✈️ Miles & Points Daily

☀️ TRENDING MILES & POINTS NEWS

• 💳 Capital One Venture Business: 150K mile welcome bonus is being pulled on June 8 - apply now or miss it

• ✈️ Alaska Flights: Nonstop summer flights to Anchorage available from just 12,500 Atmos Rewards points

• 🏨 Hilton Hack: Waldorf Astoria free night trick lets you book sold-out rooms that aren't showing online

• 🚨 Deal Alert: Hilton Honors buy-points 100% bonus and Southwest 45% discount both expire tomorrow, May 29-30

There's a window open right now that closes faster than most people expect - and today we're covering two of them with hard deadlines in the next 48 hours.

One is a business card with one of the biggest welcome bonuses in Capital One's history. The other is a buy-points deal that disappears before the weekend. Let's get into it.

🤓 Miles & Points Trivia

Flying Blue is the loyalty program for which airline alliance?

• 🌍 SkyTeam (Air France-KLM)

• ⭐ Star Alliance (Lufthansa)

• 🍀 oneworld (British Airways)

• 🦅 None - it's independent

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

💳 Capital One Venture Business 150K Bonus - June 8 Is Your Last Day

Why This One Is Different From the Old Spark Miles

The Capital One Venture Business card launched several weeks ago as a rebranded version of the former Capital One Spark Miles - and the improvements are real. But what matters most right now is the welcome bonus: up to 150,000 miles, and it's going away on June 8, 2026.

That's 11 days from today. If you've been on the fence about a business travel card, this is the moment to stop sitting on it. Capital One miles transfer to over 15 airline and hotel partners, including Turkish Airlines, Avianca LifeMiles, and Air Canada Aeroplan - programs known for outsized redemption values in business and first class.

150K Capital One miles is enough for multiple business class flights to Europe or a long-haul first class redemption depending on the partner. Once this offer is gone, it's gone - there's no guarantee it comes back at this level.

🚨 Deal Alert: Alaska from 12,500 Points This Summer

Coastal Alaska in summer is something else - nearly 20 hours of daylight, wildlife, hiking, and temperatures in the 60s. And right now, you can fly nonstop to Anchorage this summer for as few as 12,500 Atmos Rewards points. That's a genuinely strong rate for a nonstop to one of the country's most bucket-list destinations.

If you don't have Atmos Rewards points sitting around, it's worth knowing that Alaska flights also price out well on Alaska Mileage Plan - often under 20,000 miles one-way for domestic routes. Use our Alaska Miles Calculator to see what your stash is worth before booking.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking availability on Alaska routes this summer - worth checking before you commit to a redemption strategy.

🏨 The Waldorf Astoria Booking Trick That Actually Works

When Hilton Says 'No Availability' - Try This

Here's a scenario that more people need to know about. You have a Hilton free night certificate from the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. You find the property you want - a Waldorf Astoria - and the website says no availability. Most people stop there and rebook somewhere else. Don't.

The trick is to call Hilton directly and ask for award availability rather than searching online. The online system and the phone inventory are not always the same. Agents can sometimes see - and book - rooms that don't appear on the website. This works especially well with free night certificates because the backend treats them differently from standard paid or points bookings.

Free night certificates from the Aspire card are good at nearly any Hilton property worldwide, which means the value ceiling is extremely high. A night at a Waldorf Astoria that would cost $600-$1,500 in cash suddenly becomes a single certificate. That's the kind of return that makes the Aspire's annual fee very easy to justify.

✈️ Flying Blue Just Updated Its Status Match - New Countries Added

Who's Now Eligible and What It Costs

Air France-KLM's Flying Blue program has been running a paid status match promotion on and off for a while, and they just overhauled which countries are eligible. The update is significant - several additional countries have been added to the list, expanding access to travelers who were previously shut out.

The paid status match has always had residency requirements, and those still apply. But if you hold status with another airline and have been eyeing Flying Blue Silver or Gold, this promotion is worth checking. Flying Blue elite status unlocks priority boarding, lounge access on eligible flights, and upgrade priority on Air France and KLM routes.

One thing to be aware of: the Chase Ultimate Rewards to Flying Blue transfer bonus at 20% ends TODAY, May 28. If you're planning to transfer points to Flying Blue ahead of a booking or to top up an account, today is your last chance to get that bonus. Don't let it expire while you're reading this.

