☕ Points Wire Daily

⚡ Today in 20 seconds

• Southwest is ending the Companion Pass via credit card sign-up bonuses on 1/1/27; cards approved by Dec 2, 2026 get one last shot

• The new Points Boost rate card is out: 11 hotels at 2.5x, Four Seasons cut to 1.25x, and reports of a broad 1.65x to 1.25x devaluation

• New Amex Offer: 10% back on prepaid Hotels.com bookings, up to $125

• Starlux is selling miles for the first time ever, 40% off through Nov 9, a path to its first class awards

• United flyers are moving miles between accounts free by opening and closing a mileage pool, dodging $700+ in fees

• Air France Flying Blue business awards NYC to Paris are pricing as high as 350K one way

• Frequent Miler reports Amex may be gutting Fine Hotels + Resorts for Platinum holders

Southwest guts the Companion Pass: card bonuses stop counting Jan 1, apply by Dec 2 for a last run

Southwest announced a full Rapid Rewards overhaul: starting January 1, 2027, credit card sign-up bonus points no longer count toward the Companion Pass, which becomes a top-tier status benefit requiring roughly 100 one-way flights or $130K in card spend. The program moves to three elite tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum), adds partner award redemptions on carriers like China Airlines and Etihad, and new Icon lounges plus a premium Chase card arrive in late 2027. Per Southwest's FAQ, anyone approved for a Rapid Rewards card on or before December 2, 2026 who then meets the bonus spend, even in early 2027, can still have those points count toward a Companion Pass valid through the end of 2027.

→ If a Companion Pass is on your list, apply for a Southwest card before December 2, 2026 and plan to clear the bonus spend; this is the last window under the old rules.

Corroborated across sources (Southwest announcement covered by Doctor of Credit, TPG, Frequent Miler, View from the Wing, and r/churning) · r/churning thread with FAQ details · Doctor of Credit · Frequent Miler on the full overhaul · View from the Wing on the new lounges

New Amex Offer: 10% back at Hotels.com, up to $125

A new Amex Offer pays 10% back as a statement credit on prepaid Hotels.com bookings, capped at $125 back (so up to $1,250 in bookings). As usual it is targeted, so not every card will show it.

→ Check the Amex Offers section on each of your cards today and enroll before booking any prepaid stay.

Corroborated across sources (Doctor of Credit and Frequent Miler) · Doctor of Credit · Frequent Miler

Points Boost shakeup: 11 hotels at 2.5x, Four Seasons drops to 1.25x

We flagged a reported Points Boost nerf earlier; the full new rate card is now visible, and that is the change. On r/chasesapphire, members mapped 11 Edit hotels now offering 2.5 cents per point (Raffles, Six Senses, and The Inn stand out, and Six Senses is IHG so the 2026 IHG credit may stack), while Four Seasons fell to 1.25x from 1.65x and the Ritz-Carlton Portland left the 2.5x list. A separate r/ChaseSapphireReserve report claims many hotels dropped from 1.65x to 1.25x across all dates, with observed tiers now at 1.25, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5.

→ If a current 2.5x property fits a trip, book it now; these rates rotate without notice and planning around them is getting harder.

Corroborated across community reports (multiple Reddit threads with sampled data), exact tier list still unofficial · r/chasesapphire 2.5x hotel list · r/ChaseSapphireReserve devaluation report · Rate tier datapoints

Starlux sells miles for the first time, 40% off

Starlux Airlines launched its first-ever COSMILE miles sale, 40% off through November 9 at about 2.4 cents per mile. The pitch is unlocking Starlux first class awards, which are hard to book with partner currencies.

→ Only buy if you have a specific Starlux premium-cabin award priced out first; 2.4 cents is steep for speculative balances.

Single source (One Mile at a Time) · One Mile at a Time

Air France business awards NYC to Paris spike to 350K one way

On r/awardtravel, members report Flying Blue business class awards from New York to Paris now pricing as high as 350K miles one way, far above the usual dynamic range. It is unclear if this is a repricing or thin saver availability.

→ If you were counting on Flying Blue for transatlantic business, price your dates now and set alerts; compare Virgin Atlantic and other SkyTeam options before transferring points.

Single community report · r/awardtravel

Amex may be about to gut Fine Hotels + Resorts

Frequent Miler reports Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts program (the Platinum luxury hotel booking perk with breakfast, credits, and upgrades) may be discontinued or significantly changed. Nothing is official yet, but it tracks with the broader premium-card reshuffling.

→ If you have FHR stays in mind for 2027, book them while the current benefits are intact; booked stays typically keep their perks.

