Upcoming changes to credit card and loyalty programs for 2025: Discover what will be phased out and what will be updated.

It's that season again: Time to utilize any expiring credits, strategize for last-minute mileage runs or mattress runs to maintain elite status, and start planning your points-and-miles approach for the upcoming year. Now is also a perfect opportunity to review the loyalty program and credit card modifications set for next year.

We've compiled the key updates coming at the close of 2024 and the start of 2025 that you should be aware of.

Limited access to Delta Sky Club lounges.

Starting early next year, changes will affect access to Delta Sky Club lounges for travelers with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

As it stands, Reserve cardholders enjoy complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges and receive four one-time guest passes annually for their travel companions.

Effective February 1, 2025, Reserve cardholders will be limited to 15 visits to Sky Club each year. After reaching this limit, additional visits (including Grab and Go) can be purchased for $50 per person, per visit using the card. Cardholders can earn unlimited Sky Club visits within a year by making eligible purchases totaling $75,000 or more in a calendar year, which may be challenging for many.

Currently, Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders can enter Delta Sky Clubs when flying on same-day Delta-operated or Delta-marketed flights. Starting February 1, 2025, Platinum cardholders will be entitled to 10 visits per year; to earn unlimited visits, they must make eligible purchases totaling $75,000 or more within the calendar year. After using all 10 visits, access to the Sky Club (including Grab and Go) will cost $50 per person, per visit.

Delta's latest adjustments are just part of an ongoing effort to restrict Sky Club entry, but these changes could be beneficial.

"Visiting Delta Sky Clubs is a pleasure, but waiting to get inside can be really frustrating," said Nick Ewen, TPG's senior editorial director. "I'm supportive of the new changes, especially as I hold both The Platinum Card from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. With these, I’ll have ample visits for my work travels. When we travel as a family, my wife can use her own visits (as an authorized user), and I can apply my $200 airline incidental credit from the Amex Platinum along with four guest passes from the Delta Reserve for my daughter."

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elite members will receive fewer bonus miles.

Much like other loyalty programs, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers elite status members additional bonus miles beyond what basic members earn. However, starting January 1, 2025, MVP and MVP Gold members will receive only half of the usual bonus miles, and MVP Gold 75K members will see a 20% decrease. Fortunately, top-tier MVP Gold 100K members will not experience any reduction in their earnings ... at least for now.

Here's a brief overview of the upcoming modifications:

This recent update is disappointing, according to Clint Henderson, managing editor at TPG.

"As a former elite member of Alaska, I feel a bit disheartened by the continued devaluation of point earnings from Alaska," he remarked. "Over the past few years, the program's value has gradually diminished, and this only compounds the issue. While it remains a highly valuable loyalty program, maximizing the benefits of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is becoming increasingly challenging."

British Airways is set to unify its Tier Point accumulation schedule.

British Airways Executive Club is set to standardize its Tier Point collection schedule, the annual period during which members can accumulate Tier Points toward elite status for the upcoming year.

Currently, this schedule differs for each member, beginning on the eighth day of the month in which you either joined the Executive Club or took your first British Airways flight. Starting April 1, 2025, all members will have their Tier Point collection year commence on April 1 and conclude on March 31 of the following year.

Depending on when your collection year begins, this change may reduce your opportunity to attain elite status in 2025. However, in the long term, it should simplify the process significantly.

"Standardizing Tier Point collection dates for all Executive Club members is a logical step, making it much clearer when your status expires," stated Ben Smithson, a senior writer at TPG and a regular British Airways traveler. "Although there may be a surge of members trying to earn Tier Points in March each year to secure their status for another year, or a rush in April and May for those savvy members aiming to gain status for up to two years, it’s a minor trade-off for resolving what was often a confusing system with varying status dates for each member."

Ongoing DoorDash perks for Chase cardholders.

Chase partnered with DoorDash in 2020 to offer eligible cardholders complimentary or discounted DashPass memberships. Originally scheduled to end in 2024, Chase and DoorDash have now extended this partnership through 2027, ensuring three additional years of savings on food delivery.

If you possess the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you will maintain access to complimentary DashPass membership until December 31, 2027.

"One of the numerous benefits of keeping the Chase Sapphire Reserve in my wallet is the complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership," remarked Daisy Hernandez, a credit cards editor at TPG. "Along with the $5 monthly DoorDash credit I receive as a Sapphire Reserve cardholder, this helps me save on delivery costs (which can be quite expensive). Plus, dining purchases earn a generous 3 points per dollar spent with this card."

For Chase Freedom or Slate cardholders, DoorDash benefits will change slightly. Instead of three months of free membership followed by nine months of discounted membership, starting February 1, 2025, new enrollees will enjoy six free months of DashPass.

Olivia Mittak, a credit cards writer at TPG who uses the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited®, is supportive of this benefit adjustment.

"I honestly don't see this as a bad change," she stated. "If you time your Freedom applications correctly, you can effectively secure a full year of complimentary DashPass. It's a great benefit for a card with no annual fee."

New perks may be on the horizon for Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards.

With Southwest Airlines announcing that it will begin assigning seats and introduce extra-legroom premium seats in 2025, it’s reasonable to expect that the airline's cobranded cards will adapt as well. For example, holders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card will gain four boarding upgrades annually. Similarly, other cards like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card will offer compensation for EarlyBird Check-In. However, with the transition to assigned seating, these benefits are likely to be phased out.

A sensible approach would be to substitute these perks with similar credits for seat selection fees. However, we would prefer Southwest to implement a broader airline fee credit that could be applied to whatever matters most to you—whether that’s seat selection fees, upgrades to extra-legroom seating, or even checked baggage fees (should Southwest decide to introduce those, which we sincerely hope they do not).

If not, we can only wish that Southwest will offer alternative perks, as otherwise, these cards might not be worth keeping.

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are merging into a single loyalty program.

With the recent announcement of the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, members of both loyalty programs can look forward to transferring their miles at a 1:1 ratio. Additionally, elite status holders from either program will be able to match their status in the other, unlocking further benefits.

Although Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will continue to operate as distinct brands, they will eventually function under a single loyalty program. More information about this combined loyalty program is expected to be announced in mid-2025, according to Alaska Airlines' website.

Changes to the American Express Gold Card

In July, the American Express® Gold Card saw major updates, with its annual fee rising from $250 to $325 (see rates and fees). However, the card now includes two additional statement credits.

Starting January 1, 2025, one of the card's most appealing features—earning 4 points per dollar on dining expenses, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.—will be limited to eligible purchases up to $50,000 each calendar year. Beyond that, you will earn just 1 point per dollar.

Fortunately, it appears that most cardholders will not face negative consequences from Amex's dining spending limit.

"I was disappointed to see a limit placed on dining rewards for the card," said Emily Thompson, a credit cards editor at TPG. "However, I believe that most consumers, like myself, spend less than $4,000 a month on dining, so they shouldn't have to worry about reaching that spending cap."

Updates to Capital One lounge access

Capital One has announced changes to lounge access for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. Typically, cardholders receive two complimentary visits to the Capital One Lounges each year. However, starting January 1, 2025, this benefit will be discontinued for these cards.

If you hold a Venture or Spark Miles card, you and your guests can enter the Capital One lounges for a fee of $45 per person.

Capital One currently operates lounges at the following locations:

• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

Moreover, the issuer has revealed plans to open a lounge at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

Conclusion

Several changes to credit cards and loyalty programs are on the horizon for 2025—some favorable and others less so. It's important to stay informed about these changes to determine whether to retain a specific credit card or adjust your spending habits to maximize your rewards potential.