The WanderWise Monthly — November 2026
The WanderWise Monthly — November 2026
Subject line: The WanderWise Monthly — November: The Best Card Offers of the Year (Our Honest Guide)
Preview text: Black Friday card bonuses are here. We reviewed them all. These are the ones that matter.
Hi Friend,
Every November, credit card companies do something predictable: they raise their sign-up bonuses.
They do this because they know people are spending more in November and December. More spending means higher activation rates. Higher activation rates mean more profitable cardholders. So they sweeten the pot.
This works in your favor.
The elevated bonuses available right now — through Thanksgiving week and into early December — are genuinely the best offers we've seen all year. Some of them are the best we've seen in several years.
Today, I'm going to walk you through the offers that actually matter, who each one is best for, and which ones you can safely ignore. No pressure. No countdown timers. Just clarity.
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✈️ DESTINATION OF THE MONTH: Caribbean Cruise (January–March)
While we're talking about earning points, let me give you something to dream about using them on.
A Caribbean cruise in January or February is one of the most satisfying points redemptions available. You wake up to a different island every day. Coffee on your balcony as the ship pulls into port. Snorkeling in the morning, a five-course dinner by evening. And the cold back home? Someone else's problem.
Here's the points math:
7-night Caribbean cruise for two: ~150,000–200,000 points through Chase Travel portal or Amex Travel (varies by cruise line and cabin) Flights to embarkation port (Miami/Fort Lauderdale): ~15,000–25,000 points per person via Southwest or JetBlue Cash equivalent: $4,000–$6,000 for the cruise + $400–$600 for flights Points cost: ~$200 in port taxes and fees
January and February are the cheapest months to cruise the Caribbean — both in cash and points. Book now for the best cabin selection.
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💳 CARD OF THE MONTH: The Best of Black Friday (Three Picks)
This month, instead of spotlighting one card, I'm highlighting the three best elevated offers available right now. Each serves a different kind of traveler.
Best for Beginners: Discover it® Miles
Annual fee: $0 Current bonus: All miles earned in the first year are matched. (Earn 30,000 miles? Discover gives you 30,000 more.)
If you've never had a travel card, this is the gentlest way to start. No annual fee. No complexity. Earn 1.5x miles on everything. At year-end, Discover doubles it all. For someone spending $2,000/month, that's 72,000 miles in the first year — enough for several domestic flights. No risk. No fee. Just a better card than whatever's in your wallet now.
Best for Everyday Earners: Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Annual fee: $95 Black Friday bonus: 80,000 points (elevated from the standard 75,000) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
The workhorse of the points world, now with its highest bonus of the year. 80,000 Chase points = $1,000–$1,600 in travel value. Use your holiday spending to meet the requirement — gifts, groceries, hosting expenses. By January, you'll have enough points for a round-trip to Europe.
Best for Premium Travelers: Amex Platinum®
Annual fee: $695 Black Friday bonus: 150,000 points (a historic offer — typically 80,000) after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months
This one stops me in my tracks. 150,000 Amex points is worth $2,500–$4,500 in travel. That's business class to Asia. A week at a Park Hyatt. Multiple domestic trips. Combined with the Platinum's lounge access, hotel status, and annual credits, this is the most valuable card offer we've seen in over two years. It's not for everyone — but for those who travel frequently and can use the perks, the math is remarkable.
👉 [See our full Black Friday card guide →] # (These are affiliate links — they support WanderWise at no cost to you. Every card listed here is one we'd recommend regardless of commission.)
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💡 POINTS STRATEGY OF THE MONTH: Holiday Spending as a Points Engine
Your November and December spending is a goldmine of points — if you're strategic about it.
Here's the play:
Groceries (Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner): If you have the Amex Gold, every dollar at the supermarket earns 4x points. A $500 Thanksgiving grocery run earns 2,000 points. Multiply that across the holiday season, and your kitchen is funding your next trip.
Gifts: Put all gift purchases on a card with a sign-up bonus requirement. $1,500 in holiday gifts could be 25-40% of the spending needed to earn a 60,000-point bonus.
Dining out: Holiday dinners, office parties, family gatherings at restaurants. Chase Sapphire cards earn 3x points on dining. Every dinner out is a deposit toward your next trip.
Online shopping: Many cards offer elevated points for online purchases. Check your card's current bonus categories — you might be earning 5x on something you're buying anyway.
The spending is happening regardless. The only question is whether you're earning points for it.
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🗣️ COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
[This month's spotlight comes from the WanderWise community.]
"Last Black Friday, I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred during an elevated bonus period. I put all my holiday spending on it — gifts, groceries, a few dinners. Hit the spending requirement by December 18th without buying a single thing I wouldn't have bought anyway. By February, those 80,000 points became two business-class seats to Lisbon. I'll never look at holiday spending the same way." — Carol P., Philadelphia
Applied for a card during a bonus period? Reply with your story. I love hearing how people turn everyday spending into extraordinary travel.
Not in the community yet? → [Join WanderWise Travelers →]
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📅 UPCOMING DATES & DEALS
- Black Friday through Cyber Monday (November 27–30): Peak elevated bonus window. Most offers expire by early December.
- Late November: Marriott and Hilton typically run "buy points" sales with 40–50% bonuses. Only worth it if you have a specific redemption in mind.
- December 1: Elevated card bonuses start expiring. If you've been considering a new card, the next two weeks are the window.
- December 1: Our next newsletter is the Year in Review — a look back at our best strategies, top destinations, and community highlights.
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❓ ASK MICHAEL
"I'm nervous about opening a new credit card. Will it hurt my credit score?" — Robert H., Colorado
Robert, this is one of the most common concerns I hear, and I want to address it directly. Opening a new card typically causes a small, temporary dip in your credit score — usually 5–10 points — from the hard inquiry. For most people with established credit history (700+ score), this recovers within 2–3 months. In fact, a new card can actually help your score over time by increasing your total available credit (which lowers your utilization ratio). The key: don't open multiple cards at once, and never carry a balance. If your credit score is above 700 and you pay your bills in full, a strategic card application is a small, temporary step that leads to significant long-term travel value. But if you're unsure, check your score first (free through most banks) and proceed at your comfort level. No pressure — ever.
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November is the one month of the year where the credit card companies' desire to win your business works decisively in your favor. The bonuses are higher. The spending is happening anyway. The math has never been better.
If you've been thinking about starting your points journey — or accelerating it — this is the moment.
👉 [Take the WanderWise Travel Score Quiz →] /#quiz
Until next month — travel well.
Michael
P.S. — I want to be transparent: November is WanderWise's biggest affiliate revenue month. These elevated bonuses benefit us when you apply through our links. But I would never recommend a card I don't believe in — and I've excluded several elevated offers this month because the cards weren't good enough. Trust is the only asset that matters in this business.