Varies in Varies · Varies annual fee · Approval by Dec 2, 2026 counts toward 2027 Companion Pass; Chase 5/24 applies
$8,000 in 6 months · $325 annual fee · Once-per-lifetime bonus rule applies
$6,000 in 3 months · $795 annual fee · Subject to Chase 5/24 and once-per-lifetime-per-Sapphire-product rules
$6,000 in 3 months · $595 annual fee · Citi 48-month rule applies across the ThankYou lineup
$3,000 in 3 months · $0 intro year annual fee · Subject to Chase 5/24 rule
The welcome offers worth the spend, then the credits you already own and should use before they lapse.
| Card | Bonus | Spend | Fee | Ends | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex GoldpublicAmerican Express | Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points | $8,0006 months | $325 | — | Apply ↗Rates & FeesTerms apply. |
| Chase Sapphire ReservepublicChase | 100,000 points | $6,0003 months | $795 | — | Apply ↗ |
| Citi Strata ElitepublicCiti | Up to 100,000 ThankYou points | $6,0003 months | $595 | — | Apply ↗ |
| Chase United ExplorerpublicChase | $500 statement credit + 25,000 miles (+10,000 for authorized user) | $3,0003 months | $0 intro year | — | Open the offer ↗ |
| Southwest Priority/PremierpublicChase | Up to 90,000 (Priority) / 85,000 (Premier) points | VariesVaries | Varies | Dec 2 | Open the offer ↗ |
| Capital One Venture XpublicCapital One | Welcome bonus live, exact figure unconfirmed this week (trackers disagree) | UnconfirmedUnconfirmed | $395 | — | Apply ↗ |
Amex Gold: Once-per-lifetime bonus rule applies
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Subject to Chase 5/24 and once-per-lifetime-per-Sapphire-product rules
Citi Strata Elite: Citi 48-month rule applies across the ThankYou lineup
Advertiser disclosure: we may earn a commission if you apply for a card through the links on this page. It never affects which cards we show or what we say about them. How this works
Cents per point, from the one table used for every dollar figure on this site. Arrows mark programs that moved 0.1¢ or more since the last edition.
Every rate above comes from the rates PointsUser publishes, September 2026. Nothing on this site uses a different number.
Thursday, October 29, 2026 — Weekly Kickoff (manual run)
*Hey friend — this one landed outside the usual Tuesday/Friday rhythm because Thom hit "run now," so it's a full comprehensive Kickoff: everything live right now across transfer bonuses, hotel promos, airline sweet spots, card credits, and this edition's five-city Dining Spotlight. Grab a coffee, this is the good stuff.*
United Airlines began flying its newest, most premium Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner out of Houston (IAH) on October 24 — putting its flagship business-class seat on three long-haul routes at once: São Paulo (GRU), Tokyo Narita (NRT), and Sydney (SYD). It's the biggest hub rollout yet for United's "Elevated" interior, and it matters because it puts United's best seat within one connection of most of Texas.
What it is
What's not known yet Several outlets report a cash upcharge to sit in Polaris Studio over standard Polaris, but the exact figure isn't confirmed on a source we could independently verify, and it's unclear whether it applies to award tickets. Treat it as unconfirmed until you see it at checkout.
The points angle Both Polaris and Polaris Studio are bookable with United MileagePlus miles or Star Alliance partner miles. The easy on-ramp: Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United MileagePlus at 1:1, so a Sapphire or Ink balance converts straight into a shot at one of these suites — no United co-brand card required. Saver-level Polaris awards on routes like this have historically run in the 70,000–90,000-mile range one-way, though pricing is dynamic.
The move If you're Texas-based, IAH just became a real lie-flat gateway to Asia, South America, and Australia. Watch MileagePlus award space on IAH–NRT, IAH–GRU, and IAH–SYD now that the route is flying, and have Chase Ultimate Rewards points ready to transfer at 1:1 the moment you see saver business-class space.
*Sources: The Points Guy, InsideFlyer, AeroRoutes schedule data*
| From → To | Bonus | Window | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Membership Rewards → Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 25% | Transfers through Oct 31, 2026 | Transfer |
| Citi ThankYou → Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10% | Oct 25 – Nov 14, 2026 | Citi ThankYou transfer partners |
Thin this week: No live Bilt or Capital One transfer bonus confirmed. A rumored Citi → Qatar Privilege Club Avios 35% bonus surfaced on only one tracker and could not be confirmed on Citi's own site, so it's left out — check citi.com yourself before counting on it. Amex → Hilton's 30% bonus ended Oct 14; no live Amex → Marriott bonus despite chatter.
Devaluation watch: Chase cut the Sapphire Preferred/Ink Preferred → World of Hyatt transfer ratio from 1:1 to 4:3 effective October 1, 2026 — only the Sapphire Reserve tier keeps 1:1. If you're transferring Chase points to Hyatt on a Preferred-tier card, you're now getting 25% fewer Hyatt points than before.
| Program | Detail | Register by | Stay dates | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IHG One Rewards × Emirates Skywards | Double miles (4/USD at most IHG hotels, 2/USD at Candlewood/Staybridge) when Skywards is your earning preference | Nov 30, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | IHG × Skywards |
| Wyndham Rewards × Homes & Havens | New vacation-rental category: 5 points/$1, redeem from 15,000 pts/bedroom/night | N/A | Ongoing | Wyndham Rewards |
Single-source, unverified — use caution: A World of Hyatt 20% discount on purchased points was reported by one tracker only; we couldn't independently confirm it. Check hyatt.com/world-of-hyatt/buy-points before relying on it.
Thin this week: No two-source-confirmed Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors stay promotion found.
| Offer | Detail | Deadline | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Amex | 50,000 miles + 2 Companion Certificates after $10,000 spend/6mo ($650 AF) | Offer ends Nov 4, 2026 | delta.com/amex |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Amex | Up to 90,000 miles + $300 statement credit after $4,000 spend | Ends Nov 4, 2026 | delta.com/amex |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Amex | Up to 80,000 miles + $250 statement credit after $3,000 spend | Ends Nov 4, 2026 | delta.com/amex |
| Chase United Explorer | $500 statement credit + 25,000 miles after $3,000 spend/3mo, +10,000 for an authorized user | Live now | United Explorer |
| Southwest Priority/Premier cards | Up to 90,000 (Priority) / 85,000 (Premier) points; counts toward 2027 Companion Pass if approved by Dec 2, 2026 | Approval deadline Dec 2, 2026 | southwest.com/creditcard |
Single-source, verify before booking: United MileagePlus reportedly has a miles-purchase bonus up to 100%, but we found only one tracker citing it — check united.com/buy-miles for the current terms.
Value-erosion note for DFW flyers: American AAdvantage's own-metal premium saver pricing has risen — South America from roughly 62,500 to 75,000 miles one-way in business, and Asia from roughly 62,500 to 95,000. Partner oneworld business awards to Europe (roughly 57,500–75,000 miles) remain the better AAdvantage value out of DFW. JAL partner connecting awards also rose from 60,000 to 80,000 miles back in July.
| Card | Credit | Amount / Period | Where it works | Enroll? | Expires / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | Dining credit | $10/mo | Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, Buffalo Wild Wings | Yes | No rollover — *trigger it:* enroll once, then just pay with the card at a listed partner |
| Amex Platinum | Resy credit | $100/qtr | Resy-badge venues only (post-Aug-2026 rule) | Yes | No rollover — *trigger it:* confirm the venue shows "Qualifies for Resy Credit" on its Resy page before booking |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant | Dining credit | up to $25/mo ($300/yr) | Restaurants worldwide | Yes | No rollover |
| Hilton Honors Aspire | Resort credit (not a general dining credit) | up to $200 semi-annual ($400/yr) | Only at participating Hilton Resorts, for room-charged dining/spa there | No | Several trackers mislabel this as a "dining credit" — it isn't usable at outside restaurants |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | DoorDash non-restaurant credit | up to $10/mo | DoorDash grocery/convenience only | Automatic | Restaurant orders don't qualify for this specific credit |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | DoorDash credit | $15/mo (new Oct 1, 2026) | DoorDash, reportedly any order | Automatic | Rollout may be inconsistent — confirm in-app |
| Citi Strata Elite | "Splurge" credit (not dining-specific) | $200/yr | Two chosen brands (1stDibs, AA, Best Buy, Live Nation, etc.) | Choose brands | Dining instead earns 6x on Citi Nights (Fri/Sat 6pm–6am), 3x other times |
| Capital One Venture X | Travel credit (no confirmed dining credit) | $300/yr | Capital One Travel portal only | No | We could not confirm a separate dining credit exists on this card — don't count on one |
| Wells Fargo Autograph Journey | No dining credit | — | 3x dining earn rate; $50/yr airfare credit ($50+ purchase) is the only credit | — | Don't confuse with the no-fee Autograph card, a different product |
| U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve | Travel/dining credit — cut | $325/yr | As of ~Dec 15, 2025, dining was removed; must book via the Booking.com-powered portal now | — | Flag as a benefit reduction if you remember it including dining |
