Weekly Recap: Apr 20–26 — Hyatt Devalues, Disney Inspire Deadline & Quicksilver Upgrades
Hyatt drops a major devaluation effective May 20, Chase Disney Inspire changes May 4, and Capital One upgrades Quicksilver with 3x grocery and gas.
A busy week with a couple of genuine deadlines attached. The biggest story is Hyatt's incoming award chart overhaul — if you've been sitting on Hyatt points, you have until May 20 to use them at current prices. There's also a Chase Disney Inspire window closing May 4, a welcome upgrade to the Capital One Quicksilver, and a handful of transfer promos worth checking before they expire.
Program Changes & Devaluations
Hyatt Restructures Its Award Chart — Up to 37.5% More Points Required
Starting May 20, Hyatt is moving from its current three-tier pricing model to five tiers, with base redemption costs increasing 20–37.5% across the board. The silver lining: free night certificates from the World of Hyatt Credit Card are unaffected, so if you're holding certificates, nothing changes for you. But if you're planning to book with points, do it before May 20. Aspirational properties will hurt the most under the new structure. This isn't a soft devaluation — it's a meaningful hit.
Chase Disney Inspire Welcome Offer Changes May 4
The Disney Inspire Visa Card is swapping its current bonus — $300 gift card + $300 statement credit ($600 total value) — for a flat $500 statement credit. Same $1,000 minimum spend, less reward. If you've been on the fence, apply before May 4 to lock in the better deal. After that, it's a straight downgrade in first-year value.
Capital One Quicksilver Moves to Discover, Gains 3x on Groceries and Gas
This is a legitimately good development for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards — the card is migrating from Mastercard to Discover and picking up 3x earning at grocery stores and gas stations in the process. For a no-annual-fee card, that's a meaningful earn rate in two high-frequency categories. The network change may matter at a handful of merchants that don't accept Discover, so check your regular spending spots. But for most people, this is an upgrade.
Citi AT&T Points Plus Card Gets a Makeover
The AT&T Points Plus Card is getting a revamp with a $250 signup bonus and a $20 monthly statement credit against your AT&T wireless bill — with no annual fee. If you're an AT&T customer, this is essentially $240 in annual bill credits just for holding the card. The signup bonus is a new addition. Not the most exciting card in a vacuum, but for AT&T subscribers it now pencils out nicely.
Promotions Worth Acting On
Citi ThankYou: 25% Transfer Bonus to Leading Hotels of the World
Citi ThankYou points are transferring to Leading Hotels of the World at a 25% bonus through an ongoing promotion. Leading Hotels is a niche program but can deliver outsized value for boutique luxury properties that don't fall under Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt. If you're planning a stay at an LHW property, this is the time to transfer. Citi Thank You cardholders should check transfer rates before the bonus window closes.
Check Hyatt "My Offers" for Q2 Promos
Hyatt has loaded Q2 promotions into member accounts — specifically award night rebates and bonus elite nights on paid stays. Log into your World of Hyatt account and check "My Offers" before booking any Hyatt stay. Given the devaluation landing May 20, squeezing extra value out of Q2 stays is especially worthwhile right now.
Flying Blue: 10,000 Bonus Miles on Paid Economy US Flights
Air France/KLM's Flying Blue program is offering 10,000 bonus miles when you book and fly a paid economy ticket on US routes. If you're collecting Flying Blue miles for a Europe redemption, this is a solid boost on a ticket you'd be buying anyway. Stack it with any AmEx Offers you may have on Air France/KLM purchases.
AmEx Offers: $250–$400 Back on AirFrance/KLM Flights
Speaking of which — targeted AmEx Offers are showing $250–$400 statement credits on AirFrance/KLM flight purchases for some cardholders. Check your AmEx account before booking any transatlantic flights. These don't stack with the Flying Blue miles bonus in terms of who offers them, but you can capture both the AmEx credit and the Flying Blue bonus miles on the same booking.
Delta Shopping Portal: 500 Bonus Miles With $100 Spend (Through May 4)
Delta's shopping portal is running a short promo — spend $100 through the portal between now and May 4 and pick up an extra 500 bonus miles. Not life-changing, but if you're already buying something from a partner retailer, routing through the Delta portal takes about 30 seconds.
Chase PointsBoost: 2.5 CPP on Select Luxury Hotels
Chase Travel is surfacing 2.5 cents-per-point redemptions on a curated list of luxury properties — its highest PointsBoost tier yet. The catch: Chase quietly downgraded most of its standard 2 CPP properties to 1.65 CPP at the same time. Net result: top-tier hotels got more valuable, everything else got cheaper to hold but less rewarding to redeem at. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve holders with upcoming luxury stays should check the portal before booking direct.
More This Week
ANA and JAL Double Their Fuel Surcharges
Both ANA and Japan Airlines have doubled fuel surcharges based on current Singapore Kerosene pricing. This effectively raises the out-of-pocket cost on many Japan award redemptions, particularly in business and first class where surcharges on paid tickets are steep. If you're using partner miles to book Japan awards (Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, Chase UR via partners), your surcharge exposure depends on the carrier program — some pass through the full YQ, others don't.
Spirit Airlines Negotiating a $500M Rescue Package
Spirit is working to secure $500 million in emergency financing to stay operational after its bankruptcy proceedings. If you have Spirit miles or credit toward elite status, keep an eye on this. The airline appears to be fighting to survive rather than liquidate, but the situation remains fluid. Avoid booking non-refundable Spirit redemptions until there's more clarity.
Bank of America Expands Alaska Air Partnership
Bank of America and Alaska Airlines announced an expanded partnership, broadening how Alaska miles can be earned through Bank of America relationships. Specifics are still rolling out, but Atmos Rewards Ascent and Atmos Rewards Summit cardholders should watch for any updated earning structures.
Rakuten Big Give Week — Mark Your Calendar for May 4–11
Starting May 4, Rakuten is running a "Big Give Week" with up to 15x points or 15% cash back at select merchants including Expedia. If you're booking travel through Expedia in the next few weeks, it's worth waiting until May 4 to pull the trigger. New Rakuten members can also get a $50 signup bonus alongside the elevated rates.
Card Curator Take
The Hyatt devaluation is the action item that matters most this week — if you're holding Hyatt points and have a redemption in mind, book it before May 20. The new five-tier structure will make many aspirational properties noticeably more expensive. The Chase Disney Inspire deadline on May 4 is the other clock ticking: $600 in first-year value drops to $500 if you wait. Both are real deadlines with real dollar amounts attached.
On the positive side, the Capital One Quicksilver upgrade to 3x grocery and gas is a quiet but meaningful improvement for anyone carrying that card. And if you're an AT&T customer who wasn't already holding the AT&T Points Plus, the revamped offer basically pays for your wireless bill margin. Use Card Curator to see how any of these changes ripple through your specific wallet.
Use Card Curator to track how these changes affect your wallet.