Here’s your miles, points, travel, and deals news for today:
Alaska Adds London and Iceland Routes
Alaska Airlines announced two new European destinations launching spring 2026: daily year-round service from Seattle to London Heathrow and seasonal summer flights to Reykjavik, Iceland.
The London route will operate using Boeing 787 Dreamliners featuring Alaska’s brand-new livery inspired by the aurora borealis, with shimmering blue-and-green paint and navy “Alaska” branding up front.
Iceland flights will use narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with 12 first-class recliners and 30 Premium-class extra-legroom seats for the seven-plus hour journey during peak summer travel season.
These routes join Alaska’s expanding international network that includes Tokyo service launched in May, with Seoul and Rome also planned as the carrier transforms from a primarily domestic airline.
The new Dreamliner livery will debut on aircraft previously ordered by Hawaiian Airlines before the merger, with all current 787s sporting the updated look by April 2026.
Hawaiian Airlines will keep its branding but transition to operating Airbus A330s for long-haul routes, with planned cabin upgrades including new business-class products and the airline’s first premium economy section.
Alaska expects to announce details about a flagship international customer experience and a unified loyalty program covering both Alaska and Hawaiian brands later this month.
The London service connects to Europe’s busiest airport and a major Oneworld alliance hub, with an average of 400 daily passengers traveling between Seattle and London.
JetBlue's Big TrueBlue Overhaul
JetBlue officially launched TrueBlue Travel on August 5, replacing the previous Paisly branding while keeping the same underlying technology and expanding booking options for loyalty program members.
The platform now allows TrueBlue members to book hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, activities, theme park tickets, and travel gear while earning points and Tiles toward Mosaic elite status on all purchases.
The Paisly name never really worked – it felt disconnected from JetBlue’s brand identity and created unnecessary confusion for members who couldn’t immediately understand the connection to their TrueBlue account.
Members can now redeem TrueBlue points for hotels and car rentals booked through the platform, adding significant flexibility beyond just flight redemptions, while car rentals earn 100 points per day (200 for Mosaic members) up to 5 days plus 1 Tile per $100 spent.
Additionally, both the JetBlue Business Card and JetBlue Plus Card launched enhanced 80,000-point welcome bonuses, offering 60,000 points after meeting initial spending requirements, plus an additional 20,000 points after spending $6,000 within the first year.
Southwest 40% Sale
Southwest Airlines launched a flash sale offering up to 40% off base fares across their network, covering domestic routes plus flights to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and select international destinations, but you’ll need to act fast since this deal expires on August 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
Travel is valid from August 25, 2025, through January 26, 2026, though the sale includes significant blackout periods: domestic travel during Thanksgiving week is excluded, and routes to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and international destinations are blacked out from August 28 through September 2, 2025.
You can book these discounted fares directly at southwest.com using promo code “LUVFALL” and should use their Low Fare Calendar tool to find the best available prices for flexible travel dates.
Hilton 100% Points Bonus Returns
Hilton Honors is running another 100% bonus promotion on purchased points through September 25, 2025, bringing the cost down to 0.5 cents per point when you buy at least 5,000 points in a single transaction.
You can purchase up to 160,000 base points during this promotion, which means you’ll receive 320,000 total points for $1,600 when you max out the offer.
This promotion follows the same pattern Hilton has established throughout 2024 and 2025, with 100% bonus offers appearing roughly every two months for 6-8 week periods.
Different Hilton Honors members may see varying bonus amounts, so you’ll need to log into your account to check your specific offer eligibility.
Spirit Launches Belize, Cayman Routes
Spirit Airlines will begin operating new nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to both Belize City and Grand Cayman starting this fall, marking the carrier’s first service to these Caribbean destinations.
The Belize City route launches November 21, 2025, with three weekly flights operating on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, featuring departures from Fort Lauderdale at 10:15 a.m. arriving at 11:40 a.m. and return flights departing Belize City at 12:35 p.m. arriving back at 4 p.m.
Grand Cayman service begins December 4, 2025, also with three weekly flights on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, departing Fort Lauderdale at 9:25 a.m. and arriving at 11 a.m., with return flights leaving Grand Cayman at 11:55 a.m. and arriving at 1:30 p.m., while introductory fares start at $85 to Belize City and $66 to Grand Cayman.
United China Awards 40K Miles
United’s cardmember-exclusive Pacific Award Sale continues with Day 3 offering economy flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong at 40,000 miles each way for travel between August 27 and December 10, 2025.
You must book today (August 6) to secure these reduced award rates, which represent significant savings from standard pricing to these major Chinese destinations and Hong Kong.
The promotion requires you to log in with your MileagePlus number and only applies to new bookings, with taxes starting as low as $36.01 round-trip for mainland China destinations and $67.71 for Hong Kong.
