Happy Thursday. Here’s your miles, points, travel, and deals news for July 24, 2025:
Southwest Cards Get Big Changes
Southwest and Chase just revamped their entire credit card lineup with significant annual fee increases ranging from 43% to 54% across all cards.
The specific fee increases are:
- Southwest Plus Card: $69 to $99 (43% increase)
- Southwest Premier Card: $99 to $149 (51% increase)
- Southwest Priority Card: $149 to $229 (54% increase)
- Southwest Premier Business Card: $99 to $149 (51% increase)
- Southwest Performance Business Card: $199 to $299 (50% increase)
These fee hikes take effect immediately for new cardholders and will hit existing members at their 2026 renewal dates.
To cushion the blow, Southwest launched their biggest welcome bonus of the year with 100,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $4,000 in five months on all three personal cards, available through September 17.
Business cards offer smaller bonuses:
- Premier Business Card: 60,000 points after $3,000 spend in three months
- Performance Business Card: 80,000 points after $5,000 spend in three months
All Southwest cardholders now receive three core benefits: free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions, Group 5 boarding access out of eight total groups, and complimentary seat selection.
The seating perks break down by card tier:
- Plus Card: Standard seat selection 48 hours before departure
- Premier Card and Premier Business Card: Standard or preferred seat selection 48 hours before departure
- Priority Card and Performance Business Card: Standard or preferred seats at booking, plus extra legroom seats 48 hours before departure
New earning categories vary by card:
- Plus Card: 2x points on gas and groceries (up to $5,000 combined annually), eliminates foreign transaction fees
- Premier Cards: 2x points on restaurants and groceries (up to $8,000 combined annually)
- Priority and Performance Business Cards: Uncapped 2x points on gas stations and restaurants, plus 2,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually
Anniversary perks include promotional discount codes:
- Plus Card: 10% flight discount code annually (excludes basic fares)
- Premier Cards: 15% flight discount code annually (excludes basic fares)
Several benefits are being eliminated December 31, 2025:
- 2x bonus earning on transit, commuting, utilities, streaming services, and hotel/car partners
- Two annual EarlyBird check-ins
- Four upgraded boardings (Priority Card)
- $75 annual Southwest credit (Priority Card)
The timing appears strategic for Companion Pass seekers since the 100,000-point bonus gets you most of the way to the required 135,000 points, with only 25,000 additional points needed after the 10,000-point annual boost all cardholders receive.
You’ll want to time your application for late August or early September so your bonus posts in early 2026, giving you nearly two full years of buy-one-get-one flights instead of just over one year.
IHG Points Sale Returns
IHG One Rewards is offering up to an 80% bonus on purchased points through August 1, 2025, bringing the effective cost down to 0.56 cents per point when you buy 200,000 points for $2,000.
You can purchase up to 200,000 points during this promotion (increased from the usual 150,000 annual limit), and you need to buy at least 5,000 points in one transaction to unlock the bonus.
This 80% bonus falls short of the 100% bonuses IHG frequently offered throughout 2024 and early 2025, making it a less compelling deal than previous promotions.
Since points purchases are processed by points.com rather than directly by IHG, they won’t earn hotel category bonuses on credit cards, so you’ll want to use a card you’re working on for minimum spending or one that maximizes everyday purchases.
Alaska Premium Card August Launch
Alaska Airlines will launch its new premium credit card in August 2025, featuring a $395 annual fee and positioning itself as a product designed for global travelers within the expanded Alaska Air Group network that now includes Hawaiian Airlines.
The card’s standout benefit is a Global Companion Award Certificate that comes automatically with card membership, plus the opportunity to earn a second certificate through spending requirements, with both certificates valid for travel on Alaska and partner airlines in any class of service, though they’ll have value caps that can be topped off with miles.
Additional perks include 3x miles on all foreign purchases and dining, waived $12.50 partner award booking fees, Alaska Lounge passes, inflight Wi-Fi passes, same-day confirmed fee waivers, and an accelerated path to Mileage Plan elite status.
The 3x foreign purchase category represents a unique approach to credit card rewards, as it covers both foreign currency transactions and US dollar purchases processed outside the United States, creating potential value for international travelers beyond traditional travel categories.
Alaska Hawaiian Miles Integration
The HawaiianMiles program will officially sunset on October 1, 2025, when it becomes fully integrated into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan following the completion of their merger.
Alaska Airlines will reveal details about the new combined loyalty program in August 2025, though the specific changes and program name remain undisclosed.
All HawaiianMiles balances will transfer to the new Mileage Plan program at a 1:1 ratio, and existing status levels will be matched automatically without any loss of benefits.
Account actions will be limited during the week leading up to October 1 as the airlines complete the technical integration process, but members who haven’t already linked their accounts should do so at Alaska’s website for the smoothest transition.
Etihad Debuts A321LR Jets
Etihad Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321LR aircraft featuring an all-new passenger experience, with 30 total jets on order and 10 scheduled to join the fleet by the end of 2025.
The A321LR will launch service in August 2025 on the Abu Dhabi to Phuket route, with plans to serve new destinations including Algiers, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Hanoi, Krabi, Phnom Penh, and Tunis, while adding frequencies to Athens, Bangkok, Milan, Paris, and Zurich.
The aircraft features 160 seats total with two first class seats and 14 business class seats in a 1-1 reverse herringbone configuration offering fully flat beds, plus 144 economy seats in a 3-3 layout.
First class includes doors, 20-inch 4K screens, Bluetooth audio pairing, wireless charging, and companion seating space, while business class offers the same amenities except doors (deliberately omitted to reduce weight and maximize range), and economy provides 13.3-inch 4K screens with USB charging throughout the cabin.
