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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
Fly to Ireland for only 13K Bilt Rewards points, and 4 more ways to redeem points for maximum value
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note: TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Bilt Rewards points are recognized for their strong value and unique mix of airline and hotel transfer partners, making them a versatile travel currency.
You can earn points by paying rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per year), and redeem them for flights or hotel stays through various loyalty programs.
Notable redemptions include economy flights to Ireland for 13,000 points, business-class flights to Spain for 34,000 points, and hotel nights starting at 3,500 points when transferred to select partners.
TPG values Bilt Rewards points at 2.2 cents each as of June 2024, with opportunities to achieve even higher value through strategic redemptions.
What to consider
Some of the highlighted offers are no longer available; check current options before planning.
Award rates often require booking on off-peak dates, and taxes and fees (such as $200+ round-trip to Ireland or $100+ each way to Spain) may apply.
To earn points, you must make at least five monthly transactions, and there are annual limits on rent-based earning.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed step-by-step guides for booking high-value flights and hotel stays using Bilt Rewards points, including tips for maximizing availability and value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
In just a few years, Bilt Rewards has cemented itself as one of the most valuable travel rewards programs. Bilt Rewards points are one of our favorite rewards currencies to collect, and the Bilt Mastercard® was named the Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Card at the 2023 TPG Awards. This is largely because of its interesting collection of transfer partners, including some that competing programs with transferable points (like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards) have been unable to capture.
The main draw of Bilt is that you can earn Bilt Points when you pay your rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year). By doing this, you can quite easily end up with 20,000-plus points annually that you wouldn't otherwise have earned. Plus, the Bilt Mastercard provides a solid return rate on common non-rent expenses, such as dining and travel. Just note that you'll have to make five monthly transactions to earn points.
But what should you do with your Bilt Rewards points? Let's look at five ways to maximize Bilt Rewards for your upcoming travels.
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.
Fly to Ireland in Aer Lingus economy for 13,000 Bilt points
A pub in Dublin. WALTER BIBIKOW/GETTY IMAGES
When you transfer Bilt points to Aer Lingus (the flag carrier of Ireland), you can fly to Dublin or Shannon for as little as 13,000 Avios each way on the following routes:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Dublin Airport (DUB) and Shannon Airport (SNN)
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to DUB
Bradley International Airport (BDL) to DUB
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to DUB
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to DUB and SNN
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to DUB
Dulles International Airport (IAD) to DUB
AVIOS.COM
That's a great deal — especially considering many other airlines charge more than twice that amount to reach Europe. But note that Aer Lingus passes along just enough taxes and fees to irritate. Expect to pay $200-plus round-trip.
To get these low prices, you'll have to fly on off-peak dates (you can click here to view Aer Lingus' award calendar). Otherwise, you'll pay around 20,000 Avios each way. To learn more about this trick, read our complete guide to using Avios to fly to Ireland.
A room at the Hyatt Place Indianapolis / Fishers. HYATT
One of the best uses for Bilt points is to transfer them to Hyatt for "free" nights at a hotel. Since World of Hyatt uses a fixed award chart, you can easily find out how many points you will be charged for a room at one of its properties.
Hyatt charges from as little as 3,500 points per night for modest roadside hotels (Category 1) on off-peak dates to up to 45,000 points per night for luxury hotels (Category 8) on peak travel dates.
The best value will often come when booking either low-end or luxury hotel stays. For example, the unmemorable Hyatt Place Indianapolis / Fishers (Category 2) is a convenient hotel for road-trippers. It costs as little as 6,500 points per night when booking a standard room on an off-peak date.
But that same room on the same night can cost you around $200 in cash. That means you're getting a value of about 3.07 cents per point by booking this room.
Hyatt has a healthy selection of luxury properties that can net you a similar return when transferring your Bilt points to the World of Hyatt program. Read our guide to Hyatt award charts for more details.
Book Qatar Qsuite before anyone else with Bilt points
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business class is one of the best seats in the sky. ZACH HONIG/THE POINTS GUY
If you're not acquainted with Qatar Airways' Qsuite business-class seats, know that they're some of the best in the world. Qsuite is most famous for giving travelers sitting right next to each other the ability to create a double bed during the flight.
The most popular way to book Qatar Qsuite seats is with American Airlines miles, as it tends to be the cheapest. However, if you transfer your Bilt points to British Airways instead of American Airlines, you can convert your rewards into Qatar Airways Avios. Depending on the route you're flying, it can be a bit more expensive — but you'll be able to book flights an entire month further out than American Airlines will allow. This means you should have an easy time finding award availability.
For example, you can book Qsuite on American Airlines up to 330 days in the future. But you can book these seats with Qatar Airways Avios up to 361 days in the future.
This should give you the first crack at award seats before those using other award currencies.
Note: British Airways allows you to book seats up to 355 days into the future — so you'll have a little less than a week to book flights before those using British Airways Avios.
Fly to Europe in Iberia business class for 34,000 Bilt points
Business class on an Iberia Airbus A350. CHRISTIAN KRAMER/THE POINTS GUY
An extremely cheap way to reach Europe with Bilt points is by transferring them to Iberia. You can fly to Spain in a lie-flat business-class seat for as little as 34,000 Iberia Avios each way on the following routes:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MAD
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to MAD and BCN
IBERIA.COM
These prices apply only for off-peak dates. On peak dates, you'll pay 50,000 Avios each way. You can click here to see Iberia's award calendar.
Other airlines routinely charge 60,000-plus miles to fly to Europe in a business-class seat. Just note that Iberia will charge over $100 each way in taxes and fees.
Fly to Hawaii in United Airlines economy for 7,500 Bilt points
A beach in Maui. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Turkish Airlines offers one of the sweetest deals in air travel. Because of this, it can be difficult to find availability — everyone wants to book it.
Turkish Airlines is a partner of United Airlines. You can use Turkish Airlines miles to book domestic United Airlines flights (including to Hawaii) at the following rates:
7,500 miles one-way in economy
12,500 miles one-way in business class
TURKISHAIRLINES.COM
While it’s difficult to find a business-class flight to Hawaii, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding economy flights as long as you stick to a United Airlines hub as your origin airport and are flexible on when you fly.
Bilt Rewards points are extremely versatile, with perhaps the best mix of travel partners offered by any flexible points program. TPG estimates Bilt Rewards points are worth 2.2 cents each — but there are endless ways to get even more value from them if you put some strategy into it.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
