Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
Bilt Potentially Coming to Rakuten
Rakuten’s Help section briefly showed Bilt as a new earning option alongside American Express Membership Rewards before the page was updated to remove the reference, suggesting the partnership was leaked ahead of its official launch.
Once live, you’ll be able to earn the new member bonus of 5,000 points (or $50) as Bilt points when you spend $50 through Rakuten within 90 days, and it’s unclear whether you’ll need a Bilt credit card or if a free Bilt Rewards account will suffice.
Bilt points offer more flexibility than Amex MR with transfer partners including Hyatt, Alaska Airlines, and JAL, portal redemptions at 1.25 cents per point versus 1 cent, and monthly Rent Day transfer bonuses that can reach 100% (1:2 ratio) for Platinum members.
HT: Reddit.
Flying Blue Transfer Bonus
AMEX is running a 20% transfer bonus to Flying Blue through October 31st (1:1.2 ratio), letting you book award flights on Delta with no fuel surcharges.
This bonus makes short-haul domestic flights particularly attractive, while transatlantic routes also become more accessible with the boosted transfer rate.
Spirit Slashes Fleet Dramatically
Spirit Airlines filed to reject leases on 87 aircraft and return 27 others to lessors during its second bankruptcy in under a year, cutting 114 planes from its 214-aircraft fleet and leaving it with roughly 100 jets while completely exiting its troubled Airbus A320neo fleet.
The carrier is abandoning 13 US markets including Boise, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and San Diego, suspending about 40 routes total, flying 19% fewer flights in November compared to 2024, and furloughing approximately 1,800 flight attendants (one-third of cabin crew) by December 1st.
Atmos Partner Earning Gets Better
Atmos Rewards is finally fixing one of its biggest weaknesses by boosting points earning on premium cabin partner flights booked directly with airlines, though the changes won’t arrive until “later in 2026.”
The improvements are substantial: international business class tickets will jump from earning 125% points to 250% points, international first class will go from 150% to 250% points, and domestic first and business class will increase from 125% to 150% points, making it actually worthwhile to credit partner flights to Atmos instead of status-matching to another program for better earning rates.
Triple Your Avianca Miles
Avianca LifeMiles is running a Multiply Your Miles promotion through October 14 that’s essentially a way to buy miles at a discount — you can “multiply” recent earnings from flights, credit card spending, and Shopping with LifeMiles (transfers and hotel bookings don’t count).
You’ll pay 1.45 to 1.85 cents per mile depending on volume, but LifeMiles cardholders get a 15% discount when paying with their card, dropping the cost to as low as 1.23 cents per mile for purchases of 1,001+ miles.
40% Bonus Choice Points
Choice Privileges is offering a 40% bonus on purchased points through November 10, bringing the effective cost to around 0.74 cents per point if you max out the promotion at 252,000 total points (180,000 base plus 72,000 bonus) for $1,854.
This falls somewhere in the middle for Choice promotions — the program typically offers either 25-30% discounts or 30-50% bonuses, so while this isn’t their strongest deal, it’s decent if you have a specific redemption lined up.
Hilton Launches Outset Collection
Hilton is rolling out Outset Collection, its 25th brand, with 60 properties in development and potential for 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada — each designed to reflect local character rather than follow a standard template.
You’ll be able to book starting in November 2025 for stays later this year at launch properties like a basecamp-style hotel in Moab, Utah and Chicago’s Acme Hotel, with full Hilton Honors earning and redemption available at all locations.
Aeroplan Card Changes Arrive January
Starting January 1, 2026, Chase is making significant adjustments to the Aeroplan® Credit Card’s elite status benefits, raising the spending threshold to earn Elite 35K status from $50,000 to $75,000 and eliminating the Level Up feature that previously let you boost your current status by one tier after hitting $50,000 in annual spend.
The card is adding a new Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) earning structure that awards 5,000 SQC automatically each year, plus an additional 10,000 SQC at $25,000 in spend and another 10,000 SQC at $50,000 in spend, which you can use to help bridge the gap to your next elite status level if you’re already earning status through flying.
American Ditches Gate Bag Sizers
American Airlines is removing carry-on bag sizers from gate areas and instructing agents to give travelers the benefit of the doubt if there’s any question about whether a bag will fit in the overhead bin.
The airline isn’t changing its actual carry-on size requirements or luggage policy — bag sizers will still be available in check-in areas
Wyndham Debuts Dazzler Select
Wyndham launched Dazzler Select, a new economy lifestyle brand requiring all properties to maintain 4.0+ guest ratings while offering free Wi-Fi for members, 24-hour water and coffee, and complimentary breakfast.
The flagship property is Magic Moment Resort & Kids Club in Kissimmee, Florida (from $75/night) featuring Barbie and Minecraft-themed rooms, and Wyndham plans to expand to 50 hotels within 5 years.
Porter Expands to AA Hubs
Porter Airlines will launch three routes to American Airlines hubs starting early 2026, including Miami-Ottawa three weekly (Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays beginning January 24), Phoenix-Ottawa three weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays from February 7), and daily Phoenix-Vancouver flights from February 2, all operated with Embraer E195-E2 jets.
The expansion follows Porter’s new American Airlines partnership that lets you earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on Porter flights and collect Loyalty Points toward elite status, helping American compete in Canada where Delta partners with WestJet and United works with Air Canada.
