Tag: Low Rates

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are the currency of most Chase-branded credit cards. You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points for everyday spending and then redeem them for a wide range of rewards.

Despite increasing competition from American Express Membership Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points have maintained their place as one of the most valuable and useful points currencies — especially with valuable rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

Transferring Ultimate Rewards to travel partners is often the most valuable way to redeem your hard-earned points. With 14 different transfer partners, you have plenty of options since you can keep your Chase points in your Ultimate Rewards account until you can transfer them.

Here is everything to know about Chase Ultimate Rewards’ transfer partners.

Related: The best Chase credit cards

Who are the Chase transfer partners?

You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 11 airline programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Chase also partners with three hotel programs:

• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

All transfer ratios are 1:1 (though there are occasional transfer bonuses), and you must transfer points in 1,000-point increments.

How long do Ultimate Rewards transfers take?

Most transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to its partner programs are instantaneous. However, in our most recent testing, transfers to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer took about 48 hours.

Note that transfer bonuses can also be inconsistent. For example, when TPG’s senior editorial director Nick Ewen transferred points to Aeroplan to take advantage of a 20% bonus, the base points arrived immediately, but it took three days for the bonus points to post to his account.

While most transfers through the Chase portal should be instantaneous, delays can happen when transferring your points. To help with the transfer process, we recommend making sure that the name on your Ultimate Rewards account matches that on your loyalty program account. Additionally, make sure you have signed up with a loyalty program in advance, as a new account may also cause a delay in the transfer process.

How do I transfer Chase points to partners?

You can easily transfer Chase points online. First, log in to your Chase account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal. Under the Travel drop-down, select “Transfer to Travel Partners” to access the main transfer page.

You will then see the list of transfer partners and any current transfer bonuses. Select your desired transfer partner, link your external account if you have not already done so, select the number of Ultimate Rewards points you wish to transfer and then submit the transfer.

Remember, Ultimate Rewards transfers cannot be reversed, so it’s best to wait until you have a specific use before transferring them.

What are the best Chase transfer partners?

Given the low award chart rates of the World of Hyatt program, many TPG staffers believe Hyatt is the best hotel transfer option for redeeming Ultimate Rewards points.

If you would prefer to transfer to one of the 11 different airline program partners, the best option may depend on which airlines fly to and from the destinations you wish to travel, who the program partners with and which airlines you like to travel with.

There are sweet spots to be found in most airline transfer options, especially those programs that have retained award charts.

Here are some of our favorite Ultimate Rewards sweet spots.

Top-tier Hyatt hotels

The World of Hyatt award chart has two appealing factors. First, its mere existence is notable, given most other hotel programs (including IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, the other Chase hotel partners) have shifted to dynamic pricing.

Beyond that, Hyatt’s award rates can be incredibly low compared to some competitors. You can book some of the fanciest Park Hyatt properties in the entire portfolio, including the Park Hyatt New York and Park Hyatt Sydney, for just 35,000 points per night during off-peak dates. TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each (per our October 2024 valuations), so 35,000 points are worth $595.

That’s a great deal for hotels that sell for close to $1,000 per night, even when demand is low.

There’s also great value at the lower end of the Hyatt award chart. Category 1 hotels range from 3,500 to 6,500 points per night, depending on whether you travel on peak, standard or off-peak dates.

Iberia flights to Madrid

Round-trip, off-peak flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Spain’s capital will only set you back 34,000 Avios in economy, 51,000 in premium economy or 68,000 in business when you transfer your Chase points to Iberia Plus. Considering that most airlines charge at least 60,000 miles for a one-way business-class award to Europe, you’re essentially getting a 50% discount.

Related: 7 of the best airline award chart sweet spots

Flights to Hawaii with Alaska and American

By transferring your Ultimate Rewards to British Airways, you can book awards with Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. As long as your nonstop flight distance is under 3,000 miles each way (and saver-level award space is available), you can leverage British Airways’ distance-based award chart to fly from any West Coast gateway to Hawaii for 40,000 Avios round-trip — after a December 2023 and July 2024 devaluation that saw prices increase.

ANA flights booked through Virgin Atlantic

For just 145,000 Flying Club points, you can fly round-trip in All Nippon Airways first class between the West Coast and Tokyo. Flights from other U.S. gateways only cost an extra 25,000 points (170,000 points round-trip). Business-class redemptions are an even better deal, costing just 105,000 to 120,000 points round-trip, depending on your U.S. departure airport. If possible, you’ll want to route through New York-JFK and fly ANA’s industry-leading “The Room” business class, which is only available on select routes.

However, availability can be difficult to come by.

Short-haul flights to Canada

Aeroplan stuck to an award chart for partner redemptions but added dynamic pricing for Air Canada flights. As a result, you can often find super-cheap short-haul tickets from the U.S. to Canada. For example, New York to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) can be booked for under 6,000 miles one-way on many dates.

However, you can also find very reasonable award rates on Star Alliance partners through Aeroplan — including Lufthansa, Swiss and EVA Airways.

Related: Your complete guide to Star Alliance benefits

What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece, per our October 2024 valuations, and we believe you will receive the best value by transferring points to airline and hotel partners.

However, you’ll get varying values for Chase points if you pursue other redemption opportunities. For example, Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents apiece through the Chase Travel℠ portal for Sapphire Reserve cardholders or 1.25 cents for those with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred card. You’ll also have access to Chase Pay Yourself Back as a cardholder of any of the above cards, and there are occasionally offers to use Chase points for Apple products or gift cards at an enhanced value.

Finally, Chase points are worth 1 cent apiece if used for simple cash back.

How do I earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

There are many ways to earn Chase points at 1-10 points per dollar spent, depending on the specific Chase credit card you carry.

The first three cards below earn fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points by themselves, while the remaining four are technically billed as cash-back credit cards.

However, if you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card, you can effectively convert your cash-back rewards into Ultimate Rewards points. For this reason, having more than one Chase card can make sense to maximize your earning and redeeming potential.

Here are the cards that allow you to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, plus a $300 statement credit on Chase Travel℠ purchases within the first year.

Why you want it: This is a fantastic all-around travel credit card. It earns points at the following rates:

• 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025)
• 5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar on all other travel
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

The Sapphire Preferred has no foreign transaction fees and has many travel perks, including delayed baggage insurance, trip interruption/cancellation insurance and primary car rental insurance.

Annual fee: $95

Application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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Chase Sapphire Reserve

Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Why you want it: The Sapphire Reserve offers earning power paired with travel perks that can easily cover the annual fee. It earns points at the following rates:

• 10 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025)
• 10 points per dollar on Chase Dining booked through Ultimate Rewards
• 10 points per dollar on hotel and car rental purchases through the Chase Travel
• 5 points per dollar on airline travel booked through Chase Travel
• 3 points per dollar on travel not booked through Chase
• 3 points per dollar on other dining purchases
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

Other perks include an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit, a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to $120 once every four years) and Priority Pass Select lounge access as well as the growing list of new Sapphire lounges. Cardholders also get primary car rental coverage, trip interruption/cancellation insurance and other protections.

Annual fee: $550

Application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Welcome bonus: 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Why you want it: This is one of the best credit cards for small-business owners, earning 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. You earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, and points don’t expire as long as your account is open.

Annual fee: $95

Application link: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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Cash-back Chase credit cards

Four Chase credit cards are technically billed as cash-back products. However, suppose you have one of the three cards noted above. In that case, you can combine your points in a single account, converting these cash-back rewards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points.

Even better? None of these cards charge an annual fee.

Here are the four cards that offer this functionality:

• Chase Freedom Flex®: Earn $200 after you spend $500 in the first three months of account opening. Earn 5% back on select bonus categories, which rotate every quarter and apply on up to $1,500 in combined spending (activation required). Plus, earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and 3% on drugstore purchases.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back. Plus, earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and 3% on drugstore purchases. Earn 1.5% on all other purchases.
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn up to $750: $350 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year (then 1%). Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year (then 1%).
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $900 cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn unlimited 1.5% cash-back rewards on every purchase.

Note that Chase also issues the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card. However, the earnings on this card can’t be combined with others in the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem.

Read more: Your guide to the Chase Ink Business credit cards

Bottom line

If you value the flexibility of choosing from 11 airline partners and three hotel partners, Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of our favorite credit card programs at TPG.

In the age of no-notice devaluations by some loyalty programs, it is smart to earn Ultimate Rewards via the range of credit card welcome offers, category bonuses and everyday spending, and then keep your Ultimate Rewards points until you are ready to transfer and book with an airline or hotel partner.

TPG readers and staff members are huge fans of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program — even those on the East Coast who never actually fly with the carrier. Even though we’ve seen devaluations of Mileage Plan miles in previous years, there are still sweet spots within the program’s Oneworld and nonalliance partners. You can redeem miles for some of the most sought-after premium award seats on airlines like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and many more.

Although Alaska Airlines miles haven’t traditionally been as easy to earn as those of other programs, with the recent Hawaiian Airlines acquisition news, there’s an interesting new way to convert American Express Membership Rewards points to Alaska’s Mileage Plan.

You can redeem Mileage Plan miles for great rewards, including saving up to 50% on award redemptions to popular destinations using the airline’s Global Getaway promotion.

Are you unfamiliar with earning Mileage Plan miles? We’ll show you how to earn Alaska miles to put your next award trip within reach.

How to earn Alaska miles by flying

The most straightforward way to earn Alaska miles is to fly Alaska Airlines or one of its partner airlines. Alaska is one of the few airlines that still issues miles based on flight distance, not how much money you spend on the ticket. That being said, several factors determine how many miles you’ll earn on a given ticket.

Earn miles by flying on Alaska Airlines

When traveling on an Alaska-operated flight, you’ll earn Alaska miles based on the distance you fly. Unfortunately, Alaska’s basic economy “Saver fare” product earns just 30% of the miles flown.

Meanwhile, tickets booked in higher fare classes earn bonus miles. Here’s the earning chart for Alaska-operated and -marketed flights to determine how many miles you’ll earn on your next trip (while there are two tables depending on whether your travel is in 2024 or 2025, the earning rates on Alaska Airlines flights are the same):

To figure out your flight distance, we recommend using Great Circle Mapper. For example, a one-way ticket from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) booked in a C-class first-class cabin would earn 3,003 miles. These fares earn 100% of base miles (1,716 miles flown) and a 75% class-of-service bonus (1,287 miles).

Elite status bonus

Additionally, those with Alaska Airlines elite status will earn additional bonuses on their Alaska-operated tickets. Here’s how many bonus Mileage Plan miles each MVP status tier earns on these flights through 2024:

• Alaska MVP: 50% bonus
• MVP Gold: 100% bonus
• MVP Gold 75K: 125% bonus
• MVP Gold 100K: 150% bonus

From Jan. 1, 2025, the bonus miles will be awarded as follows:

• Alaska MVP: 25% bonus
• MVP Gold: 50% bonus
• MVP Gold 75K: 100% bonus
• MVP Gold 100K: 150% bonus

These bonuses only apply to the 100% base miles flown, not any class-of-service bonuses for higher fare classes.

Related: What is Alaska Airlines elite status worth?

Earn by flying with partners

When flying a partner airline booked on Alaska Airlines ticket stock (a codeshare flight operated by a partner but booked with an Alaska flight number), you’ll earn 100% of the base miles flown except for basic economy (fare code X), which awards 30%. However, how you earn Alaska miles varies slightly when you book a partner flight on the partner’s ticket stock and add your Mileage Plan number.

When you do this, the exact number will vary based on the airline, status tier and booking class. Generally speaking, you won’t earn 100% of the miles flown for every fare class, though flights booked in higher fare classes will still earn more.

For travel in 2024, each partner has a different earning rate. To check how many miles you’ll earn on your partner ticket, head to Alaska Airlines’ partner page, find the partner you’re flying and check the chart for your booking class, as each chart will be slightly different.

Here’s the British Airways earning chart for travel in 2024:

Starting in January, Mileage Plan is simplifying how frequent flyers earn miles when traveling on partners. The number of miles you earn will depend on whether the flight is booked through Alaska’s website or a partner’s website and your fare class.

Note that Starlux Airlines flights booked via a partner site are not eligible to earn Mileage Plan elite-qualifying miles.

Alaska Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, and you can earn miles on all Oneworld airlines, including:

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect partner)
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

Further, the airline has a plethora of nonalliance partners with which to earn miles, including:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Condor
• El Al Israel Airlines
• Hainan Airlines
• Icelandair
• Korean Air (SkyTeam)
• LATAM Airlines
• Singapore Airlines (Star Alliance)
• Starlux Airlines
• Aleutian Airways
• Bahamasair
• Cape Air
• Contour Airlines
• Kenmore Air
• Mokulele Airlines
• Southern Airways Express

Related: How to redeem miles with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Earn Alaska miles with credit cards

One of the easiest ways to earn a large chunk of Mileage Plan miles without flying is through Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards issued by Bank of America.

One option is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, which carries a $95 annual fee. New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

If you have a small business, you might prefer the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card. This card has a $70 annual fee for the company and $25 per card. As a limited-time welcome offer, receive 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Note that these cards both offer a free checked bag for you and up to six other guests on the same reservation when you pay for your flight with the card and include discounts on inflight purchases and lounge passes.

When spending with either the personal or business card, you will earn the following miles:

• 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

Additionally, starting on Jan. 1, 2025, if you hold the Alaska personal or business credit card, you will earn 1 elite qualifying mile for every $3 spent (up to 30,000 EQMs each year).

Alaska Airlines transfer partners

Transfer Bilt Points to Alaska Mileage Plan

In March 2024, Bilt Rewards added Alaska Mileage Plan as a transfer partner. Therefore, you can transfer Bilt Points to Alaska at a 1:1 rate. Plus, Alaska Airlines cardholders earn 3 miles per dollar spent (on up to $50,000 annually) when paying rent through Bilt using their Alaska Airlines Visa credit card.

Transfer HawaiianMiles to Alaska Mileage Plan

Since the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, you can also transfer miles between Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines at a 1:1 rate.

Therefore, if you’re in the market for a new credit card and a way to earn additional Alaska miles without opening an Alaska credit card, you can consider opening a Hawaiian Airlines cobranded credit card.

Hawaiian Airlines cards are currently offering the following welcome bonuses:

• Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days.
• Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

The information for the Hawaiian Mastercard and Hawaiian Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you don’t have any HawaiianMiles, remember that the program is currently a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, meaning that you could earn a generous welcome bonus from an Amex rewards card and transfer those points to HawaiianMiles, and then transfer them to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. However, it has been reported that this transfer option may become obsolete in 2025.

Related: Transfer Hawaiian miles (and by extension, Amex points) to Alaska Airlines

Transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska

Even if you don’t have any Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines credit cards in your wallet, it’s still possible to generate miles by transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio. You’ll also earn a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.

If you want to transfer your points to book an award flight, make sure you check/find availability before making any point transfers, as transfers are irreversible. 

Earn business rewards with EasyBiz

Alaska Airlines has a business rewards program called EasyBiz. This program rewards businesses for employee travel based on the price of a ticket. Rewards earned with EasyBiz are in addition to the employee’s mileage earnings, so both parties win.

Businesses earn 1 Alaska mile for every dollar spent on base airfare. You can also access features like 24-hour reservation holds, travel management tools and ticket reports. Tools like this help your business better manage employee travel and get more value from the money you’re already spending.

You can enroll in EasyBiz on Alaska’s website. After doing this, you’ll receive an EasyBiz number that you, your employees or your travel agent can attach to Alaska bookings.

Note that according to Alaska’s website, “new EasyBiz enrollments are currently unavailable as we make system updates.”

Earn Alaska miles with travel partners

You can also earn Alaska miles with other travel partners. This lets you earn Alaska miles on other aspects of your trip, like hotels and rental cars.

Book hotels with Alaska partners

You can earn bonus Mileage Plan miles by booking with Alaska Airlines Hotels. If you go this route, you may not earn hotel points on your booking. In other words, you’ll need to decide which rewards currency you value most.

Further, you can earn Alaska miles instead of hotel points when you book with a handful of hotel groups at the following rates:

Hotel	Earning rate
Best Western	Earn 250 miles per stay
Choice Privileges	Earn 250 miles per stay
Coast Hotels	Earn 500 miles per stay
IHG One Rewards	Earn up to 2 miles per $1 spent or up to 500 miles per stay
Marriott Bonvoy	Earn 2 miles per $1 on all qualifying charges, or 1 mile per $1 spent on the room rate, depending on the hotel
Rocketmiles	Earn 500 to 10,000 miles per night on every reservation.

Related: 10 ways you could be earning airline miles other than credit cards

Rent a car and earn Alaska miles

You can also earn Alaska miles when booking car rentals through Alaska Airlines Car Rental. The miles you’ll earn depend on how much you spend on a rental. You won’t earn rental car points on these bookings; prices may differ from booking directly.

You can also book directly with rental car companies and earn Alaska miles instead of rental car points at the following rates:

Rental car company	Earning rate
Alamo	50 miles per day on qualifying rentals. Offer valid in the U.S. and Canada.
Avis	Up to 1,250 miles per rental
Budget	Up to 1,250 miles per rental
Dollar	150 miles on rentals three days or longer through Dec. 31, 2024
Hertz	200 miles per day on rentals of one to four days or 2,000 miles per rental on rentals of five or more days until Dec. 31, 2024.
National	50 miles per day in the U.S. and Canada only
Thrifty	150 miles on rentals three days or longer

Related: How to never pay full price for a rental car

Earn Alaska miles with other partners

Additionally, you can earn Alaska miles through several Alaska Mileage Plan partners for everyday purchases like dining out and even shopping online.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping is a great way to earn bonus Alaska miles on your online purchases in addition to the miles you already earn with your credit card. Sign up for a Mileage Plan Shopping account and find your merchant on the portal before purchasing.

Please note that each participating merchant offers a different number of miles per dollar spent, and their rates fluctuate frequently. Use a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor to compare earning potential across various sites.

Mileage Plan Shopping periodically offers promotions for spending a set amount of money or buying products from a specific merchant — keep an eye out for promotions.

Related: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping portal: Earn miles on your online purchases

Mileage Plan Dining

Do you dine out a lot? Make sure you’re a Mileage Plan Dining member. The program is free to join. Sign up, link a credit card and earn extra Alaska miles when dining at participating restaurants. These miles are in addition to the rewards you already earn with your card, so make sure to use one of the best credit cards for dining out.

The number of points you earn on purchases depends on your Mileage Plan Dining membership status. There are currently three status tiers: basic, select member and VIP. You become a select member by signing up for email alerts. You’ll be upgraded to VIP status once you dine 11 times in 12 months.

Select members earn 3 miles per dollar, while VIP members earn 5 miles per dollar. On the other hand, if you don’t sign up for email alerts, you will remain a basic member and earn 1 mile per $2 spent.

If you’re not already signed up for Alaska’s dining plan, you can earn 500 bonus Alaska miles after your first purchase. To qualify for this offer, you must spend $30 or more at a participating restaurant and review it on the Mileage Plan Dining website.

Related: Maximizing restaurant spending with dining rewards programs

Buy Alaska miles

Another way to earn Alaska miles is to purchase them outright. However, buying miles without a promotion typically offers a poor value proposition.

But Alaska frequently runs promotions for buying miles with bonuses of up to 50%. With up to a 50% bonus, your effective purchase price is 1.97 cents apiece, and while that is above TPG’s October 2024 valuations (which pegged Mileage Plan miles at 1.45 cents each), it can still unlock some great value.

Related: Buy bonus points and miles with these promotions

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are among the most sought-after in the points and miles game. Even though earning Alaska miles can be generally harder to earn if you don’t often fly with the carrier, the transfer partner options and Alaska’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines have opened up new avenues for frequent flyers to beef up their account balances.

I’ve had more than 20 credit cards for several years now, and I take great care to maximize each one. Whether I’m transferring rewards to valuable partners, getting a jump start on elite status or leveraging free night certificates, I get thousands of dollars of value from these cards every single year.

But recently, I applied for a new credit card that I never really considered, and it’s already punching well above its weight class.

Here’s why the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® became the newest credit card in my wallet — and why it may stay there for a long time.

The information for the Frontier Airlines Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The welcome bonus

I’m a sucker for a solid welcome bonus on a travel credit card, and the Frontier Airlines Mastercard definitely has one. New cardholders can earn 50,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within 90 days of account opening.

No, it’s not going to get me a business-class flight to Europe, but based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations, it’s still worth $550. It’s also among the easiest welcome bonuses to earn thanks to the reasonable spending requirement.

I earned these 50,000 miles in the first month of card membership, and I promptly put them to good use.

I’m traveling to New Orleans in February for Mardi Gras, and there was a perfectly timed return flight on Frontier from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). This would’ve been $133.98 per person, but the award flight was just 10,000 miles (plus the $5.60 U.S. passenger security fee). That gave me a value of 1.34 cents per mile.

Now, it’s worth noting that this redemption is for Frontier’s basic fare, which includes just the flight and no extras. Thankfully, I can avoid many of those added costs with another part of the card’s current offer.

Related: Ultimate guide to Frontier Miles

The instant elite status

Beyond the bonus miles, the Frontier Airlines Mastercard is currently offering instant Elite Gold status after the first purchase with your card in the first 90 days after account opening. This status will be valid for just 90 days after your account opening date, but you can extend it for a full 12 months by spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.

So naturally, that’s exactly what I did.

Gold status on Frontier can effectively turn your basic fare into a more flexible ticket with many additional inclusions. Here’s a snapshot of what I will get on every Frontier flight I take through August 2025:

• No change and cancellation fees (seven or more days ahead of departure)
• A complimentary seat assignment at booking
• A free carry-on bag

To give you an idea of how valuable this can be, my one-way flight from New Orleans to Orlando has the Economy Bundle available for an extra $59 — which includes seat selection, a carry-on and similar flight flexibility. And that’s just on a single flight.

This can also be super valuable if you book a flight and the price drops closer to departure.

For example, I had a ticket booked to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in mid-October that I ultimately needed to cancel due to Hurricane Milton. However, the ticket dropped in price two separate times prior to that.

The original itinerary for me, my wife and my daughter was $450.94 (including seat selection for them, since the above perks only apply to those with elite status). The first time I got a notification of a lower price via Google Flights, I canceled and rebooked for $289.94 — giving me a voucher of $161.

Then, just a week and a half later, it dropped again, so I canceled and rebooked a second time for $241.94. That’s another $48 in future flight credit.

Related: How to change or cancel a Frontier Airlines flight

The perks

Even when my Gold status expires — assuming I don’t extend it with spending or flying — the card still offers some really solid perks. As a cardholder, my miles never expire as long as I make at least one purchase a year.

I also enjoy a redemption fee waiver whenever I book an award ticket; this fee starts at $5.60 per passenger for a one-way fare. With my award ticket from New Orleans to Orlando, I saved $45 just by holding the credit card.

I can also get a $100 flight voucher after my account anniversary after spending $2,500 or more on purchases with my card in an account year. Since I needed to spend $3,000 to extend my Gold status, I’ve already hit that threshold, so when my card renews, I’ll have $100 to use for a future Frontier flight.

Finally, shortly after I applied, the card became even more valuable when it began offering two free checked bags to cardholders.

While these are limited to 40 pounds apiece, it effectively means that I can travel with my wife and daughter for the next year without paying any bag fees, as we can easily pack into a carry-on and medium-size checked bag for just about all of our trips.

The best part? All of this is available for just a $99 annual fee.

Bottom line

As someone who typically aims for aspirational travel opportunities with my points and miles, the Frontier Airlines Mastercard was never really on my radar.

However, Frontier has extensive service from Orlando, one of my primary airports, and the array of benefits on the card (including the current offer for Gold status) allows me to book inexpensive flights and avoid many of the extra fees that travelers hate about low-cost carriers.

I’ve already earned the 50,000-mile welcome bonus, and I’m looking forward to booking multiple additional flights to utilize these benefits over the coming year. And when the card comes up for renewal, I just may keep it open as the newest valuable addition to my wallet.

