Citi Just Added a 10% Cathay Pacific Bonus - And Southwest Is Opening 11 Lounges by 2027

✈️ Miles & Points Daily

Something quietly shifted in the Citi ecosystem yesterday - and if you're sitting on a stash of ThankYou points, it changes your options in a meaningful way.

Which Citi ThankYou transfer partner just received a rare 10% transfer bonus?

• 🇺🇸 American Airlines AAdvantage

• 🇭🇰 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

• 🇶🇦 Qatar Airways Privilege Club

• 🇫🇷 Air France/KLM Flying Blue

The answer is waiting near the bottom of today's newsletter... keep scrolling. 👇

Citi ThankYou Rewards has activated a 10% transfer bonus to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - and the reason this matters is timing. Bonuses between Citi and Cathay are genuinely rare. One Mile at a Time couldn't recall the last time we saw one, and the miles community seems to agree.

So what's Asia Miles actually good for? The program shines when you want to book directly on Cathay Pacific metal - think business class between the US and Hong Kong, or onwards into Southeast Asia. The pricing can be surprisingly reasonable for premium cabins compared to what you'd pay booking through Star Alliance or SkyTeam programs.

A 10% bonus won't change your life, but it does improve the math on any Cathay redemption you were already planning. Transfer 50,000 ThankYou points and you land 55,000 Asia Miles instead. That's the difference between falling just short of a business class award and having enough to pull the trigger.

Worth noting: Citi also recently added Copa ConnectMiles as a transfer partner at 1:1 with no announced bonus. If you covered that story and missed the Cathay angle, this is the follow-up that matters. The ThankYou ecosystem is quietly becoming more interesting.

If you want to see exactly how much your Asia Miles are worth before you transfer, our Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Calculator can help you run the math.

If you have ThankYou points and a Cathay redemption in mind, this is a low-friction reason to move sooner rather than later. No deadline has been publicly announced on this bonus, so treat it as finite.

Southwest Airlines has confirmed it will open 11 airport lounges starting in late 2027. If you've been a Southwest loyalist for years, that sentence probably just broke your brain a little. This is the carrier that built its entire identity around no fees, open seating, and two free checked bags - not exactly the DNA of a lounge program.

But Southwest has been systematically dismantling its old model over the past year. Assigned seating is coming. Premium cabin options are in the pipeline. And now, lounges. The question isn't whether Southwest is changing - it's whether the lounge product will actually be worth seeking out.

Details on which airports make the first wave haven't been fully disclosed yet. What we do know is that Southwest plans to spread across its network and expects to have all 11 locations operational within a few years of the first opening. Access details - whether it will be tied to a credit card, elite status, or a per-visit fee - haven't been confirmed.

For frequent Southwest flyers, this is a development worth watching. The Rapid Rewards program is also running a 50% discount on bought points right now through this Thursday, October 29 - so if you're stacking up currency ahead of potential future redemptions, this week is the window to do it cheaply.

Southwest lounges are real and coming. Don't expect them to rival the Centurion Lounge or United Club anytime soon, but for a carrier that had zero airport hospitality infrastructure a year ago, 11 locations by 2029 or so is a genuine pivot. Watch for credit card tie-ins when the access model is announced.

The Alaska Airlines rebrand to Atmos is still fresh, but the cards that came with it are already drawing serious attention. One Mile at a Time dropped a full review of the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite yesterday and called it one of the best-value premium airline credit cards they've ever seen. That's a big statement in a market crowded with Amex Platinums and Chase Sapphire Reserves.

The Summit is the top-tier personal card in the Atmos Rewards lineup, issued by Bank of America. The mid-tier card - the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature - also got a deep review and was flagged as a must-consider for anyone who flies Alaska or Hawaiian with any regularity.

Without getting into specific numbers that weren't confirmed in the source data, what's clear from the reviews is that the value proposition centers on the Atmos Rewards program itself - the combined loyalty currency for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. If you're on the West Coast, Hawaii-bound frequently, or just looking for an airline card that earns transferable value on a meaningful route network, this is now firmly on the shortlist.

We covered the initial Alaska-to-Atmos rebrand in detail earlier this month if you want the full backstory on how the program works. This card review is the natural next step for anyone who read that and wanted to know whether the plastic backs it up.

If you fly Alaska or Hawaiian even a handful of times a year, both the Summit and the Ascent are worth a serious look. The full reviews on One Mile at a Time break down the specific benefits in depth - well worth 10 minutes of your time before the end of the year when most people reassess their card portfolios.

World of Hyatt has rolled out online points transfers, meaning you can now gift points to another member entirely through the website - no phone call required. This is a long-overdue quality-of-life improvement for anyone who has ever tried to move points around ahead of a booking.

