The Best Ways to Maximize Your Points and Miles in October
Delta
October is here and so are these great points and miles deals, and the latest in credit card perks—all of which come in handy for leaf-peeping trips, spooky getaways for Halloween, and last-minute journeys to chase some autumn sun. (Need some ideas? Check out this list of the best places to visit in October to get the travel inspiration going.) And for the aviation geeks: Here’s a rundown of the latest loyalty industry news and perks, so you don’t have to scour the internet to find them. Register for these points and miles deals to boost your account balances, and then start planning where you want to go next. We've got all the best points and miles deals for October, below.
Score extra points this month to redeem around the world
World of Hyatt members can rack up extra points when staying at its properties in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa this fall. Between now and November 4, members who register for this promotion and book a stay that takes place between October 7 and December 20 can earn double points. You can earn as many as 20,000 bonus points with this deal, eligible at properties like Andaz Prague and Grand Hyatt Tokyo.
Wyndham Rewards fans can score a great deal this fall thanks to its latest promotion. Members will earn 7,500 points between now and January 20 next year after staying 2 nights at an eligible Wyndham family property. Members can earn the bonus twice, for a total of 15,000 points, which is enough for a 2-night redemption at many of the brands’ properties. If you have a Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, you can earn an additional 5,000 points. Be sure to register for this promotion before your first stay, and make your reservation by January 16.
Hilton Honors and Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) continue to advance their partnership by making more than 100 properties part of the portfolio, for a total of around 400 SLH properties accessible via burning (and earning) Hilton points. This constitutes the majority of SLH hotels, like Nobu Hotel Marrakech and Wentworth Mansion in Charleston, South Carolina, that now participate in the new Hilton partnership.
IHG One Rewards members who sign up for the program are eligible to receive 5,000 bonus points after their first stay between now and January 31, but be sure to time your signup accordingly: You must finish your first hotel stay within three weeks of joining the program to receive the points. Existing members should also check their email or accounts online as there are bonus offers this fall, like earning 3,000 points after every 2 nights at an IHG property between now and the end of the year.
When travel brands team up, the perks get better
Big news: the tie up between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines has cleared its latest hurdle, and the two brands are beginning to look a lot more like one bigger company. If you have miles in either program, you can now freely transfer them between Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles at a ratio of 1:1. This is great for HawaiianMiles members who can now gain access to Alaska’s huge Oneworld award options as well as its numerous other partners: You can turn American Express Membership Rewards points into HawaiianMiles, then move those miles to Alaska Mileage Plan. Don’t forget that HawaiianMiles members can already pool miles between family member accounts, so this is your chance to move them all into one account and then transfer those to Alaska for some amazing international redemptions. (In the future, once the merger is complete, Hawaiian plans to formally join the Oneworld alliance.)
As for Marriott Bonvoy and Starbucks Rewards, you can join and link new accounts with the two brands to earn 1,000 bonus Marriott points. This offer is valid through October 18 and only for new members of either program. Save up those Marriott points for redemptions at top-tier hotels and resorts like the St. Regis Bora Bora and Wailea Beach Resort in Maui, which is one of Marriott Bonvoy’s most popular properties for travelers redeeming points.
Hilton Honors and the James Beard Foundation have put several elite dining experiences on the Hilton Honors Experiences platform where members can bid their points in auction-style redemptions for epic chef-led culinary experiences at numerous properties. Keep checking back as they add more throughout the year.
And now for some disappointing news: JetBlue is dropping one of its coolest brand partnerships with BLADE Helicopters for its top-tier Mosaic 4 members. At the end of 2024, members will no longer be able to take advantage of free helicopter transfers between Manhattan and New York-JFK or Newark. Use up any helicopter vouchers you earned with elite status before the end of the year.
Lounge access is getting better
It’s not all bad news for JetBlue flyers. While the Blade partnership will fade into the sunset, the airline is planning to open new Mint (business class) lounges at New York JFK and Boston. This is part of the airline’s larger plan to grow its premium offering for passengers. The lounges will be open to premium JetBlue credit card holders, TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members, and anyone traveling in Mint class on transatlantic flights. The first will open at JFK in late 2025, with Boston following soon after.
On the heels of opening the new Delta One lounge in New York JFK earlier this year, Delta is opening the second in its growing series of premium lounges at LAX on October 10. If you have a business class flight on Delta or a SkyTeam partner, this will be a major upgrade and accessible directly via the business class check-in area for Delta flights at LAX. Atlanta, Boston, and Detroit are all on the list for lounge openings soon. Rumors are already swirling about one potentially coming to Minneapolis/St. Paul at some point in the future.
Important frequent flyer and credit card news
Effective October 1, you will pay a little more to enroll in Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI: the one-time application fee being raised to $120. The good news? Anyone under the age of 18 with a paying parent will be able to apply for free. Don’t forget that many credit cards, like Chase Sapphire Reserve and the United Quest card come with a credit when paying for this trusted traveler program, which can be applied to you, a family member, or a friend—as long as you use the card to pay for the application.
If you enjoy using the Uber credits that come with The Platinum Card from American Express, take note of this major change: Effective November 8, you will need to use your American Express Platinum card to pay for an Uber ride for the credit to apply. Previously, the credits were automatically applied, no matter what type of payment you were using. This change slightly limits the benefit, especially since some cards, like the Chase Ink Plus card, offer bonus points on rideshares when the card is used to pay for a ride.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
