. They emphasize the vast array of redemption options available, from luxurious international flights to affordable hotel stays and unique experiences.

“You can transfer your points to get multiple nights at certain brands that charge 20,000 points or less per room. Or you could use all of those points for a first class international flight with caviar and a ride to the airplane,” Meghan summarizes (24:33).

Sally adds a light-hearted note on memorable perks such as Lufthansa’s rubber ducks and Virgin Atlantic’s salt and pepper shakers, reinforcing the fun aspects of point redemption.
“And also we should add those ducks and salt and pepper shakers depending on the airline,” Sally jokes (24:33).

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Final Remarks

The hosts wrap up by encouraging listeners to subscribe to the podcast on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio, and to engage with them through comments and feedback.

“We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller,” Megan concludes (28:08).

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Key Takeaways

• Maximize Value: Focus on high-value redemptions like Hyatt Hotels and premium flights to get the most out of your points.
• Transfer Strategically: Leverage transfer partners such as Hyatt, Aeroplan, and Flying Blue to unlock better redemption options.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with changes in transfer ratios and new partnerships to adapt your point usage strategies accordingly.
• Experiment with Options: Consider various redemption avenues, including hotels, flights, and even vacation rentals, to diversify how you use your points.

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Resources Mentioned:

• Hyatt Hotels Transfer Rates
• Capital One’s Choice Privileges and Radisson Blu Offers
• American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
• Chase Ultimate Rewards & Hyatt Partnership
• Air Canada’s Aeroplan and Lufthansa Flights
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Redemptions

For detailed articles and specific redemption guides, refer to the episode links in the show notes.

Transcript

[Megan Coyle]

Sally, you know those icebreaker questions that are like, what would you do with a million dollars? What if we asked, what would you do with a hundred thousand points?

[Sally French]

That would be way more fitting for our show. And fitting Megan to have an icebreaker because we have a guest on our show today and I am guessing he has some good answers to that icebreaker question.

[Megan Coyle]

After the news, we'll be joined by our colleague Benjamin Din. I think he would describe himself as a proud aviation geek, and when it comes to redeeming points, he really knows his stuff.

[Sally French]

I have to say, every time I read about his airline redemptions, I'm like, can you please show me your ways, Ben?

[Megan Coyle]

That's why I asked him to come on the show.

[Sally French]

Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm Megan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And I'm Sally French.

[Megan Coyle]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Sally French]

We have asked our colleague Benjamin Din to join us to talk about what to do with six figures worth of credit card points. But first, the news.

[Megan Coyle]

Before we get there, you should drop our usual disclaimers. Ally.

[Sally French]

Yes, we will talk about a few credit card companies that are nerd wallet partners in this episode, but that does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of this posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, follow the links in the episode description. First up, Built Rewards is adding Southwest Airlines as its newest transfer partner. That means you can now transfer your built points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a one to one ratio. Now, Megan, I know you love Built.

[Megan Coyle]

I do. And I think the listeners know it too. And they know that you are quickly falling out of love with Southwest.

[Sally French]

I am. And I'm especially salty that they're adding back an expiration date to Southwest flight credits.

[Megan Coyle]

Bummer. But if you still stand by Southwest, then just know you've got another option transferring your built points to them. According to our valuations, which we just updated when Southwest switched to dynamic pricing. Another boo Hoover. Southwest points are worth about 1.3 cents per point now, so it's better than the 1 cent per point as a baseline that we're always talking about, but not that much more. Amazing.

[Sally French]

Okay, so I'm glad we talked last episode all about transfer partners, because there was actually a ton of news about transfer partners last week.

[Megan Coyle]

In addition to Southwest becoming a transfer partner of Bilt Citi announced that they are going to change the transfer ratios to some of their partners. One of them is Emirates Skywards and the transfer ratio is different depending on what card you have. So for the City Strata Premier, instead of a one to one transfer ratio, City thank you points will now transfer at a 5 to 4 ratio. So you'll get about 20% fewer miles than if you transfer now. That's like a thousand thank you points will turn into 800 emirates skywards miles whomp.

