Chase is paying some Sapphire Preferred holders 75,000 points to upgrade, and Amex closes its Philadelphia Centurion Lounge on October 16. Alaska had the busiest week of any program, with a Bank of America transfer deal, new Communities, a cheaper Seoul award and a stricter fare-drop rule.
Below is every deal, deadline and rule change TravelPointsPro tracked from October 4 to October 10, each one linked to its source. Twelve deadlines land before November, so start with the table.
The short version
- We launched a free Atmos Rewards Earn Calculator. Enter one flight and it shows whether distance, price paid or segment earning pays you more from January 1, 2027.
- Twelve deadlines fall between October 10 and October 31. Three of them (Atmos Global Getaways, Southwest Notification Vacation and the Aeroplan points sale) close by October 13.
- Chase is emailing a 75,000-point offer to upgrade the Sapphire Preferred to the $795 Sapphire Reserve. You spend $4,000 by December 15, and the upgrade must happen by December 1.
- United is matching Delta and American elite status until October 15, with $1,500 to $7,000 of United spend in 90 days to hold the tier to January 31, 2028.
- Hilton is selling points with a 120% bonus, about 0.45 cents each, through November 21.
- The legacy IHG One Rewards Select card goes from $49 to $99 at renewal in 2027, and its free night cap rises from 40,000 to 50,000 points.
Deadlines this week
The first three rows close within three days. Rows further down give you until the end of the month.
| Deal | Details | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Atmos Rewards Global Getaways | Seoul from 20,000 points and Paris, Munich and Helsinki from 25,000 points one-way, for travel January 15 to March 8, 2027 (Alaska newsroom). | October 10, 2026 |
| Southwest Notification Vacation | 1 point per unread notification in a screenshot, from 500 to 10,000 Rapid Rewards points (Southwest promo page). | October 12, 2026, 5 a.m. CT |
| Air Canada Aeroplan points sale | Up to 30% off, about 1.85 cents per point on 110,000 or more. We’d skip it without a specific award in hand. | October 13, 2026 |
| Amex to Hilton Honors | 30% transfer bonus on Membership Rewards points (Thrifty Traveler tracker). | October 14, 2026 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Deals | Up to 25% off Avios awards for travel through November 30 (LoyaltyLobby). | October 14, 2026 |
| Chase to Marriott Bonvoy | 70% transfer bonus on Ultimate Rewards points. | October 15, 2026 |
| United status match | Delta and American elites get 90 days of matched Premier status (United’s terms). | October 15, 2026 |
| Philadelphia Centurion Lounge | Closes for an expansion to 12,000+ square feet, due back by the end of 2027 (Amex PHL page). | October 16, 2026 |
| Citi to JAL and Avianca | 30% bonus to JAL Mileage Bank and 25% to Avianca LifeMiles on ThankYou points. | October 24, 2026 |
| Southwest points sale | Up to 50% off Rapid Rewards points (AwardWallet). | October 29, 2026 |
| AAdvantage Business GET15K | 15,000 miles for a new business account, frozen until the business qualifies (American’s offer page). | October 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CT |
| Marriott Eat Around Town | 8 Marriott points per dollar at 20,000+ U.S. restaurants, plus 6,000 for new members (Eat Around Town). | October 31, 2026 |
Amex, Capital One and Rove transfer bonuses to Flying Blue, British Airways and Qatar also run to October 31. Our roundup last week has the details.
New tool: Atmos Rewards Earn Calculator
We built a free Atmos Rewards Earn Calculator this week for the earn choice that starts January 1, 2027. You enter one flight’s fare, award price, distance and your elite status. It shows what distance flyers, price paid flyers and segment flyers earn on that flight, in redeemable points and status points.
The break-even is 20 cents per mile flown. On a 3,440-mile round trip, price paid flyers come out ahead once the fare tops $688 before taxes (3,440 miles × $0.20). Below that, distance flyers earn more. Awards favor distance flyers too, since a 30,000-point award on the same trip earns them 3,440 status points against 1,500 status points for price paid flyers (30,000 ÷ 20).
Current members who make no choice stay distance flyers. Run your usual routes through the calculator before you pick on alaskaair.com, and read our earn choice deep dive for the partner chart and award rules.
New & elevated card offers
- Chase is sending some cardholders a targeted Sapphire Preferred to Sapphire Reserve upgrade worth 75,000 points after $4,000 of spend by December 15. Last year’s version paid 25,000 points, so check your email and spam folder (Frequent Miler).
- Chase also has targeted upgrade offers on United cards: 15,000 miles or a $150 credit on the Explorer, and 15,000 miles on the Quest, valid through December 31 (Doctor of Credit).
- U.S. Bank’s Business Essentials cards launched with $500 on the no-fee version and $1,000 on the $295 Plus. The Plus earns up to 3.5% with a big checking balance (U.S. Bancorp press release).
- Some Spark Cash cardholders have $200 off a $500 hotel or car booking through Capital One Business Travel through December 31. Flights don’t qualify (Frequent Miler).
