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Southwest Is Planning Its Biggest Summer Schedule Ever

Southwest Airlines is planning its busiest summer yet.

The airline opened its summer 2027 schedule for booking on October 3, with as many as 4,498 flights scheduled on peak days between June 3 and August 2. That’s a lot of flying.

It’s also the most Southwest has ever scheduled for a summer, with some of the biggest growth centered around Austin, Nashville, and San Diego.

There are plenty of new routes mixed in, too, including more international flights from Austin and Nashville.

Southwest Is Adding 7 Seasonal Routes From Austin

Austin is getting one of the biggest expansions.

Southwest plans to operate as many as 143 departures from the airport, including seven seasonal routes. Five of those haven’t previously been offered by the airline.

The biggest additions take Austin outside the U.S. Southwest will add weekend flights to Liberia, Costa Rica; Nassau, Bahamas; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, during June and July.

Those join existing Southwest flights from Austin to Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and San José, Costa Rica.

Domestically, Southwest is bringing back daily summer service to Portland, Oregon, and Saturday flights to Sarasota. Savannah gets weekend service, while Bozeman is also getting Saturday-only flights.

It’s a fairly substantial summer expansion for an airport where Southwest already has a big presence. And there’s more investment coming.

Austin is one of the first four airports where Southwest plans to open its own airport lounges.

Nashville Keeps Growing

Southwest is going even bigger in Nashville, where it plans to operate as many as 220 flights during summer 2027.

That’s up to 20 more daily departures than summer 2026 and the airline’s largest summer schedule yet in Nashville.

Three new seasonal routes are coming with it. Southwest will add flights from Nashville to Boise, Nassau, and Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Seasonal service to Bozeman and Portland will return as well.

Worth noting: Nashville is also getting one of the airline’s first lounges, which is already under construction.

More on This: Southwest Airlines Shares Updates on Lounges, Premium Card, and Long-Haul Flying

More Flights Are Coming Elsewhere, Too

San Diego will have as many as 150 Southwest flights during the summer.

That includes up to six daily flights to Austin on peak days and three weekday flights to Seattle. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only seasonal service between San Diego and Oklahoma City, alongside returning summer routes to Bozeman, Columbus, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.

Las Vegas and Orlando are growing, too.

Southwest plans as many as 278 flights from Las Vegas, 12 more than the previous summer, while Orlando will reach as many as 173, an increase of 17.

Seasonal daily service between Las Vegas and Anchorage will also return in June. Bozeman gets returning seasonal flights to Chicago Midway and Dallas.

Altogether, Southwest says its summer schedule will reach 4,498 flights on peak days. That amounts to its largest ever.

The new schedule covers travel from June 3 through August 2, 2027, and flights are already available to book.

October 3, 2026
Alaska Airlines Is Selling Atmos Rewards Points With up to a 120% Bonus
Buying airline points might sound like an unnecessary extra step. After all, if a flight is available, why not just pay for it?

Sometimes there’s a good reason. Buying the points needed to book a flight can cost less than paying for airfare directly.

Alaska Airlines sells Atmos Rewards points throughout the year and periodically runs promotions that lower their cost. There’s little reason to buy just because a sale is happening. But with a trip already in mind, it takes only a few minutes to see whether buying points could save money.

Current Atmos Rewards Buy Points Offer

Alaska Airlines is currently offering up to a 120% bonus when buying Atmos Rewards points through October 19.

There’s a catch with that “up to” language. The offer appears to vary by member, and it’s not clear what determines who gets the full 120% bonus. A 100% bonus appears to be more widely available.

With a 100% bonus, Atmos Rewards points cost about 1.88 cents each after the 7.5% federal excise tax. Members targeted for the 120% bonus can buy them for about 1.71 cents each.
- Current promotion: Up to 120% bonus
- Price per point: About 1.71 cents with a 120% bonus; about 1.88 cents with a 100% bonus
- Offer ends: October 19, 2026
- Purchase limit: Up to 100,000 points per transaction before the bonus
- Annual limit: 150,000 points purchased or received as gifts; no annual purchase limit for Atmos Rewards elite members
Buy Atmos Rewards points directly from Alaska Airlines

Alaska runs points sales periodically, 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.

{{ buy-points-history type=”airline” program=”Alaska Atmos Rewards” }}

More on This: Current Buy Points and Miles Offers

When Buying Atmos Rewards Points Makes Sense

The easiest way to decide whether buying points makes sense is to compare what the flight costs in cash with what it would cost to buy the points needed to book it.

The math is simple:

Points needed × current price per point = cost to buy the points

Say a flight is available for 20,000 Atmos Rewards points. At roughly 1.88 cents each with a 100% bonus, buying those points would cost about $376.

If the same flight costs $500 in cash, buying the points could come out ahead. If it costs $300, paying cash is the easy choice.

Members targeted for the 120% bonus have slightly better math. Those same 20,000 points would cost about $342 at roughly 1.71 cents each.

That’s why the percentage bonus isn’t especially useful on its own. What matters is the price of the flight, how many points it requires, and what those points cost to buy.

MAK STUDIO / ISTOCK

More on This: How to Search for Flights with PointsYeah

Don’t Buy Points Just Because They’re on Sale

There’s little reason to stock up on Atmos Rewards points without a trip in mind. Alaska sells points regularly and runs purchase promotions periodically.

Instead, start with the flight. Check the cash price, search how many Atmos Rewards points it requires, and calculate what those points would cost to buy.

Sometimes cash wins. Sometimes points do.

And when buying the points costs less, it can be a straightforward way to save on a flight that was already in the plans.
October 2, 2026
American Airlines Is Adding Cash and Miles Bookings

In the near future, American Airlines will introduce another payment method for booking flights: cash and miles.

American announced on October 2 that “in the coming weeks eligible AAdvantage members will be able to combine cash and miles when booking flights on aa.com and American’s digital app.”

Even though this feature isn’t live yet, American has already published enough details to give us a pretty good idea of how it’ll work.

Cash and Miles Will Show Up During Checkout

There won’t be a separate cash and miles search.

Instead, members will log in to an AAdvantage account and search for flights using cash as usual. After selecting a flight and getting through the trip insurance prompt, American will display any available cash and miles options.

A slider will let members choose from the available combinations. Move the slider, the price updates, and whatever is left gets paid in cash.

But American’s cash and miles terms reveal that there won’t necessarily be a single exchange rate between AAdvantage miles and dollars.

The airline says the rate can vary depending on the destination, itinerary, flight, or service. American will also decide which combinations of cash and miles are offered, and those choices can vary based on how many miles are in an account.

So, 10,000 miles could theoretically knock a different amount off one ticket than another. We won’t know what those numbers actually look like until cash and miles bookings go live.

It’s also not yet clear whether the option will be limited to flights operated by American and American Eagle or extend to eligible partner-operated flights booked through American.

TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER

You’ll Still Earn Miles and Loyalty Points

Using miles to cover part of a ticket won’t stop the remaining cash portion from earning AAdvantage miles.

American says members will earn base miles (and therefore Loyalty Points) on the part paid in cash. That includes the base fare and carrier-imposed fees, but not government taxes and fees.

There are a few other quirks buried in the terms. Taxes and fees always have to be paid in cash, and cash and miles won’t necessarily be available for every destination, fare, itinerary, flight, or seat.

Once one of these tickets is booked, it can’t be changed, either. If plans change, the reservation needs to be canceled and booked again.

If a ticket is eligible for a refund, the miles go back to the AAdvantage account. The cash portion follows the normal rules for the fare.

More on This: How to Change an American Airlines Award Flight Online

How Useful This Is Comes Down to the Math

For someone sitting on, say, 15,000 AAdvantage miles without enough to cover an entire flight, cash and miles gives that balance another potential use. Those miles could instead knock down the cash price of an eligible ticket.

Whether that’s worth doing is a question for a little bit later on.

American already made clear that the value of those miles can change from one booking to another. Until the feature goes live, we don’t know whether using 10,000 miles might save $100, $150, or something else entirely, for better or worse.

But once cash and miles starts appearing on aa.com and in the American app, we’ll check some actual flights and see what American is offering.

October 2, 2026
United and American Are Using Starlink to Try to Win Over Delta Elites
Airline status matches aren’t anything new. But using better onboard Wi-Fi as the reason to uproot and switch loyalty programs is.

United Airlines launched a limited-time status match aimed specifically at Delta and American elites, and there’s really no ambiguity about how it’s pushing the offer.

On the landing page, big, bold font reads, “Don’t keep buffering: switch to United and get the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky.”

But United isn’t the only airline making a play for Delta elites right now.

American is also promoting a status match that includes Delta members, along with elites from United, JetBlue, and Southwest. And while American doesn’t have Starlink onboard yet, nor does its status match really emphasize Starlink at all, it’s taking the moment to try to woo travelers anyway.

