Your Ultimate Guide to Navigating the Bilt Travel Portal

Key Takeaways

• Anyone can book travel via the Bilt Travel Portal, though cardholders can redeem points for reservations at an elevated rate of 1.25 cents apiece.
• The portal is powered by Expedia, and it offers flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, and experiences.
• If you’re booking flights, you can take advantage of Bilt’s partnership with point.me to find the best award rates and availability.

Bilt Rewards launched in 2021 and has quickly become one of our favorite points programs. Its standout feature is the ability to earn points on rent payments with no transaction fees, setting it apart from the competition.

Beyond rent payments, having the Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card in your wallet can help you rack up a ton of Bilt Points on rent, dining, travel, and other purchases. Keep in mind that you need to use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points — and there’s a lot you can do with those points once you’ve earned them (rewards & benefits). After all, Bilt Rewards has a strong list of airline and hotel transfer partners, including World of Hyatt and even a unique relationship with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan that no other program offers.

It’s not just transfer partners that Bilt excels in. You can also book travel directly through Bilt’s travel portal using Bilt Points at an elevated rate, which can offer excellent value for flights, hotels, and more. Here’s our detailed guide to using the Bilt Travel Portal and getting the most value out of your points.

Why Book Travel Through the Bilt Travel Portal?

You can redeem Bilt Points for travel in 2 ways. You can transfer them to Bilt’s airline and hotel partners or book travel through its in-house Bilt Travel Portal.

The former can help you get maximum value from your Bilt Points, while the latter can still offer exceptional value for several reasons.

1. You Have Set Travel Dates in Mind

Whether you’re booking a flight to visit family for the holidays or securing a hotel for a sold-out concert, the Bilt Travel Portal provides simple, convenient options. Unlike award bookings, which involve transferring points to airline and hotel partners, there are no blackout dates when using the travel portal.

The Bilt Travel Portal is synonymous with booking with an online travel agency, or OTA, website, such as Expedia or Kayak. If a flight or hotel is available, you can book it with Bilt Points.

2. You Can Earn Frequent Flyer Miles

If you’re booking airfare through the Bilt Travel Portal, you can earn frequent flyer miles and elite status points on your reservation. That’s because the ticket is treated as a revenue booking, even though you may have technically booked it with Bilt Points. Just make sure to enter your frequent flyer information upon booking (or via the airline’s app) to get credited appropriately.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about hotel and car rental bookings, as they generally don’t offer rewards on third-party bookings.

3. Simplicity

Everyone has a choice when it comes to earning rewards with credit cards: Would you rather earn points and miles or cash-back? While earning miles for travel can be quite rewarding, it does take a lot of extra mental strain to find suitable award rates that work for your schedule.

On the other hand, the Bilt Travel Portal offers simplicity and value. You can use any amount of points to offset the cost at checkout, which is a huge benefit for travelers.

4. Elevated Value

If you have a Bilt Card, your points are worth 1.25 cents apiece for Bilt Travel Portal bookings. Let’s say you’ve got 10,000 Bilt Points to your name — that’s worth $125 for flights, hotels, car rentals, and more through the portal.

This rate is comparable to booking travel through the Chase Travel portal with the popular Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, where points are worth 25% more when redeemed this way.

However, the same can’t be said for other credit card portals. If you’ve got an eligible Amex or Capital One card, those Amex Membership Rewards points or Capital One miles are redeemable via AmexTravel.com or the Capital One Travel portal, respectively, but only at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Hot Tip:

If you’re a general Bilt Rewards member (i.e., you don’t have the card), your Bilt Points are worth 1 cent apiece for travel portal reservations.

5. Redeem for Various Travel Purchases

Sure, you can redeem Bilt Points for flights and hotels, but you can do so much more with them. Through the Bilt Travel Portal, you can use points for car rentals, activities, and travel packages. In sum, it’s great to have a diverse range of options that encompasses the entire travel experience.

Overview of Bilt Card

You don’t need a Bilt Card (with a $0 annual fee; rates & fees) to access the Bilt Travel Portal. However, you’ll likely want one in your wallet to get access to the full suite of member benefits — including earning full points on rent. Additionally, your points are worth 25% more for bookings through the Bilt Travel Portal.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Apply Now(at Bilt's secure site)

Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card

Welcome Offer

No offer available

No offer available

Annual Fee

$0

APR

See Rate & Fees

Why We Like This Card

Never before has there been a credit card built specifically with renters in mind. Enter the Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card, designed specifically to help renters earn rewards on their rent payments with no transaction fees.

