Month: January 2024

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Historically, you could only redeem Capital One miles at a fixed value. But in 2018, Capital One added transfer partners as an additional redemption option for some of its cards. Capital One has since added new transfer partners at mostly a 1:1 transfer ratio.

Capital One currently has more than 15 airline and hotel transfer partners. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to earn Capital One miles and then walk through each Capital One transfer partner so you can decide which ones to learn more about.

How to earn Capital One miles

Some, but not all, Capital One credit cards earn Capital One miles. Here’s a list of some currently available consumer cards that earn transferable Capital One miles:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening; $395 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening; $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per dollar on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening; $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).

If you’re looking for a business card, here are some options that earn Capital One miles:

• Capital One Venture X Business: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 150,000 bonus miles when you spend $30,000 in the first three months; $395 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. Plus, you can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening; $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 after (see rates and fees).
• Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business: Earn 1.5 miles per dollar on purchases. Plus, you can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening; $0 annual fee.

The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

You’ll need at least one of the above cards to earn Capital One miles. But, once you have a card that earns Capital One miles, you can convert cash back from your other Capital One cards into miles. So, it might be worth pairing one of the above cards with some of our favorite Capital One cash-back cards, such as the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, if you’re looking to boost your stash of Capital One miles.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture Rewards: Which $95 card should you get?

Capital One transfer partners overview

As mentioned above, Capital One has more than 15 transfer partners. Here’s each of the Capital One transfer partners and the ratio at which you can transfer Capital One miles to each partner:

• Aeromexico Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Air Canada Aeroplan: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Accor Live Limitless: 2:1 transfer ratio
• Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1 transfer ratio
• British Airways Executive Club: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Choice Privileges (only U.S.-based accounts): 1:1 transfer ratio
• Emirates Skywards: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Etihad Airways Guest: 1:1 transfer ratio
• EVA Airways Infinity MileageLands: 4:3 transfer ratio
• Finnair Plus: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 1:1 transfer ratio
• TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Virgin Red: 1:1 transfer ratio
• Wyndham Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio

Not all of these transfers will occur immediately. So, check out our guide to Capital One transfer times to see how long transfers to each partner usually take.

Related: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles

Best Capital One transfer partners

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each. But the value you’ll get from your Capital One miles depends on how you redeem them. So, to help you get a high value from your miles, we’ll discuss some of the best Capital One transfer partners in this section.

Air Canada Aeroplan

The Air Canada Aeroplan loyalty program saw significant changes in 2020. Now, the Aeroplan award chart lists award ranges for Air Canada flights but has fixed rates for most partner awards.

Aeroplan doesn’t pass on carrier-imposed surcharges, meaning you can use the program to book Star Alliance award tickets with relatively low taxes and fees. And based on the Aeroplan stopover policy, you can book a stopover on a one-way award for just 5,000 points. But you’ll need to pay a partner booking fee of 39 Canadian dollars (about $29) per ticket for awards with partner-operated segments.

Aeroplan’s partner award chart can provide excellent value on short-haul awards to Canada and international premium-cabin awards. For example, partner-operated flights of less than 500 miles within North America cost 6,000 points each way in economy.

And, if you can find award space, most transcontinental business-class flights operated by United Airlines are 25,000 points each way.

When traveling from the continental U.S. to Europe on one of Air Canada’s partners (excluding Emirates, for which award prices follow the Aeroplan award chart for Emirates and Flydubai flights), you’ll typically pay 35,000 or 40,000 points for economy, 60,000 or 70,000 points for business and 90,000 or 100,000 points for first class. This is because most transatlantic flights from the U.S. fall into the under-4,000-miles distance band or the 4,001-to-6,000-miles distance band.

Related: The best ways to maximize Air Canada’s Aeroplan program

Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles is known for offering cheap redemption rates on Star Alliance partner flights and not passing on fuel surcharges on partner awards.

LifeMiles raised award costs to Asia in late 2022, but there are still many things to love about the program. For example, you can redeem 87,000 LifeMiles for Lufthansa first class between Chicago and Frankfurt with $26.70 in taxes and fees.

Thanks to a generous pricing structure for mixed-cabin awards, you might be able to drop that price even further. If you’re flying in long-haul first class and connecting to another destination, it’s almost guaranteed that your connection will be in a lower class of service. Avianca refunds you the difference, meaning adding a connection can make your flight cheaper. For example, here’s an award with the same flight from Chicago to Frankfurt in Lufthansa first class and a short economy flight that would cost you 83,820 LifeMiles plus $39.61.

Avianca LifeMiles can also be great for domestic travel on United. Most economy awards within the U.S. cost 13,500 LifeMiles or less each way plus taxes and fees, but you can book plenty of short-haul United routes for as few as 6,500 LifeMiles each way in economy.

Related: Using LifeMiles to book Aeromexico business-class award tickets

British Airways Executive Club

There are many reasons why you should care about British Airways Avios. For example, even after the recent British Airways devaluation, you can still get significant value when you book short-haul American Airlines and Alaska Airlines award flights through British Airways.

There are also many ways to maximize the British Airways distance-based award chart. For example, you can book off-peak business-class flights from select U.S. cities to Madrid for 34,000 Avios plus about $131 in taxes and fees one-way.

You can also transfer British Airways Avios to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, Vueling Club and Aer Lingus AerClub, most of which have sweet spots you can enjoy.

Related: Which airlines can I book with Avios?

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has plenty to love about it. The program still uses award charts and provides an elusive but appealing sweet spot: United-operated flights to Hawaii for just 7,500 miles one-way in economy.

Fuel surcharges can be problematic if you want to fly select Star Alliance carriers. But you won’t be charged fuel surcharges on United-operated flights, and fuel surcharges are somewhat reasonable on Turkish-operated flights. You can sometimes get good value when redeeming for Turkish-operated promotional award flights.

Related: Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles sweet spots you can use to maximize your transferable rewards

Virgin Red

Virgin Red is the loyalty program for the Virgin family of brands. Among other things, you can use Virgin points to book flights through the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program and cruises with Virgin Voyages.

It’s possible to unlock incredible value with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For example, you can fly from the U.S. West Coast to Japan in All Nippon Airways business class for 45,000 points one-way (plus taxes and fees), although you’ll need to call to book. And you can still get solid value on some Delta Air Lines-operated awards with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, such as this flight from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia:

Related: How to upgrade your next Virgin Atlantic flight with Virgin points

Mid-tier Capital One transfer partners

Several of Capital One’s transfer partners fall into what we’ll call the mid-tier group. These programs can offer solid value in the right context, but it’s by no means a guarantee. Run the numbers for your bookings before transferring Capital One miles to these programs.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, Transavia, Aircalin, Kenya Airways and TAROM, uses dynamic award pricing. This dynamic pricing makes it difficult to discuss specific award pricing as prices fluctuate greatly.

However, there are several Flying Blue sweet spots. For example, Flying Blue can be a good way to book Virgin Atlantic award tickets. And it’s relatively easy to use Flying Blue to fly from the U.S. to Europe in economy for 20,000 miles one-way or less.

Flying Blue also offers monthly Promo Rewards that let you book select award flights at a discount.

Related: Flying Blue stopovers: Extend your trip and book an additional flight at no extra cost

Accor Live Limitless

Hotel chain Accor uses a fixed-value redemption scheme in its Accor Live Limitless program. So, transferring miles from Capital One will always represent a solid — though by no means aspirational — value. Accor Live Limitless allows you to redeem 2,000 points for 40 euros (about $44) off of a stay.

Given the 2:1 transfer ratio, you’d need to transfer 4,000 Capital One miles to get $44 off your stay. Meanwhile, you could get $40 from the same 4,000 Capital One miles if you redeemed your miles for recent travel purchases using Capital One’s fixed-rate redemption option. While it’s only a $4 difference, you’ll get a slightly better value by transferring your miles to Accor if you want to stay at an Accor property.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Because Cathay Pacific Asia Miles uses distance-based award charts, this program can be expensive if you want to fly Cathay Pacific to or from the U.S. However, although the Asia Miles changes in late 2023 caused many premium-cabin award rates to increase for Cathay Pacific flights, economy rates dropped in some cases. For example, you can now fly one-way in economy from Los Angeles to Hong Kong for 27,000 Asia Miles plus 1,177 Hong Kong dollars (about $150) in taxes and fees.

Booking British Airways flights with Asia Miles may let you pay lower carrier-imposed surcharges. The Asia Miles program can also be useful if you want to try out Cathay Pacific first class, as Asia Miles sometimes has access to more Cathay Pacific award space than partner programs. However, Cathay Pacific first-class award space between the U.S. and Hong Kong is extremely difficult to find right now.

Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards can be useful if you want to book one of the carrier’s premium cabins. The award rates aren’t cheap, especially after several devaluations. But Emirates Skywards is the best way to book Emirates first class.

Emirates Skywards also partners with several other airlines, meaning you can also redeem Emirates miles for flights on select partner airlines.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Several devaluations have marred Singapore KrisFlyer over the last few years. In 2022, the program increased award prices by more than 10% (including awards on KrisFlyer partners).

But, if you want to book Singapore Suites or first class, Singapore KrisFlyer is the program you’ll want to use.

You may also often find good value when you redeem KrisFlyer miles for Singapore Airlines’ Spontaneous Escapes.

Related: You can convert Singapore KrisFlyer miles to Marriott points — but should you?

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas Frequent Flyer uses distance-based charts, meaning long-haul flights from the U.S. to Australia are usually prohibitively expensive. However, you can travel from the East Coast to Europe for about 20,300 points. One example is a nonstop American Airlines flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) for under 21,000 points.

Wyndham Rewards

TPG’s valuations only peg Wyndham Rewards points at 1.1 cents each. But it’s certainly possible to get more value when redeeming Wyndham points. For example, you can redeem Wyndham points for home rentals at a flat 15,000 points per bedroom per night.

Using the three-tier Wyndham Rewards award chart for expensive nights can also offer high value. One example is the BeHome by LuxUrban, a Travelodge by Wyndham on Eighth Avenue in New York City, where you can book various room types for 15,000 points per night.

