88 miles. One way to Europe. In a Lufthansa Business Class lounge.

That sentence reads like a mistake, but it isn't. Frequent Miler's Nick is literally writing from the Lufthansa Business Class lounge at Boston Logan right now, about to board a transatlantic connection booked for just 88 miles one way. There are surcharges involved - but the core redemption is real, and the lounge access piece has a wrinkle worth knowing about if you carry an Amex Platinum.

We've got that story, a genuinely useful Chase Freedom Q4 activation reminder, a Citi AAdvantage Executive bonus that's easier to qualify for than most people think, and a Bilt authorized user angle that doubles your household's transfer bonus capacity. Let's get into it.

Which Chase Freedom card currently offers 5% back (or more) on Q4 rotating categories like dining and grocery stores?

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

Frequent Miler’s Nick posted this morning from the Lufthansa Business Class lounge at Boston Logan - and the flight he’s about to board (a Swiss-operated routing from Boston to Zurich to Paris) cost him exactly 88 Miles & More miles one way. There were $339 in real taxes and fees on top - Nick’s personal challenge rules let most of that not count toward his score, but if you book this way yourself, budget for the surcharges. The underlying booking method itself is real and available to anyone sitting on Miles & More miles.

The lounge access piece is also worth flagging separately. Amex Platinum cardholders can access Lufthansa Business Class lounges when flying economy class same-day on any Lufthansa Group airline - and per Frequent Miler, that benefit expires September 30, so you’ve got about a week left to use it if you have a Lufthansa Group flight coming up.

If you're planning a Europe trip and sitting on Aeroplan points, the Chase to Aeroplan 20% transfer bonus running through September 30 could help you land SWISS Business Class for effectively 50k Chase points. Award Travel Finder has been tracking availability on exactly these routes all week.

If you have the Chase Freedom Flex or the legacy Chase Freedom in your wallet, Q4 rotating categories just dropped - and they’re genuinely good this year. From October 1 through December 31, you’ll earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards points if you pair it with a Sapphire card) on dining, grocery stores, and American Red Cross donations. Freedom Flex cardholders can stack even higher on dining specifically - up to 7% - thanks to its existing ongoing dining bonus.

The catch: you must activate the categories by December 14 to earn at these rates. Activation doesn't happen automatically. Head to the Chase app or website and turn it on. Takes about 30 seconds.

On its own, the Freedom Flex earns cash back. But if you also hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, you can pool those Q4 earnings into Ultimate Rewards and transfer them to airline and hotel partners. At 5 points per dollar on groceries and Red Cross donations - and up to 7 on dining specifically for Freedom Flex cardholders - for three months, that’s a serious earning window, especially if you’re trying to top off a points balance before a big redemption. The Chase Points Calculator can help you figure out exactly how much those Q4 groceries are actually worth.

Set a reminder right now to activate on October 1. If you don't have a Freedom Flex yet, there's also an elevated $250 welcome bonus after $500 spend in the first 3 months - making this one of the better no-annual-fee card moments of the year.

The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard is running a limited-time 125,000-mile welcome bonus right now - and the eligibility rules are more permissive than the usual Citi 48-month clock most people assume blocks them. The 48-month rule for this card only applies to the AAdvantage Executive card itself, not to every Citi card you've ever held.

This card also comes with Admirals Club membership, plus a $500 American Airlines Vacations statement credit split into two $250 halves - one usable January through June, the other July through December. Combined with the 125,000-mile bonus, it’s one of the stronger AAdvantage offers we’ve tracked this year.

If you've held any Citi card in the past but not specifically this AAdvantage Executive card in the past 48 months, you're likely eligible. Worth checking before the elevated bonus disappears. We covered the Citi AAdvantage Executive bonus in detail back in September - the eligibility breakdown there is still the most thorough one available.

Here's an underused Bilt feature that flew under the radar until View from the Wing laid it out clearly: adult authorized users on Bilt accounts receive points and Bilt Cash in their own separate accounts. That means if you add a spouse or partner as an authorized user, you each get your own five Points Accelerators and separate Rent Day transfer bonus caps.

The setup View from the Wing describes involves reciprocal Palladium and Obsidian cards - each person holding the other as an authorized user - which unlocks 3x spending categories for both accounts independently. It's not a hack or a workaround; it's exactly how Bilt designed the authorized user structure. But very few people are actually using it this way.

If you're a Bilt cardholder with a partner who also spends on rent or everyday categories, this is one of the cleanest multiplier setups in the loyalty space right now. Two full accounts, two bonus caps, two sets of accelerators.

Wyndham Rewards sent a wave of targeted emails this past week offering rewards after your next stay. Some members are seeing 10 elite night credits toward the next status tier, others are getting 4,000 bonus points, and there may be additional variants in the mix. None of these are publicly available - they're individually targeted based on your account history.

If you haven't checked your Wyndham email in a while, now is the moment. The 10 elite night credit offer is particularly valuable if you're close to a status threshold - Wyndham Gold requires 10 nights annually, and Diamond requires 40. A free 10-night credit after a single stay could compress months of stays into one trip.

Log into your Wyndham Rewards account and check for any promo offers under your profile. If you got one of the 10-night credit offers, a single stay this fall could lock in status for 2027 before the year resets.

This is one of the best buy-miles promotions running right now and it closes this Friday, September 25. Avianca LifeMiles is offering a 145% bonus on purchased miles - meaning if you buy a base amount, you're getting nearly 2.5x the miles deposited. LifeMiles is a strong Star Alliance currency that prices well on Lufthansa, SWISS, and other partners, often without fuel surcharges.

Air Canada Aeroplan is also running a 100% bonus on purchased miles through this Friday - double miles on every purchase. With the Chase to Aeroplan 20% transfer bonus also running through September 30, you have two ways to top off Aeroplan before that window closes. Check the full buy-points tracker for every live offer right now.

A quick flag before the weekend: the 30% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to British Airways Avios, Iberia Avios, and Aer Lingus Avios all expire this Sunday, September 27. If you've been sitting on Amex points and have a British Airways redemption in mind - or a Qatar Avios booking, since BA Avios and Qatar Avios are now part of the same IAG pool - this is the last few days to move points at the bonus rate.

UK readers - Smart With Points has a full breakdown of how to stack these Avios bonuses for maximum value, including the Iberia angle that often gets overlooked.

The answer is the Chase Freedom Flex. The legacy Chase Freedom also qualifies - but the Freedom Unlimited does NOT participate in rotating quarterly categories. It earns a flat rate across all purchases. Easy to mix up, costly if you forget to activate.

Do you actually activate your Chase Freedom quarterly categories every time - or do you always forget until it's too late? I'm genuinely curious how many people are leaving 5-7% on the table without realizing it. Hit reply and tell me your system (or lack of one) - I read every response!

That's all for today. The 88-mile Europe flight is the kind of thing that reminds me why this hobby is worth paying attention to - there are still genuine outlier redemptions out there if you know where to look. More tomorrow.

- Jack

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

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend ... ($1.95/yr)

3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points Plus A $250 Statement Credit after yo... ($6.5/yr)

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

Hotels:

• The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto - Kyoto, JP | 2.1cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

• The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort - Bora Bora, PF | 3.9cpp value | 130,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria New York - New York, NY, US | 1.9cpp value | 130,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria Park City - Park City, UT, US | 2.1cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

• InterContinental Osaka - Osaka, Ôsaka [Osaka], JP | 1.3cpp value | 118,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

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

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

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

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → Aer Lingus Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 4 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → British Airways Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 4 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +30% bonus - ends October 14 (in 21 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Iberia Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 4 days)

• Capital One Miles → JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +30% bonus - ends Wednesday September 30 (in 7 days)

• Chase Ultimate Rewards → Air Canada Aeroplan: +20% bonus - ends Wednesday September 30 (in 7 days)

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 100% bonus at - ends this Friday (September 25, in 2 days)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at - ends October 22 (in 29 days)

• Avianca (LifeMiles): 145% bonus at - ends this Friday (September 25, in 2 days)

• Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 80% bonus at - ends Friday October 2 (in 9 days)

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles): 50% bonus at - ends October 31 (in 38 days)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at - ends October 22 (in 29 days)

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 →