Score Big Points: Chase Freedom Q1 2026 Categories Are Here! 💳

Chase just dropped the Q1 2026 rotating bonus categories for the Freedom (no longer available) and Freedom Flex cards, and there's some surprisingly specific earning potential this quarter.

Why These Cards Matter

Both Freedom cards charge zero annual fees and pair beautifully with premium Chase cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve. Since all your points pool together in the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, you're essentially earning 5x points that can transfer to travel partners or boost redemptions through the Chase portal.

Q1 2026 Categories (Jan 1 - Mar 31)

Here's where you'll earn 5x points:

• Norwegian Cruise Line 🚢
• American Heart Association
• Dining 🍽️

The Cruise Opportunity

Planning a Norwegian cruise in 2026? Here's a pro move: wait until January to book or pay your balance. A $3,000 cruise booking would generate 15,000 Chase points—that's serious value from a no-fee card. Even final payments on existing bookings should qualify if processed during Q1.

Dining Never Gets Old

The dining category remains one of the most practical bonus opportunities. Whether you're grabbing coffee, ordering takeout, or enjoying a nice meal out, those 5x points add up quickly over three months.

Don't Forget to Activate! ⚠️

Activate your card by March 14th to earn bonus points. The good news? Activation is retroactive to January 1st, so you won't miss out on early purchases.

New to Chase Freedom?

The Freedom Flex currently offers a $200 welcome bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. That's a solid return for everyday spending, plus you'll be ready for future rotating categories.

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet and these credits sound interesting to you, there is an increased 125,000 point offer right now for a $6,000 minimum spend. You can read more about the benefits of the card here. If that's too steep for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also offering an increased 75,000 point bonus offer for $5,000 minimum spend.

Want more personal help planning your next trip? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Don't Let Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits Expire! Here's Your Game Plan 🎯

Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve? You're probably feeling the December 31st deadline pressure right about now.

Here's the deal: Chase bumped the annual fee to $795 earlier this year (ouch 😬). But they also added some seriously valuable credits to soften the blow. The catch? They all expire on Dec. 31st, and you need to use them to actually justify that hefty fee.

If you're scrambling to figure this out, you're not alone—we're in the same boat! Let me walk you through some strategies that might help. Plus, Chase is rolling out changes on January 1st that should make this less stressful next year 🙌

Your Three Main Expiring Credits:

• $150 StubHub credit
• $150 Restaurant credit
• $250 Edit hotel credit

(There are also monthly credits like Lyft and DashPass, but those don't expire annually, so we're focusing on the big three.)

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💳 The $150 StubHub Credit

This one's straightforward:

Activate the credit first in your Chase.com account. It's located under benefits. Buy any ticket on StubHub.com using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You can purchase for yourself or let someone you trust buy a ticket in their account using your card—as long as the purchase goes through StubHub directly, you're good.

Key detail: You only need to purchase the ticket by Dec. 31st, not attend the event. You need to activate the credit before you make the purchase! 

Pro tip: You could buy a ticket and relist it on StubHub. Even if you resell for the same price, you're up $150 from the credit 💡

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🍽️ The $150 Restaurant Credit

This one confuses people, but it's actually pretty flexible:

1. Go to Chase Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable
2. Click your city (or wherever you're visiting) to see participating restaurants
3. Book a reservation through OpenTable—you can choose ANY available time, not just the ones marked "Chase Sapphire"

But here's where it gets better—you don't even need a reservation:

• Walk in and dine
• Order takeout
• Get delivery (if the restaurant offers it directly—not through third-party apps)
• Buy a gift card online IF the restaurant uses Toast as their payment system (you'll see "Toast" on the checkout page)

Just make sure you pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to trigger the credit.

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🏨 The $250 Edit Hotel Credit

This one takes a bit more work:

Log into the Chase Travel Portal and search for hotels. Edit properties sometimes appear at the top if they include a points boost, but there's no dedicated filter (annoying, I know).

