Here is the latest miles, points, and travel news:
Amex Platinum Gets Major Refresh
American Express just rolled out the biggest overhaul in Platinum Card history, bumping the annual fee from $695 to $895 but adding over $1,500 in new annual credits to sweeten the deal.
New cardholders can now score welcome bonuses as high as 175,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months, though you’ll need to apply to see your personalized offer.
The hotel credit got a massive boost from $200 to $600 annually, split into two $300 semi-annual credits for prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts or Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel.
You’ll also get a brand new $400 Resy dining credit that works as $100 quarterly statement credits when you dine at over 10,000 participating U.S. restaurants.
Other fresh perks include a $300 annual Lululemon credit ($75 per quarter), a $200 Oura Ring credit for health tracking enthusiasts, and a $120 Uber One membership credit that stacks with the existing $200 Uber Cash benefit.
The digital entertainment credit bumped up from $240 to $300 annually and now includes YouTube Premium and YouTube TV alongside the usual suspects like Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix alternatives.
Existing cardholders get all the new benefits immediately but won’t see the fee increase until their first renewal on January 2, 2026, or later, giving you time to test drive the enhanced perks.
Amex Business Platinum Changes
Amex just launched the highest welcome bonus in The Business Platinum Card® from American Express history – 200,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 in your first three months.
This record-breaking offer coincides with a major card refresh that brings the annual fee to $895, making it one of the most expensive business cards available.
You’ll now earn 2x points (up from 1.5x) on eligible business purchases including U.S. cloud service and software providers, construction materials and hardware suppliers, electronics retailers, shipping providers, and any purchase over $5,000 – all capped at $2 million annually before dropping to 1x.
The card adds a valuable new $600 hotel credit split into semi-annual $300 credits (January-June and July-December) for prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel, with Fine Hotels requiring just one night stays while Hotel Collection needs minimum two nights.
High spenders who hit $250,000 in annual purchases unlock additional perks the following calendar year: $1,200 in AmexTravel flight credits plus $2,400 toward American Express One AP automated accounts payable platform payments.
You’ll also receive Leaders Club Sterling status from Leading Hotels of the World (normally requiring $5,000 annual spending), offering five pre-arrival upgrade requests and 5% bonus points, joining existing elite benefits with Hilton Gold and Marriott Gold status plus expanded credits including up to $1,150 annually with Dell and $250 with Adobe after meeting spending thresholds.
Southwest Card Offers Companion Pass
The Southwest Performance Business card now features a massive 120,000-point welcome bonus after spending $10,000 within three months, expiring October 28th, and you can strategically time this offer to earn a Companion Pass valid for nearly two full years.
If you apply mid-October, you’ll have until mid-January to complete the spending requirement, allowing the 120,000 bonus points to post in January 2026 and count toward that year’s Companion Pass qualification (you only need 125,000 points as a cardholder thanks to the annual 10,000-point boost).
Alternatively, you can apply earlier and change your statement date to the 5th of each month, ensuring any spending completed between December 6th and 20th will have bonus points post on January 6th, 2026, still securing the Companion Pass for 2026 and all of 2027.
SAS Adds 35 European Lounges
Starting October 1, 2025, SAS will partner with third-party lounge operators to provide access at roughly 35 European airports where the airline previously had no lounge options, including Barcelona, Madrid, Helsinki, Prague, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bergen.
This expansion coincides with SAS reintroducing proper business class on intra-Europe flights after years of offering only SAS Plus, a premium economy product with no blocked middle seats or significant perks.
Both SAS business class passengers and SkyTeam Elite Plus members will gain access to these contracted lounges, with the rollout happening progressively throughout autumn as new agreements get finalized.
Spirit Cuts Deep Again
Spirit Airlines is preparing to slash flight capacity by 25% year-over-year starting in November while cutting an unspecified number of jobs, according to an internal memo that highlights the ultra-low-cost carrier’s continued financial struggles just months after emerging from its first bankruptcy in March.
The airline filed for bankruptcy protection again in late August after reporting a staggering $257 million loss between March 13th and June 30th, with union meetings scheduled for the coming weeks to discuss workforce reductions as Spirit’s troubles reflect a broader industry shift away from ultra-low-cost travel toward premium offerings.
Air Canada Expands US Routes
Air Canada is bucking the trend of route cuts between the US and Canada by adding three new cross-border flights to its 2026 schedule.
You’ll be able to fly daily from Montreal to Cleveland and Columbus on Embraer E175s (12 business, 64 economy seats), plus catch three weekly flights from Toronto to San Antonio on Airbus A220-300s (12 business, 125 economy seats).
