My Points Superpower—and Kryptonite

And how Bilt is changing how I think about both

May 17, 2026

When friends ask me about card and points strategy, my first question has historically been, “how often do you eat out?”

I was wondering what to write about this week, but as I procrastinated, I pulled up my Bank of America app and ordered a new Atmos Summit card. Since I got it in August, it has been, by far, the card I have most often physically used to pay for things. And it shows—it’s literally starting to fall apart. 

I’m not chasing the (amazing) 100k-point companion certificate for spending $60,000. I could never spend that much in a year. But I do spend a lot on dining. Too much. And dining is one place where the Summit shines. But the Summit isn’t the only card that offers a big bonus on dining purchases. The Amex Gold offers 4x, the Citi Strata Elite offers 3x (except when it’s offering 6x), and the number of cards offering 3x is too long to list, but includes the Chase Sapphire cards, Bilt Obsidian, and Citi Strata Premier.  

Because so much of my everyday spending is dining out, it has been relatively easy to earn a lot of points to fuel our international travels, especially since we prioritize cheap economy award flights. As great as those points are, I’d obviously come out ahead financially if I just cooked more and spent less in restaurants. A dollar saved still goes a lot further in travel than some extra points.

But Bilt is changing that math: dining out isn’t the points turbo boost it once was. With my Bilt Palladium earning 3x+ on all my purchases, I could actually save that restaurant spending money while still maintaining a powerful earning rate overall. I’m probably too lazy to start meal prepping, but at least it wouldn’t tank my points strategy if I did.

Lazy Take 🦥

If you eat out a lot, it’s still easy to rack up points. But now it’s becoming possible to earn a ton of rewards without relying on bonused spend like dining.

This week on the blog 📝

I recently got United Gold status thanks to my Alaska Atmos status and a single well-timed work trip. I talked about the experience, and why it only makes me more loyal to Alaska. 

Quick Points of the Week ⚡

Giveaways 🎟️ 

World Cup tickets and more. Marriott is raffling off World Cup experiences and other prizes in partnership with FIFA. It’s targeted to Visa cardholders, but there are alternate entry methods. (Marriott)

New and evolving products 🆕

Discover It cards moving to Capital One. Check this out if you have a Discover It card. Most of the card terms are the same, but a few things are changing, and you’ll need a Capital One account if you don’t have one already. (Award Wallet)

Mastercard launching “Priceless” lounges. World Legend cards like the Bilt Palladium and Citi Strata Elite can get you access… if you’re in Hong Kong or São Paolo. More could be on the way, with one already planned. (Doctor of Credit)

Expanding partnerships 🤝

Blue Sky unveils reciprocal elite perks. JetBlue and United elites can now benefit from perks like preferred seating and priority baggage handling when flying the partner airline. (OMAAT)

Extra Points 🪙

Spending bonus on the Hawaiian Mastercard. If you have this card, look to see if you are targeted to earn 2,500 Atmos Points after spending $50+ five times. That’s up to 10x bonus points per dollar with 5 purchases of exactly $50. 🤯 (Frequent Miler)

Does your credit card offer roadside assistance? Award Wallet has a guide to cards offering this perk. 

Sign up bonus of the week 🎯

Links marked with an * are affiliate or referral links, meaning we may earn if you apply via our link. 

This week, we saw the return of the Citi American Airlines Globe Card’s highest-ever offer: 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first four months. AA miles are very powerful, and 90k is usually enough for a round-trip to Japan, a round-trip to Europe (maybe two), or a one-way business-class international flight. Even with the card’s $350 annual fee, that’s still solid first-year value. 

Despite that value, I’m not excited about this offer. If you’re not an AA loyalist, there isn’t much in the way of everyday value: a $100 “splurge credit” (with limited uses), $30 off your first 8 Turo bookings annually, and… that’s about it. The AA perks are better: 4 lounge passes, a free checked bag and priority boarding, up to $100 in credit toward in-flight purchases, and status acceleration. 

With so many cards offering much more everyday value in addition to powerful bonuses, the Globe doesn’t hold much appeal for me. But if you are heavily engaged in the AA ecosystem, it could make sense. If so, now’s a great time to get it. 🔥

Other great sign-up bonuses this week

50,000 points+ $300 Bilt Cash + Bilt Gold status on the Bilt Palladium (our take: 🔥🔥🔥🔥)

100k points + 25k companion discount on the Atmos Summit (our take: 🔥🔥🔥🔥)

150k points on the Chase Sapphire Reserve* (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)

185k points on the IHG Premier (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)

80k points on the Atmos Ascent (our take: 🔥)

70-100k miles on United Credit Cards (our take: 🔥)

125k points on the IHG Traveler (our take: 🔥)

100k points on the JetBlue Premier (our take: 🔥)

150k points on the Morgan Stanley and Schwab Platinums (our take)

100k miles on the Citi AA Executive (our take)

Up to 100/175k on the Amex Gold/Platinum (our take)

Lazy Pick ✅ (Affiliate)

Save at the pump, effortlessly. I love a good set-and-forget points hack, and one of the best is Shell’s fuel rewards. You can link your credit card, and anytime you use it to fill up at a Shell you can get a discount, without even entering a phone number or loyalty number. And with our referral link, you can save 5¢ per gallon.

Enjoy the weekend! 🦥

Hope you’re eating well—I’m going to go earn more sushi points. 🍣

Sometimes we include referral or affiliate links (we’ll mark them clearly). If you use them, we may earn a commission—never at extra cost to you. We do our best to share great offers, but always double-check for the best deal available. Thanks for supporting LazyPoints 🦥