Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Leading Hotels of the World is offering up to a 100% bonus on Leaders Club point purchases through September 25, 2026. Members receive a 50% bonus when purchasing 2,000-11,000 points, a 75% bonus on 12,000-29,000 points, and a 100% bonus on purchases between 30,000-75,000 points. Leaders Club normally sells points for 12¢ each, which sounds expensive compared to most hotel programs, but we value Leaders Club points at roughly 8¢ each. The 100% bonus drops the purchase price to 6¢ apiece, while the 75% bonus drops it to about 6.86¢ each. Either tier can provide strong value with the right redemption. We generally wouldn't recommend speculatively buying hotel points, but Leaders Club can offer outsized value at expensive luxury properties.

Best Western is running its twice-yearly gift card promotion, offering a $20 bonus gift card when you purchase a $100 gift card by September 2, 2026. You can earn up to five $20 bonus cards, for a maximum of $100 in bonus value. The $100 gift cards do not expire, but the $20 bonus cards expire February 28, 2027. You can also use multiple gift cards toward the same reservation. This is a solid promo if you have a Best Western stay planned for the fall or winter, but make sure you can use the bonus cards before they expire.

Fly in economy from the U.S. to any destination served by Air France or KLM and earn 10,000 bonus Flying Blue miles as long as at least one segment routes through Paris or Amsterdam. You must be a U.S. resident, book a new eligible cash ticket before August 31, 2026, and complete travel by January 31, 2027. The offer is valid on both one-way and round-trip flights and applies only to Air France- or KLM-operated and marketed flights. This is a strong promo given that some eligible one-way fares can be relatively inexpensive, making 10,000 bonus miles a very good return on the cash spent.

If you live in the Chicago metro area, United is offering MileagePlus members a status match that is easier than its standard version. If you register by September 30, 2026 and complete an eligible United or United Express flight to or from Chicago O'Hare within 90 days, you will receive matched United status for 120 days. A qualifying flight taken within 30 days before registering can also count. If you want to extend your status, you'll need to take only two qualifying United or United Express flights during the 120-day period and earn the necessary PQP for each level. That would be 1,700 for Silver, 3,400 for Gold, 5,000 for Platinum, or 7,500 for Premier 1K. United's normal status match requires between five and 20 flights depending on the status level. Even better, PQP earned from eligible United credit card spending counts toward the requirement. If you complete the challenge in 2026, your status will be valid through January 2028.

Book a stay of three or more nights at a participating Caesars property using the promotional rate and receive 2X Wyndham points plus 5,000 bonus points. You must book by September 11, 2026 and complete your stay by January 1, 2027. The bonus can only be earned once, regardless of how many qualifying stays you complete. We wouldn't go out of our way to book a Caesars stay for these bonus points, but if you already have one planned, it's worth comparing the promotional rate with other available rates to see if you can save on the stay while also earning some extra Wyndham points.