Buying hotel points might sound like an unnecessary extra step. After all, if a room is available, why not just pay for it?
Sometimes there’s a good reason. Buying the points needed to book a room can cost less than paying the hotel directly.
Hilton Honors sells points throughout the year and frequently runs promotions that lower their cost. There’s little reason to buy just because a sale is happening. But with a Hilton stay already in mind, it takes only a few seconds to see whether buying points could save money.
Current Hilton Buy Points Offer
Hilton is currently offering up to a 100% bonus when buying points, dropping the purchase price as low as 0.5 cents each.
Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus
Lowest price per point: 0.5 cents
Offer ends: September 25, 2026
Offer purchase limit: 300,000 points before the bonus
Annual purchase limit: 300,000 points before any bonus
Hilton runs points sales fairly regularly, so there’s rarely a reason to buy solely because a promotion is ending. The history below shows how the current offer compares with previous ones. Click the arrow to see past offers.
First, find how many Hilton points a hotel requires. Then figure out how much it would cost to buy those points under the current promotion and compare that with the cash price for the same stay.
The math is simple:
Points needed × current price per point = cost to buy the points
Say Hilton is selling points for 0.5 cents each and a hotel costs 60,000 points per night. Buying 60,000 points would cost $300.
If the same room costs $425 in cash, buying the points could save $125. If the room costs $250, paying cash is the easy choice.
That’s really all there is to it.
CERI BREEZE / ISTOCK
There are a few things that can change the math even more. For example, Hilton elite members get a fifth night free on eligible five-night award stays. This can drop the all-in cost of a stay even more.
There’s little reason to stock up on Hilton points without a stay in mind. As the promotion history above shows, Hilton sells points regularly, and another offer will eventually come along.
Instead, start with the hotel. Check the cash price, check the points price, and calculate what those points would cost to buy. Sometimes cash wins. Sometimes points do.
And when buying the points is cheaper, it’s a pretty easy way to save money on the exact same room.
American Airlines has made no secret of its interest in premium customers of late.
New planes are arriving with private business class suites, existing ones are being reconfigured with more seats up front, and the airline is investing in lounges and other parts of the experience meant to convince people to spend more when they fly.
Which makes the slow disappearance of the Airbus A321T a curious thing to watch.
For more than a decade, American has flown a small number of these unusually configured planes primarily between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are only 102 seats onboard, and 30 of them turn into beds, an almost absurd amount of space to devote to premium passengers on a narrowbody flying within the United States.
Now they’re disappearing.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
American’s new Airbus A321XLR is taking over more transcontinental flying, and individual A321Ts are already being pulled out to be reconfigured with much more conventional interiors. Earlier this week, yet another flew to El Salvador to begin that process.
The following day, I was sitting in business class on another A321T headed across the country to Los Angeles.
It was a good place to consider what American is replacing, and what it isn’t.
The A321T Was Never Meant to Be Normal
When American introduced the A321T in late 2013, the airline was fighting hard for premium customers flying between New York and California.
Its answer was an airplane built around them.
At the front were 10 first-class seats, each with direct aisle access and enough room to turn into a bed. Behind them were 20 more lie-flat seats in business class. Even economy was unusual, with 36 extra-legroom seats and only 36 standard ones.
It was an extravagant use of an A321, but that was the point.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
American wasn’t alone in lavishing attention on these routes. United and Delta had their own premium transcontinental products, and JetBlue would bring Mint into the fight. But American’s solution was particularly unusual. Nearly a third of the people onboard could go to sleep in a bed.
The result was a narrowbody that felt almost deliberately underfilled.
More than a decade later, American still wants those premium customers. But the airplane built specifically for them is another matter.
But sitting a few rows behind it made the focus on first class seem a little incomplete.
American changed its complimentary elite upgrade policy on August 25. On domestic routes with a distinct premium economy cabin, complimentary upgrades from Main Cabin now stop at premium economy rather than jumping directly to business class. More broadly, complimentary upgrades move passengers forward by one cabin.
The A321T doesn’t have premium economy. It has Main Cabin, business class, and first class, which meant my complimentary upgrade from economy could move me one cabin forward into business, but not into first.
That landed me in what may have been the more interesting cabin all along.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
The A321T has 20 lie-flat business class seats behind first. They gave American a sizable second cabin full of beds without requiring everyone who wanted to lie flat across the country to buy the most expensive ticket on the plane.
By 2026 standards, the seats themselves aren’t particularly cutting-edge. They’re arranged 2-2, so half the cabin lacks direct aisle access, and years of flying back and forth across the country are beginning to show.
Mine certainly had some character.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
A gate agent let me know before boarding that something at the seat wasn’t working correctly, though it was never entirely clear whether she meant the entertainment screen, its remote, or something else. One of the armrests had also developed a considerable amount of bounce.
Once we left New York, though, I put the seat into its lounge position and settled in. Later, it went completely flat.
There are newer and more private ways to cross the country now. But lying there, the thing that stood out about the A321T wasn’t really the seat. It was how many lie-flat seats American had been willing to install.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
Thirty Beds on an Airplane With 102 Seats
That’s what makes the A321T difficult to replace, even with something newer.
American’s A321XLR has plenty going for it. There are 20 Flagship Suites with direct aisle access and privacy doors, plus 12 premium economy seats. The airplane can also fly international routes that were never part of the A321T’s job.
And it carries 155 people.
The comparison says more about the A321T than it does the XLR. For all the attention paid to its first-class cabin, what really made this airplane unusual was the amount of room American was willing to devote to relatively few passengers.
That has practical consequences as these planes disappear. There will be fewer lie-flat seats on each flight. That doesn’t mean awards will suddenly cost more or upgrades will become impossible. There are too many other factors at play. But for anyone accustomed to using miles or status to get into one, there will simply be fewer places to land.
American says Flagship First will stop being sold on transcontinental routes as more XLRs enter the fleet. And unlike a traditional retirement, the A321Ts themselves aren’t necessarily going anywhere. They’re being reconfigured and returned to American’s fleet as much more ordinary A321s.
That’s perhaps the strangest part of watching them disappear. The airplanes will still be around. What made them special won’t be.
American still wants the premium customers the A321T was built to attract. It just doesn’t need an airplane quite this extravagant to get them anymore.
SWISS is about to have a third Airbus A350 in its fleet.
The airline announced that it expects its newest A350-900 to arrive in Zurich on Friday, September 11, following a delivery flight from Airbus in Toulouse. The aircraft, registered HB-IFC and named Zug, is scheduled to land between 6:30 and 7 p.m. local time.
Three airplanes isn’t a huge fleet. But SWISS only has 10 A350s on order, which means 30% of them will have arrived once Zug touches down in Zurich.
SWISS is also bringing its newest cabins to some older aircraft through retrofits. The difference with the A350 is that each one arrives from the factory with the entire new SWISS Senses interior already installed.
SWISS Is Slowly Getting More of Its New Cabins
SWISS introduced the A350 in 2025 with its new SWISS Senses cabins from front to back.
There are just 243 seats onboard, starting with four first-class suites and 45 business class seats. Another 38 seats are in premium economy, followed by 156 in economy.
Every delivery puts another full set of SWISS’s newest seats into service as the airline gradually replaces some of its older long-haul aircraft. And with only 10 A350s planned, the arrival of a third is a meaningful step in what is still a relatively small fleet.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
I’ve seen the new interior firsthand. SWISS showed off its first A350 before it entered service last year, and the cabins are a considerable departure from what can still be found across much of the airline’s long-haul fleet.
The changes aren’t limited to the airplane. SWISS is also updating its experience in Zurich, with two new lounges coming to Dock B in 2027. The roughly 28,000-square-foot project will include separate Business and Senator lounges.
The third A350 will get a small welcome before it reaches the airport. SWISS says the aircraft is expected to circle over Zug, the city whose name it carries, before making its final approach into Zurich.
TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER
Another A350 Becomes Bookable With Points
There’s also a practical reason to keep an eye on aircraft deliveries.
SWISS award seats can be booked through several Star Alliance loyalty programs, including United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Avianca LifeMiles. That means Miles & More isn’t the only option for booking a SWISS flight with points or miles.
Each new A350 therefore puts another aircraft with SWISS’s newest first, business, premium economy, and economy cabins into the mix when searching for an award with points and miles.
Seven A350s are still to come. But with the third arriving Friday, SWISS is getting closer to the point where its newest long-haul cabins aren’t quite as difficult to find.
The Aeroplan Credit Card is getting an overhaul, and it’s going to cost quite a bit more.
Chase and Air Canada announced the changes on September 10. The newly renamed Air Canada Aeroplan Card will carry a $195 annual fee, up from $95, while adding automatic Aeroplan 25K status, a 15% discount on eligible Air Canada flights booked with points, up to $100 back on Air Canada purchases each year, and 3X points on travel.
There are some tradeoffs. Grocery store and restaurant purchases will earn fewer points, and a standing 10% bonus on large transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan is going away at the end of the year.
It’s a fairly substantial rethink of a card that has been around since 2021. And the new name offers a pretty good clue about where Chase and Air Canada are taking it.
The Air Canada Aeroplan Card Will Cost $195
The annual fee is jumping from $95 to $195.
To help make up the difference, Chase is adding up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits each year. The benefit is split into two $50 credits, one every six months, so getting the full $100 back requires making at least two eligible Air Canada purchases during the year.
There are more reasons to use the card when flying Air Canada, too.
Cardmembers will automatically receive Aeroplan 25K status without a spending requirement. That comes with perks including priority check-in, Zone 2 boarding, and five eUpgrade credits each year.
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Perhaps more interesting is a new 15% discount on eligible Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points. A flight that would otherwise require 50,000 points, for example, would drop to 42,500 points if eligible for the discount.
That’s potentially useful even without much interest in elite status. The catch is that the discount is limited to eligible Air Canada flights. Aeroplan points can be used with more than 45 partner airlines, and those flights aren’t included.
Everyday Spending Is Changing, Too
The card isn’t just getting new benefits.
Grocery stores and restaurants currently earn 3 Aeroplan points per dollar. That’s dropping to 2X.
Travel, meanwhile, becomes a new 3X category, and gas purchases will earn 2X. Air Canada purchases continue to earn 3X.
Chase is also advertising up to 5X points on eligible Air Canada flights. The card itself isn’t earning all five, though. Three points per dollar come from paying with the card, while another two come from Air Canada on eligible flights as part of the Aeroplan 25K status that now comes with it.
For anyone who has been using the Aeroplan Credit Card heavily at grocery stores or restaurants, the math gets worse. Spending on travel gets more rewarding instead.
Two Existing Benefits Are Disappearing
As the new benefits arrive, two existing ones are heading for the exit.
Through December 31, 2026, cardmembers can still receive a 10% bonus when transferring at least 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan. The benefit can provide up to 25,000 bonus points per calendar year, but it disappears after that.
The monthly spending bonus is going away at the same time. It currently awards 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent on the card during a calendar month, up to 1,500 bonus points per month.
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One more benefit arrives in January. Cardmembers will get a fourth day free on eligible four-day rental car reservations booked with Aeroplan points, joining an existing fourth-night-free benefit for eligible hotel bookings.
There’s also a new welcome offer. New cardmembers can earn 75,000 Aeroplan points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, plus another 40,000 points after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months, for up to 115,000 points in total.
Aeroplan Is Still Bigger Than Air Canada
The name change is easy to overlook among everything else, but it fits neatly with what’s happening to the card.
Aeroplan points aren’t just for Air Canada. They can be used to book flights with dozens of other airlines, which has long made the program useful even without much reason to fly Air Canada itself. The old $95 Aeroplan Credit Card fit comfortably into that world, too.
That’s not changing. The Air Canada Aeroplan Card still earns Aeroplan points, and those points still work with the program’s airline partners.
But the card itself is becoming more closely tied to Air Canada. The fee is higher, grocery and dining earning is lower, and the Chase transfer bonus is disappearing. In their place are a $100 Air Canada credit, automatic status, and a 15% discount that specifically rewards booking Air Canada flights with points.
Even the name now says Air Canada.
For someone who regularly flies the airline, there’s considerably more here than before. For someone who liked the old Aeroplan Credit Card mostly because Aeroplan points are useful elsewhere, the overhaul isn’t nearly as straightforward.
Avianca is giving its long-haul business class an overhaul.
