Flash

On October 24, United began flying its Boeing 787-9 with the new "Elevated" interior from its Houston hub: Houston–Tokyo Narita (UA7/UA6), Houston–São Paulo and Houston–Sydney all picked up the new aircraft the same day, and Houston–London Heathrow (UA880/879) follows on January 5, 2027. It is the type's first sustained deployment beyond San Francisco, where it debuted earlier this year on London and Singapore services.

The headline is how premium-heavy the layout is. The aircraft carries just 222 seats (United's standard 787-9 seats 257), and 99 of them — about 45% — are premium:

• 64 United Polaris seats, including 8 of the new Polaris Studio suites;
• 35 Premium Plus premium economy seats;
• The remaining 123 seats are economy, including Economy Plus.

The Polaris Studio suites, in the front rows of the two Polaris cabins, are roughly 25% larger than a standard Polaris seat, with a privacy door, an ottoman so a companion can join you for dining, and a 27-inch 4K OLED screen — the largest on any U.S. airline. Dining is elevated too, with Ossetra caviar service. Note that Studio is not a cabin you book directly: you book Polaris first, then pay to select or upgrade into it. Regular Polaris seats on this aircraft also gain sliding privacy doors.

For mileage collectors, all those extra front-cabin seats are the practical upside: with Polaris growing from the usual 48 seats to 64, award space and upgrade odds on these routes should be better than on the standard configuration. When booking Tokyo or Sydney, a 222-seat 787-9 on the schedule is the new aircraft — worth choosing on purpose. Schedules can change, so check the seat map when you book.

Air Canada announced on October 22 that its mobile app has been named Best Airline App at the 2026 World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, winning the "Battle of the Airline Apps" — a panel of industry judges compared three airline finalists and rated Air Canada's app the best. The judges highlighted how the app brings the full journey, from booking to arrival, together in a single experience with personalized, contextual information throughout the trip.

Among this year's additions, a few are genuinely useful when you travel:

• A redesigned home screen that adapts to each stage of the trip, surfacing check-in, boarding passes, flight status and bag tracking when they become relevant;
• Connecting-gate directions at Air Canada's Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver hubs, guiding you to your next departure gate;
• A new low fare calendar and side-by-side fare comparison, showing fare rules and baggage allowances before you book;
• A Bravo button to thank a team member who made your day, building on Bag Buddy, which shows the name of the person who loaded your bag.

The app has been downloaded more than 23 million times, and Air Canada's digital products have picked up Webby Honoree recognition before — for the app in 2022 and for aircanada.com in 2025. Next time you connect through YYZ, YUL or YVR, the gate directions are worth a try.

Marriott Bonvoy is beta testing a new app feature called the Complimentary Upgrade List. As a stay approaches, members with Gold Elite status and above will see a screen titled "Your Complimentary Upgrade Status" — no more guessing at the front desk whether you were ever in the running.

The screen shows three things:

• Your position in that hotel's complimentary upgrade queue;
• Expected upgrades: an estimate of how many upgrades the hotel expects to hand out, based on rooms matching your stay dates and booked bed type;
• Confirmation: a notice one day before arrival if your upgrade is confirmed.

A few caveats: your position can change, and the expected count is an estimate, not a guarantee. Nightly Upgrade Awards are processed before complimentary upgrades and are not reflected in the estimate, so the best suites may already be spoken for. And while Gold Elite members can see the list, Gold upgrades are to enhanced rooms only — suite upgrades start at Platinum Elite, so the same list means very different things depending on your tier.

The test is live at a small group of hotels for now, and Marriott says it will expand to more than 250 hotels across the United States and Canada by early November, with Canada in the first wave. No timeline has been announced for other regions. If you have a Canadian Marriott stay in November, check the app a few days before arrival to see whether your hotel is taking part.

Delta announced on October 19 that its free in-flight Wi-Fi, Delta Sync Wi-Fi, is now live across its Asia-Pacific routes — the final gap in its international network. Delta is now the only U.S.-based carrier offering free Wi-Fi across its entire international network, spanning six continents.

