Something quietly went live overnight that points nerds have been waiting on for over a year.

Alaska Airlines added Philippine Airlines as a partner back in May 2025. The codeshare and earning side of the partnership has been running for a while - but actually redeeming Mileage Plan points on PAL flights? That wasn't possible. Until today.

It's a genuinely exciting development for anyone who holds Alaska miles and has been looking for more ways to spend them on international itineraries. Let's dig in.

Bilt Rewards' August 1 Rent Day offer lets members match to Accor status by transferring points. What is the highest Accor status tier that Bilt Platinum members can match to?

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

The Alaska-Philippine Airlines partnership launched in May 2025, but for more than 14 months, the redemption side was completely absent. Members could earn Mileage Plan miles on PAL flights - but couldn't use those miles to book anything. That changes today.

Philippine Airlines operates an extensive network across the Philippines and Asia, plus long-haul routes connecting Manila to North America, the Middle East, and Europe. This opens up some genuinely interesting routing possibilities for Alaska Mileage Plan holders who've been stuck redeeming on the same roster of partners.

Alaska Mileage Plan has long been one of the most flexible programs in North America thanks to its roster of airline partners. Adding PAL redemptions expands that network further into Southeast Asia - a region where award availability can be genuinely tough to find.

If you're holding Alaska miles and want to check availability on Philippine Airlines flights right now, Award Travel Finder is tracking award space across all partners including this new addition.

One practical tip: use our Alaska Miles Calculator to benchmark the value of any PAL redemption before you pull the trigger. Award rates on newly-added partners can sometimes surprise you in both directions.

Bilt's monthly Rent Day promotion is back on August 1 - that's this coming Friday - and this month's offer is an Accor hotel status match funded by transferring Bilt points.

Here's how it works: Bilt members transfer points to Accor Live Limitless (ALL) and, depending on their Bilt membership tier, can match up to Accor Platinum status through the end of 2027. Bilt Platinum members get the highest match; lower tiers land at Silver or Gold.

This one requires careful thought. Bilt points are genuinely flexible - they transfer to airlines and hotels at strong ratios - so spending them on an Accor status match has a real opportunity cost. It isn't a slam dunk for everyone.

That said, if you regularly stay at Accor properties like Sofitel, Novotel, or MGallery, Accor Platinum unlocks meaningful perks: suite upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and bonus earning on stays. For Heathrow-based travelers in particular, the Sofitel Terminal 5 is a favorite, and Accor Platinum makes that stay materially better.

UK readers - Smart With Points has a full breakdown of how Accor status plays across UK and European properties, which is worth checking before you commit your Bilt points.

The offer only activates on August 1 Rent Day - so mark your calendar and don't transfer early.

JetBlue just revealed the name of its upcoming domestic first class product, which is expected to debut on many of its aircraft later this year. The airline plans to roll out first-class recliner seats across its fleet - any planes that don't already carry the premium Mint cabin will eventually get these new seats.

There's no hard launch date yet - JetBlue says "within the next few months" - but this is a significant product move. JetBlue has traditionally operated a two-cabin model domestically; adding a distinct first class tier reshapes how TrueBlue points redemptions will work for premium seats.

The flip side of the announcement: JetBlue is also bringing basic economy fares to more of its cabins. That means more travelers sitting in restricted fare buckets, with fewer change and cancellation rights. Read the fine print carefully on any JetBlue booking going forward.

For points redemptions, this is worth watching. If you're considering booking JetBlue awards with TrueBlue points, our JetBlue Points Calculator can help you figure out whether points or cash makes more sense on any given route.

The Capital One-Discover merger has been in the news for two years, but the actual account migration started yesterday. Capital One confirmed that all Discover consumer card accounts will transition to Capital One's platform - but it's happening in waves, not all at once.

For most cardholders, day-to-day usage won't change immediately. Your card number, rewards, and terms stay the same in the short term. Capital One hasn't announced a specific timeline for when each wave of accounts moves over.

The bigger question for points enthusiasts is what eventually happens to Discover's cashback rewards structure when it sits inside a Capital One ecosystem that includes Miles and Venture X. That's still TBD - but it's one to watch.

Two buy-points deals drop off the board tonight, so if either fits your travel plans, today is the day to act.

KLM Flying Blue is offering an 80% bonus when you buy Flying Blue miles - and that offer expires tonight. If you're targeting a Flying Blue redemption on Air France or KLM, this is one of the steeper bonuses we've seen from the program recently.

Garuda Miles is running a 50% discount on purchased miles, also expiring tonight. Garuda Indonesia is a useful program for certain Southeast Asia and Australia redemptions, though it's a niche one.

If you're not sure whether buying makes financial sense for a particular redemption, our Buy Points Offers tracker has all the live bonuses in one place, with context on when buying actually pencils out.

Friday July 31 is a big deadline day for transfer bonuses. Three separate bonuses close out this Friday, so if you've been eyeing any of these, you've got three days to move.

Amex Membership Rewards is running a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - one of the better MR bonuses we see to Virgin, which opens up some interesting redemptions on Delta and Air France partner awards. Our Virgin Atlantic Points Calculator can help you model the value before you transfer.

Capital One Miles to EVA Air also carries a 30% bonus through this Friday. EVA's Infinity MileageLands is a solid program for Star Alliance premium redemptions - Business Class to Asia is a sweet spot worth exploring.

And finally, Rove Miles to Frontier Miles is running a 25% transfer bonus, also through Friday. Less glamorous than the other two, but useful if you have Rove miles and Frontier travel coming up.

All current transfer bonuses are tracked in real time at our Transfer Bonuses page - worth bookmarking.

The answer is: Accor Platinum.

Bilt Platinum members can match all the way up to Accor Platinum status through the end of 2027 by transferring points on August 1 Rent Day. Lower Bilt tiers land at Silver or Gold. It's a meaningful perk if Accor properties are in your travel rotation - but the opportunity cost of spending Bilt points is real, so run the math before you commit.

Alaska Mileage Plan just opened up Philippine Airlines redemptions after 14+ months of waiting. Do you hold Alaska miles right now - and is there a specific destination you'd use them for? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response and love seeing where you're planning to go.

A lot happening today for a Tuesday. The Alaska-PAL redemption opening is the one I'm most excited about - it's been a long time coming and genuinely expands what Mileage Plan can do for Asia-Pacific itineraries. And don't forget: KLM and Garuda buy-points deals are gone tonight.

- Jack

We track airline Starlink rollouts, live equipped aircraft, and in-flight Wi-Fi details at SeatWiFi. If connectivity matters on your next trip, check the aircraft before you book.

Flying soon? Check your exact flight on SeatWiFi before you board.

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

1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6... ($6.5/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases with... ($5.5/yr)

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

Points sitting in your account? These are the redemptions worth looking at this week, tracked by Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands - Male, MV | 3.4cpp value | 128,000 pts/night

• Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection - Kohala Coast, HI, US | 1.7cpp value | 97,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria New York - New York, NY, US | 1.7cpp value | 130,000 pts/night

• Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts - Santa Monica, CA, US | 1.9cpp value | 105,000 pts/night

• Crowne Plaza - ANA Kyoto - Kyoto-shi, 26, JP | 1.2cpp value | 31,000 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 → Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

• Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

• Capital One Miles → EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

• Chase Ultimate Rewards → IHG: +100% bonus - ends July 30, 2026

• Citi ThankYou Rewards → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +20% bonus - ends August 22, 2026

• Rove Miles → Frontier Miles: +25% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 85% bonus at (ends August 12, 2026)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at (ends August 27, 2026)

• Breeze Airways (Breezy Rewards): 50% discount at (ends August 27, 2026)

• Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 90% bonus at (ends July 30, 2026)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at (ends August 27, 2026)

• EVA Air (Infinity MileageLands): 40% bonus at (ends August 05, 2026)

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

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

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

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →