Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Air Canada is updating its award chart starting June 1, 2026, with roughly 85% of redemptions increasing in price. Both Air Canada and partner awards are affected. The biggest changes hit premium cabins, with popular routes between North America and Europe or Asia rising by 5,000 to 25,000 points. The largest increases are on long-haul routes between Pacific and Atlantic regions, where business class awards are up as much as 40,000 points and first class up to 30,000. There are a handful of minor decreases, but they do little to offset the increases.

Bilt’s May 2026 Rent Day promotion includes a transfer bonus to Avios (British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus). Platinum members receive a 75% bonus, Gold 60%, Silver 50%, and Blue 40%, with the option to boost the bonus by an additional 25% by redeeming $150 in Bilt Cash. Transfers are capped at 100,000 points for earning the bonus, and the offer is valid only on May 1, 2026. Avios can be moved freely between partner programs, so you can still access airlines like Qatar, Finnair, and Vueling after transferring. We don’t typically recommend transferring speculatively, but this can offer strong value at the top end if you have a redemption in mind.

Today is the last day to book Hyatt properties before the new award chart and category changes go into effect. We wouldn't wait until the very last minute, as many of the most popular properties already have limited award availability over the next 12-13 months.

World of Hyatt has announced its annual category changes, with 112 properties increasing and just 24 decreasing. This includes 14 hotels moving from Category 4 to 5 and 5 moving from 7 to 8, impacting free night certificates. Hyatt also confirmed that May 20, 2026 will be the effective date for both these category updates and its previously announced new award pricing structure. That new structure introduces five pricing levels within each category, bringing pricing closer to dynamic. Any bookings made before May 20 will still honor current rates, so now may be the time to lock in any planned or aspirational stays.

Some Amex and Hilton cardholders are being targeted with bonus points offers on spending. Check your Membership Rewards and Hilton cards to see if you’ve been targeted. We’ve seen a wide range of offers, from 1,000 bonus points after $500 in spend to as much as 200,000 points after $59,000. Hilton offers include 8,500 points after $4,500, 15,500 after $5,500, or 45,500 after $15,500, all within 90 days and up to three times per offer. If you’re not currently working toward a signup bonus, these can be a solid way to earn extra points, especially since they stack with existing category multipliers.

Southwest is offering up to 40% off base fares with promo code FLOWERS (taxes and fees excluded). The “up to” language matters, as many routes will see smaller discounts. The offer applies to both cash and award bookings made by April 23 for travel between May 10 and June 10, 2026 and August 11 through September 30, 2026. If you already have flights booked during these windows, it may be worth checking to see if you can reprice at a lower cost.