Thanks to last year’s refresh of the American Express Platinum® and Business Platinum® cards and a series of incredible welcome offers, there are undoubtedly quite a few readers who now have a Platinum card of one type or another, or are still getting familiar with the new benefits of the card they already had.

Despite the sky-high annual fees, Platinum cards come with a bevy of benefits, coupons, and perks that can more than outweigh the cost, provided you actually take advantage of them. This post will help you do just that and serves as a checklist for getting great value from your Platinum card(s).

How to maximize your American Express Platinum Card®

#1 Become elite

Platinum Amex cards offer a number of elite status upgrades, but you have to actively enroll in each one:

• Hilton Honors Gold Status: Hilton Gold members receive free breakfast (or food & beverage credits), room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. To get Gold status, go to the benefit page, find the Hilton Honors Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.
• Marriott Gold Status: Marriott Gold members receive a points welcome gift with each stay, room upgrades when available, 2 pm late checkout, and other perks (details here). To get Gold status, go to the benefit page, find the Marriott Bonvoy Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.
• Leader’s Club Sterling Status: Leader’s Club is the loyalty program for the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), a loose affiliation of over 400 luxury hotels worldwide. We were initially excited about this one, but after researching the benefits of Sterling status compared to base-level Club status (found here), we found it less exciting. Base-level club status gives you almost all of the same perks (including upgrades and a daily continental breakfast for two). To get Sterling status, go to the benefit page, find the Leader’s Club Sterling benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.
• National Car Rental Executive status: Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. This can be a really valuable perk. Don’t pass this one up.  Enroll here.
• Hertz President Circle status: Guaranteed one-class upgrade and the ability to pick any vehicle from the President’s Circle section. Also gives complimentary use of Hertz Valet, a terminal drive-back service at participating locations, up to four times per year. Enroll here.
• Avis Preferred Plus: Complimentary upgrade when available every time you book, and additional Avis Preferred points for every qualifying dollar you spend. Use your Platinum AWD discount code A756900 to receive discounts on your rental. Receive a free 2-day weekend rental coupon after 2 completed qualifying rentals from Avis of 2 or more days each in a 6-month period. Details can be found here.
• Uber One: Earn up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year with an auto-renewing Uber One membership in the U.S. This complements the card’s monthly Uber credits.

#2 Enhance your travel experiences

Platinum cards offer many perks that make traveling easier, cheaper, and better…

• Global Entry: Sign up! Platinum cards offer full reimbursement of the Global Entry signup fee once every 4 years. Global Entry includes TSA Pre-Check, so you’ll speed through security on domestic flights and re-entry to the US. Sign up for Global Entry here. Pay with your Platinum card. Reimbursement should happen automatically. If you already have Global Entry, you can use your card to pay for a friend or family member’s Global Entry instead.
• Access Delta SkyClubs (when flying Delta), Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Airspace Lounges: Simply bring your Platinum card with you when you travel. Access to Delta SkyClubs and Centurion Lounges is free only for the Platinum cardholder. Note that access to Delta SkyClubs is limited to 10 SkyClub visit-days per year unless the cardmember has spent $75K in the current or preceding calendar year. See this post for details.
• Airport Lounge Access via Priority Pass Select: This version of Priority Pass Select membership allows you and 2 guests free entrance to participating lounges, but does not include non-lounge Priority Pass benefits (neither Priority Pass participating restaurants nor Be Relax spas are included). You must sign up for Priority Pass Select to get this benefit. Go to the Amex benefit page, look for the “Global Lounge Collection,” and click “Enroll”. You will receive a membership card by mail. Present your Priority Pass card and boarding pass at the lounge entrance.  NOTE: If you have one of the very few remaining non-Amex cards that offer a free Priority Pass Select membership, which provides free meals at participating Priority Pass restaurants and free massages at Be Relax spas, we recommend enrolling through that card instead.

• Uber/Uber Eats Credits: Add your consumer Platinum card to your Uber account in order to get $15 in Uber / Uber Eats credits per month and $35 in December. The Uber benefit is not available to Business Platinum cardholders.
• Cruise Benefits: Pay for your cruise with your Platinum card and receive $100 to $300 in shipboard credit per stateroom, plus additional amenities unique to each cruise line. Participating cruise lines and other info can be found here.
• Book hotels through Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection: Get elite-like perks and hotel credits by finding available locations and booking through Amex here.  Platinum cards also offer a semi-annual $300 rebate for prepaid bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (more details below). The search tool MaxFHR can also be a very useful tool for finding low-priced properties.
• Platinum Member Airfares:  Get access to savings on international First, Business, and Premium Economy fares on participating airlines with American Express Travel®. There’s a limit of 8 tickets per booking, and flights have to both originate from and return to the US. You can see the full benefits and search for flights here.

#3 Earn $600 back on prepaid hotel bookings each year

This benefit is available via all consumer and Business Platinum cards. Get $600 back in statement credits each calendar year ($300 Jan-Jun and July-Dec) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel® when you pay with your Platinum Card. Note that most prepaid bookings are fully refundable. One awesome aspect of these bookings is that you can add your hotel chain loyalty number in order to earn hotel points and receive elite benefits at most properties. That’s extremely unusual for 3rd party hotel bookings, especially when they are prepaid!

Booking a 2-night or longer stay through The Hotel Collection gives you $100 in hotel credits to spend on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities; plus a room upgrade when available.

Booking any Fine Hotels + Resorts stay, even a 1-night stay, will give you noon check-in (when available), room upgrade upon arrival (when available), daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4 pm late check-out, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a special amenity unique to each property. Find participating hotels by destination here.

#4 Earn $200 in Airline Fee Credits each calendar year

Airline fee credits are meant for incidental fees: checked bags, change fees, in-flight snacks, etc. However, in practice, a variety of small purchases (under $200 or so) charged by your selected airline receive the credit. This often includes award booking fees, for example. You must select your preferred airline before these charges are applied to your account to get reimbursed.

1. Go to your card’s benefits page and click “Select a Qualifying Airline”.
2. Spending up to $200 on airline incidental fees with your chosen airline each calendar year.

#5 Earn up to $209 per calendar year in CLEAR+ credits

CLEAR+ is a service that uses your eyes (or fingerprints) to confirm your identity. This is used at many airports and some stadiums to help you move through security checks more quickly. CLEAR+ isn’t yet available at all US airports, but it is rapidly expanding.

At supported airports, CLEAR+ lets you skip the sometimes very long ID check lines (just before security). Instead of waiting to show your ID, you can go to the CLEAR+ aisle (where available) and simply scan your eyes or fingerprints. Some airports even have dedicated, automated lanes that completely bypass the TSA officers.

Use your Platinum card to pay for CLEAR+ to receive up to $209 back each year. The credit will be applied automatically. If you have more CLEAR+ credits than you can use, you can apply the unused credits toward memberships for friends or family by simply using your card to pay when they enroll.

#6 Earn up to $400 per year in rebates dining out at Resy restaurants

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Earn up to $100 back each quarter after making eligible purchases directly with Resy or for dining purchases at any U.S. Resy restaurant.

It’s important to note that you don’t need to make a reservation through Resy to trigger the credit. As long as the restaurant that you’re dining at is on Resy’s platform, purchases made directly should trigger the credit. You can search locations here.

Go to your card’s benefits page and enroll in the “$400 Resy” benefit. Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at a Resy restaurant each quarter (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec). In most cases, gift cards purchased in-store will trigger the credit.

#7 Use $200 in Uber credits each calendar year

This benefit is available via all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Add your consumer Platinum card as a Payment Method to your Uber account to get $15 in Uber credits per month, plus $35 in December. You don’t have to use your Platinum card to use this benefit, but you do need to have it selected as the payment method in order for the credit to be applied.

Uber Eats: Another great way to use these credits is to order food delivery through Uber Eats. Enter your location on the Uber Eats website to find out if delivery is available in your area. You can also save on delivery fees by placing a pickup order.

Those who ride Uber or order through Uber Eats will likely get full value from this perk. Alternatively, if someone in the household other than the primary cardholder is a frequent Uber rider or Uber Eats eater, consider adding your card to their Uber account instead of yours.

If you are new to Uber Eats, you can use our code at check-out to get $20 off your first Uber Eats order of $25 or more: eats-uberfrequentmiler

Note that the credits get added as Uber Cash, which is how Uber gift cards get loaded, too. Uber will sometimes redeem your non-expiring gift card credits before your expiring Amex Platinum credits, so keep an eye on that.

#8 Get $25 per month back in rebates on select digital entertainment services

This benefit is available via all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards.

Earn up to $25 per month in credits for subscriptions to Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and/or YouTube TV. Enroll here and then set up the service to charge your Platinum card monthly. Note that the maximum rebate is $25 altogether — you do not get up to $25 per service.

You can often earn rewards when subscribing to these services after clicking through a shopping portal. Most of these services also offer a discounted subscription in the first year. At the end of that year, you can often chat to them online or over the phone and get a discounted retention offer.

#9 Earn up $300 per year in rebates at lululemon

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Use your card to shop at lululemon, either in-store or online, and get $75 statement credit for purchases made each calendar quarter. Go to your card’s benefits page and enroll in the “$300 lululemon” benefit. Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at lululemon in-store or online each quarter (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec).

Note that lululemon no longer sells gift cards online, and most stores now force you to buy cards in $50 increments and won’t let you split payment; to max out the credit, you’ll have to buy a $100 card (or two $50 cards).

#10 Earn up $100 per year in rebates at Saks Fifth Avenue (ENDS JULY 1)

Important: the Saks benefit will be ending on July 1st, 2026. If you want to take advantage of it one more time, you have only a few weeks left. 

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Use your card to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue, either in-store or online, and get $50 in statement credit for purchases made from January through June, plus another $50 in statement credit from July through December.

1. Go to your card’s benefits page and enroll in the “Shop Saks with Platinum” benefit.
2. January – June:
   1. Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue in-store or online.
   2. Up to $50 should be credited to your account automatically.
3. July – December:
   1. Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue in-store or online.
   2. Up to $50 should be credited to your account automatically.

We’ve had good luck getting nice $50-ish items twice a year from the saksfifthavenue.com sale section. However, be aware that there’s now a minimum purchase requirement to get free shipping.

Portal Rewards

Before shopping at Saks online, start your shopping on an online shopping portal to earn extra rewards. Cashback Monitor is a great tool for finding the best current reward opportunities.

Many portals offer signup bonuses when you first shop through the portal, as well as miscellaneous spend bonuses throughout the year.  Shopping at Saks, even if you don’t want anything, can be a great way to trigger those bonuses.

Rakuten also sometimes gives 10x-20x returns when clicking through from their portal, particularly over the holidays.

#11 Get Walmart+ for Free

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards.  There is no need to enroll.

Use your consumer Platinum card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (don’t buy an annual one), and your entire charge will be refunded each month, up to $12.95 + tax. Walmart+ offers many perks, including the following:

• Free Paramount+ or Peacock subscription: This can be a very useful benefit if this streaming service has shows you want to watch.
• Black Friday Early access: Shop Black Friday deals 4 hours before everyone else.
• Free shipping: No order minimum. Excludes oversized and Marketplace items.
• Free delivery from store: Groceries & more delivered as soon as the same day. $35 order minimum.
• Rx for less: “Get select prescriptions for as little as $0. Save up to 85% on thousands more”.
• Member prices on fuel: Save 10¢ per gallon on fuel at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart & Murphy stations.
• Scan & go: Scan items as you shop in stores and pay with your phone.

Sign up here for Walmart+ (Note: this is an affiliate link, but it’s not at all clear to us that we will earn anything from this).

#12 Get back up to $300 annually at Equinox Or For A SoulCycle At-Home Bike

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Primary cardholders and authorized users are eligible to receive up to a total of $300 in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox+ subscription or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal). Plus, get $300 back when you purchase a SoulCycle at-home Bike in full, up to 15 bikes per year. Enroll here.