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Learn more: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

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Related: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard vs. Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Frequent Delta Air Lines flyers have two fantastic card choices that can elevate their airport and flying experience. While some may gawk at the hefty annual fees, these two cards are well worth the price for those who are loyal to the Atlanta-based carrier.

I’m talking, of course, about the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

For those who value Delta Medallion elite status, Sky Club access and the annual round-trip companion certificate, you may already carry Delta’s most premium card in your wallet.

But, for $45 more every year, I’d argue that the Amex Platinum may actually make more sense for most travelers.

Here are the five reasons why you should consider switching from the Delta Reserve to the Amex Platinum.

Comparing the Delta Reserve to the Amex Platinum

Feature	Delta Reserve	Amex Platinum
Welcome offer	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases on your new card in your first three months of cardmembership.	Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership.
Annual fee	$650 (see rates and fees)	$695 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates	3 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar) 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Delta perks*	Delta Sky Club access when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight for complimentary Delta Sky Club access (no access for basic economy fares; complimentary access will be limited to 15 visits per year starting Feb. 1, 2025). Receive unlimited visits if you spend $75,000 or more on your card per calendar year Complimentary access to the American Express Centurion lounge if you have a same-day Delta flight Annual round-trip companion certificate for domestic first class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin each year upon renewal of the card Upgrade priority over other Medallion members within the same Medallion level and fare class grouping Access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite members Earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you spend $30,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year, up to four times Medallion Qualification Dollar waiver toward Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion status if you make at least $25,000 in purchases in a year with your card First checked bag free on Delta flights 20% discount on inflight purchases	Delta Sky Club access on a same-day Delta flight; complimentary access will be limited to 10 visits per year starting Feb. 1, 2025. If you spend $75,000 or more on your Amex Platinum card during a calendar year, you can unlock unlimited Sky Club access through the end of the next program year Annual $200 airline statement credit, eligible for charges like baggage fees, inflight purchases and more by one U.S. airline you designate each year — so you could pick Delta Air Lines
Other benefits*	Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, once every four/four and a half years, respectively Travel and purchase protections No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)	Access to the Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion lounges, Priority Pass lounges and more, as long as you show a same-day confirmed boarding pass on any airline. You can also bring up to two guests for no additional fee Up to a $200 annual prepaid hotel statement credit, up to a $199 annual Clear Plus statement credit, up to $200 in Uber Cash and more annual statement credits Up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck, once every four/four and a half years, respectively Complimentary Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy Complimentary memberships in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Elite-like privileges when you book through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program Access to the Amex Platinum Concierge Travel and purchase protections No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

* Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: Credit card showdown: Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve

Why you should switch to the Amex Platinum

At $695 per year, the Amex Platinum isn’t the most affordable card — but neither is the Delta Reserve. For a difference of $45, the Amex Platinum can offer better value since there’s a long list of non-Delta benefits that are useful for other parts of the travel experience, whether that’s with hotels or rental cars.

Let’s take a closer look at the top five reasons the Amex Platinum wins over the Delta Reserve.

Expanded lounge access when there’s not a Sky Club

With the Amex Platinum, you get access to thousands of lounges worldwide. With 50 Sky Clubs, the odds are likely that some of your travels bring you to places where you might not find a Sky Club. And while you can visit the Amex Centurion lounge with the Delta Reserve, this is also strictly limited to if you’re flying Delta the same day.

Here’s a list of the lounge access you’ll find with your handy Amex Platinum, dubbed the American Express Global Lounge Collection:

• Amex Centurion Lounges
• Priority Pass lounges
• Delta Sky Clubs (10 visits per year on same-day Delta flights starting Feb. 1, 2025).
• Plaza Premium lounge
• Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
• Lufthansa lounges
• Other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges

On the off chance you aren’t flying Delta, you won’t be able to enter any airport lounge if you carry the Delta Reserve alone. But, with the Amex Platinum, the airline you fly won’t matter (in most instances) — just show your same-day boarding pass, and you’ll be able to enter most of the lounges as part of the Global Lounge Collection.

Plus, the Amex Platinum includes a Priority Pass Select membership, which the Delta Reserve does not.

Both cards require guests to pay $50 to enter SkyClubs or Centurion lounges. However, if Amex Platinum cardmembers spend $75,000 per calendar year, then two guests can enter the Centurion lounge with the cardmember for free.

If you’re a frequent traveler, this benefit alone is worth at least the $45 difference in the annual fees.

Just note that Sky Club access when flying Delta with either card is restricted to the primary cardmember only — unless one of the following holds true:

• Your guests are authorized users on your Amex Platinum or cardmember in their own right — which gets them Sky Club access
• You use one of your annual guest passes as a Delta Reserve cardmember
• Your guest is a child under the age of two

Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access

An annual airline credit more suitable for Delta elite members

If you switch from the Delta Reserve to the Amex Platinum, you’ll largely lose out on many of the Delta-specific benefits, such as a free checked bag and the 20% discount on inflight purchases.

But it’s likely that you’re already a Delta Medallion member. Even at the lowest level (Silver Medallion), you’ll get a free first checked bag, so the Delta Reserve doesn’t really present any added value.

However, the Amex Platinum comes with an up-to-$200 credit for airline incidentals every year. You’ll pick one qualifying airline (Delta is on this list), and you’ll be reimbursed throughout the year anytime you’re charged for baggage, seat selection, onboard food and beverages, and more (up to a total of $200 per calendar year).

This could allow you to designate a different airline if you’re loyal to Delta and have Medallion status but occasionally find yourself on another carrier. Without elite status, you’d likely need to pay for things like checked bags and extra-legroom seats. Selecting another airline could allow you to still use this airline incidentals statement credit — beyond what the Delta Reserve can offer you.

Related: How to choose your airline with the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit

Holistic travel perks, rather than just with Delta

By switching to the Amex Platinum, there are a few benefits that may be sorely missed, such as the companion certificate and the elite qualification boosts.

But you’ll notice that many of the perks are the same (Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit) or can be replicated (airline incidentals credit) with the Amex Platinum — and there’s more.

There’s a lengthy list of travel benefits that come with the Amex Platinum, and many of them can help you save money or elevate your travel experience. Here are a few of my notable favorites:

• An up to $200 annual prepaid hotel statement credit: Eligible on prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Platinum
• An up to $199 annual Clear Plus statement credit: Covers the full cost of an annual Clear membership
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash: Distributed in the form of $15 monthly credits for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders — plus a $20 bonus in December. Your Amex Plat must be added to your Uber account and you can redeem with any Amex card
• An up to $155 annual Walmart+ statement credit: This covers the cost of one Walmart+ monthly membership (subject to auto-renewal); Plus Ups are excluded
• Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits: Distributed as statement credits to cover up to $50 in purchases, one between January through June and another July through December
• Up to $240 in annual digital entertainment statement credits: Distributed in the form of up to $20 in monthly statement credits when you pay for participating digital entertainment services with the Amex Platinum
• Complimentary Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Complimentary rental car elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive

Even if you don’t use up every single credit or benefit, it’s more than likely that you’ll be able to make up that $45 difference in the annual fees. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: How to maximize your earning with the Amex Platinum

Ability to earn Membership Rewards points — worth significantly more than Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles have been devalued a lot over the years. While you can find some great value when redeeming for domestic economy flights, you’re out of luck if you’re trying to find a long-haul business-class flight for reasonable rates.

Unfortunately, those devaluations will likely continue, but the best way to protect yourself from airline and hotel valuations is to open a card that earns transferable points, like the Amex Platinum.

With the American Express Membership Rewards program, you can transfer your points to 20-plus airline and hotel loyalty programs — including Delta SkyMiles. It’s also worth noting that per TPG’s October 2024 valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are valued at 2 cents each and Delta SkyMiles at 1.41 cents apiece.

