Your Travel Credit Card Questions Answered: What to Keep, What to Add, and When to Redeem

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways – Episode Summary

Title: Your Travel Credit Card Questions Answered: What to Keep, What to Add, and When to Redeem
Hosts: Sally French & Meghan Coyle
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Podcast: NerdWallet Travel – Smart Travel
Description: In this episode of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle delve deep into listener-submitted questions about optimizing travel credit cards, points, and miles. They provide expert advice on which credit cards to keep, which to add, and the best strategies for redeeming points to maximize travel benefits.

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1. Introduction to the Episode

The episode begins with a brief introduction where Sally and Meghan set the stage for a deep dive into listener questions focused on credit card strategies related to travel. They emphasize their goal to help listeners make informed decisions to maximize their travel budgets effectively.

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2. New Credit Card Releases and Updates

Citi Strata Elite Card

At [02:39], Meghan introduces the newly unveiled Citi Strata Elite Card, a premium travel credit card with a $595 annual fee. This card stands between the Capital One Venture X and higher-tier cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum in terms of cost. Key features include:

• Transfer Partners: Ability to transfer City ThankYou points to various airline and hotel partners.
• Credits and Discounts: Offers up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck and up to $300 off hotel stays booked through City Travel for two nights or more.
• Rewards Rates:
  • 12 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CityTravel.com during weekends ([03:25]).
  • 6 points per dollar on air travel and restaurants booked on CityTravel.com during the same weekend hours ([03:48]).
  • 3 points per dollar on restaurants and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases during the rest of the week.

Sally expresses surprise at the limited-time bonus points availability, noting its peculiarity but also recognizing its potential benefits ([03:57]).

American Airlines Perks

Meghan highlights significant perks for American Airlines flyers:

• Admirals Club Passes: Four passes annually for access to American Airlines lounges ([04:43]).
• Exclusive Transfer Partner: Citi now allows point transfers to American Airlines, a unique offering among issuers ([05:14]).

This addition is lauded as a substantial benefit for frequent American Airlines travelers who can now leverage their points more effectively.

Southwest Airlines Credit Card Updates

Starting at [05:55], Sally and Meghan discuss recent updates to Southwest Airlines consumer credit cards, including the Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier, and Priority cards. Key changes include:

• Annual Fee Increases: Ranging from $99 to $229.
• New Signup Bonus: From July 24 to September 17, 2025, new cardholders can earn 100,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first five months, valued at approximately $1,300 ([06:37]).
• Enhanced Benefits: Includes one free checked bag for the cardholder, free seat selection, and additional perks for higher-tier cards like unlimited upgrades to extra legroom seats ([07:12]).

Sally and Meghan express mixed feelings about Southwest's shift away from its open seating model to a group-based boarding process, anticipating changes in the travel experience ([08:32]).

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3. Luxury Hotel Trends

At [10:17], the hosts shift focus to the hotel industry, particularly Hilton's performance:

• Hilton Earnings Report: Despite a slight overall decline, luxury brands like LXR Hotels & Resorts and Waldorf Astoria saw revenue per available room (RevPAR) increase by nearly 11% and 9%, respectively ([11:18]).
• Trend Insights: There's a growing preference for luxury accommodations that offer Instagram-worthy experiences. Hilton's reopening of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City exemplifies this trend with its nostalgic luxury and signature scents ([12:07]).

Meghan shares her excitement about visiting the renovated Waldorf Astoria, highlighting features like marble fireplaces and the restored Cole Porter piano ([12:05]).

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4. Cruise News

Briefly, at [14:26], Sally and Meghan discuss Norwegian Cruise Line's announcement of a new water park, Great Tides Water Park, set to open on their private island in the Bahamas in 2026. Features include:

• 19 Water Slides
• Kid's Splash Zone
• 15-Foot Cliff Jumps
• Dynamic River and Illuminated Grotto Tunnel

Sally humorously notes her surprise, revealing she was unaware of the water park during a previous visit ([13:24]).

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5. Listener Questions

The core of the episode revolves around answering listener-submitted questions about travel credit cards and points. Below are the detailed responses to each question:

a. Peter from San Diego: Alaska Airlines Card Strategy [15:04 - 18:24]

Question:
Peter, a retired traveler from San Diego, inquires about downgrading his long-held Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card to later reapply for a new signup bonus. He seeks advice on whether to contact Bank of America or handle it online.

Response:
Sally and Meghan advise against downgrading the Alaska card. Due to changes in January 2023, the companion fare now requires a $6,000 annual spend unless the cardholder was grandfathered into the old policy (as Peter was). Downgrading would mean losing this valuable benefit and requiring substantial spending to regain it. Instead, they suggest:

• Keep the Current Card: Maintain the grandfathered companion fare benefit without additional spending ([16:32]).
• Two Player Mode: Encourage Peter’s wife to apply for her own Alaska card upon her retirement, allowing both to benefit from companion fares without downgrading ([17:33]).

They caution against transferring miles between accounts due to associated fees but highlight the strategic advantage of dual companion fares for maximizing travel benefits.

b. Alyssa: Transferring Chase Business Points to Personal Account [19:33 - 21:23]

Question:
Alyssa, a business owner using the Chase Ink Business Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards, wonders if she can transfer points from her business account to her personal Sapphire Reserve account and seeks advice on utilizing her business points.

Response:
Sally and Meghan debunk the misconception that business points can't be transferred to personal accounts. They confirm that as long as both accounts are under Alyssa’s name, she can combine Ultimate Rewards points seamlessly. Steps include:

1. Logging into Chase Ultimate Rewards Dashboard: Select the business account and choose the option to combine points.
2. Transferring to Sapphire Reserve: Move points to the personal Sapphire Reserve account for higher redemption value ([20:09]).

