President Trump claims he doesn’t want the jobs to be lost, so he plans to use the Defense Production Act to give the airline a $500 million lifeline, which will likely ultimately result in the government owning a 90% stake in the airline, given the rate at which Spirit is burning through cash.

While I hate the thought of Spirit employees losing their jobs, the airline has been losing money since before the pandemic, and unfortunately I believe it’s time to let the company just die, and focus on healthy competition. It’s one thing if this were just a temporary issue due to high jet fuel prices, but this is a much bigger structural issue than that due to how the industry has evolved.

An odd argument in favor of bailing out Spirit Airlines

Kyle Stewart at Live and Let’s Fly writes a post titled “Why The Government (Morally) Has To Save Spirit Airlines.” I certainly get the impression that Kyle is a MAGA fan, which is fine (you’re free to call me a socialist who wants the government to get involved in everything — oh, wait). 😉

I only mention that because I’m not sure where this argument falls on the spectrum of sincerely held beliefs vs. something that makes a good headline and is an attempt to play devil’s advocate. He argues that he’s “not generally a bailout guy,” and “companies should be allowed to fail.”

But that doesn’t apply to Spirit. Kyle’s argument for having a moral obligation to bail out Spirit comes down to the following main points:

• The Department of Justice under the Biden administration blocked JetBlue’s takeover of Spirit, and therefore it’s largely Biden’s fault that Spirit is in the situation it’s in
• There’s precedent for a bailout that serves taxpayers, because when the auto industry was bailed out, the government invested around $80 billion, and a study found that the bailout saved 1.5 million jobs and preserved $105.3 billion in tax collections
• Amtrak is government subsidized, and is a form of national passenger transportation, so if rail is a public necessity, why would an ultra low cost carrier not be?
• Spirit’s assets are worth something, so that has to be factored into the math as well in terms of saving the airline, because this shouldn’t actually cost taxpayers the full amount

Why I disagree with the concept of “saving” Spirit Airlines

I fully agree with Kyle that the Department of Justice under the Biden administration shouldn’t have blocked JetBlue’s takeover of Spirit. It was the wrong decision, and it failed to take into account that Spirit no longer had a viable business model (admittedly Spirit’s executives and lawyers did a very poor job making that case).

That being said, we also have to be realistic — it’s a blessing for JetBlue that the Spirit takeover was blocked, or else the combined airline would almost certainly be in Chapter 11 bankruptcy right now, if not worse. This was a merger where 1+1=1.5, and not 1+1=3. And when they’re both money losing companies, that’s not pretty.

JetBlue also hasn’t turned a profit since before the pandemic, the airline is approaching $8 billion in debt, and the company isn’t that far off from a bankruptcy filing. It’s not like this would be a healthy company if the airlines had been able to combine, since it was a bad merger idea in the first place.

The issue with Kyle’s argument is that Spirit is burning cash at a very fast pace, and there’s no sign of that stopping. Seemingly the only thing that Spirit can do to slow down cash burn is to keep shrinking, and that costs a lot of jobs as well. Beyond that, here’s why I don’t agree with this argument:

• There’s a huge difference between Amtrak (the only national rail service) and Spirit (one of many airlines in the country, which largely overlaps with other airlines in the market)
• Kyle simultaneously argues the government should save Spirit because ultra low cost carrier competition needs to survive, but then also acknowledges that Spirit will likely be sold off for its assets, so that would do nothing to actually preserve competition
• Kyle argues that “Spirit leases its aircraft but there’s no question the leased assets are in demand,” but that’s not really true; I mean, Spirit has a bunch of planes already parked in the desert that are available to other airlines

I would agree with Kyle’s take if I believed Spirit’s issues were due to something very temporary (like the increase in jet fuel prices… something he doesn’t reference), in which case I could see merit to the support. But just pouring more money into an airline that has been through bankruptcy twice, and which continues to burn money at an alarming rate, serves no one.

If Spirit’s assets were worth anything meaningful, why haven’t other airlines bought them yet, as the opportunity has been there? And if you start selling assets, how does that save jobs?

I can’t ask this often enough — is this about saving jobs and preserving ultra low cost carrier competition, or is this about selling off the airline for its assets, and having another airline acquire it? Because those two points seem at odds with one another.

I’d just love someone to actually lay out how they see this playing out. Given the rate at which Spirit is burning through cash, the airline would burn through $500 million in a matter of months. The government would then be left owning an airline that loses a lot of money… then what?

Bottom line

I hate that Spirit is on the verge of liquidation, and that lots of people could be looking at losing their jobs soon. However, the airline is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in two years, the airline hasn’t turned a profit in seven years, and it also has among the worst margins in the industry.

This isn’t like Amtrak, which is the only rail service in the country. This also isn’t a matter of the government giving a loan that bridges some gap due to extraordinary circumstances. Instead, this would be the government soon owning the airline with the worst margins in the industry, and with very few assets.

For so long, Spirit tickets have been subsidized by shareholders, who lost their shirts with the airline. Let’s not do the same to taxpayers.

What do you think — does the government have a moral obligation to save Spirit?

How do you earn the My Hyatt Concierge perk?

With World of Hyatt, you receive some perks simply for qualifying for a certain status level, while you receive other perks as part of the Milestone Rewards program. The My Hyatt Concierge benefit falls in the latter category:

• You receive a My Hyatt Concierge when you earn 60 elite nights or 100,000 base points (equivalent to $20,000 of qualifying spending) in a calendar year, and you also get the benefit indefinitely if you’re a lifetime Globalist member; even elite nights earned with Hyatt’s credit cards count toward this
• Once you qualify, a My Hyatt Concierge representative will reach out within four weeks with their contact info; typically it happens much faster than that, but in some cases it could take that long
• Note that all Globalist members (regardless of how they qualify) receive access to a dedicated phone number with shorter hold times and (hopefully) better service, but that’s different than this perk

What can My Hyatt Concierge help with?

Officially, what are My Hyatt Concierge representatives supposed to help with? When you’re invited to the program, here’s what My Hyatt Concierge representatives promote as possible services (I’m just copying and pasting):

• Research and select the World of Hyatt location that’s best for you 
• Help you redeem the Suite Upgrades and Free Nights you’ve earned 
• Help you with special requests, from dining reservations to spa appointments 
• Plan activities and surprises for your loved ones to add to everyone’s enjoyment 
• Answer questions about your account 

So yeah, officially that’s the value they’re supposed to add…

How valuable is My Hyatt Concierge actually?

While I’ve had top tier status with Hyatt for well over 15 years, the My Hyatt Concierge program was only introduced in 2017, with the launch of the World of Hyatt program (this wasn’t a feature of the old Hyatt Gold Passport program).

So, how useful is this service? Before I get into this, let me acknowledge that like anything in customer service, your experience may differ based on who you’re assigned as your My Hyatt Concierge.

Furthermore, I’m not someone who is looking to use this program to make all kinds of special hotel requests. Furthermore, if I want help with dining reservations or whatever, I’ll just reach out to the hotel concierge directly, and don’t need a middleman, since that only complicates things.

With that in mind, I was just suddenly assigned a new My Hyatt Concierge earlier this year. She sent a welcome email, but that has been the extent of my contact with her, and there has been no other proactive interaction. Fair enough, I suppose, as it’s not like I’ve asked for anything!

The My Hyatt Concierge I had until that point was a very friendly person, and she was also competent in terms of understanding my questions. The issue, as I see it, is that I found response times to be really slow, to the point that I sort of stopped using the service.

When you’re trying to apply a Suite Upgrade Award to an existing reservation, time is of the essence, given limited availability. So in those situations, I’d rather just pick up the phone and call the Globalist line, or get in touch with @HyattConcierge on X, to speed things along.

So personally, I’m at the point where I don’t value this perk at all. That’s not necessarily a dig at the program, as there are limits to how personalized the service can be, given (presumably) the number of Globalist members there are who are eligible for this service.

How does Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador compare?

Marriott Bonvoy’s top tier Ambassador status requires 100 elite nights plus $23,000 in spending per year. Arguably the greatest benefit of Ambassador status is that you have a dedicated point of contact at Marriott. In theory, it’s a similar concept to what Hyatt offers.

Now, admittedly Marriott Ambassador status is a bit more exclusive than Hyatt Globalist status, purely in terms of qualification requirements. I mean, Marriott hotels should go above and beyond more for Ambassador members than Hyatt properties do for Globalist members. That’s not to say that they do (to the contrary, I find that typically they don’t), but they should…

I also have Ambassador status nowadays. While I’ve heard many people say their Ambassador is useless, mine is absolutely awesome. He constantly proactively looks out for my reservations, he customizes welcome amenities for me with nice notes, and he responds at lightning speeds whenever he’s in the office. However, I think he’s the exception rather than the norm, and plenty of Ambassadors are not at all proactive.

So I’d say that Marriott’s Ambassador service should be a bit more personalized than the My Hyatt Concierge service, but that’s not to say that it consistently is. In my case it is in a completely different league, though.

Bottom line

The My Hyatt Concierge feature is available exclusively to World of Hyatt Globalist members who earn 60 elite nights or 100,000 base points in a calendar year, plus lifetime Globalist members.

In theory, the intent is that My Hyatt Concierge can help with anything you might need with your World of Hyatt account or with hotel stays. However, increasingly it seems that people don’t have great experiences with the program, and I suspect that largely comes down to them having too many people to take care of.

I’ve found response times to often be quite slow, and that’s less than ideal for anything that’s time sensitive. So I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way to stay more just to get this benefit, but perhaps other people have a different experience.

If you’ve had access to and used the My Hyatt Concierge service, what was your experience like?

Honestly, it’s not quite as interesting as at the airlines (at least to me), but I figure some others are curious as well, so here’s a quick rundown…

Comparing pay among major hotel group CEOs

So, how were the CEOs of the major hotel groups compensated in 2025? They certainly weren’t Bonvoyed, I’ll tell you that! Here’s a high level rundown, and I’ll also include 2024 and 2023, for comparison. Here are the total compensation amounts for the three CEOs of Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott (the publicly traded, US-based groups that are probably most interesting to OMAAT readers):

• Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta earned $27.7 million in 2025, compared to $28.0 million in 2024, and $26.6 million in 2023
• Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian earned $27 million in 2025, compared to $16.6 million in 2024, and $20.8 million in 2023
• Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano earned $23 million in 2025, compared to $21.9 million in 2024, and $22.7 million in 2023

It’s important to emphasize that while the above are the amounts of the total compensation, the structure of this varied by company, so we’re not talking about all cash compensation here.

As you can tell, Hilton’s Chris Nassetta was the highest paid CEO. His $27.7 million in compensation included a $1.3 million base salary, $3 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, $5.8 million in options awards, and $17.3 million in stock awards.

I find airline industry economics much more interesting

Obviously I cover topics about both the airline and hotel industry. While I love staying up to date on hotel loyalty programs, new openings, etc., the finance side of things just isn’t as interesting to me as in the airline industry.

That’s simply because the hotel business is a bit easier (which isn’t to say it’s easy, but just as a relative matter). The major hotel groups have stable business models and take an asset-light approach, so they’re just taking a cut on hotel revenue, along with some other revenue streams (like loyalty). So profitably doesn’t vary wildly year-to-year, unlike with airlines, where they can make billions one year, and lose billions the next year. As you can see, there’s a bit more consistency in year-to-year pay among hotel CEOs vs. airline CEOs.

For hotel CEOs, the focus is always on growth. At Marriott, they’re looking for any opportunity to take a cut on someone going to sleep. Who knows, maybe they’ll add mattress stores to Marriott Bonvoy soon. Meanwhile Hyatt has of course been on an all-inclusive kick, as its focus for expansion, along with an effort to expand limited service conversion properties. Hilton seems to be mostly flying under the radar, largely pursuing organic growth.

Bottom line

You can sleep well at night knowing that your hotel CEOs are all raking in eight figures. Hilton’s CEO is the top paid, followed by Hyatt’s CEO, followed by Marriott’s CEO. I don’t think there’s anything terribly surprising here (well, at least for Americans — many foreigners are shocked when they find out how well paid CEOs of publicly traded companies are in the US).

Are you surprised by these hotel CEO compensation numbers?

Comparing pay among CEOs at major US airlines

I think it’s interesting to take a look at how US airline CEOs were paid in 2025, and to compare it to pay in previous years (separately, I’ve written about which hotel group CEOs are highest paid).

While this now goes back a few years, I think there’s a quirk worth mentioning, as airline CEO compensation was capped from 2020 to 2022. That’s because the CARES Act provided government aid to all US airlines, though it came with some stipulations, which applied through April 1, 2023. With the CARES Act, CEOs at US airlines had their pay capped. They could earn at most $3 million, plus 50% of their total compensation that exceeded $3 million in 2019.

With that in mind, what did airline CEO pay look like in 2025? Here’s a high level rundown, and I’ll also include pay from the three previous years. Here are the total compensation amounts:

• United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby earned $32.3 million in 2025, compared to $33.9 million in 2024, $18.6 million in 2023, and $9.8 million in 2022
• Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian earned $19.2 million in 2025, compared to $27.1 million in 2024, $34.2 million in 2023, and $9.6 million in 2022
• Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan earned $16.6 million in 2025, compared to $10.6 million in 2024, $9.3 million in 2023, and $5.3 million in 2022
• American Airlines CEO Robert Isom earned $13.9 million in 2025, compared to $15.6 million in 2024, $31.4 million in 2023, and $4.9 million in 2022

It’s important to emphasize that while the above are the amounts of the total compensation, the structure of this varied by airline, so we’re not talking about all cash compensation here.

As you can tell, United’s Scott Kirby was the highest paid CEO. His $32.3 million in compensation included a $1.2 million base salary, $8 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, and $22.6 million in stock awards.

What can we really make of these numbers?

There’s no denying that at publicly traded companies in the United States, we have some of the highest executive compensation in the world. CEOs at US airlines make multiples of what CEOs at most foreign airlines make, and that’s just a commonly accepted practice.

I do think it’s interesting to look at the relative pay situation here, and how those numbers have changed over the years. There’s actually minimal change between 2025 and 2024, though some things stand out:

• It makes sense that Scott Kirby is the highest paid industry CEO, since the airline has been improving its financial performance, and the company’s stock has been on fire (which is ultimately what the board cares about)
• Poor Ed Bastian, his compensation sure has been trending downwards in the past few years 😉
• Bob Jordan sure got a nice raise, as Southwest’s stock has improved; but goodness, I’d say he only deserves his pay slightly more than Robert Isom
• Robert Isom’s pay has been pretty consistent for the past couple of years, and the $13.9 million is equal to around 13% of American’s net profit; obviously that’s not actually how we measure things, but still, that whole situation is rough, and I don’t know how the guy has a job

Bottom line

While airlines aren’t exactly the highest margin businesses, airline CEOs are compensated as if they are. 2025 was only the third year since the start of the pandemic where airline CEO compensation was uncapped. Pay at the “big four” airlines ranged from $13.9 million to $32.3 million.

Comparing 2025 to 2025, compensation remained relatively steady for the CEOs of United and American. Meanwhile there was a bit of a reversal with the Delta and Southwest CEOs, as Delta’s CEO got his compensation reduced, while Southwest’s CEO had his compensation increased significantly.

Anyway, when the poor guy in the bunch is still making eight figures, it’s hard to feel bad for anyone, right? 😉

What do you make of these compensation numbers?

American flight attendant fired over social media content

A Philadelphia-based American flight attendant has just taken to social media to share that she has been fired from the airline over her social media content, among other things. The influencer has two Instagram accounts, including @jastinations (her standard social media) and @jumpseatjasmine (her former flight attendant content).

Let’s start with her video where she explains what happened that caused her to lose her job. According to her version of events:

• Last month (in March 2026) she was fired by American for posting a video about the war with Iran
• She has no hard feelings about American, and says that while the video she posted was what was on her termination letter, there were other things she did that contributed to her termination, including wearing hair and nails out of compliance, and even having visible tattoos that weren’t covered up
• She takes accountability for her part in this, and explained that she just wanted to make flight attendant content that she saw her fellow flight attendants making as well, while being herself
• She initially became a flight attendant for American regional subsidiary PSA in 2021 (before eventually starting at mainline), and she knew this wasn’t going to be her long term career; the first “free” flight she ever took was to take her mom off life support, and she viewed that as a sign that this wasn’t for her long term, and she found many aspects of the job to have negative energy
• Being let go from American was the greatest blessing in her life, because it gave her the courage to become a full time content creator, which is what she really wanted to do
• She talks about how some people may say it’s karma she got fired, because she reported “Ashley” in 2023, and “she talked about it in 2025” (anyone know the backstory there, as I’m not sure what she’s referring to?)
• She has no regrets, given that she made great friends, and this also allowed her to get her social media following, and she’s grateful for the opportunity, and even to American, and to the people who don’t like her

You can see the video for yourself below…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JASTINATIONS | Philly Influencer (@jastinations)

What video got this American flight attendant fired?

When I saw the above video, I was of course curious. Umm, what did she say about Iran? Well, I found the video, and you can find it below. The video was posted in early March, shortly after the start of the conflict with Iran.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JASTINATIONS | Philly Influencer (@jastinations)

In the satire skit, she claims she’s talking to Iran on the phone, and she says:

• “Yeah, if you wanted to go to the Capitol, you could. You know what, the Pentagon is over there too.”
• “Miss, like, all the cities with heavy Hispanics and Blacks.”
• “No, he lives in DC, it’s a white house, it’s like right there on the corner. No, no, no, no, the one that’s in the middle.”
• “Where’s Charlie Kirk wife? I’m not sure, she on a tour with Nicki Minaj. I think his grave is in Arlington.”
• “I think they have Middle Eastern food over here, they got some of the best ones in New York, yeah, where they lied and said y’all did that last time with the World Trade Center.”

I mean, of course this was going to be a career ender, I don’t think that’s coming as much of a surprise. And she clearly recognizes that as well, based on her commentary.

Below is a small sampling of her content as a flight attendant…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jasmine | The Flight Attendant (@jumpseatjasmine)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jasmine | The Flight Attendant (@jumpseatjasmine)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jasmine | The Flight Attendant (@jumpseatjasmine)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jasmine | The Flight Attendant (@jumpseatjasmine)

A few thoughts:

• I don’t condone violence or talk of violence of any sort, especially given the highly polarized world we live in
• Firing her was the only option and the right move, and she was clearly irreverent, and had several other violations as well
• To her credit, she seems to have a positive vibe and tried to treat passengers well, so I at least appreciate that
• I respect the classy way she’s going about this “reveal,” saying positive things about the airline, and about her time there, and not laying the blame on others (we’ve seen plenty of other flight attendants get fired over social media content, only to then play the victim card)
• The “content creator” space sure is getting saturated!

Bottom line

An American Airlines flight attendant has been fired over her social media content, among other things. The flight attendant was also a content creator, and posted a video several weeks back joking about Iran attacking the White House.

She obviously did a lot that violated American’s policies, so it’s no surprise she lost her job. At least she’s not surprised or upset about it.

What do you make of this American flight attendant losing her job?

Are premium passengers subject to strict baggage rules?

Yuri asked me a question that centers around two main points:

• To what extent are carry-on allowances enforced for premium cabin passengers, particularly surrounding the personal item?
• What’s my setup when it comes to carry-on bags?

Before anyone starts saying that the rules should apply to everyone, let me say that I think carry-on rules are sort of meant to be broken.

For example, many airlines have an 8 kg limit on carry-on bags, and on a vast majority of flights to and from the United States, I’d be willing to bet that most passengers (including in economy) are exceeding that limit. So this is about practical enforcement, rather than the letter of the law.

With that out of the way, here’s the question in full:

I have a travel question & I feel you’d be the perfect expert to answer based on your experience. I am about to enter a phase in life where I will be travelling a lot internationally & domestically (all in premium cabin), and I’m currently shopping for carry-on luggage, but I am so confused at all the different airline rules across the board. 

Basically, I’d love to use a Rimowa roller accompanied by a backpack or Keepall 50 style duffle as a personal item. The thing is, the personal item restrictions/sizes vary greatly between US & Europe, and I’ve read they are super strict in Europe regarding both weight and size measurements of your carry-on and personal item. However, I also read that for business & first class, they are way more lenient, and European airlines allow 2 carry-ons + personal item in long haul (not sure about intra-Europe). Furthermore, Emirates and Qatar have such a tiny measurement for personal item allowance that makes no sense to me, and I have a hard time believing they would force a business or first class passenger to gate check their roller if their personal item is deemed too big. 

So my question is, based on your millions of flights in premium cabins across Europe, Middle East, Asia, etc: do they really care and check business and first class passengers’ personal item measurements? What have you seen or noticed? Do they make you gate check your roller if they deem your personal item too big? If you travel long haul to Europe and connect to intra-Europe, do they make you gate check your second carry-on? Will I be okay flying internationally on Emirates, Air France, etc., with a Rimowa + another carry-on duffle, or do I need a tiny backpack otherwise they will scold me and check it? Their measurements are so ridiculously small, and most comments online about airline restrictions are regarding economy, and they say “but if you’re in business they don’t care.” So I would really just like to know what it’s like out there, because frankly their personal item dimensions outside the US limit me to a tiny slingbag lol. 

Also, would love to know your personal travel setup, what do you take with you on the plane? Suitcase, backpack, duffle, any gadgets or cases, what are your essentials, any tips?

My take on this premium cabin carry-on question

Yuri is absolutely right that there’s huge inconsistency when it comes to carry-on rules across the globe. In the United States, many airlines don’t even have a weight limit for carry-on bags. Meanwhile in other parts of the globe, it’s a different story, and even in premium cabins, the limits are (technically) ridiculously low.

To what extent are carry-on limits actually enforced? I hate to answer “it depends,” but I truly think that’s accurate here. What factors into this?

• It depends on the airline and cabin you’re flying; if you’re flying in Air France’s La Premiere first class, they really try not to say no to customers, while if you’re flying in British Airways’ intra-Europe business class, I wouldn’t expect to get away with a whole lot
• It also depends whether you actually go to the check-in counter, or just go straight to the gate, as the less interaction you have with staff, the better your odds of getting away with a bigger bag
• When it comes to enforcement, I find the thing that’s most commonly enforced is the weight of the primary carry-on, rather than the size of the personal item
• There are tips and tricks that I’ve shared in the past about how to minimize the odds of having to check bags, and that basically includes moving deliberately around the gate area, and avoiding gate agents seeing your bags as much as possible

Now, specific to Yuri’s question, he references a Keepall 50 style duffle as a personal item, and it appears that bag has the dimensions of 50cm x 29cm x 23cm. To use Lufthansa as an example, the standard carry-on size limit is 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm, while the personal item carry-on size limit is 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm.

However, some airlines (including Lufthansa) allow business class passengers to have two items, plus a personal item, so that should be fine (forgetting the ridiculously low 8 kg weight limit we frequently see).

My guess is that you’ll get away with that as a personal item on most US airlines, and a majority of the time on foreign airlines, but not consistently. So it’s just a function of minimizing your odds of being caught with that.

Going back a decade, below is what my carry-on setup looked like, where my personal item was almost as big as my carry-on. To be honest, I almost never had issues with it, and I can count on one hand the number of times I had to gate check a bag.

Regarding the question of my carry-on setup, that’s something I still need help with. I don’t mind spending a good amount on luggage, given how much I use it. Currently I have a Briggs & Riley carry-on and backpack that I use when traveling, and that gives me a lot of flexibility.

It’s incredibly functional, but design-wise, it’s so bland and corporate. Yet I still haven’t actually been able to find something better. I’d love something that’s both cool and low key, but that’s easier said than done:

• Personally I’m not a fan of hard shell cases like Rimowa, because you have such little flexibility when your bags is overstuffed (Ford makes fun of how boring my luggage is, but whenever we take a trip, he ends up being very appreciative that my bag can be expanded to carry what doesn’t fit in his)
• Personally I just don’t want heavily branded luggage (like Louis Vuitton or Prada or whatever), even if I were willing to pay for it, since I don’t want to put a target on my belongings, especially given that I travel to some “odd” places

So I’m always still looking for better options, but as of now, I haven’t found any!

Bottom line

Often carry-on limits are almost meant to be broken, given how low they can be. In premium cabins, it’s common for airlines to sort of turn a blind eye, though it does vary based on the airline, how much interaction you have with staff, etc.

If you do have a large personal item, I wouldn’t expect to consistently get away with it, though most of the time it shouldn’t be an issue, as long as you’re intentional. At least that’s my experience.

What has your experience been with carry-on rules being enforced when traveling in premium cabins?

I appreciate Aeroplan’s transparency, and that the program has a published award chart, so members have a sense of what they’ll pay for an award. So along those lines, it’s worth being aware of an update, as Aeroplan is changing its award pricing, and at least we have some advance notice.

Aeroplan is changing award pricing in many zones

Aeroplan has announced updated award pricing for tickets booked as of Monday, June 1, 2026. As the program describes it, “we don’t take increases lightly, but they’re sometimes necessary as our underlying costs rise.” Hey, at least Aeroplan is honest, as I’m sure a certain other Star Alliance carrier would market such a devaluation as being due to member feedback. 😉

These changes impact partner airlines with fixed pricing, and also serves as the new starting point for pricing on Air Canada and select partner flights (as a reminder, you’ll find variable pricing on Air Canada, Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai, United, etc.). You can find the updated Aeroplan award chart here.

While you can take a look at the above chart for yourself, let me summarize what’s changing. Aeroplan has award pricing that’s both zone and distance based.

Between North America and Atlantic region

For awards covering up to 4,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 35,000 points to 32,500 points (-2,500)

For awards covering 4,001–6,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 40,000 points to 42,500 points (+2,500)
• Business goes from 70,000 points to 75,000 points (+5,000)
• First goes from 100,000 points to 120,000 points (+20,000)

For awards covering 6,001-8,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 55,000 points to 60,000 points (+5,000)
• Business goes from 85,000 points to 90,000 points (+5,000)
• First goes from 130,000 points to 150,000 points (+20,000)

For awards covering 8,001+ miles:

• Economy goes from 70,000 points to 75,000 points (+5,000)
• Business goes from 100,000 points to 110,000 points (+10,000)
• First goes from 140,000 points to 165,000 points (+25,000)

Between North America and Pacific region

For awards covering up to 5,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 35,000 points to 32,500 points (-2,500)

For awards covering 5,001-7,000 miles:

• Business goes from 75,000 points to 85,000 points (+10,000)
• First goes from 110,000 points to 120,000 points (+10,000)

For awards covering 7,501-11,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 60,000 points to 65,000 points (+5,000)
• Premium economy goes from 70,000 points to 85,000 points (+15,000)
• Business goes from 87,500 points to 102,500 points (+15,000)
• First goes from 130,000 points to 140,000 points (+10,000)

For awards covering 11,001+ miles:

• Economy goes from 75,000 points to 70,000 points (-5,000)
• Premium economy goes from 80,000 points to 95,000 points (+15,000)

Within the Atlantic region

For awards covering up to 1,000 miles:

• Business goes from 15,000 points to 12,500 points (-2,500)

For awards covering 1,001-2,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 12,500 points to 15,000 points (+2,500)
• Business goes from 25,000 points to 22,500 points (-2,500)

For awards covering 2,001-4,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 25,000 points to 30,000 points (+5,000)
• Business goes from 45,000 points to 40,000 points (-5,000)
• First goes from 60,000 points to 75,000 points (+15,000)

For awards covering 4,001-6,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 35,500 points to 42,500 points (+7,000)
• Business goes from 60,000 points to 70,000 points (+10,000)
• First goes from 90,000 points to 100,000 points (+10,000)

For awards covering 6,000+ miles:

• Business goes from 80,000 points to 95,000 points (+15,000)

Within the Pacific region

For awards covering 1,001-2,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 12,500 points to 15,000 points (+2,500)

For awards covering 2,001-5,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 25,000 points to 30,000 points (+5,000)
• Business goes from 45,000 points to 52,500 points (+7,500)

For awards covering 5,001-7,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 37,500 points to 35,000 points (-2,500 points)
• Business goes from 60,000 points to 72,500 points (+12,500 points)

For awards covering 7,001+ miles:

• Economy goes from 55,000 points to 50,000 points (-5,000)
• Business goes from 90,000 points to 85,000 points (-5,000)

Between Atlantic and Pacific region

For awards covering up to 2,500 miles:

• Business goes from 40,000 points to 47,500 points (+7,500)
• First goes from 50,000 points to 55,000 points (+5,000)

For awards covering 2,501-5,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 30,000 points to 40,000 points (+10,000)
• Business goes from 60,000 points to 75,000 points (+15,000)
• First goes from 80,000 points to 95,000 points (+15,000)

For awards covering 5,001-7,000 miles:

• Economy goes from 50,000 points to 60,000 points (+10,000 points)
• Business goes from 80,000 points to 92,500 points (+12,500 points)
• First goes from 100,000 points to 120,000 points (+20,000 points)

The awards covering 7,001+ miles:

• Economy goes from 65,000 points to 75,000 points (+10,000)
• Business goes from 110,000 points to 130,000 points (+20,000 points)
• First goes from 140,000 points to 150,000 points (+10,000 points)

My take on Aeroplan’s award pricing updates

In the scheme of devaluations, this is hardly the most unreasonable we’ve seen. Over time reimbursement rates between airlines and redemption patterns change, and that does impact the underlying economics of a program.

Of course everyone has different redemption patterns, so we won’t all agree on which changes are best/worst. Based on my typical Aeroplan redemptions, a few changes most stand out:

• Short haul business class awards within Europe (covering up to 1,000 miles) go from 15,000 points to 12,500 points, so that’s actually a decrease; that’s the single most frequent type of Aeroplan redemption I make, so I’m happy to see that
• Awards between the United States and Europe (covering 4,001-6,000 miles) are increasing from 70,000 points to 75,000 points in business class, and from 100,000 points to 120,000 points in first class, so I’m bummed about that, as it’s otherwise my most frequent redemption
• Ultra long haul business class awards between the United States and Asia (covering 7,501-11,000 miles) increase from 87,500 points to 102,500 points, so obviously I’m not very happy to see that, since it’s my favorite redemption for maximizing Aeroplan points (given that you can route via Europe)

So yeah, this is definitely a devaluation on balance, and I’m not happy to see it. At the same time, in most markets Aeroplan will continue to be the best value when you consider everything, if you ask me.

Bottom line

As of June 2026, Air Canada’s Aeroplan program will be updating award pricing, including for travel on partner airlines. We’re seeing a lot more increases than decreases, with some awards going down in price by up to 5,000 points, and some awards going up in price by up to 20,000 points.

Aeroplan has done a good job maintaining the value of its program, and no one likes to see pricing increases. At the same time, the new pricing is still pretty competitive across the board, if you ask me.

What do you make of this Aeroplan devaluation?

On the points & travel front, this week the biggest story was the government possibly buying Spirit. Beyond that, Air Canada took delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR, World of Hyatt revealed exactly when its big award chart changes are happening, Lufthansa unveiled its new employee uniforms, TAP Air Portugal moved closer to privatization, Lufthansa introduced new basic economy fares, and more.

With that out of the way, here’s a recap of this week on the blog:

Sun PhuQuoc Airways picks up eight Airbus A330s

Sun PhuQuoc Airways is a leisure airline startup based in Vietnam. The airline received its air operator’s certificate in September 2025, and commenced commercial operations as of November 2025.

The carrier’s primary hub is in Phu Quoc (PQC), as you may have guessed based on the name. So far the company has a fleet of 10 Airbus A320-family aircraft, including two A320neos, two A321s, and six A321neos. The airline has huge growth aspirations beyond that, including acquiring eight Airbus A330-200s, plus 20 Boeing 787-9s.

We’re now learning more details about how these wide body plans are taking shape. It appears that PhuQuoc Airways is acquiring eight A330s that used to fly for American.

The planes are expected to be delivered to the airline between June 2026 and March 2027. They’re still quite new, as they’re only 12-13 years old, and they’ve spent roughly half of that time in storage.

These are all planes that were initially delivered to US Airways, and they have 247 seats, including 20 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 206 economy seats. The business class seats are in a reverse herringbone configuration.

It remains to be seen how many changes the airline actually makes to these planes. Vietnamese airlines are known for acquiring planes secondhand, and making minimal updates. 😉

It’s going to be fascinating to see what long haul routes the airline has planned with these aircraft. While Vietnam’s economy has been growing fast, the country’s aviation sector has seen mixed results. For example, several years back we saw Bamboo Airways growing at a very fast pace, only to then have to dump most of its aircraft, because the economics just didn’t make sense.

I’m determined to fly on one of these PhuQuoc Airways A330s once they enter service, as this’ll be such a blast from the past for American (hopefully the Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is open by then!).

These A330s were a major strategic blunder for American

It can’t be overstated how much of a strategic blunder it was for American to retire these planes so early, and as I see it, this was part of when American really firmly cemented its third place position among the “big three” carriers.

At the start of the pandemic, American retired all of its A330s, along with all Boeing 757s and 767s, and that massively limited American’s long haul growth opportunities. While that maybe seemed wise for some number of weeks when many people felt travel demand would never recover, demand sure came back fast and strong.

So when that happened, American found itself at a major disadvantage, given its small long haul fleet. What’s sad is that at a minimum, American could’ve initially reactivated these A330s. They were just six or seven years old at the time, and had plenty of life left in them, not to mention American had just reconfigured them to add premium economy.

But nope, American didn’t do that. Instead, it just pursued its “buy lots of new planes, bulk up on debt, and dominate the world via El Paso” strategy, which hasn’t exactly been a smashing success.

Bottom line

American’s gently used Airbus A330-200s will be returning to the skies, flying for Vietnam leisure airline startup Sun PhuQuoc Airways. The airline launched operations in recent months, and has massive growth plans, including acquiring eight ex-American A330s, along with quite a few Boeing 787-9s.

We’ll see how this all plays out, though I’m happy to see these planes getting another lease on life, given that they were only in service for such a short period. It’s just a shame American isn’t the airline that decided to bring them back.

What do you make of this deal involving ex-American A330s?

The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® is American’s primary co-branded business credit card. We’re currently seeing an improved welcome offer on the card, making it an ideal time to apply, as this is among the best offers that we’ve seen on the card. I’d like to post a reminder of this offer, as it’s anyone’s guess how much longer it will be around.

Citi AAdvantage Business Card 75K bonus miles offer

The Citi AAdvantage Business Card currently has a limited time welcome bonus of 75,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first five months. As a point of comparison, previously the card offered up to 65,000 bonus miles, so this offer is 10,000 miles better than before.

I value AAdvantage miles at 1.5 cents each, so to me that bonus is worth $1,125. There are some incredible uses of American AAdvantage miles, including for travel on some world class partner airlines.

Also keep in mind that credit card spending will qualify for Loyalty Points (helping you earn elite status, including Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum), though the welcome bonus as such won’t. Upon completing minimum spending, you’d earn a minimum of 5,000 Loyalty Points.

Citi AAdvantage Business Card eligibility requirements

If you’re interested in applying for the Citi AAdvantage Business Card, the typical Citi credit card application restrictions apply, including that you can be approved for at most one Citi card every eight days, and at most two Citi cards every 65 days.

On top of that, the bonus isn’t available to those who have received a new account bonus on this exact card in the past 48 months. Eligibility is unrelated to having any other American Airlines credit cards.

If you’re concerned about Chase’s 5/24 rule, note that applying for a Citi business card generally won’t count toward that limit. I should also mention that at least anecdotally, this card seems to be quite easy to get approved for.

Why the Citi AAdvantage Business Card is worth it

The Citi AAdvantage Business Card has a reasonable $99 annual fee, which is even waived for the first 12 months, so this is a card that you can try before you even have to pay an annual fee. The card offers a variety of valuable perks, including:

• 2x AAdvantage miles per dollar spent with American Airlines, and on telecommunications, cable and satellite providers, car rentals, and gas stations; credit card spending can also help you earn Loyalty Points
• A first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardmember and up to four companions on the same reservation
• The ability to earn a companion certificate for domestic economy travel when you spend $30,000 or more on the card in a card membership year, and when you renew the card
• Membership in the AAdvantage Business program, potentially allowing you to rack up extra rewards for travel with American

It’s worth noting that there’s an interesting quirk to this card when it comes to authorized user rewards, as the authorized user ordinarily earns the Loyalty Points, rather than the primary cardmember. That being said, many cardmembers are targeted for an offer for both the primary cardmember and the authorized user to get Loyalty Points for spending, and that makes for a great opportunity if you want to earn status with credit card spending.

Read a detailed review of the Citi AAdvantage Business Card.

Bottom line

The Citi AAdvantage Business Card is offering a limited time welcome bonus of 75,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first five months. This is a great offer on a great card that even has its annual fee waived for the first year.

There’s also, of course, lots of interest in American cards, given that spending can help you earn status. If you’re eligible for this card, this would be the ideal time to apply.

Anyone plan to pick up the Citi AAdvantage Business Card with 75K miles?

What’s going on with Qatar Airways’ CEO situation?

It has been a rather unusual few years when it comes to senior leadership at Qatar Airways. In late 2023, longtime CEO Akbar Al Baker suddenly left, after leading the airline for 27 years. Al Baker really turned the airline into what it is today — he was a larger than life figure, and the airline was his life. While he was rather controversial (to put it politely), there’s simply no denying that he’s an incredibly smart and passionate guy.

At that point he was replaced by Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, who seemed like a much gentler and calmer man, who smoothed over relations with aircraft manufacturers, employees, etc. He’d reportedly spend his weekends roaming the airport and helping passengers, and was an all-around nice guy. Bizarrely, he was only in his position for around two years, until late 2025, when he suddenly left, and was replaced by Hamad Ali Al‑Khater.

I have no clue what drama was going on in the background that caused there to be three CEOs in under three years. It goes without saying that being CEO of Qatar Airways is a job reserved for Qatari nationals, and I imagine it requires being in the good graces of the Royal Family.

What’s strange (at least to me) is that both Al-Meer and Al-Khater basically had the same background — they were both Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport, and then they became CEO of Qatar Airways, one after the other.

It’s obviously a very challenging time for airlines across the globe, and particularly Gulf carriers, given the current crisis. So one might wonder if Qatar Airways is a rudderless ship, or what is going on, since you’d want an experienced leader in charge at a time like this.

To be clear, I don’t actually have an opinion on Al-Khater one way or another, because rather bizarrely, I don’t think I’ve seen a single interview or public appearance from him.

Maybe I’m just missing something, but he has to be one of the least visible CEOs we’ve ever seen at a major airline, and his outward communication is almost non-existent. At a time like this, it might be confusing to have someone like that leading the airline, with no direct industry experience. But that brings me to a figure who I think deserves some more credit for his work…

Is Thierry Antinori the de facto CEO of Qatar Airways?

Even as Qatar Airways has seen a shakeup for its top executive spot, one thing hasn’t changed — Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has continued to be in the number two spot, and if you ask me, credit for Qatar Airways’ continued success largely goes to him. Among airline executives, he’s probably the definition of “walk softly and carry a big stick,” in terms of the power and responsibility he has, without getting the credit, at least in a traditional sense.

Antinori has an interesting history in the industry. Back in the day he worked at Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group, before moving to Emirates in 2011, and ultimately becoming Chief Commercial Officer at the Dubai-based carrier. Then in 2019, he moved to Qatar Airways, where he initially became the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, before ultimately becoming the Chief Commercial Officer.

On the surface that might sound strange. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be the CEO of Qatar Airways, given that it’s a position reserved for nationals, and unlike Emirates, the airline doesn’t carve out a separate “President” position. Furthermore, moving from Emirates to Qatar Airways with a similar job title sounds like a demotion, on the surface (Emirates is a bigger airline).

Of course being Chief Commercial Officer is a big job, but I don’t think that quite does credit to the extent to which Antinori runs the show at Qatar Airways, based on my understanding. I feel more confident about that than ever before, with the airline having been through three CEOs in three years.

Also, the fact that he worked alongside Al Baker for years without butting heads too much really is quite the accomplishment, given what a type-A personality Al Baker is.

I’m curious to see what the rest of Antinori’s career looks like. He’s 64, so I imagine he could retire soon if he wanted to, but people in the airline industry are also passionate, and often have a hard time doing so.

Given the moves he made over the years, I have to imagine (or would hope) he’s earning CEO pay, while just technically having a lower title. Obviously there’s nothing further for him to be promoted to at Qatar Airways, so maybe he’ll just continue his career there.

Or could he end up going to another airline with a “bigger” job title? One would assume Emirates President Tim Clark will retire eventually (he has almost retired as often as Spirit has almost gone out of business), and Antinori is probably the other Gulf executive who has the most experience. That being said, Emirates is a pretty insulated company when it comes to promoting people, and I imagine there may be some bad blood there, based on him leaving years ago.

Anyway, in an industry where so many people try to talk up their importance and influence, Antinori deserves credit for quietly but very successfully being (as I see it) the brain behind one of the world’s most respected airlines.

Bottom line

It’s a strange time at Qatar Airways, given that the airline has been through three CEOs in three years. That’s especially odd for the Gulf region, when you consider they were all Qatari nationals, and they tend to keep their jobs for extended periods of time.

Of note is how the new CEO has now been in his role for around five months, and I’m not sure I’ve actually seen a single interview with him (so I have nothing for or against him, I just don’t know anything!).

The one constant throughout all of this has been that Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has been there, and it sure seems to me like he’s actually running the show there. He’s had quite a career, and I’m curious to see how that continues.

I still don’t have the slightest clue what has actually happened that has caused this CEO turnover, though I’d sure love to know!

But what’s actually the legal mechanism by which Trump wants this deal to happen? We’re now learning more details about what this will look like…

Trump to use Defense Production Act to buy Spirit

It’s now being reported that the Trump administration’s plan to bail out Spirit Airlines could be done using the Defense Production Act. That’s an emergency power that’s typically used to compel private sector companies to prioritize government contracts and increase supplies of critical goods. This also includes providing loan authority to private firms for national defense.

The idea is that the government would lend Spirit $500 million at a reasonable interest rate, and the government would then become the top debtor in the bankruptcy pecking order. The loan would be protected by Spirit assets, which would reportedly exceed the government’s costs, and would provide taxpayers with a warrant, with the right to own 90% of the company after it emerges from bankruptcty.

The Pentagon would also potentially use Spirit’s excess capacity for transporting troops and military cargo, with the goal of selling the airline to another carrier in the long run.

There’s not a whole lot that makes any sense here

On the one hand, I’m sort of delighted to see some conservatives now embracing socialism, so I guess that’s the upside here. 😉 But let’s be clear about how this is likely to play out:

• $500 million will last Spirit a matter of months based on its current burn rate, at which point the government will own 90% of the airline
• The government will then own 90% of an airline running huge operating losses, and Trump somehow thinks that other airlines will be interested in buying it, even though the interest hasn’t been there up until now
• If the government starts turning Spirit into a big government contract airline, then that also seems rather unfair; so the key to getting lucrative government contracts is to be days from liquidation after having a failed business model for many years?

I’m not sure if Trump just doesn’t understand the airline industry, if he can’t keep his narrative straight, or what. Because he contradicts himself with this Spirit deal even just sentences apart. For example, he saiD:

“I think we just buy it. We’d be getting it virtually debt-free. They have some good aircraft, good assets — and when the price of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit. I’d love to be able to save those jobs… I like having a lot of airlines so it’s competitive.”

He says the government will sell Spirit at a profit to another airline, and then in the next sentence he says he likes having lots of airlines so the industry is competitive? Is that logic tracking for anyone?

Then again, it’s not even the most bizarre thing he said about Spirit. The prize for that has to go to his claim that Obama (president from 2008 to 2016) decided it was a bad idea for Spirit and People Express to merge (People Express went out of business in 1987).

Bottom line

President Trump reportedly wants to buy Spirit Airlines under the Defense Production Act, an emergency power typically used during times of war. The idea is that the government would loan Spirit $500 million, and that would ultimately give the government a 90% stake in the airline, as its top debtor.

Trump then wants to turn around and sell the airline at a profit, even though the interest hasn’t been there up until this point…

What do you make of Trump trying to use the Defense Production Act to make this deal happen?

Emirates planning private bathrooms in first class?

Emirates President Tim Clark was interviewed virtually by Richard Quest at this week’s CAPA Summit 2026, and he commented on an interesting innovation that could be coming to first class:

“I’m working on en-suite bathrooms in first class. I want everybody to hear that, so everyone rushes out the door to find out how they can get bathrooms into first class suites. Look, we’ve got a lot of things going on, Richard. It’s like every product, if you leave it, it gets stale, and its cycle will bite you in the backside at one point or the other.”

Currently, the only “private” bathroom that exists in commercial aviation is in Etihad’s A380 The Residence, which is a product above first class. This is a private three room suite with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom with shower.

The only time we’ve otherwise seen something like this proposed is with Airbus’ A350 First Class Master Suite concept. This is something the European aircraft manufacturer has been floating, and the idea is that you get quite a spacious first class suite which could also feature an en-suite bathroom.

However, even with that concept, the idea is that not all first class suites have private bathrooms, but instead, the center suite is larger than the suites by the windows, with those special amenities.

Is Emirates really considering en-suite bathrooms?

Clark knows how to make headlines when it comes to the things he claims the company is working on, so what can be make of these claims? There’s the question of a product with an en-suite bathroom as such, and then there’s the question of when exactly in the product cycle this could be introduced, given Emirates’ fleet plans.

In theory, I don’t think it’s totally out of the question that Emirates could introduce something like the above “Master Suite” concept at some point. This could very well be inspired by something like The Residence, with the idea being that one first class suite is super special, is intended for couples, etc.

You’ll note that Clark doesn’t say that he’s working on en-suite bathrooms at all first class seats, but instead, just more generically in first class. If something like this were to happen, I imagine it would be one special suite with such an amenity.

That being said, my skepticism comes from realistically looking at the state of Emirates’ fleet:

• A new Emirates A380 first class suite is reportedly on the drawing board, as those planes are expected to fly into the 2040s; that being said, based on the width of the A380 upper deck plus overall size constraints, it would be hard to do something like that in an efficient way
• We know Emirates is planning a huge fleet of Boeing 777Xs (if/when those planes are certified), and those are expected to feature the “Game Changer” first class that’s found on nine Boeing 777-300ERs, perhaps with some updates

There’s a certain irony to Clark talking about how products get “stale,” so if you don’t update them every so often, it will “bite you in the backside at one point or the other.” Keep in mind that Emirates introduced its new first class product in 2017, and so far, only nine planes have those seats. That’s an average of one plane per year getting the product.

And it’s not like Emirates couldn’t have installed this on more planes, as it’s otherwise retrofitting 777s, but isn’t adding those new first class seats. Why? Well, because Emirates can get away with the old product, so why reduce the cabin capacity by 25% while spending a lot on new seats?

So if Emirates does eventually go with this en-suite bathroom concept, I suspect it would similarly be a gimmick, with a few planes getting the product for the halo effect. That’s because it’s just not necessary competitively, Clark knows that, and he’s ultimately a guy trying to run a profitable airline.

Bottom line

Emirates President Tim Clark claims the airline is working on en-suite bathrooms in first class, which is something we’ve never seen before on a widespread basis. We’ll see if anything comes of this, as that would be a very costly addition.

While Emirates is a great airline, it’s hard to take any promises of new first class products too seriously, given that the airline has its new first class product on only nine aircraft after nine years, despite otherwise giving the planes tip-to-tail makeovers.

If Emirates does introduce en-suite bathrooms, I have to imagine it would come in the form of some “first class plus” product, where maybe one or two seats in the cabin would have this feature, rather than each seat getting a private bathroom.

What do you make of Clark’s bathroom talk?

Air Canada has 30 Airbus A321XLRs on order

Air Canada is acquiring 30 Airbus A321XLR aircraft — 15 of these planes are being purchased, while 15 are being leased. The first of these aircraft has just been delivered, and fittingly, it has the registration code C-GXLR.

For those not familiar with the A321XLR, this is the latest generation A321 aircraft. The aircraft was announced in 2019, and entered service in late 2024, with Iberia and Aer Lingus being the two launch customers. The long range aircraft has the ability to operate all kinds of long and thin routes where the economics might not make sense with larger aircraft.

For passengers, the plane is a mixed bag — narrow body planes just don’t have the same level of comfort as wide body planes, though it’s always nice to be able to fly nonstop, rather than connecting. Air Canada intends to use these planes both for flights within North America, as well as for transatlantic flights (I suspect the latter will be the biggest focus).

