Why I Redeemed Points for Dinner

I'm on vacation in Japan (again), so it’ll be a quick newsletter this week. 

As I eat my way through Tokyo, I have something in my back pocket: Chase Ultimate Rewards. Chase points aren’t my favorite—there’s no low-cost, high-value, lazy way to use them to get to Japan like I can with Citi or Bilt points. But they are ultra-flexible. 

A while back, I decided to take my mom for a special birthday dinner—her first Michelin-starred meal. I chose the most affordable tire-company-endorsed restaurant out there, but as they kept offering more food that we just had to try, it became clear that I was going to blow past my budget. I briefly considered winding down our meal, but then I remembered I was sitting on tens of thousands of Chase points that I didn’t know how to use. So we just ordered to our hearts’ content, and later I redeemed some Chase points as cash back to cover the extra charges.

That cash back comes at just 1¢ per point, so 10,000 points covered $100 in extra tapas. That’s not a highly efficient redemption, but it allowed us to not worry about the bill on a special night and just enjoy the moment. So if I see some irresistible wagyu or omiyage here, it’s good to know I have some Chase points on hand if I don’t want to spend cash. 

My points strategy still revolves around Bilt and Atmos. The international trips they make possible are much more valuable to me than erasing the occasional splurge. But flexible points from programs like Chase and Wells Fargo can still be a very useful complement.

This week on the blog 📝

I wrote about yesterday’s Bilt Rent Day status match with hotel chain Accor. Don’t worry if you forgot about Rent Day this month—you didn’t miss much.

Quick Points of the Week ⚡

More value 📈

Use Alaska Atmos points to book Philippine Airlines. One-way flights to Manila from the West Coast start at 37.5k in economy or 75k in business class. (Frequent Miler)

Use American AAdvantage miles to book Oman Air. There seem to be some decent options for business class to Europe, the Middle East, and India. (View From the Wing)

Transfer Amex points to Leading Hotels of the World. This could represent a decent value when booking luxury hotels. Platinum cardmembers also get status with the program. (Thrifty Traveler)

Good news and bad news 📈📉 

Starbucks and Delta change earning rates again. Now you’ll earn 1 SkyMile per eligible dollar spent at Starbucks. That’s simpler than the old system, but can be less rewarding. And there’s a big catch—you’ll only earn if you’ve flown Delta in the 12 months prior. (Starbucks)

Chase lounges won’t accept Priority Pass. Sapphire Lounges are closing their doors to Priority Pass—and, by extension, holders of many competing premium cards. (From the Tray Table)  

New partnerships 🤝

Play DraftKings in flight on Delta. You won’t have to risk any points or money, but there are prizes on hand. I’m cautious; I imagine DraftKings sees this as an on-ramp to the real sportsbook. (TPG) 

New features 🆕

See cardholder award pricing with Seats.aero. The award search engine now lets you indicate whether you hold a Delta or United co-branded card and displays cardholder pricing accordingly. (Upgraded Points)

Sign up bonus of the week 🎯

Frequent Miler flagged an elevated offer on the $89-fee Air France KLM Flying Blue Card: 70,000 pointsand 100 “XP” after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days, plus another 30,000 points after spending $7,500 in the first 180 days. XP are a bit complicated, but 100 XP is enough for Silver elite status, which offers some perks with Air France/KLM, plus some benefits on SkyTeam partners like Delta. Although I rarely use Flying Blue points, some people love them and 100,000 is a lot.

Beyond the initial bonus, though, this card isn’t very compelling. It earns 3x on dining and Flying Blue purchases and 1.5x on all other purchases, which is respectable but not great. It offers 5,000 miles on renewal if you spend $50+ over the course of the year—better than nothing, but nowhere near enough to offset an $89 annual fee in my book. You can unlock Silver status by spending $15,000 in an anniversary year, but that’s a weak status for such a high spending requirement on a card that doesn’t earn points at a compelling rate. 

So while I don’t find the card that desirable, this is still a huge offer and the best I’ve seen on the card. 🔥🔥

Other great sign-up bonuses this week

50,000 points+ $300 Bilt Cash + Bilt Gold status on the Bilt Palladium (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)

80k miles on the Citi AA Platinum Select (our take: 🔥🔥)

100k points on the JetBlue Premier (our take: 🔥)

125k pts + 1 night on the Marriott Boundless (our take: 🔥)

60k points on the Choice Privileges Mastercard (our take: 🔥) 

45-75k points on the World of Hyatt Card (our take: 🔥)

Up to 100/175k on the Amex Gold/Platinum (our take)

How we rate bonus offers. 

Enjoy the weekend! 🦥

I’ll be back next week… with a suitcase full of KitKats. Hopefully without needing to dip into my Chase points.

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