Sunward SA 60L Aurora crashes into Beijing’s CITIC Tower

Shortly before 6PM on Friday, June 26, 2026, a small two-seater Sunward SA 60L Aurora crashed into Beijing’s CITIC Tower, located in the central business district. This is the city’s tallest building, with 109 floors, and rising to a height of 528 meters (1,732 feet). The plane impacted the building toward the top.

The plane that crashed into the building had the registration code B-12PP, and it took off from Beijing Shifosi Airport, a general aviation airport not far from the city. The plane seems to be owned by Shuangyue General Aviation, which appears to rent out planes for things like flight training, aerial photography, and tours.

Fortunately the damage to the building was limited, and it appears that only the glass panels on the floor that the plane crashed into were majorly damaged, while there isn’t believed to be any structural damage. The plane basically came apart on impact, and video footage shows the plane’s parts (including the entire tail section) falling to the ground. Man, what a terrible thing to see.

As you’d expect, the building and surrounding areas were evacuated following this incident. A small fire did break out on street level, where the tail section fell, but it was quickly contained.

Details remain limited beyond that, and it’ll likely stay that way

Not surprisingly, little is known so far about who the pilot of the aircraft was, the number of casualties (if any, beyond the pilot), etc.

I’d be surprised if we learn a lot more about this incident, given the extent to which China tries to control narratives. Just keep in mind that in March 2022 we saw a China Eastern Boeing 737 crash, and how that was handled. We know that both of the plane’s engines were shut off, and international authorities have suggested this was a pilot suicide.

However, China has refused to reveal the reason for the accident, arguing that “disclosure may endanger national security and social stability.” I have to imagine it could be a similar story here, especially since they don’t want any copycat incidents. Most discussion of this on popular Chinese social media sites has reportedly even been blocked.

Obviously this is horrifying to see, and it can’t help but make many people think back to 9/11, given the concept of a plane crashing into one of the most iconic towers in a city. Thank goodness that this was at least much less serious, in terms of fatalities beyond those of the people onboard. A small two-seater plane can’t do nearly as much damage as a commercial aircraft.

Bottom line

A small plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest tower on Friday evening, making for some ghastly visuals. While the plane shattered some glass panels, it otherwise didn’t do major damage to the building, and instead, just fell to the ground in pieces.

I think it’s safe to assume this was a deliberate act, and I’d be shocked if we learn significantly more official details about what happened.

What do you make of this plane crash in Beijing?

In this post, I’d like to cover the basics of these cards, especially given the incredibly compelling welcome offers that are currently available. Why are the cards worth having, and how can you maximize your odds of getting approved when applying?

Link: Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, or Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Chase Ink business credit cards overview

Let’s start by covering the basics of Chase Ink & Sapphire business credit cards, including the welcome bonuses, the rewards structure, the perks, and more. As I view it, these cards are mostly complements rather than substitutes, given that only two of the cards have annual fees (at very different price points), and each card has its own strengths.

These cards also have consistently great welcome bonuses, so applying for multiple cards can be a great way to earn lots of points with a reasonable spending amount, which can fuel some great travel opportunities.

Note that in this post I won’t be covering the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (learn more). While this is a potentially useful card, it exclusively earns cash back, so it isn’t a travel rewards card, unlike the rest of the cards in the portfolio.

Ink Business Preferred Card basics

The Ink Business Preferred Card has a reasonable $95 annual fee, and there are so many reasons to pick up this card:

• It has a big welcome offer of 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first three months
• It has a generous rewards structure, as it offers 3x points on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per cardmember year
• It offers valuable perks, like cell phone protection, rental car protection, and extended warranty protection
• Having this card gives you full access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, including the ability to transfer points to travel partners (though World of Hyatt transfers with the card are only 4:3)

Read a full review of the Ink Business Preferred Card.

Ink Business Cash Card basics

The Ink Business Cash Card is a valuable no annual fee card, and has a compelling value proposition:

• It has a fantastic limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first four months
• It has a lucrative rewards structure, as it offers 5x points on office supply stores, internet, cable, and phones services, and 2x points on restaurants and gas stations, on up to $25,000 in combined purchases per cardmember year
• It offers valuable perks, like rental car protection and extended warranty protection
• The card only offers the ability to transfer points to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners in conjunction with another card

Read a full review of the Ink Business Cash Card.

Ink Business Unlimited Card basics

The Ink Business Unlimited Card is a useful no annual fee card, and there are several reasons you’d want to consider this card:

• It has a lucrative limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first four months
• It has a solid rewards structure, as it offers a flat 1.5x points on all business purchases, with no limits
• It offers valuable perks, like rental car protection and extended warranty protection
• The card only offers the ability to transfer points to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners in conjunction with another card

Read a full review of the Ink Business Unlimited Card.

Sapphire Reserve Business Card basics

While not part of the Ink portfolio, the Sapphire Reserve Business Card has a $795 annual fee, and it’s the most premium Chase business card. There are several reasons to consider the Sapphire Reserve Business Card:

• It has a massive limited time welcome bonus of 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 within the first six months
• It has a lucrative rewards structure, as it offers 8x points on Chase Travel℠ bookings, 4x points on direct airfare and hotel bookings, and 3x points on select advertising purchases
• It offers valuable lounge access, including Chase Sapphire Lounge access and a Priority Pass™ Select membership
• It offers a variety of credits that can help offset the annual fee, including up to $300 in annual travel credits, up to $500 in annual hotel credits, and more

Read a full review of the Sapphire Reserve Business Card.

Why the Ink Business Preferred stands out

In recent years we’ve seen business credit cards become more compelling than ever before, as credit card issuers increasingly try to create products that meet the needs of small business owners.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card continues to be one of the most rewarding business cards out there. There’s not another business card that offers a combination of a huge welcome bonus, generous return on spending, and useful perks, all while having such a low annual fee.

100,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points welcome offer

The Ink Business Preferred Card is offering a welcome bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months.

I value Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me, 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth ~$1,700. This is a great reward, and among the best welcome bonuses on any business credit card.

Valuable 3x points bonus categories

The Ink Business Preferred Card offers triple points in several useful categories that your business may spend quite a bit in, including:

• Travel
• Shipping purchases
• Internet, cable, and phone services
• Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines

You earn triple points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the above categories each account anniversary year (which means Chase isn’t using a January 1 through December 31 calendar, but rather it’s based on your account year).

Based on my valuation of points, that’s like earning a return of ~5.1% on spending in those categories, which is exceptional.

Cell phone protection benefit

With how expensive smartphones are nowadays, there’s a lot of value to having a credit card with cell phone protection, and that’s something that the Ink Business Preferred Card offers.

The Ink Preferred offers up to $1,000 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cell phone bill when you pay it with your Ink Preferred. You can have a maximum of three claims in a 12 month period, and there’s a $100 deductible per claim.

On top of that when you charge your cell phone bill to the Ink Preferred, you’ll be earning triple points on that purchase.

Rental car collision damage waiver coverage

The Ink Business Preferred Card offers primary collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage for rentals of most types of vehicles in most countries. This is one of the best credit card rental car coverage & insurance policies you’ll find.

There aren’t any countries that are specifically excluded from coverage through Chase cards, but the benefits guide does note that “coverage is not available where it is prohibited by law or by individual merchants, or is in violation of the territory terms of the rental agreement.” You’ll want to decline the rental car company’s collision or loss options.

You can confirm coverage for a particular trip by contacting the benefits team at 877-631-0919. Coverage is primary globally when renting for business purposes, while it’s primary internationally for personal rentals, and secondary in the United States for personal rentals.

When renting a car you’re also potentially earning triple points on your car rental by charging it to the Ink Preferred, since this qualifies as travel.

Comprehensive travel & purchase protection

In addition to the cell phone and car rental coverage, the Chase Ink Preferred offers other purchase and travel benefits, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Trip cancellation and interruption coverage, of up to $5,000 per covered traveler and $10,000 per trip
• Extended warranty protection, for up to a year on eligible purchases

You’ll want to read the cardmember agreement for exact terms, but this has the potential to be extremely valuable for purchases as well.

For example, I really like the trip delay coverage. If your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more, you can get up to $500 reimbursed for hotel accommodation, meals, and transportation. You just need to pay for the travel with your card, or with your Ultimate Rewards points.

Pool points with four no annual fee cards

While the Ink Business Preferred Card is valuable in and of itself, having it can make the points you earn on other cards more valuable as well. Chase has four fantastic no annual fee cards that can earn Ultimate Rewards points. I’m talking about the:

• Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The catch is that not all Ultimate Rewards points are created equal. By having the Ink Business Preferred, you can convert the points earned on the no annual fee cards (where one point is ordinarily worth a penny) into “premium” Ultimate Rewards points.

These can then be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners. Personally I value these points at ~1.7 cents each, so having the Ink Business Preferred makes other cards more valuable as well. That’s a major reason to have an Ultimate Rewards card with an annual fee.

Why the Ink Business Cash stands out

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is one of the all-around most lucrative no annual fee business credit cards out there. The card has no annual fee, an excellent welcome bonus, and a great rewards structure. In conjunction with other cards earning Ultimate Rewards points, this can be one of the most useful cards for a small business.

100,000 bonus points welcome offer

The Ink Business Cash has an excellent limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first four months.

You’ll see that the card is marketed as offering a bonus of $1,000 (rather than 100,000 points). That’s because on the surface this is a cash back card, meaning that the 100,000 points are worth $1,000 cash back. However, you can potentially convert these rewards into “full” Ultimate Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each, so to me that bonus is worth $1,700. Yes, on a no annual fee card. That’s very good.

No annual fee

The Ink Business Cash has no annual fee. Getting a no annual fee card that’s super rewarding is rare, especially when you consider the value of the welcome bonus.

Awesome 5x points bonus categories

The Ink Cash offers 5x points on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per account anniversary year at office supply stores, and on internet, cable, and phone services.

If nothing else, earning 5x points on your cell phone and cable bill is huge, in my opinion. However, I should note that some may prefer the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which offers 3x points on your cell phone bill, but also offers a great cell phone protection plan.

Even more 2x points bonus categories

On top of the 5x points categories, the Ink Cash offers 2x points on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per account anniversary year at restaurants and gas stations.

While these are categories that other cards also offer bonuses on, that’s pretty generous for a no annual fee card, and for many businesses it may be worth putting that spending on this card.

Business rental car coverage

The Ink Cash offers primary collision damage waiver coverage for rentals of most types of vehicles in most countries, except where it is prohibited by law, by individual merchants, or is in violation of the territory terms of the rental agreement. There aren’t many no annual fee cards offering rental car coverage, so I think that’s pretty remarkable.

Prior to renting, you should check with the benefits administrator (call the number on the back of your card) to verify your coverage. Keep in mind, you’re only eligible for coverage when renting for business purposes.

Travel & purchase protection benefits

In addition to rental car coverage, the Ink Cash offers other purchase and travel benefits, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Purchase protection for up to 120 days against damage or theft
• Extended warranty protection, for up to a year on eligible purchases

You’ll want to read the cardmember agreement for exact terms, but this has the potential to be extremely valuable for purchases as well.

Why the Ink Business Unlimited stands out

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is another one of the all-around most lucrative no annual fee business credit cards. The card has no annual fee, an excellent welcome bonus, and a great rewards structure.

100,000 bonus points welcome offer

The Ink Business Unlimited currently has a limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 points after spending $8,000 within four months of account opening. This is a great welcome offer, especially for a no annual fee card.

On the surface this is a cash back card, meaning that the 100,000 points are worth $1,000 cash back. However, you can potentially convert these rewards into “full” Ultimate Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each, so to me that bonus is worth up to $1,700.

No annual fee

The Ink Business Unlimited has no annual fee. Getting a no annual fee card that’s super rewarding is rare, especially when you consider the value of the welcome bonus. Not only does the card not have an annual fee for the primary cardmember, but you can also add authorized users at no extra cost.

1.5x points on everyday spending

The Ink Business Unlimited offers 1.5x points on all business purchases, with no limits. This is a straightforward rewards structure, so there’s no need to focus on bonus categories. If you use this card correctly, it’s the single best Chase business card for earning Ultimate Rewards points on everyday spending.

Note that while points on the card can ordinarily be redeemed for one cent each cash back (meaning that 1.5x points is really 1.5% cash back), in conjunction with other Chase cards, these can be converted into “full” Ultimate Rewards points. Since I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, to me the card offers a 2.55% return on everyday spending, which is excellent.

Business rental car coverage

The Ink Business Unlimited offers primary collision damage waiver coverage for rentals of most types of vehicles in most countries, except where it is prohibited by law, by individual merchants, or is in violation of the territory terms of the rental agreement. There aren’t many no annual fee cards offering rental car coverage, so I think that’s pretty remarkable.

Prior to renting, you should check with the benefits administrator (call the number on the back of your card) to verify your coverage. Keep in mind, you’re only eligible for coverage when renting for business purposes.

Travel & purchase protection benefits

In addition to rental car coverage, the Ink Business Unlimited offers other purchase and travel benefits, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Purchase protection for up to 120 days against damage or theft
• Extended warranty protection, for up to a year on eligible purchases

You’ll want to read the cardmember agreement for exact terms, but this has the potential to be extremely valuable for purchases as well.

Maximize the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards

The value of the points you earn with Chase Ink & Sapphire business credit cards varies based on which cards in the portfolio you have. Assuming you have the Sapphire Reserve Business or Ink Business Preferred Card, then all the points you earn on these cards could be converted into airline miles or hotel points, using one of the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners (one thing worth highlighting is that only the Chase Sapphire Reserve — both personal and business — offers 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt, while the Ink Preferred and Sapphire Preferred offer only a 4:3 transfer ratio).

If you don’t have either the Ink Business Preferred Card, Sapphire Reserve Business Card, Sapphire Reserve Card, or Sapphire Preferred Card, then points earned on the Ink Cash Card and Ink Unlimited Card can only be redeemed for a penny each, which isn’t nearly as good. The key to maximizing value is to build up a portfolio of Chase cards.

Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to over a dozen loyalty programs. There’s so much value to be had maximizing those programs, especially for redemptions at luxury hotels, and for premium cabin flights.

What makes Ultimate Rewards points even better is that you can also redeem them at an efficient rate toward a travel purchase through Chase Travel. You can redeem Ultimate Rewards points at a favorable rate toward travel purchases with the Points Boost through Chase Travel feature.

Chase Ink business card application tips

With the above out of the way, let’s talk about some of the logistics of applying for and being approved for Chase Ink & Sapphire business credit cards. The great thing is that you’re potentially eligible for the welcome bonuses on multiple of these cards.

Who is eligible for Chase business credit cards?

Eligibility for a small business credit card is easier than you might think. You don’t need to have a big company, and don’t even need to be incorporated. Even a small side business with limited business revenue makes you eligible for a business credit card, even if you’re just selling things on eBay, do some consulting on the side, have a rental property, or do freelancing, for example.

It goes without saying that you should always fill out credit card applications truthfully. I’ve written in the past about how to apply for Chase business cards as a sole proprietorship.

What are restrictions on applying for Chase business cards?