The essentials:

• Who gets it: SkyMiles members, free in all cabins regardless of tier. SkyMiles itself is free to join — sign up on delta.com or in the app before you fly, or right in the Wi-Fi portal on board
• What you can do: connect once the boarding door closes, on multiple devices at once — messaging, email, browsing, photo sharing and video streaming are all supported (the service is presented by T-Mobile, but your mobile carrier doesn't matter)
• How to connect: airplane mode on → Wi-Fi on → join the DeltaWiFi.com network → sign in with your SkyMiles account
• Scale: nearly 1,300 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, over 95% of the fleet; more than 195 million Delta Sync sessions logged since the 2023 launch

Worth knowing:

• The aircraft still being fitted are Delta Connection regional jets and the Boeing 717s, expected to finish by early 2027 — check for the free Wi-Fi badge on your specific flight rather than assuming a regional leg is covered
• Under local rules, South Korean and Hong Kong airspace restricts in-flight Wi-Fi below 10,000 feet, so expect a brief disconnect during climb and descent on those routes
• For Canada-based travellers connecting through Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit and Delta's other hubs to Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and beyond, the trans-Pacific leg — previously the paid / no-coverage segment — is now free end to end

Source: Delta News Hub https://news.delta.com/delta-expands-wi-fi-across-asia-pacific-routes-completing-global-connectivity-map

Qatar Airways is running a tier reinstatement offer: if your Privilege Club tier was downgraded between March 1 and December 18, 2026, a single eligible trip brings the old tier back — reinstated automatically once the flight activity posts to your account, with no need to re-earn the full Qpoints requirement.

The official terms:

• Book between October 11 and December 18, 2026 (tickets issued before the booking window don't count, even if reissued during it)
• Travel between October 11, 2026 and April 1, 2027
• The journey must originate in Doha — the key condition; a North America–Doha round trip does not qualify
• Travel must take place after your downgrade took effect
• Flights must be both marketed and operated by Qatar Airways; your Privilege Club number must be in the booking at the time of booking or before travel
• Once the eligible travel is completed and the activity posts, your previous tier is reinstated

Notes:

• The terms don't require a round trip, so a one-way departure from Doha appears to qualify (nothing in the terms excludes it) — a cheap fix if you are in the region or already have an ex-Doha segment coming up
• The terms don't specify a fresh validity period for the reinstated tier; it follows whatever your account shows once reinstated
• Quote reference code 2610PC080 if you need to contact the Privilege Club service centre about the offer
• The same offer page also mentions reduced Qpoints thresholds to retain or upgrade your tier for travel until December 18, 2026 — see the offer page for details

ANA has published its fuel surcharge levels for tickets issued in November and December 2026. Tickets issued on or after November 1, 2026 will be charged at the new rates, up roughly 12–19% from the September–October levels (the new levels remain subject to Japanese government approval).

The number that matters most for Canada-based travellers: on Japan routes originating in Canada, the surcharge rises from C$490 to C$583 per person, per sector (+C$93) — C$186 more on a round trip.

Key Japan-origin levels (per person, per sector):

• Japan–Europe / North America (excl. Hawaii) / Middle East / Oceania: ¥55,000 → ¥62,000
• Japan–Hawaii / India / Indonesia: ¥35,800 → ¥38,500
• Japan–Thailand / Singapore / Malaysia and nearby: ¥27,300 → ¥32,000
• Japan–East Asia (excl. South Korea, incl. China): ¥14,300 → ¥15,100
• Japan–South Korea: ¥6,500 → ¥7,100

For itineraries originating outside Japan (USD table), long-haul rises from US$352 to US$419 per sector.

Three things to know:

• The issue date is what counts, not the travel date — a ticket issued by October 31 pays the old surcharge even for travel next year; anything issued from November 1 pays the new one.
• Award tickets are not exempt: ANA charges the surcharge on its own mileage tickets, and ANA flights booked through partner programs (e.g. Aeroplan) collect the carrier surcharge at the rate in force on the issue date. If you have an ANA trip to ticket, do it before month-end.
• ANA reviews the surcharge every two months; even after this increase, the new levels sit below the July–August peak (¥65,000 on Japan–North America).

JAL is moving in parallel — its Japan–North America / Europe surcharge also rises to ¥62,000 per sector for the same issue window, so the same "ticket by October 31" advice applies.

British Airways has notified members of two changes to The British Airways Club taking effect April 1, 2027:

1. Higher qualification thresholds (spend-based Tier Points):

• Bronze: 3,500 points — unchanged (oneworld Ruby);
• Silver: 7,500 → 8,000 points;
• Gold: 20,000 → 21,000 points.

