Welcome back to another Weekend Round-Up, y’all!

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through October. Cozy, spooky season will be over in a blink, and then we’ll slip and slide straight into the holidays. 😳

Meanwhile, Southwest is doing its best to ruin my favorite month (and travel trick) with some of its recent news (more on that Monday). 🙄

But there’s a “cool” front blowing across Texas, and the high is supposed to dip below 80 degrees, sooo… at least the weather doesn’t hate me today.

So let’s think happy thoughts and breeze through some travel news and deals I actually do like. 👇

🌟 Get Star Alliance elite status for 2 years with this new status match opportunity.

🏨 Need Hilton points? Take advantage of this offer to buy points with a 120% bonus.

✈️ Fly the best domestic business class seat on JetBlue, Rove’s newest transfer partner.

🇯🇵 Book cash flights to Japan and earn 10,000+ bonus points with this JAL promo.

💳 See if you’re targeted for this offer to earn 25% more Southwest points this fall.

😵‍💫 Confused about Bilt? Join us Monday for a webinar to learn all about it!

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: My favorite new card of 2026

Obviously, 2026 isn’t over yet, so maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself by declaring favorites already, but here we are.

Mike mentioned it earlier this week because he’s been using some of the credits to pay for all his hockey game tickets this fall — a very Canadian use of his credits. 😂

But it reminded me how much I’ve enjoyed holding this card this year.

Some upfront honesty: it’s a premium card with a hefty annual fee. And while I’ve never been one for flashy cards and big annual fees, this one seemed like it was worth the splurge, so I went for it.

And honestly… I still feel great about my decision. I’ve gotten a ton of value out of it and haven’t had to work super hard to do so. 

Here are a few ways I’ve used it this year:

• Used points for a free night at a nice hotel in Zurich (that included breakfast)

• Got a free night in NYC, also on points

• Saved hundreds of dollars on train travel in Europe

• Used a dining credit toward a celebratory dinner out

• Another credit paid for a meal for two at my favorite Italian restaurant

• My husband used one of the credits to take himself and three friends to an Astros game

• Saved $$ on tickets to see our favorite musician in concert at the symphony

• Used a streaming service credit to binge multiple seasons of a TV show I randomly started on a plane

• Oh… and we enjoyed access to a really nice airport lounge, where we sipped brunch cocktails while the toddler played in the playroom

All in all, I’ve already gotten over $1,200 in value from the credits alone, plus another several hundred dollars saved by using points to book a couple of nice hotels.

And I still have a big stash of points left from the welcome offer, plus a few hundred dollars in hotel credits I’m planning to use for an upcoming stay.

So while I wasn’t sure I’d make good use of a premium credit card, it’s been the biggest surprise addition to my wallet, and it's pulled its weight so far this year.

In fact, I think I’ve used over $500 in credits just in my hometown alone, before I even traveled anywhere. Add savings from a trip to Europe, and several trips to visit family, and this card has earned both its annual fee and a permanent spot in my wallet. 

Bottom line

It can be hard to squeeze enough value out of some of these cards that come with lots of credits, but this one has made it pretty easy for me. It's also made me re-evaluate whether some of the other cards I’ve carried for a while are still carrying their weight. Might just go steady with this one. 🤔

So don’t write it off just because it’s got that scary-looking annual fee. Do the math and see if you come out on top. It could be the surprise card of your year too.

👀 This Week’s Drops

🌍 Week in Review

• Monday: 💳 The card with a negative annual fee

• Tuesday: 🎟️ This credit is finally useful to me

• Wednesday: ✈️ Earn bonus miles on flights to Japan

• Thursday: 🍬 My new favorite sweet spot

• Friday: ✈️ Get 2 years of Star Alliance elite status

Alright, y’all, go think happy thoughts!

Wear your favorite sweater, treat yourself to your favorite coffee drink, turn off the news, block those spammy political texts, take a walk outside, or book a little weekend getaway.

Enjoy your weekend — you deserve it.

See ya next time, 👋

29.7499° N , 95.3584° W

With contributions by Mike Dodge and Sam Anthony.