Breaking Points: Credit Card News

American Airlines appears to be blocking partner airlines from accessing many nonstop saver awards within six days of departure, eliminating a valuable sweet spot for last-minute travelers. Starting exactly 144 hours before departure, award space that was previously available through partner programs like Alaska (Atmos), British Airways, Japan Airlines, Finnair, and Qantas disappears, despite remaining available when booked directly through American. Many of these flights can be booked for as little as 4,500 miles through Alaska but now cost around 10,000 American miles when booked within the six-day window. This is especially disappointing because partner programs have long offered a way to save miles on last-minute bookings when cash fares are often at their highest. Dan's Deals first uncovered the change, and you can read an in-depth article here explaining the nuances.

Update: Hyatt's 13-month award booking window is now live for eligible cardholders and elite members.

World of Hyatt cardholders and members with Explorist or Globalist status can now book award stays up to 13 months in advance, giving them a one-month head start over other members, who remain limited to 12 months. This could prove valuable for travelers targeting Hyatt's most sought-after properties, where award availability can disappear quickly. That said, many of the people booking awards this far in advance are also likely to already have a Hyatt credit card or higher-tier elite status, so the biggest competition may simply shift to an earlier booking window.

Wyndham is offering up to an 80% bonus on purchased points through July 3, 2026. This is a targeted offer, so some members may only receive a 70% bonus. Wyndham normally sells points for 1.3¢ each, so with the full 80% bonus, points cost as little as 0.72¢ apiece. That’s a solid price, though we’d generally only recommend buying Wyndham points if you have a specific redemption in mind. The standard annual purchase limit of 100,000 points still applies, and members must purchase at least 3,000 points to qualify.

Southwest is offering elevated welcome offers on all three personal cards . Earn 90k points on the Rapid Rewards Priority card after $3,000 in purchases in 3 months, 85k points on the Premier card after $2,000 in purchases, and 80k points on the Plus card after only $1,000 in purchases. Each offer is elevated by 30k points compared to the standard public offer.

If you're a Capital One cardholder, it may be worth checking your current Capital One Offers, as some users are being targeted with excellent low-spend shopping deals. We’ve seen offers for 1,000 bonus miles after spending just $20 at merchants like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sam’s Club, Chewy, Dollar General, Macy’s, Adidas, and more. Since Capital One miles are worth roughly 1¢ each at minimum, that’s effectively 50% back on a small purchase, making these some of the better targeted shopping offers we’ve seen recently.