But Hyatt has also introduced new limits alongside the online capability. Members can now gift points no more than once per calendar month and no more than six times per calendar year. On the receiving end, you can accept gifted points no more than once per calendar month either. So the tool is more accessible, but it's been deliberately gated to prevent bulk transfers.

For most people booking a couple of award nights a year, the monthly limit is a non-issue. The real win here is convenience - moving points for a redemption used to mean a hold queue. Now it's a few clicks. If you have a Hyatt award in the pipeline and need a top-up from a family member or travel partner, the friction just dropped significantly.

This Saturday, October 31 is shaping up to be a graveyard for transfer bonuses. Five separate promotions expire that day, and if you've been sitting on points waiting for the right moment, the clock is running.

The standouts: Amex Membership Rewards to Air France/KLM Flying Blue at 25% bonus, Citi ThankYou to Qatar Privilege Club at 35% bonus, Capital One Miles to British Airways Avios at 20% bonus, and if you're a Rove Miles holder, there's a 40% bonus to Flying Blue and a 50% bonus to JAL Mileage Bank both closing Saturday too.

The Rove-to-JAL bonus at 50% is the one I'd highlight for anyone with Japan on the horizon. JAL miles are a genuinely useful currency for booking premium cabins on both JAL and American Airlines metal - and a 50% bonus is the kind of rate that doesn't come around often. You can check all live transfer bonuses in one place to see what else is active.

Also worth noting: the Amex-to-AeroMexico ClubPremier bonus at 20% closes this Friday, October 30 - one day earlier than the rest. Don't let that one slip.

While transfer bonuses are getting most of the attention this week, several buy-points offers are also closing soon. United MileagePlus is offering a 100% bonus on purchased miles through this Saturday - that's the best rate you'll typically see from them and doubles every mile you buy. Delta SkyMiles is running a 50% bonus through Saturday as well.

If you prefer to wait a little longer, JetBlue TrueBlue has a 120% bonus on purchased points running through Thursday November 5 - which is an exceptional rate for TrueBlue and gives you 10 more days to decide. The full current list of buy-points promotions is worth bookmarking if you're planning a redemption in the next few months.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking some strong premium cabin availability on routes where these currencies are most useful - worth a search if you're trying to match a buy-points decision to actual open seats.

The answer is Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Citi ThankYou Rewards just activated a 10% transfer bonus to Cathay Pacific - a rare promotion that the miles community hasn't seen in a long time between these two programs. Transfer soon, as no end date has been publicly announced.

With five transfer bonuses expiring this Saturday, are you planning to move any points before the deadline - or are you holding your stash for something specific? Hit reply and tell me what you're saving up for. I read every response and genuinely love hearing what redemptions people are working toward.

That's a packed Monday. The Saturday bonus deadline is the one I'd focus on first - those rates disappear at midnight and some of them won't be back for months. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.

- Jack

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Business Platinum Card: Welcome offer varies, you may be eligible for an offer. ($8.95/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

3. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend ... ($1.95/yr)

The Award Travel Finder team has been tracking these redemptions - here's what stands out:

Hotels:

• HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa - Kyoto, Kyoto Prefect..., JP | 2.7cpp value | 104,000 pts/night

• Renaissance Boston Seaport District - Boston, MA, US | 3.9cpp value | 56,000 pts/night

• Milaidhoo Maldives, an SLH Hotel - Baa Atoll, MV | 1.4cpp value | 150,000 pts/night

• Conrad Osaka - Osaka, Osaka Prefect..., JP | 1.6cpp value | 100,000 pts/night

• InterContinental Hotels Danang Sun Peninsula Resort - Danang, VN | 1.1cpp value | 81,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Kenya Airways Asante Rewards Status Match - Kenya Airways | SkyTeam

• Malaysia Airlines Enrich Status Match - Malaysia Airlines | oneworld

• Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles Status Match - Philippine Airlines

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → AeroMexico ClubPremier: +20% bonus - ends this Friday (October 30, in 4 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +25% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Capital One Miles → British Airways Avios: +20% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Citi ThankYou Rewards → Qatar Privilege Club Avios: +35% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Rove Miles → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +40% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Rove Miles → JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +50% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 80% bonus at - ends this Thursday (October 29, in 3 days)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at - ends November 23 (in 28 days)

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles): 50% bonus at - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at - ends November 23 (in 28 days)

• Garuda (GarudaMiles): 50% discount at - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue): 120% bonus at - ends Thursday November 5 (in 10 days)

Full live tracker → milesandpointsdaily.com/buy-points-promotions

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

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