Chase’s general restrictions on applying for cards are as follows:

• There’s no hard limit on how many Chase credit cards you can be approved for, but rather there’s often a maximum amount of credit the bank is willing to extend you, in which case you may be asked to switch around your credit limits on some cards in order to facilitate an approval
• While you can typically be approved for up to two Chase cards in a 30 day period, that doesn’t usually work when both are business cards; you typically want to wait at least 30 days between business credit card applications to be on the safe side, though there are mixed reports (some people don’t have to wait that long, others have to wait longer)
• Chase has the 5/24 rule, whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months; however, note that this no longer seems to consistently be enforced
• Regarding the 5/24 rule, the good news is that when you’re approved for a Chase business credit card, that application shouldn’t count as a further card toward the 5/24 limit, given that it won’t show up on your personal credit report

Can you earn the bonuses on multiple Chase business cards?

When it comes to eligibility for the welcome bonuses on Chase Ink & Sapphire business credit cards:

• Each card has a “once in a lifetime” rule, meaning you’re generally only eligible for the bonus on each card once
• Each card is considered separately for the purposes of earning the bonus, with the exception of the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited, where you have to choose one card for earning the bonus
• In other words, you can apply for the Sapphire Reserve Business, Ink Preferred, and then either the Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited

How should you fill out Chase business card applications?

Those who already have business credit cards are probably familiar with the application process, but for those who aren’t, here’s what you need to know. It can be intimidating to apply for your first business credit card, though even if you’re a small business or sole proprietor, you should be eligible.

When applying for a Chase business credit card, you’ll be asked the following questions, in addition to the typical personal questions about your income, Social Security Number, etc.:

• Legal name of business
• Business mailing address & phone number
• Type of business
• Tax identification number
• Number of employees
• Annual business revenue/sales
• Years in business

If you’re a sole proprietor, how should you approach this? First of all, and most importantly, answer everything truthfully. I think the concern that a lot of people have is that they think they need an incorporated business, a separate office, etc., in order to be considered for a business card. That’s not the case:

• You can use your name as the legal name of your business
• The business mailing address and phone number can be the same as your personal address and phone number
• If you’re a sole proprietorship, you can select that as your type of business
• For the tax identification number, you can put your Social Security Number
• For number of employees, saying just one is perfectly fine
• For your annual business revenue, be honest about what it is
• For years in business, there’s no shame in saying that it’s new, that it has been one to two years, etc.

How hard is to get approved for a Chase business card?

When it comes to getting approved for business credit cards, Chase certainly isn’t the easiest issuer. In general I find American Express business cards to be easiest to be approved for. However, getting approved for Chase business cards isn’t as tough as some people assume, at least if you have excellent credit.

In my experience instant approvals on Chase business cards aren’t that common, so don’t be worried if the approval doesn’t come through right away. You’ll often get a pending decision response, and then eventually (hopefully) an approval.

Still, sometimes instant approvals do come through, and it’s always exciting when that happens. Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t.

How does the 5/24 rule impact Chase business credit cards?

Chase has what’s known as the 5/24 rule, whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months (however, there are increasingly reports that this is no longer enforced).

One exception is most business cards, including select cards issued by American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Capital One, Chase, and Citi, generally won’t count as an additional card toward that limit, because they won’t be shown on your personal credit report.

One positive thing is that while Chase business cards may be subjected to the 5/24 rule, when you’re approved for them, they don’t count as a further card toward that limit.

In other words, if you’ve opened four new accounts in the past 24 months and then apply for a Chase business card, you’ll still be at four cards. If you then apply for another Chase business card, you’ll still be at four cards.

Can you be approved for all Chase branded business cards?

If your goal is to be approved for the Sapphire business card and two of the three Ink business cards (since you have to choose between the bonus on the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited), your best strategy is “slow and steady,” as they say. I’d recommend applying for the cards a bit over 30 days apart, at the absolute fastest. If you apply for the first card on day one, apply for the second card on day 35 (or so), and then the last card on day 70 (or so). Or maybe wait even longer between applications.

If it were me, I’d definitely recommend making the Sapphire Reserve Business Card or Ink Business Preferred Card first, since they’re the all-around most lucrative, and have the biggest welcome offers.

Then you have to decide whether the Ink Business Cash Card or Ink Business Unlimited Card is a better option for you as the second card to apply for. If it were me, I’d probably apply for the Ink Business Unlimited Card, given that it offers 1.5x points on all business purchases, so it nicely balances the 3x points categories on the Ink Business Preferred Card.

I’d note that while this is how it’s supposed to work, Chase also sometimes has limits on how much credit can be extended to someone, so it’s totally possible that Chase will approve you for two of these, but not the third. Everyone’s situation will vary.

Chase Ink business credit card FAQs

Bottom line

Chase has some fantastic credit cards, and in particular, the issuer has great business credit cards. The lineup of Chase Ink & Sapphire business credit cards have some phenomenal bonuses, and between the Ink Business Preferred Card, Ink Business Cash Card, Ink Business Unlimited Card, and Sapphire Reserve Business Card, you could potentially earn bonuses hundreds of thousands of Ultimate Rewards points. That’s huge.

Not only do the cards have great initial bonuses, but they have excellent bonus categories, ranging from 1.5x points on all purchases, to 3-5x points in select categories.

Applying for business credit cards in general can be intimidating for new businesses, though I recommend giving it a try using the above tips, and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Do you have any Chase business cards? If so, what was your experience getting approved for them?

I think both cards can make sense for certain people, but given how different they are, it’s worth understanding which card is better for your situation, or whether it can even make sense to have both cards. In this post, I’d like to compare the two cards across a variety of factors.

While this post is focused on a comparison, I’ve done a more in-depth analysis on each card, so see my posts on whether the Sapphire Preferred is worth it, and whether the Amex Gold is worth it.

For context, I hold the Amex Gold myself, and in the above post I shared exactly which credits I’m able to take advantage of, and how that helps me justify the annual fee. When it comes to the Chase Sapphire ecosystem, I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more), which is the more premium version of the Sapphire Preferred, though I’ve also had that card in the past, so I’ve experienced all parts of the Chase Sapphire ecosystem.

Welcome bonuses: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Chase Sapphire Preferred: The card offers a welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first three months. At a minimum, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for one cent each toward the cost of a travel purchase (potentially way more), giving the 100,000 points a minimum value of $1,000. However, I value them significantly more than that, at 1.7 cents each, meaning I consider the bonus to be worth around $1,700.

Amex Gold: The card has a welcome offer where you can earn a bonus as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. The way this works, you can apply for the card, and then find out your offer amount, and thanks to Amex’s “apply with confidence” feature, there won’t be a hard pull unless you accept the offer. I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me, those 100,000 points are worth $1,700 (assuming that’s what you’re eligible for).

Eligibility works differently on each card. The Sapphire Preferred bonus is once per lifetime on that exact card, and you can’t be approved if you currently have it open. Meanwhile, the Amex Gold bonus isn’t available to those who currently have the card, or those who have had the Premier Rewards Gold Card in the past, and those who have or have had the American Express Platinum Card® (learn more) may also not be eligible. That’s why I always recommend applying for the Amex Gold before the Amex Platinum, since that will allow you to eventually earn the welcome offer on both cards.

Winner: At my valuations this is a $1,700 tie, though the structures differ. The Sapphire Preferred’s bonus of 100,000 points is the same for everyone, assuming you’re eligible, while the Amex Gold’s offer is “as high as” 100,000, and what you’re shown can vary. The Amex Gold gives you six months and a lower monthly pace, but the total spending requirement is higher ($8,000 versus $5,000). If you’re offered the full amount on each, call it a wash. If certainty matters to you, the Sapphire Preferred has a slight edge.

Annual fees and credits: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Chase Sapphire Preferred: The card has a $95 annual fee. Its credit structure is simple. There’s a $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit with no minimum stay required, and that one credit, once a year, can alone more than offset the annual fee. On top of that, the June 2026 refresh added an up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit once every four years, and a complimentary year of Apple TV (activation required by December 31, 2026), and the card includes DoorDash DashPass perks as well.

Amex Gold: The card has a $325 annual fee (Rates & Fees). It also comes with a bigger stack of statement credits that could save you up to $424 per year (Enrollment is required for select benefits). Those break down into up to $120 in Uber Cash An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit, up to $120 in dining credits with select partners like Grubhub, up to $100 in semi-annual Resy credits, and up to $84 in Dunkin’ credits. But they’re fragmented across several buckets, most of them monthly use-it-or-lose-it, so I expect most people won’t take advantage of all $424 in credits, and you’ll want to crunch the numbers for yourself.

Speaking from my own Amex Gold situation: I take full advantage of the Uber Cash and Resy credits, while the dining credit is a struggle for me many months, and I’ve been forfeiting the Dunkin’ credit entirely. In practice, I’m recouping a little over half of the $424 in credits.

Winner: The Amex Gold’s selection of credits is much bigger, and if you can maximize them, you can potentially come out most ahead. However, the Sapphire Preferred has a much more straightforward credit concept, with a single hotel booking potentially recouping the $95 fee, with no monthly tracking. If you’re great at maximizing Amex credits, then the Amex Gold’s math works. If you don’t, the Sapphire Preferred is the card you can hold without thinking about it. Thankfully, both cards have no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees).

Ability to earn points: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Chase Sapphire Preferred: The card offers 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, online groceries, select streaming services, gas stations, EV charging, and vacation rentals, 2x points on all other travel, and 1x points on everything else.

Amex Gold: The card offers 5x points on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel, 4x points at restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) on up to $50,000 in purchases annually, 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases annually, and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com.

On food, this isn’t close. For dining, the Amex Gold beats the 3x points that the Sapphire Preferred offers, and it’s one of the best rewards cards for dining purchases. There’s a grocery distinction worth understanding, though. The Amex Gold’s 4x points applies at U.S. supermarkets in person (excluding superstores and warehouse clubs), while the Sapphire Preferred’s 3x points applies to online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Depending on how your household actually buys groceries, one of these fits much better than the other.

On travel, the cards split. The Amex Gold earns 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines, beating the Sapphire Preferred’s 2x points. But the Preferred earns 2x points on all other travel (hotels, rental cars, trains, and more), where the Amex Gold earns 1x points, and the Sapphire Preferred is alone in offering bonus points on gas stations, EV charging, vacation rentals, and streaming. As for the Amex Gold’s 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, as a general rule of thumb, that isn’t worth it, because you’re usually not earning points with your preferred hotel program when you book that way, so that’s quite an opportunity cost.

Winner: If food is the center of your spending, the Amex Gold wins. Its 4x points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets is best-in-class (just note the annual caps). Across everything else, the Sapphire Preferred’s categories are broader, especially after the June 2026 additions. For a lot of households, that’s exactly why these two cards pair so well.

Value of points: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Ultimate Rewards points have a guaranteed floor of one cent each toward the cost of a travel purchase through Chase Travel℠, or up to 1.75 cents with Points Boost. Better yet, they can be transferred to Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 ratio (World of Hyatt transfers at 4:3 on this card as of June 2026, while the Sapphire Reserve keeps 1:1).

The opportunities for outsized value are incredible, especially for luxury hotel stays with World of Hyatt. While the 4:3 transfer ratio makes this less appealing than in the past, there’s still value to be had.

Amex Gold: The best way to redeem Membership Rewards points is to transfer them to one of the Membership Rewards airline or hotel partners — points can be transferred to over 20 partners. On top of that, Amex often has transfer bonuses, which can stretch your points even further. While you can redeem Membership Rewards points toward merchandise or gift cards, or to pay off your statement, these aren’t good uses of your points, as you’ll typically get less than one cent of value per point.

One asymmetry worth knowing: World of Hyatt isn’t a Membership Rewards transfer partner at all. So even at the 4:3 ratio, the Sapphire Preferred gives you access to a hotel program the Amex Gold simply can’t reach.

There’s a second redemption factor working against Amex, and this one costs real money, but only if you redeem certain ways. When you transfer Membership Rewards points to a U.S. airline partner, Amex adds an excise tax fee of 0.06 cents per point, capped at $99 per transfer. Chase doesn’t charge anything to move Ultimate Rewards to any of its partners. It’s small in percentage terms, but it’s a paper cut the Sapphire Preferred side just doesn’t have. In fairness, I don’t view this to be a huge deal, since I don’t actually like to transfer my points to carriers based in the United States.

Winner: Nowadays I value both currencies equally, at 1.7 cents each. Ultimate Rewards has the stronger floor, a guaranteed one cent toward travel (and more with Points Boost), plus the Hyatt access. Membership Rewards counters with more transfer partners and frequent transfer bonuses. So it’s probably a tie, and depends on your individual redemption patterns.

Travel protections: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Chase Sapphire Preferred: This is perhaps the Sapphire Preferred’s biggest structural advantage. The card offers primary rental car coverage both in the United States and abroad, trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $10,000 per person, trip delay reimbursement up to $500 per traveler, lost luggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler, and emergency evacuation coverage, which is new as of June 2026.

Amex Gold: The Amex Gold’s value proposition is built around earning and credits rather than travel protections, and coverage isn’t the reason anyone picks up this card.

Winner: The Sapphire Preferred, decisively. The primary rental car coverage alone can be worth many times the annual fee if you ever need it.

Should you get the Sapphire Preferred, the Amex Gold, or both?

Get the Sapphire Preferred if:

• Travel protections matter to you, since primary rental car coverage and trip coverage are a major advantage of the Sapphire Preferred
• You want the lower annual fee and a credit structure you don’t have to put as much thought into
• World of Hyatt is part of your points strategy, or your spending leans toward gas, EV charging, vacation rentals, or streaming

Get the Amex Gold if:

• Restaurants and U.S. supermarkets are big spending categories for you, where the Amex Gold’s 4x points is best-in-class, and no Chase card matches it
• You’ll realistically recoup much of the monthly credits, greatly lowering your real out of pocket on the card
• You’re building toward Membership Rewards long term, including applying for the Amex Gold before the Amex Platinum to stay eligible for both welcome offers

As I see it, get both cards if you can swing it. This is one of those pairings with essentially no overlap. Food goes on the Amex Gold at 4x points, travel and the new 3x points categories go on the Sapphire Preferred, and you end up with two excellent transferable currencies instead of one. And if neither sounds right, and you’d rather earn a flat rate on everything without tracking categories or credits, see my Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture comparison, since the Venture is built for exactly that.

Bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold are both excellent cards that solve different problems. The Sapphire Preferred is the better all-around travel card, with broader categories after the June 2026 refresh, a simpler and cheaper fee structure, real protections, and World of Hyatt points transfers. The Amex Gold is the better food card, as long as the credits match your spending patterns.

If I could only recommend one to most people, the Sapphire Preferred’s lower fee and protections make it the easier default. But for households that spend heavily on food, the Amex Gold’s 4x points earning is hard to ignore. For a lot of people, the strongest answer is carrying both.

Which do you prefer, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Amex Gold? And if you hold both, how do you split your spending between them?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees).

Delta accused of toxic culture in flight attendant training center

When people become flight attendants, they first go through a roughly seven-week training course, before they operate their first flights. This story initially dates back to June 2023, and involves a flight attendant trainee, who had passed countless exams, was FAA qualified, and was about to graduate.

Prior to the graduation ceremony, the trainees had to pass one final uniform check. This man’s uniform check was conducted by one of the male flight attendant trainers, with the trainee claiming he was told “your shirt is ruffled up here,” only to then have the trainer put his hands in the trainee’s pants, to pull down the shirt.

Now, the airline disputes those claims, though did reach a confidential settlement with the trainee in August 2025. Only after reaching a settlement, the trainer was finally moved to a position within Delta’s global communications video team.

You might think that’s an isolated incident, but at least three other current and former trainees also shared with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the same person had touched them inappropriately during training, between 2018 and 2024.

Each of them took their complaint to human resources expecting to be taken seriously, but they felt that they were just dismissed.

Delta emphasized how it “does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying or other forms of intimidation,” and highlights an Ethics and Compliance HelpLine that allows employees to report concerns anonymously, pledging protection against retaliation and disciplinary action.

However, the individuals claim they were never proactively made aware of this, and weren’t even aware of the option to file reports that way. For that matter, Delta claims that these claims “were fully investigated and found to be unsubstantiated,” so it sounds like nothing would have come of this, anyway.

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Delta takes care of employees, with major limits

In general, I think Delta does a good job taking care of employees, at least in terms of having a culture that puts customers at the center of what they do, and that includes rewarding employees for their shared success, through generous profit sharing.

The fact that Delta has more non-unionized workgroups than any other major US airline is also a clear reflection of the fact that at least a majority of employees in those groups are happy with the status quo, compared to the alternatives.

I will say, though, as an outsider, I definitely get the sense that the corporate culture at Delta is more driven by fear than at some other airlines. On some level that’s not surprising, since a union is in theory supposed to be a “last line of defense” when things go wrong, and when you don’t have that, things are more high stakes (not that unions even always prove useful in those situations).

But even from the Delta corporate folks that I know, they sort of have this fear of saying the wrong thing or of things getting out, in a way I haven’t found at many airlines outside of the Gulf region, for example. Again, that’s just my impression, so take it with a grain of salt. Among frontline employees, it also seems like we hear stories of terminations that are questionable at a higher rate than with other airlines.

Now, specific to this situation, a few quick thoughts, none of which are intended to diminish the accusations. First, I find it interesting how the accusations come from both male and female trainees. If this was sexually motivated, there are of course bi people out there, but more often than not, sexual harassment is targeted at people of one gender.

Furthermore, I think it’s worth pointing out that this guy worked at the training for many years, so four accusations over that period is obviously worth investigating and could amount to something serious, but we’re not talking about one accusation with every class, or something like that.

That being said, the accusations made are just inexcusable, and I’m not going to try to come up with any justification for them. I understand the concept of uniform standards, but that should be explained without touching others, and in particular, without putting your hands in their pants. That doesn’t strike me as being very complicated.

If this guy was just somehow really bad at physical boundaries, well, then he shouldn’t have that job in the first place. At least that’s my two cents. Is Delta’s defense literally just that this didn’t happen, and that there was no physical touch, or that the physical touch was fine, and wasn’t harassment?

If it’s the former, then I think the fact that three other people made similar accusations suggests that there’s reason to believe the claims.

Bottom line

A Delta flight attendant trainer has been accused of harassing students, including sticking his hands in the pants of a trainee during a uniform check. That wasn’t even an isolated incident, as the same person was accused of similar unwanted touch by multiple people.

Delta ultimately reassigned this trainer to another role while claiming the accusations were unsubstantiated, but also settled out of court. What’s also concerning is that Delta claims it has an anonymous reporting mechanism for this kind of stuff, while the employees claimed they weren’t even aware of that.

What do you make of these Delta flight attendant trainer harassment claims?

Galley cart full of baby rats discovered on Arkia flight

Baby rats were discovered in the service cart on an Arkia flight from Greece to Israel, as can be seen in pictures that are circulating online. While critters (rats, snakes, etc.) sometimes make their way onto planes, what was alarming is that they were all inside a service cart, suggesting they were loaded onto the plane by someone (otherwise you’d assume they’d be running around the cabin, or something).

For what it’s worth, the service cart had been loaded onto the plane by Tel Aviv-based catering company TMM, so it was actually loaded in Israel, before the flight to Greece, though it was only discovered on the return flight.

The question is, which party was responsible for this oversight? Did the catering company really supply the airline with a trolley full of baby rats, or…?

Airline & catering company at odds over responsibility

Arkia claims that the cart with the baby rats came from the dry-goods storage facility of catering company TMM, and did not contain any food intended for passengers. The airline also clarified that upon discovery, the cart was immediately taken out of service, and there was no contact between that and any of the food served on the flight. The airline released the following statement:

“Arkia views the incident seriously, demands that TMM conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the case, and expects to receive full explanations along with corrective steps to ensure that an incident of this kind does not recur in the future.”

Fair enough, right? Well, TMM rejects all the claims made by the airline, stating that the cart was inspected and approved before the flight’s departure, and only contained soft drinks. The company also clarified that it’s the airline’s responsibility to inspect the card before utilizing it, and demanded that Arkia conduct an urgent investigation to determine how such an incident could happen. Per a statement from the company:

“The trolley in question, which contained soft drinks only, was inspected as on every flight by an Arkia crew member and a representative of the catering facility, who confirmed that the trolley was fully compliant when it was loaded. The incident was discovered later, while the aircraft was parked in Greece.”

“Any attempt to cast doubt on the TMM facility, which supplies hundreds of thousands of meals per month and operates under the strictest food safety standards, is unacceptable and will, if necessary, be addressed in court.”

Obviously I wasn’t there, so I can’t say with certainty which party was responsible. I will say, the logical assumption most people would make is that the rats were in the galley cart when they were loaded onto the aircraft, because how else would all the rats end up in there otherwise? The only other logical explanation, as I see it, is that someone was committing a malicious act or prank.

But I guess the question is who is fully responsible for that. The catering company claims that the carts were inspected before departure in Tel Aviv by both the Arkia crew and a representative of the catering facility. Is that actually true and verified, though? Is standard procedure for Arkia crews to carefully go through every cart before departure, even for catering that’s intended for the return?

And if the Arkia crew skipped that step, to what extent does that make them liable in the event that this was actually done by the catering facility?

Bottom line

A galley cart infested with baby rats was discovered on an Arkia flight from Greece to Israel. The catch is that the cart had actually been loaded in Tel Aviv prior to the outbound flight, but this discovery was only made on the return.

The airline blames the catering company, claiming the cart was untouched up until that point. The catering company blames the airline, stating that the trolley was inspected by both parties, and that it must’ve happened at a subsequent point. The company is even threatening to sue.

What an unpleasant discovery. It sure seems likely to me in general that a galley cart infested with creatures would be originating from the facility where the trolley was loaded, but of course we can’t say that conclusively.

What do you make of this Arkia galley cart baby rat situation?

Promotion on buying JetBlue TrueBlue points

Between June 26 and August 9, 2026, JetBlue TrueBlue is offering a bonus on purchased points. Different accounts may be targeted for different offers. You’ll have to log into your TrueBlue account to see what you’re eligible for. The highest offer I see is for a 125% bonus, which kicks in as long as you buy at least 15,000 points in one transaction (pre-bonus).

With this promotion, JetBlue lets you purchase at most 200,000 points, before any bonuses. If you were eligible for a 125% bonus, you could purchase a total of 450,000 points (including 250,000 bonus points) for $6,450, which is a cost of 1.43 cents per point.

Is buying JetBlue TrueBlue points worth it?

Selling points can be huge business for loyalty programs. Many loyalty programs generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue annually by selling points directly to consumers. This can be a win-win for both programs and customers.

But generally speaking, that’s not something that works too well for revenue based frequent flyer programs. Now, there are still some situations where this could make sense, so let’s consider a couple of scenarios.

If you’re redeeming for travel on JetBlue, each TrueBlue point will typically get you at most 1.5 cents toward the cost of a JetBlue ticket, and that’s on the very high end. Personally I value TrueBlue points at 1.3 cents each.

So you’re not really going to come out too far ahead here, if at all, by buying points and then redeeming toward a JetBlue fare. Then again, if you have JetBlue’s most premium card, you can get a 15% award rebate, so maybe there is a little upside there.

One other thing to keep in mind is that JetBlue TrueBlue has gotten better about adding redemptions on partner airlines in recent times, including on Qatar Airways, Condor, and United Airlines. We’re also now seeing redemptions added on China Airlines.

For example, looking at one-way business class pricing, an award from the United States to Qatar starts at 70,000 points, and an award from the United States to Germany starts at 54,000 points.

At this acquisition rate, that’s quite a good deal. The catch is that award availability can be tough to come by, and on top of that, connections will cost you extra. Still, at least there are some circumstances where buying TrueBlue points could be justifiable, which I’d say wasn’t the case before these partner redemptions were added.

Furthermore, for whatever reason, JetBlue TrueBlue seems to have access to more Qatar Airways award space than American AAdvantage, which is another reason to consider accruing TrueBlue points. Availability still isn’t very good, but…

Bottom line

JetBlue is selling TrueBlue points with up to a 125% bonus, an opportunity to buy points for as little as 1.43 cents each. I’d only buy JetBlue points with a specific use in mind. There’s value to be had in some situations, such as if you have a particular Qatar Airways or Condor award you want to book, and there’s availability.

Anyone plan on buying JetBlue TrueBlue points with a bonus?

And of course in typical Ryanair fashion, the airline is being catty about it, saying families will likely sit in the back of the plane for free, and that it only adjusted its policy because it doesn’t want to “waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand” what’s in the best interest of conusmers.

Ryanair reluctantly updates family seating policy

A couple of weeks ago, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into Ryanair’s family seating policy.

The carrier’s old policy was that parents need to sit next to children between the ages of two and 11. Ryanair of course charges for seat assignments, but the company did make one accommodation — while parents would have to pay for their assigned seats, the airline would then offer free adjacent seat assignments for up to four children on the same reservation.

Regulators argued that this was possibly an “unfair contract term” under consumer laws, since only families had to pay for assigned seats, and not others (other passengers could simply roll the dice on the seats they get).

So that brings us to the latest update. Ryanair insists that its old and longstanding family seating policy fully complied with all relevant laws and regulations. The airline makes this argument based on the fact that it didn’t charge any fee for children to sit next to their parents (which is technically true — they instead charged only the adult). Ryanair also argues that the old policy has “given families certainty of seat allocation at the time of booking, which families have valued as much as they have valued Ryanair’s lowest fares.”

But as of June 25, 2026, adults traveling with children, who do not wish to select or pay for a reserved seat, will be advised of their free of charge seat allocation after they have checked in for their flight, as is the case on most airlines in Europe. Families opting for this random allocation of seats will likely be seated toward the rear of the cabin.

Meanwhile families who prefer to choose their seats at the time of booking will now have to pay full price for everyone to secure seats, as the airline claims this matches the policy of most other European airlines.

The airline explains that this change “responds to the desire of Europe’s regulators to stifle innovation and progress.” The airline also claims this will be revenue neutral for it.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary of course has a lot to say

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is one of the most outspoken people in the airline industry, and of course he didn’t hold back in sharing his thoughts on this:

“European regulators such as the UK CMA have consistently failed consumers by ignoring blatant anti-consumer reselling of inflated air fares by unauthorised OTAs, overcharging by airport monopolies and service failures by Europe’s ATCs. Turning a blind eye to the high fares charged by airlines on routes with no Ryanair competition, the CMA has now targeted our family seating policy which has been universally embraced by consumers as the most progressive and transparent in Europe. Instead of promoting competitiveness and lower fares for consumers, the CMA is on a mission to force Ryanair to adopt the less transparent and less consumer-friendly family seating policy applied by most other airlines – just because it’s the industry standard.”

“We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don’t want to waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand what is in the best interest of UK and Europe’s consumers. Under our revised family seating policy, families may have to wait until after they have checked in to find out their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated at the rear of the cabin but at least the CMA will be able to claim they have done something for consumers, but sadly most consumers won’t notice.”

Bottom line

Ryanair has long taken a creative approach to its family seating policy. Regulators require airlines to allow children to sit next to their accompanying adults at no extra charge, which Ryanair sort of technically abided by — the carrier’s old policy was to charge the parent for a seat, and then let kids select seats next to them at no extra cost.

With regulators investigating the airline, the policy has now been updated. Ryanair will now assign seats for families at check-in for free, and claims families will typically end up in the back of the plane. Meanwhile the airline is eliminating its discount for family seat assignments in advance, in order to align policies with those of other airlines.

It does seem like Ryanair was taking some liberties with how it interpreted the rules. However, with the airline eliminating the discount for families assigning seats together in advance, I’m not sure everyone will view this change as positive.

What do you make of Ryanair’s seating policy update?

I’d like to take a look at the cards, given that they’ve recently been refreshed, currently offer best-ever bonuses, and there’s also a new premium card.

Which Wyndham credit card is best?

This really is a solid suite of credit cards, and they’re very lucrative (again, with the caveat that you actually stay at Wyndhams with any frequency). The three annual fee premium cards earn anniversary bonuses with no spending requirement, come with status, and even offer a redemption discount for rewards stays. There’s not much more you could ask for with a hotel credit card.

Personally I think the big winner here is the new Earner Premier card, which offers top tier Diamond status, a 25% points discount on reward stays, and enough easy to use credits to easily justify the annual fee, especially for Wyndham loyalists.

Getting top tier status just for having a credit card is something that’s otherwise only available on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

I should mention that Wyndham Rewards recently announced an award chart update. For bookings as of September 30, 2026, there will be four tiers of award pricing, meaning free night awards will cost 5,000, 15,000, 30,000, or 45,000 points per night (compared to the current three tiers, at 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points).

This means entry-level hotels can be booked for as little as 3,750 points with the Earner Premier Card, and the discount on the top-tier award redemption brings the rate down by 11,250 points, to 33,750 points, a significant discount (though still higher than the previous top cost).

Details of the Wyndham credit cards

Barclays’ Wyndham credit card portfolio consists of three cards, including two personal credit cards and one business credit card.

Wyndham is a hotel group mostly with limited service properties, so I have a hard time getting too excited about any credit card from the brand. That being said, these cards are just about as lucrative as they could be, offering anniversary bonus points and elite status.

