Our roundup of this week's top 5 travel deals

Julian Kheel
May 24, 2026
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This week I've got two offers aimed squarely at former Spirit Airlines flyers, a new way to turn your monthly rent into SkyTeam elite status that you can use on Delta flights, and a pair of Amazon deals worth stacking if you have an Amex card.

Also, Philippine Airlines business class just became a lot more bookable for U.S. travelers thanks to a new Qatar partnership, and British Airways is once again making its award surcharges worse — with a deadline you'll want to know about. Here's everything you need to know before you book anything over your Memorial Day weekend.

Two airlines are rolling out the welcome mat for Spirit refugees

The slow-motion fallout from the liquidation of Spirit Airlines is still creating opportunities for travelers who know where to look.

As the largest remaining U.S. budget carrier, Frontier Airlines is aiming to snag former Spirit travelers with a new promotion. Right now, you can earn 5,000 bonus Frontier miles for every roundtrip flight you take, up to 20,000 total bonus miles.

To qualify for these bonus miles, you must have a free Frontier frequent flyer account and ​register for the promotion​ by May 31st and at least 24 hours before departure of your flight. All tickets must be purchased and flown by August 31st to earn bonus miles. Only cash flights qualify, so award redemptions won't count.

Meanwhile, ​American has refreshed its status match options​ to include former Spirit elite members. Eligible Free Spirit Silver and Gold elites can now match to AAdvantage Gold status. As always with American matches, the status is valid for four months, with the opportunity to extend it by earning Loyalty Points.

So if you're a former Spirit flyer looking to rebuild a mileage balance quickly or land elite status at a legacy carrier, you've got options on both fronts. But these are limited-time offers, so make sure to take advantage of them before they disappear.

This airline card's welcome offer just got a whole lot better

A silhouette of an airplane landing against the dark sky.

For a limited time, this airline credit card is offering an increased welcome offer. Even without this enhanced sign-up bonus, this card is incredibly valuable thanks to a companion ticket benefit, preferred boarding, and a free checked bag. And if you apply now and meet the minimum spending requirement, you can get a discount on a qualifying future flight, in addition to bonus points and a companion fare.

Learn more about this limited-time offer

Earn Air France miles and elite status with your monthly rent

If you pay rent every month, you already have one of the most predictable pools of spending in your budget. Fortunately, a new partnership offers a way to put it to work.

This week, Bilt Rewards announced that the ​Air France KLM Visa Signature credit card​ now earns three Flying Blue miles for every dollar spent on rent payments made through Bilt, up to $50,000 in rent per year.

There's a 3% fee when you pay your rent through Bilt this way, but you can avoid any fees charged by your landlord for paying by credit card because Bilt will provide an ACH method or even send your landlord a paper check for the actual rent payment.

While Air France/KLM miles can be very useful for transatlantic flights, the math on this deal gets interesting beyond just the miles. Rent payments made this way also count toward Flying Blue elite status, and Flying Blue Gold status comes with SkyTeam Elite Plus status.

That status can be particularly useful not just on Air France and KLM, but also ​when you're flying domestically on Delta​, as you'll get free checked bags, priority check-in, priority security lane access, and even lounge access on international flights.

For renters already using Bilt, this is a meaningful expansion of what the platform can do. But even if you don't want to use Bilt to pay your rent, you can earn Bilt points for free with your existing credit or debit card. Just ​sign up for the Bilt Neighborhood Benefits program​ and you'll stack Bilt points on top of your existing rewards. ​Read our guide on the program​ for more info.

Amex cardholders can double-dip on discounts at Amazon

If you have an American Express card and you shop at ​Amazon​, this is a good week to check on what might be waiting for you, as there are two targeted offers running simultaneously for Amex Membership Rewards cardholders at Amazon.

The first is a Shop With Points promotion offering up to 50% off your Amazon order when you apply at least $5 to $10 worth of Amex points at checkout. I'm seeing discounts ranging from 30% to 50% off, depending on your account. This offer is targeted, but you can easily ​check if you're eligible at this link​.

The second promotion is an Amex Offer that awards bonus Amex points on Amazon purchases. This one has versions ranging from 500 points after spending $40 to 1,200 points after spending $150. The offers look to be usable up to three times each and expire on July 19th.

You can log into your Amex account online or in the app and go to the "Offers" tab to see if you're targeted for this Amex Offer. Remember to check all your American Express cards before activating an offer, since different cards on the same account can carry different offers.

As we start to get closer to Amazon's traditional summer Prime Day event, I expect we'll see more of these offers pop up. To have the best chance at being targeted for one or more, read ​our guide on how to save money at Amazon​ using your credit card points.

Getting to Asia in business class just got meaningfully easier

Philippine Airlines has long had exceptional award availability across the Pacific, but for most U.S. travelers, there was simply no practical way to book it. Until now.

This week, Qatar Airways added Philippine Airlines as a redemption partner, meaning you can now book Philippine Airlines awards directly online using Qatar Avios. Pricing is distance-based, with Los Angeles to Manila running 110,000 points each way in business class, while New York's JFK to Manila costs 154,500 points. Taxes and fees are around $300-$500.

Even if you don't have any Qatar Avios, they're extremely easy to get, since ​Qatar is a transfer partner with Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Citi​. But you can also freely move Avios across a number of airlines that all earn Avios, including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and others.

If you're a ​Points Path Pro​ or Founders Club member, you'll get live Qatar award pricing right in Google Flights. I'm already seeing a nice chunk of Philippine Airlines business class awards available with Qatar Avios, so if a nonstop to Asia has been on your list, now's a great time to look.

British Airways is making its award surcharges even worse

Finally, British Airways has long had a reputation for charging some of the highest cash fees on frequent flyer awards in the world. Well, guess what? They're at it yet again.

The airline notified its Executive Club members this week that carrier-imposed surcharges on award tickets are increasing by as much as 33% starting May 27th. While the carrier offered almost no details about the full scope of the change, it did publish ​a grand total of four examples on its website​.

According to this tiny sample, a round-trip business class award between London Heathrow and New York's JFK, for instance, will now require roughly $671 in fees — a 25% increase. The London to Cape Town example reflects a 33% increase. Fees on U.S.-originating awards remain unspecified.

It's worth noting this increase comes just months after British Airways already raised Avios prices and surcharges in December. The airline also offered no before-and-after comparison in its announcement, making it difficult for members to gauge the full impact.

British Airways is not alone in this trend — Air France/KLM, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways have all raised award surcharges recently. But BA's fees have historically been among the worst offenders. So if you've been sitting on an upcoming British Airways award booking, the window to lock in current fees closes on May 27th.

The lightest MacBook yet is built for your carry-on

MacBook Neo

The new MacBook Neo slips into most bags with room to spare. For less than $600, you get a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, A18 Pro chip, and 16-hour battery that's always ready for your journey.

Get it at Amazon

That's everything going on in travel this holiday weekend. But if you're looking for a good travel podcast listen on your day off, I'll be appearing with Brian T. Coleman and Micah Engber on the ​Airplane Geeks​ episode that comes out tomorrow (Memorial Day). Hope you enjoy it, and have a great holiday 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 May 24, 2026, at 11am ET.
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