[Sally French]

This seems to be the trend lately.

[Megan Coyle]

Luckily you have some time. The change doesn't kick in until July 27th. So Citi thank you members have a couple of months to transfer at the current more favorable transfer rate ratio.

[Sally French]

Okay, maybe worth thinking about doing now. In other news, did you see JetBlue added the ability to redeem JetBlue points for Japan Airlines?

[Megan Coyle]

Yes, that's great. Japan Airlines is consistently ranked one of the best airlines in the world and the food is just amazing. I flew business class back to LA once from Japan and the Japanese meal is served in this bento box and there's a tiny bite of everything. And you know I love small plates.

[Sally French]

I still need to go to Japan, one of the top places that I have not been to.

[Megan Coyle]

And especially because it's such a popular destination this year. I think any other ways to book flights on points to and from Japan is a win for consumers.

[Sally French]

Okay, good deal. Moving over to our sea loving listeners.

[Megan Coyle]

You broke some news for NerdWallet last week and that's that cruises show up on Chase's travel portal now.

[Sally French]

Yes, this is great news for cruise fans who have Chase cards. Previously you had to call a number to find cruises available through something called Voyages by Chase. Now people like me who are afraid of picking up the phone, you can just go to Chase's Travel portal, see what cruise itineraries are available. Unfortunately though, you still have to call their number to actually complete the booking. But this makes it easier to browse and compare prices when you book one of those cruises as a Chase Card member. If it's a voyages by Chase Cruise you get benefits. It'll be things like specialty dining or free onboard Starbucks.

[Megan Coyle]

Starbucks. Count me in.

[Sally French]

Megan, we will make sure your next cruise has a Starbucks on board so you can get your chai latte.

[Megan Coyle]

We'll put a link to your story Sally, including the phone number in the show notes. Good luck with calling.

[Sally French]

I will throw in one more thing. Even if you don't have enough Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a cruise, you can also Pay for your cruise on a Chase card to earn points.

[Megan Coyle]

Good. Call out the Chase. Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on purchases made through Chase Travel, which of course includes these cruises.

[Sally French]

You know, Megan, I'm thinking this is a sign. Next week we should definitely just talk about cruises for the entire episode.

[Megan Coyle]

I think we can do that.

[Sally French]

All right, hint, hint, wink, wink, let's do it.

[Megan Coyle]

Moving right along to your other big beat besides cruises, and that's Disney.

[Sally French]

Yes. So I also wrote about a deal for families going on vacation at Disney World in 2026. Here's a good deal. If you buy a Disney dining plan to go along with your family's stay at a Disney resort collection hotel, kids in your party ages 3 to 9 will all get the dining plan for free.

[Megan Coyle]

Kids eat free. I like the sound of that. But for people who aren't familiar, what is the Disney dining plan?

[Sally French]

The Disney Dining plan is a prepaid meal program at Walt Disney World where you pay upfront and then you get a set amount of meal credits that you can redeem throughout trip. Now, whether or not it's a good deal is actually kind of up for debate. The Disney quick service dining plan costs about $60 per adult per day. That covers two quick service restaurants plus a snack. You also get a refillable drink credit. There's another more expensive tier. That's the standard Disney dining plan. That one includes one table service meal in lieu of one of those quick service restaurants. That one costs about $100 per adult per day.

[Megan Coyle]

So basically, you'd have to spend more than sixty or a hundred dollars per day per person on food to make it worth it.

[Sally French]

Right. And while Disney food is expensive, it's usually not that expensive. You just end up getting so much food, a lot of people say they can't even eat it all. So what they find is that a lot of people don't actually see huge savings.

[Megan Coyle]

It seems to be more of a budgeting mechanism. You sort of prepay for your food and then you don't have to budget for that later.

[Sally French]

Yes. So there are some deals where it's like free dining plan, but you cannot combine it with other discounts. So I would say just do the other discounts for most people. But unlike past deals, this deal is actually good because it is stackable with other discounts. So now you're getting that kids eat free. You can also combine this with other discounts like the hotel room rate.

