Happy New Year! Today's lineup includes Delta's operational disaster that cancelled 689 flights in three days, JetBlue's surprise partnership cut ending Japan Airlines award bookings, and a massive 400K Capital One bonus that won't last long. Let's dive into what actually matters for your miles and points strategy as we kick off 2026.

Delta just experienced a scheduling meltdown that had nothing to do with weather. Between December 28-30, the airline cancelled 689 flights due to a union contract timing trap that broke their pilot staffing system.

The problem? Automated trip offers and auto-accept windows created a perfect storm. Open trips piled up faster than schedulers could award them, and the cascading effect meant cancellations continued even after conditions normalized. For passengers caught in the chaos, this serves as a reminder that even the 'on-time machine' has vulnerabilities—and why trip insurance matters.

Speaking of Delta struggles, there's actually good news on the status front if you're looking to earn elite status in 2026...

Delta may be the easiest major airline to score elite status if you're willing to get a few credit cards. The shortcuts include automatic Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) from card spend, anniversary bonuses, and stackable benefits across multiple Delta cards.

The Delta Reserve cards offer the most direct path with substantial MQD waivers and status boosts. Combined with strategic flying during bonus promotions, you could hit Silver status with minimal actual flights. This is particularly valuable as Delta continues expanding premium cabin availability and Sky Club access tightens.

JetBlue just confirmed its loyalty partnership with Japan Airlines is ending. March 31, 2026 is the final day to book JAL flights using TrueBlue points, bringing an abrupt end to one of the more valuable redemption options in the program.

If you've been eyeing Japan, act now. This particularly hurts for premium cabin redemptions, where JAL offers excellent business class products across the Pacific. Cash bookings aren't affected, and codeshare flights will continue—but the award redemption window is closing fast.

For finding alternative award availability to Japan, check out Award Travel Finder to compare options across all Star Alliance and oneworld carriers.

Capital One is offering a massive welcome bonus on the Venture X Business card—but the spending requirement is equally substantial. You can earn up to 400,000 bonus miles with this limited-time offer, though how much longer it'll stick around is anyone's guess.

The catch? You need significant business spend to unlock the full bonus. But for those who can meet the requirements, we're talking about enough miles for multiple premium cabin flights to Europe or Asia. Capital One miles transfer to 15+ airline partners at 1:1, making them highly flexible.

Meanwhile, the personal Venture X also bumped to 100,000 miles after $10,000 spend—ending January 5th. If you've been on the fence, now's the time.

Alaska Airlines is running a rare fare sale through New Year's Eve offering 10%-20% off paid fares with promo code THANKYOU20. Eligible routes include flights to/from the US, Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

This is particularly interesting if you're working toward Alaska status or have their credit card—you'll still earn full miles and qualifying dollars on discounted fares. The sale excludes London flights despite the promotional images, but West Coast to Hawaii and transcontinental routes are all fair game.

Starting today, Bilt Rewards members will begin earning Bilt Cash—a new rewards currency within the ecosystem. You'll earn $50 in Bilt Cash every time you accumulate 25,000 Bilt Points, redeemable at local merchants in the Bilt network.

The value proposition is straightforward: $10 of Bilt Cash equals $10 with merchants. This effectively adds a fixed-value redemption option alongside the existing transfer partners and rent payment benefits. For those maxing out the monthly rent payments, this creates another layer of value on top of your point transfers.

Caesars Rewards in Atlantic City is launching a new status match offer in 2026 that's notable for one reason: it's open to both new and existing accounts. Historically, Caesars has only offered matches for new accounts, making this a rare opportunity.

If you hold Diamond status with another casino program, this could unlock benefits like room upgrades, priority check-in, and waived resort fees across Caesars properties nationwide. The qualifying requirements haven't been fully detailed yet, but this represents a meaningful shift in Caesars' matching policy.

That wraps today's biggest moves in miles and points. From Delta's operational lessons to limited-time card bonuses and partnership changes, there's plenty to act on as we start 2026. The JetBlue-JAL deadline and Capital One bonuses won't wait—so if either interests you, mark your calendar now.

For comprehensive airline coverage and more stories, explore our airline tag pages and stay tuned for tomorrow's edition.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

Active transfer bonuses worth considering:

Airline programs:

Hotel programs: