Big United changes: Cardholders earn more, spend fewer miles | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep346 | 2-20-26

In this episode, we'll talk about how Chase wants you to stay Calm and give a WHOOP, we'll talk about how Bank of America wants you to be a millionaire, and how United wants you to get its credit cards.Giant Mailbag(00:45) - Doug: Parking at a Bilt Neighborhood Parking garage on Hyatt award stayCard News(03:15) - It may be possible to product change US Bank Altitude ReserveRead more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/psa-it-may-be-possible-to-product-change-altitude-reserve-and-maybe-get-some-of-the-fee-back*NOTE* Shortly after we recorded, we learned that existing earning rates for Bank of America cards will last longer than we thought: Doctor of Credit has learned some positive news regarding changes for existing Preferred Rewards members: they will retain their current status until 3 months after their first anniversary date post-November 1, 2026. For example, if your anniversary date is 10/1, your 3-month clock won’t start until 10/1/27, and you will keep your current status level through 1/1/28 (provided you meet the current qualification requirements). That’s a bit of a band-aid on a broken leg, but it’s a much better timeframe than what we originally thought.(07:26) - Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card offers (MUST ACTIVATE OFFERS)Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-cardholders-can-get-a-free-calm-premium-annual-subscription/(08:37) - WHOOP: Get $359 back after purchasing one year of WHOOP’s Life Membership (expires 5/12/2026.)Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-cardholders-can-get-a-free-year-of-whoop-fitness-wearable/(10:45) - Bilt appears to be honoring 5x offer for manyRead more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-cards-being-frozen-5x-not-being-honored-bilts-response-pound-sand-its-tpgs-fault/Bonvoyed(17:30) - Bank of America Preferred Rewards changesRead more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/negative-bank-of-america-preferred-rewards-upcoming-changes-lower-bonus-rewards-higher-eligibility-requirements/Awards, Points, and More(24:56) - FYI: How to pay taxes by credit card (Video)Watch a video about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-pay-taxes-by-credit-card-video/(26:43) - United Travel Bank may no longer trigger airline incidental creditsRead more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/united-travel-bank-may-no-longer-trigger-airline-incidental-credits-but-dont-panic-yet/(29:53) - 40% transfer bonus to Virgin AtlanticRead more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/get-a-40-bonus-when-transferring-chase-ultimate-rewards-to-virgin-atlantic/(31:30) - Use Virgin points for WestJetMain Event: Big United changes: Cardholders earn more, spend fewer miles(36:17) - Read more about this here: https://frequentmiler.com/united-mileage-plus-announces-huge-changes-to-earning-and-redeeming-miles/(36:51) - Mileage earning(41:27) - Using United cards to book flights(43:19) - Redeeming Miles(48:46) - Children benefit(50:01) - Which United card is best for unlocking these features?Question of the Week(1:03:24) - Do you use AI to help you optimize your points and miles game?Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don’t forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkVisit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/