The Thrifty Traveler Podcast · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Transferring credit card points to airline partners is generally the most effective way to maximize their value, often yielding 2-4 cents per point or more, compared to the 1 cent per point from travel portals. This strategy allows travelers to access better redemptions than booking directly through the bank's portal, even though it requires research to find the best options.
“The big reason why you transfer points is to unlock greater value and flexibility.”
“Finding the best way to redeem those points in order to book a flight for fewer points than it would cost during the Chase travel portal, that's the name of the game here. So it's not a slam dunk. You need to do the research. You need to compare the cost of sending your miles to say, Virgin Atlantic flying club to book a Virgin Atlantic flight versus just booking directly through the Chase travel portal. But, if you do the research, if you do the math, probably eight to nine times out of 10, you're gonna come out ahead. And in some cases, come out ahead by a lot.”