The A321XLR seems like an obvious fit for Air Canada. Previously the carrier’s smallest long haul aircraft was the Airbus A330, and that’s a pretty big aircraft, so there was a need for something smaller. Given Canada’s geography and Air Canada’s hubs, this plane will be useful for routes from eastern Canada to destinations across the Atlantic.

Here’s how Air Canada Chief Commercial Officer Mark Galardo describes this milestone:

“Air Canada is building one of the most modern and capable fleets in the industry. The Airbus A321XLR introduces a dynamic new component to Air Canada’s growth strategy, greatly expanding our flexibility to launch new international routes and improve our offering on existing markets. Equipped with a quieter, more comfortable cabin when compared to previous generation aircraft, this game-changing aircraft will shortly be deployed across the Atlantic from Montréal and Toronto, while also becoming a staple on key North American transcontinental markets. Supporting our fleet modernization, continued network growth, and an elevated onboard experience, the arrival of the Airbus A321XLR marks a transformative moment for Air Canada.”

Air Canada Airbus A321XLRs have 182 seats

All of Air Canada’s Airbus A321XLRs will feature a total of 182 seats, including 14 business class seats and 168 economy class seats. Air Canada recently revealed what passengers can expect onboard these aircraft. As you’d expect, the planes feature seat back entertainment, inflight Wi-Fi, and the signature Airbus interiors.

When it comes to the hard product, business class is based on the Collins Aerospace Aurora platform. That means seats are in a herringbone layout, facing the aisle. Business class has greatly updated tech, including 19″ 4K OLED monitors and bluetooth audio, along with AC, USB-C, and AC power outlets.

It’s quite interesting how Air Canada isn’t going for a particularly premium layout here. There are only 14 business class seats, and there’s not even a premium economy cabin, which is otherwise a standard on long haul planes nowadays.

I understand real estate is more limited on these small planes, though you’d think that in order to make the economics work, you’d need to focus on premium revenue. Or who knows, I guess airlines think they can get people to pay a premium to fly in economy, for the convenience of traveling nonstop.

As a point of comparison, the A321XLRs of American and United each feature 20 business class seats and 12 premium economy seats, so that’s quite a different approach.

Air Canada’s initial Airbus A321XLR routes

In recent months, Air Canada has revealed a variety of routes that will be operated by the Airbus A321XLR in both the summer and winter season.

Out of Montreal (YUL), the airline has revealed plans to fly the A321XLR to Berlin (BER), Calgary (YYC), Los Angeles (LAX), Lyon (LYS), Nantes (NTE), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Porto (OPO), Toulouse (TLS), and Vancouver (YVR). Meanwhile out of Toronto (YYZ), the first long haul route will be to London (LHR).

I’d expect this to change over time, but it’s impressive to see just how many routes the airline plans to fly with the jet in a fairly short period. As time goes on, we can also expect Air Canada to add A321XLR routes from Ottawa (YOW) and Halifax (YHZ) as well.

Bottom line

In early 2022, Air Canada placed an order for Airbus A321XLR aircraft. This is a natural fit for Air Canada’s fleet, given that this plane will allow the airline to operate all kinds of long and thin transatlantic routes from its hubs in the east.

The first of 30 of these planes has just been delivered, and should enter service soon. All A321XLRs will be configured with 182 seats, including 14 fully flat business class seats and 168 economy class seats. Perhaps the only surprise here is just how dense the cabin will be, including fairly few business class seats and no premium economy seats.

What do you make of Air Canada’s A321XLR plans?

The common wisdom has been that the reason that United hasn’t made a bid for JetBlue is due to concerns over regulatory approval. The two airlines launched a partnership last year, and it seemed like a “foot in the door” approach to closer cooperation.

Many airline executives believe that we’re going to see more industry consolidation soon, likely before the midterms. JetBlue is even reportedly actively looking at merger possibilities. However, in light of developments in recent days, I’d argue that this very moment is the ideal time for such a deal to be announced, in terms of maximizing odds of regulatory approval without too many concessions. Let me explain.

United’s strong case for acquiring JetBlue right now

The government is reportedly nearing a deal to essentially acquire Spirit Airlines (to give them a loan, which will likely result in the government owning around 90% of the airline). This is President Trump’s idea, and it’s completely nonsensical, if you ask me. Officially, one of Trump’s major motives seems to be to avoid Spirit’s 14,000 employees losing their jobs, since the optics of that aren’t good.

Much like Spirit, JetBlue hasn’t turned a profit since before the pandemic. While the airline isn’t in as dire of a situation as Spirit, the company is slowly heading in the direction of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That would almost certainly result in a downsizing of some sort, and likely job losses.

If you ask me, the pieces are really coming together here for a deal:

• United CEO Scott Kirby has spent the entirety of Trump’s second term sucking up to him, saying nothing but positive things about his leadership
• JetBlue executives should essentially argue that they can no longer compete in today’s market given how the industry has evolved, which is an argument that Spirit executives should’ve better made when the DOJ was suing to block the merger
• Kirby will frame this as a patriotic thing that helps Trump, as he’s going to protect those jobs, and ensure the United States’ “flag carrier” can continue to grow, continuing with his airline “trade deficit” narrative; keep in mind Trump is trying to blame Spirit’s failure on Biden, and how Biden’s DOJ blocked JetBlue’s takeover of the airline
• The current jet fuel situation obviously exacerbates JetBlue’s challenges, and Trump doesn’t want the optics of more airlines going bankrupt or liquidating under his watch, but instead Trump gets a “big deal,” which he loves
• We know Trump wants to buy Spirit and then resell it, so maybe United then even steps in and buys Spirit, building a mega hub in Fort Lauderdale (FLL), as we know a Florida hub has been of interest to United

I can’t imagine a more perfect storm of circumstances that would maximize the odds of this deal getting approved with minimal concessions.

Why I think a merger could be worth it, even with JetBlue’s debt

JetBlue has close to $8 billion in debt, so obviously that’s a major concern for any airline that will potentially acquire it. That being said, that amount of debt is nothing new, and despite that, Kirby has been very vocal about his interest in a possible deal with the airline.

The argument that “oh, just let JetBlue file for bankruptcy, and then other airlines can pick up the assets” doesn’t make sense, because JetBlue would be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, rather than Chapter 7 liquidation. JetBlue’s assets wouldn’t suddenly become available. The airline might shrink and lay off people, but that’s different than going out of business.

But keep in mind that Kirby keeps talking about he wants United to essentially be the “national carrier” of the US, to be globally competitive. What JetBlue can bring to the table for United is unlocking three potentially lucrative markets (particularly with lots of credit card revenue):

• This would give United a huge presence in Boston (BOS), and allow the airline to overtake American, and go head-to-head against Delta
• We know United is interested in a Florida hub, and if United could get gates in Fort Lauderdale from both JetBlue and (possibly) Spirit, it could become a real competitor to American in South Florida (and you know what joy that would bring Kirby)
• And of course the holy grail for United is New York (JFK), which United is desperate to return to, as the airline doesn’t fly there; the biggest competitive question comes down to the extent to which regulators consider JFK and Newark (EWR) to be separate markets

Times have changed. It’s not like 2010, where the main strategic consideration with hubs was how far apart they were geographically. Now it’s also about markets with a lot of potential credit card spending, even if they’re geographically close to other hubs.

I also do actually think this deal would be in the best interest of the public, in terms of actually increasing competition. JFK is an incredibly valuable hub to have, but its value is largely lost on an airline like JetBlue, which primarily operates domestic flights. People don’t want to fly to Florida from JFK, they want to fly from New York LaGuardia (LGA). So JetBlue has a super valuable hub for a global airline like United, it’s just not utilizing it in a way that’s useful.

Anyway, I have no clue if a deal will or won’t happen. I do feel that if a deal were to happen, this very moment would be the ideal time. If nothing happens, then I think it’s safe to say that Kirby has either been bluffing all along, or has had a change of heart.

Bottom line

I don’t know if a deal will happen or not, but I couldn’t imagine a more perfect storm of circumstances when it comes to maximizing the odds of potential approval for United acquiring JetBlue. We’re at the point where the federal government is seriously considering buying Spirit, just to avoid layoffs.

If United CEO Scott Kirby really wants to buy JetBlue, logically I’d expect we’ll see something very soon. If we don’t see something, I suspect he had a change of heart or was just bluffing.

Is my theory totally off base, or where do you stand on this?

However, that’s not the only change happening as of that date. World of Hyatt has also just revealed hotel category adjustments for 2026, impacting which hotels are in which categories (and in turn, impacting how many points are required for free night redemptions). This is something that Hyatt does annually, and it’s separate from the overall award chart changes.

I’d like to go over the details of this year’s changes, which admittedly pale in comparison to the other change happening as of that date, which is the huge new variance in award pricing.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the total number of properties changing categories isn’t as bad as in some past years. The bad news is that the percentage of properties increasing in category (rather than decreasing) is high.

136 Hyatt hotels changing categories on May 20

World of Hyatt’s 2026 hotel category changes will be kicking in for bookings made as of 8AM CT on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

As of that date, 136 hotels will be changing categories, with 112 hotels shifting to a higher category and 24 hotels shifting to a lower category. You can find a full list of hotels changing categories here.

In terms of booking logistics:

• All reservations made prior to May 20 will follow the current award chart, even if you stay on a subsequent date
• Members who have stays booked at hotels that go down a category will receive an automatic one-time refund of the points difference; these points will be returned starting May 20
• Any adjustments made to bookings after the changes go into effect will follow the new pricing

Let me again emphasize that there’s a bit of a double penalization here, potentially. On May 20 we’re seeing some hotels shift categories, and we’re also seeing a larger overhaul of Hyatt’s award pricing.

Some notable Hyatts changing categories in 2026

As mentioned above, we’re seeing 136 hotels shifting categories, with 112 hotels shifting to a higher category and 24 hotels shifting to a lower category. That’s rough, as 82% of hotels changing category are getting more expensive, while only 18% are getting less expensive.

On the plus side, at least the total volume of hotels changing categories isn’t as extreme as in some recent years. While you’ll want to take a look at the full list of properties for yourself, let me share what I consider to be some notable category changes.

Here are some of the World of Hyatt category increases that stand out most to me:

• Andaz 5th Avenue New York goes from Category 7 to Category 8
• Hotel du Louvre Paris goes from Category 7 to Category 8
• Hyatt Regency Aruba goes from Category 7 to Category 8
• Park Hyatt London River Thames goes from Category 7 to Category 8
• Alila Mayakoba goes from Category 6 to Category 7
• The Beekman New York goes from Category 6 to Category 7
• Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe goes from Category 5 to Category 6
• Hotel Figueroa Los Angeles goes from Category 4 to Category 5
• Hyatt Regency Coral Gables goes from Category 4 to Category 5
• Hyatt Regency Grand Cyprus Orlando goes from Category 4 to Category 5
• Hyatt Regency Jersey City goes from Category 4 to Category 5
• Hyatt Regency Seattle goes from Category 4 to Category 5
• Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi goes from Category 3 to Category 4
• Grand Hyatt Athens goes from Category 3 to Category 4

Here are some of the World of Hyatt category decreases that stand out most to me:

• Park Hyatt Sanya goes from Category 7 to Category 6
• Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica goes from Category 6 to Category 5
• Andaz Macau goes from Category 5 to Category 4
• Dream Nashville goes from Category 5 to Category 4
• The Standard Singapore goes from Category 5 to Category 4
• Hyatt Centric Playa Del Carmen goes from Category 4 to Category 3

The thing that stands out to me most is the number of new Category 8 properties, due to the increases. Andaz 5th Avenue, Hotel du Louvre, Hyatt Regency Aruba, and Park Hyatt London? These really aren’t “flagship” properties that should be in the highest categories, if you ask me. The Park Hyatt Paris and Hotel du Louvre will really not be in the same category?!?