If you had paid cash for the above night, the rate would have been $324.80 per night, including taxes and fees. So, you’d get a redemption rate of 2.16 cents per point if you booked an award stay on this night.

Related: The best Wyndham hotels in the world

Capital One transfer partners to avoid

Between expensive award charts, bad transfer ratios, hidden fees and programs that are difficult to navigate, you’ll likely want to avoid some of the Capital One transfer partners. However, just because we don’t usually recommend transferring Capital One miles to these programs doesn’t mean they don’t have any redeeming qualities.

Aeromexico Rewards

Aeromexico Rewards uses dynamic pricing for most award flights, and the rates are often high. For example, this one-way award flight from Mexico City to Atlanta carries a massive 2,285 Mexican pesos (about $135) in taxes and fees.

However, the program does have at least one bright spot: an around-the-world award ticket that lets you stop in up to 15 destinations. You have to call to book, but the ticket costs 224,000 points in economy class and 352,000 in business class.

Choice Privileges

There’s a lot of value to be found in the Choice Privileges program. For example, you can book nights for 8,000 points in Tokyo.

But, since TPG’s valuations peg the value of Choice points at 0.6 cents per point, transferring Capital One miles to Choice Privileges usually won’t make sense. Instead, consider buying Choice points during a sale or signing up for a Choice Privileges credit card if you want to earn Choice points.

Related: Redeem Choice points for a Maldives resort, half-board hotels, suites and more

Etihad Guest

Despite not being a member of any major alliances, Etihad Guest has many partners, including American Airlines and Air Canada.

However, Etihad Guest removed its ample sweet spots in March 2023 when it introduced a new standardized award chart. Unfortunately, Etihad and partner airline redemptions now often require many more miles than the amount listed on the new award chart. To this point, a note for the award chart states, “The miles displayed are indicative values.” As such, although you may still want to price out award flights through Etihad Guest, you likely won’t like what you see enough to transfer Capital One miles to Etihad Guest.

Related: Complete guide to Etihad Guest, now with simplified award charts and limited sweet spots

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

Capital One already partners with two of the best Star Alliance programs for booking awards — Avianca LifeMiles and Air Canada Aeroplan — so there’s rarely a reason to bother with EVA. EVA’s award chart is usually more expensive, and the program is often difficult to navigate.

Finnair Plus

Finnair’s award rates are usually reason enough to avoid the program. For example, one-way Finnair-operated awards between Europe and Asia, North America, Doha or Dubai cost 45,000 points in economy, 65,000 points in premium economy and 95,000 points in business class. But you can sometimes get good value when you use Finnair points to upgrade your flight.

Finnair will replace Plus points with Avios as its loyalty currency March 9. Finnair Plus points will convert to Avios at a 3:2 ratio, but award rates will also be recalculated with the same 3:2 ratio. As such, the program’s value likely won’t change significantly.

Related: The best websites for searching Oneworld award availability

TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go

TAP Miles&Go has award charts. For example, here’s the chart for one-way TAP-operated awards from North America in economy:

But in practice, you’ll see other (often higher) rates when you do an award search. For example, here’s the lowest fare for a one-way economy award flight from New York to Lisbon on a randomly selected date:

During sales, you can also occasionally buy TAP miles for under 1 cent per mile. So, even if you want to book an award flight using TAP miles, transferring Capital One miles likely won’t be your best option for earning TAP miles.

Related: TAP Air Portugal launches new credit card for US travelers

Bottom line

Some excellent Capital One transfer partners can almost single-handedly carry the value of Capital One miles.

However, not every transfer partner will provide outsize value, so remember to compare the cash price of your ticket or hotel stay before transferring Capital One miles. Sometimes, buying a paid ticket (or stay) and then redeeming Capital One miles at a fixed value to cover your recent travel purchase will yield more value.

One of the questions people often ask us is, “How much is a point or mile worth?”

The true answer varies from point to point and person to person. It also depends on your travel goals and how well you can maximize a particular loyalty currency. Still, some rewards credit cards are clearly worth more than others, and our goal is to give you a sense of how they stack up.

Historically, TPG has valued points and miles based on a combination of the price at which we would purchase the miles, award costs in the program (factoring in availability and fees) and our own expertise in the inner workings of the programs.

However, we now use extensive data for the top six U.S. airline loyalty programs to better estimate the value you should aim to get from your rewards (you can read our full breakdown of this methodology in our explainer post).

For another month, our model again shows consistency with these numbers — though we’ll be sure to update in future months when they do change.

Looking for a convenient way to see all of your points and miles in one place? Download the free TPG app!

Note: These valuations are not provided by card issuers.

What are credit card points and miles worth?

Program	January 2024 (cents)	Latest news
American Express Membership Rewards	2.0
Bilt Rewards	2.05	Bilt added Avianca LifeMiles as a transfer partner.
Capital One	1.85	Capital One cut lounge access for Venture Rewards and Spark Miles cardholders.
Chase Ultimate Rewards	2.05	Chase confirmed the $10 Gopuff credit has ended.
Citi ThankYou Rewards	1.8

What are airline points and miles worth?

Program	January 2024 (cents)	Latest news
Air Canada Aeroplan	1.5	Air Canada announced transborder expansion, including new destinations in Tulum, Mexico, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan	1.4*	Alaska removed elite-qualifying segments as a way to earn MVP status. You can also now earn status from credit card spending. The carrier announced an interline agreement with Canadian-based Porter Airlines as well.
American Airlines AAdvantage	1.5*	American announced 10 changes to the AAdvantage program, including earning bonus Loyalty Points as a Loyalty Point Reward.
All Nippon Airways Mileage Club	1.4
Asia Miles	1.3
Avianca LifeMiles	1.7
Avios	1.5	The Avios program devalued American and Alaska award flights without warning. British Airways is also increasing the minimum connection time at Heathrow Airport (LHR)’s Terminal 5 from 60 to 75 minutes.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles	1.2*	Delta dropped its final transcontinental routes from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) but boosted flights from Austin following American’s reductions. Delta also launched a strategic partnership with Israel’s El Al and confirmed an all-new A350 configuration is coming soon.
Emirates Skywards	1.2
Etihad Airways Guest	1.2
Flying Blue	1.2
Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles	1.1	Frontier boosted flights from Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles	0.9
JetBlue TrueBlue	1.4*	The airline is planning to retrofit 9-year-old Mint business-class cabins. Additionally, it announced flights to Tulum’s new airport. CEO Robin Hayes also announced his retirement, with Joanna Geraghty to be the first female CEO of a major U.S. carrier.
Korean Air SkyPass	1.7
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1.3
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards	1.4*
Spirit Airlines Free Spirit	1.1
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	1.3
United Airlines MileagePlus	1.45*	United commenced flights to Christchurch, New Zealand, on the country’s South Island.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	1.5

*Calculated using TPG’s revamped, data-backed valuations methodology launched in September 2023.

What are hotel points worth?

Program	January 2024 (cents)	Latest news
Accor Live Limitless	2.0
Best Western Rewards	0.6
Choice Privileges	0.6	Choice Hotels launched a hostile takeover bid for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Hilton Honors	0.6	You can boost your Hilton Honors balance with this new promotion. Hilton has also teased yet another new brand is getting added to its portfolio.
IHG One Rewards	0.5	You can now book Iberostar Beachfront Resorts with IHG One Rewards points. A new promotion also offers double IHG One Rewards points on hotel stays this month.
Marriott Bonvoy	0.84	Marriott launched updates to confirmed upgrade awards for high-tier elite members. Additionally, the company announced more details on its new partnership with MGM Resorts.
World of Hyatt	1.7
Wyndham Rewards	1.1

Points and miles news

The biggest mover of the last few weeks has been Marriott Bonvoy. First, it implemented changes to the perk formerly known as Suite Upgrade Awards (now Nightly Upgrade Awards). These can be selected as part of the Choice Benefits program for Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite members. While they can now be used at five additional brands — including The Ritz-Carlton and Edition — they’ll now only be confirmed within three days of arrival (previously five).

Additionally, Marriott announced more details about its forthcoming partnership with MGM, and while we don’t yet have a date, it will bring some solid status match opportunities for MGM Rewards members along with value-added perks for Marriott elite members when visiting an MGM property.

Of course, the new year is a good time to consider your elite status goals and whether your current loyalty program suits your needs in this ever-changing industry, and we’ve seen some news in recent weeks along these lines.

Several major airline loyalty programs have already announced significant changes to how you earn status in 2024. Delta was the first, with increases to Medallion Qualification Dollar requirements for 2025 status. These angered so many SkyMiles members that they were quickly (though only partially) rolled back. However, the revised metrics are now in effect.

American Airlines announced 10 changes to the AAdvantage program, which were well received by TPG staffer (and AAdvantage Executive Platinum status holder) Clint Henderson, in part due to a lack of increases to earning requirements for top-tier status. Some of the latest changes include a handful of additional perks for those with status.

Alaska has also shifted toward a single metric to count status: Elite Qualifying Miles.

This trend highlights a shift toward earning status primarily through spending versus miles flown. You can potentially earn elite status in some airline programs without ever stepping onto a plane, a far cry from the days when road warriors earned status solely through weekly commutes.

The change can be viewed as positive for those spending big on cobranded credit cards or purchasing expensive tickets, particularly in premium cabins. For those who have earned status through creative routings and sale fares, it may now be much more difficult to earn elite status in some airline programs.

For anyone holding existing elite status, January could be a time to make a “New Year, New Loyalty Program” resolution. Instead of sacrificing those elite benefits to start from scratch in a competing program, consider a status match. You might be surprised at how eager another airline is to win your business. Most matches currently being offered are only granted for a short period (usually three or four months) but can be extended to 12 months or longer when you reach a set number of miles flown or points earned.

Travel credit card offers

Beyond these developments, there is no shortage of great welcome bonuses on many popular cards. Here are a few of our favorites this month.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Right now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. Per TPG’s valuation, that’s worth $1,230 when you leverage transfer partners or $750 if you redeem through the Chase travel portal at 1.25 cents per point.

