Queue up the music: as I publish this week in review, the final countdown is on to transfer Citi Thank You points to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 transfer ratio or Preferred Hotels I Prefer at 1:4. Today, April 18, 2025, is the final day before those ratios are reduced. If you’re reading this on Sunday, those ratios are now 1:1.5 for Choice and 1:2 for Preferred Hotels.
On a recent podcast episode, Greg declared that he might consider speculatively moving points to Preferred Hotels. I was less bullish on that idea without a plan as to where I intended to use them.
However, as fate would have it, I did make a big transfer near the last minute to book a Preferred Hotel. In my case, though, the booking was through Choice Privileges! The hotel I wanted to book was not available at all via Preferred Hotel points, but it was available via Choice. It was a good deal in the sense that the redemption was north of $0.01 per Choice point, giving me better than $0.02 per Citi point by that measure. On the other hand, with Choice points frequently on sale for around 0.7c per point, it wasn’t necessarily a slam dunk. After all, I could have purchased each 2 Choice Points for around 1.4c. On the flip side, I was happy to cover what would have been an expensive stay using points that were mostly earned from new card welcome bonuses (and I needed a grand total of more Choice points than I could have purchased).
Moving forward, I’ll be significantly less likely to consider transferring to Choice from Citi thanks to the poorer ratio. Instead, with Wells Fargo adding a second hotel partner at 1:2, I might start building up a reserve of Wells Fargo points to have on hand for the sort of niche redemptions that are sometimes possible with lesser-covered hotel programs like Choice (and now Wyndham).
Elsewhere on the blog this week, read about the latest updates to popular award search tools, an easy path to annual airline elite status, the most complicated elite status breakfast benefits, and more.
This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Wells Fargo journeys forward | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep354 | 4-17-26
While Wells Fargo picking up Wyndham Rewards as a transfer partner is a relatively small piece of news in the scheme of the hobby, the 1:2 ratio is notable. While Wyndham isn’t as flashy as some of the highest-end properties in competitor chains, there are plenty of opportunities for solid value, particularly through Wyndham’s Caribbean all-inclusives, timeshare properties, and occasionally in their big city footprint. With 1:2 transfers, there will almost certainly be times when this is a good deal for those in the Wells Fargo ecosystem. On this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and I dig into what this means for the Wells Fargo lineup, which can potentially cover a very broad range of categories at excellent bonus rates for a total annual fee output of only $95.
A reasonably rewarding perpetual path to elite status with JetBlue (if they last)
The new enhancements to the JetBlue Premier Mastercard will finally make it worth considering, but I think it is even more interesting how the card could be worth keeping long-term for someone seeking easy perpetual elite status. That’s because earning Mosaic 1 in year 1 could be reasonably rewarding — and starting in year 2 and beyond, simply selecting 20 tiles as a Perk you Pick, having this card, and using its annual travel credit will get you an easy 48 tiles per year without coming out of pocket at all — making it possible to requalify for Mosaic 1 every year with just $200 in JetBlue spend or $2K annual spend on the card. That relies on JetBlue sticking around, but if they do, this card could make Mosaic 1 easy to get and really easy to keep.
JetBlue Polishes its Premium Premier Mastercard | Coffee Break Ep101 | 4-14-26
On this week’s Coffee Break, Greg and I talk about the changes coming to the JetBlue Premier Mastercard and why they finally make the card interesting for some. Prior to the refresh, it was hard to imagine anyone applying for the card, but after these changes, the card will improve significantly.
What are Wyndham points worth?
Based on the broad data we are able to glean thanks to hotel booking tool Gondola.ai, we were able to identify a slight decrease in the value of Wyndham points, with our Reasonable Redemption Value now 0.67c per point. That said, most of Wyndham’s portfolio doesn’t really appeal to me. I feel like there is a very reasonable chance that the places where I would like to stay are far more likely to be in the ~75th percentile range, which came in at 0.88c per point. Indeed, I have a 2-bedroom vacation rental booked for 7 people for a few days this summer, where I’m getting more than 1c per point. I’m happy to continue collecting Wyndham points for situations like that, even if the overall median value has dropped by a few hundredths of a cent.
Which award search tool is best?
In one key regard, there has never been an easier time to get involved in our hobby: award search tools make it far easier to find awards and learn about partnerships. Add in the ability to customize searches with things like multiple airport selection and a multitude of filtering options, along with easy award alerts, and it is possible for a newcomer to get the hang of things more quickly than ever. But with so many award search tools on the market, which is best? Better yet, which is best for you? In this extensive update, Greg both reviews the many updates to the tools in the post and also double-checks results for accuracy to add some excellent detail to the comparison.
Capital One Spark Miles rebranded to Venture Business; Up to 150K welcome offer + up to $100 in new credits
Capital One appears to be rebranding Spark Miles cards to make them more closely mirror the Venture card lineup, with a rebrand and refresh. I’m including this post in week in review to call out the fact that while this is sort of a rebrand, the Venture Business card is considered a new product, and existing Spark Miles cardholders will not be converted to it. In my opinion, that’s kind of a bummer because many people have difficulty getting approved for Capital One cards, and the Venture Business offers a more compelling value proposition. In fact, the Venture Business probably looks more appealing than the consumer variant of the card.
Marriott Platinum Elite free breakfast simplified
I hate that I need to consult this post several times every year in order to know what my breakfast benefit should be when staying at a Marriott property. I recently received my Marriott Lifetime Platinum luggage tags, but don’t ask me whether I get automatic free breakfast at a Renaissance resort abroad or if I need to pick it as a choice benefit. I have to check this post. Every. Time. Bookmark it.
How to add two Southwest companions to a single reservation
I have long maintained that the Southwest Companion Pass is the best deal in domestic travel. Though either my wife or I has had a Companion Pass every year for more than a decade, this year marks the first time that we both have Companion Passes at the same time, which means that we can now book seats for the two of us and add our kids for free. That’s awesome, but a reader reached out to let me know that Southwest had made a change and that it was no longer possible for us to both add our companions if my wife and I were on the same reservation. Another reader reported needing to call Southwest each time to add both companions. After assistance from a third reader, I learned that it both is and isn’t possible: while the desktop website does not allow for adding both companions to a single PNR booking, the Southwest Airlines app does allow adding both companions. If you’re in a two-companion household, the app is your friend!
What is a Minimum Spend Requirement? An explanation, tips, & potential pitfalls
New card welcome bonuses are the fastest path to earning significant numbers of miles and points. Most cards have a minimum spending requirement within the first few months to unlock a large bonus. Stephen continues his beginner series this week by explaining the concept of a minimum spending requirement and everything you need to know about meeting it.
Best ways to get to Africa using points and miles (2026)
If you’re planning a trip to Africa and looking to maximize your miles and points, Tim has fully updated our guide to the best ways to get to Africa using award travel in 2026. Given the size and the way that different parts of Africa are classified on award charts, prices and sweet spots range considerably, but some options can yield surprisingly good value given the long distances covered.
What are the worst airline websites? | Ask Us Anything Ep85 | 4-8-26
This month, I missed our Ask Us Anything Live on YouTube, which was pushed a week later than usual because of schedule conflicts amongst the team. If you missed it, you can watch the replay here or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals to make sure you grab the ones you want before they’re gone.
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Bilt has the largest set of hotel transfer partners of any ecosystem. So, speaking of Choice and Preferred, Bilt would have every major hotel program if it were to add the two along with Leading Hotels of the World.
(And, it needs to add Singapore in the airline category.)