Atmos Rewards Is Back With a 100,000-Point Bonus 🎉

Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines) just brought back its 100,000-point bonus offer — and this one is worth paying attention to.

I usually steer my clients toward flexible point programs like Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Amex. But after jumping on this offer last year, I can confirm that Atmos Rewards holds its own when it comes to flexibility — especially for families.

Why Atmos Points Are More Flexible Than You'd Think ✈️

Alaska Airlines partners with 13 alliance members, including some heavy hitters:

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Aer Lingus
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• Sri Lankan Airlines

That's a lot of booking options. To put it to the test, I ran a few searches:

• San Francisco → Sydney, Australia — multiple options on Fiji Airways and American Airlines ✅
• New York → Madrid, Spain — solid choices on Iberia and American Airlines ✅

• Seattle → Tokyo — non stop even business class bookable on Hawaiian Airlines  ✅

Could you sometimes find a better deal booking directly, say on Iberia using Avios? Possibly. But Atmos points shine when you need options fast. A client of mine needed a last-minute flight to Austin — cash prices were brutal, but we found a redemption for just 12,500 Atmos points. That's the kind of win that makes keeping a points stash worthwhile. 🙌

The Two Card Offers Right Now 💳

Summit Card — 100,000-point bonus

• Spend $6,500 in the first 3 months
• $395 annual fee
• Perks: 50% flight discount code, 8 lounge passes, and a 25,000-point global companion award

Ascent Card — 80,000-point bonus

• Spend $4,000 in 4 months
• $95 annual fee
• Perks: 50% flight discount code, $99 companion fare, and one free checked bag for you and up to 6 guests

Both are genuinely strong offers. Whether you go big with the Summit or keep it lean with the Ascent, having a healthy Atmos points balance gives you real booking power when you need it most. 🗺️

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 you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities. 

How To Get Thousands of FREE Airline Miles Without Spending Extra $

I talk about shopping portals all the time because they’re one of the easiest ways to earn airline miles and hotel points on spending you’re already doing. 🛍️✈️

Today I want to show you a few real examples — plus some bonus offers that can help you stack even more points and miles.

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Rakuten is my current favorite shopping portal 💻✨

Rakuten.com has become my go-to for earning extra rewards on everyday purchases.

For example: I buy cat food from Chewy.com every few months. If I take the extra step of starting at Rakuten and then clicking through to Chewy, I’m still shopping at the exact same website — but now I earn:

• 2% cash back from Rakuten

• Plus 1x–2x points from my credit card

Chewy is listed on a bunch of shopping portals, so it’s always smart to check cashbackmonitor.com before you buy. When I checked, most portals were offering 1x points or miles at Chewy… but the Chase Freedom portal was offering 2x. 👀

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The best part: Rakuten can pay out in points 🎯

Rakuten lets you earn rewards as:

• Cash back

• American Express Membership Rewards points

• Bilt points

I linked my Rakuten account to Bilt, so every 4 months my Rakuten rewards automatically transfer into my Bilt account.

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Quick Bilt refresher (because these points are legit)

Bilt points are a newer flexible currency — similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex, Citi, and Capital One.

You can transfer Bilt points to airline and hotel partners like:

• Southwest

• Alaska

• Iberia

• Virgin

• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)

• Hyatt

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A huge current Rakuten offer: Kraken 💰

Right now on Rakuten, the crypto platform Kraken is offering:

$150 back on a $225 deposit and purchase

If you’re earning in Bilt points, that’s essentially 15,000 Bilt points (since it transfers 1:1).

To put that into perspective:

• My last flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles cost 4,500 Alaska points

• The one before that cost 2,500 Southwest points

• And yes, I brought a companion along for free 😅

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Want to stack the deal even more? 🔥

If you open a Rakuten account using my referral link, you’ll get an extra 5,000 points after you spend $50.

So if you did the Kraken offer, you’d be looking at 20,000 Bilt points total.

And just to show how real this is: transfer those points to FlyingBlue.com and you can potentially book a one-way economy ticket on Air France from Los Angeles to Athens. Seriously.

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Not into crypto? Totally fair 😄

If crypto isn’t your thing, you can still use the referral offer and earn the bonus on a normal purchase.

I used it once to send flowers to a friend as a thank-you and earned the 5,000 points that way. You could also use it on something basic like… cat food. 🐾

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More bonus offers to earn points on everyday life ✈️🍽️🚗

United + Instacart 🛒

If you link your Instacart account with your United account and make a grocery purchase within 60 days, United will give you:

• 500 miles for free

If you’re a new Instacart customer and make 4 orders in 8 weeks, United will give you:

• 5,000 miles

I just did this and added another stack. I clicked on Rakuten.com which was offering 3x points on Instacart then placed an order with my Capital One Venture X to earn 2x points and 500 bonus United miles. Woohoo! 

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Lyft partnerships 🚙

Link your Hilton, Alaska, Bilt, or United account with Lyft and earn points every time you ride.

Prefer Uber? You can link Uber + United for extra miles too.

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Airbnb miles 🏡

• Book through Delta Airbnb to earn Delta miles

• You can also earn British Airways Avios on Airbnb stays through their earning portal

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Rental car miles 🚗

I’ve linked my Budget Rental account to my Southwest Airlines account — so every rental earns me 500 Southwest miles.

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VRBO + United 🧳

United also has a partnership with VRBO, so you can earn United miles on stays.

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Dining points through IHG + OpenTable 🍷

On the IHG website, you can access OpenTable and earn:

• 150 IHG points every time you dine out

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The takeaway

None of these require extra spending — they just require one extra click or a quick account link. And over time, these little wins can add up to real flights and hotel nights. 😎

There are even more offers like this out there, so check the websites (or social pages) for your favorite brands and see who they partner with for rewards.

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.

How To Get A Whoop Device Membership For FREE

Chase is at it again. 😄 Lately, the Sapphire cards have been piling on credits and perks — and if you’re paying attention, it’s getting easier to squeeze real value out of them.

We recently covered how to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve credits (Edit, Dining, StubHub, and the Hotel Credit) for an almost-free trip to Las Vegas 🎰. And we also talked about the $50 promotional travel credit on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which stacks nicely with the card’s annual hotel credit.

Now there’s a new perk in the mix: Whoop.

New Chase perk: Whoop memberships 🏃‍♀️⌚

Chase Sapphire cards now include offers for Whoop, the health and fitness tracker that monitors things like:

• Sleep

• Stress

• Recovery

• Activity and strain
  …all day, every day.

Here’s what Chase is offering

Chase Sapphire Reserve

• Free one-year “Life” membership

• Listed value: $359

Chase Sapphire Preferred

• $100 off the “One” membership

• Membership price: $149 (before the discount)

Important: activate first ⚠️

You must activate the offer inside Chase Offers in your Chase.com account before you buy.

Quick note from my own experience: the Whoop offer didn’t show up immediately for me. I had to type “Whoop” into the search bar inside Chase Offers to find it.

Hot tip: stack it with the free trial 💡

Whoop offers a one-month free trial, which is a great way to test it out before committing.

If you go this route, make sure you:

• Purchase your membership before the trial ends so you can choose the Life membership, or

• Cancel in time so you don’t get auto-enrolled and charged for the PEAK membership ($239)

Because yes… that part happens fast. 😅

If you’ve been curious about Whoop, this is one of the better ways to try it without paying full price.

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire credit card yet, the Reserve is offering 125,000 bonus right now and the Preferred is offering 75,000 bonus. Talk to me first though to confirm these cards make sense for you. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? I can plan your entire trip using your points and miles or offer a 30 minute consult to answer questions or you can  download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program.

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. 

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.