The card comes with a manageable $95 annual fee, along with a variety of travel protections and additional perks — like a $50 annual hotel credit for reservations made through the Chase travel portal and a 10% anniversary points bonus based on your previous year’s spending.

Of course, you may want to spring for the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead. While the card has a hefty $550 annual fee, it includes perks like Priority Pass lounge access, an annual $300 travel credit and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, among other benefits. Plus, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining expenses, so you can quickly rack up rewards for your next big trip.

For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Official application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

On the higher end of the spectrum is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, one of the most exciting travel credit cards on the market, thanks to great earning rates and included perks.

The card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening — worth $1,388, according to our valuations, thanks to Capital One’s excellent airline and hotel transfer partners.

For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Official application link: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The standard Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is currently offering the same welcome bonus as the Venture X. You can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Like the Venture X, the Venture card earns 2 miles per dollar spent on everything you purchase.

For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Official application link: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express

With the current welcome offer on the Amex Platinum, you’ll earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership — though you may be targeted for a higher offer through the CardMatch tool (offer subject to change at any time).

American Express® Gold Card

One of the most popular cards with TPG staffers, the Amex Gold offers 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months of card membership. This welcome offer is worth $1,200 based on our valuations — but be sure to check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher offer (offer subject to change at any time).

The card is great for many everyday purchases. You’ll earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants. The card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees).

For more details, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.

Official application link: American Express Gold Card

Though Chase’s newest airport lounge is a show-stopper in and of itself, the issuer kept one exciting surprise under wraps until the grand opening.

That’s the introduction of the Reserve Suites, a new lounge-within-a-lounge concept debuting at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

Inside the Sapphire Lounge by The Club, you’ll find three of these over-the-top suites, each decked out with gorgeous design, luxe bathrooms and much more.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter.

While I’ve already touched on the Reserve Suites in my comprehensive lounge review, here are all the details you need to know if you’re looking to splurge for what’s arguably the best airport lounge experience you’ll find in New York.

Booking the Reserve Suites

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Chase’s Reserve Suites aren’t included with entry to the lounge, and they cost a pretty penny.

The two larger suites run $3,000 each for three hours, and the smaller suite costs $2,200 for three hours. Note that these prices cover the primary cardmember and all of their guests.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can book a suite in the “Benefits & Travel” section of the Chase mobile app.

Note that reservations must be made at least three days before your flight.

3 private suites

Chase offers three Reserve Suites at its LaGuardia lounge. They’re all located behind a small reception desk on the upper level of the space.

To offer the utmost privacy for travelers splurging for these suites, you’ll be escorted directly from the lounge entrance to your suite via a private elevator.

The suites are numbered one through three, and the first two are quite similar. They each accommodate eight guests with a sofa, some chairs and a four-top dining table.

Of course, the suite doors close, providing complete privacy from anyone else in the lounge.

Chase didn’t share the square footage of each suite, but they’re certainly large enough for a family or group of friends traveling together.

In addition to the varied seating options, these two suites boast a luxurious design that almost feels like you’ve entered a cross between a Park Avenue boardroom and a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

You can even control the lighting options to suit your mood. (It’s just too bad there isn’t any natural light in the Chase lounge.)

The third suite features a slightly different layout; it’s smaller and can accommodate only up to four travelers. The design is otherwise similar to the other two suites.

All three suites feature TVs with hundreds of stations, on-demand movies and even PlayStation consoles.

And if you’re really looking to splurge, the wall between the first two suites can be removed to create a double suite that fits 16 guests.

Bathrooms from a 5-star hotel

While the suites themselves are stunning, some might say that the bathrooms are the real highlight.

From the marble-clad walls to the gold-trimmed finishes to the plush bathrobes and towels, these are hands-down the nicest bathrooms in LaGuardia.

They’re stocked with Oribe bath products, Dyson hair dryers and every essential that you might’ve forgotten or checked in your bags.

Each bathroom features a rainfall shower, a toilet and a single vanity.

Having visited many of the country’s best airport lounges, I can confidently say that these Reserve Suites offer the nicest bathrooms you’ll find in an airport lounge.

Unlimited food and drinks

No matter how hungry or thirsty you are, you’ll leave the Reserve Suites feeling satisfied.

Chase curated a special a la carte menu for travelers relaxing in these suites, and the options aren’t “just” slightly better than what you’d find in the lounge.

To start, you’ll enjoy a welcome Osetra caviar service with all the fixings. During my tour, I saw the caviar setup, and it left me wondering if this is the only lounge in the country with multiple sets of mother-of-pearl spoons.

Other specially curated all-day dining options include a seafood tower (designed by the chefs at NYC’s Jeffrey’s Grocery), lobster rolls, grain salads, wild rice risotto and mezze platters.

In addition to the special menu, you can also order anything from the regular lounge menu, and it’ll be delivered directly to your suite.

Just like the food options, there’s a special wine list curated by Parcelle for guests in the Reserve Suites. I’m not an oenophile, but a quick peek at the list prices for these wines shows that they hover around $100 a bottle.

Of course, the bar will also whip up your favorite cocktail or refreshment — all you need to do is ask.

Aside from the prepared food and drinks, each suite is stocked with a minifridge and a snack shelf with a large assortment of popular nosh.

Feel free to take as much as you wish — everything is included with your stay in the suite.

Personalized service

Throughout the duration of your stay, you’ll be taken care of by a dedicated Reserve Suites host.

They’ll be available to accommodate every request, and they’ll monitor your flight status for you. You can place your food and drink orders with the host, or via a QR code in the suite itself.

There’s a “call host” button in each suite, so you won’t be disturbed by the attendant when you’re trying to relax.

The host will also offer you a parting gift when it’s time to board your flight. You’ll have a pick between a Drowsy Sleep eye mask and a Larq water bottle.

Bottom line

Chase’s Reserve Suites elevate the airport experience with a new lounge-within-a-lounge concept.

Starting at $2,200 for three hours, they’re pricey and likely won’t make sense for most travelers.

That said, this is New York, and if there’s one market (aside from Los Angeles) where this concept might work, it would be the Big Apple. (It’ll be interesting to see if Chase expands this concept to other upcoming lounges.)

In a way, the Reserve Suites remind me of the Private Suites (PS) experience in Los Angeles, only that they’re located in the terminal instead of an off-site location.

But at LaGuardia, this is as good as it gets. All in all, I’d consider the Reserve Suites to be the Emirates first class of airport lounge experiences.

Related reading:

• The best credit cards for airport lounge access
• Philadelphia will be the next airport to get a Chase lounge
• The 7 do’s and don’ts in an airport lounge
• 7 domestic lounges that are worth going out of your way for
• The best Chase credit cards

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

When maximizing points and miles for your family, there’s no reason to leave the furriest family members out of the fun.

Whether you have a points pup or a first-class feline, there are plenty of ways to turn those monthly orders for food, toys, pet supplies and more into your next vacation (we’re just not responsible for what your pets may do when they see your suitcase come out — again).

Maximize miles on pet food

One of the best shopping revolutions of the 21st century is having 40-pound bags of pet food delivered right to our doors thanks to online shopping (and strong delivery people). Luckily, when you order pet food and other supplies online, you can easily rack up the rewards just as you do with most other online purchases.

Shop through an online portal

The quickest way to spot how many miles per dollar you can earn for your online pet food order is to head to cashbackmonitor.com and look for the online shopping portal awarding the most points, miles or cash back per dollar where you want to shop. These rates can and do vary, so check each time, but a few current examples include:

• Petco: 1 mile per dollar spent via American AAdvantage and United MileagePlus
• Walmart: Up to 4 miles per dollar spent with American AAdvantage
• Chewy: 1 mile per dollar spent on United MileagePlus, Alaska Mileage Plan, Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage and Southwest Rapid Rewards

Related: Guide to maximizing online shopping portals

Maximize cash back and 0% APR on pet purchases

Daisy Hernandez, TPG’s credit cards editor, makes monthly purchases for her two pups, Sonny, a Shiba-cattle dog mix, and Heidi, a Chihuahua mix. She also has a Chewy subscription that delivers food, flea and tick meds and treats to her door every six or so weeks. Since she has two fur babies, she often buys doubles of certain items, which can add up quickly.

To maximize her pet-related purchases, she’s made it a habit to check current offers on her Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards to earn cash back and points every time she buys something.

On top of this, she also buys through Rakuten, a cash back shopping portal that offers solid reward rates. Over Christmas 2023, Rakuten featured a whopping 20% cash back on all purchases made with PetSmart. Therefore, she bought $80 worth of goodies for her pups and earned $16 in cash back.

Unfortunately, emergencies can happen with your pets, and if you don’t have pet insurance, these can create massive vet bills. However, credit cards can play an important role here, as many offer introductory 0% APR on purchases for a period of time after opening.

Nick Ewen, TPG’s director of content, recently utilized this exact strategy with his dog, Winston, who underwent emergency surgery to remove a mass on his spleen.

“Winston is a part of our family, so there was no question that we would do everything we could to help him. However, rather than dipping into our savings to cover the expense of the procedure and his recovery (which is expected to be close to $5,000), I utilized my new Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months (then a variable APR of 20.49%-29.24% applies). This allows me to fit a manageable monthly payment into my budget, and I’ll still earn valuable rewards in the process.”

Check the United MileagePlus X app

You can earn United miles by purchasing immediate electronic gift cards within the United MileagePlus X app. For example, if you are shopping at Petco and your total is $85.84, you can open up your app and immediately purchase a Petco gift card for that exact amount and earn bonus miles by paying at the register with your new gift card. This also works when paying for an order online.

In addition to Petco, you will often find bonus mile opportunities at pet-friendly shopping destinations such as Walmart, Sam’s Club and more within the app. Those with a United Airlines credit card, such as the United Explorer Card, get a 25% bonus on miles earned via the app.

Stack and save on Amazon

If you order your pet supplies via Amazon, there are lots of ways to stack earnings and save money. First, set your orders on an Amazon subscribe-and-save subscription for discounts on items like dog or cat food, treats and more.

Next, you’ll want to stock up on Amazon gift cards to truly maximize your earnings. You can buy Amazon gift cards at a U.S. supermarket with an American Express® Gold Card to earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on those purchases (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar thereafter).

Alternatively, you could use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to purchase Amazon gift cards at an office supply store to earn 5% cash back (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year). The Prime Visa card is also an option that offers 5% back on Amazon purchases.

Related: The best credit cards to use for Amazon purchases

 

Save money on pet supplies

In addition to earning miles or points, your rewards credit cards can help you save money on pet costs. Two main ways to save money thanks to your cards are via Amex Offers and Chase Offers. To check what offers are available on your cards, log in to your account and search the offers sections. To note, some offers are targeted.

Once you have added an offer to your card, you can then use your cards to automatically save money or earn bonus points. The exact pet-related offers come and go, but a current Amex offer includes getting a $45 statement credit when you spend $150 or more at Dr. Marty Pets. Previous offers TPG staffers have seen include:

• Bark Box: 10% cash back (through Chase Offers)
• Kriser’s Natural Pet: 10% cash back (through Chase Offers)

Best credit cards for pet costs

The average cost of owning a pet each year can easily cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, from vet visits and boarding to supplies and medication. It pays to use the right credit cards for pet costs. For charges like vet check-ups and grooming appointments that fall outside routine credit card bonus categories, a solid everyday credit card is probably your best choice for pet expenses. A few of our suggestions include:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 1.5% back on non-bonus spending
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 2 miles for every dollar spent
• The Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express: 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar thereafter)
• Citi® Double Cash: 2% cash back on everything (broken down as 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay it off)

For online purchases, a great choice might be the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, which awards 3% back on your choice of rotating categories, one of which is online shopping (up to $2,500 per quarter; then 1%).

Bottom line

The TPG Points Pups (or, at least, their “pawrents”) stack many of these opportunities to turn dog treats into beach retreats. Once your pups help earn all these points and miles, it’s only fair to explore how to take them along on your next vacation.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

If you’re considering applying for a credit card, you’re probably wondering whether the current sign-up bonus is a good one.

While any bonus is nice to get, there is a special kind of heartbreak in pulling the trigger for a card — only to see it offer a lucrative bonus the following month.

There’s no easy answer to precisely when is the best time to apply for a card, but it does help to know what a card has offered in the past to help determine how good the current offer is.

We’ve rounded up the offer history on the most popular cards from Capital One and determined our criteria for the best time to apply for each card.

Best Capital One credit card sign-up bonuses

Card	Best welcome offer we’ve seen	When to apply
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	100,000 bonus miles when you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening	When the bonus offer is 75,000 miles or higher
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening	When the bonus offer is 75,000 miles or higher
Capital One Venture X Business Rewards Credit Card	300,000 bonus miles: 150,000 after spending $30,000 in the first three months of account opening and another 150,000 after spending $500,000 in the first six months of account opening	When the bonus offer is 150,000 miles or higher
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card	20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	When the bonus offer is 20,000 miles or higher
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card	$300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within three months from account opening	When the bonus offer is $300 or higher
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	$200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	When the bonus offer is $200 or higher
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card	$200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening	When the bonus offer is $200 or higher
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Credit Card	Up to 200,000 bonus miles: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and another 150,000 bonus miles after spending $50,000 in the first six months	When the bonus is higher than 50,000 miles
Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card	Up to $3,000: $500 after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and $2,500 after spending $50,000 in the first six months	When the bonus is higher than $1,000

The information for the Capital One Savor card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY

The card’s modest annual fee, simple earning structure and solid return on everyday spending make it a keeper once you’re approved for it.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
June 2023 to now	80,000-100,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months (targeted offer available through QR codes at select airports) Current offer: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening (public offer)	$1,480-$1,850 (targeted offer) $1,388 (public offer)
September 2021 to June 2023	75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months	$1,388
May to August 2021	60,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months	$1,110
September 2020 to April 2021	50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, or 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening	$925 or $1,850
November 2019 to August 2020	50,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months	$925
March to October 2019	60,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months	$1,110
December 2014 to February 2019	40,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months	$740

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is 75,000 miles or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

With plentiful perks that are easy to understand, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is nearly a no-brainer for all travelers, ranging from luxury seekers to the more budget-minded. It launched in November 2021 with a 100,000-mile offer; however, we don’t see that coming back.

Though the card carries a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees), it offers a $300 annual credit toward bookings made through Capital One Travel, and also rewards cardholders with 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (for even more free travel), plus extensive airport lounge access, excellent travel protections and rental car privileges.

It offers unlimited 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on every other purchase.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
March 2022 to now	75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.	$1,388
November 2021 to March 2022	100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening	$1,850

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is 75,000 miles or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One Venture X Business

The Venture X Business launched in early 2023 with an incredible welcome bonus and a matching sky-high spending requirement. At first only available through a Capital One Relationship Manager, the card became publicly available a few months later with a lower — but still impressive— welcome offer.

The Business Venture X carries the same $395 annual fee (see rates and fees) as the personal version and comes with the same major perks, including a $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel and access to Capital One, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges.

It also carries the same earning rates of 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights purchased through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
Sept. 2023 to now	150,000 miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months from account opening	$2,775
May to Sept. 2023	Up to 300,000 miles: 150,000 after spending $30,000 in the first three months of account opening and another 150,000 after spending $500,000 in the first six months of account opening.	$5,550

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is 150,000 miles or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One Venture X Business

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Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

While it comes with fewer perks, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers the same great redemption options as its sister cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, with no annual fee.

You’ll earn a flat 1.25 miles per dollar on everyday purchases, which equates to a solid 2.31% return using TPG’s valuations.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
September 2021 to now	20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	$370
December 2014 to August 2021	20,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	$370

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is 20,000 miles or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The biggest downsides to cash-back cards are low earning rates and a lack of bonus categories, but that’s definitely not true of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.

For an annual fee of $95, the Savor offers strong cash-back earning rates on popular and often overlooked categories, including 4% back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
November 2017 to now	$200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	$200

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is $200 or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Like its older sibling, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers impressive bonus categories but with no annual fee (see rates and fees).

The SavorOne launched in 2018 as a version of the Savor card with no annual fee. While it earns slightly less than the Savor, this card still earns 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
May 2023 to now	$200 cash bonus after spending $50 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	$200
November 2020 to May 2023	$200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening	$200
August 2018 to November 2020	$150 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening	$150

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is $200 or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is another great card with no annual fee (see rates and fees). It earns a reliable 1.5% back on all purchases, making it a perfect go-to card for the odd purchase that doesn’t fit in any bonus categories.

While many other cards offer higher earning potential in specific spending categories, this card offers the safety of knowing you’ll earn a solid 1.5% back no matter what you buy.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
September 2019 to now	$200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening	$200
September 2017 to September 2019	$150 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening	$150
June 2013 to Sept. 2017	$100 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening	$100

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus offer is $200 or higher.

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Learn more: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business earns 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, making it an excellent choice for small-business owners who want to earn travel rewards on all their expenses.

This card is especially beneficial for small-business owners who want to earn flexible miles on all their purchases. It earns a consistent 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases and has a $95 annual fee waived for the first year of card ownership (see rates and fees).

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
January 2020 to now	50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months from account opening	$925
October 2019 to January 2020	Earn up to 200,000 bonus miles: 50,000 after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and another 150,000 bonus miles after spending $50,000 in the first six months.	Up to $3,700
January to October 2019	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months from account opening.	$925
November 2018 to January 2019	Earn up to 200,000 bonus miles: 50,000 after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and another 150,000 bonus miles after spending $50,000 in the first six months.	Up to $3,700
May 2017 to November 2018	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months from account opening.	$925

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus is higher than 50,000 miles.

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Learn more: Capital One Spark Miles for Business

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Capital One Spark Cash Plus

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus earns 2% cash back on all purchases and is ideal for business owners who want to earn reliable cash-back rewards on all their expenses.

This card offers one of the highest consistent cash-back earning rates of any card and is excellent for small-business owners who want to earn cash back on all purchases. It is worth noting that this is a charge card, meaning cardholders must pay off their balances in full each month.

Approximate date	Offer	Value*
June 2023 to now	Earn $1,200 cash back after spending $30,000 in the first three months from account opening	$1,200
April 2022 to June 2023	Earn up to $1,000: $500 after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and $500 after spending $50,000 in the first six months	Up to $1,000
August 2021 to April 2022	Earn up to $3,000: $500 after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening and $2,500 after spending $50,000 in the first six months	Up to $3,000

*Bonus offer value is based on TPG’s valuations and not provided by the credit card issuer.

When to apply for this card: When the bonus is higher than $1,000.

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Learn more: Capital One Spark Cash Plus

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Bottom line

When you’re considering applying for a card — any card — you’ll want to consider whether its sign-up bonus is historically high.

Use our offer history guides as a reference point as you evaluate the pros and cons of signing up for any card:

• The best time to apply for these popular travel credit cards
• The best time to apply for these popular Chase credit cards
• The best time to apply for these popular American Express credit cards
• The best time to apply for these popular Citi credit cards

There’s one thing that can make or break a cruise ship experience, and it’s not dining, entertainment or cabins.

It’s flow.

I’m talking about passenger flow, the ability of guests to move through a cruise ship unimpeded by crowded bottlenecks or dead ends. And when you’re building Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, set to carry 5,610 passengers at double occupancy (up to 7,600 at maximum capacity), you need to pay extra attention to where people will congregate and how they will move from point A to point B throughout a 20-deck-high ship.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.

Luckily, Royal Caribbean’s ship-designing team are pros when it comes to flow.

The internet has been freaking out about the size of the ship, and the assumption of many people who have never sailed on a giant cruise ship is that thousands of people stuck together on a floating megaresort will lead to the feeling of people everywhere. They imagine a vacation that is dominated by queues, claustrophobic spaces packed with people and the inability to find a quiet spot to yourself.

