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PointBagel Blog

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

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September 24, 2026 · 6 min read

Bilt Points Now Transfer to Amtrak at 2 to 1, Worth About 1.3 Cents Each

On September 23, 2026, Bilt added Amtrak Guest Rewards as a transfer partner at 2 Bilt Points to 1 Amtrak point. Amtrak prices reward travel off the cash fare, so we value Guest Rewards points at 2.6 cents on every train and in every class. At 2 to 1, a transfer returns about half of our default Bilt value. It can still make sense for a trip you'd buy with cash anyway, and Bilt's minimums, the account link and Amtrak's 24-month expiry rule all apply.

bilt · amtrak · transfer-partners

September 23, 2026 · 8 min read

Citi Added Japan Airlines as a Transfer Partner. Here Is What It Did to a ThankYou Point.

On September 20, 2026, Citi ThankYou Points started transferring to JAL Mileage Bank at 1:1 on the annual-fee cards, with a 30 percent launch bonus through October 24 and a quieter 25 percent Avianca bonus on the same window. We read it from Citi's own partner table the day it went live. Here is what the new partner is good for, and why our published value of a ThankYou point moved by two hundredths of a cent rather than more.

citi · thankyou-points · transfer-partners

August 20, 2026 · 5 min read

U.S. Bank Finally Launched Transfer Partners. Only One Card Can Use Them.

After promising transfer partners for December 2025 and then going quiet for eight months, U.S. Bank turned them on - then spent its first three weeks reshuffling the roster. Altitude points now move to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Qantas, Ethiopian ShebaMiles and Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1, and to ALL Accor at 2:1. The catch: only the Altitude Reserve can transfer, and that card has been closed to new applicants since November 2024.

us-bank · transfer-partners · altitude-reserve

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 6, 2026 · 10 min read

How Credit Card Transfer Partners Work: The Complete Explainer

Transfer partners are the reason flexible points currencies are worth 2-3x more than cash back. Here's exactly how they work, when to use them, and why ratios matter more than you think.

transfer-partners · beginners · strategy