These valuations also factor into the ongoing earning rates of these cards:

• Amex Platinum:
  • 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline and through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) — 10% return
  • 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel — 10% return
  • 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases — 2% return
• Delta Reserve:
  • 3 points per dollar spent on Delta purchases — 3.6% return
  • 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases — 1.2% return

Related: The complete guide to American Express Membership Rewards partners

If you fly Delta enough and you don’t need an MQD waiver

If this applies to you, then consider downgrading to the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. For a $350 annual fee (see rates and fees), you’ll enjoy similar perks:

• Receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) each year
• Earn $1 MQD for each $20 in you spend on purchases
• Receive a Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your card

And if you fly Delta enough organically to not need these MQD waivers from these cobranded cards, then there’s no reason why the Amex Platinum shouldn’t be in your wallet rather than the Delta Reserve.

Related: The best credit cards to jump-start elite status in 2022

Are you eligible to apply for the Amex Platinum?

Although both cards are issued by American Express, you won’t be able to request a product change for your cards. If you decide the Amex Platinum is the right choice for you, you’ll need to put in a new application outright — though be sure to check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).

While that has a temporary effect on your credit score, you’ll be able to work toward the 80,000-point welcome bonus.

To gauge your likelihood of approval, you can review Amex’s eligibility requirements, but anecdotes report that you can carry up to five American Express cards at a time. In addition, you’ll likely only be eligible for the welcome bonus if you’ve never held the Amex Platinum before. So, if you’re clear on both fronts, then submitting an application would be your next step.

Then, you’ll need to decide what to do with your Delta Reserve.

Your options are to cancel your card or downgrade to another Delta cobranded card. Here are those options:

• Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card: If you want the companion certificate and the ability to earn MQDs toward elite status. Note that there’s a $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: If you want Delta benefits such as a free checked bag and an inflight discount but for a reasonable annual fee ($0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150; see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: For no annual fee (see rates and fees), you can keep your card number and still earn miles — which can help your length of credit history.

If you do decide to cancel the Delta Reserve once your annual fee posts, be sure to call customer service and see if you’re eligible for a retention offer. Issuers sometimes provide incentives to existing cardmembers to keep their cards open — including statement credits or bonus miles. That could make the difference between keeping versus canceling your card.

Related: TPG readers find success with retention bonuses

Bottom line

Airline mile devaluations are frequent — and among the best ways to protect yourself is opening a card that earns transferable points instead. For those who already carry the Delta Reserve, the Amex Platinum can make a lot of sense in many ways, especially since you’ll enjoy some Delta benefits and still be able to transfer your rewards to Delta SkyMiles in a pinch.

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Apply here: Amex Platinum
Apply here: Delta Reserve

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For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Blue, click here.  
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold, click here. 
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum, click here. 
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve, click here. 
For rates and fees of the Platinum Amex, click here.

Pop culture icon Paris Hilton is serving up her latest project, a glittery pink waffle, to Hampton by Hilton guests in the U.S. and Canada.

Hilton teamed up with Hampton to introduce the latest seasonal flavor, dubbed the Sparkling Strawberry Hampton Waffle, alongside a special Sparkling Strawberry Hampton Waffle Kit that can be purchased online for $29.99 and includes everything you need to make the new waffle, like waffle mix and edible glitter.

“The Sparkling Strawberry Hampton Waffle is totally iconic, sweet, and so me,” Hilton said in a statement about the waffle. “I’m excited for everyone to try it and start their mornings with a little sparkle.” 

The waffle was unveiled at an event in New York City at the Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central, attended by TPG. At the event, one of Hampton by Hilton’s U.S. Waffle Bosses, Beverly Christmas of the Hampton Inn Paris in Paris, Illinois, was able to showcase just how fun decorating a waffle with toppings (like whipped cream, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, strawberries and, of course, edible glitter) actually is, whether you’re making it at one of the 2,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada or right at home.

In fact, this is the first time Hampton’s waffle mix has been available for purchase since the chain first introduced its now-iconic waffle back in 2009.

As TPG previously reported in August, when the Hilton Honors-affiliated hotel brand celebrated its 40th birthday, guests at Hampton by Hilton properties eat a whopping 30 million regular waffles each year and about 120 million miniwaffles. Over the years, new seasonal flavors have rolled out to much fanfare, including lemon, pumpkin spice, red velvet and birthday cake.

“At Hampton by Hilton, breakfast is such a key part of what we offer, and our waffles have become an iconic symbol of that tradition of providing a friendly and reliable stay,” said Shruti Gandhi Buckley, Hampton by Hilton’s global brand leader. “This collaboration with Paris Hilton brings a fresh, playful twist to something that’s already so loved.”

Related reading: 

• The 20 best Hilton hotels in the world
• Best Hilton credit cards of October 2024
• Hilton Honors now has more than 200 million members — and more ways to earn and redeem points

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

The city of Venice, Italy, will double the number of days that tourists will be charged an entry fee in 2025.

The tourist tax, which aims to help combat overtourism in the city, was initially trialed for 29 days between April 25 and July 14, 2024, including weekends and public holidays. For 2025, the city will impose the tax for 54 days — payable every Friday to Sunday and public holidays between April 18 and July 27.

Day-trippers who can book ahead of time will be charged 5 euros (about $5.40 at current exchange rates) to enter the city. This charge increases to 10 euros for bookings less than four days in advance.

Prior to its trial in 2024, the Venice tourist tax was hotly debated for several years; it faced numerous delays and setbacks before its eventual launch in April. 

During the trial, visitors who entered the city before 8:30 a.m. or after 4 p.m. (or those staying in hotels who had already paid a lodging tax) were exempt from paying the fee. Visitors who didn’t pay were subject to immediate fines of between 50 and 300 euros if they failed a random spot check. This is expected to continue the same way in 2025.

The tourist tax was initially launched to combat overtourism in Venice, which is arguably one of Europe’s most well-known and popular destinations. However, few travelers were discouraged by the fee — an average of 75,000 visitors came to the city each day during the first 11 days of the trial.

Back in July, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and Deputy Mayor Assessore Simone Venturini hinted that the tax would continue and potentially increase with amplified enforcement.

While the trial period didn’t drastically reduce visitor numbers, it generated around 2.4 million euros in additional income. According to city officials, the money will be used to fund essential municipal services within Venice, such as garbage removal and canal maintenance. According to Brugnaro, further analysis is still required to assess whether the scheme managed to break even.

Bottom line

After years of discussion, Venice implemented a tourist tax during a 29-day trial in April. The trial has now been deemed a success and will continue in 2025 for a total of 54 days — every Friday to Sunday and public holidays between April 18 and July 27.

Related reading:

• Bali’s new tourist tax launches — here’s how to pay it
• Spain’s most popular destination just increased its tourist tax
• These cruise ports don’t want you. Here’s why — and where to go instead
• Amsterdam bans cruise ships in crackdown on overtourism and pollution
• Which major destinations charge a tourist tax (or are planning to soon)?

Royal Caribbean is about to take more than 4,000 passengers even farther northwest into Alaska. Starting in spring 2026, Ovation of the Seas will become the line’s largest-ever ship to sail one-way voyages to The Last Frontier, offering both cruises and cruisetours — something that wasn’t available to Royal Caribbean passengers before on a big ship.

The Quantum Class ship, which is part of the line’s third-largest class of vessels, will replace Radiance of the Seas on weeklong one-way voyages between Seward, Alaska, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The ship will call on the ports of Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point and Sitka, Alaska. Ovation will also traverse the top part of the Gulf of Alaska between Hubbard Glacier and Seward during its sailings, opening up access to Anchorage and Alaska’s interior.

For that, passengers have the option to tack on up to six additional nights for land-based exploration, featuring Alaskan destinations like Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna and Alyeska. Tundra trekking and glass-dome train rides are among the excursion selections.

What’s notable about Ovation of the Seas’ cruisetours is that the ship dwarfs the other vessels offering one-way sailings with cruisetour add-ons. That’s because most cruise lines put their biggest Alaska ships on round-trip Seattle cruises and save older, smaller ships for the one-way runs. When Ovation begins these itineraries in 2026, megaship fans who want to spend time in Alaska’s interior before or after their cruise won’t have to choose between their preferred ship size and their desired itinerary.