#13 Get back up to $200 annually at Ouraring.com

This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Primary cardholders and authorized users earn up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year when purchasing an Oura Ring through Ouraring.com. Prior to making your purchase, go to the benefit page, find the Oura Ring benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.

#14 Earn 5x for airfare and prepaid hotels

Consumer Platinum cards earn 5 points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. The Business Platinum card earns 5X points only on flights booked through American Express Travel. All Platinum cards earn 5x for prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com. Note that some prepaid hotels are fully refundable (make sure to check before booking!).

5 points per dollar is an excellent rate of return for travel purchases! With flights, keep in mind that this is in addition to any miles earned from the airline flown. With hotels, you won’t earn hotel points with prepaid bookings except for those booked through Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection.

One caveat: Platinum cards offer good travel insurance, but you may get even better automatic travel insurance with other cards you own.

#15 Get good value redeeming points for flights (Business Platinum only)

The Business Platinum card offers 35% back in points when paying with points through American Express Travel for a flight with your selected airline. This perk makes your Membership Rewards points worth just over 1.5 cents per point towards paid flights.

Consumer Platinum cards do not receive this benefit, so using points to pay for flights yields poor value (1 cent per point).

#16 Use points primarily with transfer partners

The best use of Membership Rewards points, in my opinion, is to hold on to them until you see an opportunity to get great value by transferring to an airline transfer partner such as Aeroplan or ANA for Star Alliance flights (e.g., fly Air Canada, ANA, Turkish, United, etc.). Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, and other partners also offer excellent sweet-spot award opportunities.

See these posts for ideas:

• Amex Membership Rewards sweet spots
• Amex Transfer Partners: Which are Best?

#17 Use your Amex Offers

Amex regularly comes out with awesome offers that can be loaded to your Amex card. See our list of all current Amex Offers, which is updated weekly.

The Platinum Perk Checklist

Here’s a nearly complete list of Platinum perks. Go through each one to make sure you’re getting the most from your Platinum card.

Perks for all Platinum cards

The following perks apply to all Platinum cards:

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Flight & Airport Benefits	Benefit Description
5X through American Express Travel®	Earn 5X points for prepaid hotel and airline bookings via American Express Travel®
$200 airline fee credit	Registration required. Amex will automatically reimburse up to $200 per calendar year for airline fees for your selected airline only. Eligible fees include: baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, and airport lounge day passes. For tips on using this benefit, please see: Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works?
International Airline Program	Save money when booking select premium cabin international flights originating in the US or Canada. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Airport Lounge Access: Centurion Lounges	The cardholder is allowed free entry. Guests are charged $50 per adult, or $30 per child aged 2 through 17. After $75K of eligible spend in a calendar year, the cardholder is permitted 2 complimentary guests per visit. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Airport Lounge Access: Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges	Cardholder plus two guests are allowed free entry. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Airport Lounge Access: Delta Sky Clubs	Cardholder is allowed 10 Sky Club visit-days per year. After $75K of eligible spend in a calendar year, the cardholder is permitted unlimited visits through the end of the following calendar year. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Airport Lounge Access: Priority Pass Lounges	Registration is required to obtain your Priority Pass card. Member plus 2 guests are allowed free entry. This version of Priority Pass does not cover Priority Pass restaurants. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Airport Lounge Access: select Lufthansa Lounges	Free access to Lufthansa Business Lounges (with confirmed ticket) or to Senator Lounges (with Business Class ticket) in the satellite building of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport and in Terminal 1, Departure Area B, at Frankfurt Airport.  Valid only when flying Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian Airlines. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. Note: This benefit will no longer be available starting on October 1, 2026.
CLEAR+ credit	Get up to $209 per year reimbursed for CLEAR+  subscriptions. See also: 5 ways to get CLEAR+  for less.
Global Entry or TSA Pre fee credit	Get reimbursed for the cost of Global Entry once every 4 years or TSA Pre once every 4.5 years. This benefit is also available to authorized users.
Hotel Benefits	Benefit Description
Fine Hotels + Resorts®	Book high-end hotels through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and get: room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, 4 pm late checkout, noon check-in, free wifi, and a unique property amenity. Also: Earn 5X Membership Rewards for prepaid bookings. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
$600 Hotel Credit	Up to $300 back in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel. The Hotel Collection bookings require stays of 2 nights or longer.
Hilton Honors Gold status	Registration required. Hilton Gold members receive food & beverage credits or free breakfast, room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. This benefit is also available to authorized users.
Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status	Enrollment required. Gold members receive a welcome gift (bonus points) with each stay, room upgrades when available, 2 pm late checkout, and other perks (details here). This benefit is also available to authorized users.
Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) Sterling Status	Enrollment required. Enroll to get Leaders Club Sterling Status from The Leading Hotels of the World®
Other Travel Benefits	Benefit Description
Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance	Call the Premium Global Assist Hotline: 1-800-333-Amex (toll free), or 1-715-343-7977 (direct-dial collect). This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
National Car Rental Executive status	Registration required (Enroll here). Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Hertz Rental Car Privileges	Registration required (Details and enrollment form found here). Privileges include President's Circle Status, discounts, plus a four-hour grace period for rental car returns. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Avis Preferred status	Registration required (Details and enrollment form found here). Preferred status offers priority service at the counter, discounts, and a one-car class upgrade for groups C-E (Intermediate, Standard, and Full size)​. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Cruise Benefits	Pay for your cruise with your Platinum card and receive $100 to $300 per stateroom shipboard credit plus additional amenities unique to each cruise line. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.
Miscellaneous Other Benefits	Benefit Description
Cell Phone Protection	No need to enroll. Pay your cell phone bill with your Platinum card. Max $800 per claim, $50 deductible. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users.

 

Additional Consumer Platinum Perks

Additional Morgan Stanley Platinum Perks

Additional Schwab Platinum Perks

Additional Business Platinum Perks

The post How to maximize the value of your American Express Platinum Card® appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Emirates is out with a new promotion through August 31, 2026, where it’s possible to use Skywards miles at an enhanced value for cash and miles bookings on Emirates and Fly Dubai or you can use Emirates Miles for EasyJet and Jet2 at an elevated value as well. In either case, you’ll be getting about 1.5 cents per mile, which could be a good deal, particularly for those who have been put off by saver charges on Emirates award tickets. Head for Points reports that there may be some challenge in getting full value on EasyJet and Jet2, but it could still be worth a look if you have plans to fly on those carriers.

The Deal

• Emirates Skywards is running two promotions where a bank can use miles for enhanced value towards either cash and miles tickets on Emirates and Fly Dubai operated flights or on cash tickets with partners EasyJet and Jet2 as follows:
  • 2,000 Miles = USD 30 instead of USD 15 when you pay for your Emirates or flydubai flights, excess baggage, lounge access and seat selection using Cash+Mile (book by fly by August 31, 2026)
  • The value of 4,500 Miles during the offer period is GBP 49, compared to the standard value of 9,000 Miles for GBP 49 on easyJet and Jet2 reward flights
• Direct link to this deal

Key Terms

Special Cash+Miles rates on Emirates and flydubai flights and ancillaries

The ‘Skywards Cash+Miles Offer May 2026′ is open to all individual Emirates Skywards members who:

1. Are existing members, or who enroll as a member by 11.59pm on 31 August 2026 (Dubai time).
2. Have individual Emirates Skywards accounts with a minimum balance of 1 Skywards Mile for issuance of a ticket.
3. Book and complete issuance of an Eligible Ticket on Eligible Flights and Eligible Fares between 0.01am on 21 May 2026 and 11.59pm on 31 August 2026 (Dubai time) for an Eligible Journey.

An Eligible Journey is defined as:

1. On Emirates, any journey that originates anywhere on the Emirates network for outbound travel between 21 May 2026 and 31 August 2026 (inclusive).
2. On flydubai, any journey that originates anywhere on the flydubai network for outbound travel between 21 May 2026 and 31 August 2026 (inclusive).
3. This offer is applicable to all destinations on the Emirates and flydubai network.

An Eligible Ticket is defined as:

1. Any with prefix 176 (being Emirates), with prefix 141 or 169 (being flydubai) or any with booking receipt issued directly via flydubai.com and
2. Any ticket purchased via emirates.com (desktop and mobile), Emirates App, Emirates retail and contact centre, flydubai.com (desktop and mobile) and flydubai App and
3. Any ticket purchased with Cash+Miles as form of payment.

Eligible Fare is defined as:

1. On Emirates: Special, Saver, Flex or Flex Plus in either Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Business Class or First Class.
2. On flydubai: Lite, Value or Flex in Economy Class and Business in Business Class.

Eligible Flight is defined as:

1. An Emirates marketed flight with EK designator operated by Emirates or Emirates codeshare partners.
2. A flydubai marketed flight with FZ designator, operated by flydubai.

• Once the Cash+Miles element is selected, reviewed and accepted on payment page, and in turn final payment is made to issue the ticket(s), no further adjustments in Cash+Miles rates will be permitted. Subsequent ticket reissues involving any additional collections of fare or fees must be made entirely with cash (or equivalent payment). Ticket cancellations will be subject to fare rules and normal Emirates Skywards Programme Rules provisions.
• Skywards Miles payment must be debited from the logged‑in Emirates Skywards member’s account only. My Family and Skysurfers accounts are not eligible.
• If Cash+Miles promotional offers differ for outbound and inbound journeys, the higher of the two rates will apply at payment page for the entire ticket.
• Tickets issued will not be eligible for any other Emirates Skywards promotions.
• Emirates Skywards members will earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles on the part of the ticket that is paid for in cash, excluding carrier imposed charges, taxes and fees.
• Emirates Skywards members will be notified of the Miles debit in their membership statements, which are accessible on the Emirates App or online at emirates.com.
• All other Emirates Skywards Programme Rules apply.

50% less Miles on easyjet and Jet2 flights

• Promotion offer: This promotional offer is valid from 21 May 2026 to 31 August 2026 (from 00:01 EST hours to 23:59 EST hours).
• During the Promotion Period Miles eligible Emirates Skywards members will receive a 50% improvement in Miles pricing on all Jet2 and easyJet routes. (Example: Starting price before promotion 9,000 Miles, during promotion 4,500 Miles.)
• The improved Miles pricing also applies to ancillaries.
• The promotional Miles pricing is automatically applied during the booking process for both flights and ancillaries. The Miles amount displayed to the member at the time of booking represents the final applicable Miles price for the transaction.
• The promotional Miles pricing is non‑transferable and applies only to new bookings made during the Promotion Period.
• In the event of any rebooking, cancellation, or modification, the promotional Miles pricing will no longer apply, and the booking will be repriced in accordance with the applicable standard Miles rates and fare rules at the time of change.
• All bookings are subject to availability and the Emirates Skywards Programme Rules apply.

Quick Thoughts

I’ve never personally considered using Emirates miles for a cash and miles redemption, but in this case, I can certainly see the appeal. Getting $30 in value toward flights operated by Emirates and FluDubai for 2,000 miles represents a straight 1.5 cents per mile. As such, it could certainly be useful for anyone with a stash of Emirates miles and a desire to fly on Emirates. Obviously, you would need to compare against the cash or against the award prices to determine whether or not that’s a relatively good deal.

There are probably at least some scenarios where that will represent a deal almost as good as or perhaps even better than an award ticket after you consider the surcharges on Emirates awards. Perhaps even more interesting is the opportunity to redeem 4,500 Emirates miles for £49 toward a ticket on EasyJet or Jet2. While those ultra-low-cost carriers won’t provide the flashy experience of flying Emirates, they could nonetheless be useful for getting around Europe for reasonable mileage redemptions. Head for Points reports that they’ve not actually found that much value when comparing against cash prices found elsewhere for EasyJet, but it can be difficult to determine because it really depends on what the inclusions are on the tickets purchased through Emirates, since ultra-low-cost carriers tend to unbundle most things. I imagine those redemptions may not be quite as smooth and simple as many award tickets. However, if you’ve got the Emirates miles and the need to fly EasyJet or Jet2, this could certainly be a reasonable use of the miles.

In our case, my wife and I got stuck with about 200K miles with Emirates a few years ago when a transfer got held up and we missed out on the award availability that we wanted to book. As a result, I’ve been looking for a way to use these miles. Over time, Emirates has continued to devalue awards and increase their surcharges, which has made me start to feel less likely that I’ll find a good use for the miles before they expire next year. This promotion could potentially be useful for me, but I haven’t yet delved deeply into the redemption process. If any readers take advantage of this one, please share your experiences in the comments.

The post Get up to ~1.5c per Emirates mile for select flights with Emirates, EasyJet, Fly2 appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Rakuten has increased the welcome offer on its American Express credit card to $200 after $2,000 spend in the first 90 days. This matches the best offer that we’ve seen on this fairly new card.

This increased offer usually only sticks around for a day or so; if you’re interested, I’d grab it ASAP.

The Offer & Key Card Details

Card Offer and Details

Rakuten American Express® Card ⓘ $158 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates $200 cash back ⓘFriend-ReferralThis is a friend-referral offer. A member of the Frequent Miler community may earn a referral bonus if you are approved for this offer Earn $200 bonus cashback after $2K spend in the first 90 days No Annual Fee Learn more Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: Earning 4% extra (or 4x Membership Rewards) on purchases via Rakuten is good, but the limit of $7,000 spending limits its usefulness. Earning rate: 5X extra on Rakuten Dining ✦ 4X extra on Rakuten purchases (limit $7k spend per calendar year) ✦ 2X groceries & restaurants ✦ 1x everywhere else Base: 1% Grocery: 2% Dine: 2% Brand: 4% Card Info: Amex issued by FEB. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: If you have another Amex card that earns Membership Rewards, you can change the earning preference on your Rakuten account to Membership Rewards as well. If you do this, the "cash back" earned via this card will be converted to Membership Rewards and deposited into your Amex account.

Quick Thoughts

When the Rakuten American Express card launched, the welcome offer was a meager $50. They soon increased it to $100 and have done a couple of one-day boosts to $200. We don’t know exactly when this increased offer will end, but it never lasts for long (on the flip side, it always returns eventually).

Depending on your Rakuten earnings preference, the welcome offer could be worth significantly more than $200. If your account is set up to earn American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt points (and you have Bilt elite status), the $200 bonus effectively translates to a 20,000-point bonus.

That’s not as impressive as the Membership Rewards you can earn from the welcome offers on other Amex cards, but it’s still decent if you’re interested in getting the Rakuten card for its 4x earnings. Just remember that the 4x earning rate applies only to purchases made via Rakuten, and it’s capped at $7,000 in spend per calendar year.

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Update 6/8/26: Last chance: This best-ever offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will be ending at 9 AM EST on 6/15/2026. If you’re interested, act accordingly.

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card now features an increased welcome offer of 150,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.

In terms of total points, this is the biggest welcome offer we’ve ever seen on the Sapphire Reserve. It’s a serious haul and is enough to put the Sapphire Reserve in the #2 slot on our Best Offers Page for consumer cards.

This offer is also showing via referrals, I believe, so if you have another Sapphire card in the household, using their referral will add to your total haul.

The Offer & Key Card Details

Card Offer and Details

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card ⓘ $1919 1st Yr Value Estimate$300 travel credit valued at $285, $300 StubHub credit ($150 Jan-Jun and again Jul-Dec) valued at $75, $500 Chase The Edit credit (2x per calendar year) valued at $125, $300 Chase Dining credit for dining at Sapphire Reserve Tables restaurants ($150 Jan-Jun and again Jul-Dec) valued at $75 Click to learn about first year value estimates 150K Points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer 150K points after $6K spend in the first 3 months. $795 Annual Fee Learn more Recent better offer: None FM Mini Review: Good all-around card for frequent traveler. Best when paired with no annual fee Chase Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited & Chase Ink Cash cards. Click here for our complete card review Earning rate: 8X Chase Travel℠ ✦ 4X flights and hotels booked direct ✦ 3X Dining ✦ 5X Lyft (through September 2027) Base: 1X (1.5%) Flights: 4X (6%) Portal Flights: 8X (12%) Hotels: 4X (6%) Portal Hotels: 8X (12%) Dine: 3X (4.5%) Card Info: Visa Infinite issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: After spending $75,000 each calendar year, get the following benefits: IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status ✦ World of Hyatt Explorist Status ✦ Southwest Airlines A-List Status ✦ $500 Southwest Airlines credit when booked through Chase Travel ✦ $250 credit to The Shops at Chase Noteworthy perks: $300 Annual Travel Credit ✦ Transfer points to airline & hotel partners ✦ Up to $500 The Edit credit annually ($250 twice per calendar year) ✦ Up to $300 Dining credit through Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables ($150 January to June and again July to December) ✦ Complimentary AppleTV+ and Apple Music through 6/22/27 ✦ Up to $300 in StubHub credits ($150 January to June and again July to December) ✦ Points worth up to 2 cents each towards qualified bookings through Chase Travel ✦ Primary auto rental coverage ✦ Priority Pass Select lounge access ✦ Access Sapphire Lounges for yourself and 2 guests for free ✦ Access select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges when flying Star Alliance ✦ Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Application Fee Statement Credit ✦ IHG One Rewards Platinum status through 12/31/27 ✦ Free DoorDash DashPass through 2027 ✦ Two promos of $10 off each month on non-restaurant orders from DoorDash ✦ $5 off restaurant order each month from DoorDash ✦ $10 monthly Lyft credit See also: Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide

Notable features of the Chase Sapphire Reserve

• Points Boost: You can get up to 2.5 cents per point value for travel bookings via Chase Travel with Points Boost offers. Note that we’ve seen significant downward fluctuations in the value of these point boosts, both for hotels and for airfare. 2+ cents per point on hotels is the exception now, not the rule
• $150 credit every 6 months towards Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables: Exclusive Tables is a curated selection of high-end restaurants available through a special version of OpenTable. You do NOT need to make a reservation or pay through Chase or OpenTable in order to earn the $150 rebate every 6 months (from January through June and again from July through December). Simply use your card at one of the included restaurants listed on the platform.
• The Edit $250 credit: The Edit is a curated list of high-end hotels and resorts. When you book through The Edit, you (usually) get benefits like a $100 property credit, daily breakfast for two, room upgrades, etc. With the Sapphire Reserve card, you can get up to $250 in statement credits twice per year for prepaid bookings made with The Edit. A two-night minimum is required to trigger the credit.
• StubHub & viagogo credit: Get up to $150 in statement credits every 6 months (January through June, and again from July through December) for purchases on StubHub and viagogo.
• $300 annual travel credit: Get $300 back each membership year for any travel spend. Qualifying spend does not earn points.
• DashPass + Monthly DoorDash benefits: Cardholders get a complimentary DashPass membership for 12 months when activated by 12/31/27, plus one monthly $5 restaurant promo and two $10 promos for non-restaurant orders. These coupons must be applied at checkout when placing an order and require using your Sapphire Reserve for Business card and having it enrolled in DashPass. Monthly promos expire each month if unused.
• Lyft benefits: $10 monthly in-app Lyft discounts, plus earn 5x on Lyft through 9/30/27

Quick Thoughts

This is closer to the offer we were expecting for the initial launch of the new Sapphire Reserve. If you were recently approved for the card, I’d send a secure message to Chase to see if they can match you to this offer.

Regardless of whether or not the card is a keeper (it isn’t for me), the first-year value here is substantial. Not only do you get 150K points after meeting the minimum spend, but in the first year, you’ll also get up to $600 in travel credits, $1000 in credits towards The Edit, $450 for Exclusive Tables, and $450 towards StubHub. The annual fee is steep, but that’s a lot of bling, provided you can use all those coupons credits.

Chase Application Tips

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Travel with Grant has reported today on some changes coming to the Wells Fargo rewards program. Grant noticed these changes announced in his most recent credit card statement. The most concerning among the updates is the fact that points will no longer automatically be combined between your own accounts, and gifting of rewards to other users will end on September 25, 2026. However, we’ve been able to get additional clarification that cardholders will still be able to combine rewards from their own accounts, including moving cash back to points within their own card collection.

Wells Fargo Travel provider changing on June 30, 2026

Effective June 30th, 2022, the travel rewards provider behind Wells Fargo’s travel booking portal will be changing. The biggest piece of news shared in the statement is that cruises will no longer be available as a travel option. I expect that we will see other changes with the change in travel providers (hopefully positive changes).

Travel with Grant highlights that an email address will be required for travel bookings as of June 30, 2026. Just as Grant says in his post, I’m surprised that it hasn’t already been required, so it doesn’t seem like a major factor for most folks booking travel.

Automatic redemptions and gifting of rewards will end on September 25, 2026

Automatic redemption of awards will end on September 25, 2026, as will the ability to gift rewards between Wells Fargo Rewards customers. That second part is the one most likely to affect many readers of this site, as it will no longer be possible to gift points to other Wells Fargo cardholders. As things stand now and until September 25th, it is possible to gift your rewards to another cardholder. For example, if my wife had an Autograph card, she could give her points to me if I had an Autograph Journey card or vice versa. That will no longer be possible from September 25th onward.

I imagine that change may be particularly painful to some folks who have an old Wells Fargo card with a favorable earning structure within their household that isn’t in the name of the primary household rewards enthusiast. It is disappointing that you won’t be able to move points to other cardholders, as the ability to move rewards between friends and family members does make it far easier to pool resources with the loved ones with whom you travel to make meaningful award redemptions.

The ending of Automatic Redemptions probably won’t be a major issue for most readers of this site. That will only affect those who have a threshold set at which point rewards will be redeemed automatically. Personally, I would prefer to hold rewards until I’m ready to make a meaningful redemption, so that’s not an option I ever would have considered anyway.

Rewards will not be combined automatically between your own accounts, but it will still be possible to combine your rewards

One of the changes that concerned me the most in Grant’s post was the mention that rewards accounts will no longer be combined, effective immediately. In other words, if you have an Autograph card and an Autograph Journey card, the rewards from those two cards will no longer be combined automatically. When taken in conjunction with the inability to gift rewards, we worried that perhaps this change would mean that it would no longer be possible for you to combine rewards between your own various Wells Fargo accounts.

I’m glad to be able to report that we were able to clarify that it will still be possible to move rewards between your own card accounts. For example, if you have an Attune card that earns 4% back on a wide range of categories, you will still be able to move rewards from your Attune card to your Autograph Journey card (and onward to transfer partners if you so choose). The change is that you’ll only be able to do that between your own cards from September 25th onward, so if you have a travel partner, you may want to consider combining existing rewards sooner rather than later.

Bottom line

Wells Fargo has announced a number of upcoming changes to cardholders via an addendum to their current credit card statement. The biggest news among those announcements is the fact that the provider behind their travel booking platform will be changing on June 30, 2026. It will no longer be possible to move rewards to other cardholders starting on September 25, 2026. Rewards from your own card accounts will no longer be automatically combined, effective immediately, but it will still be possible for a cardholder to combine rewards between their own accounts even beyond September 25th.

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Over the weekend, it was announced that Philippine Airlines is joining the Oneworld Alliance in 2027. That’s great news for those with Oneworld miles as it gives Oneworld far better coverage within Southeast Asia. While we don’t know yet know what to expect in terms of award availability, this should create interesting possibilities both for flights from the United States to Asia as well as within Southeast Asia. It could certainly make it far more convenient to get to and around Southeast Asia than it traditionally has been with the Oneworld Alliance.

