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Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card Review

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After much speculation and anticipation, Alaska Airlines has officially entered the premium card arena with the launch of the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card from Bank of America. At $395 per year, it’s not a casual swipe-and-forget kind of card, but for the right traveler, it could be a game-changer.

The current welcome bonus is a head-turner. After meeting the minimum spending requirements, you’ll earn 100,000 Atmos Rewards points (formerly Alaska miles), plus a 25,000-point companion award ticket. That second perk is quietly powerful. It lets you book an award ticket for for you and a companion and shave up to 25,000 points off the second passenger’s fare. If you’re strategic, that’s a first-year total value of 125,000 points.

Who is this card for?

This is certainly a card to look into if you’re based on the west coast. The new Atomos loyalty program is a combination of the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines loyalty programs. West-coasters should already be familiar with those airlines and if you fly them at least a few times per year, this is definitely a card to consider. In addition to the welcome bonus mentioned above, the card also comes with perks such as Alaska lounge passes, free checked bags, a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit and a fee waiver for partner award bookings. With just one round-trip flight for you and three family members, you’ll have saved $280!

Besides saving money, owning this card will also make your life easier. With preferred boarding, you will board in group C before general boarding. That will help you secure overhead bin space for your carry on.

Free checked bags for you and three companions can save you $280 round-trip

You can apply for the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card here.

Card Features

Welcome Bonus

You’ll earn 100,000 points, plus a 25,000-point companion award ticket after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 90 days after account opening.

Annual Fee

The card comes with a $395 annual fee.

Earning Rates

The Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card earns:

  • 3 points per $1 spent on purchases at Alastska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
  • 3 points per $1 spent on eligible dining
  • 3 points per $1 spent on foreign transactions
  • 1 point per $1 on all other spending
  • Earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on purchases
  • Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account

Earning 3x points per dollar spent on dining isn’t too shabby. However, the most interesting and unique earning rate is on foreign transactions. If you live outside the U.S., earning 3x points on all your spending could really help you quickly build your Atmos™ Rewards balance.

Redeeming Points

Points Sharing

To help cardholders redeem points for amazing travel, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® card offers a point-sharing feature. If you’re the primary cardholder, you can create a sharing network with up to ten other Atmos Rewards members. It’s perfect for families, travel partners, or anyone you trust to make smart redemptions.

Setting it up is simple — as long as your invitees aren’t already part of another sharing network, you can bring them into yours. Once connected, anyone in the group can send points to anyone else. Transfers are always initiated by the sender, giving you full control over how and when points move.

It’s a thoughtful perk that makes it easier to pool resources for big redemptions, whether you’re booking a dream trip or helping someone else get there.

Redeeming on Partner Flights

Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Mileage Plan) has long been a favorite points currency because they have a unique array of airline partners, a generous stopover policy, and attractive redemption rates. Alaska Airlines belongs to the oneworld alliance, though the airline has an array of other partners beyond oneworld. 

Redeem Atmos Rewards points for award travel on any of the above airlines. For oneworld alliance partners, you’ll also enjoy status, if applicable.

Atmos Rewards makes point redemption refreshingly straightforward with three intuitive award charts, each blending zone-based and distance-based pricing.

Note: Award pricing is based on the cumulative distance of one-way travel.

Americas Award Chart

When looking at the above chart, you can quickly see that short haul redemptions are a sweet spot. In the Americas you can fly one-way in economy for as few as 4,500 points. Business class award prices are also attractive at the lower distance bands.

Europe, Middle East, and Africa Award Chart

Short haul redemptions are a great deal in this award chart as well. For just 7,500 points in economy or 15,000 points in business class, you can fly up to 1,500 miles to Europe or the Middle East, on carriers like British Airways, Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways and more. London is also a sweet spot from the northeastern U.S. when the mileage is less than 3,500. Those routes in business class can be redeemed for 45,000 points.

Asia-Pacific Award Chart

Again this chart has some great deals on short haul flights. However, long haul awards can also be a great deal, especially if you value a stopover. For example, you could fly from the U.S. west coast to Japan for 60,000 points in business class, with a stopover along the way.