Of course, aside from rewards on rent, there are many other solid features that the card offers that add extra value to cardholders. In this guide, we provide a complete breakdown of everything the Bilt Card has to offer to help you decide whether the card makes sense for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 at restaurants
• 2x points per $1 on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies
• 1x point per $1 on rent payments, without a transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year

Cons

• Does not offer a welcome bonus
• Must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points

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Card Highlights

• $0 Annual Fee
• Earn 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year
• Earns 3x points on dining
• Earn 2x points on travel
• Earn 1x points on other purchases
• Earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points)
• Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points
• Earn up to 5x Bilt points on Lyft rides when you link your Bilt account and pay with your Bilt card
• Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent payments, statement credits, toward a down payment on a home, etc.
• Select “Learn More” to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Rate & Fees
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

As long as you have at least 5 transactions per statement (of any amount), you earn points according to these rates:

• 3x points on dining
• 2x points on travel
• 1x points on rent without transaction fees, up to 100,000 points per calendar year
• 1x points on other purchases

What Are Bilt Rewards Points Worth?

Bilt Points are some of the most valuable transferable point currencies to have at your disposal. According to our latest points and miles valuations, Bilt Points are worth 1.8 cents each for redemptions via transfer partners.

That said, cardmembers who are booking travel directly through the Bilt Travel Portal will most likely receive far less value (1.25 cents). As a result, you should compare your options before booking. Perhaps the other benefits, such as ease of booking and the ability to earn frequent flyer miles, are worth it for you.

Earning Bilt Points by Booking Travel

Did you know that you can also earn Bilt Points by booking travel through the portal and save your points for another day? The Bilt Card earns an unlimited 2x points on travel, which doesn’t necessarily have to be purchased through the portal.

In fact, the valid merchant codes for travel are “airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines, and car rental agencies,” according to Bilt. That sets a wide net for potential travel purchases that are eligible for the bonus points.

How To Access the Bilt Travel Portal

The Bilt Travel Portal can be accessed online or through the Bilt app (iOS, Android) by navigating to the Travel tab. After making a search, you can redeem Bilt Points at checkout.

How To Book a Flight Through the Bilt Travel Portal

1. In the Travel section of your Bilt Rewards account, click on Flights. You need to enter the airports and departure date, as well as indicate whether you’re looking for a one-way or round-trip ticket, the number of passengers you’re booking for, and the fare class.

2. You should then see all of the results on 1 page. From here, you can narrow your search results by adding filters like airlines, carry-on bags, and more. You can also sort all of the results by price, trip duration, or times using the drop-down box at the top right corner of the search results.

3. Every flight should show the price in dollars or Bilt Points. If you’ve got the Bilt Card, you can see the 25% points bonus automatically reflected in these rates.

4. Once you click on a flight you’re interested in, confirm the fare class. For our example, we searched for economy flights, but airlines will often sell basic economy or Main Cabin fares. The travel portal shows you what’s included for each fare type, so make sure to pay attention to important factors like modification policies and seat assignments before making your selection.

5. Once you’ve made your selection, you should be redirected to a new page to finalize your booking. There, you can review the flight details and select a fare upgrade before paying.

6. Once you enter your passenger information — be sure to add the frequent flyer number and a Known Traveler Number or a redress number if you have them — you can pay for the entire flight with Bilt Points or any credit card. Alternatively, you can split your payment between Bilt Points and a credit card, with just a minimum of 1 point required.

Hot Tip:

If you redeem partial points and cover the remaining balance with the Bilt Card, you earn 2x Bilt Points on the cash portion of the flight. Using any other travel credit card earns 1x Bilt Points (in addition to any bonus points from that travel card!).

How To Book a Hotel Through the Bilt Travel Portal

1. To book a hotel through the Bilt Travel Portal, navigate to the Hotels tab. Then input your destination, check-in and checkout dates, and the number of travelers and rooms.

2. Once the results populate, you can add more filters to refine your search. Viewing the hotels on a map may be most helpful if you’re interested in staying in a certain neighborhood.

3. Just as it did for flights, each result shows the price in both dollars and Bilt Points, including taxes and fees.

4. Select your hotel to be redirected to a new page with more details about the hotel. Click on Select a Room to see the various guest room types, along with their cancellation policies and additional amenities.

5. Hit Reserve to finalize the booking. Once you enter your personal information, you can pay for all or part of your hotel with Bilt Points, then Complete Booking.

How To Book a Rental Car Through the Bilt Travel Portal

1. Start by clicking on the Cars tab on the Bilt Travel Portal. Enter your pickup and drop-off locations, dates, and times.

