Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Capital One Miles is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. The standard transfer ratio is 2:1.5, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 975 Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles for every 1,000 Capital One miles transferred. Offer expires April 30, 2026.

Flying Blue’s April 2026 Promo Rewards include 25% off select routes between North America and Europe. One-way awards start at 18,750 miles in economy from cities such as New York, Boston, Seattle, Miami, San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. There is one business class offering from Portland starting at 45,000 miles. Book between April 1 and April 30, 2026 for travel through September 30, 2026. Taxes and surcharges still apply and can range from about $100 to $300, even in economy. We found better availability for travel in April than later in the summer, particularly from West Coast departure cities. There is also a 25% discount on select intra-European routes. Full promotion details are available on Flying Blue’s website.

American Express has been inconsistent with its welcome offers lately, often using “as high as” language and showing different bonuses depending on how and where you check. Nowhere is that more evident than with the Amex Business Platinum card, where some see 150,000 points, others see “as high as 300,000,” and some see offers in between. The offer can even change between devices or throughout the day. Fortunately, Amex lets you see your targeted offer during the application process before a hard pull. If you’re waiting for a strong offer, it’s worth checking multiple times and across different devices, as the bonus can vary widely. And if you are pre-approved for the 300k offer, jump on it.

The American Express Platinum card added a $75 quarterly Lululemon credit in 2025, but terms have always stated that gift cards are excluded. Despite that, many datapoints suggested a workaround by purchasing physical gift cards online or in-store. Lululemon has now removed physical gift cards from its online store, and some reports indicate stores may only sell them in $50 increments. While some have still had success with other amounts, it’s important to recognize the increased risk if you’ve been relying on gift card purchases to trigger the credit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can now unlock World of Hyatt Explorist status by meeting a high annual spending threshold. The requirement is $75,000 on the personal card or $120,000 on the business card. Explorist is Hyatt’s mid-tier status, offering a 20% points bonus on stays, room upgrades (excluding suites), 2pm late checkout when available, and other perks. Status is valid for the rest of the calendar year in which it’s earned and the entire following year. This perk adds to other high-spend benefits on the card, including IHG Diamond status, Southwest A-List status, and statement credits through The Shops at Chase. If you meet this spending organically, it’s a nice addition to the card’s existing benefits, but we wouldn’t recommend actively pursuing it.