Card Benefits

This card has some nice benefits and those that fly Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines even just once a year can get outsized value.

Global Companion Awards

This perk unlocks extraordinary value when redeeming points for two people. Available exclusively to Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Cardholders, the Global Companion Award covers a companion’s ticket when booking award travel for two people on the same itinerary, up to a set number of points.

  • 25,000-point Global Companion Award: Earned as a new account welcome bonus and annually after each card anniversary. Redeem it for up to 25,000 points off a companion award ticket.
  • 100,000-point Global Companion Award: Earned by spending $60,000 or more in a card anniversary year. Ideal for unlocking global redemptions, including premium cabin experiences.

Let’s break down how the 100,000-point Global Companion Award can unlock serious value, especially for premium cabin redemptions.

Picture this — you’re booking two roundtrip business-class tickets from Seattle to Tokyo Narita. Each seat costs 120,000 Atmos points. The primary traveler redeems the full 120,000 points. But thanks to the Global Companion Award, the second ticket only requires 20,000 additional points. That’s a 100,000-point savings on a single booking.

Of course, taxes and fees still apply, and they must be paid using the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card. But the value proposition here is undeniable.

A couple of smart features make this perk even more flexible:

  • You don’t have to be on the itinerary to use the Global Companion Award. That opens the door to gifting or helping family members travel.
  • It’s broadly applicable because it is usable on any award flight bookable through AlaskaAir.com, including Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and oneworld® global partners.

For travelers who know how to spot high-redemption opportunities, this benefit isn’t just generous, it’s strategic.

Alaska Lounge Passes

Cardholders receive 8 Alaska Lounge passes annually (2 per calendar quarter). Passes will be credited on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 and are valid through the end of the quarter in which they are issued. Each pass admits one adult and up to two accompanied children (under 21) for same-day access to all Alaska Lounge locations. Partner lounges not included.

Additionally, through 2026, cardholders also receive an exclusive signature cocktail or elevated bar offering every time you visit an Alaska Lounge location.

Elite Status Benefits

Cardholders receive 10,000 status points each account anniversary year. Plus you’ll earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on net purchases (exclusive of any fees, such as the annual fee).

Partner Award Booking Fee Waiver

When booking partner airlines with Atmos points, Alaska Airlines usually charges a booking fee of $12.50 per person, per direction. Cardholders will save $25 per person on every roundtrip flight. For a family of four, that’s $100 in savings.

Free First Checked Bag

Cardholders and up to 6 guests traveling on the same reservation will get 1 free checked bag each when you pay for your flight with your card. The value here depends on how many people are traveling, but at $35 per checked bag, a family of four can save up to $280 per roundtrip!

Preferred Boarding

Cardholders and up to 6 guests travelling on the same reservation may board the plane in group C. That’s the group right after pre-boarding, First and Premium Class seating and airline elite status members, but before general boarding. In my experience, this will give you more than enough access to overhead bin space that could be difficult to come by if you board in the later groups.

Overhead Bin
Boarding the aircraft early can help increase your chances of securing overhead bin space!

A few things to note about this perk is that it’s only available on flights operated by Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, or Skywest. In addition, you must pay for flight with your card and include the primary cardholder’s Atmos Rewards number on the reservation.

Wi-Fi Passes

Cardholders receive 8 Alaska Airlines single-use flight Wi-Fi passes annually (2 per calendar quarter). Passes will be credited on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 and are valid through the end of the quarter in which they are issued.

Same-day Change Fee Waiver

Save up to $50 per change for same-day confirmed Alaska Airlines flight changes. The primary cardholder must request the change prior to the departure of the original flight and must keep the same origin, destination, thru, and connection cities. This excludes Saver fares.

20% back on In-flight Purchases

When you use your card to pay for food, beverages and Wi-Fi onboard Alaska-operated flights, you’ll get 20% back as a statement credit.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Fee Credit

You’ll receive a statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card. Remember that Global Entry includes PreCheck®, so going with Global Entry is the smarter choice.

Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

The vast majority of credit cards offer some type of coverage when it comes to auto rentals. However, there are two different coverage categories (primary and secondary) and knowing the difference is key. Secondary coverage is what most credit cards offer and it applies after your own personal auto insurance policy. Typically it means that your auto insurer pays the claim, but the card will reimburse your deductible and potentially other costs not covered by your personal policy.

