If you are unfamiliar with the process, see our guide to how credit card points and miles work.

The biggest benefit to credit card rewards is the ability to transfer them to various airline partners. This makes them incredibly more valuable and will allow you to book flights across an entire partners network.

There are always tons of options to earn more credit card points. If you are looking to sign up for a new card and gain points see the latest offers in our guide to the best credit card for every traveler.

Not all credit cards transfer to the same airlines so it’s important to understand the partnerships that are in place. We will break down each of the major credit card programs and who they allow you to transfer miles to.

American Express Transfer Partners

American Express is one of the premier credit card provider in terms of rewards. They constantly offer some of the biggest benefits for travelers including large sign up bonuses and multiple ways to earn points from every day spending.

Here are the following airlines that allow you to transfer American Express miles to:

American Express also partners with various hotel groups to give you another option to use your miles. Here are all the hotel groups you can transfer American Express points to:

Chase Transfer Partners

Chase has made a splash in the premium credit card rewards space after launching one of the most successful cards in the Sapphire. They also have plenty of transfer partners to choose from making your rewards that much more valuable.

Here are the following airlines you can transfer Chase rewards to:

Chase rewards has also partnered with multiple hotel groups and although not as valuable as airlines it still provides a good option to redeem your points. Note that the transfer time is a bit longer for some hotel groups making you wait before being able to confirm your stay.

Here are the following hotel partners you can transfer Chase rewards to:

How To Transfer Chase Rewards

Chase allows you to do this online or via their app by going to Ultimate Rewards Home > Travel > Transfer Points to Partners

Once you land on the screen it will show you all eligible programs as well as any bonus promotions they are running.

Note, most points transfer at a 1:1 ratio and must be rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Capital One Transfer Partners

Capital One is another popular credit card provider and becoming increasingly more valuable for rewards. The provider is also putting focus on building their own airport lounges after noticing the success of the Amex Centurion Lounges.

When it comes to airline partners Capital One has plenty and you will also find some programs that you cannot get with Amex or Chase.

Here are the airline partners you can transfer Capital One points to:

While Capital One is missing the ability to transfer to some major hotel groups like Marriott Bonvoy, they still provide a few hotel transfer partners.

How To Transfer Capital One Rewards

Capital One allows you to do this online or via their app by going to Rewards Home > Convert Rewards.

Once you land on the screen it will show you all eligible programs.

Citi Transfer Partners

While Citi does not have much of a premium rewards offering they still can provide value for airline miles. Similar to Capital One they work with certain airlines that are not available on Amex or Chase making them incredibly valuable if you are seeking a flight on those airlines.

Here are all the airlines you can transfer Citi rewards to.

Similar to Capital One, Citi does not work with some of the major hotel groups but they do have a few options.

Summary & Takeaways

The reason credit card points are so valuable to travel is their ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners. There are constantly deals running across all credit card providers that offer multiple ways to earn points that can be redeemed for travel.

To see the latest offers visit our guide to the best credit cards for every traveler.

We expect these credit cards will continue to expand their partners with airlines and hotels to continue to provide more options for consumers.

The post All Major Credit Card Rewards Transfer Partners appeared first on Travel Season.

Credit Card companies make a lot of money off people using their cards and in return they are willing to give massive benefits in the form of travel rewards.

In the US, these reward systems are so lucrative that there are dedicated strategies for how to maximize the rewards and value you get out from travel.

Want to fly business class? Want to stay in that fancy hotel?

Instead of paying the rack rate you can get $1,000’s of dollars in value for free travel by simply using the right credit card.

We will break down the different categories of cards and how you can select one that will help you maximize rewards. Since there are many cards to choose from its important to choose the correct card that aligns with your spending habits.

If you are just looking for our list of top cards, here are the current offers:

• The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards: The best credit cards to maximize travel benefits.
• The Best Airline Miles Credit Cards: The best credit cards to maximize airline miles and rewards.
• The Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards: The best credit cards to maximize hotel rewards and benefits.
• The Best Small Business Credit Cards: The best credit cards to maximize rewards for small businesses.
• The Best Premium / Luxury Credit Cards: The best premium credit cards to maximize travel benefits.

We’ll break down each category and compare every card available for your to maximize your rewards.

Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Travel rewards is the largest reason why many people sign up for certain credit cards and picking the right card can make a huge difference. While many cards offer travel benefits they are not all created equal. Travel rewards can be maximized in a number of ways including airline miles, hotel points, car rentals, and much more. Whether you are planning a small vacation or a large redemption like a wedding and honeymoon, credit points can give you a lot of value. The options include transferring rewards to various travel programs or booking through your respective credit cards travel portal. See below for the current cards that are best for travel rewards.

The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Airline Miles Credit Cards

Transferring credit card rewards into airline miles is one of the biggest benefits offered. This doesn’t always mean the credit card is co branded to an airline since many other credit cards have airline transfer partners. You have the option to redeem airline miles directly from many credit card providers or transfer rewards directly to various airline programs. See below for the current cards that are best for airline miles.

The Best Airline Miles Credit Cards

Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

Hotel rewards is another major benefit of using certain credit cards. Just like airline miles there are co branded cards for specific hotel groups as well as other cards that allow you to transfer to multiple hotel programs. Many credit card travel benefits also include vacation packages so you can find the one that fits your needs the best. See below for the current cards that are best for hotel rewards.

The Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

Small Business Credit Cards

When you own a small business every benefit to your company counts. This is where you can maximize rewards on all your purchases by allocating your spend on credit cards designed for your needs. There are many different types of cards that provide rewards specific to what your company spends on so choosing the right one can make a huge difference. See below for the current cards that are best for small businesses.

