Points guide
Get more from the points you already have.
Card points are only worth something once they reach an airline program. Here is where yours can go, what the exchange rate means, and when paying with points makes sense.
1 · Your points
Where can my points go?
Each card program has its own short list of airline partners. Pick yours to see which programs Honeyroute can search with it, at what rate.
Choose your card points
Bilt Rewards can move to 8 airline programs that Honeyroute searches.
You move
50,000
Bilt points
You receive
50,000
Aeroplan
- Ratio 1:1
Air Canada Aeroplan
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Aeroplan
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
- Ratio 1:1
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Flying Blue
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
- Ratio 1:1
United MileagePlus
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 United miles
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
- Ratio 1:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Virgin Points
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
- Ratio 1:1
Alaska Atmos Rewards
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Alaska Atmos
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
- Ratio 1:1
Etihad Guest
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Etihad Guest
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- From a published valuation guide
- Ratio 1:1
Emirates Skywards
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Skywards
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- From a published valuation guide
- Ratio 1:1
British Airways Avios
10,000 Bilt points become 10,000 Avios
- Timing
- Up to 48 hours, by the card program’s own figure
- Value we use
- Honeyroute’s own estimate
See every card and airline program at once
| Airline program | Bilt | Amex MR | Chase UR | Citi ThankYou | Capital One |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | No transfer | 1:1 | No transfer | No transfer |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | No transfer | 1:1 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 1:1 | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer |
| British Airways Avios | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | No transfer | 1:1 |
| American AAdvantage | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer | 1:1 | No transfer |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | No transfer | No transfer | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Finnair Plus | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer | 1:1 |
| Aeromexico Rewards | No transfer | 1:1.6 | No transfer | No transfer | 1:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles | No transfer | 1:1 | No transfer | No transfer | No transfer |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | No transfer | 1:1 | No transfer | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | No transfer | 1:0.8 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:0.6 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | 1:0.8 | No transfer | 1:0.8 | 1:0.75 |
A dot means that card doesn’t transfer to that program. You can still use miles you already hold in any airline program listed in the search form.
2 · Ratios
What does a ratio mean?
The ratio is how many airline miles you get for each card point. 1:1 means one for one. Anything else changes how many card points an award really costs.
A 60,000-mile award at 1:0.8 needs 75,000 card points, not 60,000.
- 1:1
10,000 Bilt points 10,000 Aeroplan
34 transfer paths use this rate
- 1:0.8
10,000 Amex MR points 8,000 TrueBlue
3 transfer paths use this rate
- 1:1.6
10,000 Amex MR points 16,000 Aeromexico
1 transfer path uses this rate
- 1:0.75
10,000 Capital One miles 7,500 Skywards
1 transfer path uses this rate
- 1:0.6
10,000 Capital One miles 6,000 TrueBlue
1 transfer path uses this rate
3 · Cash or points
Is it worth paying with points?
Work out what each point is replacing. Here is one seat priced both ways.
Pay cash
$1,040
The regular fare for the seat.
Pay with points
55,000 Flying Blue
plus $86 in taxes and fees.
$86 you still pay in taxes and fees
$954 the points replace
÷ 55,000 = 1.73¢ a point
Step 1
The points replace $954 of cash: the fare minus the taxes you still pay.
Step 2
Divide by 55,000 points: each one is worth about 1.73¢ on this trip.
Step 3
Honeyroute counts Flying Blue at 1.3¢ a point (our own estimate). This trip gets more than that, so the points are doing well here.
The fare, award price and taxes are illustrative numbers, not a live offer. The 1.3¢ rate is the one Honeyroute uses for Flying Blue today.
How results use this
Every option shows the points and the cash separately. To compare options that use different programs, the points are also converted at these per-point rates into an estimated trip value: here $715 of points plus $86 cash, about $801 against the $1,040 fare.
Where the rates come from
For 6 airline programs the rate comes from a published third-party valuation guide. For the other 9 it is Honeyroute’s own estimate. Both are approximations. Each result’s price breakdown shows the rate it used, and your own value for your points may differ.
4 · Before you transfer
Check these four things first.
Transfers are usually one way. Once points are in an airline program, you generally can’t move them back.
- 1
Find the seat on the airline program’s site
Same flight, date and cabin. Award space changes often, and what you see here was last checked by a third-party data source.
- 2
Confirm the points and the taxes
Check the exact miles and the cash taxes and fees the program asks for. They can differ from what was shown.
- 3
Check your own card’s terms
Make sure your card transfers to that program, and at what rate for your account.
- 4
Transfer, then book promptly
Transfers usually can’t be undone, and a seat can disappear while points are on their way.
Good to know
The fine print, when you want it
How long do transfers take?
Only some card programs publish a figure, and the guide above shows it as theirs: Amex gives an estimate, Bilt gives an upper limit. The others don’t publish one, so we don’t guess. Many transfers are quick, but some take days, and a seat can go while you wait.
Why do taxes and fees vary so much?
Award tickets still carry government taxes, and some programs add their own fees. Two awards that cost the same miles can cost very different cash, which is why every option shows the cash part on its own.
What are separate tickets, and why do they matter?
Some of the best options are two bookings: an award to one city and a separate ticket onward. If the first flight is late, the second airline doesn’t have to rebook you, and you may need to collect bags and check in again. Leave a generous connection, and check entry and transit rules for every country on the way.
Can I book a partner airline with these miles?
Often, yes. Many programs book seats on partner airlines, so the program you use doesn’t have to be the airline you fly. Results show which program to book with for each ticket.
See the options for your own trip
Pick your route, date and the points you hold. Searches take one to three minutes.