It is time to begin the brand new 12 months off proper, and which will imply lastly redeeming your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value. Or, maybe you may earn American Airlines Advantage status out of your lounge sofa utilizing American Airways Loyalty Points.
From choosing the best Marriott Choice Benefit to selecting the right airline for your American Express airline fee credit, this is an summary of some factors and miles subjects to think about as you agree into 2024.
Select your Marriott Selection advantages
When you accrued 50 or extra elite nights with Marriott Bonvoy in 2023, you may need to choose your Marriott Selection Advantages by the Jan. 7 deadline.
When you attain 50 elite nights in a calendar 12 months, you’ll be able to select one of many following:
- 5 elite evening credit (towards your 2023 elite nights)
- 5 Suite Night time Awards
- A $1,000 low cost in your favourite Marriott resort mattress
- A $100 charity donation
- A present of Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite standing for a member of the family, buddy or colleague
When you accrue 75 elite nights in a calendar 12 months, you may get a further choice. Except for the choices you obtain when you attain 50 elite nights, you may additionally get to decide on if you would like to reward Gold Elite (quite than Silver Elite) standing or add the choice of a free evening certificates price as much as 40,000 factors.
When you do not select by Jan. 7, Marriott will mechanically select Suite Night Awards for you.
Associated: The complete guide to earning Marriott elite status with credit cards
Change your airline for the Amex price credit score
These with an American Express card that points an annual airline price credit score have till Jan. 31 every year to alter the airline they’ve chosen for the credit score. When you do nothing, your choice will stay what it was the earlier 12 months.
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Among the American Specific playing cards that supply annual airline price credit embrace:
Amex says you should utilize the airline price credit for “incidental charges resembling checked baggage, in-flight refreshments, and flight change charges” that you just pay to your chosen airline utilizing an enrolled card.
Associated: Amex Platinum card review: High annual fee with loads of perks
Earn the coveted Southwest Companion Move
Whether or not you need to fly to Aruba, Jamaica, Hawaii or Nebraska, usually talking, the sooner within the 12 months you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, the higher.
Southwest increased the Companion Pass requirement from 125,000 to 135,000 Companion Move qualifying factors (it’s also possible to earn the cross after 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar 12 months). Nonetheless, Southwest cardholders now take pleasure in an annual enhance of 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors towards Companion Move qualification.
When you surpass the brink to earn a Companion Move, your designated companion can fly free of charge with you on Southwest (apart from the price of taxes) for the remainder of the calendar 12 months during which it is earned and the next calendar 12 months. Which means you’ll be able to earn the cross now and have it by way of Dec. 31, 2025.
When you’re striving to earn the Companion Move, signing up for a brand new Southwest credit card will help. In any case, sign-up bonuses from Southwest bank cards rely towards the 135,000 Companion Move qualifying factors wanted to earn a Companion Move. Nonetheless, different incomes actions — together with shopping for Speedy Rewards factors — will not rely in your quest for the Companion Move.
Associated: How to use the Southwest Companion Pass
Choose Delta Selection Advantages
Like Marriott, Delta Air Traces awards its higher-tier elite members with Choice Benefits. You get one choice if you qualify for Platinum Medallion standing and three picks if you qualify for Diamond Medallion standing.
Sadly, the timing for selecting these perks is not all the time clear. Delta makes use of the time period “Medallion 12 months” when describing this deadline, which might (understandably) result in confusion.
In brief, you earn the subsequent 12 months of standing based mostly on the earlier calendar 12 months’s price of flying. So, your qualifying exercise from Jan. 1, 2023, by way of Dec. 31, 2023, earned you standing for the 2024 Medallion 12 months.
So, what does this imply for Selection Advantages? Right here it’s in less complicated phrases:
When you earned Platinum and/or Diamond Medallion standing based mostly in your qualifying exercise within the 2022 calendar 12 months and you have not chosen your Selection Profit(s), you have to achieve this by Jan. 31, 2024.
When you do not choose earlier than the deadline, the choice(s) will disappear completely, by no means to return.
It is also price stating that for those who nonetheless have not made a range in your 2023 Medallion 12 months, fastidiously contemplate when the advantages you choose will expire. Chances are you’ll need to choose advantages resembling bonus miles or a journey voucher, as these do not expire on the finish of the Medallion 12 months related together with your Selection Advantages.
You may additionally have Selection Advantages to pick out out of your 2023 flying exercise (2024 Medallion 12 months). You are welcome to choose these now, however they are going to stay accessible till Jan. 31, 2025.
Associated: Delta makes it harder to earn Medallion status in 2024, adds new Choice Benefit options
Use your journey and different credit
Some bank card journey credit reset with the calendar 12 months, and a few function by cardmember 12 months (i.e., if you have been first permitted for the cardboard). Regardless, it is a good time of 12 months to see when your accessible journey credit reset and put them to good use.
Along with the Amex airline price credit already talked about, this is a have a look at among the different travel-related credit you may need:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: $300 annual credit score for purchases made by way of Capital One Journey
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: As much as $300 for journey purchases every account anniversary 12 months (although it’s based mostly on a calendar 12 months for those who obtained the cardboard earlier than Could 21, 2017)
- Citi Prestige® Card: As much as $250 for journey purchases every calendar 12 months
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: As much as a $100 assertion credit score for qualifying airline incidental price transactions yearly
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: As much as a $50 assertion credit score every calendar quarter (January by way of March, April by way of June, July by way of September and October by way of December) on flight purchases made by way of amextravel.com or with the airline instantly; earn as much as $200 in assertion credit semi-annually (as much as $400 yearly) on eligible purchases made at collaborating Hilton resorts together with your Hilton Amex Aspire Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: As much as $200 annual assertion credit score if you ebook a pay as you go fee by way of Amex Wonderful Resorts + Resorts with American Specific Journey (this profit will also be used on stays of two nights or extra at properties in The Lodge Assortment)
The knowledge for the Citi Status and Hilton Aspire playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
You may additionally have journey credit with airways. In that case, now is an efficient time to make a plan for utilizing these credit.
A couple of well-liked rewards playing cards produce other non-travel-related credit that reset on Jan. 1, resembling:
- As much as $50 Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit is issued twice yearly for these with the Amex Platinum — as soon as from January to June after which a second as much as $50 assertion credit score legitimate from July to December. Enrollment Required.
- As much as $200 Dell statement credit is issued twice yearly for these with the Amex Enterprise Platinum — as soon as from January to June after which a second as much as $200 assertion credit score legitimate from July to December. Enrollment Required.
Associated: Which travel credits are the easiest to redeem?
Expend your elite standing perks
With many airways and inns, you have to requalify for standing by the tip of every calendar 12 months. However for those who do not requalify, you typically preserve your standing till the tip of January or February.
In brief, you might have a month or two of “free” standing for those who did not requalify. As such, the start of the 12 months is a perfect alternative to make use of up elite standing perks left over from the earlier 12 months, resembling airline or suite upgrades and potential status matches to other programs. Generally, you’ll be able to even use improve certificates for buddies, relying on this system’s guidelines, so they do not all the time must go to waste simply since you aren’t touring within the subsequent few weeks.
Associated: When does airline elite status expire?
Label your playing cards to maximise your advantages
What are your award travel goals for the year? If you wish to sip a mango smoothie in a Balinese rainforest or frolic down the Champs-Elysees, chances are you’ll need to add a hotel credit card that offers an annual free night to your pockets.
Do you want extra Alaska Airways miles to snag a great deal on a partner award? In that case, time to crank your Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card into common rotation.
Brush up in your present bonus classes and targets for the 12 months. Chances are you’ll need to reallocate your spending among the many playing cards you presently maintain. Or, perhaps you may understand it is a good time to choose up a brand new travel rewards card and spend a certain quantity to obtain a welcome bonus.
No matter journey targets and bank cards you choose, it is useful to label these playing cards with the profit you are chasing and the cardboard’s bonus classes so you do not miss out on optimizing your spending.
Associated: Best credit cards
Do not forget that annual limits reset
When you’ve maxed out reserving fourth-night-free stays with the Citi Prestige (capped at two per calendar 12 months), hit the utmost yearly bonus restrict for six% again at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $6,000 per calendar 12 months in purchases, then 1%) on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express or reached one other related restrict in 2023, that is the magic time of 12 months when lots of the clocks reset.
Not all playing cards reset bonus spending limits by calendar 12 months, although. It is necessary to fastidiously evaluate your on-line advantages information to make sure you do not sacrifice any bonus factors.
Associated: Free elite status, bonus points and more: Credit cards offering rewards for annual spend
Backside line
There’s lots to do initially of the 12 months to set the remainder of the 12 months off proper — particularly in relation to points, miles and credit card rewards. Nonetheless, a bit of further work now doubtless means you may maximize your rewards in 2024.
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