Flight-based qualification remains 25 flights for Bronze and 50 for Silver. The Tier Point collection year still ends March 31, so the new thresholds apply to the 2027–28 collection year.

2. Premium-cabin Tier Point bonuses cut (for flights taken from April 1, 2027):

• BA-marketed flights: short-haul bonuses and long-haul economy bonuses are unchanged. Non-refundable Premium Economy bonuses fall 36%; non-refundable Club World bonuses fall 60% (every Club World fare class loses at least 27%); non-refundable First bonuses fall 54% (all First fare classes lose at least 28%).
• American Airlines / Iberia-marketed long-haul flights: Premium Economy 275 → 175 points; Business 500 → 200; First 650 → 300. Short-haul Economy (75) and Business (175) and long-haul Economy (150) are unchanged.

The transition rule that matters most: bookings made by November 24, 2026 keep the current bonus rates even for travel on or after April 1, 2027 — the rule also covers partner-marketed itineraries. Bookings made from November 25, 2026 earn the new, lower bonuses. Anyone planning premium-cabin travel after April 2027 toward BA status should pull the booking forward before that deadline.

Manulife Bank of Canada launched two new cards on October 22, quietly retiring its low-profile ManulifeMONEY+ cards (dating from 2018) from its website:

Manulife Bank Visa Infinite ($139 annual fee, waived for the first year; income requirement $60,000 personal / $100,000 household): 2% back on health, wellness and medical purchases (first $25,000 per year), 1.5% on travel, dining and entertainment (first $25,000 per year), 1% on everything else. Limited-time welcome offer: 10% back on eligible purchases for the first three months, the first-year fee waiver, and an introductory balance-transfer rate.

Manulife Bank Visa Platinum (no annual fee): 1.5% on health, wellness and medical (first $15,000 per year), 1% on travel, dining and entertainment, 0.5% on everything else.

Both cards run on the new Manulife Better Rewards program. Two caveats: the "health" category is determined by Visa merchant category codes as defined by Manulife Bank, and no public merchant list has been published yet — whether a given pharmacy or gym counts will only be clear once transactions post. And for now, applications are open only to existing Manulife Bank customers (via online banking and the advisor network); the bank says public applications are "coming soon."

Effective October 24, Visa is expanding its reduced small-business interchange programme in Canada from under $300,000 to up to $750,000 in annual Visa sales, with lower rates for qualifying merchants; CFIB estimates newly eligible businesses could save thousands of dollars a year. Mastercard is not following — its threshold stays at $175,000. At the same time, both networks are adding a fee of US$0.018 (≈CA$0.025) on every domestic transaction. This is not interchange and does not go to issuers — it is a network fee the schemes charge for themselves, billed to processors and typically passed on to merchants. Mastercard expanded it to all transactions this week; Visa will levy the same amount starting April 2027.

For merchants, the saving is proportional (interchange) while the new cost is per-transaction: on a $5 coffee, CA$0.025 equals roughly +0.5 percentage points, so high-volume, small-ticket cafés and restaurants are hit hardest, while businesses above the thresholds save nothing and pay the new fee in full. For consumers, there is no line item — the cost seeps out through prices: more small shops may turn on credit-card surcharging (legal in Canada since 2022, capped at 2.4% with disclosure) or fold the cost into shelf prices. For cardholders, the fee bypasses issuers, so it does not directly fund or cut rewards in the short term; the real change is at the till — paying a surcharge can wipe out a card's cash back, so check for a surcharge sign before tapping at small merchants. CFIB's summary: governments pushed interchange down, and the networks are clawing part of it back through their own fees.

Next-generation KrisWorld inflight entertainment

• Visual and audio upgrade: selected aircraft and cabins get 4K high-resolution touchscreens, immersive spatial audio, and Bluetooth pairing so you can use your own headphones.
• More content: more than 2,500 entertainment options refreshed every month.
• Wellness and meditation: new wellness planning with sleep and meditation audio, breathing exercises, light onboard stretch videos, and healthy-living articles.
• Seamless connectivity: sign in with a KrisFlyer account for personalized recommendations, resume watching across flights, and save favorite titles. First and Business Class passengers can also save and apply preferred seat positions.

High-speed connectivity (Starlink satellite broadband)

• Starlink low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband will roll out gradually on selected aircraft for faster, smoother connectivity from takeoff to landing.
• Free for most passengers: (1) First / Business / Suites and PPS Club members get unlimited free high-speed Wi-Fi; (2) Premium Economy / Economy passengers get free access with a KrisFlyer membership.
• Rollout is planned from early 2027 on selected types such as the Airbus A380 and A350.

Other cabin upgrades

• Beyond entertainment and connectivity, the refresh covers next-generation cabin products, upgraded dining, new amenity kits, and ground services.

American Express has updated the benefit terms for the Platinum Card® and the Business Platinum Card®: effective January 1, 2027, Fine Hotels + Resorts® bookings will require a minimum two-night stay to be eligible for the semiannual hotel credit of up to US$300 (US$600 per year; the amount is unchanged). The Hotel Collection already requires two nights, so the rule is now uniform across the programme. Only the credit is restricted — one-night FHR stays will still receive daily breakfast for two, the US$100 property credit and guaranteed 4 p.m. check-out, just without the US$300 statement credit.

The updated terms also rename the benefit the Lodging Credit and add a new redemption option: prepaid Airbnb Luxe stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App (also subject to the two-night minimum, with a linked Airbnb account). Separately, multiple outlets report that a qualifying Luxe booking will unlock up to US$250 per year in Airbnb Experiences statement credits (reversed if the Luxe booking is cancelled); this has not yet appeared in the published terms, so treat it as pending Amex's final wording.

Because the credit is tied to when the prepaid charge is processed, one-night FHR stays prepaid during 2026 — even for travel in 2027 — will most likely still qualify under the current rules, which is worth noting if you still hold an unused 2026 credit.

See their latest Instagram update🔗: a Platinum card, a Cobalt card, and a slip of paper with a question mark.

Rogers has announced that starting January 17, 2027, customers who pay their Rogers or Fido bill by credit card — including Autopay — will be charged a 1.6% credit card processing fee, which Rogers says reflects the fees it is charged by the card networks. The notice is already showing on Rogers' support pages and in the app's payment settings. Notably, Rogers Bank's own credit cards are not exempt.

Exemptions and fee-free alternatives:

• Quebec customers are exempt (provincial consumer protection law bans such fees), as are select specialized plans such as Connected for Success and migrated former Shaw Mobile plans
• No fee if you pay by pre-authorized bank debit, online banking, Visa Debit / Debit Mastercard, prepaid card, cheque, or Rogers gift card

What it means for cardholders: any card earning less than 1.6% back on your Rogers bill now loses money on the transaction, and the Rogers Red card's headline 5% back on Rogers purchases drops to roughly 3.4% net once the fee kicks in. Since Rogers' Autopay discount only recognizes bank-account debit or a Rogers Bank Mastercard, switching Autopay to pre-authorized bank debit before January 2027 is the cleanest way to keep the discount and dodge the fee.

Hilton announced Pay with Points on October 21: Silver, Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve members can now apply Hilton Honors points toward eligible charges on their folio during Digital Check Out in the Hilton Honors app — no front desk visit needed. Hilton bills it as the first fully digital pay-with-points checkout from a major hotel brand.

The feature is live at 150 U.S. hotels, expands to 800+ by the end of 2026, and rolls out to more than 6,000 properties across the U.S. and Canada in early 2027.

One key detail is still missing: Hilton has not disclosed the redemption rate, and which charges qualify varies by property. Points redeemed for award nights can be worth 0.5 cents each or more, while pay-with-points schemes have historically valued points well below that — until the rate is confirmed, this is best seen as a way to burn small orphan balances, not your main stash.

The standout of Air Canada's winter 2026–27 network is Tenerife (Tenerife South, TFS) in Spain's Canary Islands — what the airline bills as North America's only nonstop service to the Canaries, a trip that previously required a connection via Madrid, Lisbon or another European hub.

• Toronto–Tenerife: launches October 25, twice weekly (Thursdays and Sundays), departing 8:35 p.m. and arriving 9:00 a.m. the next day; seasonal through April 29, 2027
• Montréal–Tenerife: launches October 31, once weekly (Saturdays, 9:00 p.m. departure), through April 24, 2027; returns depart Tenerife at 10:55 a.m.

Both routes are flown by the Airbus A321XLR in a 182-seat layout with 14 lie-flat Signature Class seats — a single-aisle jet with a true premium cabin crossing the Atlantic, exactly the playbook for opening thinner European markets.