Primary coverage, however, applies before your own personal auto insurance policy and will cover full damages due to collision or theft of most rental cars. That means you can avoid paying a deductible and potentially seeing your premiums rise.

There are only a handful consumer credit cards that offer primary auto rental CDW coverage and this is one of them:

There are also five business credit cards that offer this as well. You’ll only be covered by primary insurance while renting for business purposes, renting outside your country of residence for personal reasons or if you do not have automobile insurance:

Other Rental Car Benefits

Cardholders will receive complimentary status with Avis, National and Hertz plus savings off base rates.

  • Avis Car Rental: Receive complimentary Avis President’s Club membership and save up to 30% off base rates on qualifying rentals
  • National Car Rental: Receive complimentary Emerald Club Executive membership and save up to 25% on qualifying rentals
  • Hertz: Enjoy special savings, faster service, extra hours on returns and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards bonus points

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

If your trip can’t start, is cut short or interrupted by sickness, severe weather or other covered situations, you can be reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses up to $2,500 per covered trip.

Travel Delay Credit

If your Alaska Airlines flight has a same-day cancellation or delay of 2+ hours for any reason, you’ll receive a $50 electronic voucher. To qualify, the primary cardholder must be traveling on the affected reservation, must have included their Atmos Rewards number on the reservation, and purchased the ticket directly on AlaskaAir.com using their Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® card. Vouchers must be used within 48 hours of issuance and can be redeemed at any US merchant location including restaurants, clothing and retail stores, grocery stores and pharmacies.

Baggage Delay Insurance

If you experience baggage delays over 6 hours by passenger carrier, you can be reimbursed for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing, up to $100 a day for a maximum of 5 days.

Get reimbursed for baggage delays over 6 hours!

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Up to $3,000 per person, but if you live in New York you get a maximum of $2,000 per bag.

Hotel Benefits

The primary cardholder is eligible to transfer points to the following partner programs:

  • Marriott Bonvoy: 1 to 1
  • Preferred Hotels: 1 to 2
  • Wyndham Rewards: 1 to 1
  • Shagri-La Circle: 8 to 1
  • IHG One Rewards (through early November): 1 to 1

No Foreign Transaction Fees

For those who travel internationally, this card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Extended Warranty Protection

With this benefit, you can extend the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year.

Who should look for another card?

While I think this card can provide great value to many people, the annual fee might be a drawback for some. However, Bank of America also offers a $95 option, called the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card. Like it’s more expensive sibling, it offers a free first checked bag and preferred boarding. But it doesn’t come with many of the luxury benefits like lounge passes, a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit, or the global companion awards. If a basic airline card works for you though, the Ascent card might be worth it for the free checked bags alone. 

If you don’t fly with Alaska much, it could make more sense to stick with a credit card that earns flexible points like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points in those ecosystems are transferable to various airline partners and gives you virtually unlimited options.

Some good transferable points cards to consider with similar annual fees are:

Bottom Line

Between the 100,000-point welcome bonus and the 25,000-point companion award, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card doesn’t just open the door to travel, it practically rolls out the red carpet. Whether you’re piecing together multiple domestic round-trips or eyeing lie-flat seats to Europe, Asia, or South America, this bonus haul gives you serious flexibility.

Beyond the points, the perks stack up nicely for frequent flyers as well. Free checked bags, waived fees on partner award bookings and same-day changes, plus a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit. It all of it adds up to smoother, cheaper travel, plus you can use the Global Companion Awards to stretch your points even further. Finally with lounge access and complimentary Wi-Fi, you’re not just getting there, you’re arriving in style.

Now, if you’re chasing everyday earn rates, this card won’t dethrone the top-tier transferrable points players. But 3x on foreign transactions? That’s a rare edge, especially for international travelers who want to rack up rewards without juggling multiple cards.

If your travel plans include premium cabins, global routes, and a few airport lounges along the way, the Atmos Summit card deserves a spot in your wallet, at least for the first year.

Apply here for the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card.