Let’s look at the details of each of these cards, including the hugely improved bonuses we’re seeing, assuming you complete a Wyndham stay within the first several months of having the card.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is the entry level personal card, and offers the following perks:

• Annual fee: $0
• Sign-up bonus: earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, and also earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days
• Return on spending: 5x Wyndham points on Hotels by Wyndham spending, 3x Wyndham points on Vacation Club, dining, gas and groceries, and 1x points on all other purchases
• Foreign transaction fees: none
• Elite status perks: Wyndham Rewards Gold status for as long as you have the card, offering perks like free Wi-Fi, preferred rooms, and late check-out
• Anniversary bonus: 7,500 bonus Wyndham Rewards points after spending $15,000 in a year
• Award redemption discount: save 10% when you redeem Wyndham Rewards points to book free night awards

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is the middle-tier personal card, and offers the following perks:

• Annual fee: $95
• Sign-up bonus: earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, and also earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days
• Return on spending: 6x Wyndham points on Hotels by Wyndham spending, 4x Wyndham points on Vacation Club, travel, dining and groceries, and 1x points on all other purchases
• Foreign transaction fees: none
• Elite status perks: get Diamond status in your first year, then Wyndham Rewards Platinum status for as long as you have the card, offering perks like free Wi-Fi, room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out
• Anniversary bonus: 15,000 bonus Wyndham Rewards points with no spending requirement, after paying your annual fee
• Award redemption discount: save 10% when you redeem Wyndham Rewards points to book free night awards
• Other benefits: earn a free night worth up to 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points after you stay five or more nights in a calendar year, get up to $25 in statement credits back every six months on eligible meal delivery purchases, and Emerald Club Executive status with National

Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card is the premium personal card, and offers the following perks:

• Annual fee: $395
• Sign-up bonus: earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 120 days, and also earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $750 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days
• Return on spending: 8x Wyndham points on Hotels by Wyndham spending, 4x Wyndham points on Vacation Club, travel, dining, and groceries, and 1x points on all other purchases
• Foreign transaction fees: none
• Elite status perks: Wyndham Rewards Diamond status for as long as you have the card, offering perks like suite upgrades when available, early check-in, and late check-out
• Anniversary bonus: 30,000 bonus Wyndham Rewards points with no spending requirement, after paying your annual fee
• Award redemption discount: save 25% when you redeem Wyndham Rewards points to book free night awards
• Other benefits: up to $120 a year in meal delivery purchases ($10 monthly credits), $100 annual hotel credit at eligible Wyndham hotels, $65 annual credit for wholesale membership club purchases, $120 TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit every four years, and up to $100 in credits for eligible streaming purchases

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card is the business card, and arguably it’s the most lucrative card of all, as it offers the following perks:

• Annual fee: $149
• Sign-up bonus: earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, and also earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days
• Return on spending: 8x Wyndham points on Hotels by Wyndham spending, 5x Wyndham points on eligible marketing, advertising services, and utilities, gas, and Vacation Club spending, and 1x points on all other purchases
• Foreign transaction fees: none
• Elite status perks: Wyndham Rewards Diamond status for as long as you have the card, offering perks like suite upgrades, a welcome amenity, and more
• Anniversary bonus: 15,00 bonus Wyndham Rewards points with no spending requirement, after paying your annual fee
• Award redemption discount: save 20% when you redeem Wyndham Rewards points to book free night awards
• Other benefits: $65 wholesale membership club credit, $50 accounting software credit

Bottom line

Wyndham’s portfolio of credit cards is pretty lucrative. There are three personal cards and one business card, and all offer elite status and discounts on award redemptions. On top of that, the three premium cards offer anniversary points bonuses that more or less cover the annual fee. These cards are also currently offering their best bonuses yet.

If you stay at Wyndham properties with any frequency these cards are worth having. The bonus categories are potentially useful as well, though I wouldn’t be using any of these cards for my everyday spending.

What do you make of Wyndham’s credit cards?

The massive welcome bonus makes the answer to the first question easy. Meanwhile, how much value you’d get from the credits, the rewards structure, and the lounge access, will determine the answer to the second question. So let me share how I’d think through the math on the card.

I applied for the Sapphire Reserve Business the week that it opened to new applications, and was instantly approved with a big credit line, even though I already hold several Chase business cards. I’m a huge fan of the personal Sapphire Reserve too, so in the coming months I’ll have to decide whether I keep both or pick just one.

Sapphire Reserve Business at a glance

Before we get into it, here’s the quick version of the Sapphire Reserve Business:

• Annual fee: $795
• Welcome bonus: 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $30,000 within the first six months, which I value at $3,400
• Effective fee, the way I do the mental math: more like $495, once you bank the easy $300 travel credit
• Earning: up to 8x points, with no caps on the bonus categories
• Best for: people who’ll actually use Chase Sapphire Lounges and who spend in the bonus categories

The card’s welcome bonus is the main reason to apply

Let’s start with the obvious. The Sapphire Reserve Business is offering a limited time welcome bonus of 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $30,000 within the first six months.

The spending requirement is big, but so is the bonus. I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me those 200,000 points are worth $3,400. That ranks among the best welcome offers out there. For what it’s worth, this matches the best-ever offer we saw at launch, and it beats the 150,000-point offer that came in between.

I’ve already used points earned with the welcome offer on this card for some great travel experiences, ranging from an Air France 777 business class flight, to a stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

If you’re eligible and you can hit the spend, the bonus alone is a reason to apply. You can pick up the card, bank the points, and take your time deciding whether the perks work for you long term.

Who can get the Sapphire Reserve welcome bonus

The huge welcome bonus on the Sapphire Reserve Business sounds nice, but it’s important to understand who is actually eligible for it, so that you actually earn the points that are part of the offer. The good news is that the rules on this card are quite straightforward.

Bonus eligibility on this card isn’t tied to any other Chase cards you hold. In other words, having the personal Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more), or a Chase business card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (learn more), shouldn’t lock you out of the bonus on this card.

Instead, the new cardmember bonus simply isn’t available to you if you have ever had this card. Other than that, you should generally be eligible for this product.

Beyond the bonus terms, Chase business cards can be tricky to get approved for. Chase is known for the 5/24 rule, though that’s no longer consistently enforced, and business cards generally don’t add to your 5/24 count. If you want to maximize your odds of approval, the Ink cards give you a good sense of what to expect.

What I actually put on the Sapphire Reserve Business

A big welcome bonus is a huge incentive to apply, but a card only stays “front of wallet” if I want to spend on it. The Sapphire Reserve Business has a genuinely strong earning structure, with no caps on the bonus categories. Here’s what it earns:

• 8x points on all Chase Travel℠ bookings (flights, hotels, rental cars, and more)
• 5x points on Lyft rides, through September 30, 2027
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
• 3x points on select advertising (social media and search engines)
• 1x points on everything else

If you use my 1.7-cent valuation, that makes for a very nice return on spending. That 8x points on Chase Travel works out to a 13.6% return, which is about as good as it gets on travel spending, as long as you don’t mind booking through a portal. The 5x points on Lyft is an 8.5% return, the 4x points on direct airfare and hotels is 6.8%, and the 3x points on advertising is 5.1%.

There are also no foreign transaction fees, so this is an excellent card to use abroad, especially on hotels and airfare, where you’re earning bonus points anyway.

Whether this earning structure is right for you really comes down to your spending. If you book travel through Chase Travel, spend directly with airlines and hotels, or run a lot of advertising, this card rewards you well. If your spending is largely focused elsewhere, there are probably better cards for it.

Bonus benefits when you spend $120,000 per year

If you put $120,000 per calendar year on the Sapphire Reserve Business, you unlock a slew of extra perks:

• IHG One Rewards Diamond status, IHG’s top tier status, with perks like breakfast and room upgrades
• World of Hyatt Explorist status, Hyatt’s mid tier status, with perks like room upgrades and late check-out
• Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, with perks from priority seating to free checked bags
• A $500 Southwest credit for flights booked via Chase Travel
• A $500 Shops at Chase credit, valid with brands like Baccarat, Bang & Olufsen, Breitling, and Tumi

That $120,000 bar is high, so realistically most cardmembers won’t reach it. But for heavy spenders, this tier adds real value.

Where the Sapphire Reserve Business points go

The Sapphire Reserve Business earns Ultimate Rewards points, which I’d consider to be among the most valuable flexible points currencies out there. Holding a Sapphire Reserve product also lets you move points to transfer partners and pool them across your other Chase cards, which adds real value.

My favorite way to use points is transferring them to a Chase airline or hotel partner, then booking aspirational travel like a five-star hotel or a business class flight. It takes a little homework, so it’s worth learning the tips and tricks of maximizing points. Below are the transfer partners.

You can also redeem through Chase Travel, where points are worth at least one cent each toward travel. Thanks to the Points Boost feature, this card can stretch select flights and luxury hotel stays up to two cents per point. When you can hit that two-cent ceiling, it’s a great use of points without any transfer partner homework, though admittedly redemption options at that level are limited.

One other thing worth calling out is that having the Sapphire Reserve Business unlocks 1:1 points transfers to World of Hyatt, while the lower tier Chase cards now only offer a 4:3 transfer ratio. So if you value Hyatt transfers, that’s a big incentive to have either the personal or business version of the Sapphire Reserve.

Lounge access might be the best part of the card

For a lot of people, lounge access will be the single best reason to carry this card. The Sapphire Reserve Business comes with a Priority Pass™ Select membership and access to Chase Sapphire Lounges. Just note these perks are for the primary cardmember, not authorized users.

The Priority Pass membership gets you into 1,300+ lounges worldwide, and you can bring two guests at no extra cost. That’s standard premium-card stuff, and it’s useful for just about any traveler.

The Chase Sapphire Lounges are the real advantage with this card, since unlimited access is exclusive to Chase cards. These are among the best lounges in the United States, and the ones at airports like New York LaGuardia and Boston Logan are a real treat. If you regularly fly through an airport with one, that alone can justify the card.

The credits, ranked by how easily I use them

Here’s the part that makes or breaks the $795 Sapphire Reserve Business. The credits are the easiest way to recoup most of the fee, but of course they’re not all created equal. We all have different consumer patterns, so there will almost always be some breakage. Rather than just listing the credits, let me rank them by how easily I’m actually using each one, from good-as-cash down to the ones I’m probably going to forfeit:

• $300 annual travel credit, basically cash — this credits requires no registration, and anything coded as travel gets reimbursed automatically, across as many transactions as you need; I treat this as worth full face value, which is why I think of the card as costing more like $495 per year
• $100 giftcards.com credit, close to cash with one small chore — this offers a $50 credit twice per year on a selection of curated gift cards; you could grab a $50 DoorDash gift card every six months, for example, but the key is that you just have to remember to go through the process
• $500 The Edit hotel credit, valuable on paper, but has a catch — this offers up to $500 per year in value, in the form of a $250 credit twice per year, on a two-night minimum “pay now” stay with The Edit by Chase Travel; just keep in mind this primarily includes luxury hotels, and while you can get additional perks for stays at these properties, you’ll likely still be paying a lot out of pocket
• $120 Lyft credit, easy if you ride — a $10 credit each month through September 30, 2027, on top of the 5x points; the monthly amount is small, but I use Lyft often enough that I value this close to the “headline” amount
• $300 DoorDash credit plus DashPass, which adds up slowly — you get a complimentary DashPass membership, plus up to $25 in monthly credits, split into a $5 restaurant credit and two $10 non-restaurant credits; it’s chopped up enough that it’s hard to get excited, but frequent DoorDash users will save something with it
• $400 ZipRecruiter and $200 Google Workspace credits, both niche — you can receive a $200 ZipRecruiter credit twice per year, and up to $200 in Google Workspace credits per year; if you happen to use these tools, they make the fee much easier to justify, though I suspect most cardmembers won’t use this

A couple of other perks round things out. There’s a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit of up to $120 once every four years, which you just charge to the card. If you already have a membership, you can always use this for someone else — just charge the fee to your card. And separately from the $120,000 spend tier, the card comes with IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through December 31, 2027, with no spending required.

Where the Sapphire Reserve Business math breaks down

I want to make sure I’m being balanced, because the $795 fee on the Sapphire Reserve Business is substantial — it’s real money up front, and you only get back down to $495 after the travel credit. Everything past that takes effort.

A few things to keep your eyes open about:

• Several credits are split into semi-annual or monthly chunks, so you have to keep coming back to use them; so if you miss those windows, you’re going to miss out on value (admittedly cards aren’t designed so that cardmembers use every single credit)
• The ZipRecruiter and Google Workspace credits are niche, and if you don’t use those tools, mentally cross off $600 of the marketed value of the credits
• The up to $500 The Edit by Chase Travel hotel credit looks great, but just keep in mind that’s a discount on hotels that are largely quite expensive, and there’s a minimum stay of two nights
• The $120,000 spend tier is out of reach for most people, so don’t talk yourself into the card on those perks, unless you’d reach that spending amount
• If you already carry the personal Sapphire Reserve, a lot of this overlaps, and you may not need both

None of this is a dealbreaker. It just means the card rewards certain types of consumers who are willing and able to do the work, so this isn’t a card you can “set and forget,” while getting outsized value in the long run.

So, is the Sapphire Reserve Business worth it?

Is the Sapphire Reserve Business worth it? Let me share how I think of that. The bonus absolutely makes this card worth applying for, assuming you can reach the minimum spending requirement. The bigger challenge is figuring out the long term value.

I’d say go for it when it comes to applying for the card and possibly keeping it if:

• You can hit the $30,000 spend requirement and want to bank 200,000 points, worth $3,400 by my valuation
• You travel through airports with Chase Sapphire Lounges
• Your spending actually lines up well with the bonus categories, like Chase Travel, direct air and hotel, advertising, and Lyft
• You’ll use the easy credits, especially the $300 travel credit and $100 giftcards.com credit; if you can use any other credits, that’s the icing on the cake

I’d think twice about the long term value of the card if:

• Your spending doesn’t align with the bonus categories
• You already hold the personal Sapphire Reserve and won’t get value out of two overlapping premium cards
• You can’t see yourself using enough credits to get comfortably under that $495 effective fee
• You just want a low-fee business card, in which case the Ink Business Preferred is the move

Two comparisons come up constantly, so let me cover both quickly, rather than re-run all the math.

Sapphire Reserve Business vs. Sapphire Reserve

The Sapphire Reserve Business is built on the same bones as the $795 annual fee personal Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, so there’s a ton of overlap. Here are the most obvious differences between the cards:

• The personal card earns 3x points on dining, while the business card earns 3x points on select advertising
• The personal card charges $195 per authorized user (with lounge access), while the business card charges $0 per authorized user (without lounge access)
• The credits differ, with the personal card leaning into dining, StubHub and viagogo, and Apple benefits, while the business card leans into ZipRecruiter, Google Workspace, and giftcards.com
• The personal card offers Air Canada Lounge access, while the business card doesn’t
• The personal card unlocks extra perks at $75,000 in annual spending, while the business card’s tier kicks in at $120,000

There’s no universal winner here. It comes down to which return on spending and which credits fit your life. Personally, I lean slightly toward the personal card, since I prefer its bonus categories and credits. But I can see plenty of people having the opposite preference. Of course given the great welcome offers that both cards have, it could be worth giving them both a shot.

Sapphire Reserve Business vs. Ink Business Preferred

If the $795 fee is the sticking point, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (learn more) is the obvious alternative. It has an annual fee of just $95 a year, with a generous welcome bonus, a great rewards structure, and valuable travel protection.

These are really different cards, though. The Ink Business Preferred is a low-cost workhorse with well-rounded bonus categories. The Sapphire Reserve Business is about lounge access and credits. And since they’re not mutually exclusive, plenty of people may decide that both make sense.

Bottom line

The Sapphire Reserve Business is Chase’s ultra-premium business card, and the 200,000-point welcome bonus worth $3,400 (by my valuation) makes it easy to recommend giving it a try. The lounge access and the strong, uncapped earning structure are what keep it interesting after that.

The challenge is the $795 fee. The $300 travel credit knocks that down to about $495 right away, and from there each person will have to decide for themselves how much more value they can get. Some people will easily come out ahead. Others will look at the hoops and decide it’s not their card. Both reactions are fair.

If you ask me, the best strategy is simple: grab the bonus, then spend your first year figuring out whether the perks actually fit how you travel and spend, and justify holding onto it for another year.

What’s your take on the value proposition of the Sapphire Reserve Business?

Details of the 213-key St. Regis Costa Mujeres Cancun

The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort Cancun has opened as of late June 2026. This property is located in Costa Mujeres (as the name suggests), around 20 minutes by car north of Cancun. For context, there’s also the St. Regis Kanai Riviera Maya, roughly 40 minutes by car south of Cancun (so the two resorts are around an hour apart).

The resort is located on a 3.5-hectare site along the Costa Mujeres beach, which is not particularly wide, unfortunately. However, it is just a short boat ride from Isla Mujeres, which many people will appreciate. The resort features a total of 213 accommodations, including 163 guest rooms and 50 suites.

As you’d expect, the resort has lots of amenities, from several pools, to a full service spa, to a gym and kids club, to a variety of restaurants and bars.

Dining options include Costa Coral (an all-day Mexican restaurant), Fish Market (a Caribbean restaurant open for lunch), Palmare Grill (a seafood restaurant open for lunch), Shami (an Asian fusion restaurant open for dinner), and the St. Regis Bar.

This resort was first announced in late 2022, with a planned early 2025 opening. Now it’s finally open as of mid 2026 — while that’s a substantial delay, we’ve seen worse.

St. Regis Costa Mujeres Cancun rates & points requirements

With the St. Regis Costa Mujeres Cancun now open bookable, what are rates like?

Entry level rates currently start at just over $660 per night, though that’s before Mexico’s high taxes and service charges, which add 30%+ to the base rate.

However, there’s quite a bit of seasonal variation, and in peak season (winter), rates start at closer to $1,000 per night.

If you’re going to book a cash stay here, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, to receive perks like free breakfast, a $100 resort credit, a room upgrade, and more.

For those looking to redeem Marriott points, I see rates starting between 104,000 and 126,000 Bonvoy points per night. Keep in mind that you can receive a fifth night free on award redemptions, which improves the value somewhat.

Based on my valuation of 0.7 cents per Bonvoy point, I’d say the math is generally pretty breakeven when it comes to paying cash vs. redeeming points, especially after factoring in taxes & fees. You definitely get more value with your points in peak season, though.

Bottom line

The St. Regis Costa Mujeres is now open, as the St. Regis brand’s second property in the Cancun area. It’s interesting to see the growth of more non all-inclusive luxury properties in the region beyond Mayakoba. I’m curious to see how this resort looks in real life.

What do you make of the new St. Regis Costa Mujeres?

Wyndham Rewards unveils major award chart changes

Currently, Wyndham Rewards has three tiers of award pricing when it comes to redeeming for free night awards, where properties cost either 7,500 points, 15,000 points, or 30,000 points per night.

For bookings as of September 30, 2026, we’ll see the introduction of four tiers of pricing, as hotels will cost either 5,000 points, 15,000 points, 30,000 points, or 45,000 points per night.

As you can see, two tiers will remain unchanged, properties in the cheapest tier will decrease in cost by 33%, and properties in the most expensive tier will increase in price by 50%.

Of course this says nothing of which properties will be part of which categories, as I imagine we’ll see quite a bit of movement upwards.

Speaking of which, Wyndham Rewards will also be making its annual changes to award pricing as of September 15, 2026. So we’ll first see a typical annual adjustment, and then a couple of weeks later we’ll see the introduction of a fourth tier, which Wyndham is currently promising will only have a limited number of hotels in it.

That seems like a weird order in which to go about things, rather than doing everything at once, but that’s not a huge deal.

Obviously this is bad news, but I’m not surprised

To Wyndham Rewards’ credit, I appreciate that the program is providing advance notice of pricing changes, and that it continues to have an award chart, as those are two things that not many hotel loyalty programs offer nowadays (World of Hyatt is basically the only other one). Furthermore, this is Wyndham’s first introduction of a new award category since 2019, so that’s pretty remarkable.

Wyndham Rewards is also the only major hotel loyalty program to not have any sort of dynamic award pricing, so you pay the same regardless of the time of year you redeem. I appreciate that conceptually, in terms of potentially offering the most outsized value.

Wyndham Rewards emphasizes how these changes are part of its “commitment to simplicity and helping members get the most out of their points.” It goes without saying that these changes are probably overwhelmingly negative:

• I imagine the properties that go for 5,000 points per night will be pretty sad-looking, and aren’t where most points maximizers are looking to redeem
• Wyndham doesn’t exactly have a huge number of aspirational properties, so seeing a 50% increase in award pricing at top properties will limit the ability to get great value

Bottom line

Wyndham Rewards will be updating its award pricing for bookings as of September 30, 2026. On the plus side, the program will be maintaining an award chart, with non-dynamic pricing.

We’ll see Wyndham move from three categories to four categories — we’ll go from 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000-point redemptions, to 5,000, 15,000, 30,000, and 45,000-point redemptions. Of course it sucks to see top properties increase in price by 50%, but I also can’t say I’m surprised to see this.

What do you make of these Wyndham Rewards award pricing updates?

However, it looks like we’re about to see a new trend, whereby “standard” Hilton hotels claim that their lounges are “premium” as well. I can’t say I’m surprised, but it’s really sad to see the increasing delta between what loyalty programs promise and what they deliver.

Hilton Cleveland Downtown claims it has a “premium” lounge

Hilton publishes a page where it lists its premium lounges, which are lounges that Diamond Reserve members get access to, but other elite tiers don’t get access to (though of course you can always pay for access).

Most of the lounges you’ll see on there are what you’d expect, at brands (or sometimes just individual hotels) that didn’t previously offer elite members lounge access. This includes select properties belonging to brands like Conrad, LXR, Signia, Waldorf Astoria, etc.

But here’s where it gets interesting — the most recent addition to the premium lounges list is… the Hilton Cleveland Downtown?! This is just a run-of-the-mill Hilton, and historically if a plain Hilton had an executive lounge, it would be accessible by eligible elite members.

How is the hotel getting away with this? Well, I guess it’s calling this newly introduced lounge “The Club at Hilton,” rather than calling it an executive lounge. Actually, the hotel is referring to this as “the first of its kind,” suggesting this could also be coming to more properties going forward.

The Club at Hilton is described as offering “elevated dining, thoughtful design, curated mixology, and personalized concierge service.” When you go to the hotel’s website, it mentions “all-day, chef-crafted dining plus beverages including full bar and coffee service,” and “standout cocktails featuring Hiltons renowned mixology with a local twist, including zero proof options.”

To be fair, if alcoholic drinks are actually included, that does represent a significant step up over the old setup. Furthermore, if there’s actually food all day (beyond packaged snacks midday), that’s also a big improvement.

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Is this within Hilton Honors’ terms & conditions?

Can standard Hilton hotels simply choose whether their lounges are considered premium or not, for the purposes of elite member access? Here are the relevant terms:

Executive Lounge Access – Diamond Elite Tier Status will receive complimentary access for the Member and up to one (1) additional registered guest to Executive Lounges, even if you do not receive a room upgrade, (excluding executive suites, villas, specialty accommodations / floors / towers, and “Club” accommodation types, such as but not limited to the Sakura Club at Conrad Washington, DC, Club Signia at Signia by Hilton hotels, Citrus Club at the Arizona Biltmore, the Enclave and Club Category rooms at All-Inclusive resorts, unless the initial booking was also an Enclave-level accommodation), at hotels with Executive Lounges. Members with complimentary access to an Executive Lounge that provides complimentary breakfast seven days a week are not eligible for the daily Food & Beverage Credit.

As you can see, some specific properties are named, but that list isn’t exhaustive. The key here seems to be that any hotel can have a premium lounge by claiming that it’s not an “executive lounge,” but instead, a “club accommodation type.”

And that also explains the Hilton Cleveland Downtown situation — it’s not an executive lounge, it’s The Club at Hilton… you see, it’s a special accommodation type!

I’m not surprised that we’ve gotten to this point

Obviously I find this development to be incredibly frustrating, and I suspect that this will be the first of many “standard” executive lounges to be rebranded as “clubs.”

However, I totally see how we got here:

• Hilton centrally has been massively profiting off of its loyalty program by minting Diamond status, and it’s up to hotel owners to provide most of the benefits associated with that status; it went from a reward for loyalty, to something that you can get for simply holding onto a credit card
• Hotel owners got fed up with the costs associated with operating money-losing lounges (both in terms of the direct cost of operating them, plus the lost food & beverage revenue), so around the start of the pandemic, we saw so many hotels permanently shutter their lounges
• For that matter, executive lounges at hotels in the United States got so bad anyway, to the point that it’s not like they generated much goodwill
• Now hotels see an opportunity to once again make lounges profitable (or at least less unprofitable), by only restricting it to the very top tier elite members, and hopefully selling some rooms as well

I recently covered the frustration that many Marriott hotel owners have at the moment, where they feel like they’re being screwed over by the Bonvoy program. The truth is that I think this is something that all the major hotel groups will increasingly be dealing with.

The biggest hotel groups are publicly traded, and investors always demand more profits. There’s not that much appetite for new hotel developments, and that means loyalty programs are one way they see a lot of growth, even if it’s not in the best interest of hotel owners (along with adding more hotels through conversions, by relaxing brand standards).

I’m of course not happy to see this change, but at least for those who do have lounge access, maybe we’ll finally slowly start to see standards improve again?

Bottom line

Hilton has long had some lounges that Hilton Honors elite members haven’t received access to. With the recent introduction of the Diamond Reserve tier, we’re seeing Hilton create a list of “premium” lounges, which only Diamond Reserve members get complimentary access to.

That’s fair enough for properties that previously didn’t offer elite members lounge access. However, I think we’re about to see the start of a new trend, as the Hilton Cleveland Downtown is opening The Club at Hilton, which is not an executive lounge… or so they claim. Therefore it’s open to Diamond Reserve members, but not to other elite members.

I can’t say I’m surprised to see this, given how many hotels have shuttered club lounges, given how the landscape has changed. I have to imagine that this is the first of many properties we’ll see with such a concept.

What do you make of the Hilton executive lounge “club” loophole?

I’d like to provide an update on this situation, as we have both an eyewitness report and a report from a pilot on a subsequent flight, and I think this perfectly sums up everything that’s wrong with some employees at carriers in the United States, where they just completely lack the ability to deescalate a situation, and ego gets in the way of performing their job functions.

An Alaska flight attendant’s disappointing power trip

As I explained yesterday, a family of four had first class tickets on Alaska. They were then rebooked because they were denied boarding due to a system glitch, and were downgraded. When they tried to board that flight, they were told they couldn’t take their assigned seats, because someone with an Alaska badge reportedly claimed that the flight attendant had saved the entire row for her. This is ridiculous on so many levels.

When he expressed his frustration and asked for the name of both employees, the flight attendant responded by having him removed from the flight. As I mentioned yesterday, Christophe is a long time reader, and he has always struck me as being level headed, so I was inclined to believe him. That’s why I think it’s interesting to cover the updates here.

First of all, someone left the following comment on that post, explaining that he was also on the flight, and talks about how good of a job the passenger did maintaining his composure:

I was on the flight from Missoula, it was a crap show. Alaska wasted about an hour of our time just sitting on board, trying to figure it out. They made no announcements, and acted like nothing happened when it was over. The guy was obviously upset and did a great job keeping his composure. I feel bad for the kids who had their soccer team jerseys on and were ready to go.

But here’s the more interesting point. There’s a Reddit thread about this situation (based on my blog post), and one comment caught my attention. As I mentioned, after the second denied boarding, Alaska prepared to rebook the family a third time, but then Christophe just decided not to gamble with the same thing happening again, and instead, he just booked another ticket on Delta.

Well, the person who claims to be the first officer on the next flight from Missoula (MSO) to Seattle (SEA) wrote the following on Reddit:

Dang, I was the FO of the flight they were supposed to be rebooked on before they decided to take Delta. We were warned about their experience and were prepared to try to make things as pleasant as possible for them. We were told the passengers weren’t aggressive or anything, but there was a “clash of personalities” with the FA and them on the previous flight

Some flight attendants really need to be reined in

I have a lot of respect for flight attendants at large, and I think a vast majority of them do their best, take care of customers, etc. However, the number of flight attendants who go on baseless power trips seems to be unique to the United States.

Passengers should be removed from a flight if they pose a threat to the safety of the flight, not because your personalities don’t necessarily jive. Accepting a passenger onto a flight isn’t like going on a date with them — your job is to just make sure you can transport them a distance of 389 miles without anything going wrong. That’s it. Nothing more.

Everything about this just strikes me as being completely unreasonable:

• Christophe was traveling with his wife and two young children, and wasn’t drunk or aggressive; that’s not really the profile of someone who is most likely to cause a disturbance
• Just look at the actual eyewitness report from another passenger, which confirms he wasn’t aggressive, but instead, was just (understandably) upset, as anyone would be
• If Alaska was immediately willing to rebook them on the next available flight, then it’s pretty clear the airline didn’t actually have concerns about the safety of transporting him
• The person who claims to be the first officer on the subsequent flight they were rebooked on even specifically noted how he wasn’t aggressive, but instead, there was a clash of personalities
• Also, just as a human, how could the flight attendant do this to the man’s young kids, as I can only imagine how rough their travel day was

I just don’t understand why airlines tolerate this kind of behavior. It feels like sometimes flight attendants are coddled in the same way I have to coddle our three-year-old. Like yesterday morning at a breakfast buffet, we made him a waffle (at the make-your-own waffle station), and we put Nutella in a little dish next to it. He insisted he didn’t want one Nutella dish, but he wanted two. I told him he could have a second one once he finished the first one. A 15-minute standoff ensued.

But the thing is, he’s three years old. Presumably this flight attendant has a few years on him, even if she’s acting similarly.

Bottom line

A family had a pretty awful experience flying with Alaska Airlines. They were denied boarding from one flight due to a system glitch. They were downgraded on the next flight, only to then be told they couldn’t take their assigned seats, because an Alaska employee was “reserving” those seats.

When the father asked for the names of the employees so he could report them, the response was to kick the family off the flight. Everything about this narrative struck me as being accurate, given that Christophe is a level headed guy.

That’s now basically confirmed — another passenger confirms he didn’t lose his cool, and someone who claims to be the pilot on the subsequent flight had even been warned by the company to take care of him, and that he wasn’t aggressive, but instead, personalities just clashed.

I hope the flight attendant involved gets a good talking to, because this isn’t how customers should be treated, and it doesn’t at all align with what I consider the Alaska Airlines ethos to be.

What do you make of this situation, based on these reports?

There are many innovative things about Bilt, including that there’s a Bilt Rent Day promotion on the first day of each month. With a new month being right around the corner, I’d like to share the details of the July 2026 Bilt Rent Day offer, as it includes a Hilton Honors transfer bonus of up to 200%, which may interest some people.

Details of the July 2026 Bilt Rent Day promotion

There are a couple of aspects to the Bilt Rent Day promotion, including the ability to earn bonus points (which is the same every month), plus at least one additional promotion.

Note that Bilt Rent Day promotions are generally valid from 12:00AM ET until 11:59PM PT, so technically you have around 27 hours to take advantage of them.

Earn double Bilt points on Rent Day purchases

Bilt has a portfolio of credit cards, including the no annual fee Bilt Blue Card (learn more), $95 annual fee Bilt Obsidian Card (learn more), and $495 annual fee Bilt Palladium Card (learn more) (Rates & Fees). Personally, I think the Bilt Palladium Card is by far the most lucrative.

On the first day of each month, you earn double those rewards on these cards, and earn up to 1,000 bonus points each month. It could be worth strategically making some purchases on the first day of each month to maximize this as much as possible.

For example, with double points, the Bilt Palladium Card offers 4x points on everyday spending on the first day of the month, so that’s pretty awesome (up to a cap of $500 worth of spending, since that would earn you 1,000 bonus points).

Get up to a 200% transfer bonus with Hilton Honors

Exclusively on July 1, 2026, Bilt is offering a 75-200% bonus if you transfer points to Hilton Honors. The size of the bonus that you get depends on your Bilt elite status. Specifically:

• Bilt Blue members can receive a 75% bonus
• Bilt Silver members can receive a 100% bonus
• Bilt Gold members can receive a 150% bonus
• Bilt Platinum members can receive a 175% bonus
• Members can use $150 in Bilt Cash to upgrade their transfer bonus by one elite tier, and Platinum members can get a transfer bonus of up to 200%

There’s a major restriction here, which we’re now seeing for a third month in a row — you can only transfer up to 100,000 base Bilt points during the promotion and quality for the bonus.

For context, Bilt points ordinarily transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:1 ratio. So with this bonus, you can earn anywhere from 1.75 to 3.0 Hilton Honors points per Bilt point. I’ve written in the past about the best ways to redeem Hilton Honors points.

Frankly, I have a hard time getting excited about this promotion. I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, so with a 75-200% bonus, you’re getting anywhere from 0.875 cents to 1.5 cents of value per point. This isn’t a promotion I’d take advantage of, but I suppose that for some people, this could prove to be worthwhile. But still, given that Hilton Honors frequently sells points for 0.5 cents each, there are much better opportunities to be had.

Bottom line

On the first day of each month, Bilt offers a Rent Day promotion. In addition to earning up to double points for purchases, for July 2026, there’s the opportunity to take advantage of a Hilton Honors transfer bonus. The bonus is based on your elite status, and ranges from 75-200%. Members are capped at moving over 100,000 base points with this offer.

While such a big bonus sounds exciting, the reality is that Hilton Honors points are worth at most 0.5 cents each, so even with a 200% bonus (which requires redeeming Bilt Cash), you’re getting at most 1.5 cents per Bilt point, compared to outright buying Hilton Honors points. Still, I’m sure some people will find this to be worthwhile, so it’s at least worth being aware of.

Are you taking advantage of the Bilt Rent Day promotion for July 2026?

Influencer does insane moves in airplane aisles

A social media user named rosa.adventures took to both Instagram and TikTok to share a video of her doing yoga (and other things) in the narrow aisle of an aircraft. She captions the short video with the following:

Proof that my training is paying off. Whether I’m on land or 35,000 feet in the air, I can still go upside down, balance on one leg, and move my body with confidence!! Your body carries enough. Let it move.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ROSA | Stretch Therapist & OnLine Trainer (@rosa.adventures)

I’m about as flexible as a steel rod, so I can’t even describe the moves she’s doing. Don’t get me wrong, they’re impressive, no doubt, and good on her for the extent to which she has trained herself. However…

This is reckless, inconsiderate, and attention seeking

Let’s start with the biggest issue here — this is just incredibly dangerous, and not just to her, but also to those around her. It’s really lovely to “balance on one leg, and move [your] body with confidence,” but are you trained to do that in the event that the plane hits an air pocket, and you suddenly go flying against the ceiling?

Guys, this isn’t the aisle of a private jet, or of some super spacious cabin (where I’d still find this to be ridiculous, but…). Instead, it’s the very tight back of the cabin of an Iberia Express Airbus A320-family aircraft. People are camped in there like sardines, and you can see the looks she’s getting. Most horrifying to me is that there’s a lap infant seated exactly where she is doing this yoga (on the right), so imagine if she accidentally rammed into the baby. If someone wants to endanger their own safety, whatever. But to do that to others without their consent is selfish, at best.

Then there’s of course the obnoxious influencer element to this. Do you really value movement on a plane, and insist on doing yoga? Fine… well, no, not fine, but let’s pretend it is fine for a moment. If this is such an authentic activity for you, you’re really going to take the time to set up a tripod, record yourself, and then remove it again? I can’t imagine that this lasted for more than 30 seconds before the crew promptly told her to immediately cease this behavior.

While I find this to be among the more egregious examples of “working out” onboard a plane, it’s certainly not the first or last time we’ll see this. For example, in late 2025, Diplo took to social media to show himself doing yoga in Emirates first class.

Bottom line

Exercise and movement are great, but there’s a time and place for everything. The crowded aisle of a narrow body plane right next to a lap infant is absolutely not the place to do a handstand, and to kick your foot back and forth, within inches of the faces of others.

It’s dismaying how little consideration people have for others, both in terms of looking out for their safety, and in terms of recognizing that just because we enjoy something, doesn’t mean that others will as well. I guess some people just can’t survive without attention… and I guess I’m guilty by giving them that, by writing about this?

Does anyone not find inflight yoga like this to be dangerous and inconsiderate?

Future Qatar Airways 777 freighter performs dangerous low pass

There’s a video that’s getting quite a bit of attention online, which was filmed on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, showing a Boeing 777-200LR doing a low pass at Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center. The plane in question has the registration code N705DN. It’s a 17-year-old former Delta 777, which the airline retired in early 2020, when it decided to get rid of that entire fleet type. Now the plane has undergone a passenger to freighter conversion, and it will soon fly for Qatar Airways Cargo.

The plane was flying from Grissom Aeroplex in Gus, Indiana (GUS), to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas (AFW), with a total flight time of just under around three hours.

As you can see above, the plane didn’t take the most direct routing, and made a detour to fly over Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center, Texas (DZB).

Why would they do that? Well, this conversion was done in partnership with Jetran, an aircraft leasing, sales, and aviation services company. Since the company is based in Horseshoe Bay, I’d imagine the intention was for the plane to make a visit to the airport prior to being delivered.

As you’d expect when there’s a low pass (there’s a clue in the name), the plane traveled at a very low altitude over the runway, with the landing gear retracted. That’s not unusual as such, but two things stand out. First, the plane reached an especially low altitude. Next, the pilot then made a right turn without having sufficient altitude, to the point that the wing was just feet off of the ground.

Take a look at just how close the right wing got to the ground around 13 seconds into the video. We’re talking a matter of feet — this was so close to being a catastrophic disaster. Even worse is that there’s a community right next to the airport, so this could’ve impacted a lot of people.

Obviously pilots are typically well trained and have procedures they’re supposed to follow, but these kinds of low passes are still a very manual procedure. Over the years, we’ve seen some low passes end in tragedy, with accidents. It happens way more than it should, to the point that one wonders why these kinds of procedures are still allowed.

All it would’ve taken is a tiny gust of wind or something of the sorts, and this would’ve been an epic disaster.

A lot of parties are going to be really unhappy about this

One certainly wonders how planned out this maneuver was, or if it was something they just decided on at the last minute. Like, did they have a detailed briefing about how exactly this low pass would go down, and if so, was this the plan all along. I’m sure the pilot in command of this aircraft would take on the “cool guy” persona, and claim he had it all under control. However, most experienced pilots look at this and immediately see how reckless it was.

I’m not sure who the pilot was who was in charge of this aircraft, but I imagine that Qatar Airways, among other parties, will be very unhappy about this. For that matter, it seems that this is something that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should investigate, because obviously this posed a risk to others as well.

Bottom line

A recently converted cargo Boeing 777 performed a dangerous low pass at Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center, in Texas. The plane was enroute from Gus to Fort Worth, and presumably made a low pass due to one of the companies involved in the conversion being based there.

While low passes are always a sight to behold, this was simply too close for comfort, and the right wing ended up just feet from striking the ground. Everyone involved should count their lucky stars that this didn’t end differently.

What do you make of this cargo 777 low pass?

Despite all his trash talking, Kirby is constantly spotted traveling on American, which might confuse people, on the surface. So what exactly is going on here, and why is Kirby flying American? Well, there’s a pretty straightforward explanation…

Kirby lives in Dallas, commutes to Chicago, often flies American

United is based in Chicago, and despite the fact that Kirby has been working at the airline for a decade, since 2016, he doesn’t actually live there. Instead, he still lives in Dallas, also home to his former employer (well, American is based on Fort Worth, but close enough):

• Kirby has several children, and I guess they didn’t want to uproot their lives and switch schools when he moved from American to United
• Texas has no state income taxes, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s also a consideration (I’m not an expert in Illinois taxation, though, obviously)
• Still, commuting for a decade and not consistently being with your family sounds not terribly fun (though perhaps it allows him to focus better, because I can’t imagine what it’s like to have seven kids!)

Anyway, The Daily Mail covers how Kirby is frequently spotted flying on American. So what explains that? Well, since Kirby was a senior executive at American, he gets unlimited positive space travel privileges at the airline, even though he’s now at United. So as long as a seat is for sale (in any cabin), he can confirm it at no cost, along with all kinds of other privileges (like lounge access — not that I imagine Admirals Clubs get him very excited).

Between Dallas (DFW) and Chicago (ORD), American operates an average of 14 flights per day, while United operates an average of seven flights per day. So I imagine on some level, he’s often flying American simply because the schedule is better.

Technically, it sounds like his travel privileges can only be used for personal travel, and not for business reasons. Though I suppose commuting home from work would be considered a “personal” reason.

Could there be another reason Kirby prefers flying American?

Two other potential reasons come to mind that I could see Kirby choosing to fly American over United.

First, Kirby is a very principled person, and (at least subconsciously) I imagine he loves taking away a seat that could be sold on American, and leaving it to be sold on United.

He loves to spite American wherever he can, and that seems like a small way to do it, and I’m sure it gets on the nerves of some people at American. Hey, cheap thrills! Now, Kirby earned over $32 million in 2025, so I think he could afford his own tickets, but what’s the fun in that? 😉

For that matter, I think on some level he probably just prefers the peace and quiet of flying on American. Airline CEOs are pretty public figures when they’re flying on their own airline, given how invested frequent flyers sometimes are in the airlines. And that says nothing of employees, and the “feedback” they often provide to executives.

When flying American, I’m sure Kirby absolutely gets spotted by long time employees, and maybe some passengers. But I suspect he doesn’t get nearly the level of attention on American that he gets on United. So if he actually wants to work (or read a book, or nap — all of which he’s a fan of), it seems that’s much more likely to happen on American than United.

In general, I commend airline executives for flying competing airlines, since it’s good to see what other carriers offer. I think far too many executives only fly their own airline, and obviously don’t get the “real” experience. But in the case of Kirby, I don’t think that’s the primary motivation.

Bottom line

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby frequently flies on American, which might cause some people to do a double take. The explanation for this is pretty straightforward — he lives in Dallas, home to his former employer, and commutes to Chicago. Since he was a former senior American executive, he gets unlimited positive space travel on the airline, and the carrier has twice as many frequencies in the market as United.

At least that’s the primary motivation. Kirby can be a bit of a petty guy, as I see it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he also loves taking away seats from American any chance he gets, or even getting on the nerves of people at American, who surely see that he’s doing this.

What do you make of Kirby’s frequent flights on American?

In this post, I’ll be reviewing the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt, located within the terminal. I briefly stopped in here since I realized it had been eons since I last reviewed it. Then in the next installment I’ll review the Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, which tends to get most of the attention.

Truth be told, the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt is excellent — yes, it’s a bit sterile in terms of design, but it’s functional, and has great amenities, ranging from nap rooms, to proper workstations, to a la carte dining, and more.

If you’re connecting in Frankfurt, I’d argue that there’s merit to just skipping the First Class Terminal altogether, given the slight schlep to get there. I’m actually amazed by just how consistent the experience is between all three of the carrier’s first class lounge facilities in Frankfurt, as the differences between them are very minor.

Lufthansa First Class Check-In Frankfurt

Before I even review the Lufthansa First Class Lounge, let me briefly talk about the new first class check-in facility that Lufthansa recently opened at Frankfurt Airport. Now, arguably this is a bit unnecessary, since most eligible first class passengers originating in Frankfurt would just go to the First Class Terminal rather than into the main terminal.

But if you do find yourself in Terminal 1, for whatever reason, you’ll find Lufthansa’s first class check-in area at the very right of the terminal.

I must say, this strikes me as a particularly sterile and industrial-feeling first class check-in area. This looks like an economy baggage drop area, and not a dedicated international first class check-in facility… is it just me?

There’s not even a dedicated security line from there, though this area is located near the entrance to the priority security lane.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt location

There are two Lufthansa First Class Lounges in Frankfurt, in addition to the First Class Terminal — the Schengen lounge is located near gate A13, while the non-Schengen lounge is located near gate B22. You can use either regardless of where you’re flying, though the non-Schengen one requires clearing passport control and is more of a trek, so I checked out the Schengen one.

Once inside the terminal, I simply turned left, and followed the signage toward gates A1-40.

Then after a very short walk, the entrance to the lounge was there on the right, immediately next to the Lufthansa Business Lounge (I took the below picture from the opposite side, looking at where I came from, which is why it looks like it’s on the left).

The lounge is located a level above the terminal, and you can reach that either via elevator or stairs.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt hours

The Schengen Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt is currently open daily from 5:30AM until 9:30PM, covering virtually all Lufthansa departures from the airport. Meanwhile the non-Schengen location generally opens at 6AM, since there aren’t as many flights early in the morning.

As you’d expect, the lounges tend to be busiest mid-morning and early afternoon, before and after the bank of transatlantic flights. However, the Schengen lounge does also tend to get pretty busy with HON Circle members traveling regionally, so expect it to be busy on Monday mornings, Thursday evenings, etc.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt entry requirements

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt can be accessed by the following passengers:

• Those traveling same day in Lufthansa first class or SWISS first class get access to the lounge; it’s fine if you’re departing in first class or arriving in first class, as this can even be used as an arrivals lounge
• Lufthansa HON Circle members get access to the lounge whenever flying a Lufthansa Group flight same day; there’s no need to be in first class, and there are no route restrictions, so this is also a frequent flyer lounge
• Historically Amex Centurion members have gotten access to the lounge whenever flying a Lufthansa Group flight same day, though that perk is being cut as of October 1, 2026

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt seating & layout

Lufthansa is incredibly consistent with the design of its first class lounges, and the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt is no exception. While it’s not published anywhere, I’d estimate that the lounge maybe takes up around 1,000 square meters (around 11,000 square feet), so it’s not massive, but then again, it also has pretty strict entry requirements.

As you first enter the lounge, on the left you’ll find some cool art showing six continents, along with the bar with high-top seating, while on the right you’ll find a handful of workstations.

I know there’s nothing sexy or stylish about it, I very much appreciate how Lufthansa consistently has these workstations in its first class lounges. They have proper doors for privacy, ergonomic chairs, and luggage storage. There are so many lounges that have beautiful design, but where it’s not actually practical to get any work done.

As you go deeper into the lounge, you’ll find some communal high-top seating, with a bunch of jars that have sweet and savory snacks. This has long been a tradition for Lufthansa, and it’s a cute gimmick.

Once past that, you’ll find the main space designed for lounging. This is basically broken up into a bunch of smaller zones, where each almost feels like a little living area. I appreciate this design, because if the lounge isn’t too full, you rarely have to share these spaces with others.

Then inside the lounge and to the left you’ll find the main dining area, where there’s both a buffet and a la carte dining. There are roughly a dozen tables, though you can also always help yourself to food and take it to other parts of the lounge.