The same winter wave adds Montréal–Santo Domingo (four times weekly from December 10), Roatán from Toronto and Montréal (December), Mérida from Toronto (late November) and Mazatlán from Vancouver (mid-December). Roatán, Mérida and Mazatlán remain subject to government approval, and schedules may change.

ALL Accor has quietly updated its program terms: using points toward a hotel bill in France used to require a minimum of 2,000 points (€40), while the rest of the world started at 1,000 points (€20). The France exception is now gone — 1,000 points works in France too. The Greater China exception (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Mongolia), starting at 500 points (€10), remains in place, as does the cap of 1 million points per stay. Point value is unchanged (1,000 points = €20), but it's a small win for members with modest balances who only stay with Accor occasionally — leftover points are now easier to spend in France.

Air Serbia will add six destinations in summer 2027, headlined by Belgrade–Miami nonstop service starting May 20, 2027 — twice weekly on A330-200s. Miami becomes the carrier's third US destination after New York JFK and Chicago O'Hare, and its fourth in North America including Toronto Pearson. The other five: Yerevan (March 28), Helsinki (April 1, resuming), Cluj-Napoca (May 31), Chișinău (June 3) and Menorca (June 16). CEO Jiri Marek announced the expansion in an RTS interview; tickets went on sale October 20 on the airline's website.

Alaska Airlines has officially announced Osaka Kansai (KIX) as Seattle's third nonstop destination in Asia, joining Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon. The route launches May 14, 2027, with 4x weekly service (Seattle departures Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) on Hawaiian's A330-200, featuring lie-flat business class Suites and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Schedule: Seattle 12:10pm → 4:00pm; Kansai 6:00pm → 12:20pm. Also announced: Seattle–Papeete (Tahiti), 3x weekly from June 11, 2027. Both routes are subject to government approval, and schedules are subject to change.

Starting October 22, U.S. Business Platinum and Corporate Platinum cardmembers receive a complimentary American Express ZO Membership from Tishman Speyer: unlimited access to 20+ ZO Clubhouse and Studio locations across six cities (New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles), plus 4 Clubhouse guest day passes per week; 4 complimentary Studio day passes per month (reserve in advance); and up to $500 in annual statement credits per eligible account toward ZO/Studio event-space bookings or a Dining Club membership. No annual fee increase ($895); activation via the ZO website/app required. This marks the first time ZO spaces open to non-tenants. Note: not yet listed on Amex's official product page — final terms pending the Oct 22 launch.

Hilton and Scandic Hotels Group, the largest hotel operator in the Nordics, have signed a multi-year strategic agreement covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland to develop Hilton-branded hotels — note this is not a blanket reflagging of Scandic's portfolio; the release says the focus is on individual development opportunities. First project announced: a 284-room Hilton Hotels & Resorts at Scanport, adjacent to Copenhagen Airport, to be operated by Scandic under a franchise agreement, expected to open in 2029.

On loyalty: both sides confirmed new benefits are coming for Hilton Honors and Scandic Friends members, with details "to be announced at a later date." No points transfers, reciprocal booking, or status match rules have been announced — don't treat any of that as live yet.

Background: the relationship spans 20+ years, with three Hilton properties in Helsinki already operated by Scandic; Scandic runs ~320 hotels with 68,000 rooms across the Nordics.

Official release: https://stories.hilton.com/emea/releases/hilton-and-scandic-sign-new-nordics-strategic-agreement

WestJet is dropping 10 Canada–US routes from its winter 2026–27 schedule, with Vancouver absorbing half the cuts. YVR loses nonstops to Los Angeles (suspended Oct 25, 2026 – Apr 24, 2027), Orlando, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, and Lihue (Kauai) — shrinking its transborder network from 11 routes to 6, and weekly departures from 66 to 49.

The other five: Calgary–Chicago O'Hare (suspended over the same period), Edmonton–Atlanta, and Regina/Saskatoon/Toronto–Las Vegas (cancelled seasonal resumptions).

If you're ticketed: under APPR, WestJet must offer rebooking (an alternative departing within 48 hours of the original); if it doesn't work for you, you're entitled to a full refund to your original payment method. Alternatives: Delta launches YVR–LAX nonstop from Nov 21, 2026; United still flies Calgary–Chicago.

InterContinental Ambassador enrollment is open to everyone: USD 225 or 45,000 IHG One Rewards points gets you IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, a guaranteed room upgrade at InterContinental hotels, and a complimentary weekend night certificate (BOGO — second night free), among other perks.

Side note: IHG sent a targeted invitation to select members today — join Ambassador for the first time between October 18 and December 31, 2026 and complete two qualifying nights by year-end to earn an extra 10,000 bonus points. Worth a look if you received the email.

Air Canada and United Airlines announced on October 16 a batch of new transborder routes for summer 2027, alongside a renewal and expansion of their Transborder Joint Business Agreement.

Air Canada (summer 2027):

• Toronto–Louisville: starts late April, daily from May
• Montréal–Indianapolis
• Edmonton–Newark: new direct link to the New York region, feeding United's Newark hub
• Edmonton–San Francisco upgauged to the larger Airbus A220

United:

• Newark–St. John's (seasonal)
• Denver–Ottawa and Denver–Québec City (new)
• More Washington, D.C.–Québec City flights; Denver–Winnipeg daily seats up 65%

Context: since the joint business agreement was signed in 2022, the two carriers have added 20 new Canada–U.S. routes and carried more than 4.3 million passengers jointly. The renewed and expanded agreement has been submitted to Canadian regulators for approval and, once approved, will support more than 1,200 connecting itineraries. Air Canada says the expansion is part of its strategy of routing U.S. passengers through its Canadian hubs onward to Europe and Asia.

Nintendo's first-ever North American store-within-a-store opens today (Oct 17) at EB Games Yonge & Dundas in Toronto, with opening-day in-store exclusives: a $50 eShop gift card with any $200+ Nintendo purchase, or two $50 eShop cards ($100 value) with a Switch 2 purchase. In-store only, while supplies last.

Amex has updated US Business Gold terms: starting February 17, 2027, the 4x advertising and wireless categories narrow to direct spend at selected merchants:

• Advertising (online / TV / radio): only when paid directly to Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, GoDaddy, or Yelp
• Wireless: only when paid directly to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Frontier, Comcast, Charter, Spectrum Mobile, UScellular, Optimum, Ultra Mobile, or Mint Mobile
• Other 4x categories (restaurants, gas, transit, electronics / software / cloud) are unchanged; the card still auto-selects the two highest-spend categories each month for 4x, with a $150k annual cap.

Southwest has announced a major Rapid Rewards overhaul for 2027:

• New Platinum tier (three levels: Silver 35,000 / Gold 65,000 / Platinum 140,000 TQP)
• Co-brand card spend earns 1 TQP per $1 from 2027
• First international airline partners in Southwest history — Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad — with reciprocal earn and redemption from spring 2027
• Icon lounges with Chase arrive by late 2027 (access requires the new premium co-brand card)
• Fleetwide Starlink WiFi in fall 2027
• Points for rental cars from November 2026; points for seat selection by late 2027

😄 Assigned seats, a premium card, lounges, international partners — the transforming Southwest looks less and less like a "budget airline."

MR points no longer merge automatically into the same existing account. You have to link the cards yourself in the app under Manage Connections.

TD Aeroplan cardholders can now register for a new earning bonus: selected streaming and subscription spend at merchants such as Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, and Apple earns 5x points relative to each card’s base rate (Privilege 6.25x, Infinite / Business 5x, Platinum 3.35x). Spend is capped at $750, and the offer runs through October 13, 2027. The $750 cap is per person, so holding more than one card does not stack it. You must register before you spend. Register on the official site (as of 2026-10-15; terms as published there).

US Amex keeps tightening reimbursement rules for Lululemon gift cards, so another restriction is not especially surprising. Recent data points on social media say gift cards bought in the United States can no longer be used in Canada, which used to work. The US and Canadian Lululemon sites both state the policy: "Gift Cards can only be redeemed in the country where they were purchased."

Starting January 1, 2027, Southwest Rapid Rewards elite status moves to three tiers — Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver requires 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points or 25 segments, Gold 65,000 TQPs or 50 segments, and top-tier Platinum 140,000 TQPs or 100 segments, including an unlimited Companion Pass and three free checked bags. Southwest will also launch a new premium Chase co-branded card earning 1 TQP per dollar from 2027, with cardholder access to the first Icon Lounges opening in late 2027 at BNA, AUS, BWI and HNL.