- Barclays co-brand cardholders, including Wyndham Earner holders, are seeing targeted offers of 10X points when they add an authorized user, capped at 5,000 bonus points (Frequent Miler).
Devaluations & program changes
- The legacy IHG One Rewards Select moves from $49 to $99 at renewal starting in 2027. The anniversary night cap rises from 40,000 to 50,000 points, which covers part of the extra $50 (Frequent Miler).
- Wyndham points dropped to 0.57 cents from 0.67 cents in April, a 15% fall driven by the 45,000-point tier added September 15 (Frequent Miler).
- Alaska no longer reprices tickets when fares drop. You cancel for credit and rebook instead, and Saver fares get nothing back (Alaska’s lowest fare page).
- Bank of America points will transfer to Atmos Rewards in 2027. Alaska hasn’t published a ratio or a card list yet (Alaska newsroom).
- Atmos Rewards Communities went live October 1. Families on the Go refunds 20% of the points spent on award seats for children 12 and under, with no cap (Atmos Communities page).
- Amex is building a 30,000+ square foot Centurion Lounge at Newark for 2027 and a second Heathrow lounge in Terminal 5 for 2028. Amex’s Philadelphia page says: “Beginning October 16, 2026, The Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport will be temporarily closed.”
- Wyndham is paying a 100% bonus on transfers to United, so 6,000 Wyndham points become 2,400 miles. No end date is published (Wyndham).
- Choice Privileges now lets you share points with any member for free, from 5,000 points per transfer (Choice newsroom).
- Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles stopped taking new JAL award bookings until further notice. Tickets already issued still fly (Upgraded Points).
Worth a read / deeper dives
- Atmos Rewards Earn Choice Deep Dive. Price paid wins once your fare tops 20 cents per mile, and our Earn Calculator runs your own flights.
- Chase Is Paying 75,000 Points to Upgrade Your Sapphire Preferred. Who should upgrade and who should apply instead.
- Hilton Is Selling Points at 0.45 Cents Through November 21. Most people should still wait to buy.
- United Will Match Your Delta or American Status Until October 15.
- Amex Is Building a 30,000-Square-Foot Centurion Lounge at Newark. Philadelphia closes October 16.
- Alaska Airlines No Longer Reprices Your Ticket When Fares Drop.
- American Will Give Your Business 15,000 Free Miles. Spending them is the hard part.
- Wyndham Points Now Transfer to United at Double the Usual Rate. It’s still a bad trade for most people.
- Southwest Will Pay You Up to 10,500 Points for Your Unread Notifications.
- Atmos Rewards Is Selling Seoul for 20,000 Points and Europe for 25,000.
- Your $49 IHG Card Is Becoming a $99 Card.
- Points and Miles for Beginners: The Expat Version.
- Marriott Now Pays Elites 3,000 Points a Night on Vacation Rentals. Register by November 13.
- Wyndham Points Are Now Worth 0.57 Cents.
- Alaska’s Atmos Rewards Communities Are Live.
- Marriott Will Pay 8 Points Per Dollar at Restaurants Through October 31.
- U.S. Bank’s New Business Cards Pay $500 and $1,000.
- Bank of America Points Will Turn Into Alaska Atmos Miles in 2027.
What to watch next week
Southwest’s notification promo closes early Monday, and the Amex to Hilton, Chase to Marriott and United status match deadlines all fall between October 14 and 15. Philadelphia Platinum cardholders lose their Centurion Lounge on Friday, October 16.
We’re also watching for the Bank of America to Atmos ratio and for Bilt to repost the upgrade and downgrade terms it pulled on October 7 (Frequent Miler).
The bottom line
Two items are worth your time this weekend. Submit the Southwest screenshot before 5 a.m. Central on October 12, since it costs nothing and pays at least 500 points. Then check your Chase email for the 75,000-point Sapphire upgrade, which is worth about $1,540 at our 2.05-cent valuation in how much points are worth. Against the $700 fee difference ($795 minus $95), the bonus alone covers it about twice over in year one.
FAQ
What is the most urgent deal this week?
Atmos Rewards Global Getaways ends October 10, 2026, with Seoul from 20,000 points one-way. After that, Southwest Notification Vacation closes at 5 a.m. Central on October 12 and pays 500 to 10,000 Rapid Rewards points.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred to Reserve upgrade offer worth it?
For most people who received it, yes. The offer pays 75,000 points after $4,000 of spend by December 15, 2026, and the upgrade must happen by December 1. The Reserve costs $795 a year against $95 for the Preferred.
When does the Philadelphia Centurion Lounge close?
Amex closes it on October 16, 2026. It reopens at 12,000+ square feet by the end of 2027.
Should I buy Hilton points during the 120% bonus sale?
Only for a booking you’ve already priced. The sale runs through November 21, 2026 at about 0.45 cents per point, so a redemption needs to beat that rate before buying saves you money.
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