May 2025 Deals Roundup: 5 Worth Booking, 2 to Skip

TL;DR: Flying Blue's Promo Rewards at 18,750 miles one-way to Europe is the single best deal on this list. Book it before May 27 using Chase UR points with the 20% transfer bonus active right now.

How We Picked These

Every deal below had to clear three bars: a verifiable point cost, a real cash comparison that produces honest cents-per-point math, and confirmed booking availability as of early May 2025. We cut anything where the headline number looked good but the fine print (carrier surcharges, dynamic pricing, phone-only booking) quietly destroyed the value. Five deals made the cut. Two didn't, and we'll tell you exactly why.

Use our miles calculator to run any of these numbers against your own point balances before transferring.

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The Deals

1. Flying Blue Promo Rewards — U.S. to Europe Economy

Cost: 18,750 miles one-way + ~$56 in taxes Cash equivalent: $650 average economy fare, New York to Paris in May/June Value: $650 ÷ 18,750 × 100 = 3.47 cpp (outsized) Window: Book by May 27, 2025; travel through June 30, 2025The product: Standard economy on Air France or KLM transatlantic, which means a real seat with a meal service and checked bag included on most fares. Not lie-flat, but 3.47 cpp in economy is a number you rarely see on a transatlantic route.How to book:

1. Log into your Air France-KLM Flying Blue account and navigate to "Promo Rewards" under the Awards tab.
2. If you need miles, transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Flying Blue at the current 20% bonus (active through May 27): 15,625 Chase UR points transfer to 18,750 Flying Blue miles. That means your effective cost is 15,625 Chase points per one-way ticket.
3. Search JFK, EWR, BOS, ORD, LAX, or MIA to CDG or AMS. Promo Rewards inventory is separate from standard award space, so search directly on the Flying Blue site rather than through partner tools.

Availability honest-take: Promo Rewards seats are genuinely limited. Tuesday and Wednesday departures in late May have shown the most availability. Weekend dates in June are largely gone. Search now; don't wait until next week.Why this deal exists: Flying Blue releases a fixed batch of Promo Rewards seats each month at roughly 50% off standard rates. It's a structural program feature, not a flash sale, which means the math is repeatable every month if you know where to look.Skip this deal if: You need a specific date in peak June travel (school-year-end) or you're set on a non-Air France/KLM metal carrier.

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2. Chase UR to Flying Blue — 20% Transfer Bonus

Cost: 15,625 Chase UR points transfer to 18,750 Flying Blue miles (for the deal above) Cash equivalent: 18,750 Flying Blue miles redeemed for a $650 fare Value: $650 ÷ 15,625 × 100 = 4.16 cpp on your Chase points (outsized) Window: Transfer bonus active through May 27, 2025The product: This isn't a standalone redemption; it's the transfer multiplier that makes Deal #1 even better. Your Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred points become Flying Blue miles at 1.2:1 instead of 1:1 during the bonus window.How to book:

1. Log into Chase Ultimate Rewards at chase.com/ultimaterewards.
2. Select "Transfer to Travel Partners" and choose Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
3. Transfer in multiples of 1,000 Chase UR. To hit 18,750 Flying Blue miles, transfer 15,625 UR (the bonus covers the rest). Round up to 16,000 UR to be safe, which yields 19,200 Flying Blue miles.
4. Transfers post within minutes. Then book the Promo Reward as described in Deal #1.

Availability honest-take: The transfer itself is instant. The constraint is Flying Blue Promo Rewards seat availability, covered above.Why this deal exists: Chase periodically runs transfer bonuses to drive engagement with specific airline partners. The 20% bonus to Flying Blue is one of the better ones this month because Flying Blue has a genuinely useful redemption (Promo Rewards) waiting on the other side.

For a full breakdown of how Chase UR stacks up against Amex MR for European redemptions, see our Chase UR vs Amex MR comparison.

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3. Lufthansa Miles & More Mileage Bargains — Transatlantic Business Class

Cost: 55,000 miles round-trip + $380-520 in carrier-imposed surcharges Cash equivalent: $3,200 average business class round-trip, U.S. to Frankfurt in May/June Value (after surcharges): ($3,200 - $450 average surcharge) ÷ 55,000 × 100 = $2,750 ÷ 55,000 × 100 = 5.0 cpp (solid, but read the fine print below) Window: Mileage Bargains for May/June travel; check miles-and-more.com for current release datesThe product: Lufthansa Business Class on long-haul widebody aircraft (A330, A340, or 747-8 depending on route). Lie-flat seats, multi-course dining, and Senator Lounge access at Frankfurt. The product is genuinely good.How to book:

1. Log into your Miles & More account at miles-and-more.com.
2. Navigate to "Mileage Bargains" under the Awards section. These are released in batches, typically on Tuesdays.
3. Book directly on the Miles & More site. No partner transfer needed; Miles & More miles are earned through Lufthansa Group flights, credit card partners (including some Amex MR transfers), or purchased directly.

