Why should you mastered some credit card transfer partners – Number man

I am a big fan Earning Transferable Awards through Credit CardI like to be able to choose my dots or miles between many airlines and hotel loyal programs. Also, when I am asymmetrical Transfer bonusI can actually maximize my travel awards.

I currently gather Chase the final awards Issue, American Express Membership Award points, Capital Mile and City Thank you rewards Points, and I like to have a considerable balance of four. This means that I have access to dozens of transfer partners.

You can assume a person who writes full time about earning and redeem and the miles will use each transfer option and eat endless loyalty.

But here is my secret: I have never transferred my credit card points to half of the transfer partners who are available for me, and I will probably never.

Here is my transfer partner strategy and why I only invest as a point and miles enthusiasts in some selected some programs.

I do not use every credit card transfer partner, and that’s fine

While the credit card transfer bonus can be a difference between a good redemption and a great redemption, I do not capitalize on each one. Certainly, it is great that I can transfer my awards to Etihad Guest, Emirates Skyword and Aromexico Awards, but I do not find myself actively using these programs.

For me, I think some programs do not offer great redemption, or the transfer ratio is not 1: 1. Mostly, I usually use a small handful of transfer partners because it is easy to understand the programs, and they give me a huge value.

However, my select set of transfer partners may not be right for you. If you feel overwhelmed by the available transfer partner options, it is reported here how to choose a few select for you.

Connected: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points in 2025

Choose an airline loyalty program, based on which you fly

A good place to start is selecting an airline loyalty program based on your home airport. If an airline operates most of the flights from the airport, it makes sense to either select the loyalty program of that airline or a fellow airline program that will allow you to capitalize on your awards.

For example, if I wanted to book an American airlines flight, none of my transferable points would move directly and miles directly. American Aedwaging ProgramTherefore, I will choose an onworld airline partner program, which will still allow me to redeem my points or miles on American Airlines flights.

If you have several airlines with significant operations near your local or favorite airport, such as Los Angeles International Airport (Lax), in which no operator is the chief, choose the airline you often fly or what you want to go to the places you want to go.

Since I am located in London, Heathro Airport (LHR) is the airport I fly the most. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are based there, so it makes sense to either focus British Airways Club Or Virgin Atlantic Flying ClubLuckily, both these programs Partner with most transferable currencies,

I have been an active member of both, but I currently favor the British Airways Club, as the program still has a certain award chart, while Virgin Atlantic has switched to dynamic pricing (and Recently increased carrier OverloadBA also flies in more places that I want to travel.

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Choose an airline program that offers great rates in places you want to travel

While the British Airways Club provides a lot of flights from my domestic airport and has a lot of rates, the airline imposes the airline. Carrier surcharge At the long-hall, premium-cabin flights, such as in Atlantic. So this is not an ideal program.

Therefore, I have been invested in doing research and trying on some different programs, and settled Air Canada’s aeroplan Program. While the program flights dynamically operated by Air Canada, Emirates and United Airlines, meaning that there may be a lot of rates on a peak date, it has maintained an award chart for flights run by several partners airlines, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Lot Polish Airlines, Air India, Copa Airlines and Tap Air Portugal.

This means that I have access to a huge range of transnational award flights, with business-class flights costing 60,000 miles on routes up to 4,000 miles, such as from the eastern coast to western Europe, or 70,000 miles on flights between 4,001 and 6,000 miles, such as the Zurich Airport (ZRH).

While I rarely travel to Canada, I have covered hundreds of thousands of points and miles in aeroplan from credit card programs because I know that I can get great value to capitalize on the premium-cabin flights run by partner airlines.

When I can’t get availability through aeroplane (or the airlines of the program where I want to go, I do not fly), I Air France-KLM’s flying blue program I like aeroplane for equal reasons: good prize rates and lots of premium availability in Atlantic.

Connected: Why Air Canada Aeroplan has become my favorite star Alliance Loyalty Program

Choose a hotel loyal program with good rates and assets

For many people, perhaps it will be easier to maximize your awards for flights compared to hotel stay. Although most credit card issuers have some partners of the hotel with 1: 1 transfer ratio, you may lose some value. However, I still recommend finding a hotel transfer partner who works for you to include in your list, so you are covering for both flights and housing when you are booking travel.

When selecting an airline program you can be based on where you live and the airline (s) is operated from your nearest airport, the loyalty program of a hotel should focus more on it where you want to travel.

For many years, I was happy Hilton honor program As my Go-to Loyalty Program. I got a gold alite status due to being Platinum Card® to American Express In my wallet (nomination is necessary for select benefits), and loved that I got a huge breakfast on properties outside the United States, although I am less than a fan Daily food-and-behavior credit On assets in the United States.

With its expander footprint in Europe, where I live, Hilton Honors was very decent at the redemption rates. However, in the last few years, I have seen Refusing rate sky touchingAnd 200,000 points are not unheard of a single-night stay on top-tier properties, so the program no longer works for me.

Keeping this in mind, I have started doing favor World of Hyatt My hotel of choice as a Loyalty Program. If you read TPG regularly, you already know how much employees love this program. As a unicorn among loyalty programs, the world world has maintained a very appropriate award chart with category 1 properties, which starts at off-pick rates with only 3,500 points per night.

While the footprints of properties of properties in Europe are not as big as some other hotel loyal programs, the list has been constantly increasing. Many major acquisitions,

Built rewards points and chase ultimate rewards points 1: 1 transfer to the world of Hyatt. Therefore, one of the primary reasons I earn chase points, being able to move them to Hyatt, and it is that I have redeemed most of my chase points for years.

I can’t count the time when I checked the night redemption rates to capitalize on Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonwoy Points, which surprise on quite forgotable midrange properties costing above 50,000 points per night. Fortunately, I found the same world of Hyatt properties at the rate of 20,000 points or less.

Sure, Sri and Mrs. Smith are the dynamic price of qualities And always cannot represent the best use of hyat points, but it does not bother me because I have received the value in most of the Hyatt-branded hotels within the program.

My advice is, do not be overwhelmed and provoked by the number of options available to you. Instead, just narrow it for a handful of programs that you understand and work for you. and as Programs develop or, unfortunately, devaluationYour partner program’s strategy may change.

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