Q3 2025 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the third quarter of 2025, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made at gas stations and EV charging, select live entertainment and Instacart
  • Discover: purchases made at gas stations and EV charging, public transit and utilities

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the bonus earnings rates only apply to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to one of the above cards, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by September 15, 2025
  • The promotion runs from July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at gas stations and EV charging, select live entertainment and Instacart
  • The 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As usual, there are various inclusions and exclusions for each category. What qualifies as “select live entertainment” will be the biggest question for most people. Merchants who sell tickets for live in-person entertainment such as major professional sporting events, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, and amusement parks are included. Some examples of merchants that are excluded from this category are bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance clubs. It’s always best to check the Chase Merchant List to confirm everything that’s included and excluded in each category.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my cards for the upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from July 1, 2025 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through September 30, 2025
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at gas stations and EV charging, public transit and utilities
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: Gas stations & EV charging affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Certain parking garages where public EV charging is offered or included may not be eligible. Public transit includes commuter passenger bus, rail and ferry services. Taxi and rideshare services are not included. Finally, examples of utilities include purchases for residential electricity, natural gas, water service, internet, cable, mobile and landline phone service. If you’re unsure what may be included or excluded, visit the Discover Cashback Calendar page to confirm.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

I can’t recall Chase and Discover ever offering overlapping bonus categories, but they’re lining up next quarter. Since I work from home, the gas stations and EV charging perks aren’t all that exciting for me. That said, if you’re frequently on the road, those categories could definitely come in handy.

With Chase, the live entertainment perks are especially timely as people pack their summer with concerts and sporting events. And for anyone short on time, Instacart offers a smart way to rack up rewards. Whether you’re throwing a pool party or just need some last minute groceries, Instacart can deliver the goods—and the cashback.

While public transit and utilities might not be the most thrilling bonus categories, Discover’s 5% cash back makes them worth a second look. Charging your electric, gas, or water bills to your card can add up fast—and don’t forget, services like internet, cable, and phone plans also count as utilities, giving you extra opportunities to maximize rewards.

As always, happy spending and more importantly, happy 5x earning!

Using Points and Miles to Get to Nashville

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Annie and I have always wanted to visit Nashville together. She went years ago with a friend, but I’ve never had the chance to go. Exploring U.S. cities and immersing ourselves in their local flavors, entertainment, and vibrant culture is something we truly enjoy. Nashville, with its rich musical history and lively atmosphere, feels like the perfect destination. Recently, inspiration struck, and we decided to turn our excitement into action — planning a weekend getaway to the iconic “Music City” this June.

Using a combination of travel credits, points and miles, and a Hilton free night award certificate, I managed to book the entire trip for under $60.

In This Post

Airfare

Chicago to Nashville

Earlier this year, Annie and I flew to Phoenix on United Airlines. After the original booking, the cost of the flight kept dropping. With most U.S. airlines, canceling a flight typically results in receiving the original cost as a travel credit for future use. So whenever I saw a cheaper fare, I cancelled and rebooked the flight. As a result, we had over $192 in travel credits to use on future travel on United Airlines.

Booking

We wanted to fly out on a Friday afternoon and I found two one-way tickets in economy for $350. After applying our existing travel credit to the total, I only paid $158 out of pocket. That was in mid-April.

The original cost of the flight was $350. After applying our travel credit, the total came to $158.

Re-booking

In early May, I found the exact same flight for only $319. So I cancelled the original booking, rebooked at the new lower price and received the difference as a new travel credit. Finally at the end of May, I noticed that the price of the flight dropped again. This time all the way down to $205. So I cancelled and rebooked once more, ending up with an even bigger travel credit.

I saved $145 by rebooking our flight at a lower price.

Pro Tip: You can cancel your paid flight with United Airlines and receive a travel credit for a future trip. So I make it a routine to periodically check prices to find a better deal. After two cancellations and re-bookings, the cost of the flight went from $350 to $205.

Now we collectively have about $145 in travel credits to spend on a future flight.

In the end, I was able to get the total cost of this flight down to $47! We began this whole thing with $192 in travel credits and we’re leaving with $145.