The timing isn’t the least bit random.

Delta is taking a different approach to its next generation of onboard Wi-Fi. The airline selected Amazon Leo, which won’t begin rolling out until 2028. That decision generated plenty of chatter on social media this week, and United and American are now trying to capitalize on the moment.

More on This: Airline Status Matches Can Turn One Elite Status Into Another

United Is Making Wi-Fi the Reason to Switch

United isn’t disguising this as a routine status match.

The offer is built around Starlink, which United is already rolling out across its fleet. Eligible Delta and American elites have through October 15 to apply and submit proof of their existing status.

If approved, the corresponding United Premier status kicks in for 90 days.

Keeping it through January 31, 2028, comes down to how much is spent on United or United Express flights during that period:
- Premier Silver requires $1,500
- Premier Gold requires $3,000
- Premier Platinum requires $4,500
- Premier 1K requires $7,000
The status match itself isn’t particularly unusual. Airlines have used them for years to give another carrier’s best customers a relatively painless way to switch allegiances.

And with this offer, United is betting that its onboard experience, and faster Wi-Fi specifically, might be enough to get some Delta and American elites to give it a try.

American Wants Delta Elites, Too

American’s pitch isn’t nearly as pointed.

Its current status-match offer is open to eligible elites from Delta, United, JetBlue, and Southwest. Delta members can match all the way from Silver Medallion to AAdvantage Gold, up through Diamond Medallion to Executive Platinum.

Approved members get four months of matched AAdvantage status through American’s Instant Status Pass. Keeping it requires hitting a Loyalty Point target every four months, with thresholds ranging from 13,000 Loyalty Points for Gold to 67,000 for Executive Platinum.

There’s no formal deadline to apply.

Unlike United, though, American isn’t selling its status match on Starlink. It can’t quite do that yet.

Starlink installations aren’t scheduled to begin until the first quarter of 2027. But once they do, American plans to equip more than 500 Airbus narrowbody aircraft, including its A321neos and new A321XLRs. It’s not yet known if or when the airline plans to extend that coverage to its Boeing 737 and 787 fleets.

So, for now, United is the only one of the two that can legitimately use Starlink as part of the pitch. But both airlines are courting Delta elites at the same time they’re making Starlink part of their onboard experience.

Whether Wi-Fi is actually enough to convince someone to change airline loyalty programs is another question. United, at least, seems interested in finding out.
October 2, 2026
Wyndham Is Selling Rewards Points With up to a 90% Bonus
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.

Wyndham Rewards sells points throughout the year and periodically runs promotions that lower their cost. There’s little reason to buy just because a sale is happening. But with a Wyndham stay already in mind, the program makes it particularly easy to see whether buying points could save money.

That’s because Wyndham prices free nights at one of four tiers: 5,000, 15,000, 30,000, or 45,000 points per room.

Current Wyndham Buy Points Offer

Wyndham is currently offering up to an 80% bonus when buying points, dropping the purchase price to about 0.72 cents each.

Wyndham credit cardholders get an even better offer: up to a 90% bonus, bringing the price down to roughly 0.68 cents per point.
- Current promotion: Up to 80% bonus, or up to 90% for Wyndham credit cardholders
- Price per point: About 0.72 cents, or 0.68 cents for cardholders
- Offer ends: October 21, 2026
- Offer purchase limit: 100,000 points before the bonus
- Annual purchase limit: 100,000 points before any bonus
Buy Wyndham Rewards points directly from Wyndham

Wyndham runs points sales periodically, so there’s rarely a reason to buy solely because a promotion is happening or ending soon. The history below shows how the current offer compares with previous ones. Click the arrow to see past offers.

{{ buy-points-history type=”hotel” program=”Wyndham Rewards” }}

More on This: Current Buy Points and Miles Offers

What Wyndham’s Free Night Tiers Cost During This Sale

Wyndham’s four-tier redemption structure makes the math super simple.

At the current sale price, here’s roughly what it would cost to buy enough points for one night at each tier using the best-available rate at each bonus:

Points per night 80% bonus 90% cardholder bonus
5,000 points $36 $34
15,000 points $108 $102
30,000 points $216 $204
45,000 points $324 $306

That doesn’t mean every 15,000-point Wyndham hotel is automatically a good deal at $102 or $108 per night. It just gives an easy number to compare with the cash price.