Since Edit hotels are typically 4-5 star luxury properties, filter for those categories to narrow your search. Some more affordable options include Kimpton hotels and MGM properties in Las Vegas.

What you get with Edit hotels:

• $100 property credit
• Daily breakfast
• Early check-in/late check-out
• Free WiFi

Important notes:

• 2-night minimum required
• Book by Dec. 31st, but your actual stay can be in 2025
• Some people are booking refundable 2026 stays—we're still figuring out what happens if you cancel or modify
• You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to cover any remaining balance after the credit

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My Vegas Plan 🎰

I already have trips booked for next year, but the Edit hotels in those cities were way over budget. So I'm doing a quick midweek Vegas trip instead:

• MGM Grand - only $40 out of pocket after the $250 credit for 2 nights
• Daily breakfast included
• $100 property credit for lunch or dinner
• $150 restaurant credit for another meal out
• $150 StubHub credit for Sphere tickets
• Southwest points + Companion Pass for flights

Total out-of-pocket: $40 for a 2-night Vegas getaway ✈️

I'll report back on how it goes! 

In January, Chase is changing the bi-annual $250 credit to an annual $500 credit, BUT you will still need to book a 2 night minimum for each $250 credit. The theory is you can book back to back reservations to use both credits. You will need to contact the hotel to connect the reservations so you don't need to change rooms. 

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet and these credits sound interesting to you, there is an increased 125,000 point offer right now for a $6,000 minimum spend. You can read more about the benefits of the card here. If that's too steep for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also offering an increased 75,000 point bonus offer for $5,000 minimum spend.

Want more personal help planning your next trip? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Stack, Stack, Stack To Earn The Most Points And Miles

This is the best time of the year to earn so many extra points and miles! The secret is to stack the offers when you are doing your holiday shopping online. A few things to keep in mind, you don't have to use the credit card that matches the shopping portal. For example, you can shop in the Southwest Shopping Portal, but pay with your Capital One credit card to get 2x points. Make sense?

 I'll give you several examples that I've actually done in the past week. 

Example #1 

Southwest Shopping Portal is offering 1,000 extra points if you spend $200 in the portal. That's easy, let's stock up on pet food. 

The Southwest shopping portal is also offering 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at Chewy. Awesome. Then we pay for our purchase with Paypal and our Chase FREEDOM FLEX credit card which nets us 5x points since this card has the 5x bonus rotating categories. 

So this one pet food purchase should earn:

• 1,000 bonus Southwest points 
• 400 Southwest points 
• 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards 

Example #2

I was referred to Rakuten.com and bought flowers for a friend through 1-800flowers. I spent $65 on flowers, but got a FREE $50 for following the referral link plus 10% bonus cash back. Then I linked my Bilt account with my Rakuten account. Rakuten transferred more than 5,000 points into my Bilt account. You don't need a Bilt credit card, just create an account. Be sure your email is the same on both accounts. Woohoo! When I'm ready I can transfer the Bilt points to dozens of airlines or hotels like Air France, KLM, Southwest, Hyatt and more. On the first of the month, Bilt offers transfer bonuses too so I may be able to squeeze more value out of those points. 

So this flower purchase earned:

• $50 referral cash 
• 10% cash back 
• 5,500 Bilt points that I can transfer the points to dozens of airlines or hotels

Example #3

I wanted to buy a new Iphone, Capital One Shopping was offering 10% back on Apple purchases and I could pay for the phone with Paypal and my Chase FREEDOM FLEX credit card for 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points. 

So this phone purchase earned:

• $69.90 Capital One shopping rewards which I can use to buy gift cards for stores like Home Depot, Ulta and REI.  Use this referral link and you get a FREE $40. 
• 3,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points 

To find these deals, start with cashbackmonitor.com and my new fave Rakuten.com. The $50 referral offer is still active so use my link. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Holiday Shopping Portals Offer Big Bonuses

It's almost that time of the year again! The holidays. Whether you give big gifts or small gifts or you plan to gift to charity, you can earn extra points for your online purchases. 

