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Points Magic This May: The 50% Bonus That Makes Your 50K Worth 75K
As travel season kicks into high gear, savvy travelers know that credit card transfer bonuses can significantly boost the value of their points and miles. These limited-time promotions allow you to transfer your flexible rewards points to airline and hotel partners at enhanced rates, getting you more bang for your buck. Let's explore the current transfer bonuses available in May 2025 and how to maximize them with the right credit cards.
Current Transfer Bonuses (May 2025)
Here are the most valuable transfer bonuses available this month:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 25% bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue (through May 31, 2025)
- 25% bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (through June 15, 2025)
Citi ThankYou Rewards
- 30% bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (through May 17, 2025)
- 30% bonus to Qatar Privilege Club Avios (through May 31, 2025)
Capital One Miles
- 20% bonus to Qantas Frequent Flyer (through May 31, 2025)
Bilt Rewards
- Up to 100% bonus to Southwest Rapid Rewards (May 1, 2025 only - one-day flash promotion)
Best Credit Cards to Earn Transferable Points
To take advantage of these bonuses, you'll need cards that earn flexible currencies. Here are some of the top options:
Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Current bonus: 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95
- Key benefits: 5x on travel booked through Chase, 3x on dining, streaming services, and online groceries
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "509", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint": "Popular Travel Card"} ]]
- Premium travel benefits
- 3x points on travel and dining
- Annual fee: Higher than the Preferred
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "510", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "High Annual Travel Credit", "headerHint": "Best For Frequent Travelers"} ]]
3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Excellent for small business owners
- Strong earning categories for business expenses
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "1100", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "High Rewards Rate", "headerHint": "Best For Business Owners"} ]]
Citi ThankYou Points Cards
- $95 annual fee
- Full access to all ThankYou transfer partners
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "7783", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Robust Rewards Program", "headerHint": "Best For Travel Enthusiasts"} ]]
- Higher annual fee ($495)
- Premium travel benefits
- Full access to all transfer partners
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "556", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Travel Rewards", "headerHint": "Best For Frequent Travelers"} ]]
Capital One Miles Cards
1. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Simple earning structure
- Solid travel benefits
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "438", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "High Travel Rewards", "headerHint": "Best For Avid Travelers"} ]]
2. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Premium travel benefits
- Annual travel credit
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2888", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "High Travel Rewards", "headerHint": "Luxurious Travel Benefits"} ]]
Bilt Rewards
1. Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card
- No annual fee
- Earn points on rent payments
- Monthly "Rent Day" promotions with enhanced transfer bonuses
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2990", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Transferrable Rewards Program", "headerHint": "Best For Renters"} ]]
Incredible Sweet Spots to Target with Transfer Bonuses
1. US to Europe Business Class with Air France-KLM (25% Chase Bonus)
Flying Blue typically charges 60,000 miles one-way for business class from the US to Europe. With the 25% transfer bonus from Chase:
- Transfer 48,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points
- Receive 60,000 Flying Blue miles
- Book a business class ticket worth $3,000+
- Value: ~6.25 cents per Chase point!
Even better, if you can find a Flying Blue Promo Award (which they release monthly), you could potentially book the same route for as low as 38,400 Chase points (after the bonus).
2. Fly Delta One Suites to Europe via Virgin Atlantic (30% Citi Bonus)
Virgin Atlantic offers exceptional rates on partner Delta flights:
- New York to London: 50,000 Virgin points in Delta One
- With the 30% bonus, that's just 38,500 Citi ThankYou points
- Cash price: Often $4,000+
- Value: ~10.4 cents per Citi point!
3. Qatar Qsuites to the Middle East (30% Citi Bonus)
Qatar's renowned Qsuites are accessible through the current Citi bonus:
- US to Doha in Qsuites: 70,000 Qatar Avios
- With the 30% bonus, that's just 54,000 Citi points
- Cash price: Typically $5,000+
- Value: ~9.3 cents per Citi point!
4. ANA First Class to Japan via Virgin Atlantic (25% Chase Bonus)
One of the best sweet spots in the industry:
- Round-trip first class on ANA from US to Japan: 120,000 Virgin points
- With the 25% bonus, that's only 96,000 Chase points
- Cash price: Often $16,000+
- Value: A staggering ~16.7 cents per Chase point!
5. Southwest Companion Pass Acceleration (Up to 100% Bilt Bonus)
If you're working toward the valuable Southwest Companion Pass:
- Transfer Bilt points during the one-day 100% bonus (depending on status level)
- Double your progress toward the Companion Pass qualification
- Transferred points count toward the 135,000 points needed
- Note: This is a one-day flash deal on May 1, 2025 only!
How to Maximize Transfer Bonuses
1. Plan with a Purpose
Don't transfer points speculatively. Only transfer when you have a specific redemption in mind, as transfers are one-way and cannot be reversed.
2. Do the Math
Calculate exactly how many points you need to transfer by using this formula:
Points Needed ÷ (1 + Transfer Bonus Percentage) = Points to Transfer
For example, if you need 100,000 Flying Blue miles and there's a 25% bonus:
100,000 ÷ 1.25 = 80,000 Chase points needed
3. Compare Cash Prices
Always compare the points redemption value against cash prices. Even with a transfer bonus, sometimes paying cash makes more sense, especially for economy flights.
4. Stack with Airline Promotions
Look for opportunities to double-dip with airline promotions. For example, Air France-KLM frequently offers "Promo Rewards" with discounted award pricing, which can be combined with transfer bonuses for exceptional value.
Best Practices for Transfer Bonuses
- Don't wait until the last minute - transfers can sometimes take 24-48 hours to complete.
- Check award availability before transferring points to ensure the flights you want are actually bookable.
- Diversify your points portfolio across multiple flexible currencies to take advantage of various transfer bonuses throughout the year.
- Set up alerts for new transfer bonuses so you don't miss limited-time opportunities.
By strategically utilizing these May 2025 transfer bonuses with the right credit cards, you can significantly stretch your points and unlock tremendous value for your upcoming travel plans. The sweet spots highlighted above represent some of the very best uses of these promotional bonuses, potentially saving you thousands of dollars on premium travel experiences. Remember that these offers are time-limited, so act quickly if you have a specific redemption in mind!
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