Nashville to Chicago

For the flight home, I decided to save some money and book with American Airlines miles.

Booking

The cash price for two tickets was $297, but instead I redeemed 27,000 miles. That comes out to a value of 1.1 cents per mile, which is well below the redemption average of 1.4 cents per mile. While it may not have been the most efficient use of miles, we still preferred it over paying cash. Of course, whenever you redeem miles on a domestic flight, the airlines still charge nominal fees. So in total, the cash cost for the flight from Nashville to Chicago was $11.

The cash price for two one-way tickets from Nashville to Chicago was $297, but I booked it for 27,000 AA miles.

Re-booking

Pro Tip: Just like with the outbound flight, our inbound flight kept dropping in price. In this case the cost was decreasing in miles. After changing the flight twice, I managed to lower the total cost to just 20,000 miles.

In the end, I redeemed only 20,000 miles for the flight back to Chicago.

I originally booked the flight for 27,000 miles, then 25,000 and finally 20,000 miles. Booking at 20,000 miles also increased the value of the miles redemption to a more respectable 1.48 cents per mile.

Hotel

Hilton Nashville Downtown

For hotel choices, I planned to use my Hilton free night award, which expires in August. This is a benefit I receive from owning the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire® Card. Every card-opening anniversary, I receive a free night award certificate, valid at virtually any Hilton property worldwide. Plus, I also had tons of Hilton Honors points I could redeem for the second night.

A quick search of Hilton properties in downtown Nashville, uncovered two solid options. There was the Hilton Nashville Downtown, which is located in the heart of downtown and the and the Embassy Suites Nashville Downtown. To me, the decision to choose the former was easy. The downtown Hilton property is centrally located, near Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame. It also has a more traditional hotel setup with upscale amenities, multiple restaurants, and a stylish atmosphere.

The cash price for a 2-night stay was $1,078.

If I paid cash for both nights, the total would’ve been $1,078. From a points perspective, Hilton was asking for 85,000 points per night.

I booked 1 night using my free night certificate and 1 night using points.

To use a free night award certificate with Hilton, you have to call them to book it. I provided the agent with my award certificate number, the stay dates, and my request to use points for the other night.

Note: When you use a free night award certificate, it’ll appear on the reservation like you used points for that night. For whatever reason, Hilton’s system doesn’t show that correctly. So in the screen shot above, it says I redeemed 170,000 points, but I actually only redeemed 85,000. If you’re nervous about this, you can always review your Hilton account activity to confirm the correct amount of points were deducted.

In total, I booked our 2-night stay using my free night award certificate and 85,000 Hilton points. That saved me $1,078 and we get to stay in the perfect location in the heart of downtown Nashville.

Nashville 2025 Redemption Table

Retail CostOur CostMiles and Points UsedPoints Source
2 one-way tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Nashville (BNA)$102.50 per person ($205 total)$47$158 United travel credit- Travel credit earned from rebooking prior trip for less money
2 one-way tickets from Nashville (BNA) to Chicago (ORD)$149 per person
($297 total)		$11 (taxes and fees)20,000 AA miles- Citi AAdvantage credit cards
- AAdvantage eShopping
- Simply Miles
2 nights at Hilton Nashville Downtown$539 per night + taxes ($1,078 total)$01 free night certificate and 85,000 Hilton points- Amex Hilton Aspire card
Total$1,580$58- $158 United travel credit
- 20,000 AA miles
- 1 free night certificate
- 85,000 Hilton points		- $1,522 in total savings
- 96% off retail cost

Bottom Line

All in all, I saved a whopping 96% off the retail cost of this trip by using points, miles and credit card perks. Annie and I are really looking forward to immersing ourselves in Nashville’s music scene, indulging in amazing cuisine, and exploring iconic attractions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Ryman Theater.

Trip Report Index

  1. Using Points and Miles to get to Nashville
  2. Hilton Nashville Downtown

Chase Announces Revamped United Airlines Credit Card Lineup

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The good, the bad and the ugly of the new United Credit Card lineup

Chase recently announced significant changes to their lineup of United Airlines credit cards effective immediately. As of March 24, 2025, the annual fee on all but one credit cards were increased. To balance out the increase in annual fees, a bunch of coupon book statement credits have been added to encourage cardholders to keep their cards and spend more on them.

