Where 100,000 Points Can Take You: First Class Seats, Five-Star Suites and VIP Upgrades
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What are the latest travel rewards news and updates?
Sally, you know those icebreaker questions that are like, what would you do with a million dollars? What if we asked, what would you do with 100,000 points?
That would be way more fitting for our show and fitting Megan to have an icebreaker because we have a guest on our show today. And I am guessing he has some good answers to that icebreaker question.
After the news, we'll be joined by our colleague Benjamin Din. I think he would describe himself as a proud aviation geek. And when it comes to redeeming points, he really knows his stuff.
I have to say, every time I read about his airline redemptions, I'm like, can you please show me your ways, Ben? That's why I asked him to come on the show. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools, and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Megan Coyle. And I'm Sally French.
And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.
We've asked our colleague, Benjamin Din, to join us to talk about what to do with six figures worth of credit card points. But first, the news.
Before we get there, you should drop our usual disclaimer, Sally.
Yes, we will talk about a few credit card companies that are NerdWallet partners in this episode, but that does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms, and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of this posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, follow the links in the episode description. I do. And I think the listeners know it, too. Yeah.
And they know that you are quickly falling out of love with Southwest.
I am, and I'm especially salty that they're adding back an expiration date to Southwest flight credits.
Bummer, but if you still stand by Southwest, then just know you've got another option transferring your built points to them. According to our valuations, which we just updated when Southwest switched to dynamic pricing, another boo-hoo. Southwest points are worth about 1.3 cents per point now, so it's better than the 1 cent per point as a baseline that we're always talking about, but not that much more amazing.
Okay, so I'm glad we talked last episode all about transfer partners because there was actually a ton of news about transfer partners last week.
In addition to Southwest becoming a transfer partner, a built Citi announced that they are going to change the transfer ratios to some of their partners. One of them is Emirates Skywards. And the transfer ratio is different depending on what car you have. So for the Citi Strada Premier, instead of a one-to-one transfer ratio, Citi Thank You Points will now transfer at a five-to-four ratio. So you'll get about 20% fewer miles than if you transfer now. That's like 1,000 Thank You Points will turn into 800 Emirates Skywards miles.
Womp, this seems to be the trend lately.
Luckily, you have some time. The change doesn't kick in until July 27th, so Citi Thank You members have a couple of months to transfer at the current more favorable transfer ratio.
Okay, maybe worth thinking about doing now. In other news, did you see JetBlue added the ability to redeem JetBlue points for Japan Airlines?
Yes, that's great. Japan Airlines is consistently ranked one of the best airlines in the world, and the food is just amazing. I flew business class back to LA once from Japan, And the Japanese meal is served in this bento box. And there's a tiny bite of everything. And you know I love small plates.
I still need to go to Japan, one of the top places that I have not been to.
And especially because it's such a popular destination this year, I think any other ways to book flights on points to and from Japan is a win for consumers.
Okay, good deal. Moving over to our sea-loving listeners.
You broke some news for NerdWallet last week, and that's that cruises show up on Chase's Travel Portal now.
Yes, this is great news for cruise fans who have Chase cards. Previously, you had to call a number to find cruises available through something called Voyages by Chase. Now, people like me who are afraid of picking up the phone, you can just go to Chase's Travel Portal, see what cruise itineraries are available.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What are the latest travel rewards news and updates?
0:00–5:40
2
Who is Benjamin Din and what is his travel style?
5:40–8:40
3
What are the best ways to use 100,000 credit card points for hotels?
8:40–9:56
4
How can Chase Ultimate Rewards points be redeemed for Hyatt hotels?
9:56–15:46
5
What are some Capital One points hotel redemption options?
15:46–19:47
6
What is the value and challenge of using points for premium flights?
19:47
7
How do Disney World dining deals work and can kids eat free in 2026?
6:51–28:14
Speakers
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