| Amex Business Gold / Business Platinum | No dining credit | — | — | — | Confirmed absent on both US business cards |
| Bilt | Not a credit — a dining multiplier | 3x dining earn rate | Any restaurant | — | Legacy Bilt Mastercard was discontinued Feb 7, 2026; converted to Wells Fargo Autograph or one of three new Bilt/Cardless cards (Blue/Obsidian/Palladium), whose full terms aren't yet confirmed |
| Card | Bonus | Min spend / window | Annual fee | Public or targeted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points | $8,000 / 6 months | $325 | Public (offer varies by applicant) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 100,000 points | $6,000 / 3 months | $795 | Public |
| Citi Strata Elite | Up to 100,000 ThankYou points | $6,000 / 3 months | $595 | Public |
| Chase United Explorer | $500 statement credit + 25,000 miles (+10,000 for an authorized user) | $3,000 / 3 months | $0 intro year | Public |
| Southwest Priority / Premier | Up to 90,000 / 85,000 points | Varies by card | Varies | Public |
| Capital One Venture X | A welcome bonus is live, but trackers disagree on the exact miles figure and spend requirement this week | — | $395 | Public — confirm the current number at capitalone.com before applying |
*Dropped this week:* Chase Sapphire Preferred's bonus is being reported anywhere from 60,000–100,000 points across trackers with no single reliable figure — rather than print a number we can't stand behind, we're skipping it. Check creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire-preferred directly.
Eligibility traps, in plain language:
*(As always: business cards — including anything with "Ink" in the name — never get the headline slot here on purpose, since most readers can't apply for them with a personal SSN. This week none topped the list anyway.)*
*A programming note up front: Thom's rotation pool technically expired Sept 30, and I tried to refresh it automatically but the update was blocked (more on that below), so I hand-picked this edition's five cities — keeping Dallas as the home-market anchor and adding Charleston as a genuine new luxury-dining market. Also: the underlying Resy-credit and Michelin data in the database is from mid-September (about six weeks old), so I'm labeling everything with its collection date rather than presenting it as live-today status.*
Dallas (DFW) — *Resy-credit data as of Sept 15, 2026*
New York City (NYC) — *Resy-credit data as of Sept 15, 2026*
San Francisco (SFO) — *Resy-credit data as of Sept 15, 2026*
Washington, DC (WAS) — *Resy-credit data as of Sept 15, 2026*
Charleston (CHS) — *not in the points database yet; researched fresh from the web this week*
No program crossed the 0.1¢-or-more threshold against our reference set this week — the cents-per-point figures below are holding steady. The one thing worth flagging isn't a per-point valuation shift but a mechanics change with the same effect: Chase cut the Sapphire Preferred/Ink Preferred → World of Hyatt transfer ratio from 1:1 to 4:3 on October 1, so a Hyatt redemption via those cards is now worth about 25% less than it was a month ago (Sapphire Reserve cardholders are unaffected).
| Program | Value (cents/point) |
|---|---|
| Citi ThankYou | 1.9¢ |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1.8¢ |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 1.8¢ |
| World of Hyatt | 1.55¢ |
| American AAdvantage | 1.4¢ |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1.3¢ |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.2¢ |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 0.8¢ |
| Hilton Honors | 0.5¢ |
If you're holding Amex Membership Rewards points and have any trip on the horizon that could use Flying Blue or a SkyTeam partner (Air France, Delta One, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, Korean Air), transfer before October 31 to lock in the 25% bonus — that's the single most time-sensitive, highest-leverage move in this edition, and it's gone in two days. Everyone else: if you're Texas-based, start watching MileagePlus award space on United's new Houston routes to Tokyo, São Paulo, and Sydney — Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to MileagePlus at 1:1, no co-brand card required.
*Rates, bonuses, and availability change constantly and can change again after publication — always verify current terms directly with the issuer, program, or airline before transferring points, applying for a card, or booking. This newsletter is independent commentary and is not sponsored by or affiliated with any card issuer, airline, or hotel program named above.*
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