[Megan Coyle]

All right, that's the news for now. On with the show. Let's get Ben in here. For a lot of people with a travel credit card, I think one part they get a little intimidated by is deciding what to do with their points.

[Sally French]

You know, Megan, I think there are a lot of people who are saving their points for some dream trip that they might never actually take, and then.

[Megan Coyle]

They end up with tens of thousands or maybe even a hundred thousand points just laying around.

[Sally French]

It sounds like a high number, but actually, 100,000 points is not that wild if you've earned a big signup bonus or you haven't used your points in a year or two.

[Megan Coyle]

So if you need ideas for how to spend your points, we got you. We also invited another travel nerd to help us out.

[Sally French]

Okay, Ben, say hi.

[Benjamin Din]

Hey, everyone. Excited to be here.

[Megan Coyle]

Ben is a fellow writer on the travel Rewards team at NerdWallet. He wrote a great article about what to do with a hundred thousand points, so he's perfect for this episode. We'll link to that in the episode description. Ben, since it's your first time on the podcast, tell us more about your travel style. Where do you like to go, and what do you like to spend your points on?

[Benjamin Din]

So I like traveling to places I've never been, and last year I flew over 100 flights across six continents.

[Sally French]

Whoa.

[Benjamin Din]

So that means I spend a ton of time on planes and in airport lounges. So I really try to maximize my air travel experience whenever I can, whether that's using points to book a premium cabin or using points to upgrade my flight. I'm also a United Premier 1K, so I really love chasing elite status. And I'm also on my way to becoming a million miler with United.

[Sally French]

I like that we're adding a United Flyer in the mix. You probably know Megan is an American Airlines elite. I am a recovering Southwest loyalist.

[Megan Coyle]

We need to find you a new airline, Sally.

[Sally French]

We do. Maybe United.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. Okay, so for this episode, I asked everyone to do some homework. I gave everyone a certain credit card rewards program and asked them to find three things they would recommend doing with a hundred thousand points in that program. Of course, I don't think anyone's going to stick to the three things, but that's okay. Which programs did you guys do?

[Sally French]

So I am doing American Express, and.

[Benjamin Din]

I'm doing Chase Ultimate Rewards, and I did Capital One.

[Megan Coyle]

And just a reminder, there might be some overlap because some airline or hotel companies are transfer partners of 1, 2, or all three of the credit card rewards programs we're covering today.

[Sally French]

Right. So, Ben, what are your priorities when it comes to redeeming 100,000 points.

[Benjamin Din]

So when I redeem my points, I really like to spend them on hotels because I feel like that's where people can get the most value. While it's really fun to fly in business class, you're actually probably going to spend more time in your hotel room than on the plane. Also, I often find that whether I love my hotel room or hate it can also really play a huge role in determining the vibe of the trip. Plus, hotels are expensive, especially if you're staying for multiple nights. So really, if you use points on hotels, you could be saving a lot of money.

[Sally French]

You know, it's so funny you say that, especially because you've done so many flights. I expected you to save flights, but honestly, I use points on hotels pretty much for the same reasons that you do. I will say Amex, which Megan assigned me, is not the best with hotel transfers. Hilton and Marriott are only met as hotel transfer partners with Amex. So this is a fun challenge. I am going to throw a fun Amex hotel zinger in my list.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm excited for that one. I kind of go with the flow when I'm looking to redeem my points, and I just look at the hotels or flights for my next trip and see if there's a way I can use my points to book for at least 1.5 cents per point. But I'm not necessarily trying to maximize the value and go above and beyond that. And I don't really mind whether I use it on a flight or hotel. I just want to save on my next trip. That's my style. All right, let's have our guest nerd go first. Ben, you're up.

[Benjamin Din]

I want to start off with Chase. They have a really great transfer partner in Hyatt Hotels.

[Sally French]

Oh, yes, Ben, I know we brought you on the show for a good reason. They are one of our favorite transfer partners. And, Ben, I hope you heard my wedding episode where I said I was booking my wedding hotel on Hyatt points. That's even rather than using my actual hotel room block.