They emphasize the enhanced value of points in the Sapphire Reserve account, where points can be worth up to 2 cents each when redeemed through Chase's travel portal for eligible bookings.

c. Josh: Optimizing Credit Card Portfolio [21:33 - 26:03]

Question:
Josh, a pharmacist and travel advisor, holds multiple cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Hilton Honors American Express, Amex Platinum, and a Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. He seeks advice on which card to add next or whether to upgrade existing ones to complement his portfolio.

Response:
Sally and Meghan analyze Josh's current cards and suggest enhancements:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred:

   • Recommendation: Retain as it offers solid travel protections, decent earning rates, and valuable transfer partners like Hyatt ([22:01]).

2. Hilton Honors American Express:

   • Recommendation: Upgrade to a higher-tier Hilton card (Surpass or Aspire) for better perks, such as daily food and beverage credits and free night certificates. This enhances value, especially at luxury Hilton properties ([23:35]).

3. Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select:

   • Note: Good for American Airlines benefits but doesn’t offer substantial bonus points for everyday spending ([23:10]).

4. Adding a General Spending Card:

   • Suggestion: Incorporate a Chase Cashback card like Chase Freedom Unlimited to earn additional rewards on non-bonus categories. This allows versatile point accumulation that can be transferred to travel partners or redeemed through the Chase portal ([25:03]).

They stress the importance of ensuring annual fees align with the benefits utilized to avoid unnecessary costs.

d. Waseem: Chase Sapphire Reserve Changes [26:08 - 29:33]

Question:
Waseem asks if he should urgently redeem his Chase Sapphire Reserve points due to recent changes in Chase's travel portal, which have altered the redemption value.

Response:
Sally and Meghan explain the implications of Chase's updates:

• Pre-October 2026 Value: Points earned before the changes retain a value of 1.5 cents each when redeemed through the Chase Travel portal ([26:36]).
• Post-October 2026 Value: Points will drop to 1 cent each unless qualifying for the new points boost, which primarily applies to premium cabin bookings ([27:09]).

Actionable Advice:

• Redeem Before October 2026: If points’ current value is beneficial, use them before the reduction.
• Transfer to Partners: If higher value is needed, transfer points to Chase’s travel partners like United, Hyatt, or other airlines for potentially better redemption rates.

They highlight that only a small percentage of economy flights qualify for the points boost, making transfers to partners the more reliable strategy for maximizing point value ([28:08 - 28:55]).

e. Nico: Using Points for a Wedding Trip to Italy [29:38 - 32:55]

Question:
Nico is planning to use his Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum points to fund flights for his and his fiancée's wedding in Italy. With specific travel dates due to work commitments, he seeks advice on efficiently using both points pools.

Response:
Sally and Meghan provide comprehensive strategies:

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve Points:

   • Transfer to United MileagePlus: Offers access to Star Alliance partners, providing a range of European flight options ([31:07]).

2. Amex Membership Rewards Points:

   • Transfer to Flying Blue (Air France/KLM): Known for affordable European redemptions.
   • Alternative Transfers: Consider other partners for better deals.

3. Booking Strategies:

   • Use Points for Outbound or Inbound Flights: Flexibility in booking one-way flights with different partners can optimize point usage.
   • Use Travel Portals Wisely: If premium cabin bookings are desired, transferring to airline partners often yields better value than using points directly through the portal ([31:40]).

4. Tools and Flexibility:

   • Set Up Alerts: Utilize tools like Points.me Seats Arrow to track and secure award availability based on specific routing ([32:40]).

They encourage Nico to compare both round-trip and one-way options and to leverage both points systems to cover all travel segments efficiently.

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6. Hot Takes

In a lighter segment [32:55], Sally and Meghan engage in playful banter over their least favorite in-flight snacks. Meghan criticizes Biscoff cookies for being too dry, while Sally humorously agrees but also shares her creative use of leftover Biscoffs to make ice cream. They wrap up this segment with humorous remarks about their travel-themed wedding plans and goodie bags ([33:02 - 34:10]).

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7. Conclusion and Giveaways

The episode concludes with Sally and Meghan encouraging listeners to participate in a giveaway by completing a listener survey. Prizes include a Polaroid Go instant camera and Bagu Cloud Carry-On Bags. They emphasize the importance of feedback for improving the podcast and remind listeners to subscribe and leave reviews ([35:03 - 35:30]).

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Notable Quotes:

• Meghan Coyle at [03:25]: "We're talking 12 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CityTravel.com..."
• Sally French at [06:37]: "New card holders can earn 100,000 points. That's after they spend $4,000 in the first five months of account opening."
• Meghan Coyle at [16:32]: "Since you've had that card for years, you've been grandfathered into that old policy."
• Sally French at [26:24]: "Unless your booking qualifies for this new points boost... your points are only worth $0.01 each."

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Final Thoughts:

Sally French and Meghan Coyle offer a wealth of knowledge in this episode, addressing complex credit card strategies with clarity and expertise. Whether you're a seasoned traveler looking to optimize your points or someone new to travel rewards, this episode provides actionable insights to enhance your travel planning and budgeting efforts.

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For more detailed discussions and to submit your own questions, subscribe to Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways on your favorite podcast platform and visit nerdwallet.com/travelsurvey.

Transcript

[Meagan Coyle]

Today's episode is sponsored by Fiji Water.

[Sally French]

No way.

[Meagan Coyle]

I love hydration same and Fiji Hydration no less. It really is from the actual islands of Fiji, as in 1600 miles from the nearest continent. It's bottled at the source and untouched by man until you unscrew the cap and you don't have to go all the way to Fiji.

