Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
Capital One Charlotte Lounge Coming
Capital One announced plans to build a 14,000 square foot lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), which will become the issuer’s largest lounge location to date.
The lounge will be located on the mezzanine level of the Concourse A expansion and will feature expansive tarmac views, locally inspired menus, a full-service coffee bar, and dedicated workspaces.
No official opening timeline has been revealed yet, though the project will likely take significant time given the need for concept development, airport approvals, permitting, and buildout — potentially pushing the opening into 2027 or even 2028.
This expansion is particularly welcome at Charlotte, a major American Airlines hub that currently suffers from limited quality lounge options including underwhelming Admirals Clubs, an Amex Centurion Lounge, a Delta Sky Club, and The Club CLT.
Capital One’s existing lounge network includes locations at Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), New York (JFK), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Washington National (DCA), with a Capital One Landing also expected to open soon at New York LaGuardia.
American Airlines is also planning to add a new Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge to Charlotte, which should significantly improve the overall lounge situation at an airport that desperately needs more premium options.
Marriott’s Five-Night Bonus Returns
Chase just brought back the five free night certificate offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, and this time the spending requirement dropped to just $3,000 in the first three months (down from the usual $5,000).
You’ll score five certificates worth up to 50,000 points each, and you can top off each one with an extra 15,000 points if needed to book pricier properties.
On top of that, new and current cardholders can now earn $100 in total statement credits by spending $250 on airlines between January 1 and June 30, 2026 for the first $50 credit, then another $250 on airlines between July 1 and December 31, 2026 for the second $50 credit.
The certificates expire one year from when they’re issued and you’ll need to grab this through a referral link, but you can easily extract over $1,000 in value since 50,000-point properties regularly go for $300+ per night.
400K Capital One Bonus Ending
Capital One’s limited time offer on the Capital One Venture X Business is ending January 19, and it’s one of the highest bonus offers ever with up to 400,000 miles available.
You’ll earn 200,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months, then another 200,000 miles after spending an additional $120,000 for a total of $150,000 in the first six months.
With the minimum 2x earning rate on all purchases, you’ll rack up 700,000 total miles after meeting the full spend requirement, which translates to $7,000 in travel reimbursement or potentially much more through transfer partners.
Choice Card Gets 60K Boost
The Wells Fargo Choice Privileges Mastercard is offering 60,000 bonus points after just $1,000 in spend over three months, matching what you’d get from the Select version but without the $95 annual fee (you’ll still get automatic Gold status too).
The Select card might actually be worth that $95 fee though, since you’ll earn 30,000 points at every renewal—essentially buying points at 0.32 cents each—plus you get Platinum status and a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every four years.
Alaska Card Offer Rebounds
The Atmos Rewards Ascent card is back up to 80,000 points plus Alaska’s $99 Companion Fare after you spend $4,000 in the first 120 days, jumping back from the recent 60,000-point offer.
You can access this elevated bonus through targeted links or referrals from existing cardholders, and Bank of America is also running an even stronger 85,000-point version with the same $4,000 spending requirement.
Wyndham Status Match Returns
Wyndham Rewards has relaunched its status match program, and you can score Diamond status from a surprisingly wide range of hotel programs — including some lower-tier status levels that don’t get you much at their home properties.
You can match to Wyndham Diamond from Marriott Gold/Platinum/Titanium/Ambassador, Hilton Gold/Diamond, Choice Diamond, Best Western Diamond Select, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum/Diamond, Radisson VIP, or Omni Icon.
If you hold the American Express Platinum Card, you already have Marriott Gold and Hilton Gold status, both of which qualify for the Diamond match, and all IHG credit cards (except the Traveler) come with Platinum status that’s also eligible.
Your matched status lasts 90 days, but you can extend it by completing just 10 qualifying nights for Diamond, 4 nights for Platinum, or 1 night for Gold within that window.
JPMorgan Takes Over Apple Card
JP Morgan has reached an agreement with Goldman Sachs to take over the Apple Card, purchasing roughly $20 billion in outstanding card balances at a discount of more than $1 billion—a steep markdown that highlights just how badly Goldman wanted out of this consumer venture.
Mastercard will remain the card’s payment network after successfully fighting off competition from Visa, keeping its valuable partnership with Apple intact.
