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Bilt Announces Virgin Voyages Benefits for August 2024 Rent Day
Bilt has revealed its Rent Day deals for August 2024 — including special benefits aboard Virgin Voyages.
About the Virgin Voyages benefit for Rent Day:
As part of August’s Rent Day celebration, Bilt and Virgin Voyages are offering special perks to members. First, Bilt users can enjoy a complimentary “plus one” on their voyage, allowing them to bring a guest for free (provided that they share a stateroom). On top of that, customers can get a $100 bar tab, 2 specialty coffees per day, unlimited premium WiFi, and complimentary laundry service. Priority boarding is also included in this perks package.
Bookings are now open for European and Caribbean sailings and will be open through the 1st. Once booked, Bilt members can activate their benefits by entering their itinerary number and details. Note that restrictions may apply, so travelers are advised to check the full terms and conditions for this offer.
Other Rent Day offerings:
Beyond the Virgin Voyages deal, Bilt is also hosting some special events for members. This includes another BLADE Lounge Party. Members can book a ticket to the party at BLADE Lounge East in New York City for $50 or 2,500 points (Gold and Platinum members can also book party tickets with early access). Alternatively, for $200 or 10,000 points, members can book a Flight + Party experience that starts at BLADE Lounge West and includes a helicopter ride to the Lounge East location. The event will take place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on August 1st and bookings opened today, July 29th.
Meanwhile, another round of Bilt Neighborhood Dining Experiences are also happening on the 1st. This month’s events include locations in a dozen cities across the country. Bookings for these events vary in price but can be booked using either cash or Bilt Points.
Speaking of Bilt Points, Bilt Mastercard customers can also earn double points on most purchases made on Rent Day. So, 6x on dining, 4x on select travel, and 2x on all other purchases except for rent. Currently, this offer is capped at 10,000 Bilt Points earned.
Upcoming Rent Day change:
While it won’t impact August’s event, an upcoming Rent Day restriction was appended to an email to customers. Starting October 1st, the Double Point on purchases perk will be limited to 1,000 points. As mentioned, previously, the cap was set at 10,000 points per Rent Day.
Also notable is that August will be the first Rent Day without Bilt Point Quest. As announced in last month’s challenge, this point-earning opportunity has been retired — although a possible return in a different format was teased.
My thoughts:
Before I rant a bit, I’ll say that this Virgin Voyages offer does sound pretty appealing — although I honestly don’t know enough about cruises in general or Virgin Voyages specifically to speak to the value of this deal. In any case, to my memory, this also marks a new type of Rent Day offer, which feels notable. While I’m not sure how many members will be able to take advantage of this offer, it’s still a pretty cool perk.
Now for the bad news. The upcoming cap on Rent Day bonus points is definitely a disappointment, albeit a completely foreseeable one. As I said when a report suggested Wells Fargo is losing mightily on the Bilt Mastercard, I expect that the program’s generous features will begin to roll back. I’d say that’s what we’re already seeing as we first saw the discontinuation of Point Quest (which I loved playing) and now this far more restrictive point-earning offer. Some were also disappointed that this news was tucked away at the bottom of an upbeat email message about how great Rent Day is.. but I think that kind of tactic is par for the course, even if it’s not ideal from a customer perspective.
That same message also teased upcoming benefits to “help with healthcare costs, student loans, and an even better neighborhood dining experience.” So before we write Bilt off, I think it’s worth seeing what they have in store.
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