[Sally French]

Although you have been to Fiji, Megan.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. And I was living off the Fiji water. I would get out of the ocean, take a little sip of Fiji Water. It tastes so good.

[Sally French]

And it's easy to get it here too. Fiji Water is the number one premium bottled water brand in the U.S. it's.

[Meagan Coyle]

My go to hydration for everything from beach days to jungle hikes or even just a little water on the hotel nightstand.

[Sally French]

Oh, you know, I love my gallon challenge. I gotta say, if you are not doing the gallon challenge every day, my hot take is you are not hydrated enough.

[Meagan Coyle]

Honestly, I agree. And did you know Fiji Water has more than double the electrolytes as the other two top premium bottled water brands? That's what gives it that extra smooth taste.

[Sally French]

Fiji Water is Earth's finest water, Megan. If I am doing an Orlando theme park in the summer, I'm like sometimes two G challenge, baby.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's a lot of bottles of Fiji Water and I love that they're travel size so that they fit in my crossbody bag.

[Sally French]

I'm plowing through my Fiji Water bottles and luckily, Fiji Water is environmentally responsible.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. Since 2022, the 330 and 500 milliliter bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic. Fiji Water continues to lead the top premium bottled water competition on launching 100% recycled plastic bottles.

[Sally French]

I love water and you know, if I see a Fiji Water bottle available, that's definitely the one I'm going for.

[Meagan Coyle]

Fiji Water, Earth's finest water.

[Sally French]

Stay hydrated. Like us travelers, Megan, I am so excited to answer some listener questions today. We had so many questions come in that we decided to do a whole show on them.

[Meagan Coyle]

And who knows, maybe you, the listener have had some of the same questions too. We narrowed it down to some of the burning credit card and points and miles questions for right now.

[Sally French]

This is going to be a fun.

[Meagan Coyle]

Show and maybe you'll rethink your credit card strategy. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Meagan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And I'm Sally French.

[Meagan Coyle]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip. Today we're answering your questions about which cards to add or keep in your wallet, and some of the best ways to combine or redeem those points once you have them.

[Sally French]

Of course, that means we'll talk about some 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 posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired inspired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, follow the links in the episode description.

[Meagan Coyle]

Also, there's a ton of credit card news this week, so let's get into it. We don't talk a lot about Citi on this show, but maybe we should because they just unveiled a new premium travel credit card, the City Strata Elite card, and they also unveiled a new transfer partner.

[Sally French]

And this card has a $595 annual fee. So this is more expensive than even the Capital One Venture X, but it's less expensive than something like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Amex Platinum. It does similar perks, including the ability to transfer your City thank you points to airline and hotel partners. It also has up to $120 in credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees. And it has up to 300 off a hotel stay, but it needs to be two nights or more and booked through City Travel.

[Meagan Coyle]

It also has some huge rewards rates. We're talking 12 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CityTravel.com 6 points per dollar on air travel booked on CityTravel.com 6points per dollar at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services. But get this, it's only on the weekends. So every Friday and Saturday from 6:00pm to 6:00am Eastern.

[Sally French]

Whoa.

[Meagan Coyle]

And then the rest of the time, it's three points per dollar on restaurants and one and a half points per dollar on all other purchases.

[Sally French]

That's so odd. Six p.m. eastern. So so the west coast people can do like the early happy hour and get the bonus points. So bizarre. That's so chaotic.

[Meagan Coyle]

Or you could be out really late and still be getting your 6x dollars if you're like 3am what an odd.

[Sally French]

Concept of bonus points. Only at certain times.

[Meagan Coyle]

I kind of like it though. I feel like that's easier to use and like easier to keep track of than all those restaurant credits. Like, yeah, I guess.

[Sally French]

Shout out City for the chaos.

[Meagan Coyle]

I won't say no to six points for a dollar. That's all I'm saying. I'm also really interested in the American Airlines perks because, you know, I fly American. A lot of you love American. I don't know, love is a strong word. Am I like friends with them? Yeah. My loyal to them? Yeah.

[Sally French]

Let's dive into those American Airlines perks.

[Meagan Coyle]

So the City Strata Elite card will give cardholders four Admirals Club passes each calendar year. So that's four visits to an American Airlines airport lounge. Or I love to take my family. So it could be one visit. I take three members of my family.

[Sally French]

Oh, I'm not sharing all four for me dog.

[Meagan Coyle]

Citi also now allows you to transfer points to American Airlines. That's huge because no other card issuer has American Airlines as a transfer partner. And American Airlines actually has some of the cheapest award flights in the US.

[Sally French]

Really interesting because up until now, unless you fly a lot with American Airlines or had an American Airlines credit card, there really was no other easy way to earn a advantage. Miles. So good news for you American flyers out there.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, I'm really considering this card, but I'm also waiting for the Alaska Airlines premium card to come out. And Alaska Airlines just had their earnings call last week and they confirmed that it's coming out next month in August.

[Sally French]

We'll be standing by.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, that one has a $395 annual fee, so it's a little bit cheaper than the City Strata Elite card. But I'm going to wait till we have all the benefits and then I'll decide.

[Sally French]

Wow, okay, we're going to have to do a premium card deep dive once we have all these details.

[Meagan Coyle]

I agree. I think by the end of the year we'll have a lot of different options.

[Sally French]

Speaking of card changes, Southwest Airlines consumer cards got a big update last week. All three, that is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Premier and Priority cards. These cards saw annual fee hikes and then also some benefit changes to go along with it.

[Meagan Coyle]

And a pretty sweet signup bonus, if I can say so myself.

