This past weekend, Greg and I (along with a handful of leading content creators in points and miles) were invited to Richard Branson’s Moskito Island to learn more about Bilt Rewards, the new credit card program that allows you to earn transferable rewards for rent payments with no fee. We’ve written about Bilt a few times before, but having the chance to discuss the program in depth over several days with CEO Ankur Jain and Director of Travel Rewards Richard Kerr was a great chance to both understand it more clearly and share our feedback about it — and the Oasis Estate on Moskito Island was a fantastic place to do it.
With Bilt at top of mind these past several days, I realized that we did not yet have a Bilt Rewards sweet spots post for its transfer partners like we do with Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One. Since this card offers the chance to earn transferable points on rent with no annual fee (note that you have to use the card 5 times per month to earn rewards), I imagine it will become more popular as it becomes more mainstream. As such, I thought that readers who are also renters may find a sweet spots post to be a valuable future reference. We will maintain updates to this post as award charts change and/or partners are introduced, so you’ll want to bookmark this if you are a Bilt cardholder or may become one in the future.
To read more about the Bilt card, see these two posts:
- Re-Bilt: rent rewards card makes big improvements
- Skip the Bilt waitlist with code FM4BILT
- Renters rejoice: Bilt Mastercard offers points for rent. Transfer to Hyatt, AA, and more.
Bilt Rewards Hotel Sweet Spots (Hyatt)
While Bilt partners with both World of Hyatt and IHG Rewards, there is no doubt that Hyatt is the stronger hotel partner. While IHG has a much larger footprint of hotels, Hyatt offers outstanding value for points with a very reasonable award chart and the ability to book club rooms and ultra-luxurious premium suites using points at reasonable rates.
Hyatt
- The short story: Hyatt generally has nice hotels in most major cities and awards are very reasonable compared to the cash cost of most properties. Hyatt also has great benefits for top-tier elites.
- Miles required: Hyatt’s award chart has properties for 5K, 8K, 12K, 15K, 20K, 25K, 30K, or 40K points per night. Cash & points nights require half the points and approximately half the nightly room rate. Suites can be booked for approximately 50% more points and premium suites cost double the number of points for a standard room. There are actually a number of ways to book premium suites at great value. See this post for more about the methods of booking and this post for more about why this is so good: Finding extreme luxury in Hyatt premium suites.
- How to find awards: Search for availability at Hyatt.com by checking the box that says “Use points”.
- How to book awards: Book online at Hyatt.com. To add elite upgrades like Globalist suite night upgrades or Explorist Club Access Awards, you will need to call or contact the Twitter team (which can also help book award rooms — see: New Hyatt properties: reminder of an old trick.)
- Key warnings: One great use of Hyatt points can be to first transfer Bilt Rewards to your Hyatt account and then transfer those Hyatt points from your Hyatt account to the account of a Hyatt Globalist so that he or she can book a Guest of Honor stay for you (See: How to get top-tier Hyatt elite benefits without status). Just keep in mind that although you can transfer from Bilt Rewards to Hyatt as many times as you wish, your Hyatt account can only be involved in one Hyatt-to-Hyatt transfer (in or out) every 30 days.
Note that transferring Bilt Rewards to IHG likely only makes sense in a situation where you need to top off your account for a valuable award. IHG points are typically only worth about half a cent each and can often be purchased for half a cent per point, so transfers to IHG represent low value for Bilt points.
Bilt US Domestic and North America Flights Sweet Spots
By far the sweetest Bilt Rewards sweet spot for domestic US flights of any airline program is Turkish Miles & Smiles for United Airlines. Turkish charges just 7,500 miles each way for domestic economy class or 12,500 miles each way in business class on United Airlines within the United States — including to/from Hawaii, Alaska, and US islands in the Caribbean (and even on connecting itineraries). It can be almost impossible to find availability in business class and both booking and ongoing customer service can be a challenge. However, for those who are willing to dig in and try there is great value to be had.
In certain situations, Virgin Atlantic or Air France will present good value for Delta. Bilt’s partnership with American Airlines is unique and that should make for a good way to book flights with points when cash prices are cheap since American typically chargers fewer miles for cheap flights.
Fly American Airlines with American miles
- The short story: American now has variable award pricing but sometimes runs web specials, both advertised and unadvertised, which can sometimes present solid value on its own flights.
- Miles required: Varies from as low as 5K miles one way for economy web specials. Business class web specials start around 20K miles one way. Awards on Alaska Airlines within the contiguous US & Canada cost 12.5K each way in economy or 25K in Business/First. Awards on Alaska to the Caribbean / Mexico / Central America cost 17.5K each way in economy or 27.5K each way in business class.
- How to find awards: Search AA.com
- How to book awards: Book at AA.com
- Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets. Note that Web Specials can not be changed, but can be cancelled and redeposited without a fee.
- Key warnings: Note that "web specials" can not be changed, but can be cancelled and redeposited for free. If transferring from Marriott, note that transfers may take 7 days or more in some instances. American offers award holds for 5 days.
- Transfer from: Marriott
Fly United, Copa, or Avianca with Aeroplan miles
- The short story: Aeroplan offers decent pricing for very short awards within the US and between the US and Canada, though the new distance-based chart means that longer itineraries are less of a deal.
- Miles required: From 6K to 22.5K miles each way in economy class or 15K to 35K miles each way in business class based on distance (see more info here).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirCanada.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Change and cancellation fees: Changes cost "$100" for "Lowest" fare awards; there's no fee to change Flex or Latitude awards. Cancellations cost $150 for most standard awards or $75 for Flex economy if done online at AirCanada.com (or $175 online for most awards / $125 for Flex economy via a call center). Other flex awards are free to change or cancel.
- Key warnings: Cancellation fees can be high on "standard" awards. Hold times to speak with a phone agent can be very long.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
Fly United with Turkish Miles & Smiles miles
- The short story: Turkish offers very good value on domestic Star Alliance flights. This makes Turkish the absolute cheapest way to book flights within the US on United -- including to Alaska and Hawaii.
- Miles required: 10K miles each way in economy class or 15K miles each way in business class domestically on United within the US or domestically on Air Canada within Canada (can include connections for the same price). For North American international flights (e.g. US to Canada or Mexico), Turkish is no longer a good value at 30K each way in economy class.
- How to find awards: Search United.com and look for "Saver Awards". You can also try searching via the Turkish Airlines website, but it does not always show full availability.
- How to book awards: Try booking at TurkishAirlines.com using the Star Alliance search tool (click "Award ticket" on the home page, then select the Star Alliance tool after logging in). If all else fails, try booking via email. See our guide for booking United flights with Turkish for more detail.
- Change and cancellation fees: The fee to change or cancel is $70 per passenger, though I've been unsuccessful in finding agents who know how to change a partner award. Thus cancelling for $70 is your best bet.
- Key warnings: Turkish phone agents often can't see availability on United metal. You may just have to try again with a different agent or try emailing many different ticket offixes. Irregular operations can cause a huge headache in getting in touch with Turkish to get your flight fixed. Booking via Turkish is not for the faint of heart (or those who can not drop back 10 yards and punt when things go sideways).
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Delta with Air France / KLM Flying Blue miles
- The short story: Air France sometimes charges far fewer miles for Delta flights than Delta charges its own members.
- Miles required: Variable, but starting around 10.5K one-way in economy, or 28K one-way in business class.
- How to find awards: Use the Virgin Atlantic 5 week award search to find availability (see this post for details). Next, confirm your findings at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app when the website returns errors.
- Key warnings: Air France's website is buggy and will often return errors when trying to complete a booking. If that happens, try calling. Note also that for very short-distance flights, you may be able to save some miles by booking via Virgin Atlantic.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Fly Delta with Virgin Atlantic points
- The short story: In some instances, Virgin Atlantic offers Delta flights for fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries.
- Miles required: Virgin has a distance-based award chart for domestic US travel on Delta that ranges from 7,500 miles (for flights up to 500 miles in distance flown) to 27,500 miles (up to 5,000 miles flown, which would cover New York to Honolulu). Taxes & fees are just $5.60 on domestic flights. See the full award chart here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Marriott, Bilt
Fly JetBlue with Emirates Skywards miles
Bilt Hawaii sweet spots
While saver business class awards to Hawaii can be difficult to find (and even rarer in lie-flat seats), Bilt Rewards has access to the sweetest sweet spot to Hawaii with Turkish Miles & Smiles charging just 7,500 miles each way in economy class or 12,500 miles each way in business class between anywhere in the US and Hawaii when United has saver availability. Note that when booking by phone or email, Turkish will charge for two awards if the layover is longer than 4 hours (when the online booking tool works, it will sometimes allow long layovers of as much as 10 or 11 hours, so YMMV) — and be aware of customer service limitations noted in the previous section.
Fly United using Turkish Miles & Smiles
Turkish offers the best deal to Hawaii, bar none. 7.5K one-way in economy or 12.5K one-way in business class is insane.
- The short story: Turkish offers the same pricing on flights to Hawaii as for other domestic US awards, making them an unbelievable value for flights to Hawaii.
- Miles required: 10,000 miles each way in economy class or 15,000 miles each way in business class (can include connections for the same price)
- How to find awards: Search and book awards at TurkishAirlines.com. Note that you can also try searching AirCanada.com for additional space that should be bookable via email.
- How to book awards: Some awards can be booked online at TurkishAirlines.com (click "Award Ticket" on the home page, then log in and choose the "Star Alliance" tab on the award search tool). If you see an award on AirCanada.com that is not available at the Turkish website, you can try an email booking. Once an email agent sets up the reservation, you can call to pay the taxes and ticket rather than emailing back with the requested screen shots of your credit card and ID.