The Best Small Business Credit Cards

Premium / Luxury Credit Cards

Premium cards are those that offer the largest benefits but often come with a hefty annual fee. However, in most instances they are worth the expense and provide major travel benefits. It’s important to consider the card carefully and having one in your wallet can provide you with huge rewards. See below for the current cards that are best for premium rewards.

The Best Premium Business Credit Cards

Summary & Takeaways

It’s very important to choose the right credit card that fits your credit and spending habits to maximize your travel rewards. The good thing is there are so many options on the market today that there is virtually a card for every type of person. The above comparisons will give you all the information you need to find the credit card that is right for you.

Don’t know what category is right for you? See a list of all available credit card offers.

The post The Best Credit Cards For Every Traveler appeared first on Travel Season.

Companies make money when you use their credit card so they want to incentivize you to choose theirs. They do this by offering an extensive rewards program that can score huge perks for consumers, mainly to be redeemed for travel.

This is how credit card points and miles work.

The best part? For many credit cards you receive rewards on everyday purchases from groceries, to gas, to dining out at no extra cost to you (well, sort of).

See our recommendations of the latest and best cards for travelers.

If you are new to the credit card points space then we will break down how credit card points and miles work so you can receive the biggest benefits on your everyday spending.

What are credit card points?

Credit card points are rewards customers earn for spending money with specific credit cards. The reward points are often called “miles” because they can be redeemed for travel or transferred directly to airline loyalty programs. These points are highly sought after because of their value in being redeemed for flights, hotels, or other travel perks.

Each time you make a purchase with a credit card, you’ll earn a certain number of credit card points based on the amount of money spent. This is made possible because credit cards earn a commission, paid for by the retailer, on everything you buy. The more you spend on a credit card, the more that company makes, therefore incentivizing them to give you “points” to spend more.

This is how we do the majority of our traveling, especially in long haul business class. Ever want to go from New York to Istanbul? How about Singapore to Newark on the longest flight in the world? Cash tickets on these routes can be in the thousands but with credit card points you can pay a fraction of that price.

It’s common for most credit card to reward you with 1 point per $1 spent on everyday purchases as well as bonus points on certain purchases. These bonus points can be as much as 2x, 3x, or even 5x or certain purchases like travel and dining allowing you to rack up huge points balances.

While there are generic points credit cards that allow you to transfer your rewards to their partner airline, some airlines even offer co branded credit cards themselves. These are designed to allow you to boost points towards that specific airline as well as gain additional status perks in the process.

Credit card points are not just for flights but also work with many hotel programs. We have redeemed points for a number of stays like the JW Marriott in Istanbul among many others.

How much are credit card points worth?

Each airline and credit card rewards program has different redemption methods meaning the value ranges widely. The baseline is often around $0.015 per point in value as baseline but its not uncommon to find sweet spots where you can redeem them for much more.

To find how much each credit card programs points are worth refer to the table below:

How to earn credit card points

The basics of how to earn points is simple: the more you spend, the more you earn. However, in reality there are lots of ways to jump start your earning and accumulate a large balance in a relatively short period of time.

If you are read to earn more credit card points then see the best credit cards for every traveler.

Choose the right card. The most important step is getting the right credit card that best fits your spending habits. If you spend a lot of money on one particular activity, it’s probably wise to get a card that rewards you for that. Dining out often? Traveling for work? You’ll want a high spender card like the The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve. If you are a more modest spender look for a lower fee card that still rewards you with points like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Look for a large sign-up bonuses. Credit card companies often offer you bonus points if you spend a certain amount on eligible purchases within the first few months of opening a new card. This is one of the best ways to accelerate your points earnings. A typical sign-up bonus might offer 50,000 points if you can spend $3,000 in the first three months but you can find much bigger bonuses of 80,000 to even 100,000.

Refer your friends. Your rewards credit card might offer a referral program allowing you to earn a little bonus on each sign up. You can refer friends to your card using your own unique link and check the online portal to find out how.

Get more than one card. If you spend enough and prefer travel rewards, it might be a good idea to get more than one credit card. For example, you can pair an airline credit card with a generic travel credit card that lets you transfer your credit card points to that airline and switch them out depending on what you’re purchasing for maximum earning.

How to redeem credit card points

The redemptions system for each rewards program is different, but almost all rewards have an online portal where you can redeem your rewards. Be careful of using the portals though since the rates for redemptions can vary widely depending on how you redeem.

Credit card points can be used for a variety of trips whether a short vacation or even when planning a destination wedding.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your redemptions:

Transfer to travel partners. Many airline credit card programs have airline partners that you can transfer points to and often times a redemption through the airline is cheaper than your credit card company. If you can’t find a low-cost flight through the portal, consider searching with some of their partner airlines and transfer to them to finish the booking.

Book in advance. It’s important to search for redemptions early and ideally over 45 days in advance. Not only will this help you select dates that offer lower redemption costs, but booking last minute might incurs additional fees.

Be flexible. This is one of the best ways to make the most out of your miles. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, it’s easy to work around popular and expensive dates to book the low-cost options.

There are also many tools that help in booking points tickets that have only made the search process that much easier. It’s highly recommend if you are new to points and mile to use one of these platforms.

Airline points have been around for years and there is no signs of the bonus stopping anytime soon. It’s important for you to understand how points work and why they can be beneficial to you to get the most out of your money. It’s often mentioned that technically credit card points are not “free” and we pay for them in higher retail prices due to the fees they charge retailers. This makes it even more important for you to get your value since you are paying for it one way or another.

The post How Credit Card Points And Miles Work appeared first on Travel Season.