We don’t yet know when Philippine Airlines will join the Oneworld Alliance exactly. The details in the announcement only mentioned it would happen sometime in 2027, so don’t expect redemptions to launch any time very soon, but it’s good news to hear that they likely will launch sooner or later. Philippine Airlines has quite a decent route network within Southeast Asia and good connectivity to several hubs in the United States, including those you might expect on the West Coast, as well as Chicago and New York. That should open up some additional opportunities for getting to Southeast Asia using your Oneworld miles, and it will obviously make for some good redemption opportunities within Southeast Asia.

Here’s a high-level look at the Philippine Airlines route network courtesy of flightconnections.com.

I always think it’s great news to see an alliance expand, as it should provide additional award redemption opportunities in the future.

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There’s a new targeted Amex Offer out that’s good for $100 back when you spend $500 or more with Carnival Cruise Lines. You’ll need to enroll in the offer if targeted, but this can make for a good stack with free or discounted cruise line casino offers if you’re still getting those.

The Deal

• A targeted Amex Offer is out to get $100 back as a statement credit when you spend $500 in one or more qualifying purchases on cruise reservations booked through Carnival Cruise Lines (or a Carnival travel advisor) by 6/16/26.

Key Terms

• Expires 6/2/26 Now 6/16/26
• Offer valid only for qualifying Carnival Cruise Line reservations booked directly with Carnival online only at US website carnival.com, by calling 1-800-764-7419, or through a Carnival Cruise Line travel advisor between 03/02/2026 and 06/02/2026.
• Excludes Holland America, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and Cunard brands, purchases made onboard cruise ships, Carnival Bon Voyage presales and purchases through the mobile app.
• Excludes single and group shore excursions, weddings and occasions, meetings, charters, airport transportation, Fly2Fun, in-room gifts and shopping add-ons, and The Fun Shops.
• Not valid for gift card purchases.

Quick Thoughts

This can obviously be a good deal if you’re targeted and you have an upcoming booking with Carnival. I’ve used these offers before and always found any type of pre-payment to work, whether the initial cruise booking or a later deposit. On the other hand, on-board purchases, which are excluded in the terms, have not worked for me. Don’t forget to enroll in the offer prior to making a qualifying purchase.

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As part of T-Mobile’s member month promotions, it was announced last week that T-Mobile customers will soon qualify for one free premium drink on all Delta flights. The nice thing is that this appears to be an ongoing promotion, so if you’re a T-Mobile customer, it looks like you will have the ongoing opportunity to get a free premium drink every time you fly Delta.

In order to take advantage of this benefit, you’ll need to link your T-Mobile account and your Delta SkyMiles account. According to Thrifty Traveler, the ability to do that is expected to become available within the T-Life app next week, perhaps around the June 16th launch party that T-Mobile has planned in New York. Once you’ve synced up your T-Mobile account and Delta account, it will presumably be recognized on your tickets such that when you order a drink in-flight, the flight attendants’ system should recognize that you get a complimentary drink (assuming you have your Delta SkyMiles number associated with the reservation). It probably makes sense to confirm that it will be complimentary the first time or two you use the benefit if you wouldn’t otherwise buy a premium drink.

The benefit covers beer, wine, and spirits, so you’ll have a pretty wide range of options. This deal should save you $9 to $12 based on current menu prices, so the savings could certainly add up over multiple flights for someone who flies Delta quite frequently. It sounds like you’ll only get one free drink per flight, but that’s still a decent deal.

Again, the process to be eligible for this includes linking up your T-Mobile account with your Delta SkyMiles account within the T-Life app, which may not yet be available (I don’t see it in my app). I’m also not sure if there are any restrictions as to which plans are eligible, though most T-Mobile promotions apply to most plans of the past several years. With the launch party celebrating the beginning of this benefit scheduled in New York City on June 16th, we expect that it will be possible to sync up accounts by then at the latest.

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Hilton Honors and Qatar Airways Privilege Club are out with a new promotion whereby members can link up their accounts and earn a bonus 1,000 Qatar Privilege Club Avios after their first Hilton hotel booking between June 1st and August 31st, 2026. This isn’t a huge bonus, but you may as well earn it if you’ve got a Hilton stay coming up.

The Deal

• Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Hilton Honors are offering a promotion whereby members can register and stay at any Hilton hotel or resort by August 31st, 2026 to earn 1,000 bonus Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios.
• Direct link to this deal

Key Terms

• This Qatar Airways 2026 Booking Incentive Promotion (the “Promotion”) offers eligible Hilton Honors members the opportunity to earn 1,000 bonus Avios for a qualifying stay completed during the Promotion Period, subject to these Terms & Conditions.
• The Promotion is valid for stays completed between 1 June 2026 and 31 August 2026 (inclusive) (the “Promotion Period”). Stays may commence before 1 June 2026, provided that the stay is completed on or after 1 June 2026 and no later than 31 August 2026.
• Eligible members must register for the Promotion between 1 June 2026 and 31 August 2026 (inclusive) via the official Promotion landing page. Registration alone does not entitle a member to bonus Avios unless all eligibility requirements set out below are satisfied.
• The Promotion is open to individuals who, at the time of registration and stay completion:
  • are active members of Hilton Honors; and
  • are active members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club (together, “Members”).

  The Promotion is void where prohibited by law, and either Hilton or Qatar Airways reserve the right to exclude any individual whose participation would breach applicable laws or regulations.

  Qualifying Stays

  • Members will earn 1,000 bonus Avios once the first qualifying stay is completed during the Promotion Period.
  • The Promotion applies only to the first qualifying stay completed during the Promotion Period.
  • A “stay” is defined as the total number of consecutive nights spent at the same hotel or resort, regardless of whether the guest checks out and checks back in.
  • Only stays booked through Hilton direct booking channels qualify.
  • The Promotion applies only to participating hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Not all Hilton-branded properties participate.
  • Group bookings, including bookings made under group, tour series, or negotiated group rates, are excluded.

  Account linking and name matching

  To be eligible for bonus Avios:

  • Members must add their Qatar Airways Privilege Club membership number as their preferred travel partner in their Hilton Honors account prior to check out of the first qualifying stay; and
  • The name on the Hilton Honors account, hotel booking, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club account must match.

  Neither Qatar Airways nor Hilton is responsible for errors arising from incorrect, incomplete, or mismatched account details provided by the Member.

  Avios Awarding

  • Bonus Avios will be credited to the Member’s Qatar Airways Privilege Club account within up to eight (8) weeks following completion of the qualifying stay.
  • The awarding, use, and redemption of Avios are governed exclusively by the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Terms and Conditions.
  • Bonus Avios awarded under this Promotion are non-transferable, have no cash value, and may not be exchanged for cash or other consideration.

Quick Thoughts

While 1,000 Qatar Airways Avios likely won’t move the needle in terms of deciding where to stay for your upcoming trip, it makes sense to register for this if you’ve already got a Hilton stay booked or are planning to book one. Keep in mind that Avios can be moved between the various airlines that use the Avios currency. Unlike most airline miles, which typically can’t be transferred to another airline, Avios can be moved between Qatar Airways and other Avios programs, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair, and Loganair. That means you can take advantage of the best sweet spots from whichever Avios program meets your needs for a particular booking.

Again, the 1,000 Avios on offer here won’t get you much on their own, but you get a lot of flexibility in how to put them to use with other existing miles or points that you have. It’s worth registering for this promotion even if you don’t have immediate plans to stay at Hilton, just in case you end up staying at one unexpectedly. It’s always a nice surprise when you forget that you even registered, and then you earn some bonus points after the stay.

You do not need to choose between earning Avios and earning Hilton Honors points. You should still earn Hilton Honors points as you ordinarily would. The 1,000 Avios are purely a bonus in this case.

H/T: Loyalty Lobby

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Last week, Doctor of Credit pointed out that American Express is showing a notice for Amex Green Card holders saying that the name of their card will change on August 20th, 2026, to become the “American Express Classic Green Card”. While no changes are expected on the existing Green Card at this time, one has to wonder whether Amex intends to launch a new Green Card product of some sort.

In my 2026 predictions, I said that American Express would likely refresh the consumer Green Card this year, as it has been on a bit of a couponization cycle in recent years, refreshing various cards. We haven’t heard anything about a Green Card refresh yet, but this name change for existing Green Card holders could potentially be meaningful.

On the one hand, it is possible that nothing will change at all but the name. On the other hand, it is possible that Amex is looking to differentiate between Classic Green Card holders and new Green Card holders. Perhaps Amex plans to launch some sort of new Green Card with a new set of benefits that they intend to be available only to new applicants. We don’t yet know what to expect.

That seems a little strange, as most Amex refreshes in recent years have had all of the new details apply to existing cardholders. That said, every now and then I hear about someone with a decades-old Amex card that doesn’t have the same benefits as its modern counterpart. Maybe Amex intends to leave existing cardholders with what they have and launch something new and different.

The bottom line is that we don’t yet know much for sure, apart from the fact that the name for existing Green Card holders is set to change in August. We’ll see whether that foreshadows bigger changes to come for the Green Card.

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After flying back to home to the UK after our trip to Crete, my wife and I stayed in the southeast of England for a few more days.

I grew up in Woking and still have friends who live there, so with it being a bank holiday weekend we decided to take advantage of being in the south (we live in north England now) to hang out with my friends. Despite being a decent enough sized town, Woking doesn’t have many chain hotels. Of the three that it does have, two of those are Hilton brands—a Hilton and a DoubleTree. After landing at Heathrow, we picked up our pup from our dog-sitter and drove to the only one of those that’s pet-friendly—the Hilton Woking.

With a nice executive lounge, great breakfast, excellent views, very good service, and an ideal location in the center of town, it ended up being a lovely stay.

Check-in

The entrance to the Hilton Woking is on Victoria Way, a busy road running through town. There’s a small pull-off outside the hotel where you can unload your car. Seeing as we’d just gotten back from vacation, we had a few suitcases and bags with us, so we headed inside to grab a luggage cart.

The check-in desk is on the 7th floor rather than the ground floor, but there was a concierge desk at the entrance on the ground floor. The concierge seemed to double up as a bellhop and helped us load our bags on to the luggage cart, taking it up to the 7th floor with me while Shae moved our car to the nearby parking lot (more about the parking situation later).

The concierge was very friendly and helpful, as were the front desk agents, and our dog Truffles loved the attention they gave her. The check-in process was quick, they shared information about breakfast and the executive lounge, then we were on our way up to our room, with the concierge bringing our luggage up and helping me unload it—something I wasn’t expecting from a Hilton in England.

2 double bed room

I booked our stay using Hilton Honors points and originally booked a room with a king bed. The day before our stay I noticed that the award pricing was slightly cheaper, so I cancelled and rebooked. In hindsight, I probably should’ve just kept the original booking as rebooking only saved us a couple of thousand points and I hadn’t noticed until after cancelling the original stay that the only room type that was now bookable for a standard number of points was one with two double beds.

The room wasn’t massive, but nor did it feel too cozy. The two double beds were more like two twin beds pushed together, so that made those a little more spacious. On the other side of the room there was an armchair, a desk with another chair, and a dresser with the TV on top.

One of the things I often dislike about hotel stays in the UK is that far fewer hotels have mini fridges than hotels in the US do. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see one in our room.

On a side table there were a few cans of water, as well as a couple of small chocolates. These waters were replenished during our stay.

Back towards the bathroom was a closet that, in addition to a safe, an iron, and an ironing board, contained everything needed to make tea and coffee, including an electric kettle shaped like a teapot.

The bathroom had a bathtub with a shower. As is sadly often the case in the UK, the shower door only covered half of the tub. Thankfully it stretched far enough across the bath that no water ended up on the floor when taking a shower, although that’s more due to the fact that the shower had very poor water pressure and so there was never any real danger of it spraying everywhere.

