Happy Sunday everyone,
Welcome to another monthly DeepValueTravel newsletter.
In our newsletter, you will find links to our latest posts as well as the latest credit card news, transfer bonuses, award travel ideas, and more!
Announcement
After catching up from our recent 2-week Europe trip, we have tons of exciting content lined up and will be posting new articles regularly. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to check them out! Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @DeepValueTravel for behind-the-scenes content. Stay tuned—there’s so much more to come!
Recent Articles
By popular demand from our first newsletter poll, we just released an article on our credit card setup—go check it out and see how it can help you optimize your own setup!
News
Alaska and Hawaiian Airline Merger
The biggest credit card / award travel news on the block right now is the successful merger. Alaska's mileage program is extremely valuable, especially for booking business class flights to Asia (check the screenshot below for a great redemption example). But Alaska Airlines miles are hard to earn because only BILT reward points can be converted to Alaska miles.
With the newest merge, you can now transfer Amex points to Hawaiian Airline, and then convert that into Alaska miles. If you see a good deal on Alaska Airlines, now is the time to transfer the points over. We don’t know when this conversion will be available until.
Chase 5x Rotating Category
The upcoming quarter's 5% cash back categories include McDonald's, PayPal, Pet Shops & Vet Services, and select charities. Activate now to earn 5% on up to $1,500 in combined purchases from Oct 1 to Dec 31.
Amex Platinum and Gold Uber Cash benefit Change
Currently, you can use any card to cover transactions that exceed your Uber Cash balance. However, starting Nov. 8, you’ll need to use an Amex card as your payment method to access Uber Cash in your account.
If you always use your Amex Platinum or Gold for your monthly Uber Cash on Uber Eats, this change won’t impact you. It only affects those who use non-Amex cards for Uber rides to maximize rewards.
Hilton Offer (Ending 1/28/25)
Hilton is currently offering near-historic signup bonuses on all their cards, making it worth considering. Check out Part 2 of our Credit Card 101 series to see if these elevated offers are a good fit for you.
On average, Hilton points are worth 0.6 cents per point (100,000 points -> ~$600 in value)
Here is the link to all the current card offers: Hilton Honors Credit Cards - Earn Hotel and Travel Rewards
New 85K bonus on Chase Airline Cards
Chase is offering limited-time identical bonuses on its British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus Visa Signature cards. Earn 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. While the highest bonus has been 100,000 Avios, this is still a solid deal, especially for those planning a trip to Europe soon. Note that all three cards have a $95 annual fee.
ThePointsGuy values Avios at 1.4 cents each, giving you about $1,190 in value.
Southwest Offer (Ending 10/9/24)
Southwest is offering elevated bonuses on all three personal credit cards. Each card provides the same offer: earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
Here is the link to all the current card offers: Southwest Credit Cards
On-going Transfer Bonus
Amex
Hilton Honor 30%
British Airway 30%
Aer Lingus 30%
Iberia Plus 30%
Chase
Marriott Bonvoy 50% - 11/15
Capital One
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) 20% - 9/29
Citi
Avianca Lifemiles 25% - 10/19
Leaders Club 25% - 10/19
BILT
Hilton Honors Gold Status through the end of the year
Here is the link to the benefits of having the Gold Status
Tip of the Month
An underrated way to plan a vacation without a set destination is using Google Flights' Explore feature. It shows a wide range of destinations and prices at once, making it easy to find budget-friendly options. Simply set your departure airport and flexible dates to compare fares. Even if you're using points, Explore helps you spot cheap routes to maximize value when comparing cash fares and points redemption.
Closing
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