[Sally French]

Yes. So these cards now range in annual fees from $99 to $229 per year. All three have the same and I will say, massive limited time welcome offer. So it is this. From July 24 through September 17, 2025, new card holders can earn 100,000 points. That's after they spend $4,000 in the first five months of account opening.

[Meagan Coyle]

Since NerdWallet values Southwest Point at 1.3 cents each, that bonus is worth about $1,300. But I think even more importantly, those 100,000 bonus points will count towards the 135,000 points you need to earn the Southwest companion pass. That will probably put the Southwest companion pass in reach for a lot of new Southwest cardholders.

[Sally French]

And even if you don't get that benefit, there are other benefits, like one free checked bag for the cardholder, up to eight passengers on the same reservation, and free seat selection. That benefit is also available across all three cards.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. In case listeners didn't get the memo yet, Southwest has changed all sorts of stuff this year. It ended its famous two free checked bag policy and it added seat selection, like, very recently for flights next year. So if you fly Southwest a lot, having one of these cards is basically a must so that you can get those benefits. And it's kind of like flying the old Southwest, maybe.

[Sally French]

All right. Well, of course, the higher the annual fee, the more benefits you get. Like the Southwest Rapid Rewards priority credit card, that's the one with the $229 annual fee, has some extra goodies. Things like unlimited upgrades to the extra legroom seats when available within 48 hours prior to departure for 4 yourself, and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. So those are the big seats in front of the plane. They have five extra inches of seat pitch.

[Meagan Coyle]

Pitch is that distance between your seat and the seat in front of it.

[Sally French]

Yes. Good call. Out for the non nerds, we'll link.

[Meagan Coyle]

To the article about all the changes at Southwest in the episode description as well as all the changes to the cards.

[Sally French]

And of course, those updates come on the heels of more details on the end of open seat seating. So as of July 29 on Southwest, passengers now have the option to select or not to select a seat during the booking process. This will apply to flights departing on or after January 27, 2026.

[Meagan Coyle]

Rest In Peace to that open seating. I'm glad it's gone. No, wait. Too chaotic, man.

[Sally French]

Oh, my gosh. Okay. Not only do I love the chaos, but I swear it is faster because with open seating, people just grab the first open seat rather than do the annoying shuffle where it's like, I have the window seat now, y' all in the midd and the aisle. Got to get out. People will just pick the quickest seat they can get into.

[Meagan Coyle]

The stress, though. The stress. Well, we'll see if the boarding slows down even more because Southwest is also introducing a group based boarding process that's pretty similar to all the other airlines. So starting January 27, 2026, passengers are going to get a boarding group on their ticket and that's tied to your loyalty status or the fare class of your ticket. So when you arrive at the gate, then you'll have to wait for your boarding group to be called just like every other airline.

[Sally French]

Boo. Okay. And then I swear this is the last thing we're gonna say about Southwest for today, but that is that there are new seat types. Standard, preferred, or extra legroom.

[Meagan Coyle]

Southwest famously had no first class and not even extra legroom seats. Like everything, every seat was the same.

[Sally French]

I was a calidarian. I liked it that way.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, that's true. But now a standard seat is what you get when you book a basic or choice fare. The two cheapest fare classes and choice fares get to select their seat at booking, while basic basically gets their seat assigned. And you know you're going to be stuck with all the middle seats.

[Sally French]

And also, this is sad, but the new standard seats will actually have 1 inch less pitch than Southwest old seats. Same with the preferred seats. The preferred seats are similar, but just closer to the front of the plane.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. And the extra legroom seats do have five extra inches of seat pitch. So that's kind of nice.

[Sally French]

Yeah, but you have to book a choice. Extra fare.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, I'm not doing that.

[Sally French]

Me neither. So the listeners probably know that I used to love Southwest because they were so different from all the other airlines. But if it is not clear to you already, this is making me turn on them.

[Meagan Coyle]

So you'll have to give us updates on your journey to find a new airline loyalty program. What are you flying these days? United.

[Sally French]

Yeah, well, my next flight will be United, so stay tuned. There are so many United flights out of sf and they're kind of normal and sane. So United for now.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay. Let us know when you get an airline card. Then I'll know you're committed.

[Sally French]

Let's move on to luxury hotels because, Megan, I've realized you love luxury hotels so much and so do many people out there.

[Meagan Coyle]

I sure do. That's what I'm spending my points on. It's the best.

[Sally French]

Okay, so this is interesting. Hilton second quarter earnings dropped last week, and they had really cool stuff out there. So Revpar, that is short for revenue per available room. It's a big term in the hotel industry and a good key indicator for hotel performance. It is up nearly 11% for Hilton's LXR Hotels and Resorts brand. That's a luxury brand they have. And then it is up nearly 9% at Waldorf as Astoria, their other big luxury name.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's especially interesting considering Revpar overall is, like, slightly negative for Hilton. So that's largely led by Decreases in Hilton's value brands like Embassy Suites and Hampton Me.

[Sally French]

Thanks. This is reinforcing that trend we're seeing of people really wanting to go all out on that great experience, having that luxury hotel that really hits on Instagram. In fact, Hilton just reopened one very anticipated luxury property. That's the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Nostalgic luxury, something everyone's talking about in the hotel industry.

[Meagan Coyle]

I'm actually in New York right now, so I'm trying to swing by this week. The photos look amazing. Like all those marble fireplaces, that legendary clock in Peacock Alley, which is their famous bar. And then the Cole Porter piano is back, freshly restored.

[Sally French]

Oh, you're gonna have to stop by for a drink or something.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, it sounds really nice.

[Sally French]

Okay. The thing that I want to hear your report back on is the smell. Apparently they rolled out their own signature scent. It is called 301 Park Avenue.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, okay. I'm interested. Honestly, I love a good hotel lobby scent.