Hilton Woking breakfast

Breakfast is available in OXBO restaurant each morning which is on the 21st (of 22) floors. It’s served from 6:30am-10am on weekdays and from 7am-11am at the weekend.

Breakfast is buffet-style, although there is also an a la carte menu that you can order from. Seeing as the Hilton Woking isn’t in the US, those with Hilton Honors Gold or Diamond status get free breakfast rather than a food and beverage credit like you get for stays in the US. I believe Gold and Diamond members have the a la carte menu included as part of their free breakfast, although we didn’t ever end up ordering from that.

The Hilton Woking breakfast buffet had a much better spread than I was expecting. There were lots of hot options, with plenty of options for vegetarians as well as carnivores. The sausages were decent quality—better than your average British hotel breakfast sausages.

Next to the hot options were tables with cereal, bread, cakes, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and more.

At the other end of the restaurant there was a chilled area that had freshly cut fruit, yogurt, cheese, meat, salad, and more.

In the middle of the restaurant there were various types of bagels and breads, as well as a few gluten-free breakfast options.

Drinks were self-serve too, with a couple of tea and coffee machines, tap water, infused water, and four different types of fruit juice.

As mentioned earlier, OXBO restaurant is on the 21st floor and the restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows. That means you get excellent views of the surrounding area.

As someone who grew up in Woking, it was fascinating being this high up. In the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s when I lived there, Woking didn’t have any particularly tall buildings. Since I moved away, numerous high-rise apartment buildings have been built, along with a couple of skyscrapers. This was therefore the first time I’d had a chance to see the town and surrounding area from above like this.

Hilton Woking executive lounge

The Hilton Woking has an executive lounge on the 22nd (i.e. top) floor. It’s open from 7am to midnight each day, although breakfast isn’t served in there; it’s in OXBO restaurant on the floor below which ensures you get a much better breakfast selection than you’d get in a lounge.

You can access the executive lounge by booking a room with lounge access, or if you have Hilton Honors Diamond status.

From 6pm-8pm each day the lounge offers canapes and drinks. It’s not a huge selection of food, so you’ll probably want to eat out somewhere or at the hotel’s restaurant unless you’re happy filling up on lots of the small hot dishes.

Throughout the day there are jars with snacks available.

Throughout the day there’s also a tea and coffee machine available, as well as a fridge with sodas and water.

In addition to the canapes, there’s self-serve wine, beer, and spirits available at no cost from 6pm-8pm.

The executive lounge isn’t the largest lounge I’ve ever been in, but there were plenty of tables and chairs and it never felt too crowded during our stay.

The lounge is on the opposite side of the hotel to the restaurant, so you get some different views from there, as well as lovely sunset views.

Other dining options

OXBO restaurant

In addition to being the restaurant where breakfast is served, OXBO is open for dinner from 6pm-10pm on weekdays and 5pm-10pm at the weekend.

The Hilton Woking doesn’t have an ice machine for guests, but you can ask for ice at the restaurant and they’ll give you a bucket of it.

Glow lounge & terrace

This can be found on the 7th floor opposite the front desk and apparently serves coffee and pastries. We never ended up getting anything from there, but it’s open from 8am-5pm on weekdays and 9am-5pm at the weekend.

Loft Sky Bar

In addition to the executive lounge, the top floor of the hotel features Loft Sky Bar. This is on the same side of the hotel as OXBO, so the view are similar.

We went there for drinks with friends one night and they have a recently-updated cocktail menu that has some fun drink options on it. I started off with a beer, while Shae got a cocktail that came with cotton candy (known as candy floss in the UK). She’s had cocktails with cotton candy before, but usually the cotton candy is served in an empty glass and the server pours the cocktail over it, thereby dissolving it. At Loft Sky Bar, this cocktail had the cotton candy on top, so you could choose whether to push it into your drink or just enjoy it standalone.

Later on I ordered a mojito. It’s surprising how bad some of the mojitos I’ve had in the past have been, but the one at Loft Sky Bar was excellent—definitely one of the best mojitos I’ve ever had.

Loft Sky Bar is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, open from 6pm-midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, from 4pm-midnight on Friday, from 2pm-midnight on Saturday and from 12pm-8pm on Sunday. If you’re staying there with your kids, those under the age of 18 (the legal drinking age in the UK) aren’t allowed in the bar after 6pm.

Rather than charging our drinks to our room, I paid for them at the bar. I split the bill by putting ~$50 on a Business Platinum Card® from American Express as that has an up to $50 quarterly credit that can be used at Hilton properties worldwide. I put the balance on my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Although I have an Aspire card I could’ve put that on to earn 14X, I paid with the Surpass card for 12X because that card also has an up to $50 quarterly Hilton credit.

Both those charges coded as a Hilton purchase and the credits appeared on those accounts a couple of days later.

Amenities

The Hilton Woking doesn’t have a huge amount by way of amenities. There’s no swimming pool, but there is a fitness room on the 7th floor that has various pieces of cardio equipment and weights.

Parking

The Hilton Woking doesn’t have its own parking lot. However, it is connected to Victoria Place Shopping Centre which has multiple colored sections for its multi-story parking lot—Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue. The color you choose depends on what you’re planning to do in Woking; if you’re staying at the Hilton Woking, you’ll want to park in the Red parking area.

Although it means driving quite a long way up a spiral ramp, I’d recommend parking on the 8th floor of the Red parking lot. That’s because there’s a direct entrance into the hotel from there, making it much easier to come and go, rather than having to take an elevator up and down from whichever other floor you can find a spot on. The 8th floor also has no problem with spaces being full, so that makes it easier to park too rather than circling lower floors.

Just be aware that although you’ll want to park on level 8 of the Red parking lot, you’ll be entering in at level 7 of the hotel.

Parking fees are £15 (~$20) per day and you can either pay at a machine or by using the JustPark app. You can download and use the JustPark app even if you have a US phone (some other apps in the UK require that your Google Play Store settings are set to the UK) and you can pay with a US credit card. Unfortunately parking can’t be charged to your room at the Hilton as the hotel doesn’t operate the parking lot.

Pet policy

The Hilton Woking is a pet-friendly hotel which is why we picked it. Dogs up to 34 kgs (75 lbs) are allowed and there’s a £35 (~$47) pet fee per stay, rather than per night.

There aren’t really any grassy areas immediately outside the hotel and, despite the Woking area generally being lush and green, the town center has very little grass. We therefore found that it was best to take Truffles straight across the road from the hotel as there was more grass a little further up there.

It’s also not far from Basingstoke canal which is a nice place to take a walk, whether with a pup or without.

Location

The Hilton Woking is in the center of the town, next to its main shopping centers. Woking is a very walkable town; I didn’t learn to drive until I was 26 as it was easy enough getting around by foot or by bus.

It’s a ~30 minute drive to Woking from London Heathrow airport and a ~45 minute drive from London Gatwick airport. You can take a train from Woking to London in about 30 minutes, getting off at Waterloo which is a station close to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Cathedral, the London Eye, etc.

Due to its proximity to London and ease with which you can get there via public transport, Woking is a popular place to live for people who work in London. That’s why I grew up there as my dad worked for an insurance company in the city. In fact, you can even see the London skyline from the Hilton Woking’s executive lounge on a clear day.

That said, I don’t know if I’d necessarily recommend staying here if you want to visit London. Although it’s easy enough to get there by train, you’re looking at a round trip journey of at least an hour, plus the train ticket fees will be higher than staying closer to London and taking a tube ride.

However, it could be a great place to base yourself if you’ve visited London before and instead want to explore more of the southeast of England. Within a 30-45 minute drive you can visit Windsor Castle (almost 1,000 years old), Hampton Court Palace (once home to Henry VIII), Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures (two theme parks), Twickenham (for rugby matches), Mercedes-Benz World, LEGOLAND Windsor, Birdworld (the UK’s largest bird park which is a fun day out for younger kids), and more.

If you’re a Formula 1 fan, you might be familiar with Woking as it’s the home of the McLaren F1 team. It used to be possible to go on a tour of their facilities, but I believe they stopped those during COVID and never widely started them back up again. That said, I have occasionally seen Hilton Experiences offer a McLaren Formula 1 Technology Centre Tour for 100,000 Hilton Honors points (such as this one), so that’s worth keeping an eye out for if it’d be something that would appeal to you.

The first ever mosque in the UK—Shah Jahan Mosque—was built in Woking in the 1800s and is still used today. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells starts with aliens landing on nearby Horsell Common and subsequently destroying much of Woking. In the center of town there are some alien statues modeled on the story to honor that somewhat weird claim to fame.

Service

I was pleasantly surprised with how good service was at the hotel. We had great experiences with the concierge, the front desk staff, the executive lounge staff, OXBO restaurant staff at breakfast, and our server at Loft Sky Bar. After experiencing somewhat mediocre service at the two luxury hotels we’d stayed at in Crete just before this stay, it was a marked improvement.

Cash price

Cash pricing for the Hilton Woking can be all over the place. Rates tend to be in the $125-$300 range, but they do sometimes end up in the $300-$500 per night range.

For the dates of our stay when I’d originally booked them (rather than when I rebooked them the day before), it would’ve cost $243.02 per night including taxes and fees.

Award pricing

Seeing as Hilton uses dynamic pricing, the fact that cash pricing is all over the place means that award pricing is often all over the place too.

Friday nights tend to be cheapest and are sometimes bookable for 34,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Weekends are often ~45,000 points per night, while midweek stays are often 55,000-60,000 points per night.

We stayed there five nights and the pricing was 38,000 points for the first night, 50,000 for the second, 60,000 for the third and fourth nights, and 49,000 points for the fifth night. Hilton Honors offers every fifth night free on award stays for anyone who has Silver status or higher. That meant the cost of the 49,000 point night was knocked off, resulting in us only needing to redeem 208,000 points for the stay, or an average of 41,600 points per night.

Points value

By taking advantage of the fifth night free benefit, we were able to get 0.58 cents per point of value by booking an award stay rather than paying cash. The points to cash ratio does vary though; I’ve looked at pricing there at other times and sometimes the redemption value is worse—more akin to Hilton’s 0.35 cents per point Reasonable Redemption Value.

Resort fee

The Hilton Woking doesn’t have a resort fee.

Internet

Wi-Fi is complimentary at the Hilton Woking. It was a decent speed and I didn’t have any issues during our stay. In fact, I was in the lobby at 2am for our live Ask Us Anything session last month, so Zoom calls were no issue.

Elite benefits

I have Hilton Honors Diamond status by way of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card. This got us complimentary access to the club lounge and free breakfast in OXBO restaurant each morning.

We didn’t proactively get offered a room upgrade, nor did we ask for one when checking in. I did earn 1,000 bonus points as my Diamond + Myway Bonus.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Service – All of the employees we interacted with were friendly and helpful.
• Views – The hotel has lovely views of the surrounding area.
• Location – It’s in a very convenient spot to explore Woking, as well as other parts of the southeast.
• Lounge – While the canapes in the evening weren’t extensive, it was nice having that available, as well as self-serve drinks.
• Food & drink – We enjoyed the breakfast spread and Loft Sky Bar has some very tasty cocktails.

Cons

• No upgrade – The hotel didn’t give us an upgrade proactively even though it didn’t seem to be particularly busy during our stay. Admittedly, I didn’t ask for an upgrade though.
• Parking – It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, but it’s a shame that parking for five nights cost us ~$100.
• Shower – Perhaps we got unlucky with our room, but the water pressure from the shower was very weak.

The post Hotel review: Hilton Woking, England appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

How has SAS Eurobonus award availability been in the months since the Million Mile Madness challenge? What’s the single best card for your “player two”? We answered these questions and more on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on YouTube on June 3rd, 2026.