The lounge also has a smoking room, which is quite dignified. I know my dad loves visiting Lufthansa First Class Lounges for this very reason, since he doesn’t feel attacked by the “pleasure police,” as he likes to call it (I have a very different take, for the record).

Anyway, all-in-all I have a soft spot for Lufthansa’s lounge design. Yes, it’s rather sterile, but I appreciate the consistency, and I find the spaces to be functional. And Lufthansa has also done a good job making subtle updates to the design over the years so that it doesn’t look outdated.

One more thing worth mentioning is that both of the Lufthansa First Class Lounges in Frankfurt have amazing apron views, unlike the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, which basically has no views (just of the crew center). I couldn’t really get a picture of it, due to the “stripes” on the windows, which make it almost impossible to photograph outside, unless from a distance.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt food & drinks

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt has both a buffet and a la carte option, and you’ll find basically an identical selection in the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. I visited early in the morning, so breakfast was on display.

I found the food options to be good, with all kinds of yogurts, pastries, fresh fruit, veggies, dips, cold cuts, cheese, and of course the world famous pretzels.

The hot options included scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, potatoes, and a couple of sausage choices.

In addition to the buffet, there’s also a menu that can be ordered off of, and you can find both the breakfast and all-day menu below, along with the special asparagus options (since that was the seasonal selection). I’m sorry for the picture quality, but the menus are in this book that’s really hard to photograph, due to how it’s bound at the top. We ordered some a la carte items in the First Class Terminal, so stay tuned for that review if you want pictures of what the food looks like.

All drinks in the lounge are served by staff, who generally roam the lounge and proactively see if guests want anything.

You can find the Lufthansa First Class Lounge drink list below.

During my brief morning visit, I just had a cappuccino, which was delicious, and barista made.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt nap rooms

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt has two nap rooms, which is a feature you’ll find in all of the first class facilities in Frankfurt. Each room has a reasonably well padded twin size bed. So while there are no individual bathrooms in these rooms, or anything like that, it’s great to be able to get some shuteye, if you have a long layover.

These are available on a first come, first served basis, and there’s no minimum or maximum amount of time you can use these.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt bathrooms & showers

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt has a very nice bathroom setup, located immediately inside the entrance and to the left.

The men’s room has some sinks with proper cloth hand towels. The actual bathrooms offer quite a bit of privacy, as each little room has both a toilet and a urinal.

In addition to that, there are several shower suites, and one of them even has a bathtub, so be sure to request that one, if that interests you.

Each shower suite has a sink area, a toilet, and a walk-in shower, and then one shower suite also has the bathtub, as I mentioned.

And of course don’t forget to request your duck. 😉

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt limousine service

Lufthansa First Class Lounges are known for offering limousine service, though there’s a bit of nuance to this. The situations in which you get a limousine depends on the lounge you’re at, where your flight is departing from, etc.

If you’re in the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt at gate A13, you’ll only be driven to a plane if you’re departing from a remote stand, or if you’re departing from gate B10, B19, C1, or C2.

The thing to understand is that the Schengen Lufthansa First Class Lounge is the only one that doesn’t have an immigration officer in the lounge, so if you’re departing from a non-Schengen area, you’d have to clear immigration on your own, the standard way (or just head to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal), and there would be no limousine service.

Bottom line

Lufthansa First Class Lounges are great, especially when you consider that they’re not just open to first class passengers, but also to Lufthansa’s most frequent flyers. While the lounges are a bit sterile, I find them to be functional and filled with amenities, ranging from a la carte dining, to nap rooms, to workstations, to shower suites with bathtubs.

I’m truly impressed by Lufthansa’s consistency with its lounge network, and how each Frankfurt lounge is very similar. If you’re originating in Frankfurt, you should absolutely use the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. However, if you’re just connecting, I’d say visiting one of the Lufthansa First Class Lounges is the way to go, as they even have some advantages, like better views.

What’s your take on the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt?

Several weeks ago, we saw a huge new welcome offer introduced on the card, which I’d argue is the best publicly available offer that we’ve seen, even better than the limited time offer at launch. Up until now, we haven’t known when the offer will be pulled, but there’s now an update — the offer ends June 30, 2026. So if you’re interested in applying, I’d recommend doing so ASAP.

Link: Learn about the best credit cards for Alaska Atmos Rewards

Atmos Rewards Summit Card limited time welcome bonus

The Atmos Rewards Summit Card is currently offering a limited time welcome bonus that consists of three separate sets of rewards:

• Earn 100,000 Alaska Atmos Rewards bonus points after spending $6,500 within the first 90 days; there are lots of amazing uses of Atmos Rewards points, including for travel on Alaska, Hawaiian, and American, among many other airlines
• Earn a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 within the first 90 days; this is valid for 12 months from when it’s issued, and can be used to take a companion on an award ticket, while getting 25,000 points off the cost of their award
• Earn a 50% flight discount after opening the account; there are quite a few terms associated with this, as you must travel over a limited period in summer, it’s only valid on most economy fares, and you must fly Alaska or Hawaiian

Personally, I value Atmos Rewards points at 1.5 cents each. I’d consider this offer to be worth 125,000 points (not factoring in the 50% discount code), so to me that’s a staggering value of $1,875.

Even if you’re not convinced on the long term value proposition of the card, I absolutely think it’s worth giving a try, given all the uses of Atmos Rewards points. This is one of the best bonuses I ever recall seeing on an airline credit card.

Atmos Rewards Summit Card eligibility requirements

If you’re interested in applying for the Atmos Rewards Summit Card, the good news is that the application restrictions are pretty limited. Specifically, you are eligible for this card if you have any of the other Atmos Rewards cards, whether personal or business.

Personally, I find Bank of America to be one of the most straightforward and easier card issuers to get approvals from, though that’s anecdotal, and I’ve had good luck with these cards.

Read my guide to getting approved for Atmos Rewards cards.

Why the Atmos Rewards Summit Card is worth it

The Atmos Rewards Summit Card has a $395 annual fee, though it has to be one of the most interesting and rewarding airline credit cards we’ve ever seen. As I see it, here are the main reasons to consider getting this card, beyond the welcome bonus:

• A lucrative rewards structure, including 3x points on all foreign purchases (an incredible bonus category), plus 3x points on dining
• The fastest pathway to Atmos Rewards elite status — receive an anniversary boost of 10,000 status points, plus earn one status point for every $2 spent
• The ability to earn Global Companion Awards — an anniversary 25,000-point Global Companion Award just for having the card, plus a 100,000-point Global Companion Award for spending $60,000 on the card per anniversary year
• Up to eight Alaska Lounge passes and up to eight Alaska inflight Wi-Fi passes per year, in the form of two of each pass per quarter
• A first checked bag free and 20% savings on inflight purchases on Alaska & Hawaiian flights
• Preferred boarding on Alaska flights
• Waived fees, including waived $12.50 partner award booking fees, and waived same day change fees on Alaska flights
• Upgrade priority on Alaska & Hawaiian flights, so that comes in handy for anyone with elite status
• The ability to share points with up to 10 other members at no cost (and vice versa)
• Primary rental car coverage, plus valuable travel protection for delayed flights, lost bags, and more

Read a detailed review of the Atmos Rewards Summit Card.

Bottom line

The Atmos Rewards Summit Card currently has a limited time welcome offer that can earn you 100,000 Atmos Rewards bonus points, a 25,000-point Global Companion Award, and a 50% discount code for an eligible flight, upon completing eligible activity. Arguably this is even better than the limited time offer we saw at launch.

This card is worth getting for the offer alone, given the huge value for travel on partner airlines, even if it’s “just” for domestic flights on American. But I think the card also offers good long term value, from the annual Global Companion Award, to all the other perks. For that matter, there’s an argument to be made for spending on the card to earn oneworld status.

This is a card that I and everyone else in my family have, so I would seriously recommend considering it, if you haven’t applied already. The offer ends June 30, 2026, so now is the time to apply.

Anyone plan to pick up the Atmos Rewards Summit Card with this great offer?

Southwest rapidly installing Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide

Southwest Airlines is partnering with SpaceX, to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet of Boeing 737s. The first Starlink equipped plane is now in service (it has the registration code N8543Z), so passengers are experiencing this on the airline for the first time.

The plan is to roll this out on more than 300 Boeing 737s by the end of 2026, and I’d assume that nearly all planes will have the service by the end of 2027. For what it’s worth, Southwest has a fleet of over 800 737s, with another 500+ on order.

Starlink is known for its high-speed, low-latency broadband internet, and the service is offered gate to gate. Starlink Wi-Fi allows for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, support for multiple devices, and more. I’ve now had several flights on Starlink equipped planes, and it really is a game changer.

Here’s how Southwest Airlines’ Chief Customer & Brand Officer, Tony Roach, describes this development:

“Starlink delivers a new era of inflight connectivity to Southwest. Starting with this first aircraft, we will be rapidly integrating Starlink into our fleet this year. This ultra-fast WiFi brings an at-home experience to the air and redefines how Customers can stay connected, be productive, and make the most of their time while flying at 35,000 feet.” 

This is a very exciting development for Southwest

Southwest sure has come a long way in a short period of time when it comes to inflight connectivity. In October 2025, Southwest introduced free Wi-Fi for all Rapid Rewards members, basically matching the policies of JetBlue, Delta, and now American.

The catch is that other than Starlink, Southwest’s Wi-Fi setup is pretty underwhelming, with many planes having very outdated systems. While the airline has been installing Viasat in recent times, that’s only available on a minority of the fleet.

So to see Southwest moving to Starlink is a fantastic passenger experience improvement, as this will be way faster than what’s otherwise available on the airline.

Obviously a ton has changed about Southwest in recent times, as the airline has completely transformed its business model. From ditching open seating, to adding basic economy fares, to charging for checked bags, to introducing extra legroom economy, the airline is a lot more like the competition nowadays.

This is no doubt a positive passenger experience move, as travelers appreciate inflight connectivity, and it’s tough to beat fast and free connectivity. As I’ve said, I think ultra high speed Wi-Fi is something that air travelers will soon consistently expect, and the airlines that aren’t prioritizing that will be left behind, at least in terms of things like net promoter scores.

If we’re going to rank the overall initiatives we’re seeing at the “big four” US carriers in terms of rollout of next generation Wi-Fi, here’s how I see it:

• United is in first place, as the airline is rolling out Starlink rapidly, and already has it on 400+ planes, with plans to have it on 1,000 planes by the end of 2026
• Southwest is in second place, as the airline is starting to roll out Starlink, and should have 300+ planes with the service by the end of 2026, and the entire fleet with the service by the end of 2027
• American is in third place, as the airline plans to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi as of early 2027, though only on 500 planes
• Delta is in fourth place, as the airline plans to introduce Amazon Leo (a competitor to Starlink), though only as of 2028 best case scenario, and only on 500 planes

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines has started its rollout of free Starlink Wi-Fi, with the first Boeing 737 with the connectivity now in service, and the plan is to have 300+ planes with Starlink by the end of the year. You can’t beat Starlink for inflight connectivity, so this is great for Southwest passengers, especially given the carrier’s lackluster Wi-Fi situation up until now.

What do you make of Southwest Airlines adding free Starlink Wi-Fi?

Family removed from Alaska flight due to visa rule glitch

OMAAT reader Christophe just shared with me what happened to him, his wife, and their two young kids, while attempting to fly on June 23, 2026, on Alaska Airlines from Missoula (MSO) to Seattle (SEA) to Vancouver (YVR). They all have Swiss passports and are permanent residents of the United States, and travel to Canada multiple times per year. In this case they booked four first class tickets to see the World Cup game between Switzerland and Canada.

Since 2022, Canada hasn’t required permanent residents of the United States to get a visa for entry, regardless of their nationality. Christophe had traveled to Canada several times since that policy change, but just to be on the safe side, he even checked travel requirements in the Alaska app… which confirmed they wouldn’t need a visa.

They tried to check in online, but couldn’t do so, as the system said a document check was required at the airport. Fair enough. They arrived at the airport with plenty of time, despite being in first class with no checked bags.

Christophe explains that the first agent who helped them seemed to be inexperienced, and struggled. Her system couldn’t recognize their passports, so she had to enter all the information manually. She then told them they needed a visa for Canada. So Christophe showed her the Alaska app, and even the Canada immigration website, which confirmed no visa was required.

Then a more senior employee showed up, who Christophe says immediately blamed them, and told them they didn’t have the correct documents. After playing with the system for a while, the agent finally called someone at Alaska in Seattle, at which point he found out the passengers were correct. Their boarding passes were issued, they breezed through security, and they arrived at the gate toward the end of boarding.

However, when boarding passes were scanned at the gate, there was still a warning in the system about how a visa was required, so they were pulled to the side. They once again called someone at Alaska in Seattle, who said the process was to essentially offload them from the plane, and then reissue the boarding passes.

Side note — as this happened, they saw their first class seats being given away to people on the upgrade list. Long story short, the process was manual and time consuming, and took so long that the flight left without them, as the captain said the flight had to be closed, so they were denied boarding.

They were then rebooked on an itinerary leaving almost six hours later, downgraded to coach. The agents claimed everything was solved, so they shouldn’t have any issues on their new itinerary. No compensation, meal voucher, etc., was offered, even though the travelers clearly did nothing wrong here.

Christophe also notes how one of the agents said to his colleague that this was finally done and “we can get all of these out of our face.” Christophe mentioned that he heard that, at which point the agent claimed he was referring to the old boarding passes. Either way, not very professional, especially when it’s the passengers who were most inconvenienced.

The same issue happened again, and then they were kicked off

Hours later they arrived back at the gate. They asked if they could board with first class (keep in mind they were downgraded), so that if there was again an issue with their travel documents, they’d have enough time to solve this. That request was denied, and they were told there would be no issues.

Well, when it came time to board, guess what? The system once again flagged them for not having visas. This time around that whole process of offloading and loading the passengers back onto the flight happened again, but the process took around 30 minutes, and during that time, they patiently stayed seated in the gate area.

The agents said all was good, and they were boarded without having their boarding passes scanned, to avoid that issue. They didn’t realize that in the process, the agents had changed their seats on them. This is where the story goes from bad to worse.

On the plane, Christophe claims there was an Alaska employee with her badge seated in the middle seat in row 10, seat 10B. Christophe’s wife had been assigned seat 10A, so asked to access her seat, but the employee declined, and called the purser instead, telling her that “you told me the three seats were empty,” or something along those lines. The purser instead instructed Christophe’s wife to take seat 9E, a middle seat a row up.

Christophe explains that this rubbed him the wrong way, after such a disastrous travel day, feeling like the purser was unfairly trying to keep a row of three seats for her friend, while pushing his wife into another middle seat.

At this point, the purser left, and then the more helpful of the two gate agents boarded the plane. Christophe says he expressed calmly the situation, and the agent apologized. He asked him to please record the names of the two employees, so that he could reference the situation in a complaint, and so there was a witness.

Another 10 minutes passed, at which point the gate agent came back and asked the family to deplane, stating he would explain the situation outside. Christophe says the gate agent was incredibly gracious, and explained that the purser said she felt uncomfortable with having them onboard the flight, and of course the captain sided with the purser. Christophe insists he didn’t raise his voice or anything else, and found the response extreme.

While the friendly agent tried to rebook them, at this point they declined, given that they figured the same isa issue would happen again on the next flight. They felt like Alaska just couldn’t take them to Canada. So within five minutes he bought a ticket on Delta, checked in online without issues, and boarded 30 minutes later. It did cost the family of four an extra $2,538, though.