Portugal's government has confirmed Lufthansa will acquire a 44.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal for US$1.3 billion. Portugal retains a 50.1% majority stake, with 5% set aside for TAP's 9,000-plus employees to purchase. The deal still requires EU regulatory approval, with the government targeting full privatization by 2028. TAP is already a Star Alliance member, so mileage earning and redemptions are unaffected in the short term; deeper integration with Lufthansa's Miles&More program is one to watch over time.

The Nashville outbound flight, AF046, nods to Dolly Parton, who was born in 1946. The return is AF047.

Starting October 15, 2026, World of Hyatt lets members transfer points to other members on Hyatt.com, instead of the old PDF form, email, and multi-day wait. The new calendar-year caps are 525,000 points out and 525,000 points in (a Hyatt representative confirmed the figures to the blog; the full official terms were due the next day). For comparison, Hilton allows 500,000 out and 2,000,000 in per year, while Marriott allows only 100,000 out and 500,000 in. Hyatt's cut is not a light one.

Suites and first class: Selected SISLEY anti-aging kits (Sisleÿa and Sisleÿum) for men and women, plus 100% cotton pajamas, an eye mask, and slippers.

Business class: Pajamas in business class for the first time, plus a BYREDO kit with Blanche perfume, hand cream, and lip balm.

Premium economy: A batik-motif pouch with a wrist strap, including an INK & WATER white-tea lip balm and other travel items.

Economy: A collectible batik-motif drawstring bag with everyday travel items.

Which flights: The new amenity kits roll out gradually on flights longer than 6 hours. Pajamas are on selected long-haul overnight flights longer than 6 hours, and on all long-haul flights.

From October 15, 2026, booking a new ticket by phone with an Air Canada Contact Centre agent costs a non-refundable CA$30 per passenger, plus tax. Two passengers cost $60 plus tax. Booking or changing a ticket on the website or in the app stays free. Passengers who need special assistance, including accessibility needs, are exempt, as are callers dealing with a delay, cancellation, or other disruption. The $30 phone fee already applied to Aeroplan award tickets. This is the first time it covers cash tickets.

The Marriott Bonvoy Lounge is coming to participating hotels in Asia Pacific and Greater China, as a members-only space with local character and food.

Featured experiences and food:

• The Coral Pour: a morning drink with local flavors.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bites: evening snacks made for the destination.

Who can use it: eligible Elite members at participating hotels.

On October 12 the Vietnamese government issued Resolution 325/NQ-CP. During the 2026–2027 Vietnam–China Tourism Cooperation Year, it pilots visa-free entry to Khanh Hoa for Chinese citizens holding a valid ordinary passport. Hong Kong and Macau SAR passports are not included. The group must have at least two people, travel on a package of no more than 30 days arranged by a Vietnamese international tour operator, fly nonstop from mainland China to Cam Ranh International Airport in Nha Trang, enter and leave through that same checkpoint, and stay only in Khanh Hoa. The policy runs from October 12, 2026 through December 31, 2027.

Given the recent security situation in Saudi Arabia, and an attack at Riyadh airport in particular, Delta has postponed the Atlanta–Riyadh inaugural to March 2027.

From October 1, 2027, Singapore Airlines puts first class on London Gatwick for the first time. SQ312/309 switches from the long-range A350 to a four-class 777-300ER with four 2013 first-class seats. One-way Saver awards are already available at 148,000 KrisFlyer miles, and they were bookable this morning inside the 355-day window.

Flair's new Toronto–Puerto Plata route starts on December 19, with up to two flights a week. One-way fares start at CA$249, taxes extra.

Delta's CEO said whether the October 23 Atlanta–Riyadh inaugural operates as planned depends on a security assessment, after an attack on Riyadh airport that the Houthis claimed and that killed people.

Alaska Airlines is preparing a third nonstop from Seattle to Asia, after Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon. The city has not been announced. It is expected before the end of the year.

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While browsing Xiaohongshu, a reader reported that an EVA Air business-class passenger flying Vancouver–Taipei received a lounge pass at YVR that worked at the Plaza Premium First lounge to the right of the regular Plaza Premium lounge (lounge review 🔗).

Wealthsimple updated the list of countries where its credit card cannot be used: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Canada, and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Charges there are declined automatically.

For visa applications from July 1, 2026, the fees are five times higher: a single-entry visa goes from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000, and a multiple-entry visa goes from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000.