TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS

For ANY questions on travel rewards credit cards, contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com

I have cut most of the real estate in this section listing credit card offers. Because no one clicks them except me it appears, sad. It appears the Amex affiliate links are back though so at least we have some progress.

Of course we need to talk about Bilt. And how it announced a total revamp of the ridiculously complex program. What is this, version 6.9b(i) or what? First, the facts:

2027 Bilt Program Updates – Reddit

Bilt is Revamping Credit Card Benefits for 2027 (Discontinuing 4% Bilt Cash for New Applicants & More) – Doctor of Credit

Everyone had something to say about them. And the best takes were in this post by Travel Summary: Bilt’s Annual “Screw With Bilt Members” Update Is Here (Bring a Spreadsheet). I share his views so I am just going to excerpt a few parts so I can move on:

Every time I read about Bilt, and that includes the posts I write about Bilt myself, I want to laugh. It’s the only popular program that makes you pull out a spreadsheet (or a pen and paper) to figure out whether it’s going to make you money or cost you money. That’s not a feature of a good rewards program; that’s a feature of a tax return (everyone’s favorite thing, right?).

So why is it “popular”? My opinion, and I’ll own it: I’m convinced the only reason it gets called popular is that a lot of the big names in the points and miles world either have a stake in the company, have been wined and dined by Bilt, or depend so much on credit card commissions that they’ll say whatever sells a card. I said something similar back in 2022, when the card was being “pushed” by people with a financial interest in it who didn’t say so, and nothing since has changed my mind.

What Bilt needs isn’t another round of tweaks. It needs to tear the whole thing down and start over with something a normal person can explain at dinner. Until then, I’ll see you at the next update, which judging by the timeline above is due sometime around February.

TBB Wisdom: I despise Bilt. I warned that the 4% Cash will not last and here we go. I also predict it is not going to make it the full year (2027). Business model still relying on suckers giving up money (thanks Wells Fargo) and daddy’s billions to allow the son CEO to keep blowing money on extravagant slick NYC headquarters and having selfies with any celebrity he can bribe to come over to play a stupid game. Richard Kerr is milking it too, I probably would too. Remember Mesa. These opinions are completely my own and have no basis is reality, I am just exercising my First Amendment rights (TBB Legal Dept request, lol).

When articles like this make it to the Wall Street Journal you know this is no longer a hobby: The Cat-and-Mouse Game Between Premium Credit-Card Firms and Points Junkies. Wait, we are now a subculture? A subculture of people obsessed with reaping rewards is prompting banks to adjust to their evolving tactics. And it quotes someone at The Points Guy who says that the banks may be on to us. Seriously? Coming from someone who is, in my own humble opinion, primarily responsible for marketing so much plastic that this traditionally quirky and private community has jumped the shark bigly and now it is payback from the banks against us. So, you know, friends don’t let friends read The Points Guy.

Very interesting development: Amex no longer automatically linking Membership Rewards accounts. Why did Amex decide to do this now? Hopefully it is just a tech glitz. But would they copy what Chase did with the Chase Sapphire Reserve restricting 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt only to these cardholders while all others get relegated to suckier transfer ratios? It sure has that “feel” to it. We are past long held taboos in this space I am afraid. Chase started a big move downwards with breaking that 1:1 transfer ratio, which had held steady for ever.

The last travel rewards credit card I added to my collection was the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card. My site is not here to maximize revenue with pumping you my affiliate credit card links non stop. As so many other businesses have been doing for years. With the recent banking restrictions I am still shocked not many of these outfits have quit and moved on to sell something else yet. Anyway, I could be scoring more dinero if I would just pump marketing pieces non stop like this: 29 Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card. That’s just deep. I mean, 29 grabbed your eye balls’ interest, right? Nine of them are regular travel and purchase protections you get with every card, smh.

Citi is showing some signs of life: Citi Adds Copa Airlines as 1:1 Thank You Transfer Partner. Then again with Citi you never know.

Citi refreshed its Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard cards: Citi AAdvantage Card Changes Coming January 24, 2027. Please note that there are no changes for the no-fee MileUp card, Citi AAdvantage Globe or the premium Executive card. Annual fee for both cards goes up from $99 to $150. And some new benefits that are lukewarm at best imho, read the link for the full list.

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As of today, I have burned 817,815 miles/points year to date (after burning 1,893,248 miles/points in 2025  and 2,027,816 in 2024) and have 4,498,740 miles/points in the bank.