Holiday Shopping Portals Offer Big Bonuses 

How you ask? By taking that one extra step and making your purchase through a shopping portal. Most of the airlines, some credit cards and even a few hotel chains have shopping portals. 

Already we are seeing some bonus offers! 

• Alaska - Earn 300 bonus points when you spend $100, 750 when you spend $350 or 1,500 when you spend $650. 
• American - Earn 500 bonus miles for spending $200, 1,500 for $700 or 4,000 for $1,600 in total purchases. This is big because it doesn't have to be one purchase, it can be multiple purchases from different stores. 
• Delta - Earn 400 bonus miles for spending $200, 1,000 bonus miles for $500 or 4,000 for spending $1,500. 
• Southwest - Earn 400 bonus points when you spend $100, 1,600 when you spend $400 or 4,000 for spending $900.
• United - Earn 500 bonus miles when you spend $125, 2,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 or 5,000 for $1,100. 

These are just some examples, but your first step before making any online purchase is to check cashbackmonitor.com for the specific store. From there, you can see if there is an elevated offer for that store and then you can see if there is a bonus offer being offered by the platform. 

Holiday Shopping Portals Offer Big Bonuses 

The other thing to take into consideration is your travel strategy. Are you trying to collect points or miles on a certain airline or hotel? If so, then target that shopping portal. Flying Blue often has huge bonuses! 

Another interesting fun fact is that you don't have to use the credit card associated with that shopping portal. For example if you use the Chase Shopping Portal to earn 3x points at Chewy.com, you could use your Capital One Venture X credit card to pay for the purchase to earn 2x points. 

We call this strategy "stacking". I've seen some people double and even triple stack! 

Let me know the creative stacking you come up with. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

#1 Thing You Need To Do BEFORE Oct. 26th

 

If you already had the Chase Sapphire Reserve before the mega bonus offers in June 2025, then get ready for your benefits to kick in. 

Starting October 26th, we will finally get the new refreshed benefits and for most of us, we are getting them without paying the increased annual fee. So you want to make sure you cash in! And some of the benefits reset January 1st, so you really want to be on top of this one to max out the value. 

Here's the list so you can just check them off as you go:

Before 10/26 - 

• Transfer points to your Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred from any Chase Ink, Freedom or Unlimited credit cards so they hold onto their increased value of 1.25 or 1.5. Any points accumulated or transferred to the Chase Sapphire Reserve BEFORE Oct. 26th hold their value. 

After 10/26 - 

• Activate Apple TV+ and Apple Music
• Activate IHG Platinum Status 
• $250 "The Edit" hotel credit valid through 12/31/25 then resets Jan. 1st 
• $150 StubHub credit valid through 12/31/25 then resets Jan. 1st
• $150 dining credit valid through 12/31/25 then resets Jan. 1st
• Points earned after 10/26 can be redeemed for 1x
• Peloton statement credit begins 

Starting 1/1/26 -

• "The Edit" hotel credit resets to $500 per year
• StubHub credit increases to $300 per year 
• Dining credit increases to $300 per year
• $250 one time promo for select properties 

I plan to pin this list where I can see it and check off these credits as I use them. If you use the credits, the card more than pays for the increased annual fee of $795. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.

Paypal Returns As The 4th Quarter 5x Bonus

Chase Freedom Q4 Bonus Categories Are Here! 🎉

The Chase Freedom 4th quarter bonus categories just dropped, and we're excited because PayPal is making its return!

Chase offers rotating quarterly bonus categories for both the Freedom and Freedom Flex credit cards. These no-annual-fee gems are perfect wallet staples that really deliver value. The bonus categories make them even more rewarding – we've seen everything from gas stations and EV charging to entertainment venues and pet stores in previous quarters.

Here's what Q4 2025 brings us:

• Chase Travel - This category typically earns 5% cash back, so expect an additional 5x points boost 🛫
• Department Stores - Think Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's (but not Target or Walmart)
• Old Navy - Great timing for holiday shopping! 👕
• PayPal - December only, so mark your calendars! 💳

You can earn up to $1,500 cash back across all categories during the quarter, but remember to register for the bonus through your account – it's not automatic.

Don't have a Freedom Flex yet? You can snag one with a sweet $200 bonus after spending $500. This free card is seriously worth keeping around – it earns 3x points on dining and drugstores, 5x on Chase Travel Portal purchases, and 1x on everything else.

Pro tip: Earn points on this card, then transfer them to your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for maximum flexibility and value! ✨

Ready to register for Q4 bonuses or apply for the card? Your wallet will thank you!

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

My FREE Gift To You: 1,000 Airline Miles

My Go-To Strategy for Affordable European Adventures ✈️

When it comes to crossing the Atlantic without breaking the bank, I keep coming back to Flying Blue, the loyalty program that powers both Air France and KLM. Here's why this program has become my secret weapon for European travel.

The Sweet Spot for Award Flights

Flying Blue offers some genuinely solid redemption rates:

• Economy seats: 25,000 points one way (or just 18,750 during their regular promotions)
• Business class with lie-flat seats: 50,000 points each way 🛏️

What really sets them apart? Both airlines include free stopovers in their hub cities (Paris for Air France, Amsterdam for KLM). This means you can essentially visit two destinations for the price of one award ticket.

A Recent Win That Made My Day

Earlier this year, I snagged a flight from Athens to Los Angeles for only 20,000 points plus $50 in taxes. The cherry on top? When I missed my connection in Paris due to delays, Air France stepped up big time – covering my hotel, meals, and even sending me an $800 compensation check. Sometimes travel hiccups work out better than expected! 🎉

Easy Ways to Earn Flying Blue Miles

The beauty of Flying Blue lies in its flexibility. You can transfer points from all the major credit card programs:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Capital One Miles
• Bilt Rewards
• American Express Membership Rewards

The New Player Worth Watching

Here's where things get interesting – Rove Miles just entered the scene as a shopping portal meets flexible points program. They've partnered with over 12,000 online merchants, letting you earn miles on everyday purchases that you can then transfer to Flying Blue and other airlines.

Their airline partners include Flying Blue, Finnair, Aeromexico, and Turkish Airlines, giving you plenty of redemption options.

Limited-Time Opportunity 🎯

I've got something special for you – 1,000 free Rove miles just for signing up (no purchase required). The signup process takes under a minute, and you can transfer those miles to Flying Blue if that's your preference once you have earned 2,000 Rove miles.

Important: This offer expires September 17th, so don't let it slip by if you're interested in building your points balance.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.  

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Lounge capacity issues are real and incredibly frustrating! But here's something you might not know: you can visit multiple lounges on the same day, or even enjoy one while you're on the waitlist for another. Several credit cards offer free membership in the Priority Pass Lounge network which offers entry for you and up to two guests into more than 1,700 lounges around the world. 

Recently, I had a three-hour layover at JFK in New York. I wanted to check out the Chase Sapphire lounge, but the line stretched on forever. I decided to add my name to the waitlist anyway. The agent estimated a 20-40 minute wait, which operates through text notifications—and you only have 10 minutes to reach the lounge once they text you. While some lounges let you join waitlists through the Priority Pass app, this particular Sapphire Lounge requires in-person sign-up.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Ten minutes isn't nearly enough time to switch terminals, but it's plenty of time to visit another lounge within the same terminal. Terminal 4 offers several Priority Pass network options:

• Air India Lounge
• Virgin Atlantic
• Hello Sky
• Chase Sapphire - restricted hours for non Chase Sapphire card members

I headed downstairs to the Hello Sky pop-up lounge. No line whatsoever—I checked in quickly and walked right in. The space is compact but not overcrowded, and I immediately found a comfortable couch with a nearby charging station. An attendant approached within moments and offered me a glass of wine. What a welcome!

