Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
United MileagePlus 2026 Changes Announced
United dropped some major MileagePlus news this week, and there’s a mix of wins and not-so-great changes to unpack.
The good news first: Premier elite status requirements are staying exactly the same for 2026, with tiers ranging from 6,000 PQPs for Silver up to 28,000 PQPs for Premier 1K.
Starting February 1, 2026, all Premier members can finally get upgrades (including complimentary ones and PlusPoints redemptions) on award tickets, which is a massive improvement over the current restrictive policy.
Premier 1K members get another new perk starting January 2026 — you’ll be able to earn extra PlusPoints through eligible United credit card spending, though limits still apply.
Now for the less exciting part: beginning February 2027, PlusPoints upgrades are going dynamic, meaning the cost will fluctuate based on route, demand, season, and seat availability instead of the current fixed chart.
United has also expanded Polaris saver award availability for Premier members and Chase cardholders, so make sure you’re logged into your MileagePlus account when searching for premium cabin awards.
Qatar Airways Cards Offering 100K Avios
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club credit cards are running elevated welcome bonuses through February 4, 2026, with the Infinite card offering up to 100,000 Avios (25,000 after your first transaction, plus 75,000 after spending $6,000 in 90 days) and the Visa Signature card offering up to 70,000 Avios (25,000 after first transaction, plus 45,000 after $3,500 spend in 90 days).
The $499 Infinite card comes with Gold status fast track, 5x Avios on Qatar purchases, and 3x at restaurants, while the $99 Visa Signature gets you Silver status fast track, 4x on Qatar, and 2x at restaurants.
Both cards are issued by Cardless and only available to U.S. residents, but here’s the catch: you may not be eligible for a welcome bonus if you’ve had other Cardless cards in the past, so check your history before applying.
Since Avios transfer instantly between Qatar, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, and Aer Lingus, these bonuses could be a solid way to top off whichever program gives you the best redemption when you’re ready to book.
Amex Asia Miles Transfer Devaluation
Starting March 1, 2026, American Express is changing its Membership Rewards transfer ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles from 1:1 to 5:4 — that’s a 20% hit to your transfer value.
If other programs follow suit (looking at you, Citi, Chase, and Capital One, who all adjusted Emirates Skywards transfers this year), this could be the start of a broader trend.
The silver lining: you’ve got a few months to transfer and book awards at the current rate, especially for sweet spots like British Airways business class with significantly lower taxes than booking through other Oneworld partners, or Cathay Pacific premium cabins to Hong Kong starting at 88,000 miles from the West Coast.
Qatar Airways CEO Abruptly Replaced
Qatar Airways just dropped a bombshell: Hamad Ali Al‑Khater is now CEO effective immediately (December 7, 2025), replacing Badr Mohammed Al-Meer after just two years on the job—Al-Meer himself had only taken over in late 2023 from longtime CEO Akbar Al Baker, who ran things for 27 years.
Al‑Khater comes from Hamad International Airport where he served as Chief Operating Officer. The abrupt nature of this transition—no transition period, no quote from the outgoing CEO in the press release—suggests Al-Meer isn’t leaving on the best terms with the government-owned airline,