What’s the single best card for your “player two”? |

Watch here:

Or listen here (or click “Follow” on the player below to select your preferred podcast app instead):

(00:38) – How many backup flights do you have booked at any one time, and how many fees does that incur?

(04:43) – Has Greg tried/considered applying for a Discover card as a way to get “in” with Capital One since he has been unable to get approved for Capital One cards in the past?

(06:05) – ​How has SAS Eurobonus award availability been in the months since the Million Mile Madness challenge? Any regrets?

Learn more about the Million Mile Madness challenge here.

(09:15) – ​​Given all the hotel devaluations which now includes Hyatt, which hotel points would you recommend accumulating? Seems every chain wants lots of points for a room.

Learn about the decreased Hilton point value here

(16:01) – What’s a single best card for “P2” (player two)?

(23:24) – Should Chase Rapid Reward credit card holders EVER book something above Choice fares if you don’t care about the multiplier?

(26:11) – How do you redeem Bilt cash for grub hub, walgreens and the $25 dining?

(32:47) – Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card annual fee just posted today but still haven’t received the free night certificate. I was planning to downgrade to surpass, when can I expect it, if it takes more than 30 days will I still get annual fee refund?

(34:36) – ​​I want to fly Cathay Pacific First Class between Chicago and Hong Kong, either way or both works. I’m extremely flexible and can probably come up with enough points in any currency. How do I find it?

Find our “Which award search tool is best?” resource here

(36:57) – ​I’m applying for my first mortgage soon. While my credit score is fine, I’m a bit worried about having to explain my long laundry list of credit card accounts thanks to this crazy hobby. Should I be?

(41:24) – ​​So what are your favorite choices for virtually undiscovered islands similar to Koh Kood that lack the crowds but still have things to do

(50:38) – What airline programs should be avoided due to poor customer service? I try to book when flights come out, which means there are often schedule changes that can be a problem/opportunity.

Subscribe and Follow

Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.

Music Credit – “swappin’ back n’ forth” by up @ night

The post What’s the single best card for your “player two”? | Ask us Anything Ep87 | 6-3-26 appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Office Depot and OfficeMax stores have returned with their profitable gift card deal on Mastercard gift cards.

The Deal

• Buy $300+ Mastercard gift cards at Office Depot/OfficeMax & get $15 off instantly.

Key Terms

• Valid 6/7/26-6/13/26
• Limit 10 per household/business (different stores may try to impose various limits that don’t correspond to the ad).

Quick Thoughts

As always with these deals, the best option is to buy in three-card increments, as Office Depot/Max gives a $15 discount for every $300 you spend. So, buying three cards means you’re spending $600, which takes off $30. Buying nine cards means you should get $90 off, but YMMV as to whether a store will let you do that.

For every three cards you buy, you’ll pay $23.85 in fees (3x$7.95), giving you a net $6.15 in profit in addition to any additional rewards. Buying nine cards at a time triples both the profit and rewards (but will likely involve an ID check to make sure that the payment you’re using is yours).

H/T: Melissa

Past Deals

• 5/10/26-5/16/26
• 4/12/26-4/18/26
• 3/15/26-3/21/26
• 2/15/26-2/21/26
• 1/18/26-1/24/26
• 12/14/25 -12/20/25
• 11/16-25-11/22/25
• 10/19/25-10/25/25
• 9/21/25-9/27/25
• 8/24/25-8/30/25
• 7/27/25-8/2/25
• 6/29/25-7/5/25
• 5/4/25-5/10/25
• 4/10/25-4/12/25
• 3/9/25-3/15/25
• 2/9/25 to 2/15/25
• 1/12/25 to 1/18/25
• 12/15/24 to 12/21/24
• 11/17/24 to 11/23/24
• 10/20/24 to 10/26/24
• 9/22/24 to 9/28/24
• 8/25/24 – 8/31/24
• 7/28/24 – 8/3/24
• 6/30/26 – 7/6/24
• 6/2/24 – 6/8/24
• May 5-11, 2024
• April 7-13, 2024
• March 17-26, 2024.
• March 10-16, 2024
• February 11-17, 2024
• January 14-20, 2024
• December 17-23, 2023
• November 19-26, 2023
• October 23-29, 2023
• September 24-30, 2023
• August 27 – September 2, 2023.
• July 30 – August 5, 2023
• June 4-10, 2023
• May 7-13, 2023
• April 9-15, 2023
• March 12-18, 2023
• February 12-18, 2023
• January 15-21, 2023
• December 11-17, 2022
• November 27-December 3, 2022
• November 6-12, 2022
• August 14-20, 2022
• May 15-21, 2022
• February 13-19, 2022
• November 28-December 4, 2021
• September 26-October 2, 2021
• August 15-21, 2021
• May 16-22, 2021

The post Office Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards, Save $15 appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Capital One Shopping and Capital One Offers are once again offering boosted rewards when booking activities, hotels, and/or rental cars with Klook. I’m seeing rates of up to 40% cashback or up to 35X transferable miles, but you might be targeted for a higher or lower rate.

The Deal

• Earn up to 40% cashback with Capital One Shopping or up to 35X miles with Capital One Offers when booking with Klook.

Capital One Shopping referral

If you’re new to Capital One Shopping, you can earn $80 when joining (see this post for full details):

Key Terms

• Expires June 7, 2026.

Quick Thoughts

Capital One Shopping tends to show different rates depending on how you view offers. The rate you see on the Capital One Shopping homepage for Klook will probably be higher than the rate you see if you search for Klook using the site’s search bar. The app might show a different rate, while the highest rates of all are often sent via targeted emails, so keep an eye out for those today if you’re interested in booking with Klook.

In case you’re not familiar with Klook, it’s a site that’s similar to Viator whereby you can book activities and tours, as well as other travel-related things like hotels and car rentals. You can earn boosted rates today on most of those, although the percentages vary depending on the type of booking.

For example, on Capital One Shopping I’m seeing a breakdown as follows:

• Tours, sightseeing, activities, & experiences – 40%
• Hotels, car rentals, attractions, shows, attraction passes, transportation, & Wifi – 25%
• Special activities & Klook gift cards – 2%
• Universal Studios Japan Super Value Combo – 1%
• Exclusions – Not eligible for Best Food & Must Eats, nor Japan orders (except USJ Japan), Disney Tokyo, Disney Hong Kong, & JR Pass

As a reminder, the cashback you earn with Capital One Shopping isn’t pure cashback. Instead, it can only be cashed out for a selection of third party gift cards. That selection nowadays tends to be better than in some previous years, but it does mean that you wouldn’t be cashing it out for 40% of actual cashback (or however much you’re targeted for). On the plus side, anyone can be a Capital One Shopping customer as it’s a shopping portal that’s open to anyone—even non-cardholders.

If you are a Capital One cardholder, be sure to also check Capital One Offers. This is a shopping portal that’s only available for cardholders and is also offering boosted rates for Klook today. Similar to Capital One Shopping, rates offered on Capital One Offers can be targeted. I’m seeing rates of up to 35X miles today for Klook, broken down as follows:

• Tours, sightseeing, activities, & experiences – 35X
• Hotels, car rentals, attractions, shows, attraction passes, transportation, & Wifi – 22X
• Special activities & Klook gift cards – 2X
• Universal Studios Japan Super Value Combo – 1X
• Exclusions – Not eligible for Best Food & Must Eats, nor Japan orders (except USJ Japan), Disney Tokyo, Disney Hong Kong, & JR Pass

While the rates you see on Capital One Offers might be a little lower than those you see on Capital One Shopping, the benefit of Capital One Offers is that if your card earns cashback, you’ll earn those rewards as pure cashback, not cashback that can only be redeemed for gift cards. If you have one or more Capital One cards that earn miles, you’ll earn those rewards as miles which makes them even more valuable if you value the miles at more than 1 cent per point.

To view your Capital One Offers, log in to your Capital One account and scroll down to the section where it says ‘Activate shopping offers.’ Click on ‘View all offers’ and on the next screen near the top you should see your Klook rate.

The post Capital One Shopping/Offers: Earn up to 40% or 35X miles at Klook appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Staples is once again waiving purchase fees for digital Visa gift cards sold online. This type of deal is always popular, so you’ll want to buy ASAP if you’re interested.

The Deal

• Buy $200 virtual Visa gift cards with no purchase fee at Staples.com.
• Direct link to offer.

Key Terms

• Limit 4.

Quick Thoughts

There’s a limit of five listed, but if you try buying $1,000 worth it won’t let you, so you have to reduce the total to four cards costing $800.

When Staples offers these virtual cards, they tend to sell out within a couple of days—if not sooner—so it’s best to buy ASAP if you’re interested.

h/t Doctor of Credit

The post Staples.com is selling $200 digital Visa gift cards with no purchase fee appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

Welcome to our weekly list of what’s ending this week as well as a collection of some other deals that are due to end soon.

Two of Citi’s current transfer bonuses to Preferred Hotels and Wyndham Rewards end next Saturday. Also ending this week is the opportunity to buy Hotels.com gift cards for 10% off, National Car Rental’s latest ‘One, Two, Free’ promotion, an increased welcome offer on the Capital One Venture Business card, and more.

Below you’ll find this week’s Last Chance Deals. Those are followed by deals that Won’t Last Long and Other Limited-time Offers. Deals in bold were posted this week.

Expires Sunday, June 7, 2026

• National Car Rental’s One Two Free promo returns (Expires 6/7/26)
• Save 10% when buying $150+ Hotels.com gift cards (Expires 6/7/26)
• ALL Accor offering 4X points at “new” properties (Book by 6/7/26 for stays through 10/4/26)

Expires Monday, June 8, 2026

• Capital One Spark Miles rebranded to Venture Business; Up to 150K welcome offer + up to $100 in new credits (Expires 6/8/26)

Expires Tuesday, June 9, 2026

• New United Mile Play Offers: See If You’re Targeted For Bonus Miles (Expires 6/9/26)
• Kroger: Earn 4x fuel points on 3rd party and fixed-value Visa / Mastercard gift cards (Visa/Mastercard expired 6/2/26, select third party cards expires 6/9/26)

Expires Thursday, June 11, 2026

• Amazon promo: Get $10 off $75 when redeeming 1 Discover point (Expires 6/11/26)

Expires Friday, June 12, 2026

• Leading Hotels of the World points sale: Get up to 100% bonus (6 cents per point) (Expires 6/12/26)
• Targeted Bilt cardholder promo: 10K bonus points after $1k in spend (Expires 6/12/26)

Expires Saturday, June 13, 2026

• 30% transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou to Preferred Hotels I Prefer (1,000:2,600) (Expires 6/13/26)
• 25% transfer bonus to Wyndham Rewards from Citi ThankYou Rewards (1,000:1,250) (Expires 6/13/26)

• Capital One Shopping offering $80 referral bonus for both sides
• [Jun/Jul ’26 added!] Baseball fans: Capital One once again has great seats for 5,000 miles each
• Capital One Offers: Earn 25X at CVS in-store (targeted)
• Capital One Offers: Spend $20 & earn 1K bonus miles at many retailers (eBay, Home Depot, Dollar General, & more, targeted)
• AARP/Expedia: Book $500+ hotel stay or car rental & get $50 gift card free
• Book Virgin all-inclusive safari camp for 100k points per night

Welcome Offers / Credit Cards / Other Finance

• UBS credit cards finally have welcome bonuses (Expires 6/30/26)

