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Travel the SUB - Way, York, ME (2026)

10/02/2026

🏨 IHG Just Shook Up Its Credit Card Lineup

Chase and IHG have launched a new premium card and updated their existing IHG One Rewards cards. There are four limited time welcome offers available through November 18:

• Premier Select: 200,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in three months; $350 annual fee.
• Premier: 180,000 points after $3,000 in three months; $150 annual fee.
• No annual fee IHG card: 125,000 points after $2,000 in three months.
• Business: 190,000 points after $5,000 in three months; $200 annual fee.

The new Premier Select is aimed at frequent IHG guests. It includes automatic Platinum status, 20 elite night credits each year, a free night certificate with a 60,000-point cap, and up to $300 a year in food and beverage rewards. Those dining rewards come as $75 quarterly vouchers, so their value depends on how often you stay at IHG hotels.

There’s an important change for Premier cardholders: the annual fee is increasing from $99 to $150, and automatic status is moving from Platinum to Gold. In return, the anniversary free night cap increases from 40,000 to 50,000 points, with the option to add points for a more expensive night. The no annual fee card also changes: its fourth reward night free benefit will require $5,000 in card spending starting in 2027.

My take: The bigger welcome offers are appealing, but I’d choose based on the benefits I’d actually use after year one. If you already have an IHG card, watch for a notice from Chase this month explaining when your specific changes begin.

Travel the Sub-Way

09/25/2026

⚾ Capital One Miles Can Get You Great MLB Seats — If You Find the Right Tickets

As a baseball fan, this is one of the more interesting ways I’ve seen to use Capital One miles. Capital One Entertainment has offered a limited number of Cardholder Exclusive seats near the field for 5,000 miles per ticket at regular season MLB games.

The key is the label. Look for “Capital One Cardholder Exclusive” when selecting seats. Capital One also displays tickets marked “Powered by Vivid Seats” in the same search results; those can cost substantially more miles and may have added fees. The exclusive tickets are scarce, with Frequent Miler reporting just four seats per game, so the best games can disappear fast.

Playoff update: Wild Card and Division Series listings have started appearing, but don’t expect the regular season price. Frequent Miler spotted an NL Wild Card ticket at 18,750 miles, and availability may change at any time.

If you have an eligible Capital One rewards card, sign in and compare the miles price with nearby seats before checking out.

Travel the Sub-Way

09/24/2026

🚂 You can now use Bilt points to book Amtrak travel

Bilt Rewards has added Amtrak Guest Rewards as its first rail transfer partner. The rate is 2:1, so 2,000 Bilt points become 1,000 Amtrak points.

I like this option for trips such as Boston to New York, where the train can take you from city center to city center. It also gives points travelers another way to consider Amtrak’s scenic, longer routes, including trips with sleeper accommodations.

The catch is the transfer rate. Before moving points, check the Amtrak points price against the cash fare and think about what else you could book with those Bilt points. Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments and can’t be reversed, so find the trip you want first.

Would you use your points for a quick train ride or save them for a cross-country adventure?

Travel the Sub-Way

09/14/2026

Our Almost-Free Atlanta Weekend: Points, Music, Baseball and a Few Surprises ✈️🎶⚾️🍲

Carla and I squeezed a lot into one night in Atlanta: a concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a Braves game, and a stay at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. Points and travel benefits covered most of the trip—but we found a way to earn points along the way, too.

We flew Southwest using points for my ticket and the Companion Pass for Carla’s. Both flights were on time, and Southwest’s boarding process was as efficient as ever. For a quick weekend trip, smooth travel makes a difference.

I booked the Grand Hyatt with a free night certificate. At check-in, my Hyatt Globalist status got us upgraded to a club-level suite. Club access added practical value, too: we enjoyed a complimentary light dinner Saturday before the concert and breakfast Sunday morning.

Saturday night was the highlight. At Atlanta Symphony Hall, Mike Campbell performed songs he wrote with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, accompanied by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We had used points for balcony tickets, then received another unexpected upgrade—to seats in the middle of the house. The performance was amazing. Hearing those familiar songs with a full orchestra, from such great seats, made for a night we won’t forget.

On Sunday, we headed to Truist Park for a Braves game, with those tickets also covered by points. It was a fitting finish to a weekend built around two of our favorite things: live music and baseball.

