Leveraging your business spending to earn points and miles feels like making your money work on two levels. You’re spending it to cover goods and services your business needs, and it’s also earning you valuable travel currency.
But did you know that very same spending could actually be working for you on a third level, earning you elite loyalty perks that usually only the frequentest travelers get — in addition to your points and miles — if you focus on the right programs?
Today, we’re talking about:
🤩 How your expenses can get you elite road warrior perks, without all the travel
🏆 TPG’s picks for the best business class, airport lounges, premium cards and more
🔎 Search smart, not hard: This tool makes it a cinch to find award availability
EARNING REWARDS
Your spending can earn elite perks (in addition to points)
Points and miles are definitely the meat and potatoes of travel rewards. But today, let’s talk about the gravy …
Certain loyalty programs allow your spending to unlock elite loyalty perks that even the most committed road warriors would struggle to reach through travel alone. We’re talking high-level elite status, top upgrades, companion awards and free nights at truly luxurious properties.
Again, these are elite loyalty benefits you could earn without even taking a single trip, if you spend enough.
If earning points and miles from your business spending feels like making your money work on two levels, focusing on these programs and cards will have it working on a third, extremely rewarding level!
TPG AWARDS
Our picks for the best business class, airport lounges, premium cards and more
You know the great thing about subscribing to this newsletter? You can count on us to do the hard work of determining which brands, loyalty programs and credit cards are truly worth your time and money.
It’s a tough job sampling all of those lie-flat business-class seats, staying at luxury hotels, sipping cocktails in swanky airport lounges and poring through dense credit card terms and conditions (OK, that last one really is work) — but someone has to do it.
That’s where the annual TPG Awards come in. Our data-driven analyses determine which brands, loyalty programs and credit cards are making travel even more rewarding, so you can plan your next trip (or spending strategy) knowing which options are the best of the best.
While some of our old favorites continued to reign supreme in the 2026 TPG Awards, you’ll also find some fun surprises.
Here are some highlights:
It was a huge year in the premium card category. And after its compelling refresh last year, we now have a new top premium card.
Want all the details? Check out the full slate of 2026 TPG Award winners below.
AWARD FLIGHTS
I’m done searching the hard way. Here’s how I find award flights now
I used to search for award flights every way imaginable, and for a long time, it felt like finding business-class space was truly just luck of the draw. But there’s one search tool that’s really been a rising star in recent years because of its ease of use, reliability and incredible features.
Seats.aero has helped me level up not just my redemptions, but how I plan trips, my earning strategy and so much more. Instead of hopping between airline websites and guessing where availability might exist, I can see real award space across dozens of loyalty programs in seconds.
It also shows me which transferable currencies I could tap to book any given flight, and provides a link to book directly with the airlines.
Some other features that really add utility include:
Calendar views showing availability months in advance
Filters for cabin, airline and route
The ability to set alerts for hard-to-find award space and price movements
And don’t worry, it’s free to use. (Though some of the best features are reserved for those with a Pro membership.)
If you ever find yourself confused by your options (or just want to avoid the mistake of paying 50,000 miles for a flight you could’ve booked for just 7,500 miles somewhere else), playing around in Seats.aero for even just a little while will help you find some clarity on how this all really works.
Frontier Airlines is giving away up to 5,000 Frontier miles to anyone who can match their points or miles from another program, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday.
As the grace period for the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation ends, travelers should also expect the cost to get an ETA to rise by as much as 25% in the near future.
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Advertiser Disclosure:
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
