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⚡ Today in 20 seconds

• SAS flash sale prices US to Europe business class awards at 48K points one way

• JAL Mileage Bank is selling awards to and from Japan at 30% off through Feb 27, 2027

• Register now: Hyatt is paying 3K bonus points per 3 nights through Dec 15, double points at new hotels

• Freedom Flex holders report Costco orders through Instacart earning 1x, not 5x, this quarter

• JFK Sapphire Lounge is turning away Reserve holders when Etihad traffic fills it

• Closing a Chase card? Reallocate its credit line to a card you keep first

• Hyatt guests are getting scam messages quoting their real names and stay dates

SAS award sale: US to Europe business class for 48K one way

SAS EuroBonus is running a 20% off award sale that drops transatlantic business class to 48K points one way. EuroBonus is not a Chase transfer partner, but it is reachable from other flexible currencies, and cash-positioning or crediting strategies aside, 48K for a lie-flat Atlantic crossing is one of the better published rates this year. Sales like this tend to have limited date ranges and seats, so the good stuff goes first.

→ Search EuroBonus award space today for your target dates and lock in 48K business class before inventory thins out.

Single source (Frequent Miler), consistent with SAS's published sale · Frequent Miler

JAL Mileage Bank: 30% off awards to and from Japan through Feb 27, 2027

Japan Airlines is discounting Mileage Bank awards to and from Japan by 30%, and the window runs through February 27, 2027, so this covers winter and even some spring travel. JAL metal is consistently excellent, and a 30% haircut on their already reasonable charts makes premium cabins genuinely cheap.

→ Price out Japan dates in JAL Mileage Bank now, especially business class, before the best dates are picked over.

Single source (Frequent Miler) · Frequent Miler

Hyatt: register for 3K bonus points per 3 nights, double points at new hotels

Hyatt's new stay promo pays 3K bonus points for every 3 nights through December 15, with double points on stays at newly opened Hyatts layered on top. Registration is required, and Hyatt promos credit only stays after you register, so there is no reason to wait.

→ Register in your World of Hyatt account today, even if you have no stays planned yet.

Single source (DansDeals) · DansDeals

Targeted: $50 off $300+ IHG stays through Citi Travel

Citi is targeting cardholders with $50 off IHG stays of $300 or more booked through the Citi Travel portal. We flagged Citi Travel IHG discounts before; what changed is a fresh targeted round with these specific terms. Portal bookings forfeit IHG elite credit, so weigh the $50 against lost nights.

→ Check the offers section of your Citi account for the targeting before booking any upcoming IHG stay.

Single source (Miles to Memories), targeted so your mileage may vary · Miles to Memories

JetBlue's BlueFirst first class is now on sale

JetBlue put its new BlueFirst first class cabin on sale, launching from Boston in December. This is a new premium cabin from a TrueBlue program that takes Chase transfers at 1:1, so it is worth watching how award pricing settles.

→ If you fly JetBlue out of Boston, price BlueFirst in cash and points now while introductory fares are loaded.

Corroborated (TPG reporting JetBlue's official launch) · The Points Guy

Freedom Flex: Costco via Instacart reportedly earning 1x, not 5x, this quarter

On r/CreditCards, a reader reports Costco orders placed through Instacart are posting at 1x instead of the expected 5x on this quarter's Freedom Flex category. If the coding changed, a popular workaround for getting bonus earn on Costco spend just quietly died.

→ Check how your own recent Instacart Costco orders coded before putting more of that spend on a Freedom Flex.

Single unverified report · r/CreditCards

Hyatt guests getting scam messages with their real names and stay dates

Scammers are sending Hyatt guests WhatsApp messages demanding they verify reservations within 24 hours or lose the room, and the messages include real names and actual stay dates, which suggests leaked booking data. The personalization makes these far more convincing than the usual phishing.

→ Ignore any confirm-or-cancel message about a Hyatt stay and verify reservations only through the Hyatt app or by calling the hotel directly.

Single source (View from the Wing), multiple guest reports cited · View from the Wing

JFK Sapphire Lounge access keeps losing out to Etihad priority

On r/chasesapphire, Reserve holders report being waitlisted or turned away from the JFK Terminal 4 Sapphire Lounge because Etihad passengers get first call. Commenters familiar with the arrangement confirm it is a joint Chase-Etihad facility where Etihad has contractual priority and Chase cardholders get remaining space.

→ Flying out of JFK T4, build in a backup plan (Priority Pass or dining credit) rather than counting on Sapphire Lounge entry at peak Etihad departure times.

Corroborated across multiple reports in the thread · r/chasesapphire

Reminder: spend covered by the annual travel credit earns no points

A r/chasesapphire thread works through the math that purchases reimbursed by the Sapphire Reserve's annual travel credit do not earn points, which costs up to roughly 2,100 points a year versus putting that spend on a card that earns. Small, but worth knowing when you decide which card eats a travel charge.

→ Once your travel credit is exhausted for the year, route travel spend to whichever card earns best; before that, use the Reserve and accept the tradeoff.

Single report, but consistent with how Chase has always handled credited spend · r/chasesapphire

StubHub credit will not trigger through Klarna installments

On r/ChaseSapphireReserve, a reader asked whether splitting a StubHub purchase into Klarna payments would still trigger the Reserve's StubHub credit. Commenters are clear it will not, because the merchant charging the card becomes Klarna, not StubHub, and the credit requires direct StubHub coding.

→ Pay StubHub directly with the Reserve, no buy-now-pay-later layer, if you want the credit to post.

Community consensus, no official confirmation · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

Closing a Chase card? Move its credit line first

A r/CreditCards thread about closing a Southwest card before a Sapphire application surfaced the play worth repeating: apply for the new card first, then ask Chase to reallocate the old card's credit limit to the keeper before closing it. Commenters also pushed back on the usual scare stories, noting closed accounts stay on your report for 10 years and keep aging, so closure rarely hurts beyond short-term utilization effects.

→ Before closing any Chase card, call or secure message to reallocate its limit to a card you are keeping.

Community consensus, consistent with long-standing datapoints · r/CreditCards

Datapoint: $600 saved stacking credits on a 2-night Edit stay at the InterContinental LA

On r/chasesapphire, a reader reports saving about $600 on a 2-night InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown booking through The Edit (Chase's luxury hotel program) by combining the Edit's $250 property credit, the breakfast benefit covering a $190 tab including tax and tip, and card credits. Commenters note some confusion in the post between Edit and Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits, so read the details before copying the exact stack.

→ When booking an Edit stay at an IHG property, map out which property credits, breakfast benefits, and card credits apply before you book.

Single unverified report with some disputed details in the thread · r/chasesapphire

London hotels are quietly adding a 5% service charge, and they will remove it if asked

Some London hotels have started tacking a discretionary 5% service charge onto room bills. It is removable, but only if you notice it and ask at checkout.

→ On any London hotel stay, scan the folio line by line at checkout and ask for the discretionary service charge to be removed.

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

Citi AAdvantage Business double dip extended another year

The Citi AAdvantage Business Loyalty Points promotion we covered has been extended again, now running another year beyond the prior end date.

→ If you hold the card, keep routing AA spend through it; the double dip window just got longer.

Single source (Miles to Memories) · Miles to Memories

Paze datapoints: 10x on United bookings, plus surprise extra $10 credits

On r/ChaseSapphireReserve, readers report Paze checkout earning 10x on United flight bookings, and on r/CreditCards, an unprompted extra $10 Paze credit posting to a Chase account.

→ If you are already working the Paze promo, check whether United.com shows Paze at checkout and watch statements for bonus credits.

Single unverified reports · r/ChaseSapphireReserve · r/CreditCards

Targeted Wells Fargo: tap to pay 5 times, earn $10

Wells Fargo is offering $10 back (limit $50) for tapping to pay 5 times by December 15, 2026.

→ Check Wells Fargo offers in your account and knock out the 5 taps on small purchases.

Single source (Doctor of Credit), targeted · Doctor of Credit

Robinhood card full details: 3x on everything, no cap

Doctor of Credit published updated full details on the Robinhood credit card, which pays an uncapped 3x on all purchases for Gold subscribers.

→ If you already pay for Robinhood Gold, compare the 3x against your current catch-all card.

Single source (Doctor of Credit) · Doctor of Credit

Air India reportedly bumped a passenger because she booked with miles

A passenger on an Air India award ticket was denied boarding and told points bookings are not on the priority list.

→ Booking Air India on miles, check in early and have the operating carrier's app confirm your seat the day before.

Single unverified report (Live and Lets Fly) · Live and Lets Fly

Crediting Alaska flights: BA and Qatar both pay 125%

On r/awardtravel, readers confirm Alaska flights can credit to British Airways Club or Qatar Privilege Club at 125% Avios, with BA paying a 500 Avios minimum (625 after the multiplier) on short flights.

→ Before your next Alaska flight, run the route through wheretocredit.com and pick the Avios program that fits your redemption plans.

Community consensus · r/awardtravel

Southwest will put free Starlink Wi-Fi on its entire fleet by fall 2027

An update to the earlier partial-fleet plan: Southwest now says every aircraft gets Starlink by fall 2027.

→ Nothing to do now; factor it in when comparing Southwest fares for late 2027 travel.

Corroborated (DansDeals citing Southwest) · DansDeals

Hyatt and Air Canada deepen their partnership

Frequent Miler's podcast covers the next phase of the Hyatt-Aeroplan tie-up we have been tracking, alongside Hyatt's now-live online point transfers.

→ If you hold both Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts, make sure they are linked to catch the dual-earn benefits.

Single source (Frequent Miler) · Frequent Miler

Avios: The points currency shared by British Airways, Qatar Airways, and several other airline programs.

EuroBonus: SAS's frequent flyer program; not a Chase transfer partner but reachable from some other flexible points programs.

Mileage Bank: Japan Airlines' own frequent flyer program, separate from booking JAL through partners.

The Edit: Chase's luxury hotel booking program with perks like property credits and free breakfast.

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