Although one-way itineraries provide travelers with a way to explore places ships can’t reach, travel to and from a one-way Alaska cruise is often more expensive. That’s because you’ll need to book two one-way flights, including one from an Alaskan city, which can be pricier than round-trip Seattle or Vancouver flights. This can affect your bottom line if you’re on a budget.

For the 2026 season, Ovation of the Seas, a regular on the Alaska cruise scene, will join 4,180-passenger classmate Anthem of the Seas and 3,602-passenger Voyager Class fleetmate Voyager of the Seas in the region. (This season will be Voyager’s first sailing Alaska.) The latter two ships are set to operate weeklong sailings round-trip from Seattle. Ports of call include a mix of Juneau, Sitka, Skagway and Icy Strait Point with scenic sailing offered for Alaska’s Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier.

A fourth ship, 2,143-passenger Serenade of the Seas — a member of the Radiance Class of vessels — is scheduled to sail seven-night cruises round-trip from Vancouver during the 2026 Alaska season. Ports include Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan in Alaska and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, plus scenic sailing through the Inside Passage and to Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord.

Find out more about Royal Caribbean:

• The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cruises
• Royal Caribbean cruise ship classes explained
• Royal Caribbean cruise ships by size
• Royal Caribbean cruise ships by age
• All you need to know about Royal Caribbean cabins and suites
• Royal Caribbean food
• Royal Caribbean drink packages
• Where you can cruise with Royal Caribbean
• How to find the best Royal Caribbean ship for you
• Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program
• How to pack for a Royal Caribbean cruise

In addition to being rewarded with valuable miles, when travelers choose to fly Alaska Airlines and its partner airlines and credit flights to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan loyalty program, they may qualify for MVP elite status. You can access exclusive and valuable benefits and perks by achieving elite status, enhancing your overall travel experience.

Depending on which MVP elite status is achieved, you can enjoy perks like complimentary first-class upgrades and preferred seating, plus bonus miles that can be redeemed for future travel on Alaska or its airline partners.

If you are considering striving for these perks, weighing the benefits against the drawbacks of remaining loyal to one airline program is important. While pursuing elite status and remaining loyal to one carrier can be a no-brainer for some — particularly those who live near an Alaska Airlines hub — others may be better off remaining airline free agents, choosing the best carrier for each flight.

In this guide, we’ll evaluate MVP status and explain the different status tiers, how to achieve them and if striving for this status is worth the effort for the occasional or frequent Alaska Airlines flyers. Plus, with Alaska’s recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and a plan to overhaul Mileage Plan in 2025, obtaining elite status with this airline may now be on your radar.

What is Alaska Airlines status?

Alaska offers different MVP status tiers based on the number of elite qualifying miles earned through the airline and its global partners and spending on Alaska’s cobranded credit card.

Your Alaska elite status is activated when you pass the required threshold for that tier, is subsequently valid for the rest of that calendar year and typically expires on Dec. 31 of the following calendar year. For example, if you reach your 2024 MVP Gold qualification in October 2024, your status will be valid through Dec. 31, 2025.

Related: Alaska Airlines overhauls Mileage Plan with milestone perks and more

Alaska elite status tiers

Anyone can join the Mileage Plan program for free online as a base member. Doing so will make you eligible to collect Alaska miles, and as you spend more time flying Alaska or its partners, you can also collect status.

Alaska Airlines’ published elite status tiers from lowest to highest are:

• MVP
• MVP Gold
• MVP Gold 75K
• MVP Gold 100K

To qualify for MVP status, you must reach varying thresholds of elite qualifying miles based on Alaska, Oneworld and global partner airlines’ flights and cobranded credit card spending.

Status tier	Number of elite qualifying miles required
MVP	20,000
MVP Gold	40,000
MVP Gold 75K	75,000
MVP Gold 100K	100,000

As you fly more on Alaska or spend on a cobranded credit card, you can climb the status ladder. As you remain loyal to Alaska and reach higher tiers, the perks become more lucrative. For example, you can receive complimentary lounge access or free upgrades.

The same is true for the four published elite status tiers of rival airlines United and Delta.

Related: 6 great benefits I received as an American Airlines elite flying Alaska Airlines

How to qualify for Alaska elite status

Fly on Alaska-operated or partner flights to earn EQMs

Despite many airlines moving away from calculating elite status based on actual mileage flown toward a version of the amount spent with the carrier, Alaska has been a holdout. For Alaska flyers, the elite status is calculated via the number of elite qualifying miles earned, not to be confused with redeemable Alaska base miles.

However, the number of elite qualifying miles earned is based on the carrier flown and fare class. For instance, a first-class ticket on Alaska in the J fare class earns 200% elite qualifying miles. On the other hand, a Savor economy ticket in the X fare class will earn only 30% elite qualifying miles.

Note that Alaska has unveiled its 2025 earnings charts, with notable increases to EQMs earned on international first- and business-class flights booked on partner airlines via alaskaair.com.

You can check out Alaska’s 2024 and 2025 earnings charts here.

Earn Alaska elite status through credit card spending

In 2023, Alaska announced changes to how elite members earn status. Beginning this year, earning status through elite qualifying segments is no longer possible; you’ll only earn status by accruing elite qualifying miles. Therefore, it is possible to earn Alaska elite status without ever stepping foot on an Alaska Airlines plane. 

Plus, following Alaska’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, the carrier expanded how members can earn EQMs from credit card spending, which is currently capped at an earning rate of 20,000 EQMs per year. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2025, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card and Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card cardholders will earn 1 EQM for every $3 spent (up to 30,000 EQMs each year on qualified purchases).

Therefore, if you spend $60,000 on your personal or business Alaska card each year, you will earn 20,000 EQMs, which means you’ll have achieved MVP status just through credit card spending.

Earn Alaska MVP status through a status match

Following the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, if you have status with either carrier, your status will be matched as follows:

If you have:	You’ll be matched to:
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP status	HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold 100K status	HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status	Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status	Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold status

And, even if you don’t have status with either airline, loyalty members can combine their elite qualifying miles from both programs to achieve status.

Combined EQM balance:	Status you’ll get with Mileage Plan:	Status you’ll get with HawaiianMiles:
20,000 EQMs	MVP	Pualani Gold
40,000 EQMs	MVP Gold	Pualani Platinum
75,000 EQMs	MVP Gold 75K	Pualani Platinum
100,000 EQMs	MVP Gold 100K	Pualani Platinum

Additional ways to earn Alaska EQMs

In 2025, there are a few additional ways Mileage Plan members can earn elite qualifying miles. Alaska executives announced that members will earn 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 miles earned on nonflight activities, such as through Lyft, Mileage Plan shopping portal and the dining program.

Additionally, members will begin earning EQMs on award flights. Mileage Plan members will earn the same amount of EQMs as they would on a paid ticket; however, members will not earn Alaska base miles on award redemptions.

What are Alaska’s elite status benefits?

While the perks are great for all members with Alaska Airlines elite status, as you move up the tiers, the benefits become even more worthwhile.

MVP

This is the lowest elite tier in Alaska’s program, where you will receive benefits such as:

• 50% bonus miles (changing to 25% bonus miles in 2025)
• Oneworld Ruby status
• Priority check-in, security and boarding
• Preferred seating
• Two free checked bags (through 2025; one free checked bag starting in 2026)
• Priority call routing
• Alaska Lounge membership discount
• First-class upgrades at the time of booking with Y and B fares
• Premium-class upgrades at the time of booking with Y, B and H fares
• First- and premium-class upgrades on Alaska nonqualifying fares (except Savor) 48 hours before departure
• Access to extra legroom seating on American Airlines starting 24 hours before departure
• Complimentary access to domestic upgrades on American starting 24 hours before departure

MVP Gold

As you level up with Alaska, you receive all the same perks as MVP, plus:

• 100% bonus miles (changing to 50% bonus miles in 2025)
• Two free checked bags
• Oneworld Sapphire status
• Complimentary same-day flight changes and standby for full flights
• Complimentary premium beverage or chocolate in Main Cabin
• Four first-class upgrades at the time of booking with Y, B, H and K fares (through Dec. 31, 2024)
• Premium-class upgrades at the time of booking with Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S and N fares
• First- and premium-class upgrades on Alaska nonqualifying fares (except Savor) 72 hours before departure
• First- and premium-class companion upgrades
• First-class guest upgrades (maximum of four per year)
• Access to extra legroom seating on American Airlines at booking
• Complimentary access to domestic upgrades on American starting 48 hours before departure

MVP Gold 75K

For even more frequent Alaska flyers, you receive all the same perks as MVP Gold, as well as:

• 125% bonus miles (changing to 100% bonus miles in 2025)
• 50,000 bonus miles upon qualification (only through Dec. 31, 2024)
• Oneworld Emerald status
• Three free checked bags
• Four Alaska Lounge day passes
• First-class upgrades at the time of booking with Y, B, H, K and M fares
• Premium-class upgrades at the time of booking on all fares except Savor fares
• First- and premium-class upgrades on Alaska nonqualifying fares (except Savor) 120 hours before departure
• One one-way international upgrade certificate on American Airlines
• Complimentary access to domestic upgrades on American starting 72 hours before departure

MVP Gold 100K

This is the top tier in Alaska’s program for its most frequent travelers, where you will receive all the same perks as MVP Gold 75K, plus:

• 150% bonus miles
• 100K Choice Benefit upon qualification
• Complimentary snack or meal in Main Cabin
• Two one-way international upgrade certificates on American Airlines

For Alaska elite status members reaching the MVP Gold 100K tier, you will be invited to select one of the 100K Choice Benefits for the following year:

• 50,000 bonus miles
• Alaska Lounge+ membership
• Ability to gift MVP Gold status
• Complimentary Wi-Fi every time you fly on Alaska
• Complimentary Clear Plus membership

In 2025, Alaska is rolling out a new list of 100K Choice Benefit options, which include:

• 50,000 bonus miles
• 75,000 miles off an Extras* redemption
• Alaska Lounge+ membership
• Complimentary Wi-Fi on every flight
• Four upgrade certificates
• Nominate someone for MVP Gold status

For elite members who reach 150K, 200K and 250K milestones, you can pick two of the following perks (starting in 2025):

• 15,000 bonus miles
• 25,000 miles off an Extras redemption
• Two complimentary Alaska Lounge day passes
• Two upgrade certificates
• Roll over 10,000 EQMs to the following year

Even if you don’t reach the 100K milestone or greater, Alaska announced new milestone rewards for Mileage Plan members. In 2025, loyalty program members will be able to pick from the following list of perks when a new milestone is reached:

10,000 EQMs

Pick one of the following:

• 750 bonus miles
• Preorder a complimentary meal for your flight
• One complimentary Wi-Fi pass
• Try MVP status for a trip
• Earn double miles with nonair partners
• Upgrade your next Avis car rental

30,000 EQMs

Pick one of the following:

• 2,500 bonus miles
• $25 off a future Alaska flight
• Four Wi-Fi passes
• Try MVP Gold status for a trip
• $100 off an Alaska Lounge membership

55,000 EQMs

Pick two of the following:

• 5,000 bonus miles
• 10,000 miles off a redemption from Extras
• Gift MVP status for a trip
• One complimentary Alaska Lounge day pass
• Two upgrade certificates

85,000 EQMs

Pick two of the following:

• 15,000 bonus miles
• 25,000 miles off an Extras redemption
• Two complimentary Alaska Lounge day passes
• Two upgrade certificates
• Gift MVP Gold status for a trip
• Nominate someone for MVP status
• Roll over 10,000 EQMs to the next year

*Extras is a travel experience platform (featuring sporting events, concerts and other activities) that Alaska will launch.

Can a credit card help you earn Alaska MVP status?

Alaska has personal and business credit cards, both available through Bank of America. They offer the following benefits. (Terms apply.)

Card	Best for	Welcome bonus	Earning rate	Annual fee
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card	Alaska Airlines flyers	Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	3 miles per dollar spent on Alaska purchases; 2 miles per dollar spent on gas, local transit, electric vehicle charging stations, cable and some streaming services; 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else	$95
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card	Alaska Airlines flyers with an eligible business	Earn 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.	3 miles per dollar spent on Alaska purchases; 2 miles per dollar spent on gas, local transit, EV charging stations, shipping and local transit (including ride-hailing services); 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else	$70 for your company and $25 per card

Currently, cobranded cardholders will earn 4,000 elite qualifying miles for every $10,000 spent; however, you can only earn a maximum of 20,000 EQMs from spending on a card. As mentioned above, starting Jan. 1, 2025, cardholders will earn 1 EQM for every $3 spent (up to 30,000 EQMs) annually.

In addition to the valuable redeemable miles earned, Alaska’s cobranded cards come with perks like free checked bags, discounts on inflight purchases and the ability to work toward MVP elite status. As such, it can easily make sense to keep one of the airline’s credit cards in your wallet year after year.

Related: Your complete guide to earning and redeeming with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Is Alaska Airlines elite status worth it?

If you already fly Alaska regularly or plan to in 2025 and are perhaps considering adding an Alaska Airlines credit card to your wallet, you might find it easy to earn elite status in the Mileage Plan program and find the benefits well worth the effort. Plus, with the additional perks and new status-earning opportunities in 2025, you may be even more convinced to qualify for elite status.

However, it is worth noting that Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines will eventually merge into one loyalty program. At this time, it is expected that the specific details and benefits of that joint program will not be revealed until 2025.

If you earned Alaska elite status in 2023, it’s valid through Dec. 31, 2024. To decide whether to pursue extending your status into 2025 or 2026, it is crucial to consider how much you’ll be traveling on Alaska and Oneworld partners in the future. If you push hard to earn MVP Gold 100K status, for example, the valuable perks outlined, including upgrades and free checked bags, are only beneficial if you fly frequently enough the following year to use these perks.

Additionally, there is no point in pursuing elite status with an airline if you can’t feasibly fly it (or its partners) regularly. Be sure to consider Alaska’s service from your home airport(s) and how easy it is to get to your desired destination with the carrier.

With that in mind, it is important to consider the trade-offs in pursuing status. One of the most common is deciding whether to use your preferred airline when it is not the most convenient or cheapest option. Would you book a one-stop Alaska flight if Delta had a cheaper nonstop option? If the answer is no, it may not be worth going out of your way to earn status with Alaska.

Additionally, if you have already obtained elite status with another airline and wonder if Alaska’s elite status is worth it, you could apply for a status match challenge. You can submit your frequent flyer status with one of the airlines listed on Alaska’s website to receive the equivalent Mileage Plan status for 90 days.

Related: Alaska Airlines baggage fees and how to avoid paying them

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines is widely considered a top airline in the frequent flyer community thanks to its MVP elite status and valuable mileage currency. Plus, with the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and the rollout of new milestone benefits and program perks coming in 2025, Alaska Airlines’ elite status is tempting even loyal AAdvantage TPG staff members.

However, the carrier has made some unwelcome changes recently, such as introducing a distance-based structure and charging sky-high redemption rates for new partners.

While reciprocal upgrade benefits with American Airlines are valuable for Alaska elite members flying American, it could also mean upgrades will be more challenging to score, particularly for lower-tier elite members. When considering whether it is worth achieving MVP status, it is important to look at where your travels will take you this year and next year to see if the perks outweigh the costs. If you are working hard to earn elite status benefits, you will want to ensure you will travel enough with Alaska and its partner airlines once you reach your desired status tier to make that hard work worthwhile.

Overall, having MVP status can be a nice boost to make an enjoyable Alaska Airlines flying experience even more seamless.

Updated as of 10/22/2024.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the latest credit card information and offers.

Capital One Savor Card overview

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid card with no annual fee that is great for those who regularly spend on dining and entertainment. It offers bonus rewards on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores, making it a good starter product for foodies and regular concertgoers. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

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Capital One has a nuanced system of card names and products which can be confusing for many people. In July 2024, Capital One discontinued the Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card.

In October 2024, Capital One rebranded the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card into the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. The “new” Savor card will retain all of its perks and earning structure, with modifications to its welcome offer and a refreshed card design.

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee but want to earn a solid cash-back return on meals, groceries and entertainment, the Savor is a great choice.