Travel

• $200 back on $1000 at Hilton resorts in the Caribbean (Expires 6/16/26)
• Sonesta Amex Offer: Spend $300+, get $60 back (Expires 6/20/26)
• Buy $300 Delta gift card & get $25 Uber gift card free; stack with +5 Amex Offer (Expires 6/22/26)
• Buy Marriott Points for as low as 0.89 cents each (Expires 6/23/26)
• Homes & Villas by Marriott promo: Earn 3X points on 5+ night stays in Caribbean & Latin America (Book by 6/26/26 for stays through 12/31/26)
• MGM Resorts offering 90 day status match; extend through 1/31/28 with qualifying activity (Match by 6/30/26)
• Hyatt promo: Earn 2K bonus points per night at Under Canvas properties (Expires 6/30/26)
• Hotels.com Amex Offer: Earn 10x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels (Expires 6/30/26)
• Get $75 back on $300+ spend at select Hyatt properties with a targeted Amex Offer (Expires 6/30/26)
• Hyatt promo: Earn 2X points at all-inclusive Bahia Principe brand (Expires 6/30/26)
• Chase Travel℠ Chase Offer: Spend $600 & get $100 back (targeted) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Southwest cardholder promo: Earn 25% bonus points when spending $3K+ (max 20K bonus points, targeted) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Delta Vacations Amex Offer: Get $200 back when spending $1K+ (Expires 6/30/26)
• Preferred Hotels promo: Earn 2,500 I Prefer points at new properties (Book by 6/30/26 for stays through 9/30/26)
• Norwegian Cruise Line Amex Offer: Spend $1,000 & get $200 back (enrollment required) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Wyndham promo: Earn 15K bonus points on 5+ night stay at its WaterWalk & Hawthorn extended stay brands (Book by 6/30/26, stay by 9/30/26)
• Get 10% back with IHG Chase Offer on $400-$620 spend (Expires 6/30/26)
• Save 30% on award stays at Virgin Hotels in New Orleans & Dallas (select months only) (New Orleans valid for stays 6/1/26-6/30/26, Dallas valid for stays 8/1/26-8/31/26)
• $75 back on $325 or more at Hertz with Citi Merchant Offer (stack with portals?) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards offering 55% transfer bonus to Marriott (Expires 6/30/26)
• 30% transfer bonus to Qatar Avios from Citi ThankYou (Expires 6/30/26)
• 50% transfer bonus to Turkish Miles & Smiles from Rove Miles (Expires 6/30/26)
• Flying Blue Promo Rewards: 18,750 miles for economy between many US cities and Europe (30K Premium Economy between Las Vegas and Europe) (Book by 6/30/26 for travel through 11/30/26)
• 20% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy from American Express Membership Rewards (Expires 6/30/26)
• Get a 25% bonus when converting hotel points to United (Expires 6/30/26)
• Get a 25% bonus when transferring Amex Membership Rewards to Air France/KLM Flying Blue (Expires 6/30/26)
• Save on Turo rides with Amex Offer, Chase Offer, & Citi Offer (Chase Offer & Citi Offer expire 6/30/26, Amex Offer expires 12/31/26)
• Viator/TripAdvisor Experiences Chase Offer: Get 8% back on up to $125 spend (Expires 6/30/26)

Shopping/Spending Deals

• Get waived purchase fees on cards from MastercardGiftCard, VanillaGift, TheGiftCardShop, & AmexGiftCard (Expires 6/21/26)
• Dell Amex Offers: 5%-13% back (stack with Dell credits) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Q2 2026 activation links for cards offering 5% in rotating categories (Expires 6/30/26)
• Amex will remove Shop Saks benefit (Expires 6/30/26)
• Chase Q2 cobranded card spending offers with direct registration links (Expires 6/30/26)
• Rakuten: Best Ever 5K Amex points, 5K Bilt points, or $50 referral bonus for both sides (Expires 6/30/26)
• Get $50 back on $100+ pet-sitting booking with Rover Chase Offer (Expires 6/30/26)
• Hidden, targeted spending offers on cobranded Barclays cards: Get 5 or 10 extra points per dollar (Expires 6/30/26)
• Targeted Barclays spending offer: 2500 Atmos points after five $50 purchases (Expires 6/30/26)
• Amazon: Save up to 50% when redeeming Membership Rewards points (Targeted) (Expires 6/30/26)
• Get up to 10% back at Kroger brands with new Chase Offer (Expires 6/30/26)

Bank Account Bonuses

• List of great bank account signup bonuses available this month
• Chase Business Checking: $500 bonus after $2000 deposit (Expires 6/18/26)
• US Bank: Up to a $1200 bonus with new business checking account (Expires 6/30/26)

Other Helpful Resources

• Current Deals
• Best Offers
• Current Amex Offers
• Instant Gift Card Deals

The post Last Chance Deals: Preferred Hotels & Wyndham transfer bonuses, discounted Hotels.com gift cards, & more appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to gradually re-enter the points and miles game. Despite working for arguably the best points and miles blog in the space (ok ok, I may be biased), I had essentially retired from the game otherwise. For instance, aside from being an authorized user on an old IHG credit card, I no longer had any credit cards personally.

My priorities

My main motivation for re-entering the game was actually my credit score. With just one credit card, it was easy for my credit utilization to look high, and I’d lost focus on monitoring it well. I remembered how well my credit score had done when I was more active with rewards cards, and figured it was time to decrease my credit utilization rate by increasing lines of credit. (As a reminder, covering your balance each month is an important way to avoid fees that nullify the use of rewards and also keep a healthy credit score).

Because I wanted a very low-hassle strategy for my reintroduction and because I wanted to improve the average age of account metric of my credit score with cards I’d be able to affordably keep year after year, I decided to focus on no-annual-fee cards for starters.

Here’s the $0 credit card wallet I ended up with, to gradually re-enter the points game

Card Offer and Details

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card ⓘ $190 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates $200 Cash Back $200 after $500 spend in the first 3 months from account opening No Annual Fee Learn more Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: $200 after $500 spend in the first 3 months from account opening, a $50 statement credit after making the minimum payment for 3 months, and a $100 credit for travel booked through Capital One within first cardholder year. Earning rate: 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel (terms apply) ✦ 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming services, and purchases at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) ✦ 1% everywhere else Base: 1% Portal Hotels: 5% Grocery: 3% Dine: 3% Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.

This card earns cash back and, unless you have another Capital One miles card, the earnings can’t be transferred to travel partners. But because my primary focus was credit score health and earnings from spend – not strictly travel rewards – this card made sense to me. Especially since dining and grocery are two of my primary expense categories and each earns 3%.

Card Offer and Details

Capital One VentureOne Business ⓘ $683 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates 50K Miles ⓘFriend-ReferralThis is a friend-referral offer. A member of the Frequent Miler community may earn a referral bonus if you are approved for this offer 50K after $4,500 spend in the first 3 months from account opening No Annual Fee Learn more Note: Most Capital One Business credit cards (including this one) DO count against Chase's 5/24 Rule Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: This card is similar to the Spark Cash Select for Business, but rewards are intended to be used to offset travel purchases. This is a good option for business owners who prefer simple rewards with no annual fee, and who value free travel over cash back. If you spend more than $19K per year, though, go for the 2X Venture Business card. Earning rate: Earn 5X miles on hotel, vacation rental, and rental car bookings through Capital One Business Travel ✦ 1.5X miles everywhere Base: 1.5X (2.18%) Portal Hotels: 5X (7.25%) Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Transfer Miles to airline miles & hotel points

The next card I got about a year later was actually not the Capital One VentureOne Business Credit Card as displayed above, but the Capital One Spark Miles Select business card, which was rebranded to this card earlier in the spring. The things that attracted me to the Spark Miles Select card are still true of the Capital One VentureOne Business credit card, though. The primary thing I was concerned about this time, aside from sticking with my goal of no annual fees, was a pathway for using my Capital One earnings for travel partners. The VentureOne card (as well as the Spark Miles Select card) allows transfers to travel partners like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, and more. Not only that, but since you can move your Capital One cash back to your miles-earning card, it provides a pathway to use cash back from my Savor One card for transfer partners.

I have been disappointed by the Capital One Business Travel portal, as I’d hoped to earn 5X on at least some travel expenses that way, but unfortunately the portal’s rates are almost never competitive enough to validate spending through the portal instead of other channels. Even so, I’m still grateful I now have a transferable currency with travel partner transfer options. It’s a start!

See how to turn Capital One cash back into miles below…

(Note that the bonus is actually temporarily elevated on this card, until June 8th, 2026.)

Bottom Line

With this strategy, I can use the Capital One Savor card as my daily spender, earning a decent rate of 3% back at my two primary spend categories (grocery and dining). Then, when travel plans come up, I can move the earnings from my Savor card to my Spark Miles Select card for a more bang-for-my-buck use, transferring to travel partners. And while opening myself up to annual fees would have given me access to better welcome bonuses, my priority for returning to the game was something low-hassle where I wouldn’t have to work to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth out of the annual fee, and where I could plan to keep my cards around for an improved average account age.

The post My low-hassle $0 credit card wallet for re-entering the points game (A Carrie commentary) appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

On the blog this week, read about Greg’s plans now that the Prestige card (and several others) have been pried out of his wallet, my take on the best card combo for the domestic traveler, unfortunate Alaska Atmos changes, and more.

This week on the Frequent Miler blog…

The day Citi cancelled me

I’ve said before that the award travel game can make those of us who play it feel invincible. We all get used to the big wins: new card intro bonuses, category bonuses, premium cabin redemptions, luxury hotel stays, lounge access, elite benefits, and the many things that come along with participating in this hobby. We can get so used to the wins that we start to feel like “winning” is inevitable.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always caviar and flat-bed seats at the end of a rainbow. Sadly, Greg recently chased the rainbow and ended up flying a little too close to the sun, getting his Citi accounts shut down. There’s no doubt from the post itself and his tone in the comments that Greg regrets what happened here. While we will never know for sure, I would bet that a large piece of the reason for this shutdown was the cycling and multiple payments. Cycling has long been a common cause of shutdown, so if you have big spending to do, it is better to spread it around over multiple cards/banks.

Life after Citi | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep361 | 6-5-26

Now that Greg’s has lost access to his former options for 5x dining and grocery, what’s next? On this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air, we discuss what happened and what cards will be rotating into Greg’s wallet to fill the void, as well as those he may consider opening next.

Citi cancels 5X earnings | Coffee Break Ep108 | 6-2-26

It wasn’t just Greg that got cancelled by Citi recently, as Citi abruptly stopped taking applications for the Custom Cash card. This was a surprise, though it was rumored for a few days before it happened. The Custom Cash card earns 5 points per dollar on up to $500 in purchases per month in the category in which you spend the most. Given the low cap, I was surprised to see this one pulled.

That said, I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if the Custom Cash primarily appealed to those who were only using it for $500 per month in purchases, which probably made it a loss leader that just wasn’t worth it for Citi.

On this week’s Coffee Break, Greg and I discuss this change and how you might be able to still get a Custom Cash via product change (though this might change at any time).

The best card combo for domestic travelers

I frequently think about credit cards and airline miles as tools to get premium cabin international travel and luxury hotels abroad. However, reader Casey turns the tables a bit and writes in with a question about the best card combination for someone who only wants to travel domestically within the United States.

I think my strategy would be significantly different if my travel were primarily or entirely within the United States, since I would want more access to U.S.-based transfer partners. Foreign programs would be less important to me since the major U.S. airlines have been releasing less and less award space to partners.

In this post, I laid out what I think would be an ideal wallet for someone who is primarily or entirely a domestic traveler. I’m sure that some people will disagree with my airline card pick, but I’m curious to hear reader input. Agree with my picks? Have your own? Share your ideas in the comments!

What are Hilton points worth? (hint: less than they used to be)

If you had recently been noticing that Hilton points aren’t as valuable as they used to be, it isn’t just in your head. Tim has analyzed the latest data from Gondola and has found that the Reasonable Redemption Value for Hilton points has dropped again, with the median now down to 0.35c per point. Earning Hilton points through credit card spend feels like a losing proposition. On the other hand, free night certificates continue to yield outstanding value, but the constant devaluation of Hilton points makes the return on spend while working on earning those certificates look pretty unattractive.