[Sally French]

I agree.

[Meagan Coyle]

I a thousand percent believe it's kind of like part of the atmosphere, like the design of the place. And so I also like making my home try to smell like that.

[Sally French]

Well, they say scent is most closely associated with memories, so then you have that smell and you're like, oh, my God. Great trip. I love it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Great memories. Yeah.

[Sally French]

Okay, let's wrap up with some cruise news that just hit yesterday. Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that it is building a water park called Great Tides Water Park. This will be located on its private island which is called Great Stirrup Key in the Bahamas or Great Stirrup K. We don't know. K. Whatever, man.

[Meagan Coyle]

Cool. Well, many of Norwegian cruise Lines ships on Caribbean sailings make a stop there. So I think that'll be really fun. It gives people another option of things to do on the island.

[Sally French]

Yeah. But I was pretty shocked because the last time I was on Great Stirrup Key, I had a behind the scenes tour of the island and they were doing all sorts of construction and they had showed me where the new pier is, where the boats are going come so they don't have to tender anymore. They showed me the new pool area, but I really had no idea the water park was coming.

[Meagan Coyle]

You mean you didn't see a giant water slide?

[Sally French]

No, I did not.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay.

[Sally French]

I saw the water slide over at Perfect Day on Coco Key, which is Royal Caribbean's island from Norwegian's island. And I was kind of like, I want to be on that water slide. So I'm happy that now Norwegian has its own water slide there you go.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, once it's built, you probably won't be able to miss it. Like there's going to be 19 water slides, a kid's splash zone, and even 15 foot cliffs that you can jump off of. I will not be doing that.

[Sally French]

And don't forget the dynamic river, which is not a lazy river. Apparently it is faster and thus more exciting. So you got to call it a dynamic river, not a lazy river. And then get this, they are planning to build an illuminated grotto tunnel featuring a bioluminescent scene on that river.

[Meagan Coyle]

Interesting. Kind of reminds me of the Glowworm caves in New Zealand. Have you ever seen pictures of it?

[Sally French]

No, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm getting Avatar Energy.

[Meagan Coyle]

It looks like the night sky inside of this cave. It's very cool.

[Sally French]

Can't wait to check it out. The water park is coming in 2026.

[Meagan Coyle]

So we keep soliciting listener questions and sometimes we'll read one at the end of the show. But we got so many listener questions that we wanted to do a whole show devoted to answering them.

[Sally French]

Yes, thank you for sending your questions. And we filtered these ones out so that today's show is devoted entirely to us answering your questions related to points miles. And with that comes credit cards.

[Meagan Coyle]

And don't worry, we've got a whole nother pile of non points and miles related questions. So we'll be doing another listener questions episode soon.

[Sally French]

Yes. And if you still have your own questions that you want to hear on a future show, email [e-mail] either as a text email or in a voice memo form and we will play that on air.

[Meagan Coyle]

Let's dive into our first question.

[Sally French]

Let's start with that one from Peter. He's one of our biggest fans of the show and he gave us that nice 5 star review on Apple podcast too.

[Meagan Coyle]

I saw that. Hi Peter, thanks for that 5 star review.

[Sally French]

Thank you. Hugely appreciate it.

[Meagan Coyle]

All right, Peter says hi Megan and Sally. I love your new Smart travel podcast. I'm recently retired and finally have time to dig into travel strategies, especially around credit cards. My wife and I live in San Diego and travel a lot. I've had the Alaska Airlines card for years and use the Companion Fair regularly, though I've let a few go unused. I heard you can downgrade a card then reapply to earn a new sign up bonus later. Is that a good idea? Should I call bank of America or do it online and should I tell them I'm trying to reapply later for a new bonus. Thanks, and looking forward to your advice. Peter in San Diego.

[Sally French]

Peter, congrats on making travel part of your retirement routine. Alaska is. Is an airline that Megan flies often. Yeah.

[Meagan Coyle]

And also great questions. So let's start here. The Alaska card, officially known as the Alaska Airlines Visa signature card, can absolutely be a great fit for west coast travelers, especially if you're using that annual companion fare benefit.

[Sally French]

But keyword is using it. And of course, that benefit is only valuable if you actually do use it. I definitely feel like I've had moments of scrambling to use these kinds of benefits before they expire. And sometimes I got to say, it ends up being more stress than it's worth.

[Meagan Coyle]

Now, the idea of downgrading a card and reapplying later to earn another signup bonus is a popular one in the points and miles world. But in your case, Peter, we wouldn't recommend it, and here's why.

[Sally French]

Yeah, so this is really interesting and specific to your card. So there was a major change to the Alaska Airlines card as of January 18, 2023. Anyone who applied after that date now has to spend $6,000 per year on the card to unlock that companion fare.

[Meagan Coyle]

But here's the good news, Peter. Since you've had that card for years, you've been grandfathered into that old policy. That means you automatically get that companion fare each year without needing to hit any minimum spend.

[Sally French]

Yeah. So if you cancel and reapply, then, poof, that benefit is gone. So now you would have to also have that requirement of spending $6,000 per year hanging over.

[Meagan Coyle]

Unless you are spending $6,000 on that card every single year, really regularly. We'd say just keep your current card and don't downgrade it.

[Sally French]

Yeah, I think the value of that grandfathered benefit probably outweighs any new signup bonus you'd earn by canceling and reapplying. So just stick with what you've got.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. Now, Peter, you mentioned your wife is retiring in a few years. That could be a great opportunity for what we like to call two player mode.

[Sally French]

Yes, this is my favorite game. So you keep your current Alaska card, and then you might have your wife apply for her own Alaska card. That way, you maintain your grandfathered benefit, and then she earns a new sign of bonus, and then she also gets her own companion fare.

