Category Archives for Credit Cards.
The Barclays-issued AAdvantage cards are officially converting to Citi on April 24, and Citi just published the full playbook — including new cards with new account numbers and a no-login window April 24–26.
The sleeper detail is that for now your existing card’s legacy perks stay in place while you also pick up the standard Citi-version benefits, creating a temporary stacking window (especially valuable for Aviator Silver moving to Globe).
Avelo has a new co-brand card built with Cardless (issued by First Electronic Bank) that offers a $250 Avelo Cash bonus after $1,000 spend and 2% back on everything (5% on Avelo). The real value is in the perks—free carry-on, standard seat assignment, and priority boarding—which can make the $99 annual fee pay for itself if you fly Avelo even a couple of times a year.
Bilt’s next Rent Day is February 1—and it’s the first one where the new Bilt Cash currency can be used to boost transfer bonuses. The headline deal is an Accor transfer bonus of up to 125% (tiered by status), with the option to spend Bilt Cash to step up to the next bonus level.
The new Bilt Card doesn’t work like a normal Chase or Amex product where one bank issues, services, funds, and owns the economics end-to-end. Bilt Card 2.0 is a split stack: Column is the bank and lender of record, Cardless runs servicing and the tech layer, Fidem (and its capital partners) fund receivables, and Bilt provides the rewards program—on Mastercard rails. Once you see the roles, the money flows (interchange, interest, and who gets paid for what) make a lot more sense.
Bank of America accidentally tipped its hand early on a revamped Air France-KLM Flying Blue credit card, with new perks that meaningfully accelerate elite status earning. The annual fee stays $89, existing cardmembers get the changes in March, and the updated XP bonuses make Silver, Gold, and even Platinum far more reachable through spend than before.
Trump has now endorsed the Durbin-Marshall swipe fee bill, pitching it as “competition” and consumer relief. In reality it shifts value from cardholders to retailers—cutting rewards, pushing issuers toward higher fees elsewhere, and shrinking credit availability—without any reason to expect lower prices.
Bilt just announced it will cap interest on new purchases at 10% for the first year on its new credit cards—a savvy teaser rate that also echoes a much bigger political idea. It’s a tactic banks can afford in a narrow, time-limited way, but a nationwide 10% cap would shrink credit, jack up fees, and gut rewards.
Bilt has revealed three new credit cards replacing its Wells Fargo product, adding unlimited points on rent and mortgages and 4% back in Bilt Cash on all cards. They look genuinely strong—but the details (pricing tiers, credits, and how the new “free” rent/mortgage math works) take a minute to unpack.
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is being sued by JPMorgan Chase over an unpaid United MileagePlus credit card balance of $11,078—after 17 months without a payment. If the allegation sounds familiar, it’s because the same mix of arrogance and mismanagement defined her time in office.
Bilt will unveil a refreshed card lineup next week, but details are already leaking—including a three-card structure and new annual fees. The biggest change may be how “fee-free” rent and mortgage payments work: the perk appears to become conditional on enough non-rent spending (or offset with Bilt Cash), which radically changes the math for how you use the card.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