So who is going to benefit and suffer most with the new changes? I think the occasional United flyer and those who don’t put much spend on their United credit cards will struggle to justify keeping them in this new environment. On the flip side, frequent United flyers and big spenders chasing elite status may like the new changes.

Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of all these changes card-by-card. First up is the United Gateway Card.

United Gateway Card

The United Gateway Card will continue to have no annual fee, but its new benefits are designed to encourage large spending in order to take advantage of them.

What’s New and/or Changing

  • Welcome bonus of 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months
  • Earn two checked bag certificates, valid for 12 months, after spending $10,000 in a calendar year
  • Earn access to member pricing on award travel redemptions after spending $10,000 in a calendar year.

The welcome bonus is 10,000 points higher than the prior offer. However, I’ve seen a 30,000 point welcome bonus before, so this isn’t really new or better.

They’ve now added the ability to earn two free checked bags, which is something this card never had access to before. But it’s really hard to justify spending $10,000 to receive two free checked bags. United charges $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second. So at most you’ll get $80 in value from this new feature. 

The real gut punch here is the loss of member pricing on award travel redemptions. This reduces the number of miles needed to book award travel on United flights. While this benefit remains in place on all other United cards, Gateway cardholders now need to spend $10,000 for it. I guess I can understand United not wanting to give access to member pricing on a card with no annual fee, but it’s certainly disappointing. Saving a few thousand miles on an award redemption does not justify that much spend.

United Gateway cardholders will need to spend $10,000 in a calendar year to get member pricing on some flights.

This card is still a decent card as a downgrade option if you opened a United Explorer, Quest, or Club card and decide those benefits aren’t worth paying for any longer. However, without access to member pricing on award travel, the card is much less attractive as a downgrade option.

United Explorer Card

The overarching change to the United Explorer Card is the “credit couponification” of the benefits. They raised the annual fee by $55 and offset that by adding several new statement credits. The catch is that those credits come in the form of a coupon book whereby you earn them on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis, instead of all at once. They also added a few big spend bonuses that won’t appeal to most people. Overall, it’s definitely a mix of positive and negative changes, so it really comes down to how often you fly United and whether you can maximize the new coupon credits.

What’s New and/or Changing

United Explorer Card
  • $150 annual fee (up from $95)
  • Welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months
  • The annual United Club passes will now require the primary cardmember or authorized user to be present when redeemed (no more gifting)
  • One $100 travel credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year
  • One 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 in a calendar year
  • Up to $100 in statement credits for United Hotels ($50 each on your first two bookings per cardmember year)
  • Up to $60 per year in rideshare credits (up to $5 per month) when using your card to pay for rideshare services
  • Up to $50 in travel credit for Avis or Budget car rentals per cardmember year on rentals booked through cars.united.com and paid for with your United Explorer card (up to $25 for each of the first two rentals)
  • One $10 Instacart credit per month when you have Instacart+ membership
  • Up to $100 statement credit for purchases with JSX each cardmember year

Although the $55 annual fee increase can be more than offset by up to $430 in credits each year, it requires significant effort to keep track of and actually utilize those credits. This is what I mean when I say “credit couponification”. Like those old coupon books from the 80s and 90s, you now have to remember you have these credits as well as when and how to trigger them.

These changes make me far less interested in owning this card. Some of the new features require a lot of spending while others are simply annoying to use. Still others would require me to change how I book travel (i.e. booking hotels with United Hotels rather than with the hotel directly or booking rental cars through cars.united.com). I’m only an occasional United flyer and have owned this card on two separate occasions. I don’t own one today and don’t see myself ever applying for one again in the future.

However, if you check at least four bags on United flights a year, this card can make sense to own just for that benefit alone. If you fly frequently enough with United, it’s also worth looking into the Quest or Club cards instead. They’re more expensive but also provide better benefits.

United Quest Card

The changes to the United Quest Card are very similar in nature to the United Explorer changes. However, in the case of the Quest card, a few existing benefits were actually enhanced. Just like with the Explorer card, the annual fee is going up and is being offset by the addition of several new credits. There are also a few big spend bonuses now available. Because United Quest cardholders are more likely to be big spenders and/or chase elite status, I think this card may be more appealing now.

