Editor’s notice: This can be a recurring put up, often up to date with new data and gives.
One of many questions folks usually ask me is, “How a lot is a degree or mile price?”
The true reply varies from level to level and individual to individual. It additionally depends upon your journey objectives and the way properly you possibly can maximize a selected loyalty forex. Nonetheless, some rewards are clearly price greater than others, and my purpose is to provide you a way of how they stack up.
Traditionally, TPG has valued factors and miles based on a mix of the worth at which we might purchase the miles, award prices in this system (factoring in availability and charges) and our personal experience within the internal workings of the packages.
Nevertheless, we’re within the means of evolving our valuations to change into as data-driven as doable.
In search of a handy approach to see your entire factors and miles in a single place? Download the free TPG app!
We’re at present working with a brand new supplier to increase the dataset we use to calculate the preferred particular person currencies, so we do anticipate these to vary within the coming months. For now, the numbers beneath ought to provide a great estimate of what a savvy traveler can get by leveraging candy spots, switch companions and different high redemptions within the particular person packages.
Observe: These valuations usually are not supplied by card issuers.
Factors and miles valuations
* Calculated utilizing TPG’s revamped data-backed valuations methodology, launched in December 2021.
Join our every day e-newsletter
Factors and miles information
As we enter the second quarter of 2023, we have seen a good variety of updates to the key loyalty packages during the last a number of weeks.
The most important information got here from World of Hyatt, as its annual class adjustments took impact. This time round, 214 hotels jumped to higher categories throughout its world portfolio, together with many from Class 4 to five and even a handful from Class 7 to eight. This had large implications for how one can redeem Hyatt free night certificates, as many in style properties had been pushed out of the class bands hooked up to stated certificates.
One other large announcement got here from American Airways, which formally turned the final of the massive three U.S. carriers to remove award charts for flights on its own metal. Now, while you seek for American-operated award flights, you will see only a single value for every obtainable class of service.
In actuality, this will not have many sensible implications, because the airline was already utilizing dynamically-priced “Net Particular Awards” extensively. Thankfully, companion award charts stay printed and in impact, and the provider will proceed to launch sure award seats to members of companion packages — like Alaska Mileage Plan and British Airways Government Membership. Simply notice that you will not see the “MileSAAver” designation when looking on AA.com, and you will not discover the outdated saver-level fare courses both (T for financial system, U for enterprise and Z for first).
One among American’s companions additionally made waves final month, as Etihad published a new, unified award chart protecting all of its companion airways. Sadly, this distance-based redemption scheme eradicated nearly all candy spots within the Etihad Guest program — and because of this, we’re reducing our price of Etihad miles from 1.4 to 1.2 (a 14% lower).
Talking of candy spots, one of the vital profitable on the planet of loyalty packages is not any extra as of early March, as Virgin Atlantic raised the price of ANA first-class awards by as much as 42%. Spherical-trip tickets will now set you again 145,000 Virgin factors from the west coast (up from 110,000) or 170,000 factors from the east coast (up from 120,000).
Lastly, there are a handful of ongoing transfer bonuses to pay attention to:
- American Categorical Membership Rewards: 30% switch bonus to Hilton Honors till April 30.
- Chase Final Rewards: 50% switch bonus to Marriott Bonvoy and 25% switch bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, each via Might 15.
- Capital One: 15-30% switch bonus to Etihad Visitor via April 30 (the precise bonus varies based mostly on what number of miles you switch).
- Avianca LifeMiles: 10% bonus for transfers from all card companion packages, together with Amex, Capital One and Citi.
Associated: Best ways to maximize Capital One miles
Journey bank card gives
There isn’t a scarcity of incredible new welcome bonuses on many in style playing cards — listed below are just a few of our favorites this month.
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Proper now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is providing a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. Per TPG’s valuation, that’s price $1,200 while you leverage switch companions, or $800 in the event you redeem via the Chase travel portal at 1.25 cents per level.
The cardboard comes with a manageable $95 annual price together with a wide range of journey protections and extra perks — like a $50 annual hotel credit for reservations made via Chase Journey and a 10% anniversary points bonus based mostly in your earlier 12 months’s spending.
In fact, it’s possible you’ll wish to spring for the Chase Sapphire Reserve as an alternative. Whereas the cardboard has a hefty $550 annual price, it contains perks like Priority Pass lounge access, an annual $300 travel credit and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit score, amongst different advantages. Plus, you’ll earn 3 factors per greenback on all journey and eating bills, so you possibly can shortly rack up rewards to your subsequent large journey.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Official utility: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Towards the top of 2021, Capital One launched its first premium rewards card, and it is without doubt one of the most enjoyable journey bank cards available on the market, because of nice incomes charges and included perks.
The cardboard is at present providing a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles while you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening — price $1,388 in line with our valuations — because of Capital One’s excellent airline and hotel transfer partners.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Be taught Extra: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
The usual Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is at present providing the identical welcome bonus because the Enterprise X. You possibly can earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. Just like the Enterprise X, the Enterprise card earns 2 miles per greenback on the whole lot.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Be taught Extra: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Platinum Card® from American Categorical
With the present welcome provide on the Amex Platinum, you’ll earn 80,000 factors after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
In fact, the cardboard is jam-packed with advantages like airport lounge access, hotel elite status and extra. These advantages could make your journey expertise smoother and extra luxurious than ever earlier than — particularly with the most recent additions. The cardboard has a $695 annual price (see rates and fees). Enrollment is required for choose advantages.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Amex Platinum Card.
Official utility: The Platinum Card from American Express
American Categorical® Gold Card
One of the crucial in style playing cards with TPG staffers throughout the pandemic, the Amex Gold gives 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in your new card throughout the first six months of card membership. This welcome provide is price $1,200 based mostly on our valuations — however remember to examine the CardMatch tool to see in the event you’re targeted for an even higher offer. (Affords are topic to vary at any time.)
The cardboard is nice for a lot of on a regular basis purchases. You’ll earn 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places. The cardboard has a $250 annual price (see rates and fees).
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Amex Gold Card.
Official utility: American Express Gold Card
The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical
The Enterprise Platinum Card offers 120,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases together with your card within the first three months of card membership. Per our valuations, this welcome provide is price not less than $2,400, however you may get much more worth when redeeming for high-end airfare.
The cardboard additionally supplies a slew of additional perks much like (however barely completely different from) the private model — you possibly can compare the two cards in this guide to see which one could be a greater match to your pockets.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Amex Business Platinum Card.
Official utility: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Airline and lodge bank cards
American and Citi lately launched a brand new provide on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $3,500 throughout the first 4 months of account opening, which matches the all time bonus we have seen on this card. With demand for summer season airfare on the rise, now may very well be a good time to open a card like this to spice up your loyalty account stability.
Associated: The best airline credit cards
As well as, a number of hotel credit card welcome bonuses can present a easy approach to enhance your factors balances. You should use these factors to economize on lodge stays worldwide, regardless of the place your travels take you.
Information-backed valuations replace
Lastly, we needed to share an replace on our rising use of knowledge to drive these valuations. This course of started in November 2021 with our 4 main transferable currencies — American Express Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Capital One miles.
On account of these efforts, the above valuations use a mathematical mannequin that takes under consideration plenty of elements particular to transferable factors, together with:
- Distinctive switch companions (not shared by different card issuers).
- Probably the most useful particular person companions in this system.
- The bottom redemption worth while you redeem factors or miles immediately for journey.
Primarily based on this rollout, the valuations for our bank card currencies are rounded to the closest five-hundredths of a degree with a purpose to higher seize the real-world worth they provide cardholders.
We absolutely anticipate these numbers to fluctuate over time as we refine our equations and roll out further data-backed lodge and airline valuations within the coming months.
Likewise, we moved three airline currencies — American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus miles — to a data-backed model late in 2021. Nevertheless, we now have put these valuations on pause whereas we work out a problem with our knowledge supplier. We’re excited to have data-backed valuations up to date within the coming months.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold Card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum Card, click on here.
Extra reporting by Andrew Kunesh, Benji Stawski and Nick Ewen.
That is The Factors Man’s everlasting web page for probably the most up-to-date valuations, so you possibly can bookmark it and examine again every month for updates.
