Travel & Dining

Optimize points, perks, and everyday spend

Math-first travel rewards. See what your points are actually worth, find the right card setup for your spending, and know exactly when a premium card pays for itself.

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Best current bonus: Amex Platinum up to 175K pts (~$3,500 value) · CSR 125K pts (~$2,562)

Updated April 2026 · Offer windows change — check before applying

Setup calculator Points values index

Best travel cards — April 2026

Ranked by first-year net value

Net value = welcome bonus value − annual fee. All valuations at conservative CPP averages.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

8× travel via Chase, 4× flights & hotels direct, 3× dining

Heavy travelers who use all credits

Capital One Venture X

5× on hotels/cars via Cap1 Travel, 2× everywhere

Best value premium card — easiest to break even

Welcome bonus

75,000 miles + $250 travel credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred

5× Chase Travel, 3× dining & streaming, 2× travel

Best starter travel card — lowest effective fee

4× dining worldwide, 4× US groceries, 3× flights

High dining & grocery spenders

Valuations: Chase UR 2.05¢ · Amex MR 2.0¢ · Cap1 1.85¢ per point. Net value assumes welcome bonus is earned. Past offers may differ.

Best dining cards

Maximize restaurants, takeout, and everyday meals

Worldwide dining + US groceries combo

Chase Sapphire Reserve

$795/yr

Dining3×

Groceries1×

Dining as part of a full premium travel setup

Bilt Mastercard

$0/yr

Dining3× on dining days, 2× normally

Groceries1×

No-fee dining + rent payments combo

Simple flat dining + entertainment rewards

Points values index

What your points are actually worth

Updated Apr 2026 · CPP = cents per point

Conservative valuations based on realistic redemptions — not best-case premium cabin bookings. TPG data-backed for 12 programs.

Bilt Rewards

Rent payments earn points — unique to Bilt

2.20¢

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Best transfer roster for domestic travel

2.05¢

Amex Membership Rewards

Centurion lounge access + airline transfers

2.00¢

Citi ThankYou Points

Turkish Miles&Smiles transfer sweet spot

1.90¢

Capital One Miles

Simple 2×/all-purchases structure

1.85¢

Wells Fargo Rewards

Good for non-travel everyday spend

1.65¢

World of Hyatt

Best hotel redemption value by far

1.70¢

Marriott Bonvoy

Category 1-4 properties offer best value

0.75¢

Hilton Honors

High points earn offsets low cpp value

0.40¢

Delta SkyMiles

No award chart — value varies widely

1.20¢

United MileagePlus

Strong partner network, saver availability key

1.35¢

Alaska Atmos Rewards

Great for West Coast travelers

1.40¢

Source: TPG April 2026 monthly valuations. Data-backed for 12 programs using reservation pricing data. These are target values — actual value depends on your redemptions.

Transfer partners

Where your points can go

Chase Ultimate Rewards

10 partners

United MileagePlus

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Air Canada Aeroplan

Virgin Atlantic

Iberia

British Airways Avios

World of Hyatt

IHG One Rewards

Marriott Bonvoy

All transfers at 1:1 ratio unless noted

Amex Membership Rewards

8 partners

Delta SkyMiles

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

British Airways Avios

Singapore KrisFlyer

ANA Mileage Club

Hilton Honors

Marriott Bonvoy

All transfers at 1:1 ratio unless noted

Capital One Miles

6 partners

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Turkish Miles&Smiles

Virgin Atlantic

Wyndham Rewards

Accor

All transfers at 1:1 ratio unless noted

Travel + Dining Setup Calculator

Is a premium card worth it for your spending?

Enter your monthly spend in 4 categories. Get your annual value for a 1-card, 2-card, and premium setup — including fee break-even and recommended cards.

Open Setup Calculator

Monthly dining spend

$800/mo → $960/yr in Amex Gold points (4×)

Monthly travel spend

$500/mo → $400/yr in CSR points (3×)

Annual fee vs. credits

$695 Amex Plat fee − $2,000+ credits = net positive

Break-even threshold

How much to spend to justify any annual fee

Bonus alerts

Get notified when top bonuses change

Welcome offers on the best travel cards change frequently — sometimes by 50,000+ points. Free email alert when a tracked card bonus increases.

Set bonus alert