The food and drink selection pleasantly surprised me, featuring both hot and cold options plus an impressive variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A large monitor, computer, and printer were available for business needs. The only downside to this pop-up lounge? No restroom facilities inside.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

After 40 minutes of relaxation, my phone buzzed with the text I'd been waiting for—time to head to the Chase Sapphire Lounge. I gathered my belongings and headed upstairs, passing a Capital One Lounge along the way.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge was busy but manageable when I arrived. An attendant immediately seated me at a spot with charging capabilities. The amenities included hot and cold food buffets, an extensive drink selection, and an espresso machine. There's also a full-service bar with a QR code menu featuring items like hamburgers, grilled cheese, and french fries.

The takeaway? You have numerous options available, so explore them all and don't hesitate to visit multiple lounges during a single layover!

How to Get Access

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card: This remains the best way to access the Priority Pass lounge network. The current offer includes 100,000 points for meeting a $5,000 minimum spend requirement. While the $795 annual fee might seem steep, the credits and benefits provide excellent value. We hear this offer is ending soon! 

Capital One Venture X Credit Card: This alternative offers access as well, currently providing 75,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend. The $395 annual fee comes with fewer benefits compared to the exceptional Chase Sapphire Reserve offer.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Chase Sapphire DoorDash Credits: How to Actually Use Them

 

Chase recently updated their Sapphire credit cards, and the DoorDash benefit got a makeover. Here's what changed:

Chase Sapphire Reserve holders now get:

• Two $10 credits for grocery and convenience stores per month
• One $5 restaurant credit per month

Chase Sapphire Preferred holders get:

• One $10 grocery and convenience store credit per month 

The credits are use it or lose it. No rollovers. The big question: How do you actually make the most of these credits?

The Obvious (But Not Always Practical) Approach

Sure, you could just use these credits to offset DoorDash delivery fees and service charges. If you're already ordering delivery regularly, this works great. But if you're like me and prefer picking up food to avoid those extra costs, you might be wondering if there's a better way.

My Search for Pickup Options

I started by filtering DoorDash to show only pickup locations. While plenty of restaurants appeared, remember that the $10 credits don't work at restaurants. I had to dig deeper to find grocery and convenience options.

The map feature became my friend here – restaurants show up with a little fork icon, making them easy to skip. Unfortunately, when I checked my local grocery stores, they only offered delivery, which meant no pickup credit for me.

What Actually Works

The convenience stores in my area – 7-Eleven, CVS, and Walgreens – all allow pickup. That's helpful occasionally, but shopping at these stores twice a month feels like a stretch.

Then I discovered something interesting: DashMart.

The DashMart Discovery

DashMart is primarily designed as a fulfillment center for Dashers, but here's the thing – you can actually place orders there and pick them up yourself. I decided to give it a shot. The selection surprised me. It's essentially a compact grocery store with produce, dairy, household items, and snacks.

When I visited, they had a special on pasture-raised eggs that actually beat my regular grocery store's price. No alcohol was available, but most other items were competitively priced.

I scheduled an afternoon pickup and got a ready notification about 20 minutes later. The location is just 10 minutes from my house – a pickup window in a strip mall. The whole process took under 5 minutes.

Was It Worth the Effort?

Absolutely. Saving $10 for a quick detour when I'm already in the area? That works for me.

Your other solid option is hitting up 7-Eleven, CVS, or Walgreens for household essentials or alcohol when you need them anyway.

The Bottom Line

For a card with a $795 annual fee, this credit does require some creativity to use effectively. I would have preferred a simple $20 off any restaurant delivery, but with a little planning, you can definitely extract value from this benefit.

The good news? The Chase Sapphire Reserve's other credits and perks still make it a fantastic card overall.

