There's a window closing today that I think a lot of people are going to miss. The 100% transfer bonus from Choice to Air France KLM Flying Blue ends tonight - April 24 - and if you've been sitting on Choice points, this is the moment to act. More on that in a second.

But there's plenty more to dig into today: JetBlue is quietly reshuffling who boards when, United is giving us the bad news on fares, Chase just made its travel portal meaningfully better, and the Spirit Airlines bailout story gets stranger by the day. Let's get into it.

Quick question before we dive into the stories:

What is the current Points Boost maximum value Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can get when redeeming Ultimate Rewards through Chase Travel at select properties?

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

Starting April 29, JetBlue is switching to a numbered boarding system - goodbye to the mix of names and letters that has confused passengers for years. The new structure uses numbered groups, and the notable change is that EvenMore Space passengers (the extra-legroom seats) are now elevated to Group 2, placing them right behind Mosaic elite members and Mint travelers.

If you've ever paid for an EvenMore seat and still found yourself wedged into a middle boarding wave, this is an improvement worth noting. It also signals that JetBlue is trying to create clearer tiers of perceived value - getting you on the plane earlier when you've paid for a premium seat is one of the simplest loyalty gestures an airline can make.

For those tracking JetBlue's longer-term trajectory, the airline's CEO also publicly ruled out a bankruptcy filing for 2026 - though notably only for 2026. That carefully worded statement tells you something about the financial tightrope smaller US carriers are walking right now. You can check our JetBlue TrueBlue coverage for any loyalty program developments as things evolve.

United Airlines confirmed this week that it has raised airfares five times since the global jet fuel crisis took hold. With average jet fuel prices up nearly 73% since February - driven largely by the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz - carriers are passing those costs directly to passengers.

United was also one of the first US airlines to raise checked bag fees, which now start at $45 for the first bag. And the airline isn't sugarcoating the outlook: executives said higher fares may be here for a while.

This is the environment where points and miles become genuinely more valuable. A redemption that saves you $600 on a round-trip you'd have to pay cash for hits very differently when cash fares are climbing fast. If you want to stress-test whether your points are keeping up, our Award vs Cash Calculator is worth a bookmark right now.

For readers who want to track route cuts across all airlines as fuel pressure mounts, we're following those closely in our airline news coverage.

This is the one you don't want to sleep on. The 100% transfer bonus from Choice Rewards to Air France KLM Flying Blue expires today - April 24. That means every Choice point becomes two Flying Blue miles, effectively cutting the cost of any Flying Blue redemption in half.

Flying Blue is one of the more flexible programs out there - you can use it to book on Air France, KLM, and a wide range of SkyTeam partners. If you have Choice points sitting idle, now is the time to move them.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking Flying Blue availability across SkyTeam routes - worth checking if you want to see what's bookable before you transfer.

There are also a few other transfer bonuses running right now worth knowing about. Chase Ultimate Rewards to IHG is offering a 70% bonus through April 30 - one of the more generous IHG promos we've seen in a while. And Chase to Air Canada Aeroplan has a 20% bonus running through the same date. You can see all active transfer bonuses on our transfer bonuses page.

Two Chase Travel updates landed this week, and together they make the portal meaningfully more valuable for Sapphire cardholders.

First: Chase Travel has partnered with Plum Guide, a curated vacation home platform, giving select Sapphire cardholders the ability to book high-quality vacation rentals through the portal and earn Ultimate Rewards points on those stays. This was previously a perk available only to Freedom and Ink Business cardholders. It's a smart expansion - vacation rentals are now a significant chunk of how people travel, and being able to earn points on them through Chase Travel changes the math.

Second - and this one caught a lot of people off guard - the Chase Travel Points Boost has been increased to 2.5 cents per point at a selection of properties. When Chase refreshed the Sapphire Reserve last year, it replaced the old flat 1.5cpp and 1.25cpp redemption rates with Points Boost, which started at 2cpp for select bookings. Seeing that nudged to 2.5cpp at certain properties is a notable step up.

At 2.5cpp, your Chase points are approaching the kind of value you'd expect from a premium transfer partner redemption - without the hassle of award availability searches. That said, the elevated rate applies to a small number of select properties, so you'll need to identify which ones qualify in the portal before booking. Use our Chase Points Calculator to see how your balance stacks up.