While certain parts of the ship will be busy (the pool deck on a sea day is never quiet on big, mass-market ships), Icon of the Seas passengers will not feel like they’re fighting for seats, tables and clear pathways every minute of the day. The ship is designed to move passengers easily through the decks, connecting key public areas and removing dead ends.

“We had to go to great lengths to make it feel like there was not too much, or that when you put 7,000 guests on there that it was going to feel overwhelming,” Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer, told TPG during an interview aboard Icon of the Seas. “And that took us to some really specific decisions.”

Here’s what he told us about what his team did to create a humongous cruise ship that won’t feel as crowded as you fear.

Guest flow

Schneider and his team make a point to study other cruise ships, both Royal Caribbean and its competitors. “Where I think ships often feel stuffy, tight, closed is guest flow,” he said.

“Cruise ships continue to find dead ends for people that they can’t get around, and we really focused on not doing that [on Icon of the Seas]. You can get from Deck 2 to Deck 8 at the heart of the ship without having to touch an elevator if you don’t want to.”

I experienced that easy flow on board Icon of the Seas during a sneak peek at the ship this week in advance of its first sailings (though it only had hundreds, not thousands, of people on board). When you’re in Surfside, the ship’s family area, it’s simple to go up the stairs to Central Park, an outdoor park-line zone of the ship, or down to the indoor, mall-like Royal Promenade. You don’t feel lost because the neighborhoods are distinct, and you can easily move between them.

To assist with guest flow, Icon of the Seas offers multiple options to move between decks in key neighborhoods. Multiple stairways in the Royal Promenade let you switch decks at multiple places, not just at either end. In two places on the ship — going down into Surfside from Deck 8 and between two levels of the Chill Island pool deck — you can slide between decks.

Related: Royal Caribbean ships ranked by size from biggest to smallest — the complete list

Icon of the Seas also sports a new elevator system, where instead of getting into any available elevator and selecting a floor once inside, you use a touchpad to select your floor and then are directed to one of 12 elevators in the lobby. The amount of research that went into this plan is mind-boggling.

Schneider sent team members to observe people using this new elevator technology in high-rise office buildings and on other cruise ships that employed it. Then, they ran their own tests.

“We built out a replica of the lift lobby on Symphony of the Seas,” Schneider said. “We ran live guests through two different simulations. One sailing we adjusted and then came back months later with a new one. We got a couple hundred guests to run through because the elevators play a key role in that flow. That was where technology comes in to help make that purposeful for us.”

The team saw that though the technology was not intuitive to many guests, it made a huge difference. Ultimately, “we went with it because the flow is so important.”

But, again, the line is being smart about how to make getting around the ship seamless. “We’re going to have greeters on Deck 5, 6 and the Windjammer” on the first day of the cruise, Schneider explained. “We’re going to have somebody explain to you on day one what it is because we learned in our testing that after day one, everybody’s got it and we didn’t want to put that cognitive overhead [to figure out the new system] on the guest.”

As a side note, one of the obstacles to smooth flow on cruise ships is often teens congregating in the stairwell. We spoke to members of Royal Caribbean’s product team who told us how they held many focus groups with teens to figure out the best way to provide hangouts and activities that they would be more likely to attend to get them into specific areas of the ship and out of the elevator stairwell.

The upshot is that more teen activities will take place around the ship instead of in the teen lounge, with takeovers of adult-only spaces like the Hideaway or a teen teppanyaki dinner in Izumi.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cruise ships and itineraries

Opening up the Royal Promenade

The Royal Promenade is the main thoroughfare of the public areas through many of Royal Caribbean’s larger ships. The indoor area often feels like a mall, with storefronts and restaurants lining an artificially lit corridor with no windows. Your first step onto the ship is often into this buzzy yet chaotic space, and the effect can be overwhelming. On Oasis-class ships with two-deck-high Promenades, the upper deck dead-ends before it reaches the opposite side of the ship.

On Icon, Royal Caribbean set out to open up the Royal Promenade to make it lighter and more spacious and improve the feeling and flow. Schneider said there were three main factors that led to the success of the space.

The first is the Pearl, a spherical structure in the center of the Promenade with a staircase inside. It looks like an art installation, but actually, it’s the structural support of the ship. It replaces the steel skeleton that holds up most ships in that area and takes the burden, so the center of the ship on both sides can be lined with windows looking out to the sea. The effect brings more light into the space to eliminate that dark mall feeling.

The second was the removal of cabins from above the Royal Promenade. “You don’t find for the first time on any Royal Promenade any staterooms,” said Schneider. “And that’s how we get a full 360 mezzanine and that’s also how we created a more spacious feeling.”

Without interior-facing cabins looking down on the Promenade, Royal Caribbean could repurpose that space to make the upper level extend fully from the front to the stern of the ship. The result is that a person standing in the promenade doesn’t feel so hemmed in by all the cabins looking down, and the passenger flow through the space is assisted because people can go across on two levels, with multiple stairways, as well as the elevator banks on either end, to move between levels.

The last change is that “all of the facades — minus retail that have to be closed — are open.” The Point and Feather pub does not have a wall on its Promenade side but is open to traffic. Giovanni’s, the Italian restaurant, is a fully open space you can walk through on the upper level. Again, that leads to a feeling of openness and lets people move freely between walkways and venues without creating bottlenecks at doorways.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Self-contained neighborhoods

Schneider didn’t mention Icon’s neighborhood concept in relation to guest flow, but Linken d’Souza, Royal Caribbean’s vice president of food and beverage, gave us some insight into how Icon of the Seas was designed with ease and convenience in mind.

“With all of the neighborhoods, we thought about how do you make it convenient,” he told us. That means that in the major neighborhoods of the ship, guests will find food options, so they don’t have to leave and descend on the Windjammer Marketplace buffet with everyone else. They can find options where they are.

For example, at Surfside, the neighborhood geared to young families, you’ll find three restaurants: the Surfside Eatery buffet, Surfside Bites for grab-and-go kid fare and Pier 7, a casual specialty restaurant where kids eat free, but parents can enjoy elevated lunch and dinner offerings. No one has to trek across the ship when hunger strikes.

The Thrill Island neighborhood that houses all the adrenaline-spiking offerings (a water park, a ropes course, a rock-climbing wall) has Basecamp serving comfort food like burgers and chicken sandwiches, and the AquaDome has the AquaDome Market, a five-venue food hall, and the Hooked Seafood specialty restaurant.

By giving guests reasons to linger in one place, you have fewer people constantly traversing the ships and crowding elevators and corridors.

Related: 35 Royal Caribbean cruise tips and tricks that will make your voyage better

He also spoke about new dining reservation technology that Royal Caribbean is working on to make it easier to get into the restaurants you want when you’re fighting for space with 7,000 shipmates. Of course, multiple dining venues, including additional complimentary ones (based on guest feedback) will hopefully reduce the pressure on specific popular venues.

Additionally, Icon of the Seas will offer five set-seating dining times, as well as My Time Dining, so half the ship won’t descend on the dining room at the same time. It also means passengers will have more choices so they can find the dining time that works best for their family.

Programming will also help to spread people around the ship. The Overlook within the AquaDome is meant to be the quiet spot for reading or hanging out on a sea day when there isn’t an AquaTheater show going on. To create this, the ship won’t schedule popular activities within that area during the day to keep the crowds and noise elsewhere.

Bottom line

When you vacation on the world’s largest cruise ship, you have to be ready for queues and a packed pool deck. But by employing several smart design and programming strategies, Royal Caribbean is striving to eliminate as much of the unnecessary crowding as it can on Icon of the Seas.

I experienced this on Wonder of the Seas (now the second-largest cruise ship in the world); it indeed felt less crowded in places where I encountered bottlenecks or hoards of people on smaller but less-well-designed ships from other lines.

So, don’t be scared of a ship carrying 7,000 people. You’ll be surprised how much your shipmates won’t get in the way of your perfect vacation.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

The leading lobbying group for the U.S. travel industry this week claimed inefficient policies like long tourist visa wait times and friction points like lagging security screening technology are causing the United States to lose its competitive edge when it comes to attracting international visitors — not high prices on airfare and hotel rates.

A study out this week from the U.S. Travel Association and Euromonitor International claims the U.S. is at risk of losing 39 million visitors with a combined $150 billion in spending power over the next decade due to “excessive” visitor visa wait times. The study also ranked the U.S. 17th out of 18 top travel destinations like the U.K. (ranked first), France (ranked second) and Turkey (ranked third) in terms of overall global tourism competitiveness. China was the only country to rank lower than the U.S. in the top 18.

“The competition is outperforming us,” said U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman in a press conference Thursday. “The economic cost of these failures is in the billions of dollars.”

Why the lagging competitiveness?

The U.S. Travel Association commissioned the report to better understand the slow return of international travel to the U.S. following the end of pandemic-related restrictions. According to the study, the U.S. in 2023 was estimated to only be at 84% of its international tourism levels.

While the U.S. remains the most-desired destination for global travelers, it ranks third (behind Spain and France, respectively) in terms of actual international visitor count. Spain, France, Turkey, Mexico, the U.K., Greece and the United Arab Emirates all had international visitor totals last year that exceeded prepandemic levels.

In what areas is the U.S. as a brand scoring low, per the report? Government leadership on travel-related issues, national travel strategy, safety and security, visa wait times and visa waivers. The U.S. only grants 42 countries visa-free travel privileges compared to the U.K., which designates 102 countries with visa-free travel designation. The U.S. also scores in the middle in terms of biometric security screening capabilities, which can make air travel more efficient when used to its maximum potential.

The study does not say either of the main U.S. political parties is a problem, but it notes that most major markets have a minister of tourism. The U.S. does have an assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism position, but that job has not been filled or funded by Congress.

The U.S. does get high marks for its destination marketing, air connectivity and Trusted Traveler Programs.

The costly elephant in the room

Curiously, the high cost of hotels and airfare in the U.S. wasn’t mentioned as a potential deterrent for driving international visitors away from the U.S.

