Breaking Points: Credit Card News

JetBlue is jumping on the bandwagon by introducing new, restrictive fare classes. JetBlue's lowest-priced "Base" fares will now be available for premium cabin seats like EvenMore and BlueFirst seats. Those tickets will still include the premium seat, but it won't include seat selection and they will also charge change and cancellation fees. There will now be three fare classes to choose from: Base, Standard, and Flex, and these changes are expected to roll out soon. It's worth paying close attention to the fare you book, as the cheapest fare may come with more restrictions than you'd expect, especially when booking a premium cabin. There is also some good news as JetBlue announced a new premium domestic BlueFirst cabin on routes without Mint, giving another premium option for travelers.

Atmos has started offering Philippine Airlines award flights, with business class from the West Coast to the Philippines available from just 75,000 miles one-way. Flights from the Midwest and East Coast start at 85,000 miles, and you can continue to several destinations throughout Southeast Asia from 85,000 miles. Philippine Airlines flies nonstop to Manila from LA, San Francisco, Seatte, Vancouver, New York (JFK), and Toronto. We've seen flights with as many as six business class award seats available, making this an excellent option for families traveling together. Philippine Airlines is expected to officially join oneworld later this year, at which point these awards should become available through programs like American Airlines. That added competition will likely make this level of availability much harder to find, so book sooner rather than later if you're interested.

Amex is targeting some cardholders with an offer to receive a $50 statement credit after spending $250 or more on Delta flights booked by September 26, 2026. If you’re planning to book a paid Delta flight, this is an easy 20% discount worth activating.

Instead of its usual transfer bonus, Bilt's August 1 Rent Day promotion offers a status match with ALL Accor. Members without status or with Silver status can transfer 5,000 Bilt points to receive Accor Silver status, Gold members can transfer 5,000 Bilt points (which become 3,333 Accor points) to match to Accor Gold, and Platinum members can transfer 15,000 Bilt points (10,000 Accor points) to match to Accor Platinum. Bilt transfers to Accor at a 3:2 ratio, and Accor points have a fixed redemption value of 2 euro cents each. Matches to Silver and Gold status will be good for 12 months, while matches to Platinum will be good through December 31, 2027). Each level of elite status offers varying perks, like room upgrades, late checkout, welcome amenities, lounge access, and suite upgrade certificates, among others. We rarely advise transferring speculatively, but this is a bit of a different situation as status comes with each transfer. If you will have any Accor stays coming up in the next year, this may be a worthwhile use of points.

Staples is currently selling $200 virtual Visa Gift Cards with the $7.95 activation fee waived. While we don't usually cover shopping deals like this, Rakuten is also offering 10x at Staples today. If you pay with a Chase Ink Business Cash card, you can earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points at office supply stores, creating a stack of 15x total rewards. Depending on your Rakuten account settings, those 10x rewards can be earned as American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards, or cash back. Staples only offers a limited amount of these gift cards, so jump on this offer soon if interested. The limit is advertised as 5, but most data points have shown you can only get 4.