In January, Bilt Rewards, a loyalty program that allows renters to earn points towards travel rewards, introduced live award flight availability powered by Point.me. This integration made it easier for Bilt Rewards members to search for and book award flights using their Bilt Rewards points. Then, in September, Bilt added live hotel award availability through a new integration with Awayz, a hotel award search engine. With these two integrations, Bilt Rewards members can now easily search for award flights and nights they can book using their Bilt Rewards points.
Initially, when the Awayz integration with Bilt launched in September, Bilt members could only search for live award availability with World of Hyatt and IHG One Rewards. However, with the recent addition of Marriott as a Bilt transfer partner, members can now also search for live award availability with Marriott Bonvoy.
To use the Awayz integration with Bilt Rewards, members can access the hotel award search engine on the Bilt app or website. It’s important to note that you must be a Bilt member to use Awayz in the Bilt app or website, but you don’t necessarily need to have the Bilt Mastercard. Bilt Rewards currently has three hotel transfer partners: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and IHG One Rewards. By using the integration with Awayz, Bilt members can avoid searching for upcoming award stays directly with these hotel partners and instead see them in a simple map format.
To utilize this integration, members can log in to their Bilt Rewards account on the website and click on “Rewards” at the top. Then, select the “Travel” tab and click on the “Hotels” tab. From there, select the “Transfer partners” tab and use the built-in Awayz-powered search to find award nights that can be booked with Bilt points. Members can search by location or enter a specific hotel name.
Once the “Search” button is clicked, a list and map of live award availability and pricing for World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and IHG One Rewards properties will be displayed. If a desired property is found, members can browse the available award rooms or check the 12-month award calendar if they have flexible dates. The award calendar may offer the opportunity to secure an inexpensive award stay if there is flexibility in the travel schedule.
It’s important to note that Bilt members only have 50 hotel award searches included per month, so it’s advisable not to search too many times to try out the tool. Additionally, Bilt Rewards offers a full white-label version of Awayz in the Bilt Rewards app. This version allows users to compare paid rates and award rates for several hotel loyalty programs, including Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges, and Accor Live Limitless properties. Users can also add their credit cards to their wallet within the app to consider benefits they may be entitled to, such as the IHG fourth-night reward.
Overall, the integration of Awayz with Bilt Rewards provides members with a convenient and efficient way to search for and book award flights and hotel stays using their Bilt Rewards points. It simplifies the process by offering a user-friendly interface and allowing members to compare different options and redemption rates. However, it’s important for members to consider all their redemption options before transferring Bilt Rewards points to an airline or hotel partner, as sometimes booking travel through the Bilt Rewards travel portal may provide better value.