What makes a frequent flyer program useful?

Admittedly this question is entirely theoretical. For those of us in the United States with access to credit cards, the reality is that you never really have to commit to just several frequent flyer programs, as the major transferable points currencies give you access to dozens of partners. That kind of flexibility is invaluable. Furthermore, lots of loyalty programs sell miles at a discount, in a way where it can make sense to outright purchase miles and then immediately redeem.

But still, if you had to commit yourself to only redeeming points through a limited number of airline frequent flyer programs, how would you go about picking them? Essentially I’d try to find the programs that offer the best balance between good redemption rates, a lot of airlines and routes you can potentially redeem on, access to as much award availability as possible, and an easy booking process.

Furthermore, I’d want to consider which routes I frequently fly and want to redeem on, rather than just the general value of a program. However, I wouldn’t base my choice on whether a program has a particular sweet spot, but rather would base it on the overall value and flexibility offered.

Admittedly a major issue with making a choice is acknowledging that programs change over time. I’m not sure I’d want to be locked into any program for a lifetime, so I’m basing my choices on the current realities of redemption options.

I think the other major issue is that we’re increasingly seeing discrepancies in award availability between airlines. In other words, many airlines don’t make most of their award space available to partner programs, and that makes it really hard to commit to any programs. We’re increasingly getting to the point where if you want to redeem for premium cabin travel on a particular airline, you often have to actually collect miles with that program.

The frequent flyer programs I find to be most valuable

With the above out of the way, let me share what I’d currently consider to be the most valuable programs for award redemption opportunities. If I could only redeem through these eight programs again, I actually wouldn’t feel like I’m losing out that much (at least based on current conditions).

With that in mind, below are my picks, roughly in order, starting with my favorite. If you wanted to make this a list of the top five programs for redeeming miles (as I see it), then just ignore the last three programs on the list. Separately, also consider airline points expiration policies, and award ticket change and cancelation fees.

Air Canada Aeroplan

I consider Air Canada Aeroplan to be one of the most useful frequent flyer programs. Aeroplan has reasonable redemption rates, an amazing array of airline partners, and allows stopovers for 5,000 points. Simply put, I think Aeroplan leaves one best positioned for aspirational redemptions. On top of that, there are no fuel surcharges through Aeroplan.

I book a ton of awards through Aeroplan, ranging from “simple” long haul business class awards, to more complicated round the world journeys with stopovers.

Unfortunately the biggest challenge for the value of Aeroplan points is airlines increasingly limiting award space to members of their own programs, which makes it tough to build complex awards. For that matter, Lufthansa first class awards no longer being bookable with partner points is perhaps the biggest loss to the value of Aeroplan points, since that was my most frequent redemptions with Aeroplan.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is the most useful SkyTeam frequent flyer program, in my opinion. A lot of us like to fly across the Atlantic, and Flying Blue has access to more Air France and KLM business class award space than partner programs.

Air France and KLM release a fair amount of saver level business class award space on long haul flights. Even better is that Flying Blue Platinum members and above receive access to more award space, so there’s lots of value to having that status. This is my most common way of redeeming to Europe, and I also love how the program allows free stopovers, even on one-way awards.

Flying Blue transatlantic business class awards start at 60,000 miles one-way. While these are nowadays “Light” fares that don’t offer flexibility, you’ll otherwise pay 75,000 miles for the added flexibility. Alternatively, Flying Blue Platinum members can still book “Light” fares with fewer restrictions.

Flying Blue also in many cases has attractive award pricing on partner airlines, so it’s also a program I use for SkyTeam partner redemptions. It’s also important to keep in mind the frequency with which Flying Blue has transfer bonuses from other currencies.

American AAdvantage

American AAdvantage continues to be the best frequent flyer program of the “big three” US carriers, in my opinion.

The reality is that AAdvantage has excellent partner redemption rates, especially on Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. These are among the most useful for traveling to the Middle East, India, Africa, Central Asia, etc., and AAdvantage miles leave you best positioned for those redemptions. While many of those awards are now restricted on routes to and from the United States, availability is still quite good between other regions.

I also find that AAdvantage often has good redemption rates on its own metal, including for first and business class travel on long haul flights, which can be practical, though not particularly aspirational. The same is true for domestic flights, where pricing in all cabins tends to be the most attractive of the “big three” programs. I appreciate how AAdvantage has no change and cancelation fees, so you can speculatively lock in itineraries that work best for you.

Alaska Atmos Rewards

The Alaska Atmos Rewards program has evolved a lot over the years, both for better and worse. Nowadays Atmos Rewards has a zone and distance based award chart, which is particularly lucrative for short haul awards.

I redeem a ton of Atmos Rewards points for domestic flights on American, like being able to fly from Miami to Chicago or New York for 15,000 miles in first class. You can also redeem Atmos Rewards points across oneworld airlines, plus on some other unique partners, like Starlux. The truth is that Atmos Rewards is the program I use most for redemptions, particularly for short haul flights.

Atmos Rewards even awards status points for award travel, including on partner airlines, which sure gives a whole new meaning to “mileage running.” When you combine that with the ability to earn status points through credit card spending, going for status with Atmos Rewards is lucrative.

British Airways Club

British Airways Club has a unique distance based award chart, which is valuable in many markets where other points currencies aren’t. Personally I don’t use British Airways Club quite as often as others do, but there’s no denying that the program is very useful for short haul awards, especially between regions.

Perhaps what’s most valuable is that you can transfer Avios between all the programs that use Avios as their rewards currency, including Aer Lingus AerClub, Finnair Plus, Iberia Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. This unlocks so many opportunities, whether you want to take advantage of the award seat guarantee on Finnair, unlock extra award space on Qatar Airways, or redeem for JetBlue Mint.

Now, admittedly the point of this post is to select specific airline frequent flyer programs, though I think it’s fair to put these all under the same umbrella, given how the Avios ecosystem works.

United MileagePlus

I hate when frequent flyer programs get more lucrative by introducing punitive policies, but that’s exactly what we’re seeing at United MileagePlus… and it seems to be working! There’s no denying that United has a massive global route network, and travelers value being able to fly directly to their destination.

Nowadays United has limited a vast majority of its Polaris business class award space to members of its own frequent flyer program. Not only that, but if you have elite status and/or a credit card, you’ll get much better award redemption rates. Whether going to Asia or Europe, there’s huge value in having access to award space on United, so I think that makes MileagePlus an increasingly lucrative program.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

While Air France-KLM Flying Blue is my top SkyTeam frequent flyer program, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers some great redemptions as well. The program has extremely attractive redemption rates on Virgin Atlantic using dynamic award pricing, a lucrative distance based award chart on SkyTeam, and some niche redemption partners that represent a good value.

So whether you’re looking to redeem on Aeromexico, All Nippon Airways, or Air New Zealand, the program offers quite a few valuable opportunities. I also love how often we see transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club from other programs.

Avianca Lifemiles

I’m going to include two Star Alliance programs on this list, since I use the programs in different ways. While I love Aeroplan for the ability to build complex awards with stopovers, I love Avianca Lifemiles for the ability to book simple Star Alliance first and business class awards.

Lifemiles has solid redemption rates in premium cabins on partners, assuming you can find award availability. What also makes lifemiles unique is how frequently we see transfer bonuses to the program (unlike with Aeroplan). So I acquire most of my miles with the program with a 20-25% bonus through a transferable points currency, getting me even more value.

Bottom line

Everyone has different frequent flyer programs that they value most based on their own redemption patterns. Personally the eight programs through which I value redemptions most are Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Alaska Atmos Rewards, American AAdvantage, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Club, United MileagePlus, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Between those programs, I’d say most kind of awards are pretty well covered, and certainly a vast majority of my redemptions are accounted for.

Fortunately most of us don’t have to limit ourselves to a limited number of programs, given the flexibility afforded by transferable points currencies.

I’m curious — what frequent flyer programs do you value most and/or redeem through most?

Etihad’s Tokyo Narita is an average of 90+ minutes late

Etihad operates a daily flight between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Tokyo Narita (NRT), EY800, which is flown by an Airbus A380. The 5,035-mile flight is blocked at 10hr20min, and is scheduled to depart at 10:10PM and arrive at 1:30PM the following day, with both times being local.

Obviously block time is longer than actual flight time, and the flight time typically varies anywhere from 8hr43min to 10hr1min. So that seems like a fair block time in relation to the actual flight time.

Despite that, this flight simply seems incapable of operating on-time, a point raised by a FlyerTalk member. According to data from FlightStats, the flight is on-time around 7% of the time, and has an average delay of over 90 minutes.

For example, below is a screenshot from Flightradar24, showing 12 consecutive days of this service. During that period, the plane landed anywhere from 1hr5min to 2hr5min after its scheduled arrival time (and keep in mind this doesn’t factor in the long taxi times at Narita, so the actual arrival is delayed even more than that).

For what it’s worth, with the above columns showing time, 10:10PM is the departure time, and then the number immediately to the right of that is the time when the plane actually takes off. So the standard seems to be for the plane to just take off two or more hours after the scheduled departure time.

The last time that this flight actually arrived at its gate fully on-time was on the September 12 flight, which was 42 days ago. Ouch.

What can explain Etihad’s constant Tokyo Narita delays?

When I first saw Etihad’s poor on-time performance to Tokyo Narita brought up, I figured it would be easy enough to figure out what’s going on. However, the more I look into this, the more confused I am:

• The A380 operating this flight consistently arrives at Abu Dhabi hours before this flight departs, so it’s not a case of having a constantly late inbound aircraft
• I wondered if the airline was always just waiting for connecting passengers, though I find it noteworthy how there are flights to Bali (DPS) and Singapore (SIN) around the same time, and they consistently depart on-time; so if the decision is made to wait for connecting passengers no matter how long it takes, it’s specific to this route
• The plane does have a very long turn at Tokyo Narita, and in the other direction (flight EY801), it consistently operates pretty close to on-time
• I don’t see any reason this could be attributed to ATC delays, since other flights from the region to Japan operate on schedule, and use the same air corridors

I’m a little light on contacts at Etihad management nowadays, and I doubt many people in the UAE will be able to read this to chime in. 😉 But still, I’m curious if anyone has any theories as to what’s going on here?

I have to imagine this is a case of holding the plane for every last connecting passenger, or something, but I’m not sure why that would be so specific to this route, and not the other Asia routes that depart around the same time, where planes also have a long turn at their destination.

Bottom line

If you’re flying Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Tokyo Narita, definitely don’t make any firm plans for your arrival afternoon, and expect a delay of over 90 minutes, on average. I really can’t make sense of what’s going on here, as the plane just consistently departs around two hours late.

I’d assume the airline is just waiting for connecting passengers with no sense of urgency, but I also don’t understand why it would be specific to this route, and not other Asia routes departing around the same time.

Anyone got some theories here?

LAX ATC asks TAP Air Portugal pilots “are you okay?”

YouTube channel You can see ATC has the air traffic control audio and a visualization of an incident that happened on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, involving a TAP Air Portugal plane departing Los Angeles. The tower controller cleared the plane for takeoff on runway 24L, and the pilots were instructed to initially fly to the DLREY fix.

The pilots then contacted the departures controller, though at this point they were flying the incorrect departure, as they turned south significantly earlier than they were supposed to. This can quickly become dangerous, given that LAX frequently has narrowly spaced departures from different runways.

The air traffic controller noticed the plane’s incorrect turn, and then told the pilots to turn right to a heading of 250 immediately. A short while later, the departure controller confronted the pilots about the departure, asking “your plane took a really steep south turn there for some reason, is everything okay?”

One of the pilots responded that “we had been given ORCKA FIVE departure before, so we were executing ORCKA FIVE SID.” The departure controller simply responded with “that’s not even close.” Okay, we’ll talk more about that in a second, but things got worse.

At that point, while flying westbound, the TAP Air Portugal pilots were given the instructions to turn left, flying a heading of 090. They read that back correctly (including turning left rather than turning right), only to… turn right.

The controller then had to call the pilots to tell them to stop their turn, and remind them that they were headed in the wrong direction, and should be turning left, and not right. Once again, the controller asked the pilot “are you okay?” The response was “I’ve already replied to that message, we are okay.” Lol, that’s a lot of pride for some pilots who are struggling to fly their plane.

Eventually the plane got on the right course, and the flight continued without incident, though they were given a number to call for a possible pilot deviation.

How did the TAP Air Portugal pilots screw up the departure?

It would appear that what happened here is that the pilots had programmed the departure for runway 25R instead of runway 24L into their system. The ORCKA FIVE departure applies for all runways, and eventually it has all planes flying toward the ORCKA fix. However, you first need to fly either direct to DLREY if you’re departing from 24L, or DOCKR if you’re departing from 25R.

So clearly right after takeoff they were flying toward the waypoint for the wrong runway. That’s further supported by them actually not reading back that DLREY instruction to air traffic control with their takeoff clearance.

To then follow that up by turning right instead of left when being given a specific instruction is rather embarrassing. And to top it all off, that pilot strikes me as being quite arrogant. He should be apologetic and not proud. Right, you’ve already replied to the message about being okay, only to make another mistake just seconds later.

The departure controller was super professional, and then even spelled out the next fix, which was probably smart.

Bottom line

The pilots of a TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900neo departing Los Angeles struggled to follow basic instructions. First they made a wrong turn immediately after takeoff, as they weren’t flying toward the correct fix. Then moments later when they were being given explicit turn instructions, they turned right instead of left.

It’s kind of rough when the controller has to ask you twice if you’re okay, though the arrogance with which the pilot responded the second time (“I’ve already replied to that message”) is kind of rough, heh.

What do you make of this TAP Air Portugal LAX departure?

On the points & travel front, this week Qatar Airways provided an update on the launch of its Qsuite Next Gen, JetBlue announced plans to roll out unlimited complimentary first class upgrades, American revealed it expects to lose money in 2026, EL AL outlined plans to roll out Starlink along with other product improvements, and more.

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

In March 2026, we saw Aer Lingus equip its first aircraft (an Airbus A330) with Starlink Wi-Fi. There’s now an exciting update for the airline, as all long haul planes now feature the service. That’s fantastic news for those traveling transatlantic on the airline.

Aer Lingus installing free Starlink Wi-Fi

Aer Lingus is partnering with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet, including on long haul and short haul aircraft. Best of all, Aer Lingus is offering Starlink Wi-Fi for free for all passengers. With this system, it’s possible to connect with multiple devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Aer Lingus doesn’t even require you to be a member of its loyalty program in order to use the service, which is an area where IAG carriers are (generously) countering the industry trend, as other airlines are using Starlink as a way to drive loyalty program sign-ups.

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, and more. Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines, and we’ve seen dozens of airlines sign up for the service. As a passenger who values staying connected, I find Starlink to be a game changer.

Aer Lingus’ Starlink Wi-Fi rollout schedule

Aer Lingus has just revealed that it has now installed Starlink Wi-Fi on all of its long haul aircraft. This includes all 12 Airbus A330s, as well as all 14 Airbus A321s (including both the A321LR and A321XLR variants). That means that all of Aer Lingus’ long haul fleet now features Starlink Wi-Fi.

The airline deserve huge credit for that rollout pace. Initially the carrier was planning on having Starlink on all long haul flights by the first quarter of 2027, then the timeline was moved forward to the end of 2026, and now the project has been wrapped up before the end of October. Kudos!

That’s the beauty of Starlink, because the actual installation process is really quick, once planes are certified to have the service.

With long haul aircraft now reconfigured, the plan is for short haul aircraft operating within Europe to get Starlink next, though the timeline for that remains to be seen. The airline has a total of 27 Airbus A320s and eight Airbus A320neos, so once that project starts, I’d expect it to only take a few months to complete, at most.

Bottom line

Aer Lingus is in the process of rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi, and has done an impressive job so far. At this point all long haul aircraft, including Airbus A330s, A321LRs, and A321XLRs, feature Starlink. This is well ahead of the planned timeline, which was supposed to see the project complete by the first quarter of 2027.

Next up we can expect to see short haul Aer Lingus planes get Starlink, though the timeline for that remains to be seen. Unlike non-IAG carriers, Aer Lingus isn’t requiring passengers to be a member of the loyalty program to connect to the service.

What do you make of Aer Lingus introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?

This post is my updated Chase Sapphire Preferred review, also reflecting the major refresh we saw to the card in June 2026, whereby several perks were changed. The Sapphire Preferred changed the rewards game when it debuted in 2009, and all these years later, it’s still one of the few cards that’s ideal for someone just getting started in miles and points. Many experienced points nerds consider this a wallet fixture as well.

Link: Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred summary & key details for October 2026

Before diving into my full Chase Sapphire Preferred review, I want to highlight some of the top-level details of the card.

Here are what I consider to be the pros and cons of the Chase Sapphire Preferred:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card pros include a great welcome bonus, an amazing rewards structure with great bonus categories, and very strong travel protections including primary rental car insurance
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card cons include a recently reduced transfer ratio to World of Hyatt and no lounge access (though that’s expected for a card at this annual fee level)

Chase Sapphire Preferred changes

Whether you’re a new applicant or an existing cardholder, it’s worth knowing exactly what changed with the Chase Sapphire Preferred with its update in June 2026. First, here are the positive additions:

• New 3x bonus categories on gas stations, EV charging, and vacation home rentals with Airbnb, HomeAway, Homestay.com, Plum Guide, Vrbo, and Vacasa
• $50 Chase Travel hotel credit increased to $100
• A one-year complimentary Apple TV subscription
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit
• Expanded travel protection, including emergency evacuation coverage

These changes took effect immediately for both new and existing cardholders. On the other hand, these were the negative Chase Sapphire Preferred card updates:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred now has a reduced transfer ratio for World of Hyatt, dropping from 1:1 to 4:3
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred dropped its 10% anniversary points bonus

Existing cardholders had a grace period before these changes kicked in, but that ended at the beginning of October 2026.

Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus, eligibility, & fees

When applying for a card, people are often motivated by a large welcome bonus, and that has to be balanced with the card’s eligibility requirements and annual fee. So to start my Sapphire Preferred review, we’ll take a look at the Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus, eligibility rules, and annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus is currently for 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months.

At a minimum, you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for one cent each. That would give 75,000 points a minimum value of $750. But transfer points to partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Singapore KrisFlyer, and you can easily get far more than that.

Based on my latest miles & points valuations, I consider Ultimate Rewards points to be worth 1.7 cents each, though that’s a conservative valuation compared to the potential. So to me, the welcome offer is worth $1,275. That’s a huge bonus on a rewarding card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred eligibility rules & application restrictions

Before you apply, there are a few eligibility rules to be aware of with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Officially, here are the current restrictions when it comes to applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred:

This credit card is unavailable to you if you currently have one open. The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card. We may also consider the number of cards you have opened and closed in determining your bonus eligibility.

As it currently stands, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more), and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (learn more) are considered totally independently when it comes to eligibility, including for the bonus.

Note that if you’re the authorized user on someone else’s Sapphire credit card, you’re still eligible to get it for yourself. Eligibility is determined based on whether you’re the primary cardmember.

Beyond these card-specific rules, the other general Chase application restrictions apply to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This includes the 2/30 rule, whereby you can be approved for at most two Chase cards every 30 days. Beyond that, Chase typically won’t approve a new card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months, which is what’s known as the 5/24 rule. Results vary, with lots of reports of Chase approving people who exceed that limit. If you’re under 5/24, you’re in good shape. If you’re over, it might be worth trying anyway.

Chase Sapphire Preferred credit score requirement

There’s not a consistent rule as to what credit score you need to get approved for the Sapphire Preferred, as credit score is one of many considerations. In general, aim for a credit score in the “good” to “excellent” category. I wouldn’t apply with a score under 700, and ideally would hope for 740 or higher. These aren’t hard and fast rules though. Approvals can happen with a lower score, and rejections with a higher one.

Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee & authorized user fee

The Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee is $95, which is not waived for the first year. Considering the value you get from the benefits, including monthly $10 DoorDash credits and a complimentary year-long Apple TV subscription, it’s easy to come out ahead on the Chase Sapphire annual fee.

You can also add authorized users at no extra cost, and they’re eligible for the card’s primary rental car coverage benefit as well.

Chase Sapphire Preferred no foreign transaction fee

The Sapphire Preferred has no foreign transaction fees, so this is an excellent card to use for purchases globally.

Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points

For any travel rewards card, one big question is what the rewards are like, both on the earning and redemption side. So let’s look at those details for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, as it’s an area where the card got both better and worse with its last refresh.

Chase Sapphire Preferred points earning rates

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an industry-leading card with an amazing rewards structure. You’ll earn:

• 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel (and Lyft rides through September 30, 2027)
• 5x points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases through December 31, 2027; this applies to a minimum of a $150 purchase, with a cap of 25,000 bonus points
• 3x points on dining, streaming services, and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
• 3x points on gas stations and EV charging
• 3x points on vacation home rentals with Airbnb, HomeAway, Homestay.com, Plum Guide, Vrbo, and Vacasa
• 2x points on all other travel purchases, including everything from flights, to hotels, to rideshares, to parking, to campgrounds
• 1x points on everything else

The gas and EV charging category is worth calling out, since it’s especially nice to have a personal Chase Ultimate Rewards card offering bonus points on gas station purchases.

It always makes sense to get a card that matches up with your spending patterns, and the categories on the Sapphire Preferred will prove useful to a lot of consumers. Note that there are no caps on how many points you can earn in each of these categories (other than with Peloton), and points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

How to redeem Chase Sapphire Preferred points for best value

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points. I find Ultimate Rewards to be one of the most valuable flexible points currencies. Personally, my favorite use is transferring them to one of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners:

Most of these partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, with one big exception as of June 2026 (and this is a major downside to the card): the transfer ratio from Chase to World of Hyatt is 4:3 on this card. This applies to all Chase Ultimate Rewards cards except the Chase Sapphire Reserve (learn more) or Sapphire Reserve Business (learn more).

This change took effect for existing cardholders on October 1, 2026, and new applicants got the reduced transfer ratio as soon as the change was announced back in June 2026. As before, points can be pooled between cards, and you can use the highest transfer ratio available.

Still, there are big opportunities to get outsized value. Take the Park Hyatt Maldives, where free nights start at 25,000 World of Hyatt points — about 33,400 Ultimate Rewards points at the 4:3 transfer ratio. That could be a great deal, compared to the cash rates here, which are typically $1,000+ per night.

Or you could transfer 72,500 points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Why? A redemption in All Nippon Airways first class between the west coast of the United States and Japan costs that much, assuming you can find availability.

However, that’s not the only way you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points. Chase Travel℠ offers redemptions for everything from gift cards to Apple products, to flight and hotel redemptions. The standard redemption rate through the portal is one cent per point, but values do vary.

Alternatively, you can redeem through Chase Travel using the Points Boost feature. This gives cardmembers better redemptions for some type of travel bookings, and you can get up to 1.75 cents of value per point using this. You’ll find elevated rights for flights with select airlines, as well as for some bookings with The Edit by Chase Travel.

Lastly, here’s an important distinction that other sites sometimes gloss over: your points are worth what you redeem them for. And that varies significantly based on how you use them, so you should decide how much your points are worth.

Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits & credits

Despite the Sapphire Preferred annual fee being so low, the card packs in some serious value. I’ll run through the main Sapphire Preferred benefits below. For a deeper dive, check out the full guide on why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is worth it.

Travel insurance & protection, rental car coverage

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers quite a bit of valuable travel protection. If you, your flight, or your luggage are lost or delayed, this card has you covered.

As of the June 2026 refresh, the card also added emergency evacuation coverage. This makes the card’s travel coverage more well rounded, and puts it closer to being in line with that of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

The card also includes primary collision damage waiver coverage on rental cars, both in the United States and abroad. This means you can decline the rental company’s expensive CDW and rely on the card’s coverage instead. To me, this is one of the most important perks a card can offer. The rental car protection literally saved me over $10,000 when I was rear-ended in a rental car once.

Long story short, even though it wasn’t my fault, this would have been a massive pain if it weren’t for having used a card with primary coverage. Perhaps the best endorsement is that I don’t even know what ended up happening between the various insurance companies and the rental agency. I didn’t have to deal with anything other than filing the initial claim.

I’ve saved a ton with this card from not paying CDW premiums over the years, not to mention the thousands of dollars in travel protection reimbursements.

$100 annual hotel credit

The Sapphire Preferred offers a $100 annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit, doubled from $50 as part of the June 2026 refresh. Just book a hotel through the Chase Travel portal, pay with your card, and automatically receive a statement credit of up to $100.

There’s no minimum stay required, so as long as you book a hotel through Chase Travel that costs at least $100, you should be able to get full value out of that, and basically more than offset the annual fee. That’s great. I appreciate that this is just a single credit, so this isn’t a semi-annual $50 credit, or anything like that.

This benefit is based on your account anniversary year, and includes the first year you have the card.

Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit

As of June 2026, the Sapphire Preferred offers an up to $120 statement credit that can be used toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, valid once every four years. This is a pretty common perk on premium cards, so it’s cool to also see this on a card with an annual fee of under $100.

One-year complimentary Apple TV subscription

The Chase Sapphire Preferred now comes with a complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year, with activation required by December 31, 2026. It’s another perk that adds a lot of short term value.

This would ordinarily cost $119 per year, so in the short term, that could even get you more value than the annual fee. That’s tough to beat, if you ask me. Just remember that the subscription could auto-renew, so if you don’t want to keep it, be sure to cancel.

DoorDash credits & DashPass

The Sapphire Preferred also includes a DoorDash DashPass membership, for a minimum of one year, when enrolled by December 31, 2029. With DashPass, you can enjoy $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders. You’ll also receive a $10 promo credit each month, which you can use to get a discount on non-restaurant orders.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth it?

Unequivocally, yes. When the card first launched it was so good it basically became a meme. I’d argue the value prop has only improved over the years. If you don’t have the Chase Sapphire Preferred and are eligible, then yes, the card is a no-brainer. This is one of the best mid-range travel credit cards on the market, period. Let’s talk about this in a bit more detail.

Who the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is good for

The Sapphire Preferred is ideal for people who want to earn transferable points without paying a premium annual fee. It’s perfect for someone just getting started in miles and points, as well as experienced travelers who want a solid “hub” card for Ultimate Rewards.

If Ultimate Rewards points are your rewards currency of choice, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be the cornerstone of your “Chase Trifecta.” Pairing it with two other no annual fee Chase cards earns you a minimum of 1.5x points on all your spending.

First, there’s the Chase Freedom Flex® (learn more), which earns up to 5x points (or 5% cash back) in rotating quarterly spending categories that often include groceries and Amazon. The second card is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (learn more), which earns 3% cash back (or 3x points) on dining and 1.5% cash back (or 1.5x points) on everyday spending. Between these two cards and the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the bonus categories — and your points — can add up quickly.

If you spend heavily on dining, streaming, and travel, the bonus categories will serve you well. The same goes for anyone with a regular commute, now that gas and EV charging earn 3x points. And if you occasionally rent cars or experience flight delays, the travel protections are genuinely valuable.

Who shouldn’t consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you want lounge access, you’ll need to look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve (learn more) or other premium cards. If you’re primarily focusing on a single airline or hotel program, a co-branded card might earn you points faster in that specific currency. And if you prefer cash back to travel rewards, you’ll want to stick with a simpler card.

And if World of Hyatt is the main reason you collect Ultimate Rewards, keep in mind that this card now transfers to Hyatt at 4:3, while the Sapphire Reserve keeps the 1:1 ratio.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve comparison

Many consumers may be trying to decide between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve. While I’ve written a detailed Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve comparison, let me summarize it here. The Sapphire Preferred is the better value for most people. Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve makes sense if you’ll use the lounge access and travel credits.

The key advantages of the Sapphire Preferred include:

• The significantly lower annual fee ($95 vs $795)
• The ability to add authorized users at no extra cost
• The 3x points on streaming services and online grocery purchases
• The 3x points on gas stations, EV charging, and select vacation rentals
• The 2x points on all travel purchases (as opposed to just airfare and hotels)
• The $100 annual hotel credit

The Sapphire Reserve’s main advantages include Priority Pass lounge access, Chase Sapphire Lounge access, Air Canada Lounge access, the higher Points Boost redemption rates, and the $300 annual travel credit, along with other credits. The Sapphire Reserve also keeps 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt, while the Sapphire Preferred now transfers at 4:3, so that becomes a point of differentiation between the cards.

Long term, I think the Sapphire Reserve is worth it if you can maximize all the credits and lounge access. However, outside of those circumstances, the Preferred offers a better value.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Citi Strata Premier comparison

At the ~$100 annual fee level, one of the Sapphire Preferred’s main competitors is the Citi Strata Premier® Card (learn more). While I’ve written a detailed Sapphire Preferred vs. Strata Premier comparison, let me summarize it here.

The Strata Premier offers 3x points on dining, gas, groceries, air travel, and hotels, which arguably makes it the other best mid-range card purely in terms of bonus categories. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred wins by a long shot on travel coverage, particularly primary rental car CDW both in the US and abroad. The Strata Premier’s travel protection pales in comparison.

I’d also recommend considering which points ecosystem you value more, as there are pros & cons to each. Chase has more of an ability to build up a larger card portfolio, but Citi also has a solid card selection at this point.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture Rewards comparison

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (learn more) is the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s other main competitor at this annual fee level. While I’ve written a detailed Sapphire Preferred vs. Venture Rewards comparison, I’ll cover the basics here.

The Venture Rewards offers a competitive welcome bonus and straightforward 2x miles on everyday spending. Both cards offer excellent bonuses, and the Venture may edge out the Sapphire Preferred on welcome bonus depending on current offers. However, the Sapphire Preferred’s transfer partners are generally more valuable, and the travel protections are more robust.

The bottom line is that if travel protection is important to you and you value the flexibility of Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, the Sapphire Preferred is the winner at this price point.

Other Chase Sapphire Preferred alternatives to consider

While I did some head-to-head Chase Sapphire Preferred comparisons above, I’d also like to briefly mention a few other cards that are arguably in the same competitive set, and are at least worth looking into:

• The Bilt Obsidian Card (learn more) is actually a pretty direct competitor to the Sapphire Preferred, and also has a great rewards structure and reasonable fee, and is part of a valuable points eco system (Rates & Fees)
• The American Express® Gold Card (learn more) has a higher annual fee, but is tough to beat for those who spend a lot on dining, and also offers credits that can help offset the fee
• The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (learn more) also has a higher annual fee on the surface, but it’s actually super easy to justify, thanks to the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit, plus the 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, while offering access to Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landings

Chase Sapphire Preferred FAQs

Bottom line

The above is my updated Chase Sapphire Preferred review. This is one of the best value mid-range cards out there, when you factor in points earning, travel protection, perks, and the rewards structure, especially given the reasonable Chase Sapphire annual fee.

The card recently underwent a refresh that was a mixed bag, but the good news is that the earnings rates improved, and we also saw some new perks added. At the same time, the 10% anniversary bonus points perk was eliminated, and the Hyatt transfer ratio was devalued.

In general, if the bonus categories fit your spending profile, and if you can use the $100 annual hotel credit, I’d seriously consider this card. The current welcome bonus is a particularly compelling reason to apply, as there’s only upside to at least giving this card a try for a year.

What’s your take on the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

Today happens to be the first day of the IATA winter schedule, so you’ll notice flight schedules at some airports look different today compared to yesterday. Understandably, this is something that the average air traveler probably doesn’t think about much.

Airlines observe summer & winter schedules

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is an important body for the airline industry, and it has what’s referred to as summer and winter schedules for airlines. This has implications for airlines, airports, and by connection, consumers. The schedules “flip” at the same time every year:

• The summer season runs from the last Sunday in March until the last Saturday in October
• The winter season runs from the last Sunday in October until the last Saturday in March

As you can see, the summer schedule lasts around seven months, while the winter schedule lasts around five months. The timing coincides with when Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts and ends in Europe. Yes, yesterday was the last day of the IATA summer season, and today is the first day of the IATA winter season.

What are the practical implications for airlines?

What’s the importance of IATA seasons changing between summer and winter? When an airline operates a summer seasonal route, it’s not like it always exactly coincides with the IATA summer season. Quite to the contrary, airlines are all over the place with how long they operate seasonal routes, since demand varies by market.

So, why do the IATA seasons matter? Most concretely, for the airports that are slot controlled, slot allocations happen seasonally. So if an airline gains or loses slots (this can happen for a variety of reasons), those slots have to be used with a schedule that coincides with the IATA summer or winter season. Also keep in mind that slots have a “use it or lose it” clause, so airlines have to use those slots if they want to keep them.

Airline route planning is incredibly complex, so as part of this, airlines often also massively adjust their schedule around the start and end of the IATA seasons. It’s not like there’s anything magical about the last weekend in March and the last weekend in October, but airline network planning is like a jigsaw puzzle, and there are so many moving parts. So it’s often convenient to make scheduled adjustments around that time.

So my point is to say that you’ll typically notice the biggest airline changes coinciding with these seasons. That could include frequencies or routes being added or eliminated, aircraft types or certain configurations being reassigned, etc.

For example, living in Miami, it’s always fascinating to be on Flightradar24 the day before and after the IATA season changes. Since Miami is one of the few US destinations with stronger demand in winter, with the start of the IATA winter season our skies get busier, and we see more routes and bigger planes.

Just to give some examples of changes in Miami (MIA), today marks the first day of winter seasonal service from Barcelona (BCN) on LEVEL, from Copenhagen (CPH) on Scandinavian Airlines, from Dublin (DUB) on Aer Lingus, from Keflavik (KEF) on Icelandair, and from Munich (MUC) on Lufthansa. I’m sure there are a lot more changes, but those are just some examples.

Again, the change of the IATA seasons isn’t the only time that routes are updated, but it’s the most common time for these changes.

Bottom line

IATA splits the year into two seasons — summer and winter — with the changes kicking in as of the last weekend in March and last weekend in October. This has major implications for airlines, including that we frequently see route adjustments and equipment swaps coinciding with those dates.

I know this is very obvious to some, but for those who aren’t aware of this, I figure it’s worth covering. It’s not a coincidence that two weekends every year see the most changes to airline schedules.

JetBlue creditors hire advisers as stock & bonds sink

The Wall Street Journal reports how a group of senior creditors to JetBlue is working with a financial adviser and law firm, as the airline grapples with cash burn and increased jet fuel prices. JetBlue’s stock is trading at new lows in recent days, and closed Friday at $2.62, well under 50% of where it was trading under three months ago.

Not only that, but bonds are trading down as well. The company’s $2 billion notes due in 2031 fell to 42 cents on the dollar earlier this week, compared to trading near 80 cents on the dollar earlier this month.

In a statement, JetBlue simply shared that the company “remains confident in its JetForward ​strategy and the progress being ​made ⁠toward returning to sustained profitability.” Of course that says nothing about the possibility of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Quite to the contrary, a Chapter 11 filing is almost certainly a key part of what will allow the airline to have a chance of success in the long run.

JetBlue will be fine, but a restructuring is necessary

As mentioned above, JetBlue hasn’t turned a profit since before the start of the pandemic. The airline has also had a series of setbacks, ranging from its partnership with American being blocked by regulators, and then its merger with Spirit also being blocked by regulators. All the while, executives at the airline did nothing to actually improve the carrier’s independent prospects.

Fortunately that’s starting to change, as leadership increasingly puts effort into its TrueBlue program, introduces first class while reconfiguring planes more efficiently, and opens lounge.

I trust that JetBlue will eventually be fine. The issue is, the airline now has close to $9 billion in debt. So even if the airline could at some point turn an operating profit, servicing that amount of debt while being a relatively small carrier seems like a hurdle that’s not easy to overcome.

Just to put that into context, Delta only has about double as much debt as JetBlue, despite having around seven times as much revenue. Meanwhile Southwest has materially less debt than JetBlue, despite having more than three times as much revenue.

For years we’ve known that United is at least in theory interested in JetBlue in some form… mainly its presence at New York (JFK). While for a while it sure seemed like United wanted a merger with JetBlue, clearly management has decided against that with current debt levels. If JetBlue does enter bankruptcy protection, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if United is part of some long term deal.

Bottom line

A group of JetBlue creditors have hired advisers, as the carrier’s stock and bonds sink. JetBlue hasn’t been in a good spot in a long time, as the company hasn’t turned a profit since before the pandemic. But we’re getting to the point where JetBlue can’t keep reporting operating losses while also having such a big debt burden.

JetBlue’s CEO had promised there wouldn’t be a bankruptcy filing in 2026, but it seems like the goal has almost been to just wait and see if any airline tries for a merger. With the current debt levels, it seems that even United isn’t interested, but I imagine that could change once the carrier is in Chapter 11.

How do you see this JetBlue situation playing out?

As you’d expect, this has impacted operations at the airport, as they remained suspended for some time, and have only resumed in a limited capacity for cargo aircraft. Along those lines, airline startup Riyadh Air is taking an interesting approach to resuming operations, and is setting up a temporarily hub elsewhere.

Riyadh Air moves flights from Riyadh to Al Qassim

Riyadh Air has suspended its operations in recent weeks, as the airline has moved its planes out of Riyadh, following reports of at least one of the carrier’s brand new Dreamliners being damaged. The airline now plans to resume operations, though with a twist.

As of October 25, 2026, Riyadh Air intends to resume flights out of Al Qassim Airport (ELQ), located around 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Riyadh. Specifically, the airline will initially resume flights to Cairo (CAI), Dhaka (DAC), Islamabad (ISB), Jeddah (JED), London Heathrow (LHR), and Lahore (LHE).

The logic for moving service is that Riyadh Airport is only operating with prior permission, and passenger flights at the airport haven’t resumed. So if Riyadh Air does want to resume flights, doing so out of Al Qassim is the next best option, inconvenient as it might be.

Of course one should mention that there’s no reason I can think of that Al Qassim couldn’t be a target by the Houthis, though obviously recent airport attacks have been centered around Riyadh.

Flying Riyadh Air will include a 4.5-hour bus ride

How does Riyadh Air expect passengers to get from Riyadh to Al Qassim? The airline is still letting passengers start their journey in Riyadh. The way it works is that passengers can check in at the InterContinental Hotel Durrat Al Riyadh, and can then take a complimentary coach to Al Qassim Airport.

The logistics here are quite complicated:

• Check-in at the hotel will be open between 15 minutes and two hours of the bus departure
• The bus ride will then take 4.5 hours, so that’s a really long journey
• The bus will then arrive at Al Qassim Airport 30 minutes before the baggage cutoff for flights

Talk about a really long travel day here, potentially!

Bottom line

With the attacks at Riyadh Airport earlier this month, operations at the airport have been suspended for quite some time. Riyadh Air is now resuming operations, but it’s doing so out of Al Qassim Airport, rather than Riyadh Airport.

This is as good as it gets if Riyadh Air wants to resume operations, though of course a 4.5-hour bus ride in order to reach the departure airport isn’t exactly ideal. What is the airline supposed to do, though? Man, Riyadh Air really had very unlucky timing when it comes to its launch and ramp up.

What do you make of Riyadh Air’s Al Qassim Airport setup?

American flight diverts over “deal with him” threat to crew

This incident happened on Thursday, October 22, 2026, and involves American flight AA339, operating from Miami (MIA) to Georgetown, Guyana (GEO). The 1,969-mile flight was operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, and took off at 6:40PM, roughly on schedule.

However, the plane didn’t make it far. Just 10 minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 22,000 feet, the decision was made to return to Miami. The plane ended up landing back in Miami at 7:18PM, 38 minutes after it first departed.

What was the reason for the return to the origin? According to a radio transmission from the pilots to air traffic control, the issue was a problem passenger:

“While we were climbing out, he rushed the flight attendants in the back of the aircraft. I guess the exact words were, ‘I will take care of you when we land in Guyana,’ but in a very threatening manner.”

According to passengers onboard, what happened is that a passenger got up while the seatbelt sign was still on during the climb, and attempted to help himself to a bottle of water, for a relative who was having a panic attack.

The passenger was reportedly told to return to his seat by a flight attendant, and the two got into a verbal confrontation, which is when the passenger told the flight attendant that he would “deal with” him when they reach Guyana.

The flight attendant took that statement as a threat, and informed the pilots, who made the decision to return to Miami.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office was called to meet the plane, based on an initial report of a flight attendant being assaulted by a passenger. However, according to a statement, “the investigation revealed the passenger and flight attendant were involved in a verbal dispute and no assault was committed.”

The passenger ended up being removed from the plane and the police interviewed passengers. There was then a crew change, and the plane eventually took off at 10:42PM and landed in Guyana at 2:55AM, over four hours behind schedule.

The president of Guyana happened to be on this flight

This is more a funny coincidence than anything else, but the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, happened to be on this flight. It looks like he had been in the US to establish an enhanced military partnership with the United States, and had met with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth the day prior.

So he was inconvenienced by this just like everyone else. I don’t imagine that his presence had anything to do with the decision to divert.

I wasn’t there, so I can’t really speak as to how threatening this entire situation was. Based on what we know, it sure sounds like there may have been a lack of deescalation skills, and that this was more about bruised egos than anything.

Of course you shouldn’t get up when a plane is ascending and suggest you’ll “deal with” flight attendant when you land. Flight attendants shouldn’t have to tolerate that. At the same time, I can’t imagine that this passenger actually posed any sort of a threat to the flight, and instead, it was likely just trash talking.

Bottom line

An American flight scheduled to operate from Miami to Guyana returned to its origin after a passenger became threatening with a flight attendant. While the plane was climbing out, a traveler reportedly went to the rear galley to get water, and ended up getting into a confrontation with a flight attendant, claiming he would “deal with” him once he got to Guyana.

The crew asked authorities to meet the plane, and claimed that a flight attendant was assaulted. However, the police reported it was just a verbal confrontation, and no charges were filed. The interesting twist in all of this is that the president of Guyana was also onboard the flight.

What do you make of this American diversion to Miami?

Qatar Airways will take delivery of 10 Airbus A321LRs

Qatar Airways currently has a total of 50 factory fresh Airbus A321-family aircraft on order. This includes 10 A321LRs, and 40 A321neos — both of those are latest generation aircraft, with the A321LR featuring additional range.

The expectation is that the first A321LR will be delivered in the coming weeks, before the end of 2026. The 10 A321LRs should join the fleet pretty quickly, and will then be followed by the A321neos.

The A321LR has a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles, so it can be used for many destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Below is a map showing the rough range from Doha (though in reality it won’t be quite as far, accounting for winds, fuel reserves, etc.).

Now, for those paying close attention, I should acknowledge that Qatar Airways briefly flew six leased, all-economy A321neos, but those were just intended as a temporary solution, and are now flying for Sun PhuQuoc Airways, which is running an interesting operation.

Qatar Airways’ A321neo-family aircraft order goes back a long time, and involved a lot of drama. The order was first announced in 2011, then the airline reconfirmed and upsized it in 2017. However, then former Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker got into a fight with Airbus over A350 production quality, and refused to take delivery of any Airbus planes.

That turned into a massive court battle, which was eventually resolved. But in the process, Qatar Airways lost all of its Airbus delivery slots, which is why these planes are coming way later than initially expected.

Qatar Airways A321LRs get STELIA Aerospace OPERA seats

Qatar Airways has been promising all along that it would introduce some sort of a next generation flat bed business class product on its Airbus A321LRs. As you’d expect, business class seats on narrow bodies sometimes differ from those on wide bodies, due to differing cabin constraints.

So we now know which business class product Qatar Airways has selected for the A321LR. Executive Traveller quotes Qatar Airways CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater as saying that the new business class product will be based on the STELIA Aerospace OPERA platform.

The expectation is that these planes will boast 16 business class seats, in a 1-1 configuration. This product offers reverse herringbone seats, and Qatar Airways plans to have doors at each seat as well, of course with its customized finishes.

The launch customer for the STELIA Aerospace OPERA platform was Air France on its A350s. However, that’s the wide body version of the seat, which is modified from the narrow body version.

When it comes to the narrow body version of the STELIA Aerospace OPERA platform, ITA Airways was the launch customer, on its A321neos.

This is also the product that Etihad is installing on its A321LRs. ITA Airways and Etihad don’t have doors in business class, but Qatar Airways does plan to offer it. Etihad also markets the first row of the cabin as first class (and that has doors), but I wouldn’t expect Qatar Airways to do something similar.

This is about as good as narrow body business class seats get, as it’s generally preferred to the herringbone seats you’ll find on other carriers, like JetBlue A321LRs, American A321XLRs, etc.

Bottom line

In the coming weeks, Qatar Airways is expected to take delivery of its first of 10 Airbus A321LRs. This will be the first custom designed next generation narrow body that the airline takes delivery of. We knew the airline would offer flat bed seats on these planes, and now we have the details of that.

The airline has gone with the STELIA Aerospace OPERA platform, the same product you’ll find on similar planes of Etihad and ITA Airways. However, unlike those airlines, Qatar Airways will have doors in business class.

What do you make of Qatar Airways’ upcoming A321LRs, and the planned interiors?

Qatar Airways plans new business class product

Qatar Airways is known for its Qsuites business class. This is one of the world’s best business class experiences, between an excellent soft and hard product. Nearly 10 years after the product was introduced, it’s available on most long haul aircraft, but not all. Even though this continues to be one of the world’s most incredible business class experiences, that’s not stopping the airline from innovating.

Qatar Airways plans to introduce Qsuite Next Gen, its newest long haul business class experience. This product is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, which isn’t surprising, when you consider how good Qatar Airways’ product already is. However, the improvements are substantial, and I have to imagine that this will easily be the world’s overall best business class experience.

The Qsuite Next Gen business class cabin has the same general layout as the current product, which is to say that it’s in a staggered configuration, alternating between being forward and rear facing. However, there are some significant improvements, which will be especially great for those traveling together.

Here are some of the highlights of what’s changing:

• A new movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova inflight entertainment screen, which can be repositioned to the side to create the largest social and productivity space in the sky, for up to four passengers in the Quad Suite, and up to two passengers in the Companion Suite
• New customization options, including ambient lighting, privacy controls, and a touchscreen passenger control unit
• A larger lie flat seat, as well as a large double bed
• Added privacy, with taller, digitally controlled dividers
• New storage, including enclosed drawers where you can store your phone, watch, jewelry, etc.
• Significantly improved tech, including new wireless charging

Below you can see a video and some pictures highlighting some of the features of the new Qsuite Next Gen experience.

Qatar Airways Qsuite Next Gen rollout schedule

Initially, Qatar Airways’ plan was to introduce the Qsuite Next Gen business class product on the Boeing 777-9. The airline has at least 60 of these planes on order, and when the product was unveiled mid-2024, the plan was for deliveries to start as of late 2025.

As you’d expect, that timeline has been pushed back considerably, as the 777X still isn’t certified. Currently, Qatar Airways expects to take delivery of its first 777X in late 2027, best case scenario… and that could easily be delayed again! We should also see a new first class product debut on these planes (or at least a subfleet of them).

However, with the continued 777X delays, the airline is developing a new plan. Executive Traveller quotes Qatar Airways CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater as saying that Qsuite Next Gen will now debut in mid-2027, on the Airbus A350-1000. Specifically, the plan is that the remaining (roughly one dozen) A350 deliveries will feature these new cabins as of then.

This is the first time that we’ve heard of any plane other than the 777-9 getting the Qsuite Next Gen product, so that’s exciting. However, this will only create even more product inconsistency, since there don’t seem to be plans to retrofit existing A350-1000s, at least as of now.

It really is amazing how inconsistent Qatar Airways’ fleet has become, as the airline has just sort of given up on retrofitting any existing aircraft with the current “latest generation” business class.

Qsuite Next Gen looks spectacularly good

When Qsuite Next Gen was unveiled in mid-2024, it was more or less what I was expecting. Qatar Airways already has the world’s best business class, and I expected some incremental improvements that build on what the airline has already created. That’s exactly what the airline did, and I’m impressed.

Of course the improved tech and design updates are awesome. But the area where Qatar Airways really excels is when it comes to being able to enjoy the flight with travel companions. The ability to turn a set of four seats into a “suite” of sorts was always awesome, and now that’s being made even better.

For those of us traveling as pairs who still like window seats, I adore the idea of being able to create a double suite by the windows, with two seats behind one another.

This is such an awesome area to innovate, because so many new business class products don’t seem to consider the varying needs of passengers. We shouldn’t just view seating quality individually, but should consider that some people are traveling as pairs, or even as groups. That’s something that Qatar Airways considers more than any other airline.

Now, purely in terms of space, I think ANA’s “The Room” business class still sets the standard for business class seats. However, the product lacks so many of the things that Qatar Airways does well, and which the airline is improving even more with this new product. Furthermore, when it comes to business class in the Gulf region, Qatar Airways certainly beats Emirates.

Bottom line

Qatar Airways plans to introduce a new flagship business class product, which will be named Qsuite Next Gen. This is an evolution of the existing product, rather than a revolution. However, there are some really positive updates, including improved tech, and the ability to better enjoy your flight with your travel companion, family, etc.

The plan has been for this product to debut on the Boeing 777-9, and that has meant that this new product has been on a seemingly endless delay. There’s now at least some good news, as the airline has decided to also install this on newly delivered Airbus A350-1000s as of mid-2027. Unfortunately there are only about a dozen of those A350 orders remaining, and there are no plans to retrofit existing planes with these seats, at least as of now.

What do you make of Qatar Airways’ Qsuite Next Gen business class plans?

Delta cuts Detroit to Keflavik route, after Icelandair exit

Icelandair operates a unique business model, whereby it uses its hub in Keflavik (KEF) to serve markets on both sides of the Atlantic, so that the airline can tap into the local market, as well as offer one-stop service all over the place.

In 2023, we saw Icelandair launch flights to Detroit (DTW). Detroit is a fortress hub for Delta, so the airline has a lot of pricing power there. Of course Icelandair’s idea was to undercut the major players on pricing, while also giving travelers the opportunity of a stopover in Iceland.

As you’d expect, airlines tend to defend their hubs, so less than two weeks after Icelandair’s announcement, Delta announced it would launch exactly the same route, and would even start the service three days earlier. This was obviously not a coincidence, but a competitive response.

Admittedly I suspect Icelandair had to know that Delta might replicate its route, and that proved to be too much competition. In early 2026, Icelandair fully ended Detroit service, as it couldn’t make the math work. Well, at least consumers would still have one option to Iceland, right? Not so fast, unfortunately.

Delta has now also quietly pulled the Detroit to Keflavik route, instead choosing to launch service to Iceland out of Boston (BOS). So yeah, now Detroit is back to having zero Iceland flights.

I guess that’s just how competition works, right?

Obviously this is a case where consumers initially won by having two players, but then eventually lost, by having no remaining service. This is the downside to competition.

Obviously Delta wasn’t looking out for consumers here, but the company was looking out for its bottom line. Airlines fiercely defend their hubs, so I guess this was the inevitable outcome, when you think about it. Delta wasn’t going to let Icelandair launch this route without matching it. And then when Icelandair left as a competitor, it’s also not surprising Delta cut the route, because if it wanted to operate the service in the first place, it would’ve done so before Icelandair.

I can’t help but wonder if Delta’s Minneapolis (MSP) to Dublin (DUB) route will have a similar fare. Aer Lingus added service in the market in 2024, and Delta immediately matched. Aer Lingus is ending this route with the close of the 2026 season. Will this route survive for Delta beyond 2027? We’ll see, I guess!

Bottom line

Icelandair starting flying from Keflavik to Detroit, and Delta immediately matched. Icelandair then pulled out of the market, and then Delta also immediately matched. Going from zero competitors to two competitors to zero competitors isn’t exactly ideal for consumers, but often it’s how these situations play out, unfortunately.

What do you make of this Detroit to Keflavik competitive situation?

Lufthansa Green Fares become Impact Fares

Lufthansa Group is renaming its Green Fares, and going forward, they’ll be known as Impact Fares. Here’s how Lufthansa describes this change:

The Lufthansa Group is renaming its Green Fare to Impact Fare. The new name places even stronger emphasis on customers’ contribution to greater sustainability in aviation and thus reflects new regulatory requirements for environmental communication: By choosing an Impact Fare, passengers support the additional use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across the Lufthansa Group’s route network. In addition, they contribute to selected climate protection projects outside the company’s value chain.

Lufthansa explains that for every Impact Fare booked, the company deploys an additional amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its flight operation within six months of departure. For flights within Europe, this volume is based on 20% of the estimated flight related CO2 emissions.

The fare also supports climate protection projects, based on the remaining 80% of the estimated flight related CO2 emissions. On intercontinental routes, the ratio is 10% to 90%. In addition, passengers receive bonus miles for these fares, along with more flexible rebooking options.

Lufthansa lost a court battle over these Green Fares

While Lufthansa acknowledges that the rebranding of these fares is in response to “new regulatory requirements,” the airline also tries to claim that “the new name places even stronger emphasis on customers’ contribution to greater sustainability in aviation.”

So, what’s really going on here? In March 2025, NGO Environmental Action Germany won a greenwashing lawsuit against Lufthansa related to these fares, on grounds of misleading consumers with sustainability claims. The court had ruled that consumers choosing to offset their flights with the “Green Fares” were left in the dark as to the extent of the carrier’s climate compensation in relation to the flight booked. Furthermore, the fares including SAF made it seem like consumers were directly contributing to offsetting their own flights.

As the NGO Environmental Action Germany explained, “the court confirms our criticism and addresses how one of the world’s largest airlines systematically deceives customers and pretends that air travel is climate-neutral in exchange for additional fees.”

Now, at this point that was over 18 months ago, but as you’d expect, it often takes time for cases to go through courts, appeals to happen, etc. So we’re just now seeing the impact of this lawsuit, and Lufthansa finally making the change. There is a certain irony to Lufthansa losing a battle for greenwashing, and then claiming the new name places an even stronger emphasis on how much customers are contributing to sustainability. Hmmm…

This isn’t the first time that Lufthansa has gotten in trouble for greenwashing. In 2022, Lufthansa got in trouble with UK regulators over an ad that showed a plane in the top half of the image, and the earth in the bottom half of the image, with the following caption:

“LUFTHANSA GROUP, CONNECTING THE WORLD. PROTECTING ITS FUTURE. #MakeChangeFly”

Bottom line

Lufthansa is once again in trouble for greenwashing. This time around, the airline has been forced to rebrand its Green Fares, with the claim being that they made consumers believe that by booking these fares, they weren’t harming the environment. These fares are now known as Impact Fares, with all the same perks as the previous Green Fares.

What do you make of Lufthansa being forced to rebrand Green Fares?

In this post, I’d like to take a look at the $99 companion fare offered by Atmos Rewards credit cards in more detail, to discuss how it works, and how you can maximize value with it. We’ve seen some rule changes to these over time, so I think it’s worth covering the current state of them.

Link: Learn more about the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card or Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card

How to earn Alaska & Hawaiian $99 companion fare

There are two credit cards that offer the Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare. Both the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card (learn more) and Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card (learn more) offer a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees starting from $23).

The idea is that you can book the primary traveler at the standard fare, and then the second passenger will cost you $99, plus any government taxes and fees.

The $99 companion fare is offered as part of the welcome bonuses on these cards. For context, here are the current bonuses available on the card:

• The Atmos Rewards Ascent Card is offering a huge welcome bonus of up to 80,000 points plus a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23); earn 60,000 points plus the companion fare after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days, and earn an additional 20,000 points after spending a total of $5,000 within the same period
• The Atmos Rewards Business Card is offering 70,000 points plus a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 within the first 90 days

On top of that, you can earn a $99 companion fare each anniversary year if you spend $6,000 on the card. Keep in mind that you’re potentially eligible for both of these cards (including the welcome bonuses), so it’s possible to earn multiple certificates.

There’s merit to picking up both the personal card and business card, given their low fees and useful benefits. For that matter, if you’re a household with four or more people, it could also make sense for you and your spouse to each get one of these cards, so that you could use two companion certificates for a total of four passengers.

You’ll find that your $99 companion fare is deposited in your Atmos Rewards account shortly after you reach the minimum spending requirement in the first year, and shortly after your account anniversary in subsequent years (assuming you reach the spending requirement). The terms state that it could take up to two billing cycles, but in my experience, it typically posts much faster than that.

Let me also emphasize that these $99 companion fares are separate from the Global Companion Awards (worth 25,000 points or 100,000 points) that can be earned with the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite^® Credit Card (learn more), which can be used when redeeming Atmos Rewards points. There’s a huge incentive to spend money on that card, given all the great perks offered.

How to redeem Alaska & Hawaiian $99 companion fare

When it comes to redeeming the Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare, there are some details to be aware of, as you’d expect:

• The $99 companion fare is valid for travel on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines within the Americas, including for travel in the state of Hawaii; however, it’s not valid for travel to Pacific destinations outside the United States, to Europe, etc.
• The $99 companion fare is only valid for tickets booked in economy, though all economy fare classes are included
• The $99 companion fare can only be used when there are exactly two people on a reservation, so if you have a reservation with more than two people, the option to use it won’t show
• Tickets booked with the $99 companion fare are upgradeable, both for the primary passenger and companion (this includes using complimentary elite upgrades, upgrade certificates, instant upgrade fares, etc.)
• Both passengers booked with the $99 companion fare earn points for their tickets, whether crediting to Atmos Rewards or a partner program
• The $99 companion fare is valid for one year from when it’s issued, until 11:59PM on that date; however, that’s only the book-by date, while you can travel on a subsequent date
• Tickets with the $99 companion fare can be booked directly online, by first starting the flight booking process through your Atmos Rewards account, by getting the discount code
• You’re allowed to use the $99 companion fare code for two other people (in other words, the cardmember doesn’t need to be traveling)
• The $99 companion fare doesn’t need to be used for the person it’s issued to, though the ticket does have to be paid for using the Atmos Rewards credit card of the person that it was issued to
• It’s not possible to use Alaska wallet funds for tickets booked using the $99 companion fare, which is rather frustrating
• Both passengers need to be booked on the same itinerary, travel on the same flights, and be ticketed at the same time
• The $99 companion fare is valid for roundtrip or one-way travel; it’s not valid for open-jaw or multi-city travel, or for tickets with stopovers (it used to be valid for this, but not anymore)
• The $99 companion fare isn’t valid for award travel, or for travel that includes segments on any airlines other than Alaska, Horizon, or Hawaiian

Let’s talk a bit about the actual booking process. To find your $99 companion fare, you’ll want to log into your Atmos Rewards account, and visit the “Wallet” section, where you’ll see any companion fare codes listed.

You can then either manually copy the code, or click “Use to book” to start the booking process.

If you click “Use to book,” you’ll be brought to the booking page, where you’ll see the code copied in the “Discount code” section. You’ll want to enter your origin, destination, dates, and number of travelers (be sure you select two travelers).

Once you get to the search page, you’ll see that any eligible itineraries show the green checkmark next to the itinerary, indicating that it’s eligible. That then shows you the price for the first passenger, plus for the companion.

For example, I pulled up a roundtrip ticket from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Honolulu (HNL) via San Diego (SAN) in one direction and Seattle (SEA) in the other direction. As you can see, the fare differs depending on whether you want the Saver or Main fare. Any fare with the green checkmark next to it would include the Alaska companion fare, and the price next to the green checkmark is how much you pay for the companion.

For example, the itinerary I chose shows a total price of $748, and that includes the companion. If you wanted to proceed with booking, you’d click the “Add to cart” button.

For example, the itinerary I chose above costs $570.49 for the first passenger, and then a total of $176.53 for the companion. That means in this example, you’d be saving $393.96 on the companion.

That’s an amazing deal, given the low annual fee on these cards. For that matter, this was just about the cheapest ticket to Hawaii I could find. Plenty of tickets in the market would cost closer to $1,000, so in that situation, the savings would be even bigger. Obviously if you’re a family and you can pick up multiple Alaska cards, the savings here could be huge.

How to upgrade Alaska & Hawaiian $99 companion fare

The Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare is limited to economy tickets, though the good news is that these tickets are upgradeable to first class. There are a few ways to go about this, especially if you have elite status, like Atmos Rewards Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Titanium:

• Atmos Rewards elite members are eligible for complimentary space available upgrades for themselves and a companion, and those upgrades start clearing at 72-120 hours before departure
• With the Atmos Rewards milestone perks program, members can select upgrade certificates as a perk, each of which can be used to confirm a one-way upgrade at the time of booking, subject to upgrade availability (which can be tough to come by); note that tickets booked in Q, O, G, or X fare classes, aren’t eligible
• Elite members receive complimentary upgrades at the time of booking when booking certain fare classes and when there is confirmable upgrade availability; Silver members get complimentary upgrades on Y and B fares, Gold members get complimentary upgrades on Y, B, H, and K fares, and Platinum and Titanium members get complimentary upgrades on Y, B, H, K, and M fares
• Alaska and American offer reciprocal first class upgrades, so AAdvantage elites could also be upgraded on these kinds of fares

One thing worth keeping in mind is that Atmos Rewards offers a status match challenge, so if you’re new to the program, you can always start a status challenge shortly before using your $99 companion fare, to really get as much value as possible. This gives you status for a period of 90 days, with the requirement to fly a certain number of miles within that period. Flying on a ticket using the $99 companion fare would count toward that.

How to maximize Alaska & Hawaiian $99 companion fare

How would I recommend going about approaching the Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare? Personally, I think it’s most worthwhile as part of the welcome bonuses offered on the cards, where you might as well make as much use of it as you can. Whether it’s worth spending $6,000 on the card per year to earn the companion fare depends entirely on how you’d be able to use it, plus how often you fly with Alaska Air Group.

I wouldn’t go too over-the-top when it comes to trying to maximize value, since the goal should be to use the certificate before it expires, and get at least some use out of it. In a vast majority of markets, you’ll come out ahead when using the companion certificate.

Generally speaking, the best uses of the companion fare will be for flights that involve Alaska, Hawaii, or Central America, since those are typically the furthest and (potentially) most expensive markets where this can be redeemed.

Of course you’re going to get the most value if you’re flying at a time where economy fares are the most expensive. So the ideal use would be during a busy holiday travel period, where one ticket might be expensive, but then the discount on the second ticket would make a meaningful difference.

Atmos Rewards $99 Companion Fare FAQs

Bottom line

A lot of airline credit cards offer companion tickets that come with all kinds of restrictions that make them virtually useless. That’s why I find the Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare to be among the most valuable ones out there, given that the companion is basically treated like any other paying passenger.

These $99 companion fares can be a great reason to pick up the Atmos Rewards Ascent Card or Atmos Rewards Business Card, and even to spend $6,000 on it annually.

What has your experience been with the Alaska and Hawaiian $99 companion fare?

What is InterContinental Ambassador status?

The InterContinental Ambassador program is a paid guest recognition program intended specifically for frequent guests of InterContinental hotels. InterContinental is one of IHG’s premium hotel brands, and if you stay at InterContinentals with any frequency, then a membership should pay for itself.

This status is separate from IHG One Rewards Platinum and IHG One Rewards Diamond status, so it could make sense to buy into this program even if you have those status levels. Similarly, qualifying for IHG One Rewards Milestone Rewards is independent of the perks offered to Ambassador members.

So the idea is that Ambassador offers perks at InterContinental properties (as well as select Six Senses properties), while it doesn’t offer direct perks at other brands (well, other than that it offers IHG Platinum status, which does offer perks). If you don’t specifically stay at InterContinental or Six Senses properties with any frequency, then this isn’t going to be worth considering.

How much does InterContinental Ambassador cost?

InterContinental Ambassador is purely a paid program. Any IHG One Rewards member can buy a 12-month Ambassador membership for either $225 or 45,000 IHG One Rewards points. Based on my latest miles & points valuations, IHG points are worth 0.5 cents each, so to me it’s breakeven whether it makes sense to pay with points or cash (in which case I’d pay with points).

The 12-month membership year doesn’t have to coincide with the calendar year, so I’d only recommend signing up shortly before your first planned stay. Note that sometimes there are also promotions for new InterContinental Ambassador members, in which case it could make sense to sign up then.

You can register for the InterContinental Ambassador program online, by phone via the Ambassador service center, or at an IHG hotel.

What benefits does InterContinental Ambassador offer?

What are the benefits of InterContinental Ambassador status? When staying at InterContinental hotels, you receive the following perks:

• Complimentary weekend night reward; I’ll share more details on that below
• A guaranteed one category upgrade; this excludes club access and certain suite types, and isn’t guaranteed on award stays
• A $20 credit with each stay to use toward the hotel’s restaurant, bar, or minibar
• Guaranteed 4PM late check-out; this applies at both city hotels and resorts
• A dedicated check-in area
• Complimentary internet and mineral water
• Single room rate for double occupancy
• IHG One Rewards Platinum status, which offers 60% bonus points, upgrades subject to availability, rollover elite nights, and more; you also receive this status just for having The Brand New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card (learn more), The New IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card (learn more), Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more), Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (learn more), or United Club℠ Card (learn more)
• Exclusively in Mainland China, complimentary full breakfast each night valid only for the member (so one person per room)

I think most of these benefits are pretty straightforward. I’d say the complimentary weekend night reward is potentially the highest value perk here. For those curious about how that works:

• It’s valid for 12 months from the date of issue, and it’s issued as soon as you sign up for the program (or renew); if you sign up for the program at check-in of a stay, you could then use it for that stay
• It’s valid for a minimum of a two night paid weekend stay, using the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night Rate at any InterContinental property (this will show as “AMB Certificate” when booking); so it’s not valid when redeeming points, or booking other rates
• Weekend nights are defined as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, except in the Middle East, where hotels may define the weekend as Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• The weekend night certificate can be used for most room types, including many suites and club rooms
• The weekend night certificate isn’t transferable, so it has to be used by the member
• The cost of the second night is manually credited at check-out when using the certificate
• If you’re curious to see what rates are like using this benefit but don’t yet have a certificate, you can search the rates at this link; as you’ll see, this rate is sometimes a bit higher than the regular best available rate, but not by much

Note that InterContinental Ambassador members also receive select perks at other premium brands. The best InterContinental Ambassador recognition is otherwise at Six Senses properties, where Ambassador members receive the following perks:

• Complimentary daily breakfast for two in the restaurant
• A complimentary one category room upgrade, subject to availability
• Early check-in and 4PM late check-out, subject to availability
• A wellness platter welcome amenity
• Complimentary internet access

InterContinental Ambassador members don’t receive perks at Kimpton properties, but rather Kimpton has its own Inner Circle program. Ambassadors also don’t receive perks at Regent properties, which is one of IHG’s other luxury hotel brands.

Is InterContinental Ambassador worth the cost?

If you stay at InterContinentals with any frequency, then buying Ambassador status is almost certainly worth it. The free night certificate alone should more than justify the annual fee for most. On top of that, you can easily recoup your membership fee with a stay or two, thanks to the guaranteed upgrade, late check-out, $20 food & beverage credit, and more.

If you like InterContinentals, this program is absolutely for you. Personally I haven’t been a member in many years, simply because InterContinentals don’t appeal to me much. To me the brand has no personality, and seems like it’s stuck in the early 2000s. What exactly is the selling point of InterContinental as a brand?

That’s not to say there aren’t nice individual properties, but it just seems like the brand lacks a vision. Or I suppose to look at it another way, most brands lack a vision nowadays, so perhaps that’s not unique to InterContinental. Personally I’m much more excited about IHG’s other upscale and luxury brands, like Kimpton and Six Senses.

What is InterContinental Royal Ambassador status?

In addition to the paid InterContinental Ambassador program, there’s also the InterContinental Royal Ambassador program, which is invitation-only. As it’s described, this is extended “only to a small percentage” of guests based on their spending and stay activities at InterContinental and Kimpton.

This is invitation only, but you can generally expect that you won’t get an invitation if you don’t spend at least $12,000 or so per year with these brands (and even that isn’t a guarantee). Unlike Ambassador, Royal Ambassador is based on the calendar year, so you qualify based on your stay patterns over the previous year.

What are the benefits of InterContinental Royal Ambassador?

• A guaranteed two category upgrade
• Guaranteed 10AM early check-in and 4PM late check-out
• Club InterContinental lounge access where available, and complimentary daily breakfast for two at properties without a lounge
• A free night certificate at an IHG property worth up to 70,000 points
• An InterContinental weekend night reward, similar to the one offered to Ambassador members
• IHG One Rewards Diamond status
• 25 IHG food & beverage rewards annually, each worth up to $20
• A complimentary minibar credit of up to $50 per day
• A choice of a savory or sweet snack, or fruit
• Waived destination or resort fees, for properties that charge them
• Guaranteed room availability up to 24 hours before arrival
• Kimpton Inner Circle status, offering perks at Kimpton properties

My take on IHG’s messy loyalty recognition

Let’s start on a positive note. I’m impressed by the relaunch we saw of IHG’s loyalty program back in 2022. IHG One Rewards is finally competitive with other hotel groups, and we’ve seen the introduction of free breakfast for elite members, confirmed suite upgrades, club access memberships, and more. All of that is fantastic.

However, in my opinion it’s now time for IHG to harmonize the IHG One Rewards program and the Ambassador program. How is the average member supposed to make sense of the difference between the two? The learning curve is too great for this to make any sense to consumers.

Bigger picture, I’d like to see IHG make three changes to truly make IHG One Rewards even more competitive:

• It’s time that all brands owned by IHG fully join IHG’s loyalty program; for example, many Six Senses properties still don’t belong to IHG One Rewards
• It’s time that all elite perks apply on both cash and award stays; IHG has the only major loyalty program that doesn’t honor all elite perks when redeeming points
• It’s time that IHG create a single loyalty program that properly rewards stays at all brands; there shouldn’t be separate programs for select luxury brands, as that takes away from the incentive to be loyal to IHG overall

For example, personally I’d probably be invested in IHG’s loyalty program if my stays at Kimptons, Six Senses, Regent, etc., were all fully rewarded in the same way, rather than all these separate programs, many properties not participating, etc. I just have a hard time getting excited about any individual IHG brand, based on how benefits are currently executed.

Bottom line

InterContinental Ambassador is a paid program that offers extra benefits for stays at InterContinental properties. You can sign-up for just $225 or 45,000 IHG points per year. I’d say this could represent a fantastic deal, between the complimentary weekend night reward, guaranteed upgrades, late check-out, food & beverage credit, and more.

I’m curious to hear from OMAAT readers — what do you make of the InterContinental Ambassador program?

It’s a fascinating loyalty program for some really stellar brands, like Capella Hotels & Resorts. There’s also often a status match promotion, which is an easy way to elevate your stays with eligible brands. If you want to get as much value from your stays as possible, GHA has just rolled out an interesting promotion… is it worth it, though?

Get a deal on GHA stays by buying D$ at a discount

Between October 22 and November 19, 2026, GHA Discovery is offering 15% off the purchase of Discovery Dollars (D$), the program’s rewards currency. The idea is that you can buy each D$ for 0.85 USD, and you can purchase up to 5,000 D$ with this offer.

D$ expire 24 months after they’re issued, and can’t be extended, even with activity. They can be redeemed toward most charges at most hotels, at the rate of one D$ per USD. The only things that generally aren’t eligible for redemption are taxes, tips, fees, etc. Also keep in mind that you don’t earn D$ on any portion of your stay for which you redeem D$.

So essentially think of this as an opportunity to save 15% on a GHA stay, which seems pretty compelling, assuming you have firm plans to make a stay in the near future. However, is it really worth it?

The catch with the GHA Discovery D$ promotion

GHA Discovery is a revenue based loyalty program, so there aren’t any arbitrage opportunities that will get you more value. Still, 15% off a hotel stay sounds good… right?

Yes, I would say it’s mostly a good deal, but the catch is that when you redeem D$, you don’t earn rewards for that portion of the stay. Ordinarily, GHA Discovery members earn anywhere from 4-7% back on their stays (in the form of D$), so you’re forgoing a 4-7% return in order to save 15%. That still leaves you with an 8-11% spread. However:

• GHA Discovery sometimes has promotions offering bonus D$ for stays, so you’re also forgoing that
• Purchasing D$ doesn’t code as hotel spending on credit cards, but instead, codes as “other services,” and that means you’re potentially forgoing quite some points there; for example, I earn 4x points on hotel spending with my credit cards, while I “only” earn 2x points on everyday spending

So I think for some people, the math could work out nicely. Like, if you have an upcoming $5,000 Capella stay, then saving $750 on that sounds great. However, it’s not necessarily as much of a slam dunk as you might assume at first glance, when you consider the things you’re forgoing.

Bottom line

GHA is selling Discovery Dollars (D$) for 15% off, which is an opportunity to get a discount on a stay with dozens of different hotel brands, including ones like Anantara, Capella, Kempinski, Pan Pacific, Patina, and more.

Being able to essentially buy a discount on a hotel stay could be a good value, but the catch is that you don’t earn rewards on the portion of the stay you redeem for, and buying Discovery Dollars also doesn’t code as hotel spending for credit cards.

Given that you usually earn a 4-7% return on GHA spending, that lowers the real value here to 8-11%, before any additional promotions, and that doesn’t factor in the possible difference in credit card rewards. So I think this could make sense with an upcoming stay, but it’s not any sort of slam dunk.

Does anyone plan on buying D$ at a discount?

Along those lines, American’s current most senior flight attendant is about to retire, and I think that makes for an interesting story.

83-year-old American flight attendant retires after 63+ years

Ted Reed has the story of how American Airlines’ most senior flight attendant, Carol Fair, will be retiring on Monday, October 26, 2026, as she takes her last flight from London (LHR) to Charlotte (CLT). The 83-year-old first started her career in 1963 at Piedmont Airlines, before working at US Airways, and then American (given all the mergers). So she’ll be retiring after a career of over 63 years.

Fair is retiring as the number one active flight attendant on American’s seniority list, which includes around 30,000 people. Technically she’s only the third most senior flight attendant at the airline, but the two most senior no longer fly, but haven’t officially retired. Funny enough, when Fair first started her career, she was rejected at American, as the airline claimed she “wasn’t American material.” However, two mergers later, she landed at the airline she hoped to work for in the first place.

The airline is expected to have a water salute for Fair upon landing in Charlotte on Monday, an honor that’s typically reserved for pilots on their last flight, and not flight attendants. As Fair looks back on her career, she shared the following:

“It’s time. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I made No. 1 out of 30,000. You can’t go any higher, so I might as well hang it up.”

As you’d expect, Fair primarily flies internationally, given that it’s the easiest way to rack up a lot of hours, and minimize the number of days you have to work. She also explained that she prefers the quality of passengers to those on domestic flights, saying “they are vented better.” Hah.

American’s most senior flight attendant had worked for 67 years

While Fair is American’s most senior active flight attendant, it’s worth noting that she’s not the most senior American flight attendant ever. American’s most senior flight attendant ever — and for that matter, the industry’s most senior flight attendant ever — was Bette Nash.

She started her career in 1957, and she worked at the airlines for 67 years, up until 2024. She then passed away at the age of 88. She was also recognized by Guinness World Records for being the world’s longest serving flight attendant.

Super senior flight attendants can be a mixed bag

There’s definitely a lot of ageism out there when it comes to how people perceive old flight attendants. Former Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker made headlines years back, when he talked about “crap American carriers” and how “you’re being served by grandmothers,” while bragging about how the average age of “his” flight attendants was only 26.

I think there are also a fair number of people who are just genuinely confused. If you’re from somewhere like Singapore or Japan, it’s just shocking to see people working in such a position at such an age.

I find that at airlines, super senior flight attendants are often on both ends of the spectrum in terms of quality. Some are just incredible, have such a good attitude, and really are a throwback to what service used to be like. Others, meanwhile, have an attitude, and clearly don’t want to be there.

As you’d expect, peoples’ motivation for wanting to work that long also varies. For some people, they genuinely enjoy their jobs, and it keeps them active, and they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves in retirement. For others, sadly they have to work to make ends meet, given how expensive life can be, and the lack of proper pensions.

When we’re talking about really senior flight attendants, my only concern is their ability to perform important safety duties. We always hear how flight attendants at US carriers are there primarily for our safety. However, there’s no denying that at a certain point, it becomes challenging to perform these duties.

Yes, senior flight attendants have to go through recurrent training, where they practice emergency evacuations, etc. However, they can take this multiple times if they fail. And there was a story many years ago about United’s most senior flight attendant at the time, and how many times she failed before passing. Obviously that’s a bit concerning.

Bottom line

American Airlines’ most senior flight attendant is retiring at the age of 83, after a career lasting over 63 years. She first started at Piedmont, then US Airways, and then American, thanks to three sets of mergers. On Monday, she’ll operate her last flight from London to Charlotte. Congrats to Fair, and may she have some enjoyable and healthy years in retirement!

On the plus side, I didn’t have to switch terminals this time around, because a terminal change in Manila makes for what’s possibly the world’s worst airport transit experience. However, that’s not to say that the layover was smooth — quite to the contrary, I found the entire ground experience to be pretty bad. Transit security was a mess, and the lounge was overcrowded, with some major shortcomings.

Some may think my review here is overly critical, but let me simply state that