PointBagel Blog

Point valuation updates, strategy insights, and credit card news.

All 2026 aeroplan ai air-canada airline-status altitude-reserve amex amex-gold amex-platinum amtrak

August 1, 2026 · 10 min read

Amex Added Leading Hotels of the World at 4:1, Its Most Valuable Hotel Transfer

American Express quietly added The Leading Hotels of the World's Leaders Club as its 20th transfer partner on July 28, 2026, at 4:1. It is the most valuable hotel transfer Amex offers, and there is no award chart behind it: reward nights are priced off each hotel's own published cash rate. Here is what Leaders Club points are worth, and why our Amex valuation went up when the partner landed.

amex · membership-rewards · transfer-partners

March 25, 2026 · 11 min read

Is the Amex Platinum Worth It in 2026? A Brutally Honest Break-Even Analysis

The Amex Platinum comes with $2,233 in credits against an $895 annual fee - but most people use less than half of them. Here is a realistic look at who should get it and why the card is overrated for most people.

amex-platinum · annual-fee · break-even

March 13, 2026 · 8 min read

The Best Credit Cards for Dining Out in 2026

The Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire cards all claim to be top dining cards - but when you run the actual numbers, the differences are more nuanced than the marketing suggests.

dining · amex-gold · chase-sapphire

March 9, 2026 · 9 min read

The Best Credit Cards for Groceries in 2026

From the Amex Gold's 4x Membership Rewards to the no-fee Citi Custom Cash, here's exactly which grocery card makes sense at every spend level - and why the earning caps matter more than you think.

groceries · amex-gold · citi-custom-cash