Breaking Points: Credit Card News

JAL and ANA are increasing fuel surcharges on award flights starting May 1, 2026, with many routes seeing increases close to 100%. Travelers currently pay around $180 in surcharges for one-way flights between North America and Japan, but that will jump to roughly $350 in business class. The increase is expected to run through June 30, 2026, though it may last longer depending on fuel costs. If you’re planning an award flight to Japan, it may be worth booking before May 1 to avoid the higher fees.

Rakuten is offering a $75 bonus (or 7,500 points if set to earn Bilt Rewards) when applying for the Chase Freedom Unlimited as a new Chase customer. This stacks with the card’s current elevated welcome offer of 25,000 points (up from the standard 20,000). Note that this offer excludes users earning Rakuten rewards as Amex Membership Rewards. While the Freedom Unlimited isn’t a top use of a 5/24 slot, it can still be a solid addition when paired with cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, like a Sapphire card.

Citi ThankYou Rewards is offering a 25% transfer bonus to Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club. The standard transfer ratio is 5:1, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 250 Leaders Club points for every 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points transferred. A minimum transfer of 1,000 points is required. Offer expires May 16, 2026.

Scandinavian Airlines is offering a 30% discount on award flights, bringing business class pricing between the U.S. and Europe down to 42,000 points one-way. Premium economy drops to 31,500 points and economy to 21,000, with children receiving an additional 50% discount. Business class availability is limited on outbound flights to Europe, though return flights and economy flights are widely available. Rove is currently the only major transfer partner, which further limits access. Taxes are low at $5.60 to Europe but around $90 on the return. Book by April 19 for travel through May 31. Full promotion details are available on SAS’s website.

Wells Fargo has added Wyndham Rewards as a new transfer partner. While neither program is especially strong on its own, the 1:2 transfer ratio makes this a notable addition. Wyndham is also a partner of Citi, Chase, Bilt, and Capital One, but those programs transfer at 1:1, giving Wells Fargo a clear advantage. Wells Fargo also transfers to Choice Privileges at 1:2, and with Citi’s upcoming devaluation to 1:1.5, Wells Fargo now offers the best transfer ratio to both programs.