Alaska Airlines Brand New Loyalty Rewards Program

Big news today! Alaska Airlines is launching its new loyalty rewards program rebranded as Atmos Rewards. 

Here's what we know so far and an amazing 100,000 bonus point offer:

• Current Alaska loyalty members will keep their current loyalty account number. Hawaiian Air members who linked to their account to an Alaska loyalty account will keep their current number.  
• Atmos rewards are now points instead of miles 
• Ability to use Atmos rewards to book flights on 30 different airline partners including American, Iberia, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Finnair. 
• Ability to transfer Atmos rewards to 5 hotel brands including Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards, I Prefer Hotel Rewards and Shangri La Circle. 
• Three ways to earn points, you pick which one you prefer: distance, revenue or segment (you can change your preference once per year)

In honor of the new loyalty rewards program, Alaska also announced three new credit card bonus offers. All three cards are co branded with Bank of America. 

ATMOS REWARDS™ ASCENT VISA SIGNATURE® CARD

• $95 annual fee
• $4,000 minimum spend in 120 days 
• 80,000 bonus offer
• Use points only to book on Alaska and Hawaiian Air
• $99 companion certificate good on Alaska and Hawaiian air
• free checked bag

Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card

• $395 Annual Fee
• $6,000 Minimum Spend in 90 days
• 100,000 Point Bonus Offer 
• 25,000 Point Companion Certificate
• Ability to use points to book on any partner airline 
• Global Companion certificate 
• 8 Alaska Air Lounge Passes 
• Free checked bag
• Free onboard WIFI
• $120 Global Entry credit 

Atmos Rewards Visa Business 

• $70 Annual Fee
• $5,000 minimum spend in 90 days 
• 80,000 Point Bonus Offer 
• $99 companion certificate good on Alaska and Hawaiian Air if you spend $6,000 on the card during the year
• Free checked bag

My recommendation with these offers is to apply for the Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card because the points can be used on any partner airline which makes the points almost transferable. 

Plus you get the Global Companion Certificate. Alaska Airlines points are usually very valuable and easy to use. Since the program is distance based, you can get some good deals. 

It's exciting to see how this program develops and grows. 

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. 

Stop! You Must Do This Before You Apply For The Southwest Bonus Offer

 

One of the best travel perks out there is the Southwest Companion Pass, BOGO flights for you and a companion for up to two years anywhere Southwest flies. With all the changes happening at Southwest, we don't know how much longer this pass will exist in its current form or at all. 

So now might be the time you want to earn it for 2026-27. But you need to do one thing before you apply for the amazing Southwest 100,000 bonus offer. So keep reading! 

I have had this pass since 2017 and it has saved our family thousands of dollars. I have used it to take children to college, family weekend at college, life events across the country, trips to Cuba, Cabo, Costa Rica, Washington DC, New Orleans, New York City and so much more. In fact, recently, I used it for a quick trip to Seattle and San Francisco. 

You get the pass by earning 135,000 Southwest points in a single calendar year (Jan-Dec). The closer to the beginning of the year that you earn the pass, the longer you have to use it. The pass is valid for the year you earn it and the following year. 

If you earn the pass Jan. 15th 2026, the pass is valid through Dec. 31st 2027. Almost two years! 

With the current bonus offer of 100,000 points, you can earn the companion pass for almost two years because Chase is giving you five months to reach the minimum spend instead of the usual three. But you have to time it right! You have to earn the bonus in January 2026. It's not easy, but we have a strategy. 

I have done this multiple times and helped dozens of people do it, if this interests you. You need to act fast. Book a consult with me now. Before you apply, you have to do one very important step and with this bonus offer ending on Sept. 17th, we don't have much time. 

So let's talk now! 

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. 

Southwest Travel Credits: The Good, The Bad, and The Smart Workaround

Southwest Travel Credits: The Good, The Bad, and The Smart Workaround

Let's talk about something that makes my travel-planning heart sink: airline travel credits. They expire when you're not looking, you can't give them to anyone else, and finding them in your account feels like a scavenger hunt nobody wants to play.

Just last week, I was working with a client planning her Arizona getaway on Southwest. We dug into her account and discovered over $1,000 in Southwest travel credits just sitting there! The kicker? She'd been buying new flights while these credits collected digital dust.

Here's what's changed (and not in a good way): Southwest travel credits now expire anywhere from 6 months to a year after purchase, depending on your fare type. Picture this nightmare scenario: you book a fare four months before your trip, life happens and you need to cancel, and boom – your credit expires just two months later. Not exactly the flexibility we're looking for as families.

The Game-Changer: Southwest Points

Ready for the solution that'll make you wonder why you ever booked any other way? Always book with Southwest points. When you cancel a points booking, those points flow right back into your Rapid Rewards account. No expiration dates, no restrictions on who can use them – just pure travel flexibility.

Building Your Points Stash

Southwest is currently offering 100,000 bonus points when you open one of their personal credit cards and spend $4,000 within five months. That's more time than usual to hit the spending requirement, which makes it much more manageable for families.

Here's where it gets exciting: this bonus gets you most of the way to Southwest's Companion Pass. Earn 135,000 points in a calendar year, and you've unlocked buy-one-get-one-free flights. If you time this right and earn the bonus after January 1st, 2026, you could have companion pass benefits for both 2026 and 2027.

Southwest has three personal credit cards to choose from, and while the benefits have shifted with their new assigned seating and fare structure (along with higher annual fees), all three cards currently offer that same generous 100,000-point welcome bonus.

The bottom line? Skip the credit headaches and go straight to points. Your future travel-planning self will thank you.

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.