[Benjamin Din]

You know what, Sally? I did hear that, and I wasn't surprised by it at all.

[Sally French]

Yes, thank you.

[Benjamin Din]

I love Hyatt as a transfer partner because they're one programs that still have an award chart, and plus, their rates are very reasonable. So even if you're looking to book the highest hotel category, which is category 8, the most points you'll ever need to book a standard room is 45,000 points per night. Contrast that with Marriott Bonvoy, where I've seen hotel rooms go for more than 200,000 points a night.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes. The difficult thing is sometimes finding the availability, though. Like, I booked the Hyatt Alila Ventana in Big Sur back in September for March of this year, but it was so far ahead, I ended up having to move the date and I called on January 1st to move it. And the next weekend availability wasn't until December. Yeah.

[Benjamin Din]

Wow.

[Megan Coyle]

So check back then and see if I actually got to go.

[Benjamin Din]

Well, I'm super excited to hear about your trip, Megan, because that's a very in demand property with only 54 rooms and suites. Plus they're not all available on points every day, so it's really not surprising to me that the availability is so low. But Hyatt actually has a ton of all inclusive options. They've got Ziva Zilara, Zoetree Wellness and Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts and Spas, and also Miraval. So if I had 100,000 points, I'd definitely start looking there.

[Sally French]

And I'll also pile onto the Hyatt Love. One of my best hotel redemptions to date was booking the Andaz Maui at Wailea. Back when it was just a Category 4. It opened in 2013, which was close to when I went. I think they priced it so low just because no one knew. True hidden gem property. I will say the word has gotten out now. It is a Category 8. I still love it.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, my God. I know.

[Sally French]

I still love it. I loved it way more as a category four.

[Megan Coyle]

All right, my turn. I'll stick with the hotel theme for Capital One points. I wouldn't sleep on transferring points to Choice Privileges. It's the loyalty program that includes brands like Comfort, Quality Inn, Radisson, Cambria Hotels, and some of those extended stay hotels like Ever Home Suites. There are some super affordable nights. Like, I found this one boutique hotel in Oslo, Norway. I think it's pronounced Hotel Christiania Tiertur. It's an Ascend Hotel collection and it's only 15,000 points per night. But that same night costs $240 at the time we recorded this, that's US dollars. So that would make that redemption worth about 1.6 cents per point, which is double NerdWallet's valuation of choice points.

[Sally French]

Amazing. And 15,000 points means you could stay there for six nights based on our 100k criteria.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. And if you want to stay stateside, there are also plenty of nights that are priced at 15,000 points or lower at brands like Quality Inn and Suites and Comfort inn in the U.S. i found that those aren't quite as good value for your points, but if you do want an extended stay somewhere, a hundred thousand points will go a long way towards a six night stay at one of those properties.

[Sally French]

Choice is also a transfer partner of American Express. I could have used that one on my list. So tell me, where could you get the best value for Choice points?

[Megan Coyle]

The best one I found was at Radisson Blu Hotels, which is the high end Radisson brand. The Radisson Blue in Aruba is 30,000 points a night, but could be as much as $533 a night in cash. So again, that's about 1.8 cents per point.

[Sally French]

My turn Amex Time. So I said I didn't want to talk about hotel transfer partners, but this actually isn't a transfer redemption, just a great hotel redemption. So I'm going to share it anyway. If you have an Amex Platinum, you need to look into the Amex Fine H Hotels and Resorts. These are usually really high end hotels, but when you book one of these participating hotels through Amex Travel you get a bunch of other perks. Things like early check in, late checkout, room upgrades, complimentary breakfast for two. Usually they throw in an $100 resort credit. So if you're counting all those perks you can get great value for your points.

[Megan Coyle]

Amex Platinum card holders also get a $200 credit toward bookings with fine hotels and resorts. So you can actually pay with a combination of cash and points and then you'll get the 200 reimbursement as a statement credit and all those perks and your points will be worth $0.01 per point. This is kind of a fun way to use your points and also get extra perks along with your hotel booking.