Single unverified report, speculative · Frequent Miler

CSR $250 hotel credit misapplied when two bookings post the same day

On r/ChaseSapphireReserve, a member says Chase applied the $250 Edit hotel credit to the wrong one of two same-day bookings, costing them $244, with a week of phone escalations going nowhere. A commenter who works in bank compliance notes a CFPB complaint forces a tracked response within 30 days and does not affect your credit.

→ Space Chase Travel hotel bookings onto different days so the credit attaches where you want it, and use a CFPB complaint if normal escalation stalls.

Single report, with corroborating comments on the CFPB process · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

United flyers are moving miles between accounts free via the pooling loophole

View from the Wing details a trick: create a United mileage pool, add the people you want to share with, contribute miles, then close the pool, which distributes miles without United's transfer fees (saving $700+ on larger moves). It works today but is exactly the kind of loophole United could close.

→ If you need to consolidate household United miles, set up a pool, move the miles, and close it, but confirm the current pool terms before contributing.

Single source (View from the Wing) · View from the Wing

Shops at Chase $250 credit may trigger twice a year at $75K spend

On r/chasesapphire, a datapoint suggests the CSR's $250 Shops at Chase credit can be earned twice in a calendar year once you cross $75K in spend, effectively doubling the perk for heavy spenders.

→ If you have crossed $75K on a CSR this year, check whether a second $250 Shops at Chase credit is live on your account before year end.

Single unverified report · r/chasesapphire

Chase Travel price match: wins and a hard denial, the room type has to match exactly

Three fresh datapoints on Chase Travel's price match: one approval on a points boost booking backed by screenshots, one approved as an exception worth $250, and one $1,099 denial over a room type discrepancy with no appeal offered. The pattern is clear: Chase matches when the screenshot shows the identical room name, rate, and dates, and rejects on any mismatch.

→ Before filing a price match, screenshot the competing rate showing the exact room name, cancellation policy, and dates side by side with your Chase booking.

Corroborated across multiple community reports · Approval datapoint · Exception approval · Room type denial

Rove's JetBlue transfer bonus runs through Nov 14

The 1:1 Rove to JetBlue TrueBlue transfers we covered now have a confirmed 20% bonus end date of November 14.

→ Transfer before November 14 if you have a TrueBlue redemption lined up.

Corroborated (TPG, Miles to Memories, Frequent Miler) · The Points Guy

IHG $125 Chase Offer may not trigger on delayed payments

An r/chasesapphire member reports the $125 off $500 IHG offer failing to trigger because the hotel charged after the offer window.

→ If using the offer, prepay or confirm the hotel charges the card before the offer's end date.

Single unverified report · r/chasesapphire

Capital One Shopping: up to 51% back on eBay, up to $1,000

The rotating eBay payout via Capital One Shopping is elevated again.

→ Check your Capital One Shopping portal rate before any eBay purchase.

Single source (Doctor of Credit) · Doctor of Credit

U.S. Bank Offer: 10% back on dining, $4 cap

Small but free money on one dining purchase.

→ Enroll in the offer on your U.S. Bank card before your next meal out.

Single source (Doctor of Credit) · Doctor of Credit

Amex Offer: $10 back on $50 at Walmart.com

Runs through November 15.

→ Enroll and use it on a planned Walmart.com order.

Single source (Doctor of Credit) · Doctor of Credit

Asiana is no longer booking Turkish Airlines awards

An r/awardtravel report says Asiana stopped ticketing Turkish partner redemptions, closing a useful one-way option.

→ Price Turkish awards through other Star Alliance programs like Avianca LifeMiles or Aeroplan instead.

Single unverified report · r/awardtravel

JAL award space drops at 10 AM Japan time

Per r/awardtravel, new JAL availability appears at 10 AM JST (9 PM ET) but may not be bookable until the next day.

→ Search at 9 PM ET for new JAL space, and retry the next morning if ticketing fails.

Single community report · r/awardtravel

TSA halts the Gateside gate-pass expansion

The program letting non-flyers meet family at the gate has had its 300-airport expansion suspended indefinitely.

→ Check your airport's current Gateside status before promising a gate pickup.

Single source (View from the Wing) · View from the Wing

Paze may not work with business CSR accounts

An r/ChaseSapphireReserve post reports the Paze checkout promo is not usable on business Sapphire Reserve cards.

→ If chasing the Paze 10x promo, use a personal CSR.

Single unverified report · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

CFPB: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal regulator where you can file complaints banks must answer within 30 days

COSMILE: Starlux Airlines' frequent flyer program

FHR: Fine Hotels + Resorts, Amex's luxury hotel booking program for Platinum cardholders with breakfast, credits, and upgrade perks

Points Boost: Chase's program giving CSR holders elevated redemption rates (like 1.5x to 2.5x cents per point) on select Edit hotels and flights

SUB: Sign-up bonus, the points earned for meeting a new card's initial spending requirement

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