American Express has newly targeted offers for the Delta SkyMiles cards, and they’re pulling up different offers based on the browser used, device type, IP address, and probably the last type of beverage you had. The best offers seem to be:
Raley’s, Nob Hill, and Bel Air stores have an unadvertised promotion for 15x points on Choice cards through Tuesday. If these stores sold electronics this could be a deal of the year, but instead it’s effectively just a discount hot dog machine.
Obviously some Choice cards are better than others, but if you’re lucky you’ll find some that convert to BestBuy and Home Depot, both of which are currently reselling at 93%+. (Thanks to Bill)
The MooMoo brokerage, one of only four US brokerages founded and operated by cows, has several stackable promotions:
Let me preface this by saying I don’t think $50 off of an Alaska is worth gaming and I wouldn’t risk my Alaska loyalty account over $50 either, but let’s pour one out for all the extra Alaska accounts created for us from Bank of America’s top notch IT integration.
– Introducing three new mileage acronyms: status qualifying credits (SQCs), status qualifying segments (SQSs), and status qualifying dollars (SQDs) – Awarding redeemable miles based on ticket cost – Giving 25k status for new Aeroplan cardmembers – Awarding 35k status with $75,000 spend on the Aeroplan Mastercard annually
I had a really hard time not writing ‘stupid’ instead of ‘status’ for each of those new acronyms, but I held back. I do hope going forward your internal monologue will read the first ‘S’ in those acronyms as ‘stupid’ though.
– JetBlue Premier: 80,000 TrueBlue miles and 5 tiles after $5,000 spend in 90 days – JetBlue Plus: 60,000+20,000 TrueBlue miles after $1,000 spend in the first 90 days and $7,000 spend in the first year
Both also require that you pay the annual fee because reasons.
Obviously if you thought 10x was good on its own, 10x + $10 in a slightly annoying to use grocery certificate is slightly better. (Thanks to SideShowBob233)
The concept of “base fares” didn’t used to matter much with Southwest, but now that we’re in the “Southwest-is-basically-Ryanair” era of travel, I’d like to share a reminder that anything not included in the fare itself won’t be discounted, like seat selection fees and checked bag fees. Sometimes booking a bundle that’s 40% off that includes seats and checked bags in the fare is cheaper than booking basic and paying for add-ons, but only sometimes.
– Business Essentials: $400 bonus with $5,000 deposited – Platinum Business: $1,000 bonus with $25,000 deposited
Both require five transactions (even five $1 ACHs is fine), and that you have the money present between days 30 and 60 after opening. If you’re good with a calendar, both of these are slam dunks, earning either 8% or 4% respectively with a 30 day money lock-up.
Hyatt has new targeted promotions, you can look for one on your Hyatt Offers dashboard, or try the following links compiled by DDG if you like disappointment:
I got exactly zero of them to work on my account, does that mean I win?
Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, and other Just4U rewards stores have a digital coupon for 10x points on Zift Zillions cards through Saturday. If you’re going for this deal, the blue ones tend to work best. Why those? I guess because they’re made with genuine artificial Zillions powder.
If you don’t already have a Rove account, find a friend’s referral link and use theirs, you’ll each earn 500 bonus miles. If you don’t have a Rove friend, you can reach out to me and I’ll share someone’s referral.
– Virgin Atlantic: $250 back after $2,000+ through September 23 – Delta: $100 back on $500+, up to two times through October 15 – Wyndham: $100 back after $500+ through October 31 – Turo: $30 back after $150+ through December 31
They’re all gameable in some form, but Turo is a bit of a hot-potato in underground circles so toss carefully?
If you want one of these cards, I’d apply for it ASAP (obviously not via referral), unless the referral is worth more to you than the annual fee increase and lack of a $75 Southwest credit.
Pepper at this point is probably dead forever, and the gift card resale market seems to have fully healed across all brands. Yes, there is a Pepper post-mortem post coming. When? Post this post, when they’re confirmed dead forever.
– 4x through the portal up to 28,000 miles – 2x at grocery and restaurants – 1x elsewhere
The commentary about this card is negative, but you can link it to your Membership Rewards account and it has plenty of utility as an uncapped RAT-free grocery 2x earner and as a third party American Express. (Thanks to David)
The more “modestly appointed” US airlines are running fare sales, ordered by fewest blackout dates to most:
– JetBlue: 25% off base fares with promo SAVE25 booked by Thursday for travel August 12 through November 20 – Breeze: 35% off base fares with promo LETSROLL booked by Friday for travel August 8 through January 31 – Southwest: $39+ fares booked by Friday for travel between August 12 and January 26
It ended yesterday, but even Avelo ran a base fare sale this week. Taken in sum I think this tells you a lot about the low-end airline industry’s economic outlook.
Southwest’s seat assignments take affect on January 27, 2026, and you’ll be able to book those assignments starting on Tuesday. In a move surprising no-one, bookings for travel between January 27, 2026 and March 4, 2026 also become available on Tuesday.
Post-change, the major Southwest seating challenge will be trying to convince a stranger in your seat that in fact “A” and “F”, not “C” or “D”, are the window seats. (Thanks to Brain M)
These sites won’t earn points on first party American Express cards, and they can be a pain to liquidate online. These are Sutton gift cards, but not the good kind.
Coming soon to Cleveland passengers: “No, C21 is the gate, not your seat.”