While a press release from the U.S. Travel Association indicated the report was commissioned to study why international visitors were slow to return following the end of pandemic-related restrictions, Freeman noted the organization was looking at factors that were “decades in the making.”

“We’ve seen these issues rear their ugly head for many, many years and be a deterrent for travelers. We’ve had other points in time where our market share has slipped, although not in the sustaining way that it is right now,” Freeman said. “So when you look at the period of time of 2023, I’m sure costs played a role for some; although, as we look at inflation around the world, the U.S. is actually quite moderate compared to the inflationary pressures that people are feeling in countries all around the world.”

Freeman later said that the market will naturally take care of pricing issues for consumers. But it is the role of the government to smooth out some of these longer-term factors driving visitors away.

“We will continue to look at the roadblocks we put in place that can be addressed, and those are, by and large, the roadblocks that are created and perpetuated by government,” Freeman said.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

It has become easier to earn Hilton Honors points over the years. The hotel chain partners with American Express to offer cobranded Hilton credit cards and periodically runs lucrative hotel promotions.

Even though Hilton Honors points aren’t as valuable as some other hotel points, you can still get substantial value if you know how to maximize your Hilton redemptions.

With so many ways to earn these points, it can be hard to remember all your options. We’ll highlight some of the best ways to earn Hilton Honors points as you work toward planning your next award trip.

Earn Hilton points through hotel stays

Hilton Honors is a hotel loyalty program. So, as you’d expect, you can earn Hilton Honors points when you stay at Hilton properties worldwide. Your earning rate depends on several factors, including:

• The brand of the property
• The price of your stay
• Your Hilton Honors elite status
• Any promotions you’ve registered for

At most Hilton properties, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on room rates and other eligible charges (excluding taxes and fees). However, you’ll only earn 5 points per dollar spent at Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton.

Hilton Honors elite members also earn a points bonus on each stay. The higher your status tier, the more points you’ll earn:

• Silver: 20% bonus
• Gold: 80% bonus
• Diamond: 100% bonus

Hilton Honors MyWay benefits

Gold and Diamond members can also earn additional bonuses at certain brands with the program’s MyWay benefits. The MyWay benefit varies by brand, and mid- and upper-level elite members must choose between earning extra points and other welcome amenities when staying with some brands.

The potential bonus earnings are minor for some brands. For example, as a Diamond member, you can choose 100 bonus points per stay or one bottle of water and one snack item when staying at Home2 Suites.

However, the earnings are more significant for other brands. For example, a Diamond member would earn 1,000 bonus points per stay at brands like DoubleTree, Curio Collection and Conrad. At these brands, the bonus points are on top of other MyWay perks like room upgrades and daily food and beverage credits at U.S. hotels or continental breakfast at non-U.S. hotels.

If you are a Gold or Diamond member, you can see (and select) your MyWay benefits on Hilton’s website.

Related: Which hotel has the best free breakfast? TPG ate 10 meals to find the winner

Earn bonus points through Hilton promotions

Like most hotel programs, Hilton frequently runs promotions that award bonus points to its Hilton Honors members. These offers make it even easier to earn Honors points on paid stays.

For example, Hilton members could earn 5,000 bonus Hilton Honors points per stay at select newly opened properties for three or more nights, thanks to a 2024 promotion.

Keep an eye on Hilton’s promotions page for an up-to-date list of offers. You can also visit your promotion page on Hilton’s website to see any targeted offers, verify your registration and track your progress. We recommend enrolling in all of them — after all, you never know when you may need a last-minute stay at a Hilton property.

Related: These promotions will make your next hotel stay more rewarding

Earn Hilton points with credit cards

American Express currently offers several cobranded Hilton Honors credit cards: three personal cards and one business card. These cards can be an excellent way to earn Hilton Honors points on travel and everyday purchases.

New cardmembers may be eligible to earn a welcome bonus. Here’s a closer look at the current offers:

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 170,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first six months of card membership ($150 annual fee; see rates and fees).
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first six months of card membership (no annual fee; see rates and fees).
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months of card membership ($95 annual fee; see rates and fees).
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 180,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership ($550 annual fee; see rates and fees).

The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Choosing the best Hilton Honors credit card for you

Transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio. In other words, you can turn 1,000 Membership Rewards points into 2,000 Hilton Honors points. But we don’t necessarily recommend transferring your hard-earned Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors unless you have a particular high-value redemption in mind.

Our reasoning is simple: TPG currently values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, while Hilton Honors points are worth just 0.6 cents each. This means that you’re effectively losing 0.8 cents per point in value, not to mention missing out on some terrific sweet spots with the Membership Rewards program.

Similar to buying points, you might want to take advantage of a Membership Rewards transfer bonus if you plan on booking an expensive hotel with Hilton Honors points.

That’s why TPG contributor Sarah Hosteler transferred 225,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors to top off her account to book the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. By doing so, Sarah booked a $2,200 overwater bungalow on points, getting a value of 3.8 cents per Amex point. That’s 90% higher than TPG’s valuation of 2 cents per point.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Pool Hilton points

Hilton Honors allows you to freely share points with up to 10 people. This is useful if you combine points for a family vacation and want the balance in one place.

Your spouse might have enough points for a two-night award stay, while you may only have enough for a night. Combining balances to book stays under a single reservation is very useful.

Hilton Honors Dining

With Hilton Honors Dining, you can earn extra points at participating restaurants.

Sign up for a Hilton Honors Dining account and link your favorite credit cards for restaurant purchases to earn points. Then, when you swipe one of those cards at a participating restaurant, you’ll automatically earn extra Hilton Honors points. These points are in addition to regular points or miles you’d earn with your credit card, so make sure you link a card that earns bonuses on dining purchases for the highest points earned on eating out.

After signing up for Hilton Honors Dining, opt in for email notifications. Doing so will give you “select member” status and let you earn 5 Hilton points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. If you opt out of receiving emails, your earning rate will drop to 2 points per dollar spent. While your privacy is important, giving your email address is a small price for earning an extra 3 points per dollar spent — especially if you dine out a lot.

Hilton Honors Dining also lets you order online and earn bonus points for takeout or delivery.

Finally, if you dine with Hilton Honors Dining 11 times a year, you’ll be upgraded to the service’s VIP status tier. This boosts your earning rate to 8 points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. You can keep VIP status indefinitely by dining with the program 11 or more times yearly.

Related: The most generous airline and hotel dining rewards programs

Earn Hilton points through travel partners

Like most loyalty programs, Hilton Honors has a suite of partners that you can use to earn even more points. You can use these partners to boost your Hilton account balance on everyday activities. Here’s a look at some additional ways to earn Hilton points.

Earn Hilton points with Hilton Events

Planning a wedding, corporate function or other event at a Hilton hotel? Add your Hilton Honors number to your event, and you’ll earn 1 Hilton point per dollar spent on events, on up to $100,000.

This may not sound like much, but it can give you huge returns if you plan an expensive multiday corporate event.

Earn bonus points with Lyft

You can earn bonus Hilton points whenever you hail a Lyft at the following rates:

• 3 points per dollar on Lyft rides
• 2 points per dollar on shared Lyft rides

These earnings are capped at $10,000 in total Lyft spending every year, and they’re in addition to the points you’d earn with a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (which offer extra points on Lyft purchases through March 2025).

You can link your Hilton and Lyft accounts here.

Book a rental car

You can also earn Hilton Honors points when renting a car through Alamo, Enterprise or National. When you book your rental through the Hilton portal, you’ll receive 500 Hilton Honors points daily, up to 5,000 points — not bad if you’re already renting a car.

You may not earn car rental rewards when booking through the Hilton Honors portal. Further, you can’t use corporate codes when renting cars through Hilton. So shop around to ensure you find the best deal.

Transfer Virgin Atlantic points to Hilton

You can transfer Virgin Atlantic points to Hilton Honors at a 2:3 ratio by contacting Flying Club. You can only transfer in increments of 10,000 Virgin Atlantic points.

This means you can convert 10,000 Virgin Atlantic points into 15,000 Hilton points.

While this may seem like an attractive ratio on paper, we advise against this transfer because you’ll usually lose value. TPG values Virgin points at 1.5 cents per point, meaning you’d lose 0.6 cents per point in value when transferring your points to Hilton.

Related: How I’m spending 4 million Hilton Honors points

Buy Hilton points

Another way to boost your Hilton Honors balance is by purchasing points. Generally speaking, buying points or miles is a poor value proposition, as you usually need to pay an excessive amount. However, it could make sense with certain programs and circumstances.

For example, Hilton has previously run a 100% points purchase promotion that lowered the price to 0.5 cents apiece, slightly below TPG’s valuations. At this rate, it may make sense to purchase the points outright for a specific redemption, especially if the cash rate is sky-high.

Related: 8 ways to maximize Hilton Honors redemptions

Bottom line

Hilton Honors points are some of the easiest hotel points to earn. Not only can you rack up a nice stash of points from hotel stays and promotions, but the extensive suite of cobranded credit cards provides valuable earning opportunities.

Use a combination of the methods above to rack up points for your next hotel stay at any of over 7,000 worldwide properties across all Hilton brands.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Wouldn’t it be great to be a kid again?

Even if you’re just a few years out of school and only beginning your toils in the workforce, you’ve probably already found yourself pining for those carefree days of childhood.

Maybe you want to relive the thrill of endless afternoons racing your friends around go-kart tracks or hunting them down in laser tag battles. Maybe you want to be back at the arcade, rolling 100s in Skeeball. Maybe you just want to spend a day getting soaked at a waterpark again — without needing the excuse of bringing a child or grandchild along to do it.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.

We’ve got some good news: Your misspent youth is still there, waiting for you — on a cruise ship.

One of the biggest trends in cruising over the past couple decades has been the transformation of mass-market cruise vessels into giant floating megaresorts that offer every sort of amusement known to humans — from massive water coasters to bumper cars and skydiving simulators.