Current Chase Sapphire Reserve Offer: You can earn 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first few months. Despite the $795 annual fee, the combined credits and benefits deliver solid value. This offer is ending August 21st and sometimes the offers are pulled early so don't wait.  

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

 

One of my favorite travel credit cards just dropped a great offer! 5,000 FREE Aeroplan points, yes! Aeroplan is the loyalty program for Air Canada which is a transfer partner and offers great flight deals. A few years back, I flew the whole family for FREE on Air Canada to Dublin, Ireland. You can read about it here. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

If you are a current Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holder, you are eligible. It does not matter if you were a card holder before the refresh or if you are new card holder. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve underwent a refresh in June which you can read about here. We still love this card despite the annual fee increase as long as you utilize all the benefits and credits. 

Now if you have the Reserve credit card, it just takes minutes to register here and claim your 5,000 points. If you are not yet a member of Aeroplan, you can join first and then register. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

If you don't have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet, there is an amazing bonus offer right now:

• 100,000 bonus points 
• $5,000 minimum spend in 3 months 
• $500 promo travel credit 
• $300 Stub Hub credit 
• $500 Edit hotel credit 
• $120 Door Dash credit 
• $120 Global Entry credit 
• $795 annual fee 

This offer is valued at more than $2,750. And now, a bonus 5,000 Aeroplan points! 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. 

Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Should You Apply For One Of The New Southwest Credit Cards?

 

Southwest has been making a lot of changes recently, no FREE checked bags, assigned seats and more. And the company just announced a refresh of its five co-branded credit cards. We will take a look at the changes, but the big news is that the refreshed personal credit cards carry a huge 100,000 bonus point offer, FREE checked bags, refundable flights and give you 5 months to spend the minimum $4,000. 

That's huge and gets you most of the way there for the best perk in the travel biz, the Southwest Companion Pass which is a BOGO on any flight anywhere Southwest flies for up to two years. Wow! 

So what's the difference between the five credit cards and which one is best for you? Let's take a look. 

Personal Credit Cards are Plus, Premier and Priority

Some of the differences between the cards include:

• 2x points on groceries or restaurants or gas stations
• Points earned on your anniversary date
• Seat selection 
• Upgrade option for more legroom 
• Qualifying points towards A List 
• Flight discount promo code 

All the cards include one FREE checked bag for you and up to 8 people on your reservation including your companion pass.  Which one is best for you? Depends on the benefits you will use and where you spend the most money, groceries, restaurants or gas stations. 

Southwest offers two business credit cards, one has a 60,000 bonus offer with a minimum spend of $3,000 and the other carries an 80,000 bonus offer with a minimum spend of $5,000. These are the regular offers and both cards only give you 3 months to meet the minimum spend. But in our travel coaching program, we show you how to use these cards to collect enough points to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. 

The business credit cards also underwent a refresh due to the changing rules at Southwest. Some of the differences between these two cards include:

• Preferred seat selection
• Upgrade option for more legroom
• Points earned on your anniversary date
• Flight discount promo code 
• Points earning power on gas stations, restaurants, hotels and flights 
• Global Entry $120 credit 
• Annual fee $149 vs $299 

Here's where it gets a bit tricky, you can hold only one personal Southwest credit card and you are only eligible for the bonus IF you have not earned a bonus in the past 24 months. Your eligibility date is the date that you earned the previous bonus NOT the date you were approved for the credit card. 

So if you earned the bonus on April 25th 2023, then you are not eligible to apply again until April 26th 2025. You can check your Southwest Airlines account points activity to determine your bonus date. 

You can hold both Southwest business credit cards at the same time, but the bonus eligibility rule is the same. Also the personal credit cards fall under the Chase 5/24 rule. 

Bottom line, the new 100,000 point bonus offer is fantastic! Lots of points, checked bags, makes every airline ticket refundable plus it gets you very close to the 135,000 points needed for the Southwest companion pass. Woohoo! 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.