{"id":280511,"date":"2026-10-03T18:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T18:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=280511\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T09:26:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:26:34","slug":"weekly-news-roundup-new-ways-to-use-aadvantage-miles-improved-airline-apps-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/travel-news-roundup-october-3-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly News Roundup: New Ways To Use AAdvantage Miles, Improved Airline Apps, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

We're finally in October, which means the holidays are right around the corner. It seems like every airline, hotel, and credit card issuer waited until this week to make major announcements. In the last few days, we shared details on\u00a0Alaska's new premium cabins<\/a>, a ton of Atmos Rewards program updates<\/a>, the new IHG card portfolio<\/a>, and Bilt devaluing transfers to Hyatt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As is often the case at the beginning of the month, we also covered several new transfer bonuses, including three Rove transfer bonuses<\/a>, a 20% bonus to British Airways<\/a>, and a 25% bonus to Flying Blue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There's no doubt that it's been an incredibly busy week. Beyond these breaking developments, we've learned some interesting information about a few of our favorite airlines and card issuers. Here's a recap of some travel news you might've missed this week.<\/p>\n

American Airlines To Launch Cash and Miles Bookings<\/span><\/h2>\n

American Airlines announced<\/a> it would soon launch cash and miles bookings. Unfortunately, that's about all that we know. We reached out to American Airlines for information on the redemption value, and they said the value per mile will be “based on the specific itinerary, booking and availability.”<\/p>\n

In other words, there's no way to know whether this will be a good deal. Delta Air Lines lets SkyMiles credit card<\/a> holders pay with miles at a fixed value of 1 cent per point, so you can use 5,000 miles to take $50 off your ticket. If it's the same, this new feature won't offer the best value for your AAdvantage\u00ae<\/sup> miles. However, more ways to save on airfare are always a good thing.<\/p>\n

\"American
Credit: American Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

United Adds Base Fares to Domestic First<\/span><\/h2>\n

Earlier this year, United introduced “Base” fare options<\/a> for United Polaris and Premium Plus tickets. It was only a matter of time, but it seems that these Base fares have extended to domestic first class and short-haul business class. These tickets will not include seat selection, flight changes, or refunds, but you'll still be able to bring one checked and one carry-on bag.<\/p>\n

For short-haul business class, you'll still be able to access United Club<\/a> locations, even with a Base ticket. We haven't found any United First Base tickets available just yet, so we aren't sure how much they will cost.<\/p>\n

\"United
Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Airlines Add New Features to Apps<\/span><\/h2>\n

Both United and American Airlines have also added some cool new features to their respective apps.<\/p>\n

First, American Airlines added a new seat monitoring feature<\/a>. Eligible members can select seat preferences at booking, and then will be automatically moved whenever a matching seat becomes available. This way, you don't have to keep an eye on the seat map to get the seat you want. The app does all the work for you.<\/p>\n

It's available up to 24 hours before departure for AAdvantage members traveling on single-passenger reservations with an assigned seat. This isn't a huge change, but it's certainly helpful.<\/p>\n

\"Examples
Credit: American Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

United has also added a new app feature called My Flight Journey. If you are an iPhone user and you have the Flighty app, you might notice some similarities \u2014 so much so that Flighty called United out on X<\/a>. The new feature shows how many flights you've taken, miles traveled, the most common aircraft you've flown, and more.<\/p>\n

It's a neat feature, especially for hardcore United loyalists who want to see their stats from recent years. Keep in mind that you can see much of the same information (for any airline) in your AwardWallet travel summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chase Considers Partnerships With Other Lenders<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> that JPMorgan Chase has been exploring partnerships with other lenders for its co-branded card products. If Chase would normally deny you for a card, a different lender could review your application and approve you. Then, you'll enjoy all the Chase card benefits, but the other lender takes on the risk of approving your application. This appears to be in the early stages, so we don't know what this would look like in practice. However, if Chase has ever denied you but you're still eager for a new card, this is an exciting development.<\/p>\n

Rumors of a New Top-Tier Hilton Status<\/span><\/h2>\n

For much of 2025, you could get top-tier Hilton Diamond status<\/a> by being a cardholder of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card<\/a>. Hilton Honors was one of the few programs that offered top-tier status through credit cards. Then, in late 2025, it announced a new highest tier<\/a>: Hilton Diamond Reserve. Just a month later, we learned about a new, invite-only tier called The Honors Society<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, rumors are circulating about a new Black Diamond tier that will surpass all the other tiers we just mentioned. Loyalty Lobby<\/a> found mentions of Black Diamond in internal documents, so only time will tell whether this new status is real and what benefits it will provide. If it is real, it's certainly disappointing for Hilton Diamond members who were accustomed to being at the top of the chain. With several new statuses launching in a year, Hilton Diamonds are now far down the priority list.<\/p>\n

\"Pool
KROMO Bangkok, Curio Collection by Hilton. Credit: Hilton<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n

There's been a ton of breaking news this week, so the “extra” news is a bit light. However, you can already enjoy some new in-app features with both American and United, and you'll soon be able to use your AAdvantage miles toward cash bookings. Chase also has some interesting partnerships in the works, and Hilton might be debuting a brand-new top-tier elite status soon.<\/p>\n

Don't forget to read the other travel news roundups from September for any additional news you might've missed:<\/p>\n