🚨 Deal Alert: Buy Points Before These Two Offers Die Tomorrow

Two buy-points deals are expiring in the next 48 hours and both are genuinely worth considering if you have a redemption in mind.

Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus on purchased points at 0.5 cents per point, but this one expires May 29 - that's tomorrow. If you're planning a Waldorf Astoria or Conrad stay and want to top up, this is the last window. At 0.5 cents per point with a 100% bonus, you're effectively buying Hilton points at 0.25 cents each - well below the typical redemption value at luxury properties.

Southwest Rapid Rewards is offering a 45% discount on purchased points at 1.65 cents, expiring May 30. If you're chasing a Companion Pass or just need to top off for a specific redemption, this discount window is one of the better Southwest buy-points deals of the year. Check out our full buy-points promotions tracker for every current offer.

💳 Is the Amex Gold Card's $325 Fee Actually Worth It?

The 4x Categories Do Most of the Heavy Lifting

The American Express Gold Card carries a $325 annual fee, and the question of whether it's worth it comes up constantly. The short answer: for almost anyone who eats at restaurants and buys groceries regularly, the math works out strongly in your favor.

The card earns 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets - categories that are genuinely hard to beat. The real question is whether you actually use the $424 in annual credits the card offers. If you do, you're effectively getting paid to hold the card before you earn a single point.

Membership Rewards points transfer to over 20 airline and hotel partners, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, and Hilton Honors (with a 20% transfer bonus to Hilton ending May 30 - use our Amex Points Calculator to run the numbers before you transfer). For a full breakdown, our Is the Amex Gold Worth It guide covers every credit in detail.

🌎 Trivia Reveal

The answer is A - SkyTeam. Flying Blue is the joint loyalty program for Air France and KLM, both members of the SkyTeam alliance. It's one of the more underrated programs in the points world, with strong partner availability and genuinely competitive award pricing on transatlantic routes. And as a reminder, your last chance to transfer Chase points to Flying Blue with a 20% bonus is today.

💬 Quick Question

Have you ever called a hotel directly and unlocked award availability that wasn't showing online? The Waldorf Astoria story today reminded me that so many readers don't know this trick exists. Hit reply and tell me your best booking hack - I read every single response and love hearing your wins.

That's it for today. The Capital One Venture Business deadline is the one I'd act on fastest - June 8 is closer than it feels, and 150K miles doesn't come around often. Don't let this one slip.

- Jack

🗺️ Wallpaper of the day: Los Angeles (LAX)

Los Angeles (LAX) — from the World Hubs pack

Frequent flyer? Make every device look the part. 5+ hand-designed airport maps, formatted for iPhone, iPad, Mac and desktop.

💳 Best Card Signup Offers Right Now

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

1. The Platinum Card: 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in 6 months ($8.95/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in y... ($5.5/yr)

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve: 150,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ($7.95/yr)

💎 Best Award Availability We Found

If you're planning a redemption, check these out first. Data from Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort - Dhaalu Atoll, MV | 3.0cpp value | 122,000 pts/night

• Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa - Maui, HI, US | 1.3cpp value | 67,000 pts/night

• Hermitage Bay, an SLH Hotel - St. Mary, AG | 1.9cpp value | 150,000 pts/night

• Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts - Santa Monica, CA, US | 2.4cpp value | 105,000 pts/night

• InterContinental Hotels Boston - Boston, MA, US | 1.6cpp value | 75,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue (Iberia) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +20% bonus - ends May 30, 2026

• Capital One Miles → Qantas Frequent Flyer: +20% bonus - ends May 31, 2026

• Chase Ultimate Rewards → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +20% bonus - ends May 27, 2026

• Rove Miles → Air Canada Aeroplan: +25% bonus - ends June 06, 2026

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air France–KLM (Flying Blue): 80% bonus at 1.69¢ (ends May 31, 2026)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage®): 40% discount at 2.26¢ (ends June 13, 2026)

• Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 80% bonus at 1.61¢ (ends June 10, 2026)

• Garuda Indonesia (GarudaMiles): 20% bonus at 1.79¢ (ends June 13, 2026)

• JetBlue (TrueBlue): 125% bonus at 1.43¢ (ends June 10, 2026)

• Lufthansa (Miles & More): 60% bonus at 1.28¢ (ends May 31, 2026)

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

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

🔥 Hot Cash Flight Deals

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →