Here is a recap of many of the newsworthy events that took place in October in the points and miles world and some things to keep in mind for this month and beyond.
Reminders
Certain Amex Cardholders– As of November 1, you have a whole batch of new credits and cash to use. Click here to see all of the monthly benefits. I hope you are using these each month.
Freedom and Freedom Flex Cardholders-The new quarter started on October 1. Ensure you have activated your offer so you can earn your 5% at McDonald’s, PayPal, Pet Shops and Vet Services, and Select Charities. You can activate here.
Delta 2023 Status Holders-Don’t forget you have till December 31, 2024, to convert your rollover MQMs into SkyMiles, MQDs, or use them to extend your elite status. You will see your options when you log into your Delta SkyMiles account.
STATUS, IMPORTANT-assess where you are status-wise in your airline and hotel loyalty programs. See how far away you are from achieving status, keeping status, or getting to that next level. If you are close and do not know what to do, contact me, and I will help you figure it out.
Spending Incentives-along the same lines as status, don’t miss benefits you can get if you spend certain amounts on your cards by the end of the year. For example, maybe you are a few dollars away from scoring that companion pass, a free night or unlimited lounge access. Know what your card gets you and don’t miss these benefits by just a little. I detail all of these in my newsletters at the year’s beginning, middle and end. So find one of those if you need a reminder as to what your cards entitle you to.
Global Entry Free For Kids-On October 1, Global Entry became free for kids whose parents have or are applying for the benefit. You still need to set up your kids with their own Global Entry accounts; you just won’t need to pay. Also, as of October 1, the application fee went up from $100 to $120, but so did a lot of the credit card statement credits. Don’t forget that so many credit cards have Global Entry credit. Ask me if you want to know if you have one!
New Airline Passenger Protection Rules-Just a few days ago, new airline passenger protection rules went into effect, aiming to streamline refund processes and bolster traveler rights in cases of delays, cancellations, or significant changes to flight itineraries. Here’s a breakdown of the key updates.
Bank Of America “More Rewards Day” is November 7th-depending on which Bank Of America card you have, you will get more cash back, points or miles for this one day only. See the details here.
Lucrative Card Offerings
Consider A Capital One Savor Rewards Card that just got a refresh-If your main cards are a Capital One Venture, or Venture X, consider bringing in a Capital One Savor Rewards Card. This card is a fantastic compliment to the Venture series of cards as you earn 3% cash back on dining, groceries, entertainment, and streaming, and this cashback can be moved to your buckets of Venture Miles. And right now, the bonus for this card is up for a limited time. Reach out if you want to figure out if this makes sense for you.
90K Offer Ending On November 7 For The Ink Unlimited-this is your last chance to apply for this NO FEE Chase business card with the INCREASED OFFER of 90k before the offer expires on November 7. This is a great card to come in if you have a Sapphire or Ink Preferred, as the cash back earned on this card can be moved to those buckets where the points become more flexible and valuable.
Increased Bonus On The Sapphire Preferred Is Up And Ending Soon-The bonus is up in that now, in addition to the 60K bonus, you also get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. This offer ends soon, so contact me if you want to pursue the card.
Rewards Programs’ Offerings
Transfer Bonuses-There are a bunch of transfer bonuses currently out there:
- Chase to Bonvoy-50% trx bonus through November 15th
- Amex to Bonvoy-35% trx bonus through December 31st
- Amex to Air France/KLM -20% trx bonus through November 10
- Chase to Virgin Atlantic-40% trx bonus through November 30
- Capital One to British Ariways-20% bonus through December 1
- Amex to Avianca-15% bonus through November 30th
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NEW BILT TRANSFER PARTNERS-Speaking of point transfers, as of October 10, 2024, Bilt added two more transfer partners: TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go and Accor Live Limitless (ALL). You can now transfer Bilt Rewards points to TAP at a 1:1 ratio and Accor at 3:2 ratio.
Hyatt Fans– Take a look at your account and see where you are with your Brand Explorer. Remember that this benefit rewards you with a free night for every five unique brands you stay at. Assess this before you book your next Hyatt; it may be easy to check out a new brand at your destination. I recently posted about this often-forgotten benefit.
Easy 2,000 Emirates Skywards Miles-if you aren’t already a member, join and put the word CONDOR when it says “enter invite code”. You will start your account with 2,000 Miles. Emirates Skywards is a transferee of every bank.
GREAT NEWS, Hawaiian Airlines joined Alaska Airlines-This fantastic news happened about a month ago. This is helpful to Amex Membership Rewards cardholders because Amex Points can be transferred to your Hawaiian Airlines accounts at 1:1, and NOW, you can transfer your Hawaiian Miles to your Alaska Airlines account at 1:1. The reason this is so good for all of us is because you can often use your Alaskan Airlines Miles for American Airlines flight redemptions at MUCH LOWER redemption values than had you gone through American. I am very excited about this!
I tested this transfer process out for all of us with 2,000 Amex Points, and it was easy! First, I transferred 2,000 Amex Points to my idle Hawaiian Airlines account. Then, I found the redemption options in my Hawaiian Airlines account and the “learn more” section about the transfer. I followed the prompts, and it worked nicely, but heads up, MAKE SURE YOU ARE LOGGED OUT OF YOUR ALASKA AIRLINES ACCOUNT WHEN YOU MAKE THE TRANSFER, or you will get an error message.