The airline announced a series of upgrades to INSIGNIA by Avianca on September 9. New dining, amenities, and other onboard improvements are all part of the refresh.
Then, starting in 2027, Avianca plans to introduce an entirely new business class cabin to its Boeing 787s with suites offering more privacy.
The new seats are the headline, but they’re only part of what Avianca is upgrading.
New Business Class Suites Are Coming in 2027
Avianca says its new business class cabin will begin rolling out aboard Boeing 787s in 2027.
And based on the first images, this isn’t just a new cover on the same old seat. The new cabin will feature individual pods with much more privacy around each passenger, bringing Avianca closer to the enclosed, personal spaces that have become common in newer international business class cabins.
That’s a meaningful change on the flights where Avianca offers INSIGNIA. Its 787s fly to New York and across the Atlantic to Europe, where a good business class seat can turn an overnight flight into a place to eat, work, and, most importantly, get some sleep.
Avianca hasn’t shared many details yet, but we do know the first suites are scheduled to arrive next year.
AVIANCA
The Rest of Business Class Is Changing, Too
A new seat is nice, but there’s quite a bit more to a long-haul business class experience than the few square feet around it.
That’s where many of Avianca’s more immediate changes come in.
The airline is adding new noise-canceling headphones, pajamas and slippers, along with redesigned amenity kits. Meals are changing, too, with new menus from chefs Álvaro Clavijo and Rafael Buitrago that lean into Latin American flavors.
Those details aren’t nearly as flashy as a new suite, but they matter on a long flight. A lie-flat seat might be the biggest reason to book business class, but food, bedding, headphones, and service are what fill the other eight or nine hours onboard.
AVIANCA
Avianca is also putting more attention on service. More than 850 flight attendants have completed a business class training program focused on hospitality and etiquette.
So while the suites won’t start arriving until 2027, the experience around them is already getting some attention.
Avianca Wants to Be More Premium
These changes also say something about where Avianca is headed.
Avianca has spent the past several years adopting a much more stripped-down economy model on many of its flights. At the front of the cabin, though, it’s now putting more distance between the basic experience and what customers willing to pay more can get.
Avianca now offers Business Class Américas throughout its network within the Americas. It’s a much simpler product than INSIGNIA, typically using economy-style seats with the middle seat blocked rather than the beds found on the 787. That’s not nearly as exciting as a private suite, but it fits the same broader push to create a more distinct experience at the front of the plane.
The airline is also expanding onboard entertainment, gradually adding Wi-Fi, and renovating lounges, including its International Gold Lounge in San Salvador.
LifeMiles Could Make the New Suites Particularly Interesting
There’s another reason Avianca’s new 787 cabin matters.
LifeMiles are fairly easy to earn thanks to several transferable points programs, and they can be redeemed for Avianca flights. That means the new suites should eventually be bookable with miles rather than a four-figure business class fare.
How many miles they’ll cost and how easy they’ll be to book are questions for 2027.
For now, Avianca is improving the meals, amenities, and service surrounding its long-haul business class seats. Next year, the seats themselves start changing, too.
On the same day Hyatt announced the end of its exclusive loyalty relationship with American Airlines, it lined up its replacement, too.
Hyatt and Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday, September 9, that they’re forming a new long-term partnership. The relationship will formally launch in the coming months.
World of Hyatt elites will be able to earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta flights, while Delta Medallion members will earn SkyMiles on qualifying Hyatt stays.
That’s about as specific as Hyatt and Delta are getting for now. The companies haven’t said which elite members will qualify, how much they’ll earn, or even exactly when the partnership will launch.
But the timing clears up at least some of the mystery from earlier Wednesday. Hyatt isn’t walking away from airline partnerships. It’s swapping one exclusive airline relationship for another.
World of Hyatt and Delta SkyMiles Members Will Be Able to Double Dip
The first confirmed benefit is reciprocal earning.
Eligible World of Hyatt elite members will earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare purchases in eligible fare classes. Delta Medallion members, meanwhile, will be able to earn SkyMiles on qualifying stays at participating Hyatt properties.
Those rewards will come on top of what members already earn through the program they’re doing business with. Naturally, this will create a chance to double dip across flights and hotel stays.
But there are still plenty of blanks to fill in.
Hyatt and Delta haven’t shared which elite tiers will qualify, the earning rates, which Delta fares or Hyatt properties will participate, or exactly when the partnership will launch. Enrollment details are also coming later.
And apparently, reciprocal earning is only the beginning. The companies say additional benefits and experiences will be unveiled later this year.
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Hyatt Is Swapping American for Delta
Earlier Wednesday, American and Hyatt announced that they won’t continue their enhanced loyalty relationship. American later confirmed to Points Insider that its exclusive Hyatt partnership expires in November and won’t be renewed.
A few hours later, Hyatt described its new relationship with Delta as exclusive.
That explains quite a bit.
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We’ve covered the American breakup separately, including what happens to existing benefits and what AA told Points Insider about the decision. The short version is that a relationship that had already been scaled back in 2025 is winding down, while Hyatt is preparing to launch a new one with Delta.
There’s an interesting reversal here, too. American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal earning last year. Hyatt and Delta are putting it back at the center of their new partnership, at least for eligible elite members.
However, the full details will determine whether that’s as useful as it sounds.
The partnership had already been watered down considerably in 2025, when American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal bonus earning on flights and hotel stays in favor of rewards tied to each program’s elite status qualification system.
Now, those benefits are going away, too.
For the moment, little is changing. Members can continue earning and redeeming eligible benefits through the current earning year, with parts of the relationship stretching into early 2027.
American and Hyatt Are Going Their Separate Ways
American and Hyatt have worked together since 2019. Initially, eligible elite members could earn bonus AAdvantage miles on Hyatt stays or bonus World of Hyatt points on American flights after linking their accounts.
That arrangement changed in 2025. Rather than earning bonus points or miles whenever they stayed or flew, members began unlocking benefits in the other program through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards and World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards.
Those are the benefits now headed for the exit.
American and Hyatt issued nearly identical statements Wednesday, saying the decision came “after careful consideration.”
“We have mutually decided to not continue our enhanced relationship.”
The initial announcement didn’t offer much more explanation than that. But an American spokesperson provided Points Insider with some additional context, confirming that what it described as the “exclusive loyalty partnership” with Hyatt expires in November and won’t be renewed.
American said it’s focused on partnerships that provide AAdvantage members with “global scale and premium experiences” while also building relationships that are beneficial to customers and the airline’s financial outlook.
The reference to exclusivity is what sticks out.
Air Canada and Hyatt recently announced a new enhanced partnership between Aeroplan and World of Hyatt, giving members opportunities to earn rewards and access status benefits across the two programs.
We specifically asked American whether Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership played a role in the decision not to renew its exclusive relationship. The airline didn’t address that question.
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Current Benefits Aren’t Disappearing Immediately
Members who already leverage the American and Hyatt partnership have some time before the biggest changes take effect.
AAdvantage members who link their American and Hyatt accounts by November 15, 2026, can continue earning World of Hyatt awards through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards through February 28, 2027.
World of Hyatt members who link their accounts by November 15 can continue earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026.
Benefits already earned won’t suddenly disappear, either. Both companies say members will receive the usual amount of time to select an award after earning it.
One American and Hyatt Benefit Is Sticking Around
Not everything is going away.
AAdvantage members will still be able to earn 500 AAdvantage miles on eligible Hyatt stays after the broader relationship ends. Members can choose to earn the miles instead of World of Hyatt points by providing their AAdvantage number at check-in.
It’s a much narrower tie-up than what American and Hyatt once offered, but the two programs aren’t severing ties completely.
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Why End the Partnership Now?
That’s still the big unanswered question.
American’s response offers a glimpse at what the airline wants from its loyalty partnerships, including global scale, premium experiences, and relationships that make financial sense. But it doesn’t explain why the Hyatt relationship no longer fits that strategy.
The timing of Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership, coupled with American’s description of its Hyatt agreement as exclusive, makes the question particularly interesting.
For now, though, there’s no confirmation that the two developments are connected.
And the practical impact won’t be immediate. Members have several more months to earn benefits before the relationship winds down, and the option to earn AAdvantage miles instead of Hyatt points will remain.
But the broader partnership has been shrinking for some time. It lost reciprocal earning in 2025, will lose its remaining cross-program milestone benefits over the coming months, and its exclusive contract expires in November.
Flying Blue members now have more options when booking award flights with Air France and KLM.
The joint loyalty program of Air France and KLM announced the change in mid-August, and the new pricing went live Tuesday, September 8. Instead of a single award option, flights now come in three flavors: Light, Standard, and Flex.
The names are pretty straightforward. Light costs fewer miles and includes less. Standard sits in the middle. Flex costs more miles in exchange for more flexibility and included benefits.
But the differences aren’t limited to mileage prices.
Depending on the tier, checked bags, changes and refunds, seat selection, and even business class lounge access can come and go. Flex awards can also require considerably less cash alongside the miles.
Ultimately, choosing which award to book now takes a little more thought.
Flying Blue Awards Now Come in Three Tiers
Flying Blue modeled the new award tiers after the fares Air France and KLM already sell on paid tickets.
The three options apply to new award bookings on flights operated and marketed by Air France and KLM. Awards on partner airlines aren’t changing. If an itinerary combines an Air France or KLM flight with a partner flight, Standard will be the only option.
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At the most basic level, the three tiers work like this:
Light: Fewer miles, fewer included benefits, and no changes or refunds.
Standard: More miles, additional baggage, and changes or refunds for €70.
Flex: The most miles, more included benefits, and changes and refunds without a fee.
Exactly what’s included depends on the cabin.
A short economy flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Paris (CDG) gives a good idea of how the new pricing works.
Award
Miles
Taxes and Fees
Light
8,000
$99.20
Standard
10,000
$99.20
Flex
14,000
$99.20
KLM.COM
Light costs 8,000 miles but doesn’t include a checked bag. It also can’t be changed or refunded.
For another 2,000 miles, Standard adds a checked bag and free standard seat selection at check-in. Changes and refunds are allowed for €70, with any fare difference also due when changing a flight.
Flex costs 14,000 miles. It adds advance standard seat selection and removes the change and refund fees.
On a short flight like this, the differences are relatively easy to weigh. Light saves 6,000 miles over Flex but comes with far fewer options if plans change. Standard splits the difference at 10,000 miles.
Long-haul awards are where the gaps start getting larger.
A KLM economy flight from New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS) shows just how far apart the three options can get.
The Light award starts at 27,500 Flying Blue miles.
Award
Miles
Taxes and Fees
Light
27,500
$138
Standard
32,500
$138
Flex
52,500
$39.30
KLM.COM
Light saves 5,000 miles compared with Standard, but there’s no checked bag and no option to change or refund the ticket.
Standard adds the checked bag and allows changes and refunds for €70.
Flex is a much bigger jump at 52,500 miles. That’s another 20,000 miles over Standard for the same economy seat.
There’s something else happening with the price, though. The cash portion drops from $138 to $39.30.
That’s by design. Flying Blue said when it announced the changes that Flex awards would come with a lower mandatory cash contribution.
So the choice isn’t always between spending fewer or more miles for extra flexibility. On some awards, it’s also a choice between spending more miles or more cash.
Business Light Comes With an Even Bigger Catch
The biggest tradeoff might be in business class.
Business Light still includes the business class seat, SkyPriority, two carry-ons, one checked bag weighing up to 32 kilograms, and standard seat selection at check-in.
But lounge access isn’t included.
That’s a notable change for anyone accustomed to thinking of lounge access as part of the business class experience on Air France or KLM.
Here’s how the three options priced on a flight from Portland (PDX) to Amsterdam (AMS):
Award
Miles
Taxes and Fees
Business Light
60,000
$347.10
Business Standard
75,000
$347.10
Business Flex
110,000
$39.30
KLM.COM
Business Light saves 15,000 miles compared with Standard, but lounge access isn’t the only thing missing. Light includes one checked bag instead of two, and the award can’t be changed or refunded.
Standard costs 75,000 miles and brings those benefits back. Lounge access and a second checked bag are included, while changes and refunds cost €70.
Business Flex goes all the way to 110,000 miles. It includes advance standard seat selection, two checked bags, lounge access, and changes and refunds without a fee.
The cash difference is notable, too. Light and Standard both require $347.10. Flex requires just $39.30.
That’s more than $300 less out of pocket, but it comes at the cost of another 35,000 miles over Standard.
Flying Blue Status Can Change the Equation
Flying Blue status can make some of these choices look different.
Status benefits still apply regardless of which award tier is booked. That includes benefits such as additional baggage allowances and waived change and refund fees where applicable.
Flying Blue even accounts for this on the booking page, showing applicable status benefits above the Light, Standard, and Flex options.
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For someone with status, that could make a cheaper Light award more attractive. If an existing status benefit already covers something Light leaves out, spending more miles on Standard or Flex may not add as much.
Without status, there’s more reason to look closely at what’s included before going with the lowest mileage price.
Flying Blue miles are relatively easy to earn without flying Air France or KLM. The program partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, among others.
That’s a big part of what makes Flying Blue useful. Points already sitting in one of those programs can be transferred when an award comes along.
That hasn’t changed. But redeeming those miles on Air France and KLM now comes with a few more things to consider.
Light can save a meaningful number of miles, but it can also mean no checked bag, no changes or refunds, and even no lounge access in business class. Standard adds many of those benefits back. Flex can require substantially more miles, but comes with fewer restrictions and a lower cash contribution.
The 60,000-mile Business Light example sums up the tradeoff pretty well. Saving 15,000 miles over Standard is meaningful. So is giving up lounge access, a second checked bag, and the ability to change or cancel the trip.
The cheapest Flying Blue award may still be the one worth booking. It’s just no longer the only number worth looking at.
There’s a brand-new welcome offer on the venture_full: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
The offer combines the card’s familiar 75,000-mile bonus with a new $300 credit for hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel.
The venture_short: Capital One Venture Card earns at least 2X miles per dollar on purchases and has a $95 annual fee.
Here’s what to know about the new offer.
Capital One Venture Card Offer Overview
New venture_short: Capital One Venture Card holders can take advantage of the following offer:
{{ credit-card-widget uri=”venture” }}
The 75,000-mile bonus isn’t new. That’s the same number of miles the Venture card offered previously.
The addition is the $300 Capital One Travel Stays credit. It can be used toward hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel during the first cardholder year.
The entire $300 can be used on one booking or split across multiple eligible bookings. If a booking is canceled before the credit expires, Capital One says the credit will be restored as long as it hasn’t expired.
Purchases covered by the credit don’t earn miles.
And importantly, this is a one-time welcome-offer benefit. It’s not a recurring $300 annual credit on the venture_short: Capital One Venture Card.
What Else Comes With the Venture Card?
The venture_short: Capital One Venture Card is fairly straightforward when it comes to earning miles.
Cardholders get unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. The card also earns unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
It has a $95 annual fee and charges no foreign transaction fees. It also includes up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
GORCIA POTURAK / ISTOCK
Capital One miles don’t expire for the life of the account. There are also several ways to use them.
One option is redeeming miles toward eligible travel purchases. Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each this way, making 75,000 miles worth $750 toward eligible travel expenses.
Miles can also be used to book travel through Capital One Travel.
Another option is transferring miles to an airline or hotel loyalty program. Most Capital One partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, including programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and British Airways Club.
Other redemption options include gift cards and cash back. The value of a Capital One mile varies depending on how it’s redeemed.
Who Is Eligible for the Welcome Offer?
There is an important application rule to know about this offer.
“You are not eligible for this product if you have received a new cardmember bonus for the Capital One Venture card or the Capital One Venture X card in the past 48 months.”
That means someone who received a venture_x_full: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card welcome bonus during the past four years wouldn’t be eligible for the venture_short: Capital One Venture Card bonus, either.
Seventy-five thousand Capital One miles can cover $750 in eligible travel purchases. Transferring the miles to an airline or hotel program can open up some different possibilities.
For example, 75,000 miles could be enough for two round-trip economy tickets to Europe, four round-trip tickets on some shorter domestic routes, or even a one-way business-class ticket across the Atlantic.
Those aren’t just theoretical examples. Points Insider found several trips bookable for 75,000 miles, including options for couples, families, and a lie-flat trip to Europe.
The $300 Capital One Travel Stays credit is separate from the 75,000 miles. It could cover part or all of an eligible hotel or vacation rental while the miles are used for something else.
Seventy-five thousand Capital One miles can cover $750 in travel.
Book through Capital One Travel, or make an eligible travel purchase elsewhere and use miles to offset the cost afterward. It’s one of the most straightforward ways to redeem Capital One miles.
Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each when used toward eligible travel purchases. That makes 75,000 miles worth $750.
That could cover a $750 hotel stay, knock $500 off a flight and leave 25,000 miles behind, or pay for travel booked through Capital One Travel.
Capital One offers other ways to redeem miles, too. But not all of them provide the same value. Cash back and redemptions toward non-travel purchases, for example, are worth half a cent per mile.
ADENE SANCHEZ / ISTOCK
Get More Than Face Value on Miles Transfers
Capital One also lets cardholders transfer miles to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs. Most transfer at a 1:1 ratio, so 20,000 Capital One miles would become 20,000 miles or points with the receiving program.
That can work well when an airline offers a flight for fewer miles than it would take to cover the cash price through Capital One. Ditto for hotels.
There’s a little more work involved. Availability comes and goes, taxes and fees can apply, and transfers can’t be reversed. Find the flight or hotel first, then transfer the miles needed to book it.
We searched PointsYeah for trips that could be booked with 75,000 Capital One miles or less. All of the examples below were available when we searched on September 8, 2026.
Take two people to Europe
Flying Blue, the loyalty program shared by Air France and KLM, offers monthly Promo Rewards, which discounts flights from several destinations. This month, more than a dozen flights between North America and Europe start at 18,750 miles each way.
At that price, 75,000 miles is enough for two round-trip tickets.
KLM.COM
There were plenty of other options outside the Promo Rewards list, too.
We found Delta flights from Detroit (DTW) to Reykjavik (KEF) for 18,000 Flying Blue miles plus about $35 one way. The return costs the same number of miles, although taxes and fees jumped to about $310.
KLM.COM
Boston (BOS) to Dublin (DUB) on Delta was available for 19,500 Flying Blue miles plus about $34 one way, again with higher fees on the return from Europe.
KLM.COM
Cover a domestic trip for the family
Seventy-five thousand miles can also cover several shorter flights.
We found American flights from Miami (MIA) to Key West (EYW) for 9,200 Qantas points plus $5.60 each way. Capital One transfers to Qantas, which can use its points to book some American flights.
At that price, four round-trip tickets would require 73,600 miles.
QANTAS.COM
Other examples included American from Dallas (DFW) to San Diego (SAN) for 13,800 Qantas points plus $5.60 each way, and United from Newark (EWR) to Orlando (MCO) for 15,000 Aeroplan points plus about $33 each way.
QANTAS.COM
Escape somewhere warm
A couple could also put 75,000 miles toward a winter trip somewhere warmer.
Delta flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Belize City (BZE) and Grand Cayman (GCM) were available through Virgin Atlantic for 16,500 points each way.
Two round-trip tickets would require 66,000 miles. Belize came with about $8 in taxes outbound and $91 returning, while Grand Cayman was about $6 outbound and $109 back.
VIRGINATLANTIC.COM
We also found United flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Honolulu (HNL) for 17,500 Aeroplan points plus about $46 each way. Two round trips would require 70,000 miles.
AIRCANADA.COM
Splurge on business class
Seventy-five thousand miles can even be enough for a one-way business-class ticket across the Atlantic.
We found several flights through Air Canada Aeroplan for 60,000 points plus about $57 in taxes and fees:
Boston (BOS) to Zurich (ZRH) on SWISS
New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Singapore Airlines
Washington Dulles (IAD) to Brussels (BRU) on Brussels Airlines
Any of those would leave 15,000 Capital One miles behind.
AIRCANADA.COM
Business class gets a lot of attention in the points and miles world, but it isn’t necessarily a better use of the miles. Four economy tickets to Key West could be far more useful than one lie-flat seat to Europe, depending on the trip.
How to Earn 75,000 Capital One Miles
Capital One miles can be earned with several credit cards.
Two options are the venture_full: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and venture_x_full: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Both currently offer welcome bonuses of 75,000 Capital One miles after meeting their respective spending requirements.
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The cards have different annual fees and benefits. Click “Learn More” on either card for its current offer, rates, fees, and other details.