The economics of World of Hyatt awards

If you want to make sense of these hotel category changes, it’s worth understanding how the economics of hotel loyalty programs work. Keep in mind that most Hyatt hotels are independently owned, so Hyatt’s loyalty program has to compensate individual hotels for each redemption. As a general rule of thumb, here’s how it works:

• When the hotel isn’t full, the loyalty program compensates the hotel at some reimbursement rate that’s slightly above the marginal cost of servicing a room, etc.
• When the hotel is full (think 90-95%+ occupancy), the loyalty program compensates the hotel close to the average daily rate, in recognition of the fact that the room may have otherwise been sold

For example, if a hotel has high rates but low occupancy, it might be in a disproportionately low category. Meanwhile if a hotel has lower rates but consistently high occupancy, it might be in a disproportionately high category. It’s all about World of Hyatt’s redemption costs.

In recent years, we’ve seen a huge increase in the average cash rates at hotels, especially for luxury, leisure oriented properties. So it’s not surprising to see points redemption rates increase as well, reflecting that trend.

Bottom line

World of Hyatt has revealed its hotel category changes for 2026. As of May 20, 2026, we’re going to see 136 properties shift categories, with 82% of those properties going up in cost, and 18% going down in cost.

The annual category changes we see from World of Hyatt is ultimately the equivalent of a soft devaluation. Then again, the cash cost of many of these properties are increasing as well, so it’s really only a devaluation compared to previous points redemption rates, rather than compared to cash rates.

The much bigger devaluation is World of Hyatt moving from a three tier award chart to a five tier award chart, which will no doubt lead to a lot of awards getting a lot more expensive.

What do you make of these World of Hyatt changes?

World of Hyatt has announced some major changes to award pricing. While the program is maintaining published award charts, these changes have the potential to be pretty brutal, especially as time goes on. Separately, I’ve covered a couple of minor positive program updates, related to points sharing and early access to awards.

World of Hyatt hugely increases award pricing

World of Hyatt has announced plans to introduce new award charts for stays booked as of May 20, 2026. This is the first time that Hyatt is updating its award chart in around five years, since 2021.

With these changes, World of Hyatt is keeping the same number of award categories that there are now. Instead, what’s changing is that we’re going from three to five redemption levels within each tier:

• Currently, each hotel has off-peak, standard, and peak pricing
• Under the new system, each hotel will have lowest, low, moderate, upper, and top pricing

To rip the band-aid off, below is what the new award chart looks like for standard room redemptions, compared to the old award chart.

As you can see, the idea is that off-peak, standard, and peak pricing under the old award chart, corresponds somewhat closely to lowest, low, and moderate pricing under the new award chart. For example, comparing redemption costs per night for standard rooms:

• Category 1 properties will go from costing 3,500-6,500 points, to costing 3,000-9,000 points (14% decrease to 38% increase)
• Category 2 properties will go from costing 6,500-9,500 points, to costing 6,000-15,000 points (8% decrease to 58% increase)
• Category 3 properties will go from costing 9,000-15,000 points, to costing 8,000-20,000 points (11% decrease to 33% increase)
• Category 4 properties will go from costing 12,000-18,000 points, to costing 12,000-25,000 points (up to 39% increase)
• Category 5 properties will go from costing 17,000-23,000 points, to costing 15,000-35,000 points (up to 52% increase)
• Category 6 properties will go from costing 21,000-29,000 points, to costing 20,000-40,000 points (up to 38% increase)
• Category 7 properties will go from costing 25,000-35,000 points, to costing 25,000-55,000 points (up to 57% increase)
• Category 8 properties will go from costing 35,000-45,000 points, to costing 35,000-75,000 points (up to 67% increase)

Note that all award charts are changing, including those for suite and club redemptions, as well as the award charts for Miraval, all-inclusive properties, and more.

Free night awards (including Category 1-4 and Category 1-7 certificates) will continue to be valid for stays at properties within each tier regardless of the pricing level, as long as a standard room is available.

Hyatt notes how it will continue to have annual hotel category shifts in the future, as it does now, with yearly changes announced in April. However, over time, expanded redemption levels are intended to reduce the need for larger category shifts.

How will World of Hyatt’s expanded five tier pricing be used?

It goes without saying that these changes have the potential to be massive. On the very low end, we’re seeing some award costs go down by 8-14%, while across categories, we’re seeing some award costs go up by 33-67%. The devil is in the details here, of course, and what really matters is how pricing will be split up between the five tiers. So let’s talk about that a bit.

In this announcement, World of Hyatt is emphasizing how it plans to continue having published award charts, which “reinforces its commitment to transparency, predictability and lasting member trust.” For some background, here’s how Hyatt describes the logic for these award pricing changes:

This update enables more precise alignment at the hotel level within clearly defined category caps, and the added levels allow the program to manage peak demand more precisely by reducing the need for broad increases or major category shifts in the future. While the updated framework takes effect in May, World of Hyatt will implement the changes thoughtfully, with limited hotels moving a limited number of nights into the Upper and Top categories in 2026 and broader adoption in the years that follow.

After five years without a meaningful structural update, this evolution reinforces long-term stability and protects the integrity of the program rather than fundamentally changing it. This adjustment allows the program to grow into the updated chart for years to come.

What should we expect from the pricing tiers in practice? Based on a briefing with Hyatt executives, here are a few points that were clarified:

• There will be no limit on how many nights per year will go into each of the five pricing tiers for a particular property, so there’s no assurance that the “top” pricing will only be used for X nights per year
• Hyatt’s assurance is simply that executives at the program understand the extent to which good value redemptions are something that members value, so they’ll keep that in mind as they design the program and price awards, and “maintain the trajectory of the value of points”
• Hyatt executives note how this new pricing system could cause some hotels to ultimately move to lower categories over time; the idea is that some college town limited service properties may have previously been in a disproportionately high tier due to very high demand during limited periods, while the new five tier structure allows that to be addressed more efficiently
• Hyatt states that this is an “award chart [they] will live in and grow into in the years to come” without making further changes, and pricing in the “upper” and “top” tiers will be gradual, with a limited number of properties and dates moving up initially

My take on how bad these World of Hyatt changes are

World of Hyatt is a program that offers great value, and in particular, I appreciate how it’s the only major hotel loyalty program where you can efficiently earn points through transferable points currencies. As competitors have fully moved to dynamic award pricing and have eliminated award charts, I appreciate Hyatt’s continued commitment to keeping award charts.

As I view it, there’s the question of what award pricing will look like come May 20, and then maybe what award pricing looks like a few years down the road. I think the most telling thing here is Hyatt’s plan to “grow into” the new award chart.

The idea is that initially only a limited number of dates and properties will have pricing in the “upper” and “top” tier, which is really where pricing gets brutal. But several years down the road, I imagine that a majority of nights at a majority of properties will fall into the upper part of the award chart, rather than the lower part of the award chart. As a matter of fact, I imagine that the next time we’ll see a new award chart is when there’s not much room left in this new award chart to move to higher pricing bands.

But look, no matter how you slice it, these changes are brutal. Even if you just compare the current “standard” pricing to the future “moderate” pricing (which seems like the most apples-to-apples comparison, based on the information we have so far), it’s really rough. Category 4 goes from 15,000 to 20,000 points per night, while Category 8 goes from 40,000 to 55,000 points per night.

I can’t say I’m surprised to see these changes, given what we’ve seen at competitors. But still, that doesn’t mean we’re going to be happy about them. And while I appreciate the idea of still having an award chart, that definitely provides a lot less certainty than in the past, when the same category of hotel can cost 3,000 or 9,000 points per night.

Bottom line

As of May 20, 2026, World of Hyatt is introducing new award pricing. While the program will maintain an award chart with eight categories of hotels, we’ll see a move from three pricing bands to five pricing bands within each tier. Unfortunately on the high end, the increase in award costs is massive, and members will be paying up to 67% more points than before.

In the coming weeks we’ll learn just how bad these increases are at first — Hyatt is promising that the use of the higher tiers will initially be limited, but I guess we’ll see how this all plays out.

What do you make of these World of Hyatt changes?

In early April 2026, we learned how two major airline groups had submitted non-binding offers to invest in TAP. We now know that this is moving forward, as both airlines are being invited to make binding offers, so let’s cover all the details.

TAP Air Portugal privatization effort underway

Portugal’s government is currently working on an effort to privatize TAP Air Portugal, with the goal of selling a 44.9% stake, with the possibility to give up a majority stake over time. As part of this, employees would also be offered a 5% stake in the company (meaning that the government would own 50.1% of the company).

Last summer, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated that he’s “convinced that there will be many interested parties.” For years there has been talk of privatizing TAP, so this is only the latest such effort, and it’s anyone’s guess how this plays out.

The last round of privatization efforts stalled in early 2025, when the country’s center-right minority government collapsed. The coalition returned to power after a May 2025 election, but didn’t have a majority in parliament, potentially causing a sale to be blocked.

Historically, TAP hasn’t been a terribly profitable airline, but its performance has improved over time. In 2021, the airline reported a record €1.6 billion loss, following the coronavirus pandemic. This caused a restructuring, which saw the government invest €3.2 billion in the company.

The airline has returned to profitability in recent years, though we’re talking about fairly mild profits. The company’s profits over the past four reported years (2022-2025) have been €65.6 million, €177.3 million, €53.7 million, and €4.1 million.

In looking for a partner in this privatization, the government obviously hopes for as many synergies as possible, to improve the company’s long term prospect of profitability.

Last summer, Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz stated that “we believe we can complete the privatization within a year,” emphasizing that even airlines from outside the European Union could express interest.

Air France-KLM & Lufthansa Group are in the running

While TAP Air Portugal isn’t independently some massively profitable airline, the company offers some significant synergies for other airline groups. Specifically, TAP has a strong network to Brazil, to Africa, and to the United States. This obviously holds significant strategic value for several airlines. For that matter, a large goal with acquisitions is simply to prevent competitors from getting in on the action instead.

We know that all three of the major European airline groups — Air France-KLM, IAG, and Lufthansa — had been interested in TAP Air Portugal at one point or another, primarily due to the carrier’s strength in Brazil, with the Africa network being a secondary strength.

The challenge is, it’s kind of hard to figure out how North America operations would complement the existing arrangements of airline groups. Obviously North America to Europe flying is heavily dominated by joint ventures (split by alliance, sort of), which have a lot of pricing power.

Historically, TAP has operated pretty independently to North America, often undercutting other carriers on price, with attractive fares in all cabins, including for one-way flights. Could we see TAP join one of the major joint ventures? Obviously it would totally change the carrier’s pricing model and market position.

Then there’s the whole issue of regulatory approval. Getting regulatory approval for such a deal will be no small task, given the number of parties that have to sign off on agreements like this, and the concessions required.

Several weeks ago, we learned how both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group submitted non-binding offers to invest in TAP. That makes sense, since both companies have a lot to gain from the airline in terms of their existing geography and networks.

Meanwhile IAG had shared that after “careful consideration,” it decided not to proceed with attempting to invest in TAP, instead focusing on growth opportunities within the existing group.

The government has now had time to review these offers, and both companies are advancing to the next round, as they’ve met the criteria. The expectation is that the two airline groups will now have 90 days to submit binding offers, and the government hopes to make a final decision on a deal in August or September 2026.

Obviously both airline groups are now trying to make their case for why they should be able to take over the airline. Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith CEO recently (smartly) made the argument that a deal with the company would be more likely to result in labor peace, and it’s also what pilots at TAP have come out in favor of, given the mess that is Lufthansa Group labor relations.

Bottom line

The government of Portugal is looking to privatize TAP Air Portugal, initially hoping to sell a 44.9% stake (with an additional 5% going to employees), but the government is open to giving up majority control over time. While the goal of privatization has been there for a long time, this is now closer to becoming a reality.

Both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group have expressed interest in a deal with TAP, and their non-binding offers were reportedly similar. Now the airlines have 90 days to submit binding offers, and then the government is expected to make a decision in August or September 2026. I’m rooting for Air France-KLM over Lufthansa Group here, but we’ll see how this plays out.

How do you see TAP’s privatization plans evolving?

Air Peace CEO says he often flies solo on Boeing 777

Allen Onyema is the CEO of Nigerian airline Air Peace, which has a questionable safety record (more on that in a bit). In a recent interview, Onyema talked about his rather unusual flying habits:

• Since Air Peace was founded in 2014, he has never flown on any other airline
• Even if he needs to go somewhere like Brazil or the Caribbean, he’ll take a Boeing 777 from his carrier’s fleet, which can carry up to 400 people, but he’ll travel alone
• He does this because he has “flight phobia,” but when he flies with Air Peace that fear disappears, and he doesn’t feel scared
• Before he founded Air Peace he dreaded flying, since five or so days before travel he’d start to get nervous, but that has gotten much better

What a perspective for an airline CEO to have!

