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I start every week thinking, “It seems like it's going to be a quiet news week.” And I'm always wrong. In the last week, we shared that Citi added JAL as an airline partner, the Chase Freedom Flex® got a refresh, and Bilt added Amtrak as a transfer partner.
However, there's been quite a bit of additional news that we've been waiting to share. Here's a roundup of other important travel news from this week.
SAS To Open Lounge in Copenhagen
Sweden-based SAS plans to open a new lounge in Copenhagen (CPH) in June 2027. The almost 40,000-square-foot lounge is on the fourth floor of Terminal 3 and offers panoramic runway views with the capacity for up to 4,000 visitors per day. The space features Nordic aesthetics and will include barista service, a fresh bakery, a dedicated bar with signature drinks, and more.
As is the case in all great lounges, there will be separate spaces for working (including 24 private work pods), relaxing, sleeping (including private hotel rooms), eating, and socializing. It will also have a dedicated area for top-tier SAS elites. It offers 40% more space than the current lounge, so you shouldn't have any problem finding a spot to relax between flights.
You can now book select Starlux-operated flights between the Western U.S. and Taipei for travel starting September 30, 2026. You will earn miles and
American will place its code on Starlux-operated flights to Taipei (TPE) from Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA). It will also place its code on flights to Taipei (TPE) from Phoenix (PHX) pending regulatory approvals.
Bilt Adds Ability to Product Change
There are some interesting developments in the Bilt
As a refresher, Bilt launched the Bilt 2.0 card lineup earlier this year. Until now, we weren't sure whether you could switch between the three Bilt cards, or whether you would have to cancel your current card to apply for a different one if you wanted a change. However, we now know that upgrades and downgrades are possible, but they won't be available to all cardholders at all times.
Select Bilt Blue Card (Rates & Fees) cardholders can upgrade to the Bilt Obsidian Card (Rates & Fees), while Obsidian Card cardholders can upgrade to the Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees).
When you upgrade to another Bilt card, you may be eligible for an upgrade bonus, which may include Bilt Cash, Bilt Points, or complimentary elite status when you meet a spending requirement. This is fantastic news.
Downgrades are where things get more confusing. If you downgrade within 30 days after an annual fee posts, your upgrade bonus or welcome bonus may be reversed. We aren't sure exactly how this will work in practice.
We do know that you can complete only one upgrade or downgrade in any rolling 12-month period, and you can receive an upgrade bonus on a specific product only once. You cannot receive an upgrade bonus if you previously earned a welcome bonus on that card or on a card with a higher annual fee.
There is also some confusion surrounding cardholder credits depending on when you upgrade or downgrade. If you're interested, review the full terms and conditions to see how you can keep your current credits or earn new ones if you request a product change.
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 1X points on everyday spend
$95Rates & Fees
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
- 2X points on travel
- 1X points on everyday spend
$495Rates & Fees
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
American Announces Partnership With Inter Miami CF
American Airlines announced it would be the very first airline partner for Inter Miami CF. The press release indicates that “Inter Miami and American will create new ways for fans worldwide to engage with the Club through premium experiences, travel and exclusive access available through the AAdvantage® program.” We aren't sure exactly what that will look like, but it's certainly exciting.
One aspect we do know about is that American will be the entitlement partner of the 1,800-seat West Club at Nu Stadium, which will be named the American Lounge. In addition, AAdvantage members will be able to redeem miles for exclusive opportunities, including pitchside access, matchday experiences, flyaway trips, and more.
New Airline Routes in 2027
For all the AvGeeks out there, the most exciting new route is offered by Qantas. We've known about Project Sunrise for quite some time, but we just learned that the daily nonstop flight between Sydney and London will launch in October 2027, with tickets on sale in February 2027. Meanwhile, the nonstop flight between Sydney and New York will launch in mid-2028, with tickets on sale in August 2027.
These will be the world's longest flights. The Sydney to London route will take a whopping 22 hours, while the Sydney to New York route comes in at 18 hours. Most people won't want to be on a plane for almost a full day, but the novelty alone makes me ready to buy tickets.
In other route-related news, Delta announced its summer 2027 schedule, and it's much more underwhelming than the announcements we got from United and American a few weeks ago. Delta will launch service from Detroit to Athens and Boston to Venice, which joins the previously announced route from Austin to Paris. Delta already serves all these cities, so this announcement is far from exciting.
Finally, if you're already in Europe and you don't mind flying a low-cost carrier, EasyJet announced 18 new routes for summer 2027, including Ajaccio, Barcelona, Bastia, Bilbao, Burgas, Girona, Hamburg, Larnaca, Milan, Montpellier, Murcia, Majorca, Rhodes, Rome, Thessaloniki and Tivat.
Bottom Line
It's officially autumn in the northern hemisphere. As we look ahead to October, there's a lot to keep in mind. You can start planning for new lounges, routes, and partnerships, and consider a Bilt product change. All these developments make travel even more exciting.
Don't forget to read the other travel news roundups from this month for any additional news you might've missed:
- Week of September 19: New Earnings on
Capital One - Week of September 12: Go to Gate Without a Ticket, Avianca’s New Business Class, and More
- Week of September 5: New Emirates Premium Economy, United's Upgraded App, Aeroplan Sweepstakes, and More
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Bilt Blue Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Obsidian Card (Rates & Fees), and Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees)