How to use Hyatt free night certificates on a multi-night stay

Nick’s Guest Appearance on The BoldlyGo Podcast: Pulling Your Kids Out of School To Travel The World

I recently had an opportunity to go on the BoldlyGo podcast and discuss our decision to homeschool our kids for a few months while traveling to French Polynesia and Europe during the third quarter of the school year. I had always assumed that homeschooling was an all-or-nothing proposition, where you’d have to do it all year round or not at all. When we discovered that we could homeschool for a few months, and then have the kids go back to their school and re-enroll in the same classroom, it seemed like an appealing opportunity to teach through travel while making sure that they still get most of a typical school year experience. I had a great time talking all about it with DeAndre on the podcast. We also discussed Avianca LifeMiles and some of the reasons why I think LifeMiles is worth your attention even after the recent devaluation.

Eat out, earn more: Guide to card-linked dining programs for airlines, hotels & more

Stephen has fully updated his guide to card-linked dining programs with increases and decreases in both sign-up offers and temporary promotions for June 2026.

Negative Alaska Airlines changes: Increased partner award fees & no points or status points on saver fares

Alaska charges a non-refundable partner booking fee of 12.50 cents per passenger as of the time of writing this post. There are times when I would like to book a backup flight using my Alaska Atmos rewards, but I don’t because I know it’ll mean potentially losing that fee (though “changing” is a way around the fee, that requires keeping the points locked up in a future award). Unfortunately, the partner booking fee is set to go up to $20 in July 2026. While that might not be a big deal for one or two passengers, I start to feel the sting when booking for a family of four or sometimes even more passengers.

The way around that fee, of course, is to get the Alaska Summit Visa, which waives the partner booking fee when you’re booking awards with your Alaska Atmos rewards. This increase in fee only makes that card a bit more compelling than it was before.

Is it bad for your credit score to open so many credit cards?

I find that the source of many common misconceptions regarding credit is often the need for mass media to reduce complex ideas to 20-second soundbites. Conventional wisdom is that opening lots of credit cards is harmful to your credit, but that conventional wisdom is simply an oversimplification. It is true that opening new cards reduces your average age of account, so if you don’t have older accounts to offset the effect of new accounts, then your score may decrease a bit in the short term.

However, if you’ve got a handful of very old accounts to keep your average age of account up, and if you pay off all of your cards before the statement is cut, having more cards is more likely to increase your score than decrease it. A fuller explanation doesn’t always fit neatly into the short soundbite needed for a few seconds on a morning news program, so many people are miseducated on the effect that credit cards will have when used responsibly. In this post, Stephen explains everything you need to know in much more detail. The proof is in the pudding here: If having lots of credit cards was bad for your credit, bloggers like us wouldn’t be able to consistently be approved for new cards despite already having 20 or 30 cards each or more.

Should I split a points transfer into smaller buckets? | Question of the Week Ep5 | 5-31-26

The short answer to this week’s question of the week is no, you shouldn’t. If you’re curious about why not, listen to this week’s question of the week episode, where we explain why you probably don’t want to make a test transfer or transfer points in smaller buckets from multiple transferable currencies to book your award.

Recently updated resources

The following resources are fully updated with the latest information as of June 2026 and are worth a bookmark for their regular updates.

• Current point transfer bonuses for June 2026
• Current Hotel Promotions for June 2026
• Best Credit Card Offers for June 2026

That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals so you don’t miss those ending soon.

The post The clock ticks for semi-annual credits, Citi cancels more than Custom Cash, cards for domestic travel and more (Week in Review) appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

The San Diego area is my favorite part of the West Coast, and my favorite part of the San Diego area is the northern part of the county. Stretches of long, empty, cliff-backed beaches alternate between laid-back towns like Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad, and it’s all within easy reach of San Diego proper. It’s a delightful area.

A few years ago, when a clifftop Alila Resort opened up just north of Encinitas, I was excited to check it out. I finally had an opportunity to do so recently, when a trip to the area coincided with a soon-to-expire Category 1-7 certificate that I needed to use. I’d heard mixed reviews about the property since it opened, and nothing about my stay gave me any reason to contradict them.

Alila Encinitas Bottom Line Review

Given the location and Category 7 designation, I was hoping to be charmed by the Alila Encinitas. I wasn’t. Let me be very clear: I didn’t have a bad stay. I loved the location, had a great beach walk, and the room was comfortable. However, for me, the hotel, service, and amenities didn’t match the superlative clifftop location. Nor did they feel worth the price. One thumb (partially) up, One thumb down

• Price: A Hyatt Category 7, 25K-55K points/night, depending on season. I used a Category 1-7 free night certificate when I was there in April, 2026. The points price was 35K per night, while the cash rate was ~$650/night for a midweek stay. After various fees and taxes, it would have been ~$800.
• Value: Giving the incredible cash prices, this is usually a decent redemption in terms of cents per point. That said, the experience didn’t feel like a “value” to me.
• Location: The location is beautiful, offering expansive views over the cliffs and coastline. Sunsets are stellar. There are a few eating options within walking distance, and downtown Encinitas is only a short drive away. While the resort’s views are terrific, it isn’t on the beach; you have to walk down a fairly substantial set of stairs to get there. That won’t be a huge issue for many folks, but those who are mobility-challenged should be aware.
• Room: I booked a standard, Lagoon View Room and was upgraded to a ~430 sq ft Ocean View Room. The room itself was comfortable, with plenty of light and a nice-sized bathroom and shower. Unfortunately, the pool was between the room and the ocean view, only one floor down. It made both the room and the balcony feel distinctly non-private. There are some ground-floor and Coastline View rooms that have firepit-festooned balconies that look very inviting. I’d prefer one of those over the ocean-view, pool-front rooms.
• Parking: Valet parking is $60 per night, plus tax; there’s no self-parking. The fee is waived for Globalists on award stays.
• Resort/Destination Fee: A whopping $55+tax per night, waived on award stays. There is a full list of “included amenities,” the most salient being:
  • Leucadia Loop transportation service within 3 miles of the property
  • Weekly sound bath experience
  • Beach access with chairs, umbrellas, and towels
  • Daily yoga class (not offered while I was there)
  • E-bikes
  • 2 welcome beverages (only redeemable at the pool bar)
  • 2 welcome water bottles
• Internet: Good throughout the property.
• Service: Oddly subpar from beginning to end. When I entered the hotel, there were two front desk agents, and one was helping a customer. The other was talking to another employee (who appeared to be a manager) sitting in front of him, where guests checking in would sit. I waited for a few minutes behind them while they chatted, without acknowledgment. It was only when the second agent was freed up and greeted me that either of the other two seemed to realize I had been standing there. The pool bar is the only place you can redeem your welcome drinks, so I went there after check-in, an hour before closing. The first bartender told me they’d probably close early, but I could take a drink outside; the second told me they would be open for another hour, so I could stay inside, prompting a consternated reaction from the first guy. They then chatted about how ridiculous it was that they couldn’t close early, and because it was a waste of their time. I took my drink and left. In the morning, housekeeping knocked on the door to change the room over at ~8:30 am, despite my noon checkout. $800 a night?
• Turndown service: None.
• Dining:
  • Vaga: Primary hotel restaurant and bar with commanding views of the coast. It serves breakfast from 7:00 am to 11 am M-Th, brunch from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm Fri-Sun, dinner from 5 pm to 9 pm Sun-Th (10 pm on weekends). The prices equal the view, and Globalists or guests with a breakfast package don’t receive access to the full breakfast menu.
  • Pocket Pool and Bar: A bar and lounge that serves guests at the pool and also has a small indoor area just behind it. Open daily from 11 am – 7 pm, kitchen from 12 pm – 6 pm.
• Spa: There is an on-property spa, open daily, with a full menu of exorbitantly priced treatments.
• Fitness Room: There is a small fitness area that’s smaller than it probably should be, given the size of the resort. It has a smattering of the usual cardio equipment, plus a stretching area.
• Hyatt Globalist Benefits: 
  • Room Upgrade: I booked a standard room and was proactively upgraded to a King Ocean View room. It was a fine room, although having the pool one floor down between the room and the ocean did take some of the charm away.
  • Free Breakfast: Served at Vaga. Globalists are given a stripped-down “package menu” that doesn’t include several items. You’re allowed to order one entrée, one coffee, and one juice. The outdoor patio was an invigorating place to hang out and get some work done, but the food was mediocre. The “green” juice looked like it had been scooped out of the nearby lagoon, and probably should have been called “brown” juice.
  • Lounge: None.
  • Late Checkout: When I checked in, the front desk agent told me in advance that late checkout wasn’t possible and that I should ask the next day. When I did, I was told that the latest that could be accommodated was 12:30 pm – an extra half hour.
  • Parking: Valet parking is free for Globalists on award stays.
• Would I stay again?  No. While it’s a pleasant enough place to stay, the facilities and service on offer didn’t justify the price for me, either in cash or points.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Marvelous views throughout the property
• At low(ish) tide, excellent beach walking beneath the cliffs
• Walking distance to several restaurants, and a short drive or Uber to downtown Encinitas
• There are several very appealing outdoor lounging areas
• Stellar poolside firepits

Cons

• The prices, both in points and cash, seem high for the quality of the property
• I was surprised by how consistently mediocre the service was
• Beach access is via a fairly substantial staircase from the cliff; mobility-challenged folks may have to drive down to the parking area
• I found the pool area (besides the firepits) to be lacking; it felt more like something you might find in a rural Hampton Inn, but plopped on a stunning cliff top
• Based on my experience, the property is extremely hesitant to offer late checkouts for Globalists
• Globalists don’t have access to the full breakfast menu, and neither do folks who are staying on a bed and breakfast rate

Image Gallery

Alila Encinitas Ocean View King Room with Balcony

Alila Encinitas Pool Area

Pocket Pool Bar

Alila Encinitas Vaga Restaurant

Alila Encinitas Grounds and Fitness Center

The post Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas: Bottom Line Review appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.

In today’s episode, Greg shares the story of how Citi shut down his accounts and what’s next for him. (What will he do without his beloved Prestige card?) Read more about Greg’s situation with Cit here.

Life after Citi

Watch here:

Or listen here (or click “Follow” on the player below to select your preferred podcast app instead):

Giant Mailbag

(01:06) – Russel discusses how Barclays American Airlines card is not a way back to Citi

(02:57) – Flyguy talks about also being shutdown by Citi for paying the bill from multiple checking accounts in a single cycle

Bonvoyed

(04:53) – American Airlines blocking close-in domestic award availability to partners here

(07:58) – Alaska Airlines: Increased partner award fees & no points or status points on saver fares here

(13:36) – What are Hilton points worth? Find out here

(21:00) – Hyatt reasonable redemption value preview

Awards, Points, and More

(23:26) – Vacations by Marriott here

(28:42) – World of Hyatt to launch early access bookings for elites and cardholders June 30th.

(30:01) – Credit card referral offers

(32:53) – Learning to love Instacart credits here

Main Event: Life after Citi

(37:25) – Greg’s shutdown story

Read more about Greg’s situation with Cit here

(52:12) – There was a brief window to transfer points

(58:40) – Globe Card (from Aviator Silver) opened shortly after shutdown

(1:03:41) – What’s lost and what to do about it

(1:07:51) – Citi’s unique transfer partners

(1:11:42) – AA status: Will pursue AK status instead

(1:14:38) – Priority Pass restaurants: US Bank Altitude Connect

(1:16:58) – Grocery

(1:23:44) – Dining

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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

The post Life after Citi | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep361 | 6-5-26 appeared first on Frequent Miler. Frequent Miler may receive compensation from CHASE. American Express, Capital One, or other partners.