The single best rewards program

11

a man pointing at somethingI bet that almost every reader has an opinion about which is the single best rewards program, but I also bet that after about 15 seconds of trying to explain why you think it is the best you’ll think of a handful of counterpoints that require a bit more thought. Indeed, even in our discussion on this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air, I found myself reconsidering once stance or another. It really boils down to the award chart sweet spots you are likely to use and which program gives you the best chance to earn a significant enough pile of points to be able to enjoy those redemptions.

While we debate the single best program on the show, we also discuss the Caesars status devaluation and what to do about your miles and points before you expire. Read or watch for more on those topics or read on for more this week from Frequent Miler about the ideal Curve wallet, exciting additions to the Bilt program, how you can discover the next big secret of manufactured sending and more.

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This week at Frequent Miler

Who offers the best transfer partners?

a white man holding a cloud and arrows

The title question here seems like it would be easy to answer, but go ahead and tell me what you think and why. I bet by the time you get to the end of your first supporting argument you’ll have thought of some counterpoints that require more thought. I also love that Greg included so many interesting sweet spot awards as I think the best transfer partners depend heavily on which sweet spots matter the most for your travel lifestyle. As noted above and argued on the show, I think a key ingredient is which program gives you the best chance to earn plenty of points to be able to take advantage of your preferred sweet spot as often as possible. I think that’s the key piece as to why Greg has such a preference for Ultimate Rewards while I get much more excited about Membership Rewards.

Bilt Rewards adds United and Asia Miles to the mix

a black sign with white text on it

Let there be no doubt: Bilt is building a very interesting rewards program. If you’d have told me a year and a half ago that we would see a brand new rewards program sprout up that would give people points for rent and that those points would be transferable to American, United, Hyatt, Turkish, Virgin Atlantic, Aeroplan, and more, I can’t imagine I’d have taken that prediction seriously. Now I can’t wait to see what’s next for Bilt.

Marriott’s Luminary Hotel, Fort Myers Florida: Bottom Line Review

a statue in front of a building

This property will soon become more expensive (on points), so if you have free night certificates and a desire to use them here, now is your chance to lock this one in before the award chart is discontinued. That said, given the apparent party atmosphere of the nearby bar, I think I’d be out for now. That’s not because the noise would bother me personally, but having a couple of light sleepers in the family means that I currently appreciate (and value) a quiet night’s sleep over a new hotel.

Finding the hidden secrets of manufactured spending (on Nick’s mind)

a man in a suit with finger on his lips

The “secrets” to manufactured sending are changing all the time. The real secret is in discovering the common patterns and recognizing new opportunities as they develop. The very best opportunities likely won’t make it to the front pages of blogs but rather will be things you learn from friends or your own experience as you draw on what you know worked in the past so that you can recognize the next big thing when you see it tomorrow.

Chase Ink Cash: 5x reasons why it’s my favorite no annual fee card

a woman whispering into a man's ear

Tim makes the case for why the Chase Ink Cash card is all that and a bag of chips. There’s no doubt that this card is widely-loved in the points and miles world and for good reason. Staples and Office Max / Depot give us frequent opportunities to express our gratitude for 5x at office supply stores, but this card also returns 5x in some other popular categories. I think this one shines brightly for anyone willing to buy gift cards at office supply stores to meet their day-to-day spending needs (whether merchant gift cards or fee-free Mastercard or Visa gift cards). This really isn’t a card to be ignored and is surely a key part of Greg’s preference for Hyatt and Chase.

Dreaming up my Curve wallet

a credit card on top of some credit cards

The Curve card is here and it’s real. I’m already putting it to use in my household and I’m a big fan. The biggest problem right now is that they only currently support Mastercard, Discover, and Diners Club. That sounds limiting, but in this post Greg shows just how good of a wallet you can create within those constraints and with the power of rule-setting.

Caesars Rewards Downgrading Members From Diamond To Gold

Caesars Rewards Status Match

If you’ve been riding the status match-go-round, the music as ended: Caesars has not only stopped matching people to Gold status, it has downgraded status for those folks who have been matching back and forth. Thus far, it seems like those whose Wyndham status comes virtue of the Wyndham Business card may still be eligible and may keep their status while those of us whose Wyndham status was the result of a previous match from Caesars are out of luck.

Capital One Miles Sweet Spots 2022

a man in a hat and sunglasses giving a thumbs up

Updated for 2022, our resource for Capital One miles sweet spots shows off just how far this program has come in the past couple of years. With access to some of the hottest sweet sots in the game (in addition to a solid “everywhere” rewards structure), it is certainly possible that Capital One could be the rewards program choice for a segment of readers.

Hilton devaluation: top properties now well over 100K per night

Homewood Suites Hilton Living Room Bedroom Kitchen Thumbs Down
Don’t count on getting an upgrade to a one bedroom suite at Homewood Suites

If you’ve been saving up your Hilton points for an idyllic vacation in paradise, you might be saving a bit longer than planned. Thanks to this latest devaluation, you may need quite a handful more points at properties like the Conrad Bora Bora or Maldives. The most disappointing thing about this devaluation is that there was no notice or announcement — it was just slipped by behind the scenes and members were left to find it.

InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco: Bottom Line Review

Bottom Line Review InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco

I think Stephen was overly charitable here: based on his experience, I’d be out on this property in the future. Admittedly, I don’t love InterContinental hotels, but I love even less that they overcharged him and won’t respond, didn’t disclose or provide the benefits of the resort fee, and that he encountered what I can only imagine was really poor service at the bar if it warranted a note in the review. No thanks — there are plenty of IHG fish in the sea to skip this one.

Hyatt Centric Atlanta/Buckhead: Bottom Line Review

a hand holding a fist in front of a building

Tim also took one for the team this week so to speak with a disappointing Bottom Line Review. Unlike Tim, I have never stayed at a Hyatt Centric, but I’ll be sure not to make the Hyatt Centric Atlanta Buckhead my first.


That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals and grab them before they are gone.

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