Welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and let me tell you, today's news is absolutely packed with credit card bonuses that'll make your wallet weep tears of joy. We've got record-breaking Chase offers, some exciting Citi news, and enough points promotions to keep you busy until Christmas. So grab your coffee, sit back, and let's dive into the miles and points news that matters.

But first, let me tell you about Hotel Redemptions dot com, a brilliant tool that monitors your hotel bookings and alerts you when you can rebook for fewer points. It's like having a personal assistant who never sleeps and is obsessed with saving you points. Because who has time to constantly check if your hotel redemption has dropped in price? This tool does it for you automatically.

Now, let's talk about what's making waves today. Chase has just dropped an absolute bombshell with the Sapphire Reserve card. We're looking at a first-ever one hundred and twenty-five thousand bonus points after spending six thousand dollars in the first three months. That's the highest bonus the Sapphire Reserve has ever offered, period. Now, some of you math wizards might remember the launch offer was one hundred thousand points plus a five hundred dollar travel credit for five thousand dollars in spend. While that might seem better on paper, here's the thing - that offer is gone, and this one is here now. Plus, the travel credit required booking through Chase's portal, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. This new offer gives you pure Ultimate Rewards points, which transfer to some fantastic airline partners like United, Southwest, and Hyatt. You can grab this card by clicking the link in our show notes.

Speaking of exciting news, Citi just made a major move that should have American Airlines flyers paying attention. They've finally added American Airlines as a transfer partner to their ThankYou Rewards program. This is huge because it means you can now earn ThankYou points through Citi cards and transfer them directly to American Airlines AAdvantage. This opens up some interesting opportunities for earning American miles without being locked into their co-branded cards. If you're an American flyer, it's definitely time to reconsider your credit card strategy and see how Citi cards might fit into your wallet.

Now let's talk about some points purchasing opportunities that have landed. Avianca LifeMiles is offering a massive one hundred and sixty-five percent bonus when you buy miles, bringing the cost down to about one point two five cents per mile. That's actually quite reasonable for LifeMiles, which can offer excellent value for Star Alliance redemptions, especially to South America and some tricky routes that are expensive on other programs.

Air Canada Aeroplan has jumped in with an eighty-five percent bonus on purchased points, bringing them down to about one point four six cents each. Aeroplan has become one of the more valuable programs recently with their revamp, offering good availability and reasonable redemption rates, especially for travel to Europe and within North America.

Qatar Airways is also in the mix with a sixty percent bonus on purchased Avios, pricing them at about one point four four cents each. Qatar Avios can be incredibly valuable for premium cabin travel on Qatar Airways, which consistently ranks among the world's best airlines. However, I'd be cautious about buying these outright since there are often better ways to earn Qatar Avios through credit card transfers.

Now, here's something interesting for Alaska Airlines fans. We've got news about the new Atmos Rewards program, which combines Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. There are three new credit cards launching: the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite with a three hundred and ninety-five dollar annual fee, the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature with a ninety-five dollar fee, and the Atmos Rewards Business Visa with a seventy dollar company fee plus twenty-five dollars per card. These replace the old Alaska Airlines cards and offer earning on the new combined program. If you're loyal to Alaska or Hawaiian, these are worth considering as they'll give you access to benefits across both airlines.

There's also an interesting partnership developing between Bilt Rewards and Atmos Rewards. Bilt, which lets you earn points on rent payments, is expanding its transfer partners, and this could be another way to earn Alaska and Hawaiian miles without flying or using their credit cards.

British Airways has made an interesting reversal - they're bringing back daily service to Dallas Fort Worth starting in two thousand and twenty-six, after canceling the route this year. They're also increasing Miami to double daily. This is good news for Avios collectors who need more redemption opportunities in Texas, and it shows British Airways is still committed to growth in the US market despite some recent route cuts.

For those keeping track of airline operational issues, Air Canada has committed to covering out-of-pocket expenses for passengers affected by their recent flight attendant strike. The strike lasted nearly four days before being resolved through government mediation. If you were impacted, make sure to keep your receipts and file a claim.

My recommendation for this week is to seriously consider that Chase Sapphire Reserve offer if you're under Chase's five twenty-four rule and can meet the spending requirement. One hundred and twenty-five thousand Ultimate Rewards points is worth at least fifteen hundred dollars when transferred to partners, and potentially much more for premium travel. Combined with the card's travel credits and benefits, it's a solid value despite the high annual fee.

For those looking at points purchases, the Avianca LifeMiles deal stands out if you have specific redemptions in mind. Don't buy points speculatively, but if you're planning Star Alliance travel, especially to South America, this could save you money compared to paying cash.

That wraps up today's miles and points news. Before you go, let me tell you about Award Travel Finder dot com. If you're looking for the best award flights, this tool searches availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and more. It's like having a travel agent who specializes in award travel. Try it for free with our link in the show notes.

Thanks for listening to Miles and Points Daily Podcast. If you found this helpful, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com. We're here every day with the latest news to help you maximize your points and miles. Until tomorrow, happy travels!