Onyema is quite the character. We’ll ignore how he has been indicted in the United States for bank fraud, money laundering, and obstruction, as that’s besides the point.

But beyond that, this small airline has had more than its fair share of safety issues. As Sean M. points out above in his response to that story:

Remember that this is the same guy who in 2019, the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau found was “willfully failing to comply” with the Bureau’s regulations following “failure to report incidents that resulted in structural damage” and “intentional erasure of Cockpit Voice Recorders prior to reporting incidents”. It was further stated that he “lacks the full understanding of the statutory mandates”.

Heck, I’d have a phobia for flying after reading that report too

I understand that a fear of flying isn’t necessarily rational, and I don’t want to make fun of people with those kinds of phobias. However, “I need to fly a Boeing 777 all by myself because I’m scared of flying” gives very strong mega-church pastor prosperity gospel vibes.

Remember when Jesse Duplantis said he needed a new $50 million private jet because he’s famous, and when he flies commercial people come up to him and ask him to pray for them, which was “agitating his spirits?”

Bottom line

The CEO of Air Peace claims he has a fear of flying, but that only applies on other airlines. When he flies on Air Peace he feels safe (despite the carrier’s less than perfect safety record), so he likes to fly a Boeing 777 as the only passenger, no matter where he needs to travel to.

What do you make of the comments of Air Peace’s CEO?

Basics of Lufthansa’s employee uniform refresh

Every so often, we see airlines overhaul their employee uniforms, to reflect updated branding, and also to modernize. In the case of Lufthansa, employees at the airline have had the same uniforms since 2002. At this point they feel quite dated, though I’ve gotta say, there’s a certain charm to all of it.

Maybe this is the area where I’m a Lufthansa fanboy, but I grew up flying Lufthansa to Germany to visit family, and there’s something about flying with the airline that reminds me of my childhood… and that includes that nothing has changed with the uniforms since I was a pre-teen!

There’s something I find very calming about the below safety video… I’m not going to lie, I sometimes just play it in the background for… well, absolutely no good reason.

Anyway, the current uniforms won’t be around much longer, as Lufthansa is introducing a new look for all its employee groups, designed by Hugo Boss. The expectation is that these will be rolled out on a widespread basis starting in Q4 2026, and as Lufthansa describes it, the collection includes around 40 new and reimagined uniform pieces.

For quite some time now, Lufthansa has been testing the new uniforms for comfort, fit, and functionality, with a particular focus on the durability of the materials. It’s possible you’ve already seen some Lufthansa employees wearing these in recent months, given the testing that has gone on.

Employee uniforms aren’t just about looks, but they also have to be comfortable and functional. Over the years, we’ve seen airlines have a countless number of challenges when it comes to uniform rollouts, so airlines have become much more careful with this process over time.

Before we take a look at the new uniforms, below is what Lufthansa’s old employee uniforms look like, which will eventually be replaced.

Lufthansa’s new uniforms are sort of uninspiring

Lufthansa has now revealed its new uniforms, so I’ll let the pictures below mostly speak for themselves (at least employees look happier in the pictures than in the runway fashion show videos that were posted on Lufthansa’s Instagram).

This refresh strikes me as being rather underwhelming, unless the goal was “more of the same.” For a moment I struggled to figure out what actually changed, as this is a very subtle refresh of the old design. Now, maybe that’s not a bad thing, but it’s strange given how radically Lufthansa has updated its livery, but then the uniform remains largely the same.

As a reminder, in 2015 the airline went from its blue and yellow livery…

…to being just more focused on blue.

Am I the only one that thinks the new uniforms still look like a better match for the old livery than the new livery?

I was expecting fewer yellow accent pieces, and perhaps a lighter shade of blue, but that’s not what they decided on. I mean, I wasn’t expecting anything super modern or edgy, like at Aegean Airlines or Riyadh Air, since Lufthansa has a very diversified workforce. But still, this doesn’t strike me as a uniform of the future, if you will.

Here’s how Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter describes the new uniforms:

“Our new uniform is far more than just a piece of clothing; it is an expression of our identity and a promise to our guests worldwide. It is our business card and stands for quality, reliability, and the unmistakable style that our passengers experience on every journey with Lufthansa.”

​Meanwhile here’s how James Foster, SVP of Global Marketing at Hugo Boss, describes the uniforms:

“Working closely with Lufthansa, we have combined tailoring expertise with aviation know-how. The new looks represent quality, durability, and our shared commitment to excellence. We look forward to accompanying Lufthansa in the next chapter of its journey – both in the air and on the ground.”

Bottom line

Lufthansa is in the process of rolling out new employee uniforms, representing the first uniform refresh at the German Star Alliance carrier since 2002. The uniforms are designed in partnership with Hugo Boss, and the expectation is that they will be rolled out as of late 2026.

What do you make of Lufthansa’s new uniforms?

While Greece has long been a popular tourist destination, the country’s appeal keeps growing, with more people flocking there year after year. As you’d expect, this also means we’re seeing a lot of investments in new hotels and resorts.

In mid-2024, we learned about plans for a new luxury Hilton “compound” in Greece’s biggest city, and that has now officially opened.

Hilton opens new luxury hotel in Athens, Greece

Conrad Athens The Ilisian has opened as of April 2026. This takes over the space of the former Hilton Athens, which closed in 2022 for extensive renovations. This was kind of an iconic property, as it first opened in 1963, so it was in operation for nearly 60 years.

In this post I’ll be focused on the 278-key Conrad hotel that’s part of this development, though there are also residences that are both Conrad and Waldorf Astoria branded, which are located on the upper floors of the building.

This development represents an investment of around €340 million. It’s claimed that the overall economic impact of the development in the first five years will exceed €1.25 billion, and that it will be responsible for up to 800 direct jobs. Here’s how the design inspiration for the property is described:

Its name, THE ILISIAN, is inspired by the historic Ilisos River and the surrounding Ilisia neighborhood, expressing the timeless connection of the new destination with the city, the area of Ilisia and its residents. THE ILISIAN conveys the cosmopolitan character that forms an integral part of the building’s identity, while bringing to life experiences which are the essence of authentic and modern Athens. With respect for the city’s cultural identity, THE ILISIAN seeks to blend contemporary international trends with the city’s heritage, creating a meeting place for Athenians and visitors alike. 

Given the size of this complex, the property has several dining outlets. This includes Byzantino Grande Brasserie (with Greek & French cuisine), Athenian Lounge (the all-day lounge), Pool Restaurant & Bar (serving Italian food), and Onuki (offering a modern Japanese dining experience).

The hotel also has a full service spa, and one of the largest pools in Athens, so it looks like a pretty property.

As you’d expect for a property in Greece, rates vary throughout the year, with summer being peak season. That being said, rates don’t vary quite as much as I would’ve expected.

I generally see entry level rooms starting at €450-600 per night, give or take. If you’re booking a cash rate here, I’d recommend doing so through the Hilton for Luxury program, which offers extra perks when booking through select travel advisors, including breakfast, a hotel credit, an upgrade subject to availability, and more. Ford and his team can help with these requests, and can be reached at ford@fordbtravel.com.

For those looking to redeem Hilton Honors points, I generally see rates of 120,000 points per night. So based on my valuation of 0.5 cents per point, that’s not exactly a very exciting redemption, which is par for the course with Hilton nowadays.

This is a unique addition to the Athens hotel scene

Athens isn’t the final destination for most tourists visiting Greece, but it is a popular stopover point. Some people want to see the Acropolis, some people may be starting a cruise from Piraeus, or some people may want a little buffer before traveling to an island.

With that in mind, I think this is a useful addition to the Athens hotel scene, as there’s nothing quite like this. Looking at the current situation:

• The best points hotels in the city are arguably Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens and King George Athens, both of which belong to Marriott Luxury Collection; these have central locations, and the former is definitely better than the latter
• We have seen some cool boutique, independent properties pop up in the city, like The Dolli at Acropolis
• While not in Athens “proper,” the top hotels in the area are probably the Four Seasons Athens Astir Palace, and the One&Only Aesthesis Athens, but these are more resorts on the Athenian riviera, rather than an ideal destination if you want to sightsee

Beyond these options, just about all the major chains have properties in Athens, though the locations and facilities generally aren’t as good as the above.

With that in mind, I appreciate what the Conrad Athens brings to the market. Admittedly this is the furthest thing from a boutique property, but the intent is for it to be a destination in and of itself, with modern and luxurious rooms, several food and beverage outlets, and even shopping.

Bottom line

The Conrad Athens The Ilisian is now open, replacing the Hilton Athens, after a roughly four-year renovation. In addition to the Conrad hotel, there are also residences that are both Conrad and Waldorf Astoria branded.

While I can’t say I’d seek out this property as the final destination for a holiday, it’s definitely a property worth considering as a stopover point. It’s priced somewhere between properties like the Grand Hyatt and the two Marriott Luxury Collection properties, so I appreciate the new options.

What do you make of Athens’ new Conrad hotel?

This is more of a luxury hotel post than a points hotel post, so if that doesn’t interest you, by all means skip it. However, what’s probably my single favorite boutique hotel group in the world has just opened its first property outside of France, and I figure that’s worth covering.

Basics of the new 45-key Airelles Venice, Italy

Airelles Palladio Venice (Venezia) has opened as of April 2026, marking the newest property of the French luxury hotel group, and the first one outside of France.

The hotel has 45 accommodations, and is located on Venice’s Giudecca Island, just a five-minute boat ride from Piazza San Marco. The property is housed within the former Bauer Palladio complex, consisting of three restored buildings, a 16th century heritage church, and expansive gardens, with views of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.

The property has been designed by Christophe Tollemer, the same architect and interior designer behind Airelles’ other properties, so you can expect there will be a mix of French elegance with Venetian artistry.

When it comes to amenities, Airelles Venice has a strong food & beverage game, as you’d expect from the brand, given the importance it places on gastronomy. Dining options include abc kitchen, Matsuhisa, Villa Frollo, Cichetti Bar, and Palladio Bar.

The property also features a wellness center with a full service Guerlain Spa, three swimming pools, a gym, and a garden. This property sounds over the top, especially in a city where space comes at such a premium. Three pools?! Wow. As is standard for the brand, there’s also a kids club, a concept the hotel group is known for, when it comes to quality.

The pictures of the rooms look exactly like what you’d expect from Airelles. They’re a blast from the past, and even with the hotel having just opened, I imagine they won’t feel “new,” in a good way.

This should be an incredible property, probably the best in Venice. However, admittedly I’m less excited about this property than I would be if it were somewhere else. Venice already has an endless number of amazing luxury properties. Best of all, many of them are even bookable with points, like Gritti Palace Venice and St. Regis Venice.

Airelles’ other properties are largely in places where there are no good points properties. I will say this, though — in terms of the “vibe” of Airelles, Venice seems like an excellent fit. I think you can tell based on the above pictures, where you can see how Airelles is restoring the property in a way that really brings out the best of it.

Airelles Venice room rates & how to book

With Airelles Venice now open, what are rates like? As you’d expect, there’s quite a bit of seasonal variation. As it currently stands, I see rates starting at €1,200 per night in the low season, and going as high as €2,500 per night in the high season. Fortunately Airelles’ website has a useful calendar function that at least makes it easy to compare rates.

All rates at Airelles Venice include breakfast, a complimentary minibar, luggage packing and unpacking services, laundry service (up to 10 items per day), non-alcoholic drinks by the pool, access to the Airelles Spa by Guerlain, roundtrip boat shuttle service between the hotel and St. Mark’s Square, access to the Airelles Kids Club, and more.

Airelles generally has rate parity between booking channels, so you’ll typically pay the same rate regardless of which source you book through. I’d recommend using a Virtuoso travel advisor, so that you can take advantage of extra benefits while not paying anything extra. Those benefits include things like a room upgrade subject to availability, a property credit, and more. Ford and his team are happy to help, and can be reached at ford@fordbtravel.com.

Why Airelles is such a great hotel group

There’s no denying that we’ve seen a huge increase in luxury hotel costs since the start of the pandemic, so it’s hard to assess value in travel nowadays. But I’d argue what’s so frustrating about luxury hotel rates is how many properties are charging a lot more while offering a lot less.