If a hotel requiring 15,000 points costs $175 for the same night, buying the points could come out ahead. If it costs $90, paying cash makes more sense.

That’s really all there is to it.

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort. WYNDHAM

When Buying Wyndham Points Makes Sense

The easiest way to decide whether buying points makes sense is to start with a specific hotel.

Check how many points it requires, calculate what those points would cost under the current promotion, and compare that with the cash price for the same room.

The math is simple:

Points needed × current price per point = cost to buy the points

Wyndham’s redemption tiers make that calculation especially easy during this promotion. A 30,000-point night, for example, effectively costs about $216 in purchased points with the 80% bonus or $204 with the 90% cardholder offer.

It’s still worth comparing the same room and dates. Taxes, resort fees, and other charges can differ depending on how a stay is booked, so the headline room rate doesn’t always tell the whole story.

More on This: How to Search Hotels With Points and Miles Using PointsYeah

Don’t Buy Points Just Because They’re on Sale

There’s little reason to stock up on Wyndham points without a stay in mind. Wyndham runs purchase promotions periodically, and another offer will eventually come along.

Instead, start with the hotel. Check the cash price, check which redemption tier it falls into, and calculate what those points would cost to buy.

Sometimes cash wins. Sometimes points do.

And with Wyndham’s four redemption tiers, figuring out which one is cheaper takes very little math.
October 1, 2026
4 Chase IHG Credit Card Offers Worth up to 200,000 Points

IHG and Chase offer four co-branded hotel credit cards (three for personal use and one for business), and each one comes with its own welcome bonus.

The offers range from 125,000 points on IHG’s no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard to 200,000 points on the brand-new IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard after meeting the minimum spending requirement.

Here’s a look at each card and what’s currently available now that the cards were refreshed in October 2026.

IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard

The IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard is IHG’s no-annual-fee personal card and the least expensive option.

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The card comes with automatic Silver Elite status and five Elite Night Credits each calendar year. Cardmembers can also unlock the fourth night free on four-night stays booked with points after spending $5,000 on the card.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard

The IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard sits in the middle of IHG’s personal card lineup with a $150 annual fee.

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The card includes an anniversary free night worth up to 50,000 points, up to $100 annually in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards, a $100 annual airline statement credit, and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash.

Cardmembers also receive 15 Elite Night Credits each year and automatic Gold Elite status.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard

The IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard is the newest and most expensive personal card in IHG’s lineup. It comes with a $350 annual fee.

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Beyond the welcome offer, the card comes with up to $300 in annual IHG Food & Beverage Rewards, a $200 annual airline statement credit, and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash.

Cardmembers also receive an anniversary free night worth up to 60,000 points, automatic Platinum Elite status, and 20 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. Those 20 nights are enough to unlock IHG’s first Milestone Reward without any hotel stays.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard

The IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard rounds out the lineup and carries a $200 annual fee.

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The card includes an anniversary free night worth up to 50,000 points, automatic Platinum Elite status, and 15 Elite Night Credits each year.

It also comes with up to $100 annually in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards, a $100 annual airline statement credit, and up to $100 annually in Expensify statement credits.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

Who Is Eligible for These Offers?

The eligibility rules are a little different depending on the card.

For the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards card and the Premier card, the restriction applies across IHG’s personal credit card lineup. Neither card is available to current cardmembers of any personal IHG One Rewards credit card or previous cardmembers who received a new cardmember bonus from any personal IHG One Rewards credit card within the past 24 months.

The new Premier Select works differently. Its restriction applies specifically to the Premier Select rather than the entire personal IHG card lineup.

That means having another personal IHG card doesn’t, by itself, trigger the Premier Select restriction. Instead, the card isn’t available to current Premier Select cardmembers or previous cardmembers who received a welcome bonus on the Premier Select within the past 24 months.

October 1, 2026
Marriott Transfers to Aeroplan Get a 15% Bonus This Month

One of the lesser-known ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points is transferring them to dozens of airline partners.

Yes, dozens.

On a normal day, Marriott offers transfers to the majority of these partners at a 3:1 ratio. So, transfer 60,000 Marriott points to an airline partner and receive 20,000 miles or points. But for a limited time, one of those partners is getting a boost.

Through October 31, Air Canada is advertising the “only chance this year” to snag a 15% bonus on Marriott Bonvoy point transfers to Aeroplan.

