Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Amex is targeting certain cardholders with at least two different Airbnb offers. One gives $30 back after spending $250 or more, while another offers 15% back as a statement credit, up to $30 total. You must activate the offer first and make your purchase directly through Airbnb by October 20, 2026, but the actual stay can take place later. Gift card purchases are excluded. This is a solid offer if you're already planning an Airbnb stay, especially the 15% version, since meaningful Airbnb discounts can be hard to find.

If you're a parent who wants travels with a lap infant, Atmos Rewards has introduced a very generous policy on award tickets. When booking an award flight through Atmos, you'll only have to pay the applicable government taxes and fees to add a lap infant under two years old. No additional points will be required. This applies to all award redemptions, whether you're flying Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, or one of Atmos' partner airlines. Many airline programs charge 10% of the adult cash fare for a lap infant, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars on premium-cabin tickets. Atmos' new policy is among the most generous available, joining programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, which charges just 2,500 points or $25 CAD, while Virgin Atlantic generally charges 1,000 to 7,000 points depending on the cabin. You'll need to call Atmos to add a lap infant to an award booking.

Barclays is targeting cardholders with several different spending offers on its various cards. We've seen different offers for different people and different cards, so your mileage may vary, but it's worth checking to see if you've been targeted. Here are a few offers we've seen: 5 additional points or miles per dollar on purchases, up to 2,500 bonus points; 2,500 bonus points or miles after making just five purchases; and 5,000 bonus points after making 10 purchases of at least $20 on a co-branded JetBlue card. Most of these offers require registration and run through October 31, 2026, although expiration dates can vary. Check the Offers section of each of your Barclays accounts to see if you're targeted, and take a screenshot of the terms before registering since the offer may disappear from your account afterward.

Amex is targeting certain cardholders with a new offer to earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 or more directly with Air France or KLM. You must book by September 30, 2026, and eligible flights must originate in the U.S., be charged in U.S. dollars, and be booked directly through Air France or KLM, but the actual travel can take place later. With the increase in taxes and fees on Air France and KLM awards, you could also trigger the bonus by paying $1,000 or more in taxes and fees on an award booking. If you happen to be targeted on an Amex Platinum card, you'll also earn 5X Membership Rewards on the airfare purchase as part of the card's benefits, bringing your total to at least 25,000 points on $1,000 in eligible spending.

British Airways is offering 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 in 3 months. That’s up 15,000 miles over their standard offer of 75,000 miles with the same spending requirement. The annual fee is $95. Offer expires 10/27/26.