Of course, we still needed rides around Atlanta. We usually rely on Uber, but this time we chose Lyft to take advantage of the 5X points we earn on Lyft rides with our Chase Sapphire card. It was a small decision, but it meant we weren’t just burning points on this trip—we were earning some back.

Was the weekend completely free? No. We still paid for rides, food beyond the club meals, and airline taxes and fees. But points covered the event tickets and one Southwest fare, the Companion Pass covered Carla’s fare, and a Hyatt certificate covered the hotel night. Add in the suite upgrade, club meals and points earned on our Lyft rides, and this little getaway delivered far more than we paid out of pocket.

That’s why we collect points. They help turn a “Wouldn’t it be fun to go?” conversation into an actual weekend away—and give us a head start on the next one.

09/09/2026

💳 ENDING SOON: TWO OF MY FAVORITE CHASE BUSINESS CARD OFFERS

If you’ve been considering a Chase Ink business card, this may be the time to act.

The Ink Business Cash® and Ink Business Unlimited® are both offering their best welcome bonuses we’ve seen:

💰 $1,000 cash back
💳 Spend $8,000 in the first 4 months
💵 $0 annual fee

And Chase is now specifically marking both offers:

“OFFER ENDING SOON.” 👀

✈️ BUT HERE’S WHY TRAVELERS SHOULD REALLY CARE

That $1,000 doesn’t necessarily have to remain $1,000 cash back.

The rewards are earned within the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. If you have an eligible Chase card that permits transfers and combine your rewards appropriately, that $1,000 can effectively become 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points that can potentially be used with Chase’s airline and hotel partners.

And that’s where the travel possibilities become much more interesting.

🥇 INK BUSINESS CASH — MY FAVORITE OF THE TWO

This is the one I’d choose if you can take advantage of its bonus categories.

You earn:

🖨️ 5% at office supply stores
📱 5% on internet, cable and phone services

That’s on the first $25,000 in combined purchases in those categories each account anniversary year.

You also earn:

⛽ 2% at gas stations
🍽️ 2% at restaurants

on the first $25,000 in combined spending in those categories each anniversary year, and 1% elsewhere.

For travel hackers, 5X at office supply stores can be extremely useful, particularly when stores such as Staples or Office Depot run promotions that fit spending you were already planning.

🥈 INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED — KEEP IT SIMPLE

Don’t want to keep track of categories?

The Ink Business Unlimited earns:

💳 Unlimited 1.5% back on every purchase

No categories. No earning cap. And still no annual fee.

For businesses with a lot of expenses that don’t fall into bonus categories, that’s a very simple setup.

💡 TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TAKE

I prefer the Ink Business Cash.

The welcome offers are identical:

$1,000 / potentially 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points

$8,000 minimum spend

4 months

$0 annual fee

So if I can get the same welcome bonus and also have access to those 5X office-supply, internet, cable and phone categories, I’m taking the Ink Cash.

But there’s no bad choice here. If most of your business spending falls outside traditional bonus categories, the Unlimited’s flat 1.5% may make more sense.

⚠️ ONE IMPORTANT CHANGE

Chase’s current terms say the new-cardmember bonus may not be available if you’ve ever had this card OR another no-annual-fee Chase for Business card. Chase also says it may consider other factors related to your business when determining bonus eligibility.

That’s something I’d pay very close attention to before applying.

🔥 BOTTOM LINE

Two $0-annual-fee cards.

Two best-ever $1,000 welcome offers.

Potentially 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points.

And now Chase says they’re ending soon.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to add an Ink card and can meet the $8,000 minimum spend naturally and without carrying a balance, I’d have these offers near the top of the list.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

09/08/2026

💳 CAPITAL ONE VENTURE: 75,000 MILES + $300 TRAVEL CREDIT

There’s an elevated offer available on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and this one deserves some attention if you’re looking for a new travel card.

The offer combines 75,000 Capital One miles with an additional $300 travel credit.

🎁 THE WELCOME OFFER

New cardholders can receive:

✈️ 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months

PLUS

🏨 $300 travel credit toward eligible hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year

That’s a nice combination because you’re getting both transferable miles and a credit that can offset an actual travel expense.

✈️ WHY 75,000 CAPITAL ONE MILES MATTER

Capital One miles aren’t limited to booking travel through Capital One.

You can transfer miles to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, which can potentially unlock considerably more value than simply redeeming them at a fixed rate.

