The Points Daily archive

The Points Daily — October 1, 2026

This is the archive and show-notes page for The Points Daily, a daily points-and-miles briefing. The newsletter is the timely morning briefing; this page is the expanded reference.

Alaska choice accrual goes live today

Alaska's Atmos Rewards program now lets you pick how you earn points and status, effective immediately, with three options: 1 point per mile flown, 5 points per dollar spent, or 500 points per flight segment. Your choice locks in for all flights starting January 1, 2027.

The formula matters most at the extremes. If you take cheap short hops—say, a $40 regional flight—500 points flat per segment beats both distance and spending. If you buy expensive last-minute fares, 5x per dollar pulls ahead. Most mid-range bookings split the difference, so pick based on your actual flying pattern, not the theoretical best case.

Source: TPG

Atmos Communities launch: Six free groups with regional perks

Atmos Rewards rolled out six free communities today, each offering bonus status points and discounts tailored to different travel styles. You pick one per calendar year and can switch once a year after that.

The catch: Club 49 is Alaska-only and Huaka'i is Hawaii-only. The other four are open to everyone. If you're already in the program, match your community to where you actually fly. Don't overthink it—the bonus points are modest, and the real value is the discount framework that fits your behavior.

Source: OMAAT

Frontier miles sale: 1.08 cents each through October 23

Frontier is selling miles at 1.08 cents each through October 23 if you buy at least 10,000 in one transaction. That's cheaper than the standard 2.5 cents, but only useful if you have a specific award already priced out and the math beats paying cash.

Buying Frontier miles on spec is rarely smart. Award availability is tight, and the program devalues often. Run the numbers on an actual redemption before you commit.

Source: AW

JetBlue drops Washington-San Juan to $245 basic economy

JetBlue is offering nonstop roundtrips from Washington Dulles to San Juan for $245 basic economy or $325 regular economy. Travel is valid November through early December; book at least 7 days out.

At $245, you get a personal item only—no carry-on, no advance seats, no changes. At $325, you get a standard carry-on and advance seat assignment. It's a reasonable price for the route if you're flexible on baggage and willing to eat the change fees.

Source: TFD

United brings basic economy to domestic first class

United is launching basic economy fares for domestic first class cabins, where you cannot pick your seat, cannot change your ticket, and earn fewer miles. It follows the same playbook United already used for Polaris business and Premium Plus, and that Delta and JetBlue are rolling out across premium cabins.

This is a revenue grab disguised as choice. Most travelers will simply pay more to keep the perks they used to get at the base price. Tickets go on sale in the coming weeks. If you book United first class, check which fare bucket you're actually buying.

Source: TPG

Steal of the Day: OnePay direct deposit bonus up to $400

OnePay is running targeted direct deposit bonuses for existing users: $50 if you deposit $500 a month for two months, or $400 if you deposit $3,000 a month for two months. Activation deadline is November 28.

This is targeted—log in and check your account before you rearrange payroll. Your mileage may vary, which means not everyone will see the offer. If it's sitting in your account and you can swing the direct deposit anyway, activate it and let your paycheck do the work.

Source: DoC

Card of the Day: Bilt Palladium transfer bonus

Bilt Palladium Card. Today only—through 11:59PM Pacific—Bilt is offering up to a 200% transfer bonus to Hilton Honors and a 125% bonus to Amtrak Guest Rewards, plus a Hilton status match opportunity. That's roughly 27 hours from midnight Eastern to move points if the math works.

A 200% Hilton bonus is rare enough to warrant running the numbers on an actual redemption before you transfer. Don't move points on the assumption that the bonus will pay off.