Availability honest-take: Mileage Bargains seats are extremely limited, often two to four seats per flight. They disappear within hours of release. Set a calendar reminder for Tuesday mornings and check immediately.Why this deal exists: Miles & More uses a distance-based award chart with periodic "Bargain" releases to fill unsold premium inventory. The 51% discount is real. The surcharges are also real.The surcharge problem, quantified: This is the deal that looks better than it is. A 55,000-mile transatlantic business award sounds like a steal versus the standard 112,000 miles. But Lufthansa imposes carrier surcharges of $380 to $520 on top of government taxes. Run the math honestly: if you value Miles & More miles at the standard 1.5 cpp, 55,000 miles costs you $825 in opportunity cost plus $450 in cash surcharges, for a total effective cost of $1,275. Against a $3,200 cash fare, that's still a win. But it's not the 2.8+ cpp the headline implies. The real value is closer to 5.0 cpp on the miles themselves, with a meaningful cash outlay attached.Skip this deal if: You're cash-constrained and can't absorb $400-500 in surcharges, or if you find a sub-$2,000 cash business class fare (which do appear on transatlantic routes). Check View from the Wing for cash fare alerts before committing miles.

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4. Capital One Miles to Qantas — 20% Transfer Bonus for Starlux Business Class

Cost: 62,500 Capital One miles transfer to 75,000 Qantas points; redeem for Starlux business class, Taipei to Los Angeles Cash equivalent: $4,800 average Starlux business class one-way, TPE to LAX Value: $4,800 ÷ 62,500 × 100 = 7.68 cpp on your Capital One miles (outsized) Window: Capital One 20% Qantas transfer bonus through May 31, 2025; Starlux award space confirmed by r/awardtravel community members in early MayThe product: Starlux Airlines business class is a genuinely premium product. Private suites with sliding doors on A350 aircraft, direct aisle access from every seat, and a service standard that rivals Singapore Airlines. This is not a legacy carrier with a dated product.How to book:

1. Transfer Capital One Miles to Qantas Frequent Flyer at the 20% bonus rate: 62,500 Capital One miles become 75,000 Qantas points. Transfers typically post within 1-3 business days.
2. Log into your Qantas Frequent Flyer account and search for Starlux (JX) partner awards. Starlux is a Qantas partner, so awards book through qantas.com or by calling Qantas at 1-800-227-4500.
3. Search TPE-LAX or TPE-SFO. The community-identified space was on specific dates in June and July; call Qantas to confirm current availability before transferring.

Availability honest-take: This is the tightest availability on the list. The r/awardtravel community spotted these seats before major blogs covered them, which gave a 24-48 hour booking window. Some space may remain, but call Qantas directly rather than relying on the online search tool, which doesn't always surface partner inventory accurately. Expect to be flexible on dates.Why this deal exists: Starlux releases partner award space periodically to fill premium cabin seats. Qantas's distance-based chart prices TPE-LAX at 75,000 points in business, which is competitive. The Capital One transfer bonus makes the math exceptional right now.

See our Capital One Miles guide for the full list of transfer partners and ratios.

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5. Hilton Honors — Double Base Points on All Stays Through September 2

Cost: No points required; earn double base points on paid stays Cash equivalent: A $200/night Hilton stay earns ~20 base points per dollar = 4,000 points normally; with the promo, you earn 8,000 points Value: Hilton points are worth approximately 0.5 cpp. 8,000 points = $40 in redemption value on a $200 stay, or a 20% effective rebate on your hotel spend. Window: Register and stay through September 2, 2025The product: This applies to all Hilton brands globally, from Hampton Inn to Waldorf Astoria. The double points stack with your elite status multiplier if you hold Hilton Gold or Diamond.How to book:

1. Register for the promotion at hiltonhonors.com/promotions before your first stay.
2. Book any paid rate at any Hilton property. Award nights do not qualify.
3. Points post within 72 hours of checkout.