That’s where learning how to use transfer partners — and taking advantage of occasional transfer bonuses — can really pay off.

💰 DON’T OVERLOOK THE $300 CREDIT

The extra $300 credit makes this offer particularly attractive.

If you’re already planning a hotel stay or vacation rental that can be booked through Capital One Travel, that’s $300 you potentially don’t have to spend out of pocket.

Combine that with 75,000 miles, and you’re starting your relationship with the card with a substantial amount of potential travel value.

💡 TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TIP

As always, look at the minimum spending requirement first:

$4,000 in 3 months = about $1,333 per month.

If you can comfortably meet that requirement with purchases you were already going to make — and pay the card in full — this is the type of welcome offer worth considering.

Don’t spend $4,000 because you want 75,000 miles.

Instead, use $4,000 of spending you were going to do anyway to earn 75,000 miles + a $300 travel credit.

That’s how we turn everyday spending into future trips.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

09/08/2026

✈️ SOUTHWEST IS GETTING AIRPORT LOUNGES!

Southwest Airlines continues to reinvent itself — and this may be one of its biggest changes yet.

For the first time, Southwest will have its own airport lounge network, developed in partnership with Chase.

The first lounges are expected to begin opening in late 2027.
🛋️ THE FIRST FOUR LOCATIONS

Southwest has announced:

📍 Austin (AUS)
📍 Baltimore (BWI)
📍 Honolulu (HNL)
📍 Nashville (BNA)

And that’s only the beginning.

Southwest says at least seven additional lounges are planned over the following years, meaning we’re looking at a network of at least 11 Southwest lounges.

🍹 WHAT WILL THEY BE LIKE?

Don’t expect a couple of chairs and a bowl of pretzels.

Southwest says the lounges will draw from the experience of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network, featuring:

🍽️ Locally inspired food
🥂 Food and beverages
🔌 Places to recharge
💻 Areas to work
🛋️ Comfortable spaces to relax
✨ More premium amenities

Southwest says each location will incorporate some of the character of its city.

💳 HERE’S THE PART THAT REALLY HAS MY ATTENTION

How do you get in?

Southwest has confirmed that Chase will launch an entirely new premium Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card in 2027, and that card will provide access to the Southwest lounge network.

We don’t yet know:

❓ Annual fee
❓ Welcome bonus
❓ Earning categories
❓ Guest privileges
❓ Exact lounge-access rules

But this sounds very much like Southwest is preparing to enter the premium travel-card market.

And THAT could be interesting.

💡 TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TAKE

For years, Southwest has occupied a very different space than American, Delta and United.

No fancy cabins. No airport lounges. A relatively straightforward loyalty program.

That’s changing.

We’ve already seen assigned seating and extra-legroom options. Now Southwest is adding lounges and a premium credit card as it tries to attract travelers willing to pay for a better airport experience.

For points-and-miles travelers, the new credit card may ultimately be the bigger story than the lounges themselves.

What will Chase charge for it?

How big will the welcome bonus be?

Will it help earn the Companion Pass?

And perhaps most intriguing: Will the relationship with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network eventually create some type of reciprocal lounge access?

AwardWallet raises that possibility, but Southwest hasn’t announced it, so for now that’s something to watch rather than count on.

Southwest with airport lounges. Who would have thought we’d be saying that a few years ago?

I’ll be watching this one closely as we learn more about the new card and the additional seven lounge locations.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

08/30/2026

💳 5 CURRENT CREDIT CARD OFFERS — WHICH ONES ARE ACTUALLY WORTH IT?

There are some BIG credit card offers floating around right now, but a big number doesn’t automatically make something a great deal.

I looked at five current offers featured by point.me/CardRatings. Here’s how I would rank them for someone interested in using credit card rewards for travel.

🥇 #1 — CHASE INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED

🔥 EXCELLENT — ONE OF MY FAVORITE OFFERS

Current offer:

💰 $1,000 cash back
💳 Spend $8,000 in the first 4 months
💵 $0 annual fee
📈 Unlimited 1.5% back

Chase itself calls this its best offer ever on the Ink Business Unlimited.

But here’s the part travel hackers should understand:

That $1,000 can effectively be 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. If you have an eligible Chase card that enables transfers, those rewards can be combined and potentially transferred to Chase travel partners.

That makes this considerably more interesting to me than simply getting $1,000 cash.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The $8,000 spending requirement is substantial, but you have four months to complete it. If your business can naturally spend $2,000 a month, this is an outstanding opportunity.

Travel the Sub-Way Verdict: APPLY-WORTHY 🔥

⸻

🥈 #2 — SAPPHIRE RESERVE FOR BUSINESS

🔥 INCREDIBLE BONUS — BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE

Current offer:

🎁 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points
💳 Spend $30,000 in 6 months
💰 $795 annual fee

Yes — 200,000 Chase points.

That’s enormous.

Chase currently values those 200,000 points at $4,000 toward select flights and hotels through Chase Travel and says the card can provide $7,000+ in total first-year value when its various benefits are included.

You also get benefits including a $300 annual travel credit, lounge access and elevated earning on travel and certain business expenses.

So why isn’t this #1?

$30,000 minimum spend.

That’s $5,000 per month for six months.

For a business that naturally spends that much, this could be one of the most lucrative bonuses available.

But I’m not spending an extra dollar just to earn points.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the right business

Travel the Sub-Way Verdict: MONSTER OFFER 🦖 — but only if $30K of natural spending is realistic.

⸻

🥉 #3 — AMERICAN EXPRESS GOLD

👍 POTENTIALLY EXCELLENT

Current offer:

🎁 As high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points
💳 Spend $8,000 in 6 months
💰 $325 annual fee

Notice the words:

“AS HIGH AS.”

Your offer could be 100,000 points, but Amex says welcome offers vary.

If you’re offered the full 100K, I like this quite a bit.

The Gold is also an excellent points-earning machine:

🍽️ 4X at restaurants worldwide, up to the annual spending cap
🛒 4X at U.S. supermarkets, up to the annual spending cap
🏨 5X on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel

Membership Rewards can then be transferred to numerous airline and hotel programs.

My Rating at 100K: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At a substantially lower targeted bonus, I’d be less excited.

Travel the Sub-Way Verdict: CHECK YOUR OFFER 👀

⸻

#4 — HILTON HONORS AMEX SURPASS

👍 VERY GOOD FOR HILTON PEOPLE

Current featured offer:

🏨 130,000 Hilton Honors points
💳 Spend $3,000 in 6 months
💰 $150 annual fee

This has by far the easiest minimum-spending requirement of these five offers.

The Surpass also earns 12X at Hilton properties, 6X at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, 4X on U.S. online retail and 3X on other eligible purchases.

But don’t compare 130,000 Hilton points directly to 100,000 Chase or Amex points.

They’re completely different currencies.

Flexible Chase and Amex points are generally much more versatile because you can choose among multiple transfer partners. Hilton points are Hilton points.

If you regularly stay at Hilton, though, this card can make plenty of sense.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Travel the Sub-Way Verdict: GOOD — especially for Hilton loyalists.

⸻

#5 — WELLS FARGO AUTOGRAPH JOURNEY

👍 GOOD CARD — BONUS DOESN’T BLOW ME AWAY

Featured offer:

🎁 60,000 points
💳 Spend $4,000 in 3 months
💰 $95 annual fee

The offer shown values those 60,000 points at $600 toward travel.

The ongoing earning structure is attractive, including 5X on hotels and 4X on airlines, according to the offer shown.

And Wells Fargo has built out a transferable-points ecosystem, which makes its rewards much more interesting to travelers than they once were.

But when I’m looking at 100K Chase, potentially 100K Amex and 200K Chase offers on the same page, 60K isn’t the one making me reach for the application button.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

Travel the Sub-Way Verdict: GOOD CARD. NOT A MUST-APPLY OFFER.

⸻

🏆 MY FINAL RANKING

#1 Ink Business Unlimited — 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Best combination of huge bonus, no annual fee and manageable spending requirement.

#2 Sapphire Reserve for Business — 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The biggest opportunity here, but that $30,000 spending requirement eliminates a lot of people.

#3 Amex Gold at the 100K offer — 🔥🔥🔥🔥½
Excellent transferable currency and terrific everyday earning categories.

#4 Hilton Surpass — 🔥🔥🔥🔥
A strong choice if Hilton is already part of your travel strategy.

#5 Wells Fargo Autograph Journey — 🔥🔥🔥½
Solid card and reasonable annual fee, but I’d like a more compelling welcome offer before calling it a home run.

💡 TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TIP

Don’t choose a credit card simply because it has the largest number printed on the advertisement.

Ask three questions:

Can I meet the minimum spend naturally?

What are those points actually worth to ME?

Will I get enough value from the card after the first year to justify keeping it?

And remember: 200,000 Hilton points aren’t necessarily better than 100,000 Chase points simply because 200,000 is a bigger number.

Different points have different values — and transferable points give you options.

For most people who qualify for a business card and can comfortably handle the $8,000 minimum spend, the Ink Business Unlimited is the offer that jumps off this list to me.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

08/30/2026

✈️ TRAVEL HACKING 101: WHAT IS A TRANSFER BONUS?

Here’s one of my favorite ways to make your credit card points go further:

Wait for a transfer bonus.

If you have transferable points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Points, Bilt Rewards or Wells Fargo Rewards, you may be able to transfer those points to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Normally, you might transfer:

10,000 credit card points → 10,000 airline miles

But occasionally, banks offer a transfer bonus.

With a 30% transfer bonus:

10,000 points → 13,000 miles 🎉

You didn’t earn more points. You simply transferred them when they were temporarily worth more.

💰 HERE’S WHERE IT GETS REALLY GOOD

Let’s say the flight you want costs 60,000 airline miles.

Without a bonus:
Transfer 60,000 points

With a 20% bonus:
Transfer 50,000 points

With a 30% bonus:
Transfer about 47,000 points

With a 40% bonus:
Transfer about 43,000 points

That 40% bonus could save you roughly 17,000 transferable points on a single redemption!

⚠️ THE GOLDEN RULE

Don’t transfer points just because there’s a bonus.

Once you transfer bank points to an airline or hotel program, you generally can’t transfer them back.

Your Chase points might give you access to numerous travel partners today. Transfer them to one airline, and now they’re locked into that airline’s program.

My preferred order:

🔎 1. Find the flight or hotel

🎟️ 2. Confirm award availability

🧮 3. Calculate how many points you need

🎁 4. Check for a transfer bonus

➡️ 5. Transfer only the amount you need

🏃 6. Complete the booking

💡 TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TIP

Think of a transfer bonus as a sale on an award trip you’re already planning.

Don’t transfer 100,000 points to an airline simply because they’re offering a 30% bonus and think, “I’ll use those someday.”

Flexible points are valuable because they’re flexible.

But when you’ve already found the trip you want and a transfer bonus happens to line up?

That’s when things get fun.

You may be able to book the exact same airplane seat or hotel room while using thousands fewer credit card points.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

08/28/2026

💳 AMEX GOLD: WELCOME OFFER AS HIGH AS 100,000 POINTS

If you’ve been considering the American Express® Gold Card, there’s currently an opportunity to receive a welcome offer of up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points.

The potential offer:

🎁 Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points
💳 Spend $8,000 in eligible purchases within your first 6 months
💰 $325 annual fee

The important words here are “up to.” Welcome offers vary by applicant, and you may receive a smaller offer—or may not be eligible for a welcome offer at all.

🍽️ WHY I LIKE THE AMEX GOLD

This isn’t just a card you get for the welcome bonus. Its earning categories make it particularly useful for everyday spending:

4X points at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1X

4X points at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1X

3X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through Amex Travel

5X points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel

The card also includes several credits that can help offset its annual fee, including up to $120 in Uber Cash, $120 in eligible dining credits, $100 in Resy credits and $84 in Dunkin’ credits annually. Enrollment and other terms apply to select benefits.

✈️ TRAVEL THE SUB-WAY TIP

The real value of Membership Rewards points can come from transferring them to airline and hotel partners rather than simply treating them like cash back.

A 100,000-point welcome offer can potentially open the door to some outstanding award-travel opportunities when those points are transferred strategically.

⚠️ ONE VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL

American Express has eligibility restrictions on welcome bonuses. Having previously held certain Amex Gold or Platinum-family cards may affect whether you qualify.

The good news: Amex can tell you your specific offer and whether you’re approved before you accept the card. If you don’t like the offer, you’re not obligated to accept it.

Up to 100,000 transferable points + 4X dining + 4X groceries makes this one worth checking if the Amex Gold fits your normal spending.

As always, don’t spend $8,000 just to earn a bonus. This makes sense when you can meet the requirement with spending you were going to do anyway—and pay the balance in full.

✈️ Travel smarter. Earn smarter. Travel the Sub-Way.

Travel the SUB - Way

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