At Frequent Miler, we pride ourselves on “doing the math”. Whether analyzing the first year value of a credit card or the incremental benefit of a hotel promotion, we love to run the numbers and see what makes sense. At the same time, the things we personally do in the hunt for miles, points, and elite status are both a profession and a hobby. Sometimes, the lines blur and we chase the benefits not because the math says to do so but rather because it is fun. My Monday Dunkin’ run will have me get up at 2am to take a Greyhound bus to New York, fly to Orlando and get back home all in the same day (even if not a sane day). In this case, I think the numbers do justify it, but this is certainly a case of the journey being as much fun as the destination.
It can sometimes be easy to fall into a trap of “golden age thinking” where we look back on promotions past and think that “things aren’t as good as they used to be”. But before you buy into that mindset, consider that we have now in less than a year’s time seen an airline offer one million miles for flying 15 of its partners, another offer what potentially amounts to a better-than-100%-rebate on flying to 25 of its destinations (and status for (potentially) 25 years), and yet another launch the chance to become a miles millionaire by flying to six continents — again, a potentially better-than-100%-rebate on what could be a bucket list trip.
These promos are quite the opposite of our “earn miles without flying” tagline. And the truth is that one million miles are still well within reach without leaving the comfort of your couch. Pajama points opportunities have changed over the years, but it is still possible to use big new credit card offers to build up a massive stack of miles without flying. And yet here’s to a little Monday morning overflying in the pursuit of status I hope will be satisfying. I’ll have to leave the comfort of my couch to go after this one, but considering the early morning wake-up-call, I might just be pursuing those points in my pajamas, too.
This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Credit Card Review (2025)
A new-yet-familiar kid on the block, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business credit card recently hit the market, though it didn’t necessarily hit the ground running in my opinion. If your business spends a lot on flights and hotels (and particularly if you can book them through Chase Travel™), this card could be a little powerhouse. However, the coupon credits will be be harder to use than those on the personal card (for most people) and authorized users do not enjoy lounge access, so the high annual fee may be a tough pill to swallow for many business owners. Read everything you need to know about the card in Tim’s review.
How to apply for the Sapphire Reserve for Business card
Business credit cards can be a great way to boost your points balances, but many people are unsure about how to apply or whether they might qualify. This post serves as an excellent explanation of everything you need to know, whether your ultimate goal is the Sapphire Reserve for Business or you find yourself attracted by another card’s benefits or bonuses.
Chase Points Boosts explained & evaluated | Coffee Break Ep61 | 7-1-25
What are Chase Points Boosts? Are they any good? How does the new system compare to the old system? On this week’s Coffee Break, Greg and I discuss everything you need to know about getting great value out of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Taking stock of the hunt for elite status at the midway point
Having written earlier this year about my elite status plans for 2025, I took a minute to take stock of my progress so far this year, noting where I am and using that information to think about where I’m headed over the rest of 2025 regarding elite status. I’m pleasantly surprised to be as far along with Hyatt as I am a little surprised that I haven’t made more progress (yet) towards oneworld status. That’s something I’ll have to prioritize in the very near future as I prep for our Frequent Miler 100K Vacay challenge this fall, but in the meantime I’ll be adding an unexpected elite status in a few days and looking to ultimately extend it for many years.
Let’s go: Running on Dunkin’ for JetBlue Mosaic status to start 25 for 25
The unexpected elite status I find myself now chasing is JetBlue’s Mosaic 1. I am about to be (mileage) runnin’ on Dunkin’ as I take the JetBlue x Dunkin’ plane to Orlando on Monday, only to return hours later — all in the name of getting JetBlue Mosaic 1 status for 3 months. That hopefully make things both cheaper and more comfortable for our August run at JetBlue’s 25 for 25 promotion since many of the useful benefits of my Mosaic 1 status will apply to the rest of my family as we crisscross the JetBlue network en route to 1.4 million miles and 25 years of Mosaic 1 for all of us. See this post for more on my Monday adventure (and then check out this post for how I saved $50 with a price match guarantee).
Fly to 6 continents, earn 1 million miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep313 | 7-4-25
Yet another airline is now following in SAS’s footsteps as Turkish Miles & Smiles is set to offer one million miles to those who fly to six continents on Turkish Airlines between June 27, 2025 and October 27, 2025. After the Frequent Miler team turned last year’s SAS EuroBonus promotion into Million Mile Madness and Nick has recently decided to jump on an opportunity for more than one million JetBlue miles in his family, will either Greg or Nick be going after the million miles Turkish has on offer? The expiration date of the miles, cost of flights, and distances to be covered make this one tough, but there is no doubt that it is possible to build a bucket list-worth trip and get it largely rebated — so long as are able to deal with the ongoing challenges of using Turkish miles.
Will Southwest nerf the Companion Pass next?
I have long maintained that the Southwest Companion Pass is the best deal in domestic travel. The fact that it can be earned with a couple of new credit card bonuses and used repeatedly can make choosing Southwest a no-brainer for those who strategically pick it up. However, a new survey indicates that Southwest is considering the end of the pass as we know it, perhaps moving it to an elite status benefit that will only be unlimited for top-tier elites. The shame here is the continued shortsightedness of those now calling the shots at Southwest. It is easy for an accountant to guess that these companion seats are lost revenue, when in reality the pass is in many cases the reason why the primary passenger booked with Southwest, too — and it is certainly the reason Southwest can bring in as much revenue as it does in the form of credit cards and miles sold to its shopping portal, etc. While the Companion Pass may be the best deal in domestic travel, it is also no doubt a huge moneymaker for Southwest. If and when they make this change, there just won’t be much reason left to choose Southwest. As someone who has loved the airline for 20+ years and had a companion pass in our household for 10+ years, I continue to be disappointed to see the way things are headed.
Which Premium Cards are Keepers?
Greg’s handy spreadsheet to help you evaluate your premium credit card collection and decide whether to keep, cancel, or downgrade has been upgraded to include a newcomer card, benefit updates on some existing cards, and the addition of the previously-left-out Bank of America Premium Rewards elite. This is a really fantastic tool that any enthusiast should be referencing so you aren’t overextending by overspending on annual fees you don’t need.
Chase “Pay Yourself Back” Complete Guide (updated categories)
We have seen many changes to the Chase Pay Yourself Back program in the years since it launched, with an overall reduction in the usefulness of being able to pay yourself back for various types of purchases using points. However, this latest round provides what could be useful option for some cardholders, so it is worth taking a look at what you can do with your points if you’d rather not hold them to use for travel.
Best Credit Card Offers for July 2025
As always, this is your reminder that you can always find the best publicly available credit card offers on our Best Offers page, which we work to keep up to date all month long.
Current point transfer bonuses for July 2025
Similarly, we republish our list of current point transfer bonuses at the beginning of every month, but keep in mind that we update this list all month long as soon as we see a new point transfer bonus. Bookmark this page to reference before deciding which program to use to book your flight.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on the latest last chance deals to be sure you get them before they are gone.
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