This is shameful on Alaska’s part, on many levels

Christophe is a level-headed guy based on all my interactions with him, and I’m inclined to believe his version of events. As I see it, there are a few different issues here.

First — and this is something Alaska needs to fix ASAP — there’s clearly a system glitch the airline has when it comes to entry requirements for Canada for those who are permanent residents of the United States. Maybe this is somehow specific to Swiss nationals, for some reason, since I imagine if all permanent residents face this, it would’ve been fixed by now.

The airline needs to address this directly with Christophe and make things right, as he and his family were incorrectly denied boarding due to a system glitch on Alaska’s end. Period.

It’s disappointing that even with the rebooking, this exact same situation happened the next time around, despite reassurance that it wouldn’t. The ground staff should’ve proactively handled this, and for that matter, the request to board with first class shouldn’t have been too much to ask for in the case of downgraded passengers who had an ongoing issue.

Lastly, the fact that his family was literally kicked off the flight just adds insult to injury. Of course we can’t know for sure what exactly was going on here, but I can understand Christophe’s frustration when they were already inconvenienced so much, only to have someone block a passenger from getting to their seat because someone with an airline badge was promised an entire row of seats?

I hope both the purser and the passenger with the Alaska badge are called in to explain their actions. Quite frankly, Alaska is an airline that I typically find has among the best employees of any US airline, so I’m disappointed to hear this happening at the carrier, as I’d expect better from Alaska. Frankly, this sounds more like behavior I’d expect at a carrier like American.

Bottom line

A family that booked first class tickets on Alaska to Canada had quite the travel experience. First they were denied boarding since Alaska has some system glitch whereby it seems to demand visas for at least some permanent residents of the United States traveling to Canada. They were unable to resolve that in time, causing them to be rebooked on the next flight, hours later.

That’s not the end of the drama, though. On the next flight, the same issue persisted, though they got onboard at the last minute… only to be kicked off after the purser felt “uncomfortable” with them, after someone with an Alaska badge reportedly refused to let them take their assigned seats, because she wanted a row to herself… or something.

No matter how you slice it, this sounds like a horrible travel experience.

What do you make of this bizarre Alaska travel experience?

The airport is known for its efficiency, and the fact that travelers can arrive closer to departure than at other airports. That’s also why the airport has historically not had any lounges, since the argument has been that passengers don’t even need them. Well, that’s finally changing, as plans have just been announced for an Aspire Lounge, opening in 2027. If you ask me, the big question is what exactly access requirements will look like.

Aspire Lounge coming to London City Airport in 2027

London City Airport has announced plans for an Aspire Lounge to open at the airport in 2027, coinciding with the facility’s 40th birthday. For those not familiar, Aspire is part of Swissport International’s airport hospitality brand, Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality.

Details about the lounge are limited so far, though we’re told that construction is “well underway.” Here’s how the lounge is described:

A modern luxury design aesthetic will welcome guests as they access the space via a 5* hotel-like lobby within the departures lounge. The conveniently located lobby means the transition from the security lane to total relaxation will be seamless. Once inside, customers will experience a beautifully curated interior with a view of London City Airport’s unique runway.

The bespoke features are designed for an international audience, including a centrepiece cocktail bar and barista station serving locally roasted coffee. These will be complemented by an ever-evolving artisanal food and drinks menu inspired by adventure and the city of London.

As part of London City Airport’s continued commitment to both business travellers and upscale leisure travellers, there will be a dedicated workspace with extensive seating and private booths to provide privacy for calls.

This lounge looks great, but who will get access?

One of the challenges with opening a lounge at London City Airport is that a very high percentage of passengers would have lounge access at a “traditional” airport, between flying business class, having elite status, and/or having a lounge membership, like Priority Pass. After all, it’s primarily a business airport.

Officially, here’s what’s being said about lounge access requirements so far:

The bespoke lounge, which is unaffiliated with any airline, will be accessible to all passengers travelling through London City Airport, via online or walk-in purchase and, in time, through an annual membership.

So if that’s to be believed and taken at face value, access won’t be offered to passengers based on class of service, elite status, or even via Priority Pass. Instead, it sounds like monetization will only be based on purchasing access directly, and possibly even annual memberships in the long run.

Now, it remains to be seen how accurate that turns out to be. After all, with the lounge only opening next year, access requirements maybe haven’t yet been ironed out. For that matter, I don’t actually know how big the lounge will be, in terms of determining potential capacity.

If there is an airport where they’d create super exclusive access requirements, perhaps London City Airport would be it. Then again, most people don’t have layovers at London City Airport, and also aren’t arriving hours before departure, so one also wonders who would pay a large amount for this access. Perhaps the idea is even that some corporations will pay a fixed amount for employees to have access for their travel, as a perk?

I dunno, but this should get interesting…

Bottom line

London City Airport will be getting its first airport lounge, in the form of an Aspire Lounge, expected to open in 2027. The lounge looks like it’ll be quite nice, though I’m curious to see access requirements, given the passenger profile at the airport.

While London City Airport seems like it would be an airport with a lot of lounge demand in terms of the passenger profile, it’s also an airport that not many people arrive early at, so I’m kind of conflicted as to the willingness to pay for this concept, depending on what access requirements look like.

What do you make of plans for the Aspire Lounge London City?

Delta One Lounge ATL size, location, opening date

Delta is investing in its network of Delta One Lounges, which are primarily for those traveling with the airline in business class (Delta One) on long haul flights. So far, we’ve seen these lounges open in New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Boston (BOS), and Seattle (SEA).

We’ve known that a Delta One Lounge is coming to Atlanta (ATL), though details beyond that have been a mystery. Thanks to a new filing with the Atlanta city council’s transportation committee, we now have a sense of what we can expect:

• The Delta One Lounge Atlanta will be located in Concourse E, which is one of the airport’s two primary international terminals, along with Concourse F
• Specifically, the Delta One Lounge Atlanta will be located in the northeast corner of the concourse center point, between gates E14 and E27; this means the lounge won’t replace an existing Sky Club, but instead, it’s a newly built facility
• The Delta One Lounge Atlanta will be roughly 39,000 square feet, so it’ll be large, just a smidge smaller than the New York location
• The Delta One Lounge Atlanta construction is supposed to take around 30 months from when it starts, so best case scenario, expect the lounge to open in 2029
• The city is reimbursing Delta up to $63 million for construction of the lounge, given that the airline is building out the space from a “shell”

What about Delta One Lounges at the carrier’s other major hubs, like Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), and Salt Lake City (SLC)? Well, it’s something the airline is currently working on, though we don’t have any sense of a timeline beyond that, at least officially.

Airlines generally undertake these projects as they can, but it goes without saying that real estate at airports can be hard to come by. Opening a new lounge either requires the renovation or repurposing of an existing space, or an expansion of a terminal that opens up more space.

I’m happy to see this happening, but that timeline is rough

It’s great to see Delta investing in its lounge portfolio, and the actual quality of the Delta One Lounges that are open is phenomenal. The issue is, quality lounges are only worth anything if they’re actually, you know, open, so Delta’s current lounge footprint leaves a lot to be desired.

Delta did a great job opening Delta One Lounges at four hubs pretty quickly, but now we’re seeing a huge gap. The fact that we’re probably three or so years from seeing the Delta One Lounge open at the carrier’s fortress hub definitely leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the ground experience.

But of course it’s important to remember that Atlanta is a fortress hub, and airlines don’t have to try nearly as hard with passenger experience when they dominate an airport. It’s no coincidence that the first four Delta One Lounges were all at highly competitive airports.

Bottom line

Delta is working on opening a Delta One Lounge in Atlanta, located in Concourse E. Unfortunately we’ll have to be patient, as construction hasn’t even started, and once it does, it’s expected to take around 30 months, so that puts us into 2029, assuming no additional delays.

The lounge will be just under 40,000 square feet, so this will be second largest Delta One Lounge location in the network, just barely smaller than the one in New York.

What do you make of plans for a Delta One Lounge in Atlanta?

The good news is that these planes feature more first class seats, and more modern cabins with larger overhead bins. The bad news is that the cabins are tighter than in the past, since airlines are all about maximizing their aircraft layouts.

American refreshing Airbus jets with more first class seats

American is refreshing the interiors of its entire Airbus A319 and A320 fleet over the next couple of years. With this project, we’re seeing the planes get power ports at every seat, larger overhead bins, and new seats with updated trim and finishes. In 2027, these planes will also get Starlink Wi-Fi, but that still requires some patience, and isn’t related to this retrofit project.

Perhaps most exciting of all is that each of these planes is getting an extra row of first class seats:

• Airbus A319s go from eight first class seats to 12 first class seats
• Airbus A320s go from 12 first class seats to 16 first class seats

American claims that this is in response to customers’ increasing demand for premium cabin seats. A 33-50% increase in first class seats on these aircraft is significant. Hopefully it leads to more AAdvantage upgrades, though in reality, a lot of unsold first class seats nowadays are upgraded with cash.

American kicked off this project earlier this year with A319s (as was first reported by JonNYC), as the first of those planes entered service in February 2026. Now as of June 2026, we’ve seen the first A320 with new cabins enter service. Among the A319s, the legacy American ones are being reconfigured first, followed by the legacy US Airways ones (meanwhile all the A320s are legacy US Airways).

As you can see based on the above pictures, the interiors match the new style colors you’ll find on Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A321XLRs, so the first class seats are similar to premium economy seats on those planes. I really like the cabin aesthetics.

In the interest of being thorough, let me clarify that American doesn’t have plans to increase first class capacity on its Boeing 737s (800s and MAX 8s) or Airbus A321s (ceos and neos) beyond the current 16 and 20 seats, respectively.

For context on how these planes fit into American’s fleet, the airline currently has 132 A319s and 48 A320s. Most of these were inherited by American during the merger with US Airways. The A319s are an average of over 21 years old, while the A320s are an average of over 24 years old. While they’re used throughout North America, you’ll find these jets the most in the Northeast.

Sadly enough, the 32 legacy American A319s are first to be reconfigured. Those are also American’s only “standard” narrow body jets with seat back TVs, and those screens are being ripped out.

Expect Airbus A319 & A320 economy cabins to get tighter

On balance, updates to these aircraft are probably good news, in terms of more first class seats, consistent power ports, modernized cabins, and larger overhead bins. For the past several years, American’s focus has been on having a consistent Airbus A321 and Boeing 737 fleet, and now we’re seeing the airline focus on its A319s and A320s, though with updated design choices.

The thing to keep in mind is that as American reconfigures these aircraft, we’re not only seeing more first class seats installed, but we’re also seeing overall capacity increase, meaning that seats are becoming tighter.

For example, Airbus A319s previously had 128 seats, comprised of eight first class seats and 120 economy seats. Once reconfigured, capacity increases to 132 seats, identical to what you’ll find on Delta, where there are 12 first class seats and 120 economy seats.

On the A320s, American isn’t going quite as high capacity as Delta. A320s previously had 150 seats, comprised of 12 first class seats and 138 economy seats. With the retrofits, capacity is remaining unchanged, with 16 first class seats and 134 economy seats. For context, Delta’s A320s have 157 seats, but I imagine American’s decision to keep the capacity at 150 seats was intentional, to avoid having an extra flight attendant (since one is required for every 50 seats). As a matter of fact, best I can tell, American is even doing a bit of seat blocking in economy, to keep that number at 150.

So, how is American able to maintain or even increase capacity, while also increasing the number of first class seats? In addition to a slight reduction in pitch across the plane (including in first class), we’re also seeing major changes to the rear galley. The actual amount of galley space is being decreased considerably, so that the lavatories can go in the very back of the plane, in a space that used to just have galley space. That’s not going to be great for crews, since it also means that a jump seat is on the back of a lavatory door.

For a sense of how cabins are changing, compare American’s old A319 seat map to American’s new A319 seat map, and in particular, look in the rear galley space.

Bottom line

American is well into its project to retrofit the Airbus A319 and A320 fleet. The biggest “headline” announcement is that American is adding a row of first class seats, meaning the planes will have 12 and 16 first class seats, respectively.

On top of that, these planes are getting full cabin overhauls, including larger overhead bins, power at every seat, a new design aesthetic, and a tighter cabin. It’s not just that pitch is being reduced, but the rear galley becomes much tighter, so that lavatories can be squeezed into the very back of the plane.

With this, American is able to increase the overall capacity of the A319 cabin (and maintain the capacity of the A320 cabin) while also adding a row of first class seats. These changes are a mixed bag. First class passengers or those looking to upgrade will be happy, while economy passengers and crews will likely be less happy.

I am sad that American is ripping out TVs from the 32 A319s that have them installed. For American’s domestic fleet, they’re basically the last reminder of American’s previous brief attempt to become more premium, around a decade ago.

What do you make of American’s Airbus cabin changes?

While that’s not news as such, what is noteworthy is the ridiculous way the airline plans to treat those with already ticketed award reservations, as those policies have just been published. I don’t ever recall seeing an airline take such a customer unfriendly stance.

Asiana screws over those with Star Alliance award tickets

Asiana Airlines has put out a formal notice about how it’s leaving the Star Alliance, and this contains all kinds of details regarding how the transition will work. Most of the details are roughly what you’d expect, regarding the end of the ability to earn and redeem miles, and no more elite perks when traveling on Star Alliance partners.

However, as noted by LoyaltyLobby, something in the FAQs is surprising:

I already ticketed a Star Alliance award flight using Asiana miles for travel on or after December 17, 2026. Since this falls outside the flight dates listed above, am I unable to fly?

Even if already ticketed, these tickets will no longer be valid for travel following our exit from Star Alliance. We recommend contacting the Asiana Airlines Reservation Center to review your reservation and discuss cancellation or alternative itinerary options. Affected tickets will be fully refunded and miles reinstated without penalty.

Just to clarify, this specifically seems to be for those redeeming Asiana Club miles for travel on other airlines, while there’s no indication that redeeming Star Alliance miles from other programs for travel on Asiana would cause tickets to be canceled. But who knows, maybe we’ll also see that, given this bizarre approach.

This is an unprecedentedly stingy policy

Generally when airlines leave an alliance, they lose access to award availability as of the exit date, which is fair enough. However, I can’t think of a single time we’ve seen an airline change alliances (or something along those lines) where already ticketed reservations weren’t honored.

This is unnecessarily punitive, because there’s no reason the policy needs to be this way. To be clear, it’s normal to not allow ticket changes to another flight operated by that alliance in these situations, but to not even honor existing tickets as booked? There’s simply no logic for this.

One wonders if this is actually what Asiana intends, or if someone who doesn’t actually understand this stuff was put in charge of coming up with these policies. How generous, though, that they’re promising to redeposit these tickets without penalty, eh?

It seems to me like this policy is even of questionable legality in some jurisdictions, given that the airline is just choosing to not honor already ticketed reservations without good reason.

Bottom line

Asiana Airlines will be exiting Star Alliance as of late 2026, which isn’t a surprise, given the integration into Korean Air, which belongs to SkyTeam. The implications here are mostly what you’d expect, with one exception — Asiana won’t honor already ticketed award reservations for travel on Star Alliance partners. I don’t recall an airline ever taking such a stance, and at best, this is extremely customer unfriendly.

What do you make of Asiana not honoring partner award tickets?