This Week in Points & Miles: September 14–19
Nine dated deadlines sit between today and September 30, and the first one is Monday. Chase made four separate announcements in 48 hours, and two of them take something away. Here is the week, sorted by what expires first.
The short version
IHG cut award prices 15% worldwide with no press release. Chase IHG cardholders book by September 21 for stays through November 2.
Chase points stop transferring to World of Hyatt at 1:1 on October 1 for the Sapphire Preferred and the Ink Business Preferred. The Sapphire Reserve keeps the old rate.
Chase to Marriott Bonvoy runs at a 70% bonus through October 15, the largest Chase has offered to Marriott since early 2021.
Sapphire Reserve cardholders got five limited-time credits worth $1,050. Eligibility froze on September 16, so anyone applying now gets none of it.
Wells Fargo stops letting you send points to another person on September 25.
Five deadlines land together on September 30: Hyatt transfers, Emirates double miles, Rove to Copa, Singapore Spontaneous Escapes and IHG pre-registration.
What expires soonest?
These are the dated items live as of September 19, 2026. Work down the table and ignore the rest of the page until the top three rows are handled. The IHG award sale is the only one with a weekend deadline, and the September 30 cluster is large enough to be worth a calendar reminder tonight.
Deal | Details | Ends |
|---|---|---|
IHG 15% off award nights | Award prices cut 15% worldwide for Chase co-brand cardholders and status holders. A 40,000-point night drops to 34,000. | September 21 (book by) |
Avianca LifeMiles buy-miles bonus | Targeted tiers of 125%, 135% and 145%. The top tier prices miles at 1.35 cents, which is mid-pack for this program. | September 25 |
Wells Fargo point gifting | Sending Rewards points to another person ends. Combining points across your own accounts continues. | September 25 |
Amex to Avios | 30% bonus to British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 1,300 Avios. | September 27 |
Chase to World of Hyatt at 1:1 | The Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred drop to 4:3 on October 1. Transfer before the cut if you have a stay picked out. | September 30 |
Emirates and flydubai double miles | 100% bonus on Skywards Miles. Register and book by September 30, then finish the travel by November 30. | September 30 |
Rove to Copa ConnectMiles | 40% launch bonus. 1,000 Rove Miles become 1,400 ConnectMiles. | September 30 |
Singapore Spontaneous Escapes | 30% off October Saver awards. New York to Frankfurt in premium economy costs 39,900 miles instead of 57,000. | September 30 |
IHG up to 3X points | Pre-register for double or triple points on paid stays from October 1. Bonus earning starts with your second stay. | September 30 (pre-register by) |
Southwest buy and gift points | Rapid Rewards points at 50% off. | October 2 |
IHG buy points | 100% bonus, pricing points at 0.5 cents. Same rate as the August sale. | October 5 |
Chase to Marriott Bonvoy | 70% bonus. 1,000 Chase points become 1,700 Marriott points. Worth it only against a stay you have already priced. | October 15 |
Transfer bonus dates come from Frequent Miler's tracker, which lists a start and end date for every live bonus. The Wells Fargo cutoff is documented at Frequent Miler, and the Southwest points sale is at LoyaltyLobby.
Which card offers went up this week?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve turned 10 on September 16, 2026, and Chase marked it with five limited-time statement credits worth $1,050 against a $795 annual fee. Earning all five takes $3,700 of spending, so the honest figure is $2,650 out of pocket. Eligibility froze at cardholders as of September 16, which shuts out anyone who applies because of the promotion. Full detail on the five credits and the 5.5 million point contest.
Chase is running an IHG One Rewards Premier offer of five free night certificates capped at 40,000 points each after $4,000 of spend in three months. The competing flat offer is 185,000 points, and it wins unless you book 40,000-point rooms five times. We compared them in five free nights against the 185,000-point offer (Doctor of Credit).
On the Sapphire Reserve for Business, the Edit credit doubles from $500 to $1,000 on January 1, 2027, paid as four $250 credits. The same announcement caps 3x earning on social and search advertising at $1 million per anniversary year from November 15, 2026. Our breakdown: what the Edit credit and the ad cap change.
The Alaska Atmos Rewards Business card is back at 85,000 points (Danny the Deal Guru).
The Wells Fargo Choice Privileges card is at 60,000 points (Doctor of Credit).
What got worse this week?