- Key warnings: Turkish appears to have a max connect time of 4 hours on a domestic itinerary, so itineraries with a longer connection would require 2 awards. Also, for an unknown reason, Turkish phone agents often can't see award space that other partner airlines can see. Booking over the phone can be very challenging. We highly recommend calling to put an award on hold before you transfer points to Turkish miles.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Delta using Air France miles
Air France is one of the cheapest options for booking Delta flights to Hawaii. Unfortunately, Delta’s partner award space is extremely hard to find, especially for first class awards.
- The short story: Air France charges far fewer miles than Delta for Delta flights to Hawaii, but finding award availability can be a huge challenge.
- Miles required: 17.5K one-way in economy, or 30K one-way in business class for Delta flights from the US mainland to Hawaii.
- How to find awards: Use the Virgin Atlantic 5 week award search to find availability (see this post for details). Next, confirm your findings at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone when the website returns errors.
- Key warnings: Air France's website is buggy and will often return errors when trying to complete a booking. If that happens, try calling or using the app.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Fly Delta using Virgin Atlantic miles
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic often offers Delta flights to Hawaii for many fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries. Virgin Atlantic also partners with Hawaiian and charges the same rates as Hawaiian when saver availability is present, though it can be a better deal through Virgin Atlantic if you catch a transfer bonus.
- Miles required: Varies by distance. See the full award chart here. Nonstop routes from the west coast of the US should run 22K in economy or 70K in business (business class is not a good deal). Alternatively, nonstop routes on Hawaiian Airlines cost 20K each way in economy class or 40K each way in business class. Those rates match what Hawaiian charges when saver awards are available, but it could be a better through through Virgin Atlantic if you catch a good transfer bonus.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt
Bilt Caribbean / Latin America sweet spots
The best deal here is theoretically Turkish Miles & Smiles, though they classify some Caribbean islands as “South America” which is not a good value. Note that while not covered below, American Airlines miles may be the best bet when cash prices are reasonable since American often offers “web specials” using miles when cash prices are low.
Fly JetBlue with Emirates Skywards miles
- The short story: This sweet spot is dead, as JetBlue and Emirates are no longer partners.
Fly United, Copa, or Avianca with Turkish Miles & Smiles miles
- The short story: Turkish Miles & Smiles offers very good award pricing for Star Alliance flights to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
- Miles required: From 10,000 each way in economy class or 15,000 miles each way in business class which includes the continental US to/from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
- How to find awards: Search United.com and look for "Saver Awards". You can also try searching via the Turkish Airlines website, but it does not always show full availability.
- How to book awards: You can try booking on the Miles & Smiles website, though not all flights are available online. Previously phone bookings have worked and may again be possible. If all else fails, try booking via email. See our guide for booking United flights with Turkish for more detail.
- Key warnings: Turkish agents occasionally can't see availability even though it is marked as "Saver". You may just have to try again with a different agent.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Bilt Europe sweet spots
The “Old Continent” is an ever-popular vacation destination and Bilt Rewards sweet spots include some excellent values to get there. Nonstop Delta flights cost just 50K Virgin Atlantic miles and even connecting itineraries are Star Alliance carriers like United, Air Canada, SAS, LOT Polish, and TAP Air Portugal (among others) cost just 45K miles each way in business class. If you’re looking to get to Europe with maximum “bling”, you’ll want to consider the routes served by Emirates, though you’ll need to either live in or be willing to position to New York for those flights.
Fly Emirates with Emirates miles
- The short story: Emirates charges a very reasonable number of miles for business or first class between New York (JFK) and Milan or Newark (EWR) and Athens, with round-trip business pricing being particularly attractive.
- Miles required: 87K one-way or 108K round-trip in business class. First Class is 102K one-way and 204K round-trip.
- How to find awards: Search for availability at Emirates.com
- How to book awards: Book online at Emirates.com
- Key warnings: Emirates can have high fuel surcharges and sometimes roundtrip saver awards can be difficult to find.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Chase, Capital One, Marriott
Fly Air France / KLM or Virgin Atlantic with Virgin Atlantic Points
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy class pricing on Air France / KLM, particularly from the Eastern US to Europe but also for its own flights to the UK (albeit with somewhat expensive surcharges). Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal. See the full Virgin Atlantic award chart for travel on Air France / KLM here.
- Miles required:
- For flying Air France / KLM
During "standard season" (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy class between the East Coast of the US and Western Europe or 20,000 miles each way to Central Europe (and North Africa). From the Western or Central US to Western Europe is 15,000 miles or Eastern Europe is 23,000 miles. Standard Season (off-peak) dates for 2024:
- 04 January 2024 - 21 March 2024
- 16 April 2024 - 15 June 2024
- 3 September 2024 - 24 October 2024
- 06 November 2024 - 6 December 2024
- For flying on Virgin Atlantic to/from the UK (Prices shown off-peak / peak; see: Virgin Atlantic award chart (U.S.-centric)
- From the Northeast US: 10K / 20K
- From the Midwest & South: 12.5K / 22.5K
- From the Western US: 15K / 25K
- Note that fees are about $149 one-way to London or $263 one-way from London
- For flying Air France / KLM
During "standard season" (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy class between the East Coast of the US and Western Europe or 20,000 miles each way to Central Europe (and North Africa). From the Western or Central US to Western Europe is 15,000 miles or Eastern Europe is 23,000 miles. Standard Season (off-peak) dates for 2024:
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: Book Air France & KLM with Virgin Atlantic Miles.
