The Points Daily archive

The Points Daily — October 13, 2026

Your daily points-and-miles briefing. This page archives today's stories. Subscribe below for tomorrow morning's newsletter in your inbox.

100% Back! The Staples Luggage Sale Has Returned (Today Only)

Staples is running a one-day promotion offering 100% back in Easy Rewards points on luggage and travel accessories, capped at $150 in spend. You must activate the offer in your Easy Rewards account before purchase; points post after your order ships. The deal works both online and in-store, and you can layer it with a shopping portal for an additional 3–5% back.

The TPD take: This is a clean win if you have Staples points to burn and actual luggage to buy. The hard part is always redemption—Staples' catalog is thin and awkward. Only pull the trigger if you've already got a concrete use for the points.

Source: M2M

Chase Offers: Get 10% Back at Lowe's/Lowes.com ($50 Cashback Max)

Chase is offering 10% cash back on Lowes.com purchases, up to $50, through October 30, 2026. Amex has a matching offer with identical terms. This iteration is online-only, which eliminates the in-store gift card stacking workaround that sometimes works with these deals.

The TPD take: If you've got Lowe's spending on the calendar anyway, it's $50 in your pocket. Don't manufacture spend to chase it.

Source: DoC

Japan Airlines (JAL) Award Sale — Economy to USA from 18,900 Miles, Business to Europe from 38,500 Miles

JAL is running a discounted award sale with bookings open through October 31. Economy flights to North America start at 18,900 miles each way; business class to Europe starts at 38,500 miles each way. Travel windows vary: North America and Europe through February 28, 2027; Taipei through October 31, 2026 only. JAL fuel surcharges can be steep.

The TPD take: This is one of the better JAL sales of the year, especially if you're holding American, Alaska, or British Airways miles (which transfer to JAL). Run the numbers on surcharges before you commit—that's where the real cost lives. If the total tax/fee bill is reasonable, these are solid redemption values.

Source: TFM

Thrifty Traveler Launches Free FareTracker Tool to Monitor Flight Price Drops

Thrifty Traveler released FareTracker, a free tool that monitors flights you've already booked and alerts you when prices drop by at least $20. It covers Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United. You manually enter your booking; the tool checks daily and emails rebooking instructions if a lower fare appears. Free accounts track 5 flights; Premium members track 10. No fee on savings. Early users report averaging $190 per person in refunds.

The TPD take: This is genuinely useful for anyone holding nonrefundable tickets. Set it and forget it—the $190 average savings alone justifies the two minutes of setup time.

Source: M2M

TopCashback: Increased Rates on Travel Sites — Hotels.com 12%, Viator 15%, Klook 16%

TopCashback increased cash-back rates across several travel partners: Hotels.com 12%, Viator 15%, Klook 16%, and IHG 12% across all brands. No expiration listed. Note the fine print: Viator's 15% is for new customers only; existing members earn 10%. These rates stack with Chase Offers and Amex Offers on the same merchant.

The TPD take: These are solid rates for portal shopping. The stacking potential with card offers makes this worth checking if you have existing Chase or Amex offers on IHG, Viator, or Sixt.

If you're new to TopCashback, use our referral link. Referral link; we may receive a bonus if you use it. *Referral link; we may receive a bonus if you use it.*

Source: Frequent Miler

Steal of the Day: Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles Up to 50% Off Through October 31

Garuda Indonesia is discounting GarudaMiles purchases with up to a 50% discount through October 31, lowering the per-mile cost to approximately 1.075 cents per mile. This pricing works well for award bookings, especially on SkyTeam partner redemptions.

The TPD take: Don't buy miles on speculation. Map out your redemption first, confirm the math works, then execute. If you've got a specific Garuda or SkyTeam booking in mind and the pricing checks out, now is the time.

Source: Award Wallet

Card of the Day: United Explorer Card — ExtraMile Bonus Through December 2026

United is offering targeted spending bonuses to Explorer Card holders through December 31, 2026, via its ExtraMile promotion. Registration closes December 15. Bonus amounts vary widely by cardholder; one reported offer was 3,000 miles for $3,000 in spend (1 bonus mile per dollar on top of base earning).

The TPD take: Check your offer if you hold the card. If the spend threshold aligns with spending you were already planning, register. Do not manufacture spend to chase a weak bonus.