We have been watching the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott unfold for a long time now.

If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, you should have already gotten a notice in the mail about a few changes to your benefits effective August 26, 2018. But let's get real. I'm sure many of you throw that mail away without even looking at it. Here are the changes it went over.
1.

Chase has come out with new sign up bonus eligibility rules that make earning a  Southwest Companion Pass more complicated.

As of April 5, if you already have a personal Southwest credit card open (the Personal Plus or the Premier Plus), you are no longer eligible for the other personal Southwest credit card.

Update: Chase is now responding to people complaining on Twitter that IHG credit card accounts opened from January 1, 2018 through April 5, 2018 (that's tomorrow) will be able to use their Free Night Certificate once with the old terms (meaning at ANY IHG property, not capped at a 40k point property).

Chase has released a new United co-branded credit card with a unique rewards earning structure. Instead of earning miles, the United TravelBank Card earns cash back good for United purchases.

When you're shut out from the majority of Chase cards, you loose access to tons of rewards and reward earning opportunities due to what everyone calls the Chase 5/24 rule. If you've opened more than five credit cards from any bank (with the exception of most business cards) in the last 24 months, then Chase will deny you for almost all of their cards (with the exception of these).

The Chase Ink Plus business credit card is offering 60,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards after spending $5,000 in the first three months. During this offer, the annual fee of $95 is NOT waived the first year.

The normal offer for the Ink Plus card by Chase is 50,000 points after spending $5,000.

The US Open begins August 29 in Flushing, New York. Chase customers can register here to reserve a free spot at Chase's Lounge for access to air-conditioning and complimentary snacks and beverages during the world class tennis matches.

To be clear, you still have to purchase tickets to the US Open-- this free reservation at the Chase Lounge is solely for entrance to the lounge. But with temperatures in New York climbing that time of year and pricey drinks, a lounge with air conditioning and refreshments would no doubt be appreciated.

Chase already automatically denies applications for Chase-branded personal cards (ie Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, Slate) if you have opened five new credit cards of any type from any bank in the last 24 months.

Soon, Chase will automatically deny applications for all Chase-issued credit cards (ie United Explorer, British Airways, Ink Plus) if you have opened five new credit cards of any type from any bank in the last 24 months.

Doctor of Credit says:

Currently, once past 5/24, [Scott: five credit cards opened in 24 months] you can not get Freedom, Sapphire, or Slate.

As of 8 PM ET on August 27, transfers from Ultimate Rewards to Korean are back.

Transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Korean Air SkyPass miles are "temporarily unavailable" according to Chase's website.

The transfers were also temporarily unavailable from November 2014 until January 2015. In that instance, Chase communicated that the problem was temporary and Korean signaled transfers would return in January, which they eventually did.

I've reached out to Chase to see if we can get a timeline on just how temporary this problem will be.