Breaking Points: Credit Card News

When Atmos officially launched a little over a year ago, one of the more exciting announcements was the ability to choose how you earn points, a first in the airline loyalty industry. That option is finally here, with Atmos Rewards members able to choose their earning method beginning tomorrow, October 1, 2026. Your selection will apply to flights departing January 1, 2027, or later. You'll have three options: earn 1 point per mile flown, 5 points per dollar spent, or 500 points per flight segment. The same method applies to both redeemable and status points. Existing members who don't make a selection will continue earning based on distance, while new members joining in 2027 will default to earning based on price. Members can change their selection once per calendar year for future travel. There are some important changes even if you stick with distance-based earning, though: class-of-service bonuses and minimum-mile earning are going away. The new earning system doesn't change status points earned from credit card spending or the requirements for Atmos elite status.

Bank of America will become a transfer partner of Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards in 2027, giving cardholders another way to earn one of the more valuable airline currencies. We don't yet know which Bank of America cards will be eligible, as Bank of America does not currently transfer to any airline or hotel partners. We also don't know when transfers will begin or what the transfer ratio will be. This is an exciting development, as it could signal the beginning of a new transferable points system if Bank of America adds transfer capabilities and more partners. That's all speculation, of course, but we'll be watching closely as more details emerge. Atmos also says it plans to add transfer opportunities with other select global financial institutions in the future. Bilt is currently the only major transferable points program that transfers directly to Atmos Rewards, and it does so at a 1:1 ratio. Alaska also announced plans for a new Atmos Rewards debit card in early 2027 and a refresh of the Atmos Rewards Visa Business Card later this year, with complete details still to come.

Check your Amex Offers for a targeted Delta offer that can reimburse up to $330 in fees when transferring SkyMiles from your Delta account to someone else's. Delta normally charges 1¢ per mile transferred plus a $30 processing fee, so transferring 30,000 miles in one transaction would cost $330. So you could effectively transfer up to 30,000 Delta miles to another account for free with this offer. First you must add the offer to your eligible Amex card and complete the transfer through Delta by November 14, 2026. Please note that this is for transferring your Delta miles to someone else, not transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Delta. Transferring Delta miles isn't always necessary as you can just book a flight with your own miles for someone else. But this could be useful if you need to top off another person's account, consolidate miles, or move miles into an account that has access to certain benefits.

Some Chase Aeroplan cardholders are being targeted to earn 10X Aeroplan points on gas, grocery, and restaurant purchases from October 1 through December 31, 2026. There is no direct registration link, so check your email if you hold the card. The bonus is limited to $1,000 in eligible spending, meaning you can earn up to 10,000 Aeroplan points. While we wish the spending cap were higher, earning 10,000 points on just $1,000 of spending in useful everyday categories is a nice targeted bonus.

Hilton Honors Amex cardholders can earn 10,000 bonus points after completing a paid stay of at least three consecutive nights. You must first register before booking, make the reservation before November 9, 2026, and then complete the stay by January 3, 2027. You must also pay for the entire stay with a Hilton Honors Amex card. Award stays do not qualify. The 10,000-point bonus can be earned once and stacks with Hilton's current global promotion offering 1,000 or 3,000 bonus points per stay, along with your normal base, elite status, and credit card earnings. If you have an eligible three-night Hilton stay planned, make sure you register before booking.