Kelly, The Points and Miles Doc

Join points and miles expert Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc, as she reviews the shifting landscape of rewards in 2025. Discover how this year saw a greater complexity in earning and redeeming points. Kelly shares insights on the winners and losers, including the disappointing changes at Chase and the exciting addition of Japan Airlines to transfer partners. Explore new card launches and programs that emphasize member loyalty over partnerships, all while providing invaluable strategies to navigate this evolving rewards world.

In this discussion, Kelly, The Points and Miles Doc, a sought-after expert on credit card rewards and award travel, shares insights on 2025's major points and miles developments. They uncover notable devaluations and highlight standout programs like Alaska Airlines and Asia Miles. The conversation dives into the new Japan Airlines partnership, customer service's crucial role in financial products, and growing frustrations with major credit cards like Amex and Chase. Listeners will glean strategies to optimize their travel rewards and navigate the evolving landscape.

In this discussion, Kelly, known as The Points and Miles Doc, delves into American Express's recent updates to its Platinum Cards following Chase's refresh. They dissect the higher annual fees and the newly added credits, particularly the $600 hotel credit and tiered large-spend perks. Kelly points out the lack of bonus categories still plaguing the personal Platinum card, while praising the business version's 2X on large purchases over $5,000. They ultimately assess the value of these changes for both personal and business users.