Learn how to Get a (Almost) Free Trip to Europe Simply by Paying Your Lease

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As a bank card editor, I see lots of card offers — nevertheless it’s uncommon that I discover one I am excited to leap on myself. 

That is why, when the Bilt Mastercard’s Might Lease Day deal landed in my inbox, I knew I needed to share it… proper after I checked my very own Bilt account to see if I had sufficient factors to take benefit. 

On the primary of each month (aka “Lease Day”), Bilt normally drops a brand new particular promotion. For Might, the Bilt Mastercard is providing a 100% switch bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, on Might 1 solely. Should you stack this take care of Flying Blue’s personal month-to-month promo rewards — discounted fares for choose routes that change every month — you would probably ebook a flight to Europe for six,000 Bilt factors a method (or 12,000 factors spherical journey), plus taxes and charges. 

Here is every thing that you must know concerning the Bilt Mastercard, the deal, and the flights accessible — and the ideas and methods to get essentially the most out of this card and bonus.

Concerning the card

Card Highlights

Intro SupplyN/A

APRSee Phrases

Intro Buy APRN/A

Really helpful Credit scoreGlorious, Good

Reward Charges

• 3x factors on eating
• 2x factors on journey
• 1x factors on different purchases
• Earn as much as 1x factors on lease funds with out the transaction payment, as much as 100,000 factors every calendar 12 months. While you make at the very least 5 posted transactions in an announcement interval utilizing your Bilt Mastercard, you may earn factors on lease and qualifying internet purchases.

Annual ChargeNone

Extra Particulars

Stability Switch APRSee Phrases

Stability Switch ChargeIntroductory payment of both $5 or 3% of the quantity of every stability switch, whichever is larger, for 120 days from account opening. After that, as much as 5% for every stability switch, with a minimal of $5.

Late Cost ChargeAs much as $40

Overseas Transaction Charges$0

Penalty APRNONE

Rewards & Redemption Particulars

• 3x factors on eating
• 2x factors on journey
• 1x factors on different purchases
• Earn as much as 1x factors on lease funds with out the transaction payment, as much as 100,000 factors every calendar 12 months. While you make at the very least 5 posted transactions in an announcement interval utilizing your Bilt Mastercard, you may earn factors on lease and qualifying internet purchases.

The Bilt Mastercard is a no-annual-fee card that gives a novel worth proposition: It means that you can pay lease together with your bank card and earn rewards, whereas avoiding the transaction charges you may sometimes face when attempting to pay lease with another bank card. While you join the cardboard, you may obtain a novel routing quantity and account quantity tied to your card that allows you to pay lease via a web based portal as in case you’re paying with an ACH transaction, which is usually payment free. You will earn 1 level per greenback spent (as much as 100,000 factors every calendar 12 months). In case your landlord or condo complicated solely accepts lease funds by way of test, you may also have Bilt mail a test as a substitute and nonetheless earn 1x factors on the transaction. 

Along with incomes factors on lease funds, you may additionally earn 3x factors on eating, 2x factors on journey and 1x factors on different purchases — a decent rewards charge for a no-annual-fee card. Then on the primary of each month, or “Lease Day,” you may earn double factors on all nonrent purchases (as much as 10,000 bonus factors). This boosts your rewards charge to 6x factors on eating, 4x factors on journey and 2x factors on all different purchases for that day solely. You will have to make 5 purchases every month together with your Bilt card to qualify for lease factors and factors on qualifying internet purchases.

Redeeming Bilt factors

Bilt gives a number of level redemption choices, together with credit score towards your lease funds, Store with Factors at Amazon.com and unique merchandise, however there’s solely actually one possibility that is price spending your factors on: transferring your factors to journey companions.

Bilt has 12 airline companions and two lodge companions. You’ll be able to switch your factors to a accomplice in increments of 1,000 or 2,000 (relying in your Bilt Rewards Standing) at a 1:1 switch ratio. However often Bilt gives particular switch bonuses that supply much more worth to your factors: just like the Flying Blue switch supply going reside Might 1.

Why this supply is a giant deal 

For Might’s Lease Day, Bilt is providing a 100% switch bonus to Flying Blue — the rewards program shared by Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airways and their accomplice airways. This implies you possibly can redeem one Bilt level for 2 Flying Blue Miles (as a substitute of the everyday 1:1 switch ratio), primarily doubling the worth of your factors. A 100% switch bonus is a uncommon deal, far greater than the everyday 25% switch bonuses we normally see for this rewards program (such because the one at the moment lively from Chase).

This supply is out there solely on Might 1 from 12 a.m. ET till 11:59 p.m. PT, so be sure you switch your factors throughout the window. After Might 1, you possibly can nonetheless switch your Bilt factors to Flying Blue, nevertheless it’ll be on the regular 1:1 switch ratio. 

Learn how to ebook your dream European trip with 6,000 factors

A 100% switch bonus is already an excellent deal, however Flying Blue’s personal month-to-month promo rewards sweeten the pot much more. Each month, Flying Blue gives reductions on choose reward flights, sometimes for bookings throughout the subsequent six months. Might’s promo fares embrace flights to Europe between Might 1 and Oct. 31 that begin at 11,250 miles a method — which you may get for under 6,000 Bilt factors in case you reap the benefits of the 100% switch bonus on Might 1. 

Here is a pattern of some Might promo fares to and from Europe, and their costs in Flying Blue Miles (not together with taxes and charges). Should you’re making the most of Bilt’s switch bonus, divide the Miles price in half to find out what number of Bilt factors you may want.

Financial system to Europe

• To/From Boston beginning at 11,250 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Dallas beginning at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Los Angeles beginning at 20,250 Flying Blue Miles a method.

Premium Financial system to Europe

• To/From Houston beginning at 30,000 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Washington-Dulles beginning at 22,500 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Newark beginning at 22,500 Flying Blue Miles a method.

Enterprise Class to Europe

• To/From Newark to Paris beginning at 41,250 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Houston beginning at 48,750 Flying Blue Miles a method.
• To/From Atlanta beginning at 52,500 Flying Blue Miles a method.

For the complete checklist of promo rewards for Might, take a look at the Flying Blue web site on Might 1. 

To ebook a flight, first join your Flying Blue account to your Bilt account within the Bilt app. Then you possibly can switch your Bilt factors to your Flying Blue account and ebook your flight straight by way of the KLM or Air France web site utilizing your newly transferred Flying Blue Miles.

Different ideas for getting essentially the most out of your Bilt Mastercard

• If you do not have sufficient Bilt factors to cowl the complete price of a flight (and you probably will not in case you’re a brand new cardholder), you may also switch factors to Flying Blue by way of American Categorical Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Final Rewards® and Citi ThankYou Factors. Though you will not get the identical 100% switch bonus Bilt is providing (although Chase is providing a 25% switch bonus to Flying Blue via Might 15), transferring your factors from these issuers can nonetheless be a viable option to prime off your Miles and get the flight you need.
• Should you do not at the moment have the Bilt card and are contemplating signing up, know that you simply possible will not have the ability to rack up sufficient deadlines to actually reap the benefits of the Flying Blue switch bonus on Might 1. However this card gives nice ongoing worth even outdoors of those particular offers, and new Lease Day promos come round each month, so you would seize one of many subsequent ones.
• Flying Blue prices average gasoline surcharges on some award flights. You probably have a premium journey bank card just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card, you should utilize it to pay for the gasoline surcharges and taxes and charges in your award flight to reap the benefits of the cardboard’s journey safety advantages. 
• Flying Blue’s promo fares final your complete month (topic to availability), so don’t be concerned if you cannot ebook your flight on Might 1 precisely. This system gives new promo rewards each month, so if you wish to fly with Air France or KLM (or considered one of their airline companions) however cannot discover any flights you need proper now, it might nonetheless be price making the most of Bilt’s particular switch bonus and banking the miles in your account till you discover the flight you need. (I usually suggest in opposition to transferring factors till you are able to ebook, however a 100% switch bonus may be one of many uncommon conditions the place it is sensible to financial institution your factors for a future flight.)
• You may get 100 Bilt factors for every journey accomplice you hyperlink to your account — that is a possible 1,400 further factors you may get simply by signing up (without spending a dime) to every lodge’s or airline’s loyalty program and linking your account to Bilt.
• Additionally take a look at Bilt’s different Lease Day gives, which embrace the possibility to win a month of lease or a free journey to Europe by way of the Bilt Lease Day Problem, the possibility to win 250 further factors by way of the “Level Quest” Trivia sport, and extra.

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