[Sally French]

That cash and point split is really nice. I find a lot of these hotels are so expensive that even the $200 credit you get with that card barely puts a dent in it. But if you can use Points that does help out a lot. I will say one of my favorite redemptions with the Fine Hotels and Resorts collection is over at some of the Universal Studios Hotels. You guys know I'm a huge theme park fan and I actually wrote an article on NerdWallet about this. We will link to it in the show description. But there are a bunch of Universal owned hotels that participate and when you book at a Universal owned hotel you get benefits like early admission to the parks. Some of them even give you a free front of the line pass as part of your stay. Plus the new Universal Epic Universe park is opening next month. So I definitely think I will be spending some of my points there myself.

[Megan Coyle]

As a theme park lover, I definitely want to use my Amex hotel credit for that one.

[Sally French]

You have to.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, let's take a quick break and when we get back, we'll talk about using points for flights. Stay with us. Okay, Ben, you're up again. What do you say we cover some flights?

[Benjamin Din]

There are a lot of options here if you have chase points. One that I've done is fly Lufthansa first class. You can actually book that by transferring your credit card points to Air Canada's aeroplan program. So you would book your flights through aeroplan Because Air Canada and Lufthansa are partners in terms of pricing, a one way flight from the east coast to Europe would cost you 90,000 points and a West coast flight would be 100,000. This is definitely an aspirational redemption. Keep in mind that one way international flights are often more expensive than round trips. But a one way from San Francisco to Frankfurt can cost more than $11,000 in first class. That's a whopping redemption value of more than 11 cents per point.

[Sally French]

Ben, I'm glad we brought you on the show to bring us these great redemptions. Air Canada really is a transfer partner of a bunch of the major programs. Ultimate rewards, Amex membership rewards, Capital one miles, and then also a program that I, Megan, is a huge fan of. But we're not going to go too much in depth today on is built rewards.

[Benjamin Din]

Definitely Air Canada miles are super accessible. But let me just talk a little bit more about what it's like to fly in first class because it is such a cool experience. I flew to Boston from Frankfurt where Lufthansa has an entire terminal just for first class passengers.

[Sally French]

Wow. So exclusive.

[Benjamin Din]

Yeah, there was a private check in area, sleeping rooms, sit down dining, and when it was time to board, there was even a car to drive me to the plane.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh my gosh. That's so cool.

[Benjamin Din]

First class definitely blows business class out of the water. The food is tastier and the bed is so much bigger. Now this is a little silly, but my favorite part about flying Lufthansa first class is getting a rubber duck from the lounge as a souvenir.

[Sally French]

That's so cute.

[Benjamin Din]

Yeah, it's a really fun thing that Lufthansa does. And some people will actually time their trip during certain holidays or events like the Olympics to get a limited edition duck.

[Megan Coyle]

I love when they have little souvenirs like that. Like, I really wanted to Take the salt and pepper shakers from my next redemption. I'm going to talk about. For Capital One, I'm going to choose a pretty common transfer partner. It's either Virgin Red or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. So it's a little complicated, but Virgin Red is the loyalty program for a bunch of different Virgin owned businesses and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the loyalty program for the airline specifically. But you can link those two accounts and use your Virgin Red points. For Virgin Atlantic flights, I've flown their upper class for just 49,000 points because I found a really cheap flight during a transfer bonus, which we've talked about in a previous episode. But basically it's when a credit card program or sometimes the airline will offer extra points when you transfer your credit card points to that program. So they have some really great deals even when there aren't transfer bonuses going in. Economy or premium. Economy too. I booked two other flights during another transfer bonus and I got two 11,000 point flights for my boyfriend and I one way from LA to Italy.

[Sally French]

So where did the salt and pepper shakers come in?

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, those come in. If you're flying upper class and you're served meals, they have these adorable little airplane salt and pepper shakers. They're not really for you to take, but man, I really thought about just slipping one in my carry on. You know, I feel like you could.

[Sally French]

Probably find one on ebay.

