How to Travel Like a Pro With Points and Miles in September 2024
Conrad Los Angeles
It is hard to believe, but fall—and the best points and miles deals for September—is here already, which means it’s time to begin planning trips for the holidays and get a head start on using those hotel points, airline miles, and credit card benefits for your next trip. To do that, however, you need a healthy stash of loyalty currencies to get you there. These are the latest promotions and credit card benefits to know for September.
Earn extra points this month with hotels and airlines, even by donating to a good cause
Hilton Honors has a deal they’re calling a “Power Up,” which offers 2,500 bonus points on each stay you book with Hilton. To participate, you must register online; the promo is available between now and the end of the year. Those extra points can come in handy when staying at hotels in the Hilton portfolio like Conrad Los Angeles or Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam.
Best Western Rewards has a deal where you can rack up double the points when staying at any Best Western-branded property, now through November 18. Be sure to register before your first stay at one of Best Western’s nearly two dozen brands.
World of Hyatt members who book through the brand’s vacation rental program Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt can earn triple points for rentals. This means you could earn 15 points per dollar you spend, on top of any additional elite status or credit card bonuses to which you’re entitled. There is no registration required for this promotion, and no limit to the number of points you can earn, but you must book by November 3. Additionally, any stays at hotels belonging to Hyatt’s Unbound Collection earn an extra 1,000 bonus points per night; registration is required by October 31, and members can earn a maximum of 20,000 points with this offer. Hotels in the Unbound Collection include the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London and New York’s The Chatwal.
Marriott Bonvoy has a couple of its own fall promotions: When you stay two or more nights at any Marriott property around the world, you earn 2,000 bonus points. Furthermore, thanks to Marriott's new partnership with MGM Resorts, Marriott Bonvoy members get an extra 4,000 points per stay at any MGM Collection property, like the Mandalay Bay or Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. You have until November 12 to register for the promotion, but the window for eligible stays is between September 10 to November 26.
Another promotion for the fall season: If you redeem Marriott Bonvoy points to book four nights at select hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America, you get a fifth night for free. On top of that, you also receive a $200 credit to use during the stay. Participating hotels include The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Mexico, The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, and The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa in Costa Rica, among many others. You must make your booking by October 1 to take advantage of this offer, but your travel dates can go up to November 19.
And finally, American AAdvantage members who donate to Stand Up to Cancer earn miles while supporting cancer research. This is the eighth year the airline has teamed up with the organization, where a donation of at least $25 will earn 25 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent between now and September 30. Meaning: A $25 donation will net you 625 AAdvantage miles
Get elite status with these airlines faster
For select members, American AAdvantage and World of Hyatt currently have a promotion: You can use your elite status with the hotel to upgrade your status with the airline to the corresponding tier; for example, World of Hyatt members with Explorist status—the program’s middle tier for loyalists—are eligible to have Aadvantage Platinum status for four months. Then, if they earn 25,000 Loyalty Points within that time period, they can keep the status for a year. Hyatt Globalists (the highest tier) receive Aadvantage Platinum Pro—and even have the chance to reach top-tier Executive Platinum. Log into your World of Hyatt account to see if you have an offer.
Worried about making your status goals with Delta SkyMiles this year? Now through September 30, you can earn Medallion Qualification Dollars—or MQDs, the metric that determines your status for the coming year—when booking a hotel, rental car or vacation rental. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone not flying in the next couple of months (maybe you’re road tripping instead), but would still like to stay on track for elite status with Delta. Travel must be completed by the end of October.
JetBlue TrueBlue currently has a status match offer: Travelers who have elite status with the loyalty programs of Alaska, American, Delta, and United can get the corresponding elite status within JetBlue’s Mosaic program. All you have to do is complete a form online.
Buy points and miles—earn a bonus
If you purchase airline miles with JetBlue TrueBlue between now and September 13, you receive a 125% bonus. For example, if you buy 3,000 points, you earn an extra 3.750, for a total of 6,750 points. You can use those points to fly on any JetBlue flight—and if you participated in the status match from another airline, you could enjoy Mosaic elite status during your travels.
IHG One Rewards members are eligible for a mystery bonus when buying points to top up their account, through September 7, so act fast. The amount of that bonus will vary for each member, but could be as much as an extra 100%—doubling the points you get, rather like a buy-one-get-one promo. Use those points at IHG hotels like the Regent Hong Kong or The Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel.
The Leading Hotels of the World group of luxury hotels has a rewarding loyalty program called Leaders Club. It gives all members free perks like breakfast and late checkout considerations, among other advantages. For their promotion this month: Buy Leaders Club points, now through September 27, you get bonus points, up to 100% on top of the purchased amount, depending on how much you buy. You can use these points at hotels like Gran Hotel Inglés in Madrid and Halekulani in Honolulu.
Take advantage of new—and extended—credit card perks
Chase is extending its partnership with DoorDash, which means Chase Sapphire cards get to keep their food delivery perks through 2027: Eligible cardholders receive a DoorDash DashPass membership for discounts on orders as well as monthly credits for deliveries from grocery and convenience stores (or other non-restaurant orders). For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the J.P. Morgan Reserve both get two $10 credits to use each month.
Furthermore, Chase cardholders with Priority Pass access now have a new place to relax in the airport: more than a dozen XpresSpa airport locations. You can simply flash your Priority Pass card issued from either your Chase Sapphire Reserve, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, or J.P. Morgan Reserve to enjoy a free 25-minute Zero Gravity massage chair.
Bank of America cardholders can now take advantage of free access to more than 200 museums around the country during the first full weekend of each month as part of its “Museums on Us” program. Show an eligible credit card and photo ID at places like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston for a comp ticket. There are numerous eligible cards, including the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card and the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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