[Meagan Coyle]

Just a quick note. Yes, Alaska lets you transfer miles between accounts, but we don't recommend it because the fees kind of cut into the value of your miles.

[Sally French]

Kind of super do.

[Meagan Coyle]

So if one of you doesn't have enough points for two seats, you'll have to book with your own miles.

[Sally French]

Yeah, but you could still really maximize companion fare benefit with this setup because basically you use your card to take her on one trip as your companion and then you do a second trip where you are her companion. Boom.

[Meagan Coyle]

I like it. Either two trips for the two of you or one trip for four people and double the value.

[Sally French]

Peter, thanks so much for the question and happy travels to you and your family.

[Meagan Coyle]

We've got all sorts of credit card and miles questions up next after this.

[C]

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[Sally French]

Now.

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[Meagan Coyle]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks.

[Sally French]

Busy taxes and fees extra.

[Meagan Coyle]

See mintmobile.com Are you ready to dairy.

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[Sally French]

It is time now for an interesting question from Alyssa.

[Meagan Coyle]

She writes hi Megan and Sally. I've been a long time listener of Smart Money and was so excited to follow you to Smith Smart Travels.

[Sally French]

Ooh Yay.

[Meagan Coyle]

I'm a business owner and use the Chase Inc. Business Preferred earning around a hundred thousand points a month. Woo. I also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve for personal use. Someone told me I can't transfer the points from my business card to my personal Sapphire Reserve account. Is that true? And if so, what's the best way to use all those business points?

[Sally French]

I was so quiet because my jaw was on the floor when she said a hundred thousand points a month. That's amazing Alyssa. You were crushing the points game.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. So let's bust this myth right now. Yes, you can absolutely transfer points from your Chase Inc. Business preferred to your Chase Sapphire Reserve account. It's A super common misconception, but Chase lets you combine Ultimate Rewards points between any of your accounts, business or personal, as long as your name is on both. It's really simple. You log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards dashboard, select your Inc. Business Preferred account if you can already see it, and then look for the option to combine points. And from there you can transfer those points over to your Chase Sapphire Reserve.

[Sally French]

Yeah, if you're having trouble, you might just need to link your personal and business profiles first. You literally just go to profile and settings under your business account, then manage linked accounts. Or you can always just call the number on the back of your card and Chase will help you out.

[Meagan Coyle]

And as you know, your points are more valuable once they're sitting in your Chase Sapphire Reserve account. You'll get up to 2 cents per point when redeeming through Chase's travel portal for points boost eligible bookings. And if you've had the card prior to June 23, 2025, which was that big revamp we talked about a while ago, you'll get at least 1.5 cents per point on your other Chase travel bookings through October 2026. So combining those points and using them that way would be really good to do before like next year.

[Sally French]

Totally. And maximize that Chase Sapphire Reserve. That way you are flying farther and fancier and for fewer points. All right, let's move along to another question. This one's meaty. It's from Josh.

[Meagan Coyle]

He says I'm Josh, a pharmacist by day, travel advisor by night. Loving the podcast. These are my current cards. Chase Sapphire Preferred, Hilton Honors, Amex and a City A Advantage Platinum Select. What card should I add next to complement these? Or is there one I should upgrade instead? Thanks so much, Josh.

[Sally French]

I love doing these things where we get to choose a new add on card.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, let's start by breaking down what those cards are already doing for him and where with the he might need to fill in some gaps.

[Sally French]

Okay, let's start by talking about the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This is one of our all time favorite travel credit cards. You get solid travel protections, decent earning rates and then most importantly, access to some really valuable transfer partners, especially Hyatt. That has one of the best sweet spots for Chase Redemption. So strong core card I would say hang on to this one.

[Meagan Coyle]

Now the Hilton Honors American Express card. That's a no annual fee card, so it's a nice low maintenance way to keep building Hilton points. You'll earn bonus points at US restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, but the perks sort of stop there. It's pretty light otherwise in terms of what you get at Hilton properties.

[Sally French]

Yeah. And I do kind of like that he mentioned a Hilton card because we also talked about Hyatt. So now you just have way more options if you have Hilton points and Hyatt points. If you're going to a city that only has one or the other, you have way more options.

[Meagan Coyle]

And finally, the city a advantage Platinum Select I actually have.

[Sally French]

You have? Yeah.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, it's really good. If you fly American, you get a free checked bag, you earn some American mil. Most importantly, you earn loyalty points toward elite status.

[Sally French]

Yeah, so definitely good. If you fly American often, but even occasionally. And if you're someone who's checking bags, that benefit is so good.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's what I use to visit my family on the east Coast. That said, it doesn't offer a ton of bonus points for everyday spending.

[Sally French]

Well, maybe we should give him a better card for everyday spending, which we add.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, well, I was actually thinking a hotel card. Another hotel card.

[Sally French]

Yeah. Well, he mentioned that Hilton Honors American Express card, and I was like, sir, you might be able to do better.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, I mean, you could go for something like the Hilton Honors American Express surpass card.

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Meagan Coyle]

You have that one.

[Sally French]

Yes. So I personally carry that card, and that one is nice because it gives you better perks at Hilton. So if you have gold status, you get the daily food and beverage credits. And you know, I love my free food.

[Meagan Coyle]

It also earns more points than what he's currently getting on bonus categories like U.S. supermarkets and restaurants. And if you spend enough each year, you can unlock a free night certificate.

[Sally French]

Yes. So this is typically what I'm using at supermarkets as well. Although key word, it's US Supermarket. So, like the corner store does not count as a supermarket. Just. Just make sure you know what a supermarket is versus buying food at a different market.

