U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve: Big Nerfs Incoming! Get Ready for Dec. 15th
Published on December 3, 2025, 9:06 PM
Heads up, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve cardholders! Some significant negative changes are coming down the pipeline on December 15th, so it's time to strategize. The changes impact the value and flexibility of your rewards, so listen up!
First, the biggest hit: redeeming points for travel will drop from 1.5 cents per point to just 1 cent per point. Ouch! Also, that handy $325 travel credit will now *only* work when booking through the U.S. Bank travel center, not on any travel or dining purchases like before. Bummer. Finally, while you'll still earn 3x points on mobile wallet purchases, it's now capped at $5,000 spent each billing cycle – after that, it drops to 1x.
It's not all bad news. The card *will* start offering 10x points on hotels and car rentals and 5x points on flights when booked through the U.S. Bank travel center, plus a 5% discount on gift card redemptions. U.S. Bank is also adding the ability to transfer your points to other loyalty programs, which *could* help offset the devaluation, depending on which partners they add. Keep an eye out for more details on those partners to see if this card is still right for you after December 15th.