What’s New and/or Changing

  • $350 annual fee (up from $250)
  • Welcome bonus of 90,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months
  • $200 United TravelBank credit per cardmember year (was previously a $125 statement credit)
  • One 10,000-mile award flight discount annually (was previously two 5,000 discounts)
  • Earn up to 18,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) at a rate of 1 PQP per $20 spent (max is up from 9,000 PQPs annually)
  • Earn an additional 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
  • Earn two Economy Plus seat upgrades after $40,000 in purchases in a calendar year
  • Up to $150 in statement credits for Renowned Hotels and Resorts for cardmembers when you book and pay for your stay with your card
  • Up to $100 in rideshare credits per year (up to $8 per month January to November and up to $12 in December)
  • Up to $80 in Travel Credit for Avis or Budget car rentals per cardmember year on rentals booked through cars.united.com and paid for with your United Quest card (up to $40 for reach of the first two rentals)
  • Up to $15 Instacart credits per month when you have Instacart+ membership
  • Up to $150 statement credit for purchases with JSX each cardmember year

We’ve finally come to a card where there are a few positive impacts to highlight. However, many of those positives are paired with immediate negatives. Take the annual fee increase, for example. The card now costs $100 more in annual fees (boo!), but that is mostly offset by a $75 increase in the United travel credit (yay!). However, that credit now comes as TravelBank cash and a 12-month expiration, rather than a statement credit (boo!).

The award flight discount is potentially more useful as a single 10,000-mile discount rather than two 5,000-mile rebates (yay!). In addition, the ability to earn 18,000 PQPs, up from 9,000, per year is another positive change (yay!). It will require more spending, but if you’re already spending big on this card, this is a definite win.

The majority of the other changes and additions are a continuation of the “credit couponification” of all the United cards. The ridesharing credit is particularly annoying because you have to enroll each year and remember to pay for rides with your card. Plus Chase only credits $8 per month and $12 in December. Sporadic users of ridesharing will not be able to maximize this benefit.

Overall, this card is certainly worth considering for its solid welcome bonus and its first year benefits. However, the long term cardholders are likely going to be the big spenders chasing elite status and those who are able to use the credits.

United Club Card

Chase has increased the annual fee on the United Club card by a whopping $170. Of course, they’ve also added benefits to offset the fee increase. However, those benefits are probably not going to move the needle unless you’re planning to spend toward elite status.

What’s New and/or Changing

  • $695 annual fee (up from $525)
  • Welcome bonus of 95,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months
  • Receive 1,500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) per qualification year starting in 2026
  • Earn 1 PQP per $15 spent up to 28,000 PQPs per calendar year (up from 15,000 max)
  • Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
  • Earn an additional 10,000-mile award flight discount after $40,000 in purchases in a calendar year
  • Earn United Club All access membership after $50,000 spend in a calendar year (this can also be achieved when reaching Premier Gold status or higher)
  • Up to $200 in statement credits for Renowned Hotels and Resorts for cardmembers when you book and pay for your stay with your card
  • Up to $150 in rideshare credits per year (up to $12 per month January to November and up to $15 in December)
  • Up to $100 in Travel Credit for Avis or Budget car rentals per cardmember year on rentals booked through cars.united.com and paid for with your United Quest card (up to $50 for reach of the first two rentals)
  • Up to $20 Instacart credits per month when you have Instacart+ membership
  • Up to $200 statement credit for purchases with JSX each cardmember year

Again, the changes here are mostly negative unless you’re planning to spend big. The new annual fee is a 32% increase! Another negative is with lounge access. While cardholders can still access United Club lounges, Star Alliance lounges are off limits without big spend. Previously, the standard United Club membership provided access to participating Star Alliance lounges. Now, you’ll need to spend $50,000 in a calendar year or achieve Premier Gold status to access those lounges.

The “credit couponification” continues on this card, with many of the same credits as the United Quest card. These credits can provide some value as long as you’re able to use them.