If you're wondering whether the Sapphire Reserve still justifies its annual fee in this environment, we have a deep-dive on exactly that question.

The relationship between American Airlines and Alaska Airlines just got a lot more interesting. Reports emerged yesterday that American had actually explored a full merger with Alaska - and while those talks didn't progress, the two carriers are now working toward a revenue-sharing deal that would deepen their already unusually close partnership.

The logic is clear on both sides. American desperately needs stronger relevance on the West Coast, where it trails Delta and United badly. Alaska gains global reach and more loyalty value by tying itself more tightly into the AAdvantage ecosystem. A revenue-sharing arrangement stops well short of a merger but could still meaningfully change how these two programs interact.

For AAdvantage members, the direction of travel here is positive - more Alaska codeshare coverage and potentially better mileage earning on Alaska flights could be in the pipeline. Worth keeping an eye on. You can follow all American Airlines stories here. And speaking of American, the airline also announced this week that its ConciergeKey members - its most elite, invitation-only tier - will get access to PS private terminals, including upcoming locations in Dallas and Miami. That's a genuinely impressive perk for a genuinely small slice of travelers.

The Trump administration is reportedly nearing a $500 million bailout deal for Spirit Airlines. Spirit - which has already gone through bankruptcy, burned through private capital, and failed to find a viable business model - would receive federal funds to avoid full liquidation.

This matters to the miles and points community because a Spirit rescue on these terms could set a precedent for how struggling carriers are treated going forward - and because it raises real questions about market dynamics in the ultra-low-cost sector. If Spirit survives artificially, it affects competition and potentially fare pricing across the board.

We covered the initial Spirit story last Sunday when the bailout concept first surfaced. The deal now appears closer to being formalized, with the Wall Street Journal reporting the administration is nearing an agreement. For more airline industry news and changes as they happen, check out our airline news tag.

Frankfurt Airport's long-awaited Terminal 3 has started its phased opening, which is genuinely big news for a German aviation landscape that hasn't had a lot of good infrastructure news in recent years. Terminal 3 will eventually house most non-Schengen carriers, taking pressure off the aging Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 setup.

The first lounge to open in the new terminal is the SkyTeam Flagship Lounge. It's been billed as a flagship facility - but early reports suggest it's reasonably nice without being exceptional. If you're flying a SkyTeam carrier through Frankfurt and have lounge access, you'll use it. Just don't expect it to change your life.

If you're planning a Frankfurt connection soon, it's worth checking FlightQueue for estimated wait times at FRA - the phased terminal opening means some processes are still bedding in.

A quick scan of what's live and worth knowing about right now:

The Avianca LifeMiles buy points promotion is offering a 160% bonus at just 1.27 cents per mile - one of the most aggressive buy rates available right now. It ends April 28, so you have about four days to decide. LifeMiles is a genuinely powerful program for booking Star Alliance premium cabin awards, so stocking up here at this price can make a lot of sense if you have a specific redemption in mind.

Capital One Miles to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank also has a 30% transfer bonus running through April 30. JAL is one of the best ways to book premium cabin redemptions on oneworld partners, and we've covered some exceptional sweet spots through that program. If you have Capital One miles and any Japan or Asia travel on the horizon, this is worth a hard look. See all current promos on our buy points promotions page.

Not everything needs to be an award booking, of course. Friday Flight Deals has been tracking some genuinely good cash fare options for summer travel - worth checking if you're flexible on how you pay.

The answer is C - 2.5 cents per point.

Chase quietly increased the Points Boost ceiling from 2.0cpp to 2.5cpp for select properties in Chase Travel. It only applies to a handful of properties right now, but it's a meaningful improvement and one to watch as Chase expands which hotels qualify. At 2.5cpp, you're getting legitimate premium redemption value without leaving the portal.

That's all for today - see you tomorrow with more!

Whether you're spending hotel points or airline miles, these are the standout deals right now via Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

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

See all status matches →

Browse all award deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →

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.

Airline programs:

Hotel programs:

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

1. Business Platinum Card: 200,000 points after spending $20,000 in 3 months ($895/yr)

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve: 125,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ($795/yr)

3. American Express Gold Card: 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in 6 months ($325/yr)

4. Ink Business Preferred: 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in 3 months ($95/yr)

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

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →