Travel

6 of the most effective methods to redeem Bilt Rewards factors for max worth

December 21, 2022

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Editor’s word: TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt advisor and investor.

Bilt Rewards is a newcomer to the journey rewards world, however its factors have already develop into one in every of our favourite currencies to gather — even successful two TPG Awards in 2022.

It’s obtained a really fascinating assortment of switch companions — together with some that competing packages with transferable factors (like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards) have been unable to seize.

The fundamental draw of Bilt is that you should utilize it to earn factors while you pay your lease with no charges. By doing this, you possibly can fairly simply find yourself with 20,000-plus factors yearly that you just wouldn’t in any other case have earned. Plus, you possibly can earn factors while you spend on the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard®. Just word that you will have to make 5 month-to-month transactions to earn factors.

But what must you do along with your Bilt Rewards factors? Let’s have a look at six methods to maximise Bilt Rewards in your upcoming travels.

Book home financial system flights on American Airlines for as little as 6,000 Bilt factors

Transfer to AAdvantage to get a terrific deal on home flights. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

American Airlines publishes an award worth known as “Web Specials.” These are normally steeply discounted charges for random routes that may usually be discovered for six,000 miles.

If you might be versatile along with your journey dates, you’ve obtained a great shot at discovering a Web Special worth from your private home airport to your vacation spot for between 6,000 and 9,000 miles. Below is a random search from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) — a transcontinental flight for simply 6,000 American Airlines miles.

This flight isn’t very costly, anyway (simply over $100), but when free journey is your intention, Web Specials are an effective way to realize home hops with minimal out-of-pocket value. You can learn extra about offers like this in our full information to American Web Special awards.

Fly to Ireland in Aer Lingus financial system for 13,000 Bilt factors

A pub in Dublin. WALTER BIBIKOW/GETTY IMAGES

When you switch Bilt factors to Aer Lingus (the airline of Ireland), you possibly can fly to each Dublin and Shannon for as little as 13,000 factors every method on the next routes:

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Dublin Airport (DUB) and Shannon Airport (SNN).
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to DUB.
Bradley International Airport (BDL) to DUB.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to DUB.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to DUB and SNN.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to DUB.
Dulles International Airport (IAD) to DUB.

That’s a terrific deal — particularly contemplating many different airways cost greater than twice that quantity to succeed in Europe — however word that Aer Lingus passes alongside simply sufficient taxes and costs to annoy. Expect to pay $200-plus round-trip.

To get these low costs, you’ll should fly on off-peak dates (you possibly can click on right here to view Aer Lingus’ award calendar). Otherwise, you’ll pay 20,000 factors every method.

To be taught extra about this trick, learn our full information to utilizing Avios to fly to Ireland.

Book free lodge stays beginning at 3,500 Bilt factors

Room on the Hyatt Place Indianapolis / Fishers. HYATT

One of the most effective makes use of for Bilt factors is to switch them to Hyatt at no cost nights at a lodge. Hyatt prices from as little as 3,500 factors per evening for modest roadside lodges on off-peak dates to as much as 45,000 factors per evening for luxe five-star lodges on peak journey dates.

The finest worth will usually come when reserving both low-end or luxurious lodge stays. For instance, the unmemorable Hyatt Place Indianapolis / Fishers is a handy lodge for road-trippers. It prices as little as 6,500 factors per evening.

But that very same room on the identical evening prices $295 in money. That means you’re getting a price of 4.5 cents per level by reserving this room.

Hyatt has a wholesome choice of luxurious properties that may web you the same return when transferring your Bilt factors to the lodge program. Read our information to Hyatt award charts for extra particulars.

Book Qatar Qsuite earlier than anybody else

Qatar Airways’ Qsuite enterprise class is among the finest seats within the sky. ZACH HONIG/THE POINTS GUY

If you’re not acquainted with Qatar Airways‘ Qsuite business-class seats, know they’re among the finest on this planet. Qsuite is most well-known for giving vacationers sitting proper subsequent to one another the power to create a double mattress through the flight.

The hottest solution to e book Qatar Qsuite is with American Airlines miles, because it tends to be the most affordable. However, should you switch your Bilt factors to British Airways as a substitute of American Airlines, you possibly can then convert your rewards into Qatar Airways Avios. Depending on the route you’re flying, it may be a bit dearer — however you’ll have the ability to e book flights a whole month additional out than American Airlines will permit. This means you need to have a simple time discovering award availability.

For instance, you possibly can e book Qsuite on American Airlines as much as 330 days sooner or later.

But you possibly can e book these seats with Qatar Airways Avios 360 days sooner or later.

This ought to provide the first crack at award seats earlier than these utilizing different award currencies.

Note: British Airways means that you can e book seats as much as 355 days into the longer term — so that you’ll have rather less than every week to e book flights earlier than these utilizing British Airways Avios.

Read our put up on converting British Airways Avios into Qatar Airways Avios. And take a look at our final information to Qatar Qsuite for extra details about these award-winning business-class seats.

Fly to Europe in Iberia enterprise class for 34,000 Bilt factors

Iberia Airbus A350 enterprise class. CHRISTIAN KRAMER/THE POINTS GUY

An extraordinarily low cost solution to attain Europe with Bilt factors is by transferring them to Iberia. You can fly to Spain in a lie-flat business-class seat for as little as 34,000 Iberia Avios every method on the next routes:

BOS to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN).
ORD to MAD.
JFK to MAD and BCN.

These costs apply just for off-peak dates. On peak dates, you’ll pay 50,000 factors every method. You can click on right here to see Iberia’s award calendar.

Other airways routinely cost 60,000-plus miles to fly to Europe in a business-class seat. Just word that Iberia will cost over $100 every method in taxes and costs.

You can learn extra about this trick in our information on easy methods to fly to Europe in enterprise class on Iberia.

Fly to Hawaii in United Airlines financial system for 7,500 Bilt factors

Turkish Airlines provides one of many sweetest offers in air journey. Because of this, it may be troublesome to search out availability — everybody desires to e book it.

Turkish Airlines is a companion of United Airlines. You can use Turkish Airlines miles to e book home United Airlines flights (together with to Hawaii) on the following charges:

7,500 miles one-way in financial system.
12,500 miles one-way in enterprise class.

While it’s absolute homicide to discover a business-class flight to Hawaii, you shouldn’t have an excessive amount of of an issue discovering financial system flights so long as you persist with United Airlines hubs as your origin airport and are versatile on while you fly.