- Key warnings: The zone-based award chart for Air France / KLM flights can be a bit confusing at first, but the nice thing about booking Air France / KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic miles is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each segment separately as they do with other partners or their own flights. In this case, you'll pay the region prices even if connecting. Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic is currently facing uncertain financial times, so it may be best to hold off a while on booking any travel that isn't imminent.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Chase, Marriott
Fly Air France or KLM with Flying Blue miles (economy class)
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe.
- Miles required: Varies. Economy class awards are often available from as low as 10K-15K one way during Promo Rewards sales from select airports.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app.
- Key warnings: Flying Blue does add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Fly Air France or KLM with Flying Blue miles (business class)
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe
- Miles required: Varies. Air France no longer has an award chart, but business class awards between North America and Europe start at 50K one way. Promo awards often offer better value, with business class awards often available in the 40K’s. On rare occasion, we have seen some destinations price in the 20K's one-way in business class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone.
- Key warnings: Air France / KLM do add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable (about $150-$250 in taxes and fees each way)
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Fly Delta with Virgin Atlantic miles
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic often offers Delta flights for many fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries. This can be a particularly good value for Delta’s life-flat routes to Europe. While Virgin Atlantic changed most Delta awards to a distance-based award chart in early 2021, they have maintained the old zone-based pricing for Delta flights to/from Europe.
- Miles required: 50K miles each way in business class (for direct flights) between the US and Europe (excluding the UK, which uses a separate chart).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com. See: Book Delta with Virgin Atlantic miles online.
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries. Note that Virgin Atlantic adds significant surcharges on Delta flights to and from Europe. Some major European airports are not loaded into Virgin Atlantic’s website, so you may have to call to check availability / book.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Star Alliance with Turkish Miles & Smiles
- The short story: Turkish increased rates to and from Europe in February 2024, but still offers what could be a reasonable value on its own flights, particularly when they offer expanded award availability to their own members.
- Miles required: 65K miles each way in business class. Note that connecting itineraries on Turkish price as the sum of both segments, making them much more expensive. Partner awards are much less competitive at 85-90K each way between the US and Europe.
- How to find awards: Go to turkishairlines.com and click the button to book an award ticket, then log in to your account and search. Note that there may be bookable options on Star Alliance partners that do not appear on the site but which may be bookable via email.
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.
- Transfer from: Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Star Alliance with Air Canada Aeroplan (with no fuel surcharges and adding a stopover)
- The short story: Aeroplan uses the same "Atlantic" region for Africa, The Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. They also offer a stopovers on on a one-way award for 5,000 miles, which can present particular value. Lap infants are just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction (far cheaper than what most programs charge).
- Miles required: 60K-110K each way in business class or 90K-140K each way in first class based on distance (See our complete guide to Aeroplan for more detail). Partner awards no longer incur fuel surcharges.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Aeroplan.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at Aeroplan.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Key warnings: You'll pay more miles based on distance, but keep in mind that you can add a stopover on a one-way for 5,000 miles, which makes Aeroplan a better deal if you're looking to visit two countries in one trip (like Spain & India or Germany & South Africa or Portugal & Morocco as examples).
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Marriott
Bilt Asia sweet spots
Turkish Miles & Smiles offers the best value for trips to Asia and most Star Alliance Airlines serving the region have no fuel surcharges or low fuel surcharges. However, those with the time and desire for a more complex trip will enjoy the fact that Aeroplan allows a stopover on a one way for 5,000 miles and classifies almost all of Asia and Australia/New Zealand/Oceania in the same region.
Economy Class
Fly Star Alliance with Turkish Miles & Smiles
- The short story: Turkish no longer offers competitive award pricing between the US and Asia.
- Miles required: 75K each way.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com, log in to your account, go to "Miles transactions" to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click "book now" to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. However, Turkish allows a hold for long enough for points to transfer. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you get your desired itinerary on hold via phone or email before transferring points. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Star Alliance with Turkish Miles & Smiles to “Central Asia”
- The short story: Turkish no longer offers competitive award pricing between the US and Asia.
- Miles required: 60K each way.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com, log in to your account, go to "Miles transactions" to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click "book now" to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key
warnings:Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. However, Turkish allows a hold for long enough for points to transfer. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you get your desired itinerary on hold via phone or email before transferring points. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish. - Transfer from: Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You, Marriott Bonvoy
Premium Cabins
Fly Delta with Virgin Atlantic miles
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic used to offer very competitive pricing for Delta business class between the US and Asia. Unfortunately, Virgin now uses a distance-based award chart which has dramatically increased prices. They may still offer better pricing than Delta does and in some cases you may find multiple seats available, so this can be a useful option for those looking to fly several passengers (though it is pricey and availability is inconsistent and unpredictable). Taxes leaving the US are just $5.60 one way.
- Miles required: From 105K miles each way in business class from the mainland US. 80K each way in business class from Hawaii to Northern Asia (Honolulu to Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka). See the distance bands here and use a tool like gcmap.com to calculate distance between airports.
- How to find awards: Search VirginAtlantic.com to find Delta award space.
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com or call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so this award is best for direct flights.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Fly Star Alliance with Aeroplan (with no fuel surcharges)
- The short story: Aeroplan charges a relatively high price for many awards to/from Asia, but they offer the most partner airlines of any program, thereby increasing the chances that you'll be able to put together an award that works for your trip. The real value in the program is the ability to add a stopover for only 5,000 additional miles, making it possible to combine two destinations on a one-way award. The Pacific Zone includes most of Eastern Asia and also Australia and New Zealand. By contrast, India and Central Asia are in the Atlantic Zone. Lap infants are only 2,500 miles.
- Miles required: The Pacific Zone ranges from 55K-115K one-way in business class (plus 5K miles for a stopover), which can be a particularly good value for awards combining Asia and the South Pacific in one itinerary. The Atlantic Zone ranges from 60K-110K (though getting to destinations classified as Asia likely requires 85K or 110K miles each way before stopover whether your Asian destination is classified in the Atlantic or Pacific zone).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Aeroplan.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at Aeroplan.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone. A stopover can be booked online provided your itinerary has no more than 4 segments. More complex awards must be booked via phone (see Nick's 6-country 5-airline 5-day Aeroplan award and Aeroplan plans for future dream trips for more).
- No fuel surcharges on: Aeroplan no longer charges fuel surcharges.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
Fly Star Alliance with Turkish Miles & Smiles
- The short story: Turkish no longer offers competitive award pricing between the US and Asia.
- Miles required: 75K each way.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com, log in to your account, go to "Miles transactions" to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click "book now" to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. However, Turkish allows a hold for long enough for points to transfer. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you get your desired itinerary on hold via phone or email before transferring points. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Fly Star Alliance with Turkish Miles & Smiles to “Central Asia”
- The short story: Turkish offers rates at the upper end of reasonable for business to Central Asia (defined as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) - but watch out for fuel surcharges on some partners.
- Miles required: 100K each way in business class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com, log in to your account, go to "Miles transactions" to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click "book now" to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. However, Turkish allows a hold for long enough for points to transfer. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you get your desired itinerary on hold via phone or email before transferring points. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Bilt Africa sweet spots
Those who want to combine two trips in one will likely appreciate the ability to book a one-way to Africa with a stopover in Europe via Air Canada’s Aeroplan. If and when Air France resumes offering premium cabin award tickets, using Virgin Atlantic miles to book Air France premium economy may be the best bet for those who don’t need a lie-flat seat.
Economy class
Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe and Flying Blue considers several countries located in North Africa to be part of its "Europe" pricing model (including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and the Canary Islands). Once in Africa, keep Flying Blue in mind for intra-Africa awards on Kenya Airways.
- Miles required: Varies. Economy class awards to Europe (including those North African countries listed above) are often available from as low as 10K-15K one way during Promo Rewards sales from select airports.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app.
- Key warnings: Flying Blue does add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy class pricing on Air France / KLM, particularly from the Eastern US, but since the US is split into two different zones and you'll find African countries in four different zones, it can be very confusing. Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal (see the full chart for Air France on this page).
- Miles required:
- East Coast North America & Caribbean (Zone 6) to:
- Zone 2 (Eastern Europe and North Africa, which includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia): 20K miles each way off-peak / 30K peak
- Zone 3 (Middle East and Russia, which includes Egypt): 25K off-peak / 35K peak
- Zone 4 (Central Africa): 24.5K off-peak / 34.5K peak
- Zone 5 (Southern Africa, Indian Ocean & Indian Subcontinent): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- West & Central North America & Central America (Zone 7) to:
- Zone 2 (Eastern Europe and North Africa, which includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia): 23K miles each way off-peak / 33K peak
- Zone 3 (Middle East and Russia, which includes Egypt): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- Zone 4 (Central Africa): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- Zone 5 (Southern Africa, Indian Ocean & Indian Subcontinent): 31K off-peak / 41K peak
- East Coast North America & Caribbean (Zone 6) to:
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: Book Air France & KLM with Virgin Atlantic Miles.