While Airelles properties are expensive, one thing is for sure — they invest massively in the guest experience, and while you might spend a lot, you’re going to have an amazing time.

My first stay with the brand was at Airelles Courchevel, which is my favorite ski resort in the world, and perhaps my favorite hotel in the world, period. It’s simply an incredible ski resort, with phenomenal restaurants, impeccable service, a Rolls Royce house car, and more.

Airelles La Bastide de Gordes is a special resort in Provence, and quite honestly, feels like it’s out of a fairytale.

I’ve also stayed at Airelles Saint-Tropez Chateau de la Messardiere. While we had some service issues there, this is a stunning, sprawling property, and I’d return in a heartbeat (this is where The White Lotus is currently being filmed).

Then there’s Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, which offers unrivaled access to the Palace of Versailles. This property is unlike any other I’ve stayed at, and it’s almost like a hybrid between a hotel stay and a history safari.

My point is simply to say that if you appreciate French hospitality, are willing to spend a lot, and also expect a lot, then Airelles is for you.

Bottom line

Airelles has just opened its first hotel outside of France, in the form of Airelles Palladio Venice. This looks like a beautiful property that will no doubt rank among the best in the city. I’m excited to see the Airelles brand growing, though I do kind of wish that expansion came in a market where there was less luxury competition, and therefore where the Airelles experience would stand out even more.

What do you make of the new Airelles Palladio Venice?

Spirit Airlines is days from running out of cash, liquidating

We’ve known that Spirit Airlines is on the verge of liquidation, as the carrier is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in a couple of years. While the massive increase in the cost of jet fuel has no doubt made things tougher, the reality is that Spirit didn’t have a viable business model even before that, and hasn’t turned a profit in seven years.

In a bankruptcy court hearing today (Thursday, April 23, 2026), a lawyer for the ultra low cost carrier indicated that the company’s current cash will run out in the coming days, if the airline doesn’t get more funding. As the lawyer explained:

“The cash actually available to Spirit to fund ongoing operations is not going to last for very much longer. So either new financing, either or both of new financing or access to almost $240 million of restricted cash, is absolutely essential. Round about, no later than the end of next week.”

This is more or less what we were expecting and what we had heard. Quite honestly, with everyone knowing that Spirit is on the verge of liquidation, I have to imagine this makes the cashflow situation even worse, since no one in their right mind would be booking a ticket on Spirit at the moment, given all the uncertainty.

Trump seems increasingly onboard with buying Spirit Airlines

Several days ago, we learned how Spirit Airlines had floated the idea of a government bailout in exchange for equity, which is a completely absurd idea… except for the fact that President Trump seems fully onboard with it? Yesterday we learned how Trump is seriously considering a bailout of up to $500 million for the airline, which could get the government up to a 90% stake in the carrier.

Trump doubled down on that plan today, saying:

“I think we just buy it. We’d be getting it virtually debt-free. They have some good aircraft, good assets — and when the price of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit. I’d love to be able to save those jobs… I like having a lot of airlines so it’s competitive.”

Trump talking out of his you-know-what is nothing new, but this is misguided on every level:

• Spirit has some “good aircraft” — a bunch of used A320/A321s are “good aircraft” that are somehow worth saving? And these are mostly leased, as at this point Spirit owns very few aircraft
• Spirit has some “good assets” — like what?
• Trump wants to sell Spirit for a profit, but Spirit doesn’t have anything that anyone else wants, or else they would’ve already bought the airline
• I’m all for saving jobs, but the issue is that there’s no viable business model here

I just can’t wrap my head around the logic of any of this, and this is going to be such a mess. I hate to see people lose their jobs, of course, but there’s only so much money you can pour into an airline before it’s time to give up.

Again, it’s one thing if Spirit’s issues were simply related to the current jet fuel crisis. However, Spirit hasn’t been profitable in seven years, has the industry’s worst margins, and even before the current situation, there was almost no upside.

It amazes me the mental gymnastics some people are using to justify this as anything other than absurd. “Oh, but Amtrak is also government subsidized.” Right, it’s the only national rail service. That’s a little different than the airline industry, where there’s quite a bit of competition.

Can we expect that other money losing airlines will also be government owned? Frontier, JetBlue, etc.? Or why is Spirit special? Just because it’s based in Florida, not far from Mar-a-Lago?

Before anyone accuses me of this being politically motivated and anti-Trump, let me be very clear — I think it was dumb of the Biden administration to block JetBlue’s takeover of Spirit. That’s something I consistently said, and was very vocal about. Now, in retrospect that was probably a good thing for JetBlue, but it doesn’t change the current reality of the situation that Spirit is in, and how the market has evolved.

Bottom line

One of Spirit Airlines’ lawyers reports that the company is just days from running out of cash and potentially liquidating, which isn’t much of a surprise. At the same time, Trump is doubling down on the concept of having the government bail out the airline, which could see the government take control of 90% of the airline.

Trump claims that Spirit has “good aircraft” and “good assets,” and he’d “love to be able to save those jobs.” While I agree it’s a shame if jobs are lost, the reality is that Spirit will likely just continue to lose money, so this is an absolute money pit.

What do you make of this whole Spirit situation?

Lufthansa overhauls short & medium haul fare structure

For tickets booked as of April 28, 2026, and for travel as of May 19, 2026, Lufthansa Group is expanding its fare portfolio for short and medium haul flights.

As part of this, we’re seeing the introduction of a new entry-level fare, marketed as Economy Basic, which will gradually be introduced on select routes, and will apply across Lufthansa Group airlines (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines, and Air Dolomiti).

The key difference with the new Economy Basic fare is that it doesn’t include a full size carry-on bag. Instead, it just includes one personal item, such as a laptop bag or small backpack, and those who wish to bring more luggage can add carry-on or checked baggage as an add-on service, or choose another fare.

The new Economy Basic fare is separate from the Economy Light fare, which was previously Lufthansa’s cheapest economy fare. What are the differences between the fares? The Economy Basic fares don’t include a carry-on and are non-refundable and non-rebookable, while the Economy Light fares include a full size carry-on, and while they’re non-refundable, they can be rebooked for a fee of €100. Below you can see a comparison of the fares.

Lufthansa markets how in the future, travelers “will have four clearly differentiated fare options in Economy Class and three in Business Class” (which isn’t quite accurate, as there are actually five, if you include the Economy Comfort Green fares). Almost as much choice as we get in Lufthansa Allegris, how lovely!

Of course Lufthansa is marketing this as a positive, and something customers should look forward to. “The enhanced fare structure thus enables a clear, transparent selection tailored to individual needs.”

My take on Lufthansa Group’s economy fare overhaul

To Lufthansa Group’s credit, the airline group isn’t the first of the “big three” European airline groups to introduce some sort of fare without a full size carry-on allowance (as KLM already has this on some fares). However, it is the first airline group to roll this out on a widespread basis, across member airlines.

I find it a little problematic how “full service” airlines in Europe often charge such high fares while offering very little. What’s really the difference between EasyJet and one of the network carriers in Europe, in terms of passenger experience? Often not a whole lot.

So what’s my issue with this change? First, Lufthansa Group is just a master at gaslighting customers, framing every negative change as a positive. In 2021, when Lufthansa introduced a buy on board concept in economy, and eliminated free food & drinks, the airline claimed that was due to “customer feedback.” Right. This is a fare increase, plain and simple intended to get people to buy up to higher fares.

Second, Lufthansa just has such an issue with complexity. Having Economy Basic and Economy Light fares sure seems like it’s going to confuse some customers. Might as well add some Economy Diet and Economy Zero fares into the mix, just to create even more confusion.

Third, it just seems like there’s such little good news at Lufthansa Group nowadays. Like, last week flagship airline Lufthansa was grounded for five consecutive days due to back-to-back-to-back strikes, and this week the airline announces it’s eliminating carry-on bags on the cheapest economy fares, for those lucky enough to be on a Lufthansa flight that’s actually operating. 😉

Bottom line

Lufthansa Group is overhauling its short and medium haul fare structure, with the introduction of new Economy Basic fares, which don’t include a carry-on bag, and can’t by changed. Lufthansa will now have four to five types of economy fares to choose from, and the airline highlights how great it is that customers will have so much choice.

Something tells me that most customers won’t be quite as excited about this as Lufthansa is…

What do you make of Lufthansa’s short haul economy fare overhaul?

Marriott’s promotion on purchasing Bonvoy points

Between April 23 and June 23, 2026, Marriott Bonvoy is offering a promotion on purchased points. This is being marketed as a mystery promotion, so different members may be eligible for different offers. The accounts I manage all show a discount of up to 30%, while other accounts show a bonus of up to 40%. This kicks in as long as you purchase at least 2,000 points in one transaction.

You’ll want to log into your account to see if that’s what you’re eligible for, as you may have a different offer.

How much does it cost to buy Bonvoy points?

Ordinarily you can buy Bonvoy points for 1.25 cents each, before any discounts or bonuses. If you were eligible for the 30% discount and maximized the offer, you could receive a total of 150,000 Bonvoy points at a cost of $1,312.50, which comes out to 0.875 cents per point.

Meanwhile if you have an account that’s eligible for a 40% bonus, you’d receive a total of 210,000 points (including 150,000 bonus points) at a cost of $1,875, which comes out to 0.89 cents per point. This is in line with the offers we typically see from the program.

How many Bonvoy points can you buy?

Marriott Bonvoy ordinarily lets members buy up to 150,000 points per calendar year, before any bonuses.

Do note that Marriott Bonvoy lets you share up to 100,000 points per year with another member, which could be an opportunity to potentially acquire even more points.

The terms suggest that it could take up to seven business days for purchased points to post. Furthermore, there are some eligibility restrictions to be aware of:

• A new member may purchase points 30 days after enrollment if they have some qualifying activity
• Without qualifying activity, a new member may purchase points only one year after enrollment

Which credit card should you buy Bonvoy points with?

Marriott points purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as a hotel purchase for the purposes of credit card spending.

I’d recommend using a card with which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending. When in doubt, review which credit cards are best for buying points and miles.

Is buying Bonvoy points worth it?

While I’m not particularly loyal to Marriott as such, there’s no denying that Marriott Bonvoy has some phenomenal hotels around the world. At a low acquisition cost, there are situations where you can get outsized value for your Bonvoy points, especially if you’re topping off an account for a redemption.

Nowadays Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, so there’s no longer an award chart that redemptions follow (though there is an unofficial award chart). However, there are still all kinds of properties where you can get a ton of value, especially for peak season redemptions, when cash rates would be especially high.

How many points do you need for a free night with Marriott?

In the past, Marriott Bonvoy had an award chart, and hotels cost anywhere from 5,000 to 100,000 points per night, not factoring in a fifth night free when redeeming for five nights.

Nowadays there are no longer maximum amounts that can be charged, though you will find that a vast majority of properties don’t charge more than what was previously in the pricing range. However, we have seen some devaluations over time at top properties, including the cap being increased.

Do Bonvoy points expire?

Bonvoy points don’t expire as long as you have at least some account activity once every 24 months. This could include any activity whereby you earn or redeem points.

How much are Bonvoy points worth?

Everyone will value points differently, but personally I value Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, and I tend to value points pretty conservatively. The purchase price is a bit higher than what I value the points, though like I said, there are ways to get much more value.

Does Marriott Bonvoy have blackout dates?

Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t have blackout dates on award nights, but the program does have capacity controls on a limited number of dates. While on most dates all standard rooms will be available for redemptions, on some dates hotels can limit the number of standard rooms that they make available using points.

How else can you earn Bonvoy points?

Aside from outright buying points or staying at a Marriott, the best way to earn Bonvoy points is with a co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit card. These cards offer big welcome bonuses and in some cases a decent return on spending.

Marriott Bonvoy is also transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, though I tend to think there are better ways to redeem those points, given the amount of flexibility they offer.

Bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy has just launched its second offer of the year on purchased points. It appears to me that the standard offer is for up to a 30% discount, which you can unlock as long a you purchase at least 2,000 points in one transaction. This is an opportunity to buy points for as little as 0.875 cents each. While I wouldn’t proactively pick up points without a specific use in mind, this has the potential to represent a good value.

Do you plan on purchasing Marriott points with a bonus?