Amex doubled the Platinum hotel credit barely a year ago … and now the bank is making it harder to use. Plus, Alaska just juiced its Atmos card offer, Mexico City from 23K points, Airbnb finally lets you leave the dishes in the sink, and more.
💰 Earn up to 100K Points With an Alaska Atmos Rewards Card
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to pick up an Atmos Rewards credit card, this is it.
Alaska (and Hawaiian) just rolled out new bonus offers across its entire slate of Atmos Rewards credit cards … and they’re some of the biggest bonuses on these cards yet:
- *Atmos Summit*: bonus_miles_full
- *Atmos Ascent*: bonus_miles_full
- *Atmos Business*: bonus_miles_full
Why get excited about a pile of Atmos Rewards points? Because they’re among the most valuable airline currencies out there.
You can fly lie-flat business class to Europe from just 45,000 points one-way on partner airlines like Aer Lingus, American, and Condor. Closer to home, short-haul domestic flights start at just 4,500 points each way in economy.
And best of all, that pricing isn’t just good for Alaska and Hawaiian flights: It also works on American Airlines and many other partners.
That last part is key. Thanks to Alaska’s network of 30-plus airline partners, these points can be a great fit even if you rarely fly Alaska … or never plan to.
Add in perks like the Summit’s annual 25K Global Companion Award and the Ascent’s $99 Companion Fare, and these offers are worth a hard look while they last.
Learn more about these new Atmos Rewards bonus offers!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
🎙️ New Pod Alert: Bookable Biz Class Seats
🥂 12 Biz Class Seats You Can Actually Book with Points
📒 This week on the Thrifty Traveler Podcast, Gunnar and Kyle give you a playbook for finding the flights you want, including which airlines stand out for being easiest to book and some evergreen tips to maximize your chances of finding a lie-flat seat.
Watch it now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
🤝 Deal of the Day: Fly Delta to Mexico City from 23K Points RT!
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥
Why we love it: Book your trip to CDMX with this clever workaround to book nonstop Delta flights!
Use partner miles and book with Air France or Virgin to get these stellar low rates. (And maybe you’ll be as happy as our colleague Jon was in this photo!)
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.
– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst
🏨 Amex Makes the Platinum Hotel Credit Harder to Use
It’s official: Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Amex Platinum cardholders will need to book at least two nights at a Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) property to get the card’s up to $300 semiannual hotel credit.
American Express updated the card’s terms overnight, confirming the change we first reported last week after it surfaced on an Amex test website.
Why does one extra night matter so much? Until now, you could book a single night at one of Amex’s FHR luxury hotels, pay with your Platinum Card, and watch the full $300 come off the bill.
For a lot of cardholders, that was the easiest way to get real value out of the card’s hefty annual fee. Now it takes a second night at a luxury hotel to get there.
Here’s what else changed:
- The benefit gets a new name: the $600 Lodging Credit
- Prepaid Airbnb Luxe rentals now qualify, also with a two-night minimum. Those homes generally start around $1,000 a night
- Platinum cardholders can now earn 5x points on all prepaid Airbnb bookings – so long as you book via Amex Travel
- The Hotel Collection, Amex’s cheaper hotel tier, still requires two nights, as it always has
- The Business Platinum Card gets the same treatment
Barely a year after doubling this credit and making it the centerpiece of a higher annual fee, Amex is making it harder to use. That’s a fee hike dressed up as a benefit change.
You’ve got one last shot at a one-night credit. The credit is tied to when the hotel processes your prepaid charge, not when you check in, so you can book a one-night FHR stay now for travel well into 2027. Just do it in November or early December so a late-December charge doesn’t slip into January and fall under the new rules.
And make sure your dates are firm: Amex can reverse the credit if you cancel or change the booking.
– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder
🇯🇵 PSA: Japan Flight Deals are Hot Right Now
Whether you want to fly economy, premium economy, or business class to Japan, flight deals just keep popping up.
But what do we consider a good deal? I’m so glad you asked. Let’s go cabin-by-cabin to show you what you should aim to pay for your next trip.
What’s a Good Deal for Economy Flights?
To fly in the back, anything below $899 roundtrip is what I would consider a good deal from smaller airports all over the country. If your city has a nonstop flight to Tokyo (HND), I’d say the best rates should be in the $600s (West Coast) or $700s.
If you want to use points or miles, I think spending somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 miles roundtrip is a good rate. We’ve seen American AAdvantage miles deals nationwide for 50,000 miles roundtrip, and Delta SkyMiles rates can dip below 70,000 roundtrip during SkyMiles Flash Sales, too.
What’s a Good Deal for Premium Economy?
Premium Economy is a Japan sweet spot. The still-comfy seats are a big, big step up from economy, but won’t cost you the big bucks (or points) to fly lie-flat.
If you can secure Premium Economy fares to Japan for less than $2,000 roundtrip, that’s a screaming deal. That’s why many of our members were ecstatic about this Delta Premium Select deal (which is still alive if you book ASAP!)
If you want to use points and miles, a good rate for Japan Airlines Premium Economy is 50,000 miles each way – a deal we sent a few weeks ago … and that I booked for a trip this winter!
What’s a Good Deal for Business Class?
Japan Airlines (JAL) and its Mileage Bank program have upended what we used to think was a good deal on lie-flat seats to Japan. That’s because JAL charges shockingly few points to fly business class.
Here’s a screenshot from a recent deal showing a booking available for just 55,000 miles and $353 each way in JAL’s fancy new business class on the A350.
That is now the low-fare standard when flying business class to Japan. Sometimes, you can also book Japan Airlines or Alaska Airlines business class for 60,000 American Airlines miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees.
If you want to fly United, you’ll need a United credit card to book United Polaris for 90,000 miles. To book Delta One Suites, you’ll need to stack up some SkyMiles – typically needing between 90,000 and 125,000 SkyMiles each way.
Bottom Line: In the past three weeks, we’ve sent all of these examples as flight deal alerts to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, signaling that it’s an excellent time to book flights to Japan.
– Gunnar Olson, travel reporter & host of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 💳 Amex Travel now books regular Airbnb stays: Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders earn 5X Membership Rewards on prepaid bookings, and other cards like the Gold earn 2X. Just don’t plan on paying with points. (Airbnb)
- 🧽 Good news for vacation renters: Starting Nov. 20, Airbnb hosts are “generally not allowed” to make guests wash dishes, strip beds, or take out the trash at checkout. Hosts who repeatedly break the rules risk reduced search visibility or even suspension. (Skift)
- 🇦🇪 Emirates will give Skywards members one mile for every minute they spend in Dubai. You have to register and book Emirates or flydubai flights by Nov. 5 for travel through Dec. 13. (Emirates)
- 🍁 World of Hyatt members can earn 1.5 Air Canada Aeroplan points per dollar on Hyatt stays through Feb. 14, on top of their usual Hyatt points. Link your accounts and register by Nov. 11. (Hyatt)