Before we dig in, it’s worth mentioning that applicants will want good to excellent credit, and TPG recommends a credit score of 670 to 850 for the best chance at approval. Now, let’s see if this is the card for you.

The information for the Savor Rewards (with a $95 annual fee) has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Capital One Savor pros and cons

Pros	Cons
No annual fee Bonus categories No foreign transaction fees Introductory APR offer	Small welcome offer Requires very good to excellent credit No transfer partners

Capital One Savor Card welcome offer

The Savor card currently offers a sign-up bonus of $250 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months. This is the highest offer we have seen on the card, even when it was referred to as the SavorOne.

However, Capital One has some interesting application rules to be aware of that might restrict your eligibility for this card, so keep these restrictions in mind to maximize your chances of approval.

Related: How bad is it to get denied for a credit card?

Capital One Savor Card benefits

The Savor is a card with no annual fee that comes with some nice perks. For starters, it can be used abroad, as there are no foreign transaction fees.

Essentially, this means that you should continue to earn 3% cash back on international dining, so long as the merchant codes as dining. Cardholders also enjoy MasterRental Coverage, Master RoadAssist Service and extended warranty protection.

If you need help making a restaurant reservation, buying concert tickets or planning travel, you can call the card’s concierge service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s certainly not the norm for a no-annual-fee card to have a concierge service, so this is a nice little perk if you can take advantage of it.

Related: The best cards for entertainment

Earning cash back on the Capital One Savor Card

The Capital One Savor offers generous bonus categories when compared to other no-annual-fee cash-back cards and even some cards that do have annual fees. The real highlight is the higher cash back in the dining and entertainment categories, though you can also get some value with extra cash back at grocery stores.

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked with Capital One Travel
• 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
• 1% on all other purchases

Although the definition of dining and entertainment is broad, as previously noted, don’t forget to read the card’s fine print. The Savor excludes Target and Walmart purchases, even if you’re just buying groceries from these stores. Likewise, certain streaming services are excluded.

Related: How credit card issuers classify travel and dining purchases

Redeeming cash back on the Capital One Savor Card

Redeeming cash back with this card is simple. You can request options such as a statement credit or gift card, or you can redeem your cash back directly at Amazon.com.

Furthermore, if you have a credit card that earns Capital One miles, such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you also have the option to convert the cash back you earn into Capital One miles and transfer them to the program’s various airline and hotel partners, such as Air Canada Aeroplan and Wyndham Rewards. This represents a huge potential value if travel is the reward you’re after.

Given the Savor’s bonus earning rates, this can be a good rewards route to take, especially if you can leverage any of Capital One’s transfer sweet spots.

Related: How to redeem Capital One miles for maximum value

Which cards compete with the Capital One Savor Card?

If you’re debating whether this card is worth adding to your wallet, consider these other options that might also be a good fit for your needs:

• If you want a simpler earnings rate: The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee — like the Savor Cash Rewards card — and earns 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases, making it great if you have expenses outside of the Savor’s bonus categories. For more information, read our full review of the Quicksilver.
• If you prefer to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 3 points per dollar spent on dining. It does charge a $95 annual fee but also offers a much more valuable sign-up bonus. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
• If you prefer to earn American Express Membership Rewards points: If you spend the most on grocery and dining purchases, you might be better off opting for the American Express® Gold Card instead. It has an annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees) but earns more valuable rewards in popular bonus categories. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold.

For additional options, check out our full list of the best cash-back credit cards and the best credit cards for dining.

Related: Cash back vs. travel rewards: How to choose a credit card

Is the Capital One Savor Card worth it?

This is a great card to have if dining and entertainment are major spending categories for you. You can maximize your earnings if you also have a card that earns Capital One miles. However, if you’d rather have a flat earning rate on all spending without having to keep track of bonus opportunities, then other cash-back cards might be better suited for you.

Related: How to maximize cash back with your credit card

Bottom line

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a strong option in the world of cash-back cards. Sure, you could get more value playing with points. But what you gain in value, you lose in simplicity. If you spend a lot each year on dining, entertainment and groceries and you’re interested in a simple cash-back card,  the Savor card deserves a spot on your consideration list.

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Learn more: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards

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For rates and fees of the American Express Gold, click  here.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Over the last few years, the federal government has shown an increasing interest in credit cards and points and miles. Much of this originated with the proposed Credit Card Competition Act, but it has since expanded to major airlines and the loyalty programs they offer. Incidentally, the two original cosponsors of the CCCA were the first to call for an investigation into these frequent flyer programs — a call that ultimately led to the announcement of a formal probe by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

While these efforts at the federal level haven’t led to any concrete action (yet), state governments have recently opened a new front in the battle over the credit card transaction process.

Here’s what you need to know about current efforts underway across the U.S. to implement legislation that could upend the way you pay for goods and services.

Some background

First, a quick primer on the mechanics of a credit card transaction.

Every time you use a card to pay for something online or in a store, the merchant is charged a small percentage of the purchase amount — which averages out to roughly 2% — to process that transaction. This is typically referred to as the interchange fee, which is shared among the card’s issuing bank, the credit card payment network (most often Visa, Mastercard or American Express) and the merchant processing institution.

All parties use this interchange to safeguard the purchase, prevent fraud and fund rewards programs by issuing points, miles or cash back.

As a consumer, you’re protected from unauthorized charges, and you’re the one choosing the card (and network) for the purchase. Meanwhile, small businesses enjoy a near-frictionless transaction process, with minimal risk of loss or theft — a major concern when handling cash transactions.

Unfortunately, some states are considering new laws that would drastically change the experience for customers and businesses — and one has even become law.

New legislation in Illinois

Earlier this year, the Illinois state legislature passed a large budget bill, and it was signed into law by Democratic Gov. J. B. Pritzker on June 7. In it was a provision that would bar credit card companies from collecting interchange on taxes and tips (if a merchant opted to separate those items out).

It may seem right to exempt these items from interchange. After all, a business is collecting them on behalf of others — whether it’s a taxing authority or a tip-eligible employee. Nevertheless, the swift passage of the measure with little discussion (it was introduced just days before the end of the legislature’s spring session) created more questions than answers.

Unfortunately, there were no additional details on how the new regulation would be implemented. That leaves it largely to the merchant, which could include costly upgrades to new processing hardware and software. Alternatively, they could simply collect interchange on the entire transaction (as they do today) and then request a refund for specific components. With varying tax rates across different items — many of which are sold at the same store — this would be a time-intensive process and likely not worth it for the state’s roughly 1.3 million small businesses.

In fact, a study (PDF link) conducted by the Electronic Payments Coalition found that the 40 largest retailers would take home nearly 40% of any interchange savings realized with the bill.

But the party feeling the brunt of the new law would likely be the average consumer.

Impact on the consumer

Under the provision, what was previously a simple swipe of a credit card could turn into a multistep process, as small businesses separate one transaction into two (or more) — one for the goods or services being purchased and the other(s) for taxes and gratuities, as applicable. They may even require two different payment methods for each.

For example, a restaurant owner can elect to separate out taxes and tips from the rest of the meal, which would require two card swipes. Or, you may be required to pay for your food and drinks with a card and fork over cash (or write a check) for the rest.

Every purchase you make also would be subject to additional scrutiny to ensure compliance with the new law. If a merchant decides to itemize transactions in their system for the purposes of avoiding interchange on taxes and tips, what was previously an entirely private transaction could suddenly be shared with other parties.

Although Illinois is the only state to have passed such a regulation so far, other states, including Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas, are considering similar measures.

Bottom line

While efforts continue at the federal level to regulate credit card processing, new initiatives are popping up within state governments as well. One that would exempt taxes and tips from interchange fees is set to take effect in Illinois on July 1, 2025. This would introduce confusion for consumers and additional burdens to small businesses.

While the mechanics of the measures vary, they all have some important similarities. The biggest beneficiaries are the largest retailers, and the implementation would add friction to a process that safeguards your data and allows you to earn rewards on every swipe of your credit card.

It remains to be seen whether other states (or the federal government) follow Illinois’ lead, but you can share your thoughts on these proposed bills with your elected representatives at the following links:

• Illinois: Guard Your Card
• CCCA: Protect Your Points