Often these amusements were designed with teens and tweens in mind. After all, family cruising is one of the hottest things going in the industry these days. But a quick glance at all the millennials, Generation Xers and, yes, even baby boomers waiting in line for many of these attractions on ships proves they aren’t just for young cruisers.

Indeed, if you’re the kind of person who has never wanted to grow up — and aren’t we all — there are few more enticing vacations than a week spent on one of today’s giant megaships.

The best ships for childlike fun

In the early days of cruising, in the 1970s and 1980s, the biggest deck-top attraction on most ships was the pool. Shuffleboard was another hot activity — really, that’s not just a cliché. By the late 1990s, a few waterslides had begun popping up on vessels, as well as such then-wow-inducing activities as miniature golf courses and rock climbing walls.

But it’s only in the last 15 years or so that we’ve begun to see truly over-the-top fun zones at sea. And we do mean over-the-top. In the last few years, we’ve seen cruise lines add everything from sprawling go-kart tracks to a roller coaster to the top of ships. Deck-top waterparks with multiple waterslides are increasingly common. So are features like surfing simulators, zip lines, virtual reality play zones and even ice skating rinks.

Among cruise lines marketing to North Americans, there are four lines, in particular, that have been at the forefront of the trend: Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line.

The first three of those lines dominate the world of big, bustling megaresorts at sea, with vessels that are as much as twice the size of the biggest cruise ships that existed 25 years ago. Carnival hasn’t gone quite as big with its ships, for the most part. But Carnival still packs its vessels with a lot of fun-focused activities.

Related: TPG’s ultimate guide to picking a cruise line

For the biggest array of back-to-your-youth amusements, you’ll want to stick to the newest, biggest ships from each of the brands, which also boast an overabundance of restaurants, bars, showrooms, spas and casinos. They are, as your kids would say, sick. Or is it dope? While you’re waiting in line for the go-karts, you can ask the nearest 15-year-old.

Here, the four ships that we rate the best for reconnecting with your inner child (along with eight similar sister vessels that expand your choices to 15):

Wonder of the Seas

Line: Royal Caribbean

Similar sister ships: Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas

If your goal is to relive your childhood on a cruise ship, we can think of no better vessel than Wonder of the Seas. It is, quite simply, the ultimate floating fun zone.

At 235,600 tons, Wonder of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship ever built (although it’s about to be eclipsed by the even bigger Icon of the Seas), and it’s packed with every sort of amusement you could imagine, including a trio of monster waterslides, two surfing simulators, two rock climbing walls and a zip line.

There also are multiple pool zones, a miniature golf course, a basketball court, an ice skating rink and an entire New Jersey shore-like Boardwalk area with its very own handmade carousel.

Whether you’re a teenager or teenage-wannabe, you’ll also get a rush from The Ultimate Abyss — the longest slide ever on a cruise ship. It drops nine decks (from the Sports Zone on Deck 16 to the Boardwalk area on Deck 6). Royal Caribbean says this is a 10-deck drop, but don’t be fooled: There’s no Deck 13 on Wonder of the Seas.

In addition, the interior of Wonder of the Seas is chock full of restaurants, bars, a spa, a casino and a giant theater that’s home to Broadway productions.

Unveiled in 2022, Wonder of the Seas is the newest and biggest of Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis Class vessels, which began debuting in 2009. You’ll find many — but not all — of its attractions on the other Oasis Class ships, too, and all five of the ships are mind-blowing in their size and offerings. There’s really nothing quite like them at sea: All five Oasis Class ships are bigger than any other cruise vessel afloat.

A sixth Oasis Class vessel, Utopia of the Seas, is scheduled to debut in July.

Where to find it: Wonder of the Seas sails to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Norwegian Encore

Line: Norwegian Cruise Line

Similar sister ships: Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Escape

At 169,116 tons, Norwegian Encore isn’t quite as super-sized as Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. But it still features an insane array of over-the-top activities to excite your inner child.

For starters, there are two serious water slides on the deck top — Aqua Racer and Ocean Loops — that are sure to get your heart racing. Ocean Loops, in particular, is a doozy. It’s one of those horrifying “drop” waterslides that start with you standing above a trap door that opens to send you plunging downward. At one point, you go spinning over the side of the ship.

Still, the standout feature for fun seekers on Norwegian Encore is its massive go-kart track. Nearly 1,150 feet long and sprawling over two decks, the so-called Norwegian Encore Speedway is truly a sight to behold. It includes four sections that extend up to 13 feet over the sides of the vessel. Just to amp things up a bit, it also has a middle-of-the-track observation area where your family and friends can shoot you with “lasers” that’ll give you a power boost.

Note that this is some serious go-karting. The cars that Norwegian uses can hit speeds up to 32 miles per hour, as I experienced firsthand during a test run when Norwegian Encore first debuted.

Norwegian Encore also is home to the largest laser tag arena ever put on a ship and a massive gaming and virtual reality zone. Themed after the lost city of Atlantis, the former is at the very back of the vessel and is a romp. The latter area, called Galaxy Pavilion, has an amazing line-up of high-tech virtual reality experiences, including incredibly realistic race car simulators, hang-gliding simulators, virtual mazes and a virtual reality “Jurassic Park” jeep ride (watch out for dinosaurs!).

Just be warned that none of these attractions come cheap. You’ll pay $15 per person for an eight-lap race on the go-karts. Joining a five-minute laser shoot-out costs $10 per person. In both cases, you can buy a week-long pass for $199, and there’s a similar pass available for the Galaxy Pavilion.

Norwegian Encore’s sister ships — Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape — offer many of the same features, but the lineup varies from one vessel to the next. Only Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy have go-kart tracks, for instance, and their versions of the attraction aren’t quite as big.

Where to find it: Norwegian Encore spends its winters sailing to the Caribbean out of Miami. During the summer, it says to Alaska out of Seattle.

Mardi Gras

Line: Carnival Cruise Line

Similar sister ships: Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee

Leave it to the so-called Fun Ship line to come up with what just may be the ultimate playground at sea for people who never want to grow up. Unveiled in 2021, this 17-deck-high megacruiser, the new flagship for Carnival, has all sorts of deck-top amusements, including — we kid you not — a full-blown roller coaster.

Dubbed Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster, the first-ever roller coaster at sea is far from the biggest roller coaster in the world, with just under 800 feet of track. The coaster vehicles — which hold two people each — only will reach speeds of 40 miles per hour. But you’ve got to give Carnival top marks for chutzpah.

Other fun-focused diversions on the top deck of Mardi Gras include one of Carnival’s signature WaterWorks waterparks with multiple waterslides, a miniature golf course, a basketball court and a suspended-in-the-sky ropes course.

Mardi Gras was the first of a new series of bigger Carnival ships designed to take the line’s Fun Ship shtick to a new level, and it has since been joined by two more vessels in the, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.

In addition to a deck top full of amusements, it also has a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival vessels and new dining venues such as the first Emeril Lagasse restaurant at sea. It’s also notable as the first ship from a North America-based line designed to operate on liquid natural gas. The fuel is touted as being cleaner than traditional ship fuel.

At around 180,000 tons, Mardi Gras and its sisters Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee are each nearly 35% bigger than Carnival’s next-bigger ship, Carnival Panorama, and one of the biggest new ships to debut in the last two years.

Where to find it: Mardi Gras sails to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Port Canaveral.

MSC Meraviglia

Line: MSC Cruises

Similar sister ships: MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa

Fast-growing MSC Cruises jumped into the activity-packed megaship game in a big way in 2017 with the debut of the U.S.-based MSC Meraviglia. At 171,598 tons, the 15-deck-high MSC Cruises vessel is one of the 20 biggest cruise ships in the world, and it offers such deck-top diversions as a polar-themed waterpark with three waterslides.

There’s also a suspended-in-the-sky ropes course called Himalayan Bridge — the latter also has a polar theme.

Still, it’s not just deck-top activities on MSC Meraviglia that will set off your fun meter. The interior of the vessel is home to one of the coolest virtual reality play zones at sea. Among its highlights: Two of the most sophisticated Formula 1 race car simulators anywhere.

MSC Meraviglia also houses a multisensory, motion-simulating XD theater. For something a little less hardcore, there also are two full-size bowling lanes.

Designed to hold 4,488 passengers at double occupancy, MSC Meraviglia also offers a dozen dining venues, a spa, a casino and a custom-built, high-tech, 450-seat theater that houses exclusive Cirque du Soleil shows.

A nearly identical sister ship to MSC Meraviglia, the MSC Bellissima has a similar array of attractions, as do the slightly bigger MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa. Of the four vessels, MSC Meraviglia is the most appealing to the North American market as it’s based year round in the U.S.

Where to find it: MSC Meraviglia sails year-round out of New York.

Bottom line

You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the wild array of attractions on the new crop of floating megaresorts. If it’s carefree fun you’re after in a vacation, a cruise on one of the giant vessels of Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian or Carnival may be the perfect choice.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise

American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, and its AAdvantage loyalty program is popular with many travelers. While AAdvantage has seen some changes over the last few years — including the removal of published award charts — you can still get a ton of value from the program, especially if you can utilize its sweet spots.

In 2022, American completely overhauled how flyers qualify for AAdvantage elite status. Rather than being based solely on flying, you now earn Loyalty Points across various activities in the AAdvantage program — including spending on American Airlines cobranded credit cards, shopping through online shopping portals and dining.

Here’s everything you need to know about the American AAdvantage loyalty program.

American Airlines partners

American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance; therefore, you can earn and redeem miles with a handful of international partners. American elite members often get benefits, such as lounge access and an extra baggage allowance, when flying with partner airlines:

• Alaska Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect member)
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

The airline also partners with a handful of airlines outside of Oneworld, including:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Cape Air
• China Southern Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Gol Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• IndiGo
• JetBlue
• JetSmart
• Silver Airways

However, each partner has its own criteria on how you can earn or redeem miles with American, so be sure to review the specific partner page for full details.

American Airlines elite status

American AAdvantage has four public levels of elite status — Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum — plus an invite-only level called Concierge Key.

AAdvantage members earn Loyalty Points when they fly on American or spend with a cobranded credit card or with select AAdvantage partners. In general, 1 base mile earned is equal to one Loyalty Point. So, if you earn 500 base miles on an American Airlines flight, you earn 500 Loyalty Points. Likewise, spending $1,000 on a cobranded credit card would earn 1,000 Loyalty Points.

Here’s the number of Loyalty Points you must earn during the current qualification period — March 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024 — for each elite status tier:

• Gold: 40,000 Loyalty Points
• Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points
• Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points
• Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points

As an AAdvantage Gold member, you’ll get a 40% mileage bonus, complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats at check-in (when available), and one free checked bag on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

Meanwhile, Platinum members get a 60% mileage bonus, complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats at booking (when available) and two free checked bags on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

Platinum Pro members get an 80% mileage bonus, complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats at booking (when available) and three free checked bags on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

Finally, Executive Platinum members get a 120% mileage bonus, complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats at booking (when available) and three free checked bags on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

All AAdvantage elite members have access to complimentary upgrades on American-marketed and -operated flights within the U.S. (including Hawaii) and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Central America for themselves and one companion. Complimentary upgrades on award flights are available to elite members, though it is not a guarantee that you will secure an upgrade on your flight.

AAdvantage elite members get Oneworld status, which provides perks when flying on other Oneworld airlines. Specifically, AAdvantage Gold members get Oneworld Ruby, Platinum members get Oneworld Sapphire, and Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members get Oneworld Emerald status.

Even if you don’t have elite status with American, there are some notable perks to being an AAdvantage member. American AAdvantage announced the following exclusive benefits for AAdvantage members in 2024 (including entry-level members with no elite status):

• The ability to voluntarily cancel basic economy tickets for a partial travel trip credit for a $99 fee
• Complimentary 24-hour ticket holds
• The ability to purchase single-use Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge entry
• The ability to take an earlier flight on the same day at no extra cost

Also new in 2024 is the ability to redeem Loyalty Points Rewards for additional Loyalty Points to help members reach their elite status goals.

You can choose:

• 1,000 bonus Loyalty Points (after earning 15,000 Loyalty Points)
• 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points (after earning 175,000 Loyalty Points)
• 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points (after earning 250,000 Loyalty Points)

Related: American Airlines unveils 10 changes to the AAdvantage program

Coming later in 2024 is the ability to earn redeemable miles and additional Loyalty Points on premium-cabin upgrades paid with cash.

How to earn AAdvantage miles

There are many ways to earn AAdvantage miles. Below is a summary of the top ways.

Fly on American Airlines

When you fly on an American-marketed flight, you’ll usually earn miles according to your ticket’s base price — without taxes and fees. The miles you earn also vary based on your AAdvantage elite status. The higher your status, the more miles you will earn.

Here’s how many miles each status tier earns per dollar spent:

• Member (no status): 5 miles
• Gold: 7 miles
• Platinum: 8 miles
• Platinum Pro: 9 miles
• Executive Platinum: 11 miles

Related: How to earn miles in the American Airlines AAdvantage program

Fly on partner airlines

You can also earn AAdvantage miles on flights marketed by American’s partners. For most partners, you’ll earn miles and Loyalty Points based on flight distance. However, the exact earning rate depends on the fare class of your ticket. Here’s an example of the earning chart for Qantas-operated flights:

Get and use American Airlines credit cards

One of the easiest ways to earn American AAdvantage miles is through American Airlines credit cards. Here’s a list of current offers:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 miles after you spend $7,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Earn 4 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American’s car rental and hotel booking sites. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases. Earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. Earn another 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year (see rates and fees).
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on gas station, restaurant and eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases plus telecom merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and gas stations. Earn 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
• American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®: Earn 15,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on grocery store and eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
• AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee in full in the first 90 days. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
• AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, plus another 25,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in the first 12 months. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on office supply, telecom, car rental and eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.

The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select, AAdvantage Aviator Red, Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and AAdvantage Aviator Business cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuers.

Remember that the sign-up bonuses and bonus category earnings won’t get you Loyalty Points toward AAdvantage elite status. You’ll only earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on American Airlines cards.

Related: Choosing the best credit card for American Airlines flyers

Transfer Bilt points

American AAdvantage partners with just one program with a transferable currency: Bilt Rewards. You can transfer your Bilt points to your AAdvantage account at a 1:1 ratio, so if you’re currently earning Bilt points by paying rent, this can be a great option for your rewards.

Click through the AAdvantage shopping portal before shopping online

When you click through the AAdvantage shopping portal, you can earn extra miles when making purchases with select online merchants. Using the portal is simple: Sign up for an account and click through the portal to your merchant of choice before shopping online.

Related: Maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases

Use SimplyMiles

American offers a program called SimplyMiles that allows you to earn miles when shopping online or in person with select merchants. You’ll first need to sign up for SimplyMiles, link one or more Mastercards to your profile and enroll in offers.

Then, when you use a linked Mastercard to make an eligible purchase at a merchant for which you’ve enrolled in an offer, you’ll earn AAdvantage miles.

Dine at restaurants that participate in AAdvantage Dining

AAdvantage Dining is similar to the AAdvantage shopping portal but for eating out. Just sign up for an account and link your favorite credit cards for dining. Once you do so, you’ll earn miles when you dine at participating restaurants.

You can earn 5 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent as a VIP member, 3 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent as a Select member and 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent as a basic member.

Book through AAdvantage travel partners

American Airlines partners with major car rental companies so its members can earn miles on car rentals. Check out AAdvantage’s car rental partner page for information on partners and earning rates.

You can also earn AAdvantage miles on hotel stays as follows:

• American Airlines Hotels: Earn up to 10 times more base miles on hotels.
• Hyatt: Earn 500 miles each stay.
• IHG: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on qualifying room rates.
• Marriott: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on qualifying charges.
• Rocketmiles: Earn up to 10,000 miles each night on select hotels.

Additionally, Hyatt and American loyalists can earn more rewards by linking accounts. After linking accounts, AAdvantage elite members can earn 1 AAdvantage mile for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences.

In addition to the hotel and rental car partners mentioned above, you can earn miles on vacation packages booked at aavacations.com or cruises booked at bookaacruises.com.

Open a savings account

If you open a savings account with Bask Bank, you can elect to earn AAdvantage miles instead of cash as the interest on your account. You can read our analysis here: Introducing Bask Bank, a new way to earn miles. Unfortunately, miles earned with Bask Bank do not count as Loyalty Points.

Buy AAdvantage miles

Finally, you can buy American Airlines miles. Watch for promotions that allow you to buy American Airlines miles with a bonus or a discount.

Related: Book a pricey suite or flight for a fraction of the cost: Points promotions to save you money

How to redeem AAdvantage miles

You’ll usually get the best value when you redeem your American AAdvantage miles for flights. TPG’s most recent valuations estimate American miles to be worth 1.5 cents each, so try to get at least this value when redeeming miles.

Redeeming miles for American-operated flights

To find out how many miles an American-operated flight will cost, head to the American Airlines website or mobile app and do an award search.

AAdvantage redemptions for travel on American are now exclusively priced dynamically, allowing the airline to adjust the award rate for any flight.

In 2024, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members will be able to redeem miles to visit the Flagship First dining facility, though the mileage cost is not yet known.

Partner awards

American partners with over a dozen airlines, many world-renowned for their excellent premium-cabin products.

However, these flights aren’t always available to partner airlines, as the operating carrier must release saver-level award inventory.

Related: Guide to earning and burning with American Airlines’ Business Extra program

AAdvantage sweet spots

While American makes it relatively easy to redeem miles across its own network, many awards can offer spectacular value. These “sweet spots” typically get you well over TPG’s valuation of AAdvantage miles.

Here are just a few of these terrific redemptions.

Short-haul flights to the Caribbean

Flights to the Caribbean can cost you hundreds of dollars each way.

Instead, you can book flights from New York to the sunny island of Barbados for just 8,000 AAdvantage miles plus $7.10 in fees and taxes.

Premium-cabin flights to Japan or South Korea

American Airlines divides Asia into three award regions: Asia Region 1, Asia Region 2 and South Pacific. Asia 1 covers Japan and Korea, while Asia 2 includes Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The lower prices on premium flights to Asia 1 apply to Oneworld partners such as Japan Airlines. So, you can book JAL first class from San Francisco to Tokyo for only 80,000 miles.

Related: Best sweet spots in the American Airlines AAdvantage program

Etihad business class to the Maldives

You can redeem just 70,000 AAdvantage miles for a flight from the United States to the Maldives via Abu Dhabi in Etihad’s business class, with flights from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) featuring the carrier’s fantastic new A350 product.

While in theory you can book the same itinerary flying Qatar Airways in its award-winning Qsuite, unfortunately, Qatar is currently only releasing business-class availability from the United States at the last minute to AAdvantage members.

Award pricing

While American eliminated saver and anytime awards in 2023, it isn’t removing award charts entirely.

Instead, American’s refreshed award chart displays initial values for Flight Awards.

Region	Main Cabin starting at	Premium economy starting at	Business/first starting at
Contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada	7,500 miles	N/A	15,000 miles
Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America	10,000 miles	N/A	20,000 miles
South America, short-haul	15,000 miles	N/A	30,000 miles
Hawaii and Alaska	20,000 miles	40,000 miles	60,000 miles
Europe	25,000 miles	50,000 miles	75,000 miles
South America, long haul	30,000 miles	60,000 miles	90,000 miles
Asia, the Middle East and the South Pacific	35,000 miles.	60,000 miles	95,000 miles

Bottom line

The American Airlines AAdvantage program is far from perfect. But if you know how to make it work, there’s still plenty of value, particularly for redemptions on partner airlines, where sensible award charts still exist.

If you’re considering earning miles with the AAdvantage program, we recommend applying for an American Airlines credit card. Doing so can give you a big stash of miles from the sign-up bonus and the ability to continue to earn miles with your daily spending. It’s also worth using the AAdvantage shopping portal and SimplyMiles, especially if you want to earn Loyalty Points and qualify for American Airlines elite status.