This Week in Points & Miles: September 20–26
Bilt built an entire one-day event around your rent payment. Citi added its 16th airline transfer partner, and three unrelated deadlines all land on October 1.
Here is every deal, launch and rule change TravelPointsPro tracked this week, each one linked to its source.
The short version
Bilt Rewards is running a one-day Rent Day event on October 1, with transfer bonuses up to 125 percent to Amtrak Guest Rewards and up to 200 percent to Hilton Honors for Platinum members who redeem Bilt Cash.
Citi added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a 1:1 transfer partner on September 20, with a 30 percent bonus through October 24 that turns 1,000 points into 1,300 miles.
Citi also moved its Strata card lineup to once-per-lifetime bonus eligibility, replacing the old 48-month rule.
Chase dropped the Freedom Flex's 3 percent foreign transaction fee on September 21 and cut cell phone protection the same week.
Costco launched nationwide on DoorDash, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's DoorDash credit triples from $5 to $15 on October 1.
Kroger launched a no-annual-fee credit card with a $100 welcome bonus, and Chase raised the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business bonus to 80,000 points.
Deadlines this week
The five deals below have hard deadlines within the next three weeks, led by Bilt Rewards' one-day Rent Day event on October 1. Work down the list in order, since the first row closes soonest.
Deal | Details | Ends |
|---|---|---|
Bilt Rent Day: Amtrak and Hilton transfer bonuses | Up to 125 percent to Amtrak Guest Rewards and up to 200 percent to Hilton Honors for Platinum members who redeem Bilt Cash. The window runs from midnight Eastern to midnight Pacific. | October 1, 2026 (one day only) |
Chase Sapphire Reserve DoorDash credit triples | The monthly DoorDash credit rises from $5 to $15 and drops its restaurant-only rule, six days after Costco joined the platform. | Effective October 1, 2026 |
Monthly and quarterly statement credits reset | Unused September credits on Amex, Chase and Capital One cards expire and do not carry into October. | October 1, 2026 |
Finnair Plus buy-Avios sale | Up to a 50 percent bonus, pricing Avios near 1.45 cents each. Limited to members who joined before September 18, 2026, with a 200,000-Avios annual cap. | October 5, 2026 |
Delta gift card to Starbucks eGift promotion | $10 Starbucks eGift card per $150 or more of Delta gift cards, capped at $100 back and the first 3,000 purchasers. | October 12, 2026, or sooner if the cap is reached |
New & elevated card offers
Citi added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a new 1:1 transfer partner on September 20, its 16th airline partner, with a 30 percent bonus through October 24 (Frequent Miler).
Citi is running a separate 25 percent bonus to Avianca LifeMiles through October 24, its tenth identical promotion since 2018 (Doctor of Credit).
Bilt Points started transferring to Amtrak Guest Rewards at 2:1 this week, the first new rail partner for a major transferable currency since 2015 (AwardWallet).
Chase raised the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business welcome offer to 80,000 points after $3,000 of spend in three months, up from 60,000 (Danny the Deal Guru).
Kroger launched a Rewards World Elite Mastercard with no annual fee and a $100 bonus after $750 of spend outside Kroger within 90 days (Doctor of Credit).
Chase is offering Sapphire Reserve holders $200 back after $200 spent with JSX, through December 14 (Travel on Point(s)).
Costco launched nationwide on DoorDash, and code COSTCO26 takes 20 percent off, up to $50, through November 1 (Doctor of Credit).
Devaluations & program changes
Citi replaced the 48-month bonus-eligibility rule on its Strata card lineup with once-per-lifetime language. Citi's own wording: “New account bonus offer is not available if you currently have or previously had a Citi Strata Elite account.” (Doctor of Credit)
Chase may have quietly tightened business-card approvals from 5/24 to 3/24 for sole proprietors, based on reconsideration-line reports that started September 16. Chase has confirmed nothing (Doctor of Credit).
Chase cut cell phone protection from the Freedom Flex the same week it removed the card's foreign transaction fee (Doctor of Credit).
Hyatt's Category 8 award nights are pricing higher. New data shows 43 percent now cost 55,000 points or more, up from 30 percent when the chart launched in May (Thrifty Traveler).
Priority Pass's five-year expansion leans on fast-track security lanes that mostly cost extra, not free lounge access (Travel on Point(s)).
Worth a read / deeper dives
Citi Points Now Transfer to Japan Airlines at 1:1. The 30 percent bonus ends October 24.
Citi Made the Strata Bonuses Once Per Lifetime. The 48-month clock is gone.
Chase Dropped the Freedom Flex Foreign Transaction Fee. It also dropped your phone insurance.
Citi Points Turn Into Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1.25 Until October 24.
Bilt Points Now Transfer to Amtrak at 2:1. Run the math before you move any.
Chase Will Convert Your Old Freedom Visa Into a Freedom Flex Again. Here is whether to do it.
Priority Pass Is Adding 170 Fast-Track Security Lanes. Most will cost extra.
Wyndham Will Pay You Up to 25,000 Bonus Points This Fall. Register before you book.
Kroger's New Credit Card Pays $100. You have to spend it somewhere else.
Delta Is Giving Away $100 in Starbucks Cards. Only 3,000 people get one.
Hyatt Award Prices Keep Climbing. 43 percent of Category 8 nights now cost 55,000 points.
Costco Is Now on DoorDash. Your Chase food credits finally buy groceries.
Chase Will Pay $200 of Your Semi-Private Flight. The offer runs to December 14.
The Southwest Premier Business Card Jumped to 80,000 Points. The spend stayed at $3,000.
What to watch next week
The Port of Seattle votes on Chase's proposed Sapphire Lounge at SEA on October 27, the next scheduled decision point in that story. Chase still has not confirmed or denied whether it moved business-card approvals for sole proprietors from 5/24 to 3/24, so treat every reconsideration-line report as anecdote until Chase says otherwise.
FAQ
What is the single most time-sensitive deal this week?
Bilt Rewards' Rent Day on October 1, 2026 is the most time-sensitive item this week. The transfer bonus to Amtrak Guest Rewards reaches 125 percent and the bonus to Hilton Honors reaches 200 percent for Platinum members who redeem Bilt Cash, but the entire event runs from midnight Eastern to midnight Pacific on a single day, so points transferred a day early or late do not qualify.
Should you use the Citi to Japan Airlines transfer bonus?
The Citi to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank transfer bonus runs at 30 percent through October 24, 2026, and turns 1,000 Citi ThankYou points into 1,300 miles on an annual-fee Citi card. Transfer only against a confirmed award seat, since JAL miles expire in 36 months with no reinstatement and the transfer cannot be reversed.
Is the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard worth getting?
The Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard charges no annual fee and pays a $100 bonus after $750 of spend outside Kroger within 90 days. It earns up to 5X on pickup and delivery and redeems only for groceries or fuel, with no transfer partners, so it suits grocery spending rather than travel redemptions.
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