Summer is here and so are a new batch of miles and points promotions that can plump up your balance and get you on your way to vacation paradise. From discounted travel routes to extra points when staying with your favorite hotel brands, here are nine sizzling summer deals that are worth exploring.
Score cash back and other perks
Many credit cards offer special promotions with different retailers when using your card, but you’ll need to log into your account to activate them first. Through August 3, there is an Amex Offer if you spend $750 at any Four Seasons, you’ll earn $150 cash back. Chase Offers has a similar cash back perk with Marriott brands like Le Méridien and Renaissance. Spend at least $100, and earn 10 percent back as a credit (up to $75). Not every account may be targeted for the same offer, but it is worth checking out what you have.
Hilton Honors members can earn a $25 Lyft credit after their next stay as long as they have linked their Hilton and Lyft accounts.
Fly from the West Coast to Taipei in business class
China Airlines is making a lot of award space available in business class for the second half of the year for at least two people between the Los Angeles area and Taipei. Remember that you can redeem 90,000 Flying Blue points on China Airlines each way (despite being a Delta partner, we don’t recommend using SkyMiles for this redemption since it is often highly overpriced). There is a 25 percent transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou to Flying Blue through June 17.
Book a flight to Amsterdam for less than 50,000 miles in business class
A good deal on KLM business class flight redemptions is also up for the summer. There are as many as four available seats on many North American routes to Amsterdam. This includes flights from Montreal and Toronto, which are both on the list for Flying Blue Promo rewards this month. Those qualify for a mileage discount, bringing the redemption cost down to as low as 41,250 points. There are also 25 percent discounts for economy redemptions from numerous cities like Austin, Detroit, and New York. KLM partner Virgin Atlantic charges as few as 48,500 points each way for business class, and you can add more points to your account thanks to a 30 percent Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus through June 15. If you prefer using American Express Membership Rewards points, there is a 30 percent transfer bonus that ends on June 14. It’s also possible to redeem Delta miles for these flights, but you’ll pay an exorbitantly higher number of points.
Redeem just one point for these Marriott Bonvoy Moments
Don’t have a ton of Marriott points? Don’t worry! This summer Marriott Bonvoy is making several of its experience-based redemptions available for just one point. The offer covers a limited number of experiences, so you’ll have to act fast. The super-cheap—but very fun—redemptions will be released throughout the month on Marriott Bonvoy’s Instagram account. Some of the first ones include having a conversation in the hot seat with Hot Ones host Sean Evans or participating in a private tasting of Dos Hombres’ latest unreleased mezcal varietal with the company’s founders Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston. Other redemptions available for just one point include spending time with US women’s soccer star Trinity Rodman or chatting about true-crime mysteries with Crime Junkie podcasters Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat.
Stay at new hotels and get extra rewards
Hilton Honors is offering 1,000 bonus points at new hotels, and at many of them, you can earn 5,000 points if you stay at least three nights. That’s in addition to the summer promotion to earn 2,000 bonus points per stay and 4,000 points on resort stays. World of Hyatt has a similar offer for guests staying at its newest hotels by awarding 500 bonus points after they check out. You’ll earn the bonus by staying within a certain time frame, which varies by property.
Rack up even more hotel points
IHG One Rewards just launched its summer promotion, awarding 2,000 points for every two nights you stay between now and the end of August. There’s another offer that doles out a whopping 10,000 points for every four nights stayed during that time frame (there’s no limit to how many you can earn). You’ll need to pick which promotion best fits your travel plans. If you have at least four hotel nights planned for this summer, choose the second option. This is a great way to earn a lot of extra points for vacation, especially if you stay in hotels often for work. Be sure to register before your stay.
Marriott Bonvoy has some targeted offers out this summer, too. Check the “My Promotions” section of your Marriott account to see if you’re eligible for one. Some members will find the “Delight with more” offer, which awards a free night after two stays at Marriott family hotels. There is a slew of hotel or region-specific promotions, too, like the ability to earn bonus points at any Marriott family hotel in Japan or Thailand. And for stays of at least two nights at hotels in Germany, the Middle East, or Africa, you could earn as much as a 10,000 point bonus.
Triple the number of points you earn this summer with a promotion from WorldHotels Rewards. Through September 4, you can earn extra points at participating hotels, but be sure to register for the promotion first. Through June 30, you can also take advantage of 10 to 20 percent cash discounts on stays of at least two nights.
