Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Friday!

It is the beginning of a new month, which means it is time for one of my favorite recurring points deals: Flying Blue Promo Rewards.

October has quite a few business class options worth knowing about. We also have another opportunity to buy Alaska Atmos Rewards points, which I am always happy to see. And finally, I want to briefly talk about Dan's latest Etihad video because the story behind the airline is fascinating.

Here's what's inside today's post:

Every month, Flying Blue discounts a selection of Air France and KLM awards, usually by 25%.

For October, you need to book by October 31, and most of the discounted awards are available for travel through March 31, 2027.

Here are the long-haul business class options:

45,000 miles one-way:

63,750 miles one-way:

86,250 miles one-way:

There are also several short-haul business class Promo Rewards at 15,000 miles one-way, including Paris to Rome, Paris to Venice, Amsterdam to Budapest, Amsterdam to Lisbon, and Amsterdam to Nice (Flying Blue Extra required).

Now let me put some actual dollar values on these.

Flying Blue miles can be purchased during sales for around $16.90 per 1,000 miles. If you were starting from zero and buying every mile required:

That is before taxes and surcharges, which can be meaningful with Flying Blue.

But think about Seattle to Europe in business class for 45,000 miles. Even buying all the miles from scratch at $16.90 per 1,000, you are spending around $761 on the miles before taxes. That can still get you across the Atlantic in business class for a fraction of what a cash ticket would cost. The same applies to Mexico City. Both are very good sweet spots this month.

And if you already have Flying Blue miles or transferable credit card points, the value gets even better.

One important thing to know: Flying Blue recently changed how its awards work. The cheapest Promo Rewards now price as Light awards. On long-haul business class, that means fewer inclusions, no flexibility, and no lounge access at the base level. A 45,000-mile Promo Reward costs 56,250 miles if you want the Standard version with those benefits instead.

So pay attention to exactly what you are booking before transferring any points.

Still, 45,000 miles for transatlantic business class is a very good starting point. If you are planning travel before the end of March, these routes are worth searching now.

I am always happy when we get another opportunity to buy Atmos Rewards points.

Alaska points have never been particularly cheap to purchase. Even during their better promotions, we have generally been looking at around $18.90 per 1,000 points. That is not cheap.

But the reason I keep paying attention is because Alaska has some very good redemption opportunities. You have access to a really interesting group of partners: Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Finnair, Starlux, Condor, American Airlines, and more. Atmos also continues to allow stopovers on award tickets, which can make some redemptions much more interesting than simply looking at the cost of flying from A to B.

I would not look at $18.90 per 1,000 and think these points are cheap. They are not.

But I also would not be afraid of buying them.

If you are planning to use Atmos points over the coming months, particularly for premium cabin travel, this is around the best price we normally see. You do not need to have the specific award ready to book immediately, but I would at least have a reasonable idea of how you are likely to use them before buying.

These sales come back regularly, so there is no need to rush either. The important thing is that when a good Alaska redemption appears, being able to top up your balance at a predictable price can still make a lot of sense compared to paying the cash fare.

Dan just published a new video about Etihad Airways, and I think the story is really interesting if you are into aviation.

Six years ago, Dan made a video about how Etihad needed to change. At the time, the airline had gone through enormous losses and seemed to be moving toward a much more cost-focused version of itself. The future looked uncertain.

Fast forward to today and the airline looks completely different.

Etihad reported a record $698 million profit in 2025, its fourth consecutive profitable year. It carried 22.4 million passengers, expanded its fleet to 127 aircraft, and has been investing heavily in the passenger experience again.

The A380 came back. The new A321LR introduced proper premium cabins on narrowbody aircraft. The network is growing quickly. And Etihad is once again trying to compete as a serious global premium airline.

I find it fascinating how much an airline can change in six years. Airlines are living things. They grow, shrink, fail, reinvent themselves, and sometimes come back looking nothing like what they were before.

If you watched Dan's old Etihad video, I would definitely recommend watching the new one and comparing the two. It almost feels like looking at two completely different airlines.

That is it for today. Enjoy the weekend, and more deals, news, and trip ideas coming your way on Monday.

Catch you in the clouds,
Tomi from Points Master

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