Category: Award Programs

Hyatt assigns each of its properties a category, then sets award rates for each. This makes it easy to spot sweet spot hotel redemptions that have high cash rates and low points rates. Check out our favorite Hyatt sweet spots and an explanation of how the World of Hyatt award chart works.

Rakuten (formerly known as eBates) is offering new members $40 cash back or 4,000 bonus Membership Rewards points just by signing up for a new account and linking your account to a Membership Rewards-earning card. We will show you step-by-step how to take advantage of this solid offer.

The Southwest Companion Pass is arguably the most valuable perk in airline travel today. If you want to earn a Companion Pass through to the end of 2025, now is the time to start planning your card application strategy to ensure you can maximize the number of months you hold the pass. Check out our latest strategy guide on how to pick up the Companion Pass for the better part of two years by leveraging Southwest credit cards.

The Sonesta Travel Pass program is one of the fastest growing in the U.S., and the brand now has over 1,200 properties worldwide. The growth is so impressive that the program is worth a closer look to see if it is right for you.

You can use miles to upgrade your American Airlines flights. How much will it cost? That depends on several factors. Let us show you how to upgrade with miles, the costs, how to find mileage upgrade availability, and how the request a mileage upgrade.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles and building up a hefty sum of Loyalty Points are critical steps to helping you work towards your next redemption and flying in style — with lots of benefits. In this post, we dive into all of the ways to earn AA miles and Loyalty Points.

Bask Bank is best known as the bank that offers an innovative AAdvantage®-mile-earning savings account. In December 2021, Bask Bank expanded by adding a new traditional cash-interest savings account. And Bask has led the way in increasing interest rates. As of today, savers now earn 5.1% APY or 2.5 AAdvantage® mile per $1 saved per year. Here are some reasons you should consider splitting your savings between mileage-earning and cash interest.

Hertz recently shortened its expiration policy without any notice to members. As of October 8, 2023, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points now expire if you do not have qualifying activity on your account in 12 months — instead of the previous policy of every 18 months. Even worse, Hertz isn't as generous with what qualifies as earning or redeeming activity. Here's what you need to know to save your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points.

Starbucks Rewards Stars expire six months after the end of the month in which they were earned. Once expired, they cannot be reinstated. Here's a look at the policy and how to boost your earnings when visiting Starbucks.

With the seemingly constant devaluations in U.S. frequent flyer programs, those looking to maximize their points and miles should look further afield. Foreign programs can offer tons of value if you know where to look. A great example is ANA Mileage Club, offering multiple sweet spots worth your hard-earned rewards.

One of the best ways to boost your balance of AA miles is with the AAdvantage Dining Program. Simply create an account, link a card, and watch the miles roll in whenever you dine at a partner restaurant. It's that easy! In this guide, we're walking you through the entire process.

United PlusPoints are awarded to Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members after earning status. These highly valuable points can be used to confirm upgrades to Premium Plus or business class before you take off. Here's how they work.

In addition to transferring to over a dozen airline and hotel partner programs, collecting Ultimate Rewards also provides access to the Chase Travel Portal. There, cardmembers can redeem points for a variety of travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, and car rentals. Each option can offer substantial value under the right circumstances.

Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the strongest points currencies out there. Cardholders can earn Ultimate Rewards points through several cards. Plus, you can use them for travel rewards through the Chase travel portal or by transferring them to Chase's transfer partners. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about Chase points expiring as long as you keep at least one Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card open.

The Chase Travel Portal makes it easy to find and book travel with your points at a fraction of the normal cost. For those without the time to spend hours searching for award availability and analyzing award charts, this may be the best way to get solid value from your Ultimate Rewards points. Check out our complete guide to booking with the Chase portal.

The citizenM brand has launched a status match promotion. Hotel and airline elites can status match to mycitizenM+ for a fee. Once matched, your complimentary status is valid for a year. What is this program, and what does it offer? Let us show you.

American Airlines offers a lucrative shopping portal called AAdvantage eShopping. Use this portal to supercharge your AA earnings with minimal effort and no additional spending. In this post, we'll walk you through how using the AA portal could earn you a ton of miles on your regular purchases and accelerate your path to elite status.

American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards are highly valuable currencies to earn. Although they have a lot in common, earning and redeeming points can vary between the pair. Which is better?

Chase's Pay Yourself Back is now a staple for redeeming Ultimate Rewards points and has recently been expanded to Southwest and Aeroplan credit cards. Now, Chase Sapphire, Freedom, Ink, Southwest, United, and Aeroplan-branded cards can all use Pay Yourself Back to offset eligible purchases with a bonus. These are the eligible redemptions through the end of 2023.

Finnair Plus has announced more details about the upcoming changes to its program, including adopting Avios as a currency, new tier thresholds, milestone rewards, and guaranteed award availability on every flight.

American Airlines AAdvantage miles will expire if your account has no qualifying activity for 24 months. However, there are numerous ways to keep your miles from expiring. We'll show you how.

Choice Privileges is an underrated hotel loyalty program that can provide excellent value to road-trippers and value-minded travelers. Between lucrative promotions and modest redemption rates, there's a lot to love about the Choice Privileges program. Here's what you need to know to maximize this underappreciated program.

The Fiesta Americana Rewards program is a relative newcomer in the loyalty program market. Focused primarily on resorts and hotels in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, is it the right program for you? Read on to find out more.

The Air Canada Aeroplan HotelSavers program lets you use your points to book hotels stays with up to a 30% discount at 39 hotels brands worldwide. Furthermore, if you hold a Aeroplan co-branded credit card, you can receive a fourth night free on your award bookings through December 31, 2024. But is it worth it? Let's run through some examples to find out.

Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as your account remains open. All your points will be forfeited if you close your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. With no expiration deadline, you can focus your efforts on booting your points balance toward your next redemption.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has a unique loyalty program structure. Its free-to-join IHG One Rewards program has five different elite status tiers, but there's also the InterContinental Ambassador Program. This stand-alone loyalty program provides exclusive benefits and personalized services, and there's no way to earn your way in. What do you get with this paid membership? Let's take a closer look.

You can redeem American miles to fly to most major destinations worldwide, including many you couldn't reach on flights operated by American Airlines. From Oneworld airlines like British Airways and Japan Airlines to non-alliance partner airlines like Etihad Airways and Fiji Airways, this article discusses all of the AAdvantage partner airlines you can utilize when redeeming American Airlines miles.

A handy trick lets Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members to search for awards using the calendar search, despite Virgin removing this option from its website a while back. Here's how to unlock month-by-month award searching on Virgin's website.

Delta Air Lines uses dynamic pricing for its award flights, which can sometimes make prices astronomical. High prices make it hard to know if you're getting good value from your SkyMiles, so we've assembled an unofficial award chart to showcase what you should expect to pay on your next Delta award flight.

British Airways Avios expire if you have no activity on your account for 36 months. However, a wide range of activity will count towards keeping your balance alive, so there is no reason your BA Avios should ever expire.