Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
SoFi Plus Changes and New Card
SoFi is transforming its Plus membership into a paid-only program starting March 31, 2026, requiring a $10 monthly subscription fee to access benefits like the new Smart Card (which earns unlimited 5% cash back at grocery stores), 2% IRA contribution matching, and 20% off TurboTax.
The Smart Card functions as a charge card backed by your SoFi Checking and Savings account balances, meaning you can’t carry a balance and must pay it off in full each month, with a spending limit based on your combined account balances.
You’ll need to spend at least $200 monthly at grocery stores just to break even on that $10 SoFi Plus fee, and we don’t yet know what the card earns on non-grocery spending—though I’d anticipate at least 2% back.
The good news: your high savings APY and lending discounts will still be available through eligible direct deposits or $5,000 in monthly qualifying deposits even without paying for Plus.
Until March 30, 2026, you can access all Plus benefits for free if you maintain eligible direct deposits or qualifying deposits every 31 days—but after that cutoff, those deposit-based qualifications will only unlock APY and loan discounts, not the full suite of Plus perks.
As someone who keeps my main checking and investment accounts with SoFi, I’m not thrilled about this change. The offering looks tough to justify when the Robinhood Gold Card earns 3% back on everything for just $60 annually ($5 per month) with way more features.
Fed Cuts Rates Again
The Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate by 25 basis points on December 10, though the decision wasn’t unanimous as committee members remain divided over inflation concerns and economic priorities.
Mortgage rates had already dropped in anticipation of this cut, so you won’t see another immediate decrease from today’s announcement alone—though rates could shift next week when November’s jobs report drops on December 16 and the Consumer Price Index releases on December 18.
You can also expect APYs on checking and savings accounts to decrease following this rate cut, as banks typically adjust their deposit rates in response to Fed policy changes.
Avianca Lifemiles 125% Bonus
Avianca Lifemiles is running a tiered promotion through December 16 where you can buy miles with bonuses ranging from 115% (for 1,000-20,000 miles) to 125% (for 51,000-200,000 miles), which works out to 1.47 cents per mile if you max out the purchase.
This is actually the weakest bonus the program has offered recently — it’s down from the 170% bonus we saw in November — making it a less compelling deal than what we’ve grown used to seeing from Avianca.
The program lets you buy up to 200,000 base miles per calendar year, and while Lifemiles can be valuable for Star Alliance premium cabin redemptions, you’ll want a specific award in mind before pulling the trigger since award availability varies from other Star Alliance programs.
JetBlue Expands Puerto Rico Routes
JetBlue is adding five new routes from San Juan starting in March 2026, including service to Buffalo, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Richmond.
The Philadelphia route will operate daily on A320 aircraft beginning March 26 and marks a return after service ended in January 2022, while Jacksonville resumes after being dropped in September 2024.
Buffalo, Norfolk, and Richmond are completely new destinations for JetBlue from San Juan, with Buffalo and Norfolk launching March 27 at four times weekly and Richmond starting March 26 at three times weekly.
Aeroplan Partners With Harbour Air
Air Canada Aeroplan just added Harbour Air — North America’s largest seaplane airline — to its partner network, letting you earn points on scheduled flights across 15 destinations in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.
You’ll earn between 100-200 Aeroplan points depending on which fare class you book (Flex gets 200, Comfort gets 150, Value gets 100, and Light gets nothing), and you can stack these earnings with Harbour Club elite benefits like scenic tour vouchers and free baggage.
Aeroplan redemptions on Harbour Air aren’t available yet but should launch in early 2026, likely starting around 6,000 points plus fees for these short scenic hops that average under 30 minutes of flight time.
American’s Flagship Suites Hit JFK
American Airlines is bringing its premium Flagship Suites business class to JFK starting December 18, when the new Airbus A321XLR launches on transcontinental flights to LAX with 20 suites featuring sliding privacy doors.
The carrier will also deploy its Boeing 787-9P Dreamliner with Flagship Suites on a JFK to London Heathrow route starting this spring once seasonal South Pacific flights wind down.
American plans to retrofit its Boeing 777-300ERs and 777-200ERs with the new suites as part of a larger fleet refresh aimed at competing with Delta and United’s premium offerings.