[Benjamin Din]

You know, Megan, I've actually heard that on the bottom of those salt and pepper shaker says nicked from Virgin Atlantic. Did you see that?

[Megan Coyle]

I did see that and I was like, is this me? Am I going to be one of the people who nicks one of these?

[Benjamin Din]

But I think next time if you're on that flight, I think they do that to encourage you to take them because it's so fun.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, I'm definitely taking it next time. I did take the jams and I still have the little jam jars in my apartment.

[Sally French]

Wow. I had no idea salt and pepper shakers were the thing. I learned something today.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. Understand that transfer bonuses change a lot. So those 11,000 flight point flights are not super common, but you can definitely find some itineraries between the US and Europe for 15,000 points each way. So that would be round trip for three people. If you had a hundred thousand points. Just be careful because the fees can be a little bit high.

[Sally French]

That is a good reminder about the fees. I'm up next. So I have a similar flight, one with American Express I would transfer to Flying Blue. That's the loyalty program of Air France klm. They are another common airline partner. They have flights to or from Europe for less than 20,000 miles when you can book it as part of a Flying Blue monthly promo. Again, this could be a great trip for you to book for you and a friend to fly your own trip to Europe for that 100,000 points.

[Benjamin Din]

And those would be economy flights, right, Sally?

[Sally French]

Yes, yes. But you know, I. I'm an economy girl. I don't need these first class flights with the salt and pepper shakers for sure.

[Benjamin Din]

This is getting very Europe centric. So let me throw in an Asia redemption that you can book with Chase points. Last year I flew ANA first class to Tokyo, which was an incredible experience.

[Sally French]

Oh, I'm so jealous.

[Benjamin Din]

The food was amazing and there were so many courses. Plus the service was really great. And actually the best way to book those flights is through Virgin Atlantic again, which partners with ANA. One way flights from the West coast will cost 72,500 points and East coast flights are 85,000 points each. You could also fly business class for 52,500 points from the West coast or 60,000 points from the east coast. Honestly, for redemptions, it really doesn't get much better than that.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, one that I'll throw in there for capital one is one that I just learned about. It's vacation rentals. In case you're not hotel or flight people, there are some vacation rentals that you can book on points through Capital One. And if it's one of the Lifestyle Collection or Premier Collection properties, you'll also get a $50 or $100 on property credit. I haven't done this, but I'm interested. Just as another option.

[Sally French]

Okay, we'll have to try it out. And for American Express cardholders, I do want to shout out Delta here. It can be super expensive to book Delta flights on Delta SkyMiles, but there are some good deals if you can find them especially internationally or even throughout the US so I did see LA to Seattle for just 10,000 roundtrip SkyMiles on their SkyMiles deals page. Or 30,000 round trip to Detroit. We can link to our article on Delta SkyMile's maximization in the episode notes.

[Megan Coyle]

You could definitely take your whole family with some of those deals. All right, last round. Make it good.

[Sally French]

Okay?

[Benjamin Din]

Okay. So for ultimate rewards, I'd say don't sleep on Iberia, which is Spain's flagship airline. For routes under 4,000 miles, which includes flying from the east coast to Madrid, you could fly in business class for as little as 34,000 points each way. That's an excellent redemption for mine.

[Megan Coyle]

Capital One, I would choose British Airways as my last one. This is another airline that gets a bad rap for fuel surcharges, but I just booked my sister some short flights within Europe because she's going to school in the UK right now and the surcharge on a one way flight was $2 in some instances.

[Sally French]

Nice.

[Megan Coyle]

And I was getting almost 2 cents per point with the redemption. So for short haul flights within Europe or actually just short haul flights, flights anywhere with a British Airways partner. British Airways is a good program to.

[Benjamin Din]

Book with and also if you need British Airways points, you can also get them by transferring from Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

[Sally French]

Ben always here with the good tips. All right Ben, I like you but I will say you stole my last one. I wanted to do an Air Canada transfer partner but instead for Amex I'll go with transfers to Hawaiian airlines. So in September 2024 Hawaiian Airlines joined Alaska Airlines. So Hawaiian miles can transfer to the Alaska Airlines Mileage plan program. That means there are now so many sweet spots. Short haul flights on American Airlines for 4,500 miles, flights to and from Hawaii for 10,000 miles. Those are of course, as I said, economy class girly. But you could also do business class on Japan Airlines for 75,000 miles.

