A new tradition: The 2024 TPG staff holiday wish list
It's easy to get swept up in the magic — and madness — of the holiday season. Between decorating, gathering gifts and prepping for the new year, there's so much to plan and keep track of at the end of December. And that's just those of us who don't travel for the holidays and have to contend with things like crowded airports and long security lines.
At TPG, the end of the year is typically a time when many of us inventory the cards we have in our wallets and double-check which perks and benefits we haven't taken advantage of yet. This helps us strategize what cards we'll apply for in the coming year and plan for future trips.
This got some of us thinking: What if making a wish list wasn't just for the kiddos this year? And so our 2024 holiday wish list was born.
Related: Our 2025 credit card predictions
Card-specific wishes
Because so many of us are frequent travelers, we're no strangers to cobranded hotel credit cards. Some of our favorites include the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees).
Most of these cards are part of a suite of products geared toward those who might stay at Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt properties — whether it's often or simply one or two nights a year.
Each card offers different ways to earn bonus points on stays with their respective hotel chains, among other perks like free night award certificates and room upgrades. While these perks are great, we think there's some room for improvement. Some things we'd love to see in 2025 include:
- A premium World of Hyatt card enter the market
- Bonus categories on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (apart from current ones for booking through Capital One Travel)
- A more flexible $300 Capital One travel credit when booked through Capital One Travel
- A premium Bilt Mastercard® (even if that means tacking on an annual fee) that offers perks and solid earning rates
- Lounge access (preferably Delta Sky Club lounge access) — without caveats — for Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card members
- The ability to consistently earn elevated reward rates (instead of on a rotating quarterly basis) on a Chase or American Express card for home improvement purchases or at home improvement retailers (like paint, lumber, appliances, garden supplies and light bulbs from places like Lowe's or The Home Depot, for example)
- The return of the restaurant credit to credit card Priority Pass memberships
- Any credit card issuer come up with a premium rewards card for people who don't live in a city (for example, Gopuff, Uber and Lyft credits are essentially useless for those who live in a far-flung suburb or rural area)
- Extension of Lyft benefits on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)
- Ability to join the waitlist for Chase lounges online (rather than at the door)
- Annual/anniversary loyalty bonuses on American Express cards
- More bonus categories on The Platinum Card® from American Express
The information for the Bilt Mastercard 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: Our 2024 credit card predictions and trends — what we got right and wrong
Loyalty program and points and miles wishes
When it comes to airline and hotel loyalty reward programs, TPG staffers would love to see things like:
- Hyatt getting rid of Club Access Awards for Globalists and replacing them with something more useful
- More useful benefits at Hyatt's Explorist status level
- Wells Fargo Rewards and/or Citi ThankYou Rewards adding Air Canada Aeroplan as a transfer partner
- Free breakfast for IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite members
- Guaranteed late checkout of at least 2 p.m. for Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond and IHG Diamond Elite members
- IHG letting you apply suite upgrade certificates online instead of needing to call 14 days before your stay
- Hyatt offering a true award calendar that shows availability instead of just pricing
- Hyatt eliminating expiration of free night awards
- Delta bringing back rollovers for Medallion Qualification Dollars
- A fifth or sixth night free on Hyatt award stays (even if it's only for cardholders or elite members)
Related: How to travel safely with Christmas presents
Additionally, some staffers mentioned that they'd like the ability to convert Citi ThankYou Rewards points to AAdvantage miles, while others disagreed because doing so could devalue AAdvantage miles. We'd also like to see Capital One add one of the big four U.S. airlines as a transfer partner in 2025.
Bottom line
The credit card, loyalty program and points and miles landscape constantly evolves. At TPG, we're always speculating about what's in the pipeline regarding our loyalty programs and the perks featured on the cards in our wallets — especially at the end of each year.
As we all prepare for a busy holiday season, we figured we'd take a crack at making our own holiday wish list to see what might stick in the coming year. Here's to hoping a few of our wishes come to fruition.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Unlimited up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Housing payments may include transaction fees, depending on the payment method
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.