You’ve got less than 24 hours left to grab a $1,000 bonus on two of Chase’s best no-annual-fee business cards. Pair either with a Sapphire or Ink Preferred, and it’s worth 100,000 points. Also today: Air France is building a massive new lounge at JFK, and Minneapolis-St. Paul just topped JD Power’s airport rankings for the third year running.
- 🚨 Last Chance at the Cheapest 100K Bonus of the Year
- 🤝 Deal of the Day: Phoenix under $249 Roundtrip
- 📖 Gettin’ Booksy: Jared & Erica Flying First to Phoenix!
- 🇫🇷 Air France is Building a Massive New Lounge at JFK
- 🎙️ Starter Kit: The Best Tools to Get Ahead in Travel
- 🥳 And the Best Airport in the Country Is….
- ✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
🚨 Last Chance at the Cheapest 100K Bonus of the Year
This is it … like, actually … for real: You’ve got less than 24 hours to take advantage of two of the biggest bonus offers of the year.
Here’s the deal: Right now, both the *Ink Unlimited* and the *Ink Cash* cards are offering $1,000 cash back after you spend $8,000 in the first four months.
But these elevated offers end tomorrow, Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. EST … so time is of the essence.
If you already carry a card like the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, or even the Sapphire Reserve for Business, these big bonus offers are even better than they look. With one of those cards in your wallet, you can turn that $1,000 bonus into 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transfer them to Chase’s slew of travel partners for potentially greater value.
Round-trip flights to Hawaii, a business-class ticket to Europe, or tons of free hotel nights with Hyatt – all that and more is possible with 100,000 Chase points.
Best of all? Neither card charges an annual fee, making these offers truly can’t miss.
Now, you might be saying to yourself, “That all sounds great, but I don’t have a business.” Well, you probably do … or at least you could.
You don’t need an LLC or a storefront to qualify for a business card. If you’ve ever done freelance work, sold something on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace, or driven for a rideshare app, you’ve got a business in the eyes of the bank – and that’s enough to apply and earn the bonus.
Lastly, Chase made some changes last year for small businesses applying under a sole proprietorship. You’re now limited to one no-annual-fee Ink bonus per lifetime. If you’ve already got one of these cards, you probably aren’t eligible … unless you’ve got a different business.
But for any small business owner (and that could be you!) who hasn’t had one of these cards yet, these offers are worth a good hard look … before it’s too late.
Get the full scoop on these cards and their limited-time bonus offers!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
🤝 Deal of the Day: Phoenix under $249 Roundtrip
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥
Why we love it: Phoenix flights just got cheaper!
Jump on this huge sale on flights to the desert – with fares starting at just $158 roundtrip this November through February.
Sign up now to get all the details on this deal & don’t miss the next flight deal alert.
Already a member? Log in to see all your deals. (Not seeing it? Remove your airport filters to see every deal.)
– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst
📖 Gettin’ Booksy: Jared & Erica Flying First to Phoenix!
Welcome to Gettin’ Booksy, a celebration of our favorite feeling: Booking something awesome! Book something lately? Let us know at [email protected] to be featured in a future edition of the Extra Mile.
What Did Jared and Erica Book?
The first family of Thrifty Traveler is flying first class for a family trip to Phoenix early next year, thanks to this awesome points redemption!
How’d They Book It?
Jared and Erica booked Minneapolis (MSP) to Phoenix (PHX) in American Airlines First Class for just 15,000 Alaska Atmos and $26 per person each way! That’s the standard rate for American First Class on that route (and economy is only 7,500 each way, too!)
What Makes it So Awesome?
Instead of spending $500-plus for Main Cabin flights (or north of 70,000 Delta SkyMiles per person!) on the same route, Jared and Erica knew that booking through American’s partner could save them a ton of points and miles … while putting them into first class in the process!
By ditching Delta and earning points and miles with another airline, they saved tens of thousands of points and made their trip better all in one fell swoop!
From Jared and Erica:
Using Alaska miles to fly American Airlines domestically is a bonkers deal. Especially for those domestic first class seats!
Enjoy your time off, bosses! Hope first class treats you well.
– Gunnar Olson, flight deal analyst and travel reporter
🇫🇷 Air France is Building a Massive New Lounge at JFK
Air France confirmed this week that it will move all its New York (JFK) operations into the airport’s brand-new Terminal One – not to be confused with Terminal 1 – when it opens next year. And to go along with it, the airline is planning to open a massive new lounge, spanning 29,000 square feet across two levels – its largest outside of France (by far), and roughly triple the size of its current JFK lounge.
The new space will seat more than 400 guests and include a dedicated dining area and bar pouring French wines and champagne – plus there will be areas set aside for beauty treatments, relaxation, and work.
Flying Blue Ultimate members get their own exclusive corner, and La Première passengers will have access to a separate enclave with a custom dining menu designed by a “renowned French chef.” Clearly, Air France wants its ground experience at JFK to match the reputation of its outstanding La Première first class cabin.
An exact timeline for when this all happens is still a bit fuzzy. Air France plans to move into Terminal One in early 2027, and the lounge is expected to open sometime after that – but the airline hasn’t committed to an exact date, so don’t plan a trip around this one just yet.
Access will be limited to Air France and KLM business class passengers, La Première passengers flying to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and SkyTeam Elite Plus members – for Delta SkyMiles members, that means Gold Medallion status or higher (no wonder they need so much space).
The bad news? Flying Blue’s new three-tier award chart means you might not be able to get in when redeeming points and miles for a business class ticket. With this change now in effect, the cheapest “light” fares don’t include lounge access, period. Instead, you’ll need to book a pricier “standard” or “flex” fare.
Bottom line: This is a significant upgrade for Air France’s New York presence and should make the business and La Première ground experience out of JFK a lot better once it’s finished. While the opening timeline is still up in the air, we’ll be sure to pass along a firmer date as soon as Air France releases more details.
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
🎙️ Starter Kit: The Best Tools to Get Ahead in Travel
🧰 Award travel can feel overwhelming and complicated … but not with the right tools and organization. Here are all the websites, apps, and tools we use to organize their credit cards, points, miles, and travels.
Watch it now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And stay tuned for the next installment next week!
🥳 And the Best Airport in the Country Is….
I won’t bury the lede here: It’s Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)! But anyone who lives around these parts – or flies frequently through our home hub – already knew it.
And it’s not just us saying that. That comes straight from JD Power’s annual North America Airport Satisfaction Study. Among the never-ending list of airport rankings, this is really the definitive word.
Minneapolis beat out fellow Delta stronghold Detroit (DTW) and Phoenix (PHX) to nab the top spot. Here’s the rest of JD Power’s top 20 “mega” U.S. airports.
This is no small, bought-and-paid-for ranking either. JD Power surveyed over 24,000 travelers and then ranked the nation’s biggest airports based on ease of travel, facilities, food and beverage options, departure and arrival experience, and other factors.
Again, it’s no real surprise to see MSP on top … because they’ve been here before … a lot. It’s the airport’s third consecutive year in the #1 spot and fourth time since 2022.
We Minnesotans are no strangers to the shameless humble brag, but our home airport deserves it. What stands out most to me is just how dang reliable MSP is: Even when we’re getting pummeled with snow, flights still get on and off the ground on time … while Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) melts down with just a few flakes flying.
Among some of the airports that don’t quite fit the “mega” moniker, Tampa (TPA) and Portland (PDX) took the top two spots. And for even smaller “medium”-sized airports, the lovely Charleston (CHS) topped the podium.
– Kyle Potter, executive editor
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 🏨 Chase is offering a 70% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy through Oct. 15
- 🍾 Delta is rolling out a new wine program Oct. 1, narrowing 1,600 wines down to 13 selections from wineries like Silver Oak and Trefethen. Complimentary Taittinger Champagne is also expanding to all Delta One cabins, domestic included. (Delta Air Lines)
- 🇳🇱 The Points Guy got a first look inside Amex’s new Amsterdam Centurion Lounge, opening tomorrow at Schiphol Airport (AMS). The 6,000-square-foot space has a dedicated coffee bar, a rotating buffet, and a signature cocktail called the Canal House. (The Points Guy)
- 📈 PointsPath Pro’s annual subscription is going up from $79 to $99 starting Oct. 1. (PointsPath)
- 💳 Chase’s Q4 Freedom Flex bonus categories are here: 5% cash back on dining, groceries, and Red Cross donations, up to $1,500 in combined spend. Register by Dec. 14 to earn the bonus on purchases from Oct. 1 through year-end.
