CardWise Compass / A clearer path to free travel.
Hi {{first name | friend}}!
Becca and I just enjoyed a lovely kid-free weekend at a nice hotel, thanks to our dear friends watching our kiddos and a great use of points and a free upgrade! (shocker, I know)
Last issue we talked business cards. This week I want to focus on transfer bonuses.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Today's Issue at a Glance:
Signal: My free Points & Miles 101 webinar on Wednesday, November 18!
Strategy: Transfer bonuses are a super easy way to maximize your points
Scenario: How 50,000 points become 65,000 Virgin points, and what that saves
Step: Never miss a transfer bonus again with this super handy free calculator!
Signal
Points & Miles 101 is a free live webinar I’m hosting with my friend Chantil, a luxury travel agent, on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:00 PM Central on Google Meet!
I’ll be walking through my simple and practical system for turning everyday spending into dream travel, plus a live Q&A. It’s a “101” class, so beginners are totally welcome.
If you join live, there will be giveaways as well. If you can’t make it live, register anyway and you’ll get the replay. See you there - and please bring a friend who travels! :)
Strategy
If you remember one idea from this week's newsletter, let it be this:
A transfer bonus is a great way to get 10%–40% more value from your points.
Let’s say you have 60K Capital One miles (or Amex points) and find a Virgin flight for 65K Virgin points.
Without a bonus, you’re 5,000 points short. Too bad. With a 30% bonus, you transfer 50K points over and they become 65K Virgin points. (I’ll show my work: 50,000 × 1.3 = 65,000.)
The bonus saved you 15,000 points. At 1.5 cents per point, that’s about $225.
If only there was a way to stay on top of all these transfer bonuses, right? Um, there is. And I made it for you! I humbly think this is the best points calculator on the internet. Check it out!
Scenario
Capital One and Amex are each currently offering a 30% bonus to transfer to Virgin Atlantic, so 1,000 points become 1,300 Virgin points. Capital One’s bonus runs through November 20, and Amex’s runs through November 30.
Below is an example: Miami to London on December 24 in Upper Class (Virgin’s posh business class) for 35K points plus $700 in taxes and fees, one way. However, with the bonus, you’d transfer just 27K points instead of 35K and pay those same taxes. Prefer to spend less? Premium Economy is 15K points plus $300 in taxes/fees. That’s a steal!
Just a reminder that it’s important to confirm the flight availability first before transferring, as transfers only go one way. And I always check the cash price too to confirm it’s a good deal.
Step
Start crunching some numbers with this handy calculator and see how much further transfer bonuses can stretch your points.
Oh, and to transfer your points, you’ll need to make a free frequent flyer account first, and quickly link that account with your bank’s account (the names on both have to match).
Want help unlocking more value toward your future travel? Book your free "Let Points Cover Your Next Trip" strategy call and we'll review your situation together.
Blessings, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Ross
CardWiseTravel.com
P.S. Don’t forget: my free Points & Miles 101 webinar will be going live on Wednesday, November 18. Register and join us, and you’ll also get the replay! cardwisetravel.com/nov18