[Meagan Coyle]

Good tip, good tip.

[Sally French]

But I do think this card can be super valuable with that free night certificate. If you are someone who loves to, like, ball out at a super bougie hotel.

[Meagan Coyle]

Me.

[Sally French]

Yes, I know, I know. Megan. This is good to use at a hotel that's otherwise like $800 a night. Super high value right there.

[Meagan Coyle]

And if you want to go all in on Hilton, there's also the Hilton Honors aspire card, which is a premium option. It comes with diamond status, a free night every year, and resort credits. The annual fee is high, but if you travel often and stay at Hilton's, this can pay for itself pretty quickly, especially if you're staying at those luxury properties we were just talking about.

[Sally French]

So definitely consider adding a fancy Hilton card. What about some no annual fee cards.

[Meagan Coyle]

Since they already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred? I was thinking one of the Chase Cashback cards because that might super boost the earnings you're getting on non bonus categories from the Preferred.

[Sally French]

I'm thinking about something like the Chase Freedom Unlimited. That one earns 1.5x on all purchases, which I like because you don't need to mess around with like is this a supermarket? Or the random corner market? You just know it's all getting 1.5x. And then since you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can combine those points and then you can transfer the points that you earned from your 1.5x on the corner store and then transfer those to travel partners. I'm looking at you, Hyatt.

[Meagan Coyle]

You can also redeem them in the travel Portal. You have a lot of options here. So let's sum it up. I think number one, keep the Chase Sapphire Preferred. We like this one. It's a great card. Then upgrade the Hilton Amex to either the Surpass or the Aspire, depending on how often you stay with Hilton and how much luxury you prefer. And finally, add a general spending card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited to help boost the value of all those random uncategorized purchases for sure.

[Sally French]

And just always make sure the math works out for your budget. You do not want to pay annual fees for perks you will not use.

[Meagan Coyle]

Absolutely not.

[Sally French]

All right, all right. Time for another points boost question. This one is from my friend Waseem. What's up, Waseem?

[Meagan Coyle]

He says, hey, smart travel team. I've got a lot of Chase Sapphire Reserve points right now. With all of the recent changes to Chase's travel portal, should I be in a hurry to redeem them? Historically, I've just transferred to United or booked through the portal, but I've heard things have changed. What should I do now?

[Sally French]

Yes, Waseem. So he sent us this question in June, just days after all those Chase Sapphire Reserve changes went into effect. Megan and I will not rehash them here, as we did an entire episode on that already.

[Meagan Coyle]

If you aren't sure what we're talking about, go back to our episode from June 18th where we talk about the Chase Sapphire Reserve's big makeover.

[Sally French]

Big makeover.

[Meagan Coyle]

But if you had the Chase Sapphire Reserve before all those changes went into effect, your points are still worth worth 1.5 cents each when you book through the Chase Travel portal through October 2026. So for example, if you have 66, 666 points. You know, just six all across the board. Then you've got $1,000 worth of flights if you book them through the Chase Travel portal.

[Sally French]

But of course, Waseem, this changes come October 2026. Unless your booking qualifies for this new points boost, which, spoiler alert, most economy fairs do not qualify for this, then your points are only worth $0.01 each, so that's effectively a 33% drop in value.

[Meagan Coyle]

So 66,666 points would now only get you $666 in travel, not a thousand.

[Sally French]

That's a big deal.

[Meagan Coyle]

So if you, like Waseem are sitting on a mountain of points, you want to use them strategically before that date because after that you're getting a lot less. The thing I do want to mention though is the transfer partners aren't going away. That'll still be a one to one ratio. So if you are planning on just transferring those points to a transfer partner, then you don't have to be so concerned about the state.

[Sally French]

Yeah, and then I also do want to be somewhat fair to Chase. I know that we love Taboo on points boost, but there is a chance that your points are now worth more than 1.5 cents each if you are booking travel that is points boost eligible.

[Meagan Coyle]

Absolutely. So that could be anything from flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and it'll stay right in the Chase Travel portal. That is it's points boost eligible and it'll cost you a little bit less points.

[Sally French]

Yeah. Okay, so I think we should do just like a little tangent on what is points boost eligible or not? Because our amazing colleague Craig did this huge analysis of more than 13,000 flights available on Chase Travel and he found some pretty interesting stuff. So for starters, he found that fewer than 10% of flights even had points boost available pricing. And, and for economy flights, that percent went down to 3%. Basically, he found that most points boost options were in business or first class, and then many also had terrible layovers or higher points prices than just booking cash.

[Meagan Coyle]

So unless you're flying a premium cabin on a very specific airline like United, the odds of your flight qualifying for points boost in the travel portal are a little bit slim.

[Sally French]

Okay, so we gave for SIM a lot. What does he do?

[Meagan Coyle]

Basically, if you have the Chase Sapphire reserve and earn points before October 26, 2025, try to redeem them before October 2026 through the portal. Only if the value is good though. Otherwise, and this is always my go to advice, transfer your points to Chase's travel partners. That's how you unlock the real value.

[Sally French]

And you know, Hyatt is our favorite for outsized value. You can also transfer to United, Air Canada, Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic and more.

[Meagan Coyle]

All right, now time for someone who has points and wants to spend them. You want to read this one, Sally?

[Sally French]

Okay, this one comes from Nico. Hi, Sally and Megan. I've been saving up my Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum points to help cover flights for my fiance and me to our wedding in Italy. Oh my gosh. Everyone's getting married in Italy. Okay, Nico says, but I'm stuck figuring out how to best use both. We have very specific travel dates because of work, so flexibility is limited. I was thinking about United and its partners. Any tips for how to book efficiently using both both points currencies?

