🎄 Merry Christmas From Smart With Points: Our Favourite Moments of 2025

Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄

As I write this on Christmas Eve, I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for being part of the Smart With Points community this year. Whether you've been with us since day one or joined recently, your support, feedback, and enthusiasm for collecting points and miles has made 2025 an incredible year.

It's been a whirlwind twelve months in the world of travel rewards. We've seen game-changing announcements, record-breaking welcome bonuses, and some genuinely exciting developments that have transformed how we fly and stay. So grab a mince pie, pour yourself something festive, and let's take a look back at some of the highlights.

If there's one theme that defined 2025, it's the Starlink revolution. What felt like science fiction just a few years ago became reality across multiple airlines this year.

Qatar Airways led the charge, completing its entire Boeing 777 fleet rollout and even hosting the world's first in-flight live press conference using Starlink. I've experienced it myself and can confirm - it genuinely changes the game for productivity (and catching up on Netflix) at 35,000 feet.

British Airways then made waves with their Starlink WiFi announcement for 2026, while Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, and Iberia all committed to free high-speed connectivity. The days of paying £20 for dial-up speeds are finally numbered.

Speaking of BA, they've been making significant investments in the premium experience. The First Wing at Heathrow Terminal 5 reopened after refurbishment, looking better than ever. As a BA Gold member, this is my go-to entrance when flying from T5 - the dedicated security lane alone makes it worthwhile.

We also saw the long-awaited new BA lounge in Dubai finally open, tier point bonuses become permanent (check your tier points here), and an exciting Middle East expansion. BA might have its critics, but credit where it's due - they're investing.

American Express really turned up the heat this year. We saw the biggest ever UK Platinum welcome bonus at 100,000 points (worth around £1,000 in travel value), plus record offers on the Gold, Business Gold, and Business Platinum cards.

If you haven't explored the Amex ecosystem yet, there's still time. Check our guide to the best Avios-earning credit cards and business credit card recommendations to see what might work for you. The current offers are still excellent.

One of the year's biggest surprises was Lloyds Banking Group acquiring Curve. For those of us who've been stacking Curve cashback on top of credit card rewards, this was huge news. The future looks bright for Curve under major banking ownership, and I'm excited to see what new features emerge.

If you're not already using Curve to maximise your rewards, you can sign up here - it's genuinely one of the best tools in any points collector's arsenal.

The Capital on Tap team have been busy too. They added Qatar Airways Avios as a transfer partner, launched a 4% AER savings account, and revamped their referral programme. For UK business owners, it remains one of the easiest ways to earn Avios on everyday spending - I use mine for pretty much all business expenses.

It wouldn't be a year in review without mentioning some of the tools we've built for you. The Award Travel Finder got Cathay Pacific support, making it easier than ever to find award availability across multiple airlines.

We also launched Flight Seatmap (perfect for checking seat availability), Flight Queue (live security queue times at Heathrow and Dublin), and the Avios Balance Booster Calculator to help you find the best deal when buying Avios.

There's been so much more: Oman Air joining oneworld (great news for Avios collectors), SeatGuru closing down (luckily we had alternatives ready), and Marriott Bonvoy debit cards finally launching in the UK.

We saw countless status match opportunities, from Royal Jordanian to TAP Portugal to Etihad Guest. If you've been following along, you'll know status matching is one of my favourite ways to unlock premium benefits without the tier point grind.

The new year is shaping up nicely. BA's Starlink rollout begins, the new First Class product gets closer (though I'm still waiting to try it!), and I suspect we'll see even more transfer bonuses and welcome offers as competition heats up.

I'll be here covering it all - the good, the bad, and the devaluations. My goal for 2026 is to help you get even more value from your points, whether that's finding award sweet spots, maximising credit card earning, or simply knowing when to book and when to hold.

A genuine thank you to everyone who reads these newsletters, uses our tools, and sends in questions. Your engagement keeps me motivated to find the next deal, build the next calculator, and share what I learn along the way.

If you've used Smart With Points to book an award flight, save money on a hotel, or earn your first big welcome bonus - I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a reply to this email or find us on Instagram.

Have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. Here's to more adventures, more points, and plenty of lie-flat seats in 2026!

Merry Christmas,

Jack 🎅✈️

P.S. If you're planning your 2026 travels over the Christmas break, don't forget to check our how many Avios for a flight tool and Award Travel Finder to find the best redemptions. Happy booking! 🎁