If United Club access is all you’re after, this card may still be worth the annual fee. In addition, if you’re spending your way to elite status, it makes sense to do it on this card to take advantage of the award discounts at the $20,000 and $40,000 spend levels. I would caution, however, that this card is for serious United frequent flyers and elite status seekers. If that’s not you, this is not your card.

Bottom Line

Chase and United made similar updates to their business cards as well. For more information on those changes, head to the Chase Business Rewards website.

Overall I’m pretty disappointed with the changes Chase and United made in this recent revamp. Arguably, every card (except perhaps the Quest card) have higher fees and worse benefits. The addition of coupon credits are designed to make it look like the cards have become more affordable even as their annual fees increased. However these credits are overwhelming in numbers and many will be difficult to fully utilize or utilize at all.

Unfortunately this “credit couponification” is a common trend we’re seeing across cobranded cards. Delta and American Express started it back in early 2024 and it looks like the pack is following their lead. Banks and their partners are trying to increase spending on their cards and are using these new credits and spending bonuses to incentivize that.

The one bright spot in all of these changes may be the United Quest card. Of course the annual fee increased but I like that they increased the travel credit by $75 and changed the two 5,000-mile award rebates into a better 10,000-mile award discount. In addition they added the ability to get a second 10,000-mile discount with $20,000 in spending.

Whether you see this as mostly positive or mostly negative is in the eye of the beholder. However, if you’re unhappy with these changes, don’t panic. You’ve likely already paid your most recent annual fee, so continue enjoying the existing benefits and use the new ones, too. Then, when your next increased annual fee comes around, call Chase and ask for a retention offer. If you don’t like the offer, downgrade or cancel your card.

Apply here for the United personal cards.

Q2 2025 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the second quarter of 2025, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made at Amazon and select streaming services
  • Discover: purchases made at grocery stores and wholesale clubs

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the bonus earnings rates only apply to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to one of the above cards, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by June 14, 2025
  • The promotion runs from April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at Amazon and select streaming services
  • The 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As usual, there are some inclusions and exclusions to be aware of. For the Amazon category, eligible purchases include the following — digital downloads, Amazon.com Gift Cards, Amazon Fresh orders, Prime subscriptions, and items sold by third-party merchants through Amazon.com. It also includes purchases at Whole Foods Market and www.wholefoodsmarket.com. Examples of select streaming services include popular services like Netflix, Max, Disney+, Hulu, Pandora, Peacock, SiriusXM, Spotify, and Paramount+. It’s always best to check the Chase Merchant List to confirm everything that’s included and excluded in each category.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my cards for the upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from April 1, 2025 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through June 30, 2025
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Home improvement purchases include online and in store purchases at home improvement retail stores, building supply stores (e.g. lumber, paint, and hardware stores), as well as lawn, nursery, and garden supply stores. Finally, examples of select streaming services include popular services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Audible, DirecTV Stream, FUBO, Max, Netflix, Pandora, Peacock, SiriusXM, Spotify, and YouTube TV. If you’re unsure what may be included or excluded, visit the Discover Cashback Calendar page to confirm.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

This should be a pretty lucrative quarter for both Chase Freedom/Freedom Flex and Discover cardholders.

Chase is giving cardholders a really easy way to maximize bonus earnings this quarter. The beauty of having Amazon as a bonus category is that so many people already shop there. You don’t really have to change your regular spending habits at all. Just make sure you set your Freedom or Freedom Flex card as the default payment option in your account.

The fine print also enables a sneaky way to earn 5x on groceries as well. Whole Foods Market, which is owned by Amazon, is included in the bonus category. That will provide even more options to help maximize your bonus earnings.

With Discover, the grocery store category will also have broad appeal. Unlike the other niche categories, everyone buys groceries! Families with kids should have little problem maxing out their bonus earning this quarter. Wholesale clubs should also be lucrative as long as your club accepts the Discover card as payment.

If you find it difficult to earn the maximum bonus points or cash back, remember that you can buy gift cards to hundreds of other merchants at grocery stores and Amazon. Those gift card purchases count towards the bonus earnings and you can use them at any time in the future.

Happy spending and more importantly, happy 5x earning!