In the miles and points space, while we love to acquire miles and points at a real fast clip, we don’t want to get on the wrong side of card issuers. However, it seems like some customers caught the ire of Amex’s RAT team as Amex shuts down their accounts. That and more as we wrap up some of the stories from this week.
Doctor of Credit – Amex Shuts Down customer accounts
As per Doctor of Credit, this new wave of shutdowns has to do with a particular method of generating points. If you’re simply generating points through regular spend, then you should be all okay.
MEAB reports that these shutdowns were related to one very specific spend method (which rhymes with news; please don’t name in the comments) which some people use in high volume, and that it’s not related to bonuses or other spend methods. He also notes that those shut down have until the end of the day of shutdown to cash out their points.
Skift: IHG Buys Ruby Hotels as 20th brand
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a slew of mergers and acquisitions in the hotel industry. The big one was Marriott acquiring Starwood in 2018. Later, we’ve seen Hilton integrate SLH, Hyatt added Mr & Mrs. Smith, Lindner hotels and more.
The latest acquisition by IHG hotels is aimed at targeting urban youth as the primary customers, to compete with the likes of Hilton’s Tru hotels and Marriott’s Roxy brands.
Ruby’s premium economy concept targets travelers with space-efficient rooms, self-service check-in, and 24/7 bars. It’s comparable to Marriott’s Moxy, Hilton’s Tru, and CitizenM. Ruby Hotels specializes in converting office spaces to hotels.
IHG isn’t buying Ruby’s operating company — just the brand rights. The seller will continue operating current hotels under franchise agreements with IHG.
The Bulkhead Seat: Chase Sapphire Lounge Opens in Philadelphia Tomorrow
We’re seeing competition that up in the airport lounge space, with the likes of Capital One and Chase continuing to expand their network to compete with the likes of American Express. Adding to their network, a new Chase Sapphire lounge is slated to open today.
The Gate with Brian Cohen: Save Up to 10% On Business Class Flights Through May 2025 With Qatar Airways
This deal may not be for everyone but can be really handy if you’re looking to book paid business class tickets with Qatar Airways in the coming months.
Credit Card Bonuses
Marriott
At the moment, multiple issuers are running limited time welcome bonuses. Here’s a quick list:
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card: 60,000 points & 1 free night certificate
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card: 100,000 points + $100 statement credit
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card by American Express: 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
Delta
At the moment, American Express is running limited time welcome bonus offers on their co-branded credit cards with Delta. You can earn up to 110,000 SkyMiles with these offers.
This post gets into detail about which card you should get, based on your travel habits and spending patterns.
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