Availability honest-take: This is a stay-based promotion, not an award redemption, so availability is whatever Hilton has open. No scarcity issue here.Why this deal exists: Hilton runs double-points promotions seasonally to drive direct bookings and loyalty program engagement. The summer window through September 2 is unusually long.The honest math: At 0.5 cpp, Hilton points are not the most valuable currency in travel. But if you're already planning Hilton stays this summer, earning double points costs you nothing and accelerates you toward free nights. The Hilton Honors guide covers the best redemption sweet spots to make those points count.Skip this deal if: You're chasing World of Hyatt points instead. Hyatt points are worth 1.7-2.0 cpp, and a comparable Hyatt stay earns base points at a rate that often beats Hilton's doubled rate in real redemption value. See our Hyatt vs Marriott Bonvoy comparison for the full breakdown.

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Comparison Table: All Deals at a Glance

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What's NOT on This List (and Why)

Chase 65% Transfer Bonus to Marriott Bonvoy: The headline is real. Transfer 10,000 Chase UR and get 16,500 Marriott Bonvoy points. But Marriott's dynamic pricing means most aspirational properties now require 50,000 to 100,000+ points per night, and the value you extract from those points rarely exceeds 0.8-0.9 cpp. At 0.9 cpp, 16,500 Marriott points are worth $148.50 in hotel value. You transferred 10,000 Chase UR points to get there. Chase UR points are worth 1.5-2.0 cpp in better redemptions. You just traded $150-200 in Chase value for $148 in Marriott value. The bonus sounds big; the underlying program math doesn't support it for most redemptions. The one exception: if you have a specific Marriott award already identified at a property where the math works, topping off your balance with this bonus makes sense. Speculative transfers do not.Hilton 100% Bonus on Purchased Points: Buying Hilton points at 0.5 cpp (after the 100% bonus) sounds cheap. But you're paying cash for a currency worth 0.5 cpp. That's a break-even transaction at best, and only if you have a specific high-value redemption lined up. Buying points speculatively at their redemption value is never a deal. We cut this one.

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How Many Miles Do You Need for Business Class to Europe?

This is the question we get most often, so here's the direct answer for May 2025:

• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM business): 50,000-75,000 miles one-way, depending on route and dates. Promo Rewards economy at 18,750 is the better value right now.
• Lufthansa Miles & More (Mileage Bargains): 55,000 miles round-trip during sale windows, plus $380-520 in surcharges.
• British Airways Avios (on American metal, no surcharges): 57,500-85,000 Avios one-way depending on distance. See our British Airways Avios guide for the zone chart.
• Air Canada Aeroplan: 60,000-75,000 points one-way in business on Star Alliance partners, with low surcharges. One of the most consistent values in the market.

Use the miles calculator to compare these against your current balances.

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Bottom Line

If you only have time to act on one deal this month, it's the Flying Blue Promo Rewards at 18,750 miles one-way to Europe, funded by transferring Chase UR at the 20% bonus. Your effective cost is 15,625 Chase points for a $650 flight. That's 4.16 cpp on your Chase points, and it's available right now with real seat inventory on Tuesday and Wednesday departures.

The Lufthansa Mileage Bargains are worth pursuing if you have Miles & More miles sitting idle and can absorb the surcharges. The Starlux/Qantas play is the highest cpp on the list, but it requires flexibility and a phone call.

Transfer bonuses expire. Promo Rewards seats disappear. The May 27 deadline on the Chase-to-Flying Blue bonus is the hardest constraint on this list. Act on that one first.

Your action list for this week:

1. Check Flying Blue Promo Rewards at flyingblue.com for your preferred U.S.-Europe route.
2. If you need miles, transfer Chase UR to Flying Blue before May 27 at the 20% bonus rate.
3. Register for Hilton Double Points at hiltonhonors.com/promotions before your next stay.
4. If you hold Capital One miles and want Starlux business class, call Qantas at 1-800-227-4500 to check TPE-LAX availability before transferring.
5. Monitor miles-and-more.com on Tuesday mornings for the next Mileage Bargains release.

For ongoing transfer bonus tracking across all major programs, bookmark our transfer partners tool. Bonuses move fast, and the window between "live" and "expired" is often under two weeks.

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Sources

• Credit Card Transfer Bonuses (May) — The Points Guy
• Miles & More Mileage Bargains May 2024 — Frequent Flyer Bonuses
• Best Hotel Promos for May 2024 — Head for Points
• Monthly Award Opportunities Thread, May 2024 — r/awardtravel
• Deals — One Mile at a Time
• Discounts & Deals — View from the Wing