2. You can refine your search using the filters on the left side of the page. For each car option, you can see details about the vehicle, rental company, and pricing in both dollars and Bilt Points. When you’ve chosen the car you’d like to rent, click Reserve.

3. You can pay for the entire purchase with points, a credit card, or a combination of both in any amount. Be sure to review all details carefully before finalizing your purchase.

How To Book Vacation Packages Through the Bilt Travel Portal

You can also mix and match flights, hotels, and rental cars and book a package through the Bilt Travel Portal. Even better, you could potentially score a discount by booking a vacation package instead of booking the components individually.

1. To get started, select the Packages tab on the Bilt Travel Portal. Enter your destination and travel dates, then click Search to proceed.

2. Depending on the package you select, you’ll see various screens to book its elements. You can set filters and sort prices as you see fit.

3. Once you confirm the booking details, you can pay with your Bilt Points or a credit card.

How To Book Activities Through the Bilt Travel Portal

Beyond the normal travel purchases, you can also book excursions, activities, and tours through the Bilt Travel Portal.

1. Click the Things to do tab on the Bilt Travel Portal and enter your destination and travel dates. Hit the Search button to continue.

2. The results show activities parsed out into various lists. Whether you want to see the top 10 activities in the area, navigate by bus tours and day trips, or catch a theater or musical while you’re in town, there are plenty of things to do that are bookable through the Bilt Travel Portal. Other examples of activities include:

• Classes and workshops
• Cruises and sailing
• Food and drink
• Seasonal and special occasions
• Tickets and passes
• Transfers and ground transport

3. The price is displayed in dollars and points for each activity. Click on the activity you’re interested in, and another page pops up with further details and checkout. You can redeem Bilt Points or pay for activities with a credit card.

How Do the Prices Compare to Other Sites?

Is booking with the Bilt Travel Portal a good deal? We compared prices by booking the same travel on various other sites, including direct bookings, to see how they stack up.

Flights

Example No. 1: Round-trip flight between Salt Lake City (SLC) and New York (JFK) for 1 person in economy.

The lowest-priced nonstop option for this itinerary was available on the Bilt Travel Portal with JetBlue for $451.20. We also checked Google Flights, which showed the same JetBlue flight as the cheapest option. Then we compared the prices to those of booking directly and through several popular online travel agencies.

It was encouraging to see that we didn’t find any price discrepancies on this route. As always, it can help to double-check multiple sites before you pay for a flight.

Example No. 2: Round-trip flight between Charlotte (CLT) and Barcelona (BCN) for 1 person in economy.

The cheapest option from the Bilt Travel Portal was an American Airlines ticket for $647.01. Almost all of the websites found the same price.

Hotels

We searched for a 2-night stay at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa for 2 people, including taxes and fees.

As you can see, paying cash to book this hotel through the Bilt Travel Portal wasn’t the cheapest option. Based on our research, booking directly through Marriott provided the most affordable rates for this otherwise expensive hotel.

When using travel rewards, you generally redeem fewer Bilt Points than if you redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for the same stay. That said, it’s essential to understand the value of a point (or mile) to know whether this redemption presents worthwhile value.

According to our monthly points and miles valuations, Bilt Points are worth 1.8 cents each, while Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.7 cents each. To put this into perspective, redeeming approximately 108,000 Bilt Points for this stay would equate to $1,944, whereas redeeming 216,000 Marriott Bonvoy points would equal $1,620, including the additional taxes tied to the redemption.

While Bilt Points often have a much higher value, using them to book hotels via the travel portal has an advantage in that you can split the cost of your stay, using points to cover a portion and cash for the remainder, reducing your overall out-of-pocket expenses.

Car Rentals

The Bilt Travel Portal can be convenient for securing car rentals, though you should always price shop before making your final decision. The primary difference between booking through Bilt and directly with a car rental agency is flexibility: Car rental agencies often allow you to reserve without paying up front.

When booking through the Bilt Travel Portal, however, you need to pay at the time of booking — whether in cash or points — and there may be fees for changes or cancellations.

The main advantage that the Bilt Travel Portal offers is the ability to use points for some, or all, of the cost.

Activities

We looked at examples of activities in Cancun and compared their prices to several booking sites. Booking through the Bilt Travel Portal was actually the cheapest option.

Final Thoughts

Bilt’s travel portal doesn’t get much love, but there are times when booking through it makes sense. Points are worth 1.25 cents apiece, which is quite generous compared to most credit card booking portals. While transferring points to Bilt’s airline and hotel partners typically offers the best value, using the Bilt Travel Portal can still help reduce overall expenses for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities.