Our roundup of this week's top 5 travel deals

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As expected, there's more bad news this week about checked luggage fees, with almost every U.S. airline increasing what they charge to check a bag. On top of that, American just gutted elite perks for budget tickets, which means elites will need to spend more just to get the same benefits they had before.

But there are a few bright spots worth acting on, including a Southwest double points promo that expires tonight, bonus miles from two airline shopping portals, and a solid Hyatt deal if Las Vegas is on your radar this summer. Read on for everything worth knowing on the travel front this week.

Last week I wrote about United and JetBlue raising their checked bag fees, and predicted one or two more airlines would follow this week. As it turns out, four more jumped on the bandwagon.

American, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska have all announced their own checked bag increases, completing what can only be called a full-industry pile-on. First bags now run $45 across most carriers, second bags hit $55, and a third bag will cost you a painful $200 with most U.S. airlines.

Airlines are pointing to rising fuel costs as the reason, but there's no indication these fees will ever come back down regardless of what happens at the pump. A temporary surcharge would've made the same point, but unsurprisingly, that's not what we got.

The silver lining is that ​airline credit cards that waive the first checked bag fee​ are now more valuable. For a family of four checking bags, the right card could save you close to $200 on a single round trip.

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If you have elite status on American Airlines and thought higher bag fees were the only bad news this week, there's ​another change you're going to want to know about​.

For tickets purchased starting May 18th and beyond, American is stripping most elite benefits from basic economy. That means no upgrades of any kind — systemwide, cash, miles-based, or complimentary — and no free seat selection either. The restrictions apply to elites from other oneworld airlines as well.

Basic economy fares on American were already blocked from earning Loyalty Points or redeemable miles. But these new rules bring American roughly in line with United and Delta, making the cheapest fare tier essentially a status-free zone, no matter how loyal you are.

The message from American is pretty clear — if you want your elite benefits, you have to pay for a higher fare for them. Whether that's enough to keep status-chasers engaged or push them toward other carriers remains to be seen.

On the other hand, not all the news out of Southwest this week was about higher bag fees. The airline is also running a bonus that gives you a reason to book a flight by midnight tonight.

Right now, Southwest is offering double Rapid Rewards points on all cash flights booked by tonight, April 12th, at 11:59 pm Central time. While that's a short window, the promotion covers travel completed through July 1st, so there's plenty of time to actually use the flights.

There are a few things to keep in mind about this promo. First, registration is required before booking, which ​you can do at this link​ (you'll need to log into Southwest to see the offer). While this is technically a targeted promotion, most Southwest members appear to be eligible.

Any bonus points earned from this offer don't count toward A-List or Companion Pass qualification. Also, any flights already booked before you register won't qualify — but since Southwest allows free cancellations, it may be worth rebooking an existing reservation if the price is the same or lower than before.

While it's nice to earn extra points, obviously this offer alone isn't a reason to choose Southwest over another airline, or to book a ticket today that you don't need. But if you were already planning to fly on Southwest before July, registering and ticketing before midnight could be a good move.

Score a $50 bonus when you shop online

What if your online shopping could pay for your next vacation? The Rakuten shopping portal transforms your everyday online purchases into either free cash back, American Express points, or Bilt points. With partnerships across 3,500+ retailers, that means you're earning rewards for shopping you're already doing. But here's the best part — right now you can score a $50 bonus (or 5,000 points) just for spending $50 through Rakuten in your first 90 days. One click before checkout could be the difference between paying for your next vacation and earning your way there.

Learn how to claim your $50 or 5,000 bonus points

If you have any online shopping to do in the next week, there's an easy way to squeeze some extra miles out of it with two airlines running matching promotions right now.

Both United and Alaska Airlines are offering 500 bonus miles or points when you spend $100 through their respective shopping portals. That works out to an effective 5x bonus on $100 in purchases, on top of whatever the standard portal rate is for a given retailer.

The ​United portal offer​ runs through April 15th, while the ​Alaska portal offer​ runs through April 17th. In addition to online purchases, in-store card-linked purchases also count toward the $100 threshold for both portals.

For Alaska shoppers, there's an extra perk — bonus Atmos Rewards points from portal promotions count toward elite status qualification. So this is a small but easy win if you're chasing Alaska status this year.

Finally, if a Vegas trip is on your radar anytime before summer, there's a Hyatt promotion worth registering for before you book.

Hyatt is offering a 20% points rebate on award stays at its Las Vegas properties for travel completed by July 31st. The rebate applies after your stay, so you book at the standard rate and get the points back afterward.

Only reservations made after registering for this offer will count, so make sure to ​register at this link​ before making any bookings.

The savings from this promotion can add up depending on where you stay. A night at the Rio can run as few as 9,000 Hyatt points, meaning your net cost after the rebate drops to around 7,200 points. But at pricier properties like the Venetian, you could get more than 6,000 points back per night.

Remember that if you don't have Hyatt points on hand, both ​Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards transfer to Hyatt​ at a 1-to-1 ratio, making this a good excuse to put those points to work if you're thinking about a trip to Sin City.

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That's your weekly dose of travel rewards news. But before you go, check out our ​latest guide on how Capital One miles work​ and where they give you the most value. Have a great weekend! ✈️

This story may contain links through which we are compensated when you click on or are approved for offers, and we may receive compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. Points Path may receive a commission from card issuers. This compensation may impact how and where links appear in this story. This story does not necessarily include all financial companies or all available financial offers. The editorial content in this story is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. All prices are accurate as of April 12, 2026, at 10am ET.