- Key warnings: The zone-based award chart for Air France / KLM flights can be a bit confusing at first, but the nice thing about booking Air France / KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic miles is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each segment separately as they do with other partners or their own flights. In this case, you'll pay the region prices even if connecting. Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic is currently facing uncertain financial times, so it may be best to hold off a while on booking any travel that isn't imminent.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Chase, Marriott
Premium Cabins
Fly Star Alliance with Air Canada Aeroplan (particularly good with stopovers)
- The short story: Air Canada Aeroplan includes Africa in its "Atlantic" zone, meaning that the award pricing range matches that to Europe and you could even add a stopover in Europe en route to Africa for 5K additional miles one-way. Lap infants are just 2,500 miles.
- Miles required: Ranges from 60K to 110K in business class based on distance (add 5K miles for a stopover). First class ranges from 90K-140K one way. Add 5,000 miles for a stopover on a one-way. See more chart information here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirCanada.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Fuel surcharges: Aeroplan no longer adds fuel surcharges to awards.
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Marriott
Turkish Miles & Smiles(for Star Alliance)
- The short story: Turkish offers high award pricing to North Africa on Star Alliance carriers and near-extortionate award pricing to Central and Southern Africa.
- Miles required: 105K miles each way in business class to North Africa, 125K miles each way in business class to Central Africa, and 140K each way in business class to Southern Africa
- How to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com, log in to your account, go to "Miles transactions" to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click "book now" to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).
- How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email
- Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. Turkish allows awards to be put on hold, so if you can not see the award you want online, you should get an itinerary on hold via phone or email before transferring points.
- Transfer from: Bilt, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Bilt Australia / New Zealand / Oceania sweet spots
The entire Oceania region is notoriously difficult to reach with points and miles since programs generally make so few award seats available (and current travel conditions make it impossible for most visitors to make the journey). Still, when travel to the region resumes, Bilt will have access to some decent options when you can find availability.
Fly Star Alliance with Air Canada Aeroplan
- The short story: Aeroplan's Oceania region includes Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Asia. While award pricing to Oceania is on the high side, members can now book a stopover in eastern Asia en route to Australia or New Zealand for 5K additional miles one-way. Lap infants are now just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction (far cheaper than what most programs charge).
- Miles required: 55K-115K each way in business class or 90K-140K each way in fist class from North America to the Pacific zone, though practically for most North America-based flyers, distance bands start at 75K / 115K each way. See more detail here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Aeroplan.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at Aeroplan.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Fuel Surcharges: Aeroplan no longer charges fuel surcharges on partner award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards (coming in 2021), Capital One, Marriott
Fly Hawaiian Airlines with Hawaiian Miles
- The short story: Hawaiian may be a good option for those who can position to Hawaii cheaply, particularly for Pago Pago or Papeete.
- Miles required: 65K miles one-way in business class to Australia or New Zealand; 47.5K miles one-way in business class to Pago Pago or Papeete.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Hawaiian Airlines’s Hawaiian Miles site(you’ll need to create a free Hawaiian Miles account)
- How to book awards: Book online at Hawaiian Airlines’s Hawaiian Miles site.
- Key warnings: Availability can be hard to come by, but if you find it it may be worth it.
Fly Delta with Virgin Atlantic miles
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic used to offer a decent sweet spot for Delta flights to Oceania. Unfortunately, they now use distance-based award chart and prices have skyrocketed. This option is only worth considering if your flying a family as Virgin sometimes has access to multiple seats on Delta flights (though availability is often tough to find to/from Oceania)
- Miles required: 165K miles each way in business class on routes of 6,000 miles or more (from the mainland US to Oceania), which makes this a relatively poor value.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com. See the distance bands here and use a tool like gcmap.com to calculate distance between airports.
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
Fly Air New Zealand with Virgin Atlantic miles
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers good deals for Air New Zealand premium cabin flights if you can actually find availability.
- Miles required: 45K each way for business class to/from Hawaii, 45K each way in business class from the "South Pacific" to Los Angeles, 62.5K each way in business class from New Zealand to North or South America
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (I believe that Air New Zealand space does not show up at VirginAtlantic.com)
- How to book awards: Book over the phone with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately (i.e. an itinerary with a single connection will cost 25K miles), so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries. Furthermore, Air New Zealand business class award space is extremely rare.
Bottom line
With a very unique set of transfer partners, Bilt Rewards sweet spots cover a number of highly desirable programs and destinations. Indeed, they are the only transferable currency offering access to both of my favorite transfer programs: Hyatt and Turkish. They are missing a few other favorites — I’d love to see them add ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, and Avios — but they have a surprisingly strong set of partners for an up-and-coming loyalty rewards scheme. Given that rent is such a significant expense and Bilt’s transfer partners overlap with other popular programs, this can be a great way to earn miles and supplement other earnings for transfers to take advantage of Bilt Rewards sweet spots.
For sweet spots in other programs, see:
Amex Membership Rewards sweet spots
Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots
Citi ThankYou points sweet spots
Marriott Bonvoy airline partner sweet spots
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[…] which is handles with no fee), was founded by Ankur Jain. And he invited out a bunch of folks (including Frequent Miler) to the island to talk about the program and give him […]
No one has told me, or anyone I know, why Bilt does anything more or better than any of the other currencies out there… I appreciate they took all the bloggers out, and honestly thanks for the transparency, but why would I do Bilt rather than Amex, Citi or UR? Right now this sounds like a marketing machine looking for customers…
Agreed. This post seemed a bit stretched in terms of value and not typically what we see at FM
Read previous coverage, that’s where the program was explained in detail. The bottom line is that other currencies do not allow you to earn transferrable points on your rent with no fees, unless you’re able to use PPK.
You shouldn’t – it’s not an “instead” card, it covers a category that is not available with competitors. It’s a card that might be worth having specifically for rent, as part of a setup which can include Amex, Citi or Chase as well.
100% what Tami said.
As to arny’s “this post seemed a bit stretched” and “not typically what we see at FM”, this post has the verbatim same airline blurbs found in our Amex, Chase, Citi and Capital One posts.
For example, the same Virgin Atlantic blurbs appear word-for-word on our Amex, Chase, and Citi posts since Virgin Atlantic is also a transfer partner for those programs. The purpose of this post (and all of these sweet spots posts) is to be a resource for those who have the card (and/or as a comparison point down the road when deciding whether to supplement your current earnings with Bilt or get the card if you’re a renter with no cards yet, etc).
I know that some readers already have the card and as Bilt gains traction and more people sign up, those who have the card will likely want to know what to do with the points. This post not only shows that but also shows where the transfer program overlaps with Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One — so that those folks whose first credit card is a Bilt card (not far-fetched since they are the payment network for a number of apartment buildings now) can see where they may be able to supplement their earnings in order to book those sweet spots.
Fine, but the rent thing is a small peg to hang their hat on. I appreciate its a large expense for many, however the bonuses for this card compared to others are tiny, and the history of the company is small. I would be worried putting large sums of money through a card when I might need that bank to stand behind me on a chargeback. Bilt may be a GREAT company, the issue is we just don’t know yet, and to put it in the same category with banks with a full history when its not even paying as well as those (ie Amex and Chase) is a bit…odd. I can’t tell you how much Bilt has made 100% sure EVERYONE knows about the card…from being guests on EVERY podcast to being written up on EVERY blog, it just SCREAMS of a flash in the pan. I hope I have 100% incorrect, as it would be great to have another entry…but its something I have seen time and time again in business. Companies spend a ton to get customers, and then disappear.
Bilt is not the lender, so they are not a party to any chargebacks. It remains to be seen what kind of service the lender provides, but it’s not like large lenders have generally proven themselves to be more trustworthy when it comes to disputes or customer service. Citi, for one, is a disaster. Chase is mediocre at best.
Not sure what that means, but it’s “paying” better on rent, which is what it’s being considered for, primarily. It’s not a good churning opportunity, naturally, but it also has a relatively low opportunity cost as there is no MSR and no AF (unless using rent spend for churning/using PPK).
If you mean its inclusion in the “sweet spot” series, I can’t personally say I have a strong opinion about that. My comment was not arguing for or against the choice to do so. It doesn’t affect my feelings about the product.
It’s obvious that the amount of coverage it’s getting, including on this blog, is a result of intense marketing. But I am going to look at the merits of the product, which do exist.
That’s not to say everyone should get it, far from it. But Bilt has a use-case where it makes sense, and is worth discussing/considering. If they disappear, we’ll move on to the next thing, as we always do.
Joel – you bring up good points and these are the questions I asked the founder before joining the company. I assure you, I have no interest in joining the typical VC hamster wheel of showing growth at all costs, negating the bottom line, and just getting to the next round of funding. I only wanted to join a sustainable product and company.
Our customer acquisition costs are tiny, the real estate partners are doing it for us and we aren’t paying them. We are not in any affiliate models and we’ll never compete with what other banks have to pay publishers to acquire customers. We have the backing of issuing a World Elite Mastercard, so if you have a legitimate chargeback, you can rest assured the brand and Mastercard will back you up. Take a look at our recent (and arguably final round of fundraising) and you should gain confidence in the longstanding companies that believe in us and their longstanding history (these are not the silicon valley hedge funds taking stakes).
I’m as skeptical as they come and appreciate that point of view, but we aren’t a flash. We’ll be here for the long-haul.
I’d also argue rent isn’t a small peg. The coverage and customers we’ve quickly acquired (again at little to no cost) are rightfully over the moon about finally getting something in return for millions of American’s largest monthly expense, and getting real value. We can all agree Bilt isn’t an invaluable currency.
A final point I want to continue to make – we’re accessible. People know me and my boss Dave Canty that has started several loyalty programs and I’m listening and reading every day. We want Bilt to be the best and want the loyalty audience to have a say in making it the best. Thats why we had Nick and Greg last weekend. They’re some of the best and we wanted to listen to them. There’s no underlying plan or ‘gotcha’ or agenda. We want this to be the best and we are going to listen to you. Anyone can find me on social @kerrpoints. Drop me a line, DM, e-mail anytime and give us all the feedback. Appreciate the passion!
for what its worth, this is the only single card with no annual fee that earn Hyatt. I mean most people would do better with the WOH card but still if you strictly dont want any af, this is the only option
That’s a good point. I’d argue that the advantage is primarily in the fact that it’s the only card that earns Hyatt points that is not subject to 5/24.
Great for those of us banned by Chase. I now have a way to generate Hyatt points again.
I’m watching the comments on this one!
🙂
Me too! – Richard, Bilt Rewards
I have been following your coverage of Bilt, and I appreciate the balance and how you highlight alternatives, especially now that I know the kind of marketing involved. But I do think you should address PayPal Key. Following recent changes to the program, I agree that Bilt is now a good addon for non-churners who rent, but only for those who cannot already cheaply use a debit card to pay their rent. Those who can will gain very little from signing up for this card, as PPK will provide the same functionality (or better). I wager that applied to a lot of renters.
Edit: to be fair, some may prefer this card simply due to the transfer partners, especially if Citi does not extend AA. I can’t bring myself to waste a slot on a new account with no meaningful SUB simply for that, personally, but others might.
The Bilt card is obviously for renters and obviously not marketed toward those churning credit cards (and in fairness, it is a pretty small niche of folks who are constantly churning — I’d bet that the vast majority of apartment renters in the US aren’t opening multiple credit cards per year). I don’t rent and don’t know whether PPK gets the same treatment with all payment systems, but we all know that has changed in other arenas and so while great if it works, it is less frictionless. Again, I’m not saying that is a bad option if it’s working, just that it isn’t a certain fee-free way to pay the rent.
I think the primary market for Bilt is people who rent and want a single credit card (which probably isn’t a small market) and/or people who rent and aren’t currently earning points on a credit card for paying their rent. This creates transferable points that don’t interfere with whatever spending you do on other cards — and this post shows which sweet spots you can access with the points (and if you hold multiple cards, you know where there is overlap with the cards you have).
Btw, don’t try to pay rent with PPK with Bilt as the backing card. Bilt card blocks all rent charges, even behind PPK in the case of the one I tested. A few declines and PayPal can take you out of PPK. Happened to me in July. A few weeks later I was able to get PPK back on my account. That might not be available as a recovery option with current state of PPK.
The reason we block these charges is so people don’t get hit with the usual landlord fees when paying with a card. You must pay rent through the Bilt Rewards app, and we knew despite our best marketing and directions, people would still go to their front desk and try to pay rent with the physical card. We call this fee-protect and it should never allow anyone to pay fees when paying rent.
Absolutely. To clarify, I wasn’t making an argument that assumes most people churn or saying you should highlight churning. You addressed that already, and PPK does not require churning.
That is a valid point, and I do expect that PPK will not work seamlessly forever (nor is it 100% seamless right now). For those who have very low tolerance for friction, that could be a consideration for getting Bilt instead.
However, this game, and this blog specifically, rarely shies away from all friction. Some of us are willing to email Turkish (even if Greg might find it abhorring), even though it’s much easier to book online, because there is a lot of added value to be found. Paying with PPK using, say, a Citi DC, Amex BBP, or Venture, means up to 100% better return than paying with Bilt (potentially less, if there is a small fee for debit).
I completely agree with that, and the part about maximizing unutilized spend is obviously why they are marketing so heavily, and justifiably, to the enthusiast community (I mean, there are probably not many readers of FM/listeners of Miles to Go who are looking for a one-card solution). But enthusiasts are often also those people who are willing to endure some complications in the form of PPK.
Don’t get me wrong, I intend to get this card at some stage, as I cannot use PPK, and also expect PPK to die sooner or later. But As long as PPK is working for rent, it has a meaningful effect on the value proposition of Bilt.
Those who cannot use a debit card or PPK to pay rent cheaply is roughly 90 million potential customers for us in the US.
The sign-up bonus game is one you’ll likely never see us play in. It’s too expensive and exists for cards with customer acquisition problems. Luckily our real estate partners and the buzz around finally being able to earn points on your largest monthly expense are bringing us a lot of customers at very little cost. (fingers crossed this continues)
This leads to a point (hah, i like points) that often is forgot in this community, and that the longevity of beneficial cards. 50k-60k points now would be great, but even if your rent is $2k/month, you’re gonna make 48k points alone off rent in two years, without accounting for any other spend you put on the card and all for no annual fee. If you’re a renter, I just don’t see how it doesn’t make sense to stick this in your wallet, earn valuable points on the largest monthly expense and keep it open year after year. Remember, this is V1.2 of the product. My goal is once we get to version 2.0, it will be very very hard for people to not make a spot for this on their application schedule regardless of whether you rent or not.