60,000 Marriott Points Become 28,750 Aeroplan Points

This month only, Marriott Bonvoy point transfers to Aeroplan are 15% more rewarding.

Here’s how it works. Aeroplan will add 15% more points to an account after a transfer from Marriott Bonvoy. And there’s already a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

In other words, transferring 60,000 Marriott points to Aeroplan at the standard 3:1 ratio nets 20,000 Aeroplan points. The 5,000-point bonus brings that total to 25,000, and then the 15% transfer bonus gets tacked on top.

So, transfer 60,000 Marriott points to Aeroplan during October and the final total is 28,750 Aeroplan points.

Program members can transfer up to 240,000 Marriott points per day, and the bonus points may take between eight and 10 weeks to land in an account.

To transfer, click here and log in to your Marriott Bonvoy account.

Generally speaking, the 3:1 transfer ratio should at least give some pause before automatically transferring Marriott points, especially without a specific use in mind. But even without a transfer bonus on the table, these Marriott conversions offer a backdoor way to earn more airline miles.

It just so happens that transferring to one particular partner is a little more rewarding this month.

October 1, 2026
Bilt Is Cutting Its Hyatt Transfer Ratio to 4:3 in 2027

In a few months’ time, Bilt will water down transfers to one of its top hotel partners.

On October 1, Bilt announced that effective January 1, the transfer ratio to World of Hyatt will drop from 1:1 to 4:3. In other words, a transfer of 10,000 Bilt Points to Hyatt will soon net 7,500 points compared to 10,000 today.

This change isn’t entirely unprecedented. Today, Chase officially enacted a similar change by trimming its Ultimate Rewards transfer ratio to Hyatt to an identical 4:3 on select cards.

But unlike Chase, there doesn’t appear to be a way to salvage 1:1 transfers, even if you hold Bilt’s most premium credit card with a $495 annual fee.

There’s Still Three Months at 1:1

Thankfully, nothing is changing today.

But if the strategy is earning Bilt Points and transferring them to Hyatt, consider this fair warning.

December 31 will be the last day Bilt offers transfers to Hyatt at 1:1. Starting the day after, that ratio will get a 25% haircut.

It goes without saying that changes like this are broadly unappealing. Hyatt has long been viewed as one of the darling transfer partners in the world of points and miles.

But after recent award chart changes, and now two announcements of watered-down transfer ratios from Chase and Bilt, that reputation might be losing a bit of its luster.

Sure, World of Hyatt recently made some award nights cheaper with that award chart expansion, but it’ll soon require more transferable points to book free nights.

October 1, 2026
Atmos Rewards Communities: 6 Benefits Worth Knowing About
More than a year after teasing the launch of a string of Atmos Rewards Communities, Alaska Airlines has made good on its promise.

Atmos Rewards Communities are personalized groups that offer program members extra perks and benefits on travel. And some of these benefits are designed to make the program a lot more engaging.

Six different communities are live as of October 1, each with its own benefits.

6 Unique Communities With Different Benefits

These Atmos Rewards Communities offer program members (Atmos Rewards is free to join) benefits tied to the way they travel.
- Huaka’i by Hawaiian: Free bags, Neighbor Island discounts, and 50% more points on inter-Island travel starting January 1, 2027. Only for Hawaii residents.
- Club 49: Free bags to, from, and within Alaska, plus intra-state deals and cargo discounts. Only for Alaska residents.
- Global Locals: Earn 10% more status points on flights that begin and/or end outside the United States.
- Culinary Journeys: Earn up to 10,000 points on travel to culinary destinations, plus 20% off food and wine experiences with Atmos Rewards Unlocked.
- Active Escapes: Earn up to 10,000 points at outdoor-oriented destinations, plus 20% off outdoor experiences with Atmos Rewards Unlocked and special partner offers.
- Families On the Go: Get 20% of points back on award travel for kids 12 and under. Plus, earn up to 10,000 points at top family destinations.
Elite status with Atmos Rewards isn’t a prerequisite for joining a community. And neither is there a cash outlay for joining.

Joining is free and can be done by logging into an Atmos Rewards account, clicking on the community that sounds most interesting, and clicking the “Join” button.

And the nice part is that members can change communities every year to take part in the benefits that most align with how they travel.

6 Atmos Rewards Community Benefits Worth Knowing About

Loyalty programs are becoming a lot more personalized to boost engagement. And there are benefits within each community that should pique the interest of all kinds of people.

Six in particular are worth knowing about.

In the Huaka’i by Hawaiian community, the benefit most worth knowing about is 50% more points on flights between the islands. This community is designed for commuters, and if flights between the islands are a regular occurrence, they’ll get more rewarding once this perk goes live on January 1.

Club 49 is similar to the one above. Alaska residents can join for savings on both luggage and freight. So if packing light isn’t an option, members can take advantage of two free bags when traveling to or from Alaska, or three free bags when flying entirely within Alaska on Alaska Airlines.

Things get more broadly appealing with the Global Locals community. Members can expedite their way to status with 10% more status points on flights that begin or end outside the U.S.

DAVEALAN / ISTOCK

Culinary Journeys is more useful for those who like to eat, or just happen to travel to traditionally foodie-oriented destinations. Community members can earn up to 10,000 bonus points and status points after flying to 10 acclaimed dining destinations, including Tokyo, New York, Chicago, London, and more. Destinations are set to rotate again in 2028.

Active Escapes offers something similar. Community members can earn up to 10,000 bonus points and status points after visiting 10 gateway cities to U.S. national parks. Destinations for this year and next include Bozeman, Jackson Hole, Kona, and more, and will rotate again in 2028.

Atmos Rewards’ Families On the Go community is perhaps the most benefit-rich. The crown jewel perk is 20% of points back on kids’ award flights. If you redeem Atmos Rewards points for a child 12 or under on a flight operated by Alaska, Hawaiian, or one of their redemption partners, 20% of those points will be returned once you fly.
October 1, 2026
IHG Overhauls Its Credit Card Lineup and Launches a New $350 Card

IHG and Chase are making some pretty substantial changes to their credit card lineup. This includes a brand-new premium card that’ll slot in right at the top.

That announcement is obviously the flashiest, but the changes go further than just the launch of one card.

IHG’s three existing Chase cards are also getting new benefits, welcome offers, new names in some cases, and a couple are getting higher annual fees on top of that.

Some changes tip the scales as good, others not so much.

The New Premier Select Card Comes With a $350 Annual Fee

The biggest addition is the IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard. This card immediately becomes the most expensive card in IHG’s lineup.

On the benefit side, cardmembers receive up to $300 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards to use at IHG properties, a $200 annual statement credit for qualifying airline purchases, and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash.

There’s also an anniversary free night worth up to 60,000 points. And cardmembers will have the ability to add IHG points to that certificate to unlock a more expensive redemption.

The card will also offer 20 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. That’s enough to immediately unlock IHG’s first Milestone Reward, and cardholders can earn another two Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 spent on the card.

The card also includes automatic Platinum Elite status and the fourth night free on four-night stays booked with points.

On the surface, this status level comes across as “meh” since IHG’s other cards have offered it as well, but that’s about to change a little bit.

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort. IHG

The Existing Premier Card Is Changing, Too

The IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard isn’t going anywhere, but its annual fee is jumping to $150.

To justify the ~50% increase, the card will offer up to $100 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards and a $100 annual airline statement credit, while its anniversary free night increases to a 50,000-point cap.

Cardmembers will also receive 15 Elite Night Credits each year, plus another two for every $5,000 spent.

Now about that automatic elite status. With these changes, the revamped version comes with Gold Elite status rather than Platinum Elite status.

However, cardmembers can unlock Platinum Elite after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.

IHG’s No-Annual-Fee and Business Cards Are Getting Updates

The IHG One Rewards Traveler Card is being renamed the IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard.

Outside of that cosmetic change, the card is keeping its $0 annual fee and adding five Elite Night Credits each year. However, its fourth-night-free benefit will now require $5,000 in card spending.

InterContinental Buenos Aires. IHG

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card is also getting a new name: the IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard. Its annual fee is increasing all the way to $200. That’s more than a 100% increase from its old $99 annual fee.

But new benefits have been added to help justify that hike as well.

These include up to $100 annually in Food & Beverage Rewards, a $100 airline statement credit, up to $100 in annual Expensify credits, and 15 Elite Night Credits each year. Its anniversary free night will also increase to a 50,000-point cap.

The business card will continue to offer Platinum Elite status, or Diamond Elite for cardmembers that spend $50,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.

Timeline for Existing Cardmembers

Existing IHG cardmembers won’t necessarily see all of these changes immediately.

Chase says they’ll receive more information later in October about which new and updated benefits apply and when they take effect. However, Chase did specify that annual fees will be adjusted in 2027.

October 1, 2026