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, Nico, glad to hear you also have a wedding to go do in Italy. I just went to two in Italy.

[Sally French]

I think it's his own wedding that he's going to.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, that's so.

[Sally French]

I know. Amazing.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, well, pack everything in your carry on.

[Sally French]

Please don't lose the wedding clothes.

[Meagan Coyle]

So while we usually recommend being as flexible as you can with your travel dates, that's often how you get the best deals. I totally get it that you can't really move too much around your wedding. Maybe get there a couple days earlier. But I will say you've got two of the most powerful points currencies in the game. Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards. Sally, how would you approach this?

[Sally French]

Yeah, so Chase Sapphire Reserve points, transfer one to one to United Mileage plus. That is part of the Star alliance network. That's really nice because it means you can search award flights not just on United, but also Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Tap Air Portugal. Basically a buffet of Europe friendly options. So you just head over to united.com, plug in your exact travel dates. Be sure to check the box that says book with miles and then from there you'll see results for United and their partners right there.

[Meagan Coyle]

Now for your Amex membership rewards, you've got a few strong options. I think my favorite one is you could transfer them to a partner like Air France or klm. They have this joint loyalty program called Flying Blue and they have a lot of really cheap redemptions to your Europe.

[Sally French]

And then here's also what I will say. If you are striking out on award availability, you can also just use your points kind of like cash through the travel portal. So there's an Amex travel portal, there's a Chase travel portal that gives you full control over Dates, though sometimes redemption is not as good as actually exchanging them for miles with the airline.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, if you want business class like on international flights, you'll usually come out way ahead by transferring those points to the airline instead of booking an award seat through the portal.

[Sally French]

And then I think we should also let people know. I think a lot of travelers forget this, but you do not have to book a round trip on one airline, particularly if you are booking award travel. You can always do an outbound on one flight. So you might do your chase points through United outbound and then you might use your Amex points back inbound on Megan's favorite flying blue or another partner. The other thing I will say is often when you're booking cash, I find that round trip is cheaper. But when you are booking with points, that's not always the case. I would say just compare prices either doing one round trip or to one ways.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, well, round trip international is usually cheaper than. I do agree with that international one ways.

[Sally French]

Right?

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. Yeah. So if you could use points for this Italy wedding, I would do that.

[Sally French]

And also if you have any wiggle room in your travel dates, even by a day or two, you can sometimes set up alerts and use tools to find better deals. Megan, I know you're all about these.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. I mean, these are the things we've talked about on this show. Like points. Yeah. Point me seats arrow. They can flag award availability that matches your exact routing and can help you jump on a good deal before they disappear.

[Sally French]

Ok, Nico, have a great trip and happy wedding.

[Meagan Coyle]

All right. And time for our hot takeoffs this week.

[Sally French]

Okay, let's do one.

[Meagan Coyle]

I have one that I already know. You're going to hate me.

[Sally French]

I'm scared.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think airlines should find a new snack. I hate biscoff cookies.

[Sally French]

Oh, my God. You hate biscoff cookies.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, they're so dry, man. Like, the airplane is already so dry. I don't need to have this like dry cookie in my mouth. Yeah.

[Sally French]

What? Oh, my gosh. They're classic. You dunk them in coffee. Biscoff ice cream. I made some in my ninja creamy and I literally, I took some biscoffs off the plane because I didn't eat it on the plane and I put it in my ninja creamy to make ice cream with it. Ew.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay. I literally begged the flight attendant to give me pretzels. I'm like, I know you have one bag back there. Just give me one.

[Sally French]

Megan, can I tell you something?

[Meagan Coyle]

Go ahead.

[Sally French]

So we're doing a lightly travel themed wedding and guess what the little souvenirs at the end are.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, no.

[Sally French]

Goodie bags.

[Meagan Coyle]

Ew.

[Sally French]

Okay, okay. All right, we're going to. We're going to cut it off there. If you want your question answered on the show, reminder to email your questions to travel nerdwallet.com and if you like the format of the show, please leave us some feedback by rating and reviewing.

[Meagan Coyle]

Five star reviews are a signal to our bosses that we're allowed to keep doing this show. So please help us out there, give.

[Sally French]

Us those five stars because we hope you love listening as much as we love putting this show together.

[Meagan Coyle]

And a nice comment wouldn't hurt either. By the way, make sure you subscribe to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes.

[Sally French]

This episode was produced by Tess Bigland and Hilary Georgie. Claire Sosi helped with fact checking, and Nick Karisami mixed our audio.

[Meagan Coyle]

And here's our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. The advice here was purely the opinions of two credit card obsessed nerds.

[Sally French]

You're a nerd.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, for sure. And the information provided here is for general educational and entertainment purposes. It may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Sally French]

We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. Thanks, everyone. See you next time.

[Meagan Coyle]

Before we let you go, we want to give another shout out for our giveaway. We're offering some pretty cool stuff right now. And all you have to do is fill out our listener survey. One winner will get a Polaroid Go instant camera, and six people will win the Bagu Cloud Carry On Bag.

[Sally French]

Oh, man, those Polaroid Go goes are so hip these days. All the cool kids have them. I last had a Polaroid when I was like 12, but I need this one now.

[Meagan Coyle]

And it could still fit your light packing ethos as it's the world's smallest instant camera.

[Sally French]

Dang. Okay, so how do I enter this survey?

[Meagan Coyle]

You're not allowed to enter the survey, Sally, but everyone else can and should. We're doing this because we genuinely want your feedback to make the podcast better. So to enter, go to nerdwallet.com travelsurvey and complete the survey form by September 15th for a chance to win win. You can read the official rules for more details, which again can be found at nerdwallet.com travelsurvey. Thank you and happy travels.