Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Last year, I wrote Cathay Pacific would be introducing a US credit card in early 2017.  And now, Cathay Pacific's Facebook page suggests the card will be launched tomorrow, February 13, 2017. With the Cathay Pacific Visa Signature card, you'll earn 25,000 Cathay Pacific miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first 90 days of opening your account.  And the card will be issued by Synchrony Bank, which is good news for folks who already have lots of cards from other lenders. Thanks to Million Mile Secrets reader @IadisGr8 for giving us a heads-up! Landing Tomorrow! Cathay Pacific Will Offer a US Credit Card With a 25,000-Mile Sign-Up Bonus I'll share what I know about the card and help you decide if you should consider it!

Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.  Good news for folks who use Korea…

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Million Mile Secrets reader Weltall emails: I used British Airways miles to book an American Airlines flight from Miami to South America.  If I need to cancel my trip, how much does it cost to get my miles back? How Much Will Weltall Pay to Get His British Airways Avois Points Refunded?

Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.  1.   $20 Off $300 in MasterCard Gift Cards! According to Frequent Miler, Staples is back with another $20 rebate.  This time you'll get a $20 Staples Gift Card back when you buy $300 or more in MasterCard gift cards.  This deal is good through March 28, 2015 (this Saturday). You can use these MasterCard Gift Cards just about anywhere MasterCard is accepted.  Or use them to fund your Bluebird or Serve accounts. The $20 Rebate Is Good for In-Store Purchases Only and Limited to 1 per Household! You can use your $20 Staples gift card to buy things like printer paper, candy, toilet paper, etc.  Or some folks prefer to sell the card online. Remember to use a card that will earn 5X points (or 5% cash back) at Staples such as: AMEX SimplyCash – 5% cash back at US office supply stores Chase Ink Bold (no longer available) – 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (5% back) at office supply stores Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card – 5% cash back (5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points) at office supply stores Chase Ink Plus – 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (5% back) at office supply stores 2.   ~500 (~$6) Free Barclaycard Arrival Miles (Targeted)

Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.  Million Mile Secrets reader John commented: How do you find out if a hotel is worth staying at with points?  And how do you find such great deals?  What time of the year are the rates more expensive?  It seems like every hotel is different.  I am interested in only Hyatt hotels and Starwood hotels. Do You Know When Should You Use Points to Stay at Hotels Like the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa? John can get Big Travel with Small Money by using points to stay at pricey hotels.  Most hotels use a fixed award chart so John pays the same amount of points all year. But other hotels like Starwood use a variable chart.  So John will pay a different rate depending on when he books. John can quickly find award nights at Hyatt and Starwood hotels by using sites like Hotel Hustle and AwardMapper. And I'll explain when John might want to save his points and pay with his credit card instead!

Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.  Update:  This fare is NO longer available!  Remember to follow me on Facebook and Twitter so you don't miss the next cheap airfare deal! Secret Flying reports you can fly from Toronto to Dublin in coach for ~$276 round-trip! This is a mistake fare, so won't last long.  You can find this fare on Tripsta, a UK online travel agency. Tripsta shows the fare for dates between March and May 2015.  Flights are on US Airways and Iberia. Fly From Toronto to Dublin for Only ~$276 Round-Trip!

Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.  Did you know that you can fly around the world by applying for just 3 credit cards and paying $89 in annual fees? By applying for 2 Citi American Airlines cards and the Barclaycard US Airways card, you'll earn 150,000 miles (plus extra from meeting minimum spending requirements).  And that's more than enough for a round-the-world trip! 3 Cards Get You a Round-the-World Trip! Depending on your routing, you might even have miles left over!  I'll show you how to do it.

Via MJ on Travel, Carnival Cruise Lines will be upgrading its internet speeds to 10X faster on Caribbean cruises later this year.  And the service will expand to other destinations through 2016 such as Alaska and Western Europe. I've never been on a cruise, but a lot of readers do like going on cruises.  So this may be useful! Carnival Cruise Lines Wants to Make It Easier to Use Internet From a Cruise Ship But will this really keep you connected while you're at sea?

With the news that CVS has changed its policy regarding purchases of prepaid cards and gift cards, some folks have wondered why shops have been tightening up their rules.  In the past, CVS has allowed purchases of up to $5,000 in prepaid or gift cards a day, and would scan your identification for transactions over $1,000.  But now the maximum per day is $2,000 in gift cards, with an ID required for purchases over $300. Many folks buy gift cards at CVS with a miles-and-points earning credit card, then load them to their Serve accounts to pay bills that can't ordinarily be paid with a credit card.  It's a good way to meet credit card minimum spending requirements. But the new rules have made buying gift cards at CVS much less convenient for folks who buy a lot of them. Why Are Retailers Tightening Their Rules Regarding Gift Card and Prepaid Card Purchases? This actually has very little to do with miles-and-points enthusiasts.  It's to prevent fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activity.  I'll explain!