[Megan Coyle]

Sounds like 100,000 points can go a long way. We hope this episode gave you some ideas. You can transfer your points to get multiple nights at certain brands that charge 20,000 points or less per room. Or you could use all of those points for a first class international flight with caviar and a ride to the airplane. So if you're sitting on those points, use them.

[Sally French]

And also we should add those ducks and salt and pepper shakers depending on the airline. All right, let's move on to some listener questions.

[Megan Coyle]

This one is from Curtis. He says my wife and I are new to the travel miles game. I was wondering if my wife and I both separately opened up a Citi American Airlines MasterCard in our individual names only. Could we both receive the miles from the sign up offer if we both spent the required amount in the first few months, Obviously we both have to pay the annual fees.

[Sally French]

Thanks for asking this one Curtis. So yes, easy answer. If you both open up a card in your individual names, you could both receive the signup bonus. You just have to make sure you both meet the minimum spending requirements on these cards.

[Megan Coyle]

That's also some smart travel Curtis. A two player credit card strategy can be really effective because you've got double the spending power and you can earn two signup bonuses at once. Just make sure you're not overspending to get there.

[Sally French]

I love when couples play two player mode. All right, time for hot takeoffs time, I think. Since we have a guest, let's ask Ben for his hot takeoff.

[Benjamin Din]

So my hot takeoff is that Southwest decision to allow third party sites like Google flights and Expedia to show their prices might backfire on them.

[Sally French]

Oh, here to hate on Southwest. Tell us more.

[Benjamin Din]

So those platforms make it really easy to compare prices across airlines. But personally, I found that Southwest isn't the cheapest option. So why would I fly Southwest, especially.

[Sally French]

Now that they charge for the bags and all that.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, I was about to say they're taking away everything that made them unique and now they're doing everything like all the other airlines. So I love this hot take because it's like, like the more it becomes like the other airlines, the less people want to fly them.

[Benjamin Din]

Yeah. But on the one hand, it was a smart move on Southwest park because those platforms give Southwest access to a broader audience. But on the flip side, it's really a curse because now you can easily see how much Southwest prices cost compared to other airlines.

[Sally French]

Yeah, really not that much cheaper. I will say the only benefit is if you have that companion pass. At least you can kind of half the price that way. But even still, I actually don't really think Southwest is always that much cheaper.

[Megan Coyle]

And Ben, didn't you fly Southwest recently? What was your experience?

[Benjamin Din]

So I flew Southwest a few weeks ago going from New York to Las Vegas, and I actually didn't have that great of an experience. There's no NC power. They don't give you the full can of drink. I feel like I was wanting a lot. But one thing that I will say that I enjoyed, but probably Southwest doesn't enjoy is that the planes were super empty. So it was actually really spacious because I often found that I either had an empty middle seat or the whole road to myself.

[Sally French]

That's the best when you get the whole row. I, as I said, do not fly first class, but if you can just lay down on all three seats, that's better.

[Megan Coyle]

That's kind of scary though. That might be a sign that Southwest fares might come down if they're not having as strong of demand. But of course, that's just one flight. We don't know. We'll see what happens in May once they start charging for bags and seats. So, Ben, thanks for the hot take and thank you for joining us today.

[Benjamin Din]

No problem. See you all next time.

[Sally French]

If you are not already doing it, you can follow the show on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes. And if you're listening on Spotify, drop us a comment to let us know what you think of the episode or what you want us to talk about next.

[Megan Coyle]

This episode was produced by Hilary Georgie. Claire Socie helped with fact checking and a big thank you to Nick Karisimi for editing our audio and of course, our brief disclaimer.

[Sally French]

We are not financial or investment advisors. This information info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Megan Coyle]

Thanks for listening. We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. See you next episode.