Bilt Launches Stunning 125% Japan Airlines Transfer Bonus, Michelin-Star Chef Thomas Keller Collab, and Double Points Promo

Bilt is bringing the heat for their March Rent Day promotion, with up to a 125% points transfer bonus to Japan Airlines, and a collaboration with three Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, on top of their usual staple of dining, comedy and fitness opportunities.

Up To 125% Transfer Bonus To Japan Airlines

On March 1, Bilt will offer a transfer bonus of up to 125% to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. This is a super rich program. JAL has better premium cabin award availability using their own miles than when you’re trying to redeem partner points (like American AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards).

Normally, Bilt offers 1:1 transfers to Japan Airlines. Capital One transfers to JAL, but at a lesser rate (and when they run a transfer bonus, it gets you to almost 1:1). On March 1 you can do a lot better than 1:1 based on your Bilt Rewards status.

• Blue: 25% bonus
  
• Silver: 50% bonus
  
• Gold: 75% bonus
  
• Platinum: 100% bonus

You can also spend $135 in Bilt Cash to add another 25% bonus on top (‘temporarily upgrade [your] status’ for this promotion). So a base member can get a 50% bonus, a Silver can get 75%, Gold can get 100%, and Platinum can actually get a 125% bonus.

Depending on the number of points you transfer, this can be an amazing value (a better value the more points you transfer). If a Bilt Platinum transfers 100,000 points, they’d get 200,000 Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles – and can spend $135 in Bilt Cash for an additional 25,000 miles. That’s buying miles incredibly cheap even if you valued Bilt Cash at face value (I value it around 35 cents on the dollar).

• You can book awards on JAL 360 days prior to departure, giving you a head start versus programs that only give access to inventory 330 days out.
• Not only do they have better availability with their own miles, they have mid-priced award redemptions where availability can be outstanding (e.g. U.S. – Tokyo for 80,000 in business class and you’ll often find space for the whole family versus 55,000).
• You can book Emirates business class awards for far fewer miles than Emirates charges its own members (and Qantas charges).

They do add surcharges to awards, and like many Asian programs there are limits on redeeming miles for others (generaly, it must be family).

For those with new JAL accounts, less than 60 days old, you won’t be able to redeem transferred points for up to 7 days. The downside to JAL transfers without specific redemption plans is that Mileage Bank miles expire 3 years after they’re earned. This is not like programs where additional activity in an account extends their validity.

Note to complainers in the comments, try telling me that Bilt Points aren’t super valuable. Not only do they (1) have strong value through Bilt’s portal – where many bookings are ‘direct’ and get customer service from airlines and hotels, and where stays earn hotel points and elite status credit, and (2) have the most and best transfer partners, but (3) run the biggest transfer bonuses – by a lot.

You don’t have to believe that they can or will be this generous with their points forever – my working model for 30 years, and for the 24 I’ve been writing this blog is that the best deals never last – to take advantage of these opportunities while you can.

So right now with housing payments I earn 3.3 Bilt Points per dollar with my Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees). The card comes with Gold status (75% transfer bonus) but I’m a Platinum member and can redeem Bilt Cash to turn this into a 125% transfer bonus. That means I can have earned over 7.4 Japan Airlines points per dollar spent on on my Bilt Palladium card – not in a single category of spending, but on all spending. That. Seems. Insane.

Some of you have complained about Bank of America’s pending devaluation of its 2.62% travel rebate card. And that required keeping assets on deposit at BofA! Tell me where else you get this kind of return on your everday spending?

Double Points On March 1

Bilt credit cards earn double points (excluding housing payments) on March 1.

• The $0 annual fee Bilt Blue Card (See rates and fees) will earn 2X points on everyday spending (regularly 1X points), up to 1,000 bonus points

• The Bilt Obsidian Card (See rates and fees) will earn 6X points on their selected category of dining or groceries (regularly 3X), 4X points on travel (regularly 2X), and 2X on other everyday purchases (regularly 1X), up to 1,000 bonus points.

• Bilt Palladium Card will earn 4X on everyday spending (regularly 2X points), up to 1,000 bonus points

Double points runs 12 a.m. Eastern through 11:59 p.m. Pacific on March 1.

Comedy, Dining, And Fitness

Bilt has special comedy shows where you can redeem points across 12 cities in March: New York, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Chicago.

• Comedy Club Experiences: $30–$40 (2,000 Bilt Points or 2,500 Bilt Points) – includes 2 drinks
  
• Bespoke Comedy Experiences: $75 (5,000 Bilt Points) – premium shows at unique venues with drinks and light bites included
  
• Up to $50 in Bilt Cash can be applied to a comedy experience
  
• Bookings open February 26 at Noon Eastern with Golds and Platinums getting a 10 minute heaad start

Their special dining experiences for March are in New York, Miami, D.C., Dallas, Bosotn, Fort Lauderdale, Jersey City and Nashville. These are multi-court tasting menus or omakase, priced $30 to $75, and redeemable with points and up to $50 in Bilt Cash can be applied to a dining experience. Bookings open February 26 at Noon Eastern with Golds and Platinums getting a 10 minute heaad start.

They also have free classes at SoulCycle and Barry’s. 875 SoulCycle spots are available for March Rent Day Rides and 520 Barry’s spots are available. Bookings open February 26 at Noon Eastern with Golds and Platinums getting a 10 minute heaad start.

Free Food From Legendary Chef Thomas Keller – And Free Culinary Products, Too

Bilt has a cafe on the ground floor of their current office at 31 Bond Street in Manhattan, and they’re collaborating with Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in California and Per Se in New York to give away K+M Milk Coffee and Sea Salt chocolate and drip coffee on March 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (‘while supplies last’). They verify your Bilt membership at checkout and will have a live DJ ‘during peak hours’.

For $20 or 1,500 Bilt Points you’ll also be able to order Thomas Keller culinary products in the Bilt Collection section of the Bilt app: Cup4Cup gluten-free baking mixes and K+M Extravirgin Chocolate (Milk Coffee and Sea Salt). These will be available starting February 25 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern until sold out, and those who have joined Bilt’s Close Friends as well as Bilt Platinum Members will receive a credit to use for this.

Rent Free Game With Thomas Keller

Keller is their special guest this month for the Family Feud-style game show they host called ‘Rent Free’ which opens February 25 at Noon Eastern and runs through March 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern, with results posted after 4 p.m on March 1.

Top 10 winners receive a month of free rent up to $2,500 and the ‘Bilt x Thomas Keller: Chef’s Selection’ merchandise. The next 100 receive 1,000 Bilt Points and the merchandise. The next 500 receive 100 points and the merchandise.