Chase cuts the World of Hyatt transfer ratio to 4:3 on October 1, 2026. It hits the Chase Sapphire Preferred for anyone who applied before June 15, 2026, plus every Ink Business Preferred, Ink Plus and Corporate Flex holder. 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points become 750 Hyatt points. The Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business keep 1:1, so combining points into a Reserve account first preserves the old rate. The full picture is in which two cards take the cut.
Wells Fargo stops point transfers between people on September 25, 2026. Cardholders keep the ability to combine rewards across their own accounts, including moving cash back into points (Frequent Miler).
Wyndham's four-tier award chart went live September 15. Pricing is now 5,000, 15,000, 30,000 or 45,000 points per bedroom per night. The cheapest tier fell 33% and the top tier rose 50%. We covered the 45,000-point tier before it took effect.
One change went the reader's way. Qatar Airways dropped its June 2026 rule against redeeming Avios for other people on September 15, and the only requirement left is an account at least 30 days old. Details on the reversal and what it reopens.
Chase launched Invest Your Points on September 16, sending Ultimate Rewards to a J.P. Morgan Wealth Management account at 1 cent per point. That is the same rate as cash back and a floor rather than a target, as we explain in why most people should say no.
What did TravelPointsPro publish this week?
IHG Is Taking 15% Off Award Nights. Cardholders Have Until September 21. The sale nobody announced, sourced from a banner in IHG's app.
Chase to Hyatt Points Transfer Devalues on October 1. Two Cards Take the Cut. Includes the combine-points workaround most coverage buries.
Chase Points Turn Into Marriott Points at 1:1.7 Until October 15. Most People Should Skip It. The test is 1.2 cents per Marriott point.
The Sapphire Reserve Turns 10. Chase Is Handing Cardholders Up to $1,050 in Credits. Five credits, five different deadlines, one eligibility trap.
Qatar Airways Dropped Its Rule Against Booking Avios for Friends. Qsuite bookings for other people work again.
Singapore Airlines Is Selling New York to Frankfurt in Premium Economy for 39,900 Miles. October travel only, and no changes or cancellations.
Avianca Is Selling LifeMiles at 1.35 Cents Until September 25. The program sold at 160% three times already this year.
Chase Freedom's Q4 Bonus Is Dining, Grocery Stores and the Red Cross. Activate by December 14 or the quarter pays 1%.
TSA Will Walk You to the Gate Again. You Need PreCheck and One of 13 Airports. Free day passes, applied for one to three days ahead.
Southwest's First Checked Bag Now Costs $45. A $99 Card Covers Nine People. Authorized users are the exception.
Turkish Airlines Will Match Your Elite Status. Star Alliance Gold Comes With It. There is no public application page, so the request goes through a feedback form.
How to Build U.S. Credit History When You Live Overseas Four routes that work, and the six-month timeline behind each.
What to watch next week
Monday is the IHG award booking deadline, and the discount saves roughly $30 on a typical night. IHG also opened pre-registration for a fall promotion paying double points on direct bookings and triple through its app from October 1 through December 31. One line in IHG's own terms is worth reading twice: "bonus points begin accruing with the second Qualifying Stay." Register before you complete a stay, since stays finished before registration do not count.
The other item to watch has no confirmation behind it yet. Doctor of Credit raised the question of whether Chase quietly moved its 5/24 rule to 3/24 for sole proprietors. Chase has said nothing, and a handful of data points is not a rule change.
FAQ:
What is the most urgent points deadline right now?
The IHG 15% award discount is the most urgent item, with bookings closing September 21, 2026 for stays through November 2. IHG published no press release, so the dates come from a banner inside its own app. Access is limited to Chase IHG co-brand cardholders and elite members, and a 40,000-point night prices at 34,000 while the sale runs.
Should you transfer Chase points to Hyatt before October 1?
Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt before October 1, 2026 only if you have a specific hotel, specific dates and confirmed award availability. Hyatt points move one way and expire after 24 months without activity. If you hold a Sapphire Reserve alongside a Sapphire Preferred, move the points into the Reserve account instead, since the Reserve keeps the 1:1 rate after October 1.
Which transfer bonus is worth using this week?
The Amex to Avios bonus at 30% through September 27, 2026 is the most useful of the live set for U.S. readers, because British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus share one Avios pool and short-haul partner awards stay cheap. The Chase to Marriott bonus at 70% is the bigger headline, and it turns 2 cent Chase points into 0.7 cent Marriott points, so it pays only against a specific expensive stay.
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