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PointBagel Blog

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

All2026aialtitude-reserveamexamex-goldamex-platinumannual-feeannual-feesannual-reviewaudit

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

June 12, 2026 · 9 min read

The Sapphire Preferred Is Changing June 15: What Matters, What It Costs You, and the One Deadline to Know

Chase announced a Sapphire Preferred refresh on June 10, 2026, and the changes land June 15: new 3x categories, a doubled hotel credit, and a quiet 25% cut to Hyatt transfers. Here is every change with exact dates, what our algorithm says the card is worth, and what we built so your numbers stay right the moment it goes live.

chase · sapphire-preferred · ultimate-rewards

April 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Hotel Points Showdown: Hyatt vs Marriott vs Hilton vs IHG

Hyatt points are worth 1.8¢ each. Marriott: 0.7¢. IHG: 0.6¢. Hilton: 0.4¢. The gap is enormous, and it comes down to portfolio size, award pricing models, and how aggressively each chain dilutes its currency.

hotels · hyatt · marriott

March 3, 2026 · 8 min read

Understanding Cents Per Point: The Single Most Important Metric

Cents per point (CPP) is the one number that tells you whether a redemption is brilliant or terrible. Here's how to calculate it, why it varies so wildly, and the three-tier framework that makes sense of it all.

cpp · valuations · points-value