Award Sweet Spots

The best points
redemptions in 2026

Curated award redemptions offering 3–9¢ per point — far above the 1–2¢ you'd get from cash-back or statement credits.

Flight sweet spots

ANA Business Class to Japan

Legendary

Roundtrip NYC–Tokyo

88,000 pts

≈ 4.5–6.8¢ per point

Program

ANA Mileage Club

Chase UR or Amex MR → ANA

Cash equivalent

$4,000–6,000

ANA's award chart is distance-based and one of the last to allow stopovers. Book via ANA.com — you can't book this on partner sites.

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Flying Blue Europe Business

Legendary

Roundtrip US–Europe

50,000–70,000 pts

≈ 3.6–5.7¢ per point

Program

Air France / KLM Flying Blue

Chase UR, Amex MR, Cap1 → Flying Blue

Cash equivalent

$2,500–4,000

Monthly Promo Rewards can cut this to 37,500 pts roundtrip. Check Air France and KLM separately — prices differ.

Avianca LifeMiles Star Alliance

Excellent

Roundtrip US–Europe Business

63,000 pts

≈ 4.0¢ per point

Program

Avianca LifeMiles

Amex MR, Cap1 → LifeMiles

Cash equivalent

$2,500–4,000

LifeMiles prices Star Alliance redemptions below most partner programs. No fuel surcharges on United metal.

Aeroplan Business to Europe

Excellent

Roundtrip US–Europe

55,000–70,000 pts

≈ 3.6–6.4¢ per point

Program

Air Canada Aeroplan

Chase UR, Amex MR → Aeroplan

Cash equivalent

$2,500–4,500

Aeroplan uses a distance-based chart with stopovers allowed. Best on Lufthansa, SWISS, and Turkish.

United Economy to Hawaii

Good

Roundtrip mainland US–Hawaii

25,000–30,000 pts

≈ 1.6–2.3¢ per point

Program

United MileagePlus

Chase UR → United

Cash equivalent

$400–700

United prices Hawaii as a domestic route. Works on United and partner flights. Easy to find availability.

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Turkish Miles & Smiles to Maldives

Legendary

Roundtrip US–Maldives Business

45,000 pts

≈ 8.9¢+ per point

Program

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Chase UR, Cap1 → Turkish

Cash equivalent

$4,000+

Turkish prices their Star Alliance partners on a distance/zone chart. No fuel surcharges. One of the best-value redemptions in the world.

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Hotel sweet spots

Park Hyatt Tokyo

Legendary

World of Hyatt

25,000–30,000 pts/night

≈ 2.6–3.0¢ per point

How to get points

Chase UR → Hyatt (1:1)

Cash equivalent

$650–900/night

Category 7 Hyatt (after 4:3 change in June 2026). One of the most iconic hotels in the world. "Lost in Translation" hotel.

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Hyatt Category 1-4 (International)

Excellent

World of Hyatt

3,500–15,000 pts/night

≈ 2.0–3.5¢ per point

How to get points

Chase UR → Hyatt (1:1)

Cash equivalent

$100–350/night

Hundreds of international Hyatt properties in the sweet-spot categories. Europe, Asia, Latin America all have great options at these rates.

IHG All-Inclusive Resorts

Excellent

IHG One Rewards

40,000–60,000 pts/night

≈ 1.0–2.0¢ per point

How to get points

Chase IHG card (free night cert)

Cash equivalent

$400–800/night all-inclusive

Kimpton, InterContinental, and Holiday Inn resorts in Mexico/Caribbean. Chase IHG cards give annual free night certs that unlock incredible value.

Marriott Category 1-4

Good

Marriott Bonvoy

7,500–25,000 pts/night

≈ 1.0–2.3¢ per point

How to get points

Amex MR → Marriott (1:1.25)

Cash equivalent

$100–350/night

With 8,000+ properties, there's always a Marriott. Category 1-4 is the sweet spot before devaluation risk hits higher categories.

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