The Points Tool You've Always Wanted

Citi and American Airlines are refreshing the AAdvantage Executive Mastercard on August 23, 2026, adding new statement credits, better earning rates, expanded Loyalty Point bonuses, and raising the annual fee from $595 to $695. New benefits include two $250 American Airlines Vacations credits each year, up to $100 back annually on eligible inflight and Admirals Club purchases, and up to $15 per month in Lyft credits after completing three eligible rides. Cardholders will also receive Omni Hotels Champion status, an annual Omni free night after a qualifying stay, and Avis President’s Club status. The card’s most important benefit, complimentary Admirals Club membership, remains intact and arguably becomes more valuable as American raises the standalone membership price from $850 to $1,400 per year. We’ll update the card page on August 23 with the full list of new benefits and the higher annual fee.

Starting August 25, 2026, American Airlines will no longer allow complimentary upgrades of more than one cabin on domestic flights. That means elite members booked in economy can only be upgraded to premium economy, while those already booked in premium economy can be upgraded to business class. The change currently only affects routes with a premium economy cabin, primarily transcontinental flights and flights to and from Hawaii, so it won’t impact most domestic trips. Unfortunately, those are also some of American’s longest domestic routes, where a lie-flat business class upgrade is most valuable.

IHG is targeting certain members with an offer to earn double elite night credits on eligible paid stays completed by September 29, 2026. There is a maximum of five bonus nights. Only qualifying paid stays of at least $30 before taxes and fees count, so award stays and Points + Cash bookings are excluded. Even if you aren't chasing status with IHG, the extra nights can help you reach Milestone Rewards, which begin at 20 elite nights and include options like bonus points, food and beverage credits, suite upgrades, and lounge access.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is offering 4 free night certificates (up to 50k points each) after spending $3,000 in 3 months. Each certificate can be topped up with up to 25,000 additional Bonvoy points. That’s up from their standard offer of 3 free night awards with the same spending requirement. Chase is also offering a $50 statement credit when spending $250 with airlines twice per year (once between 7/1/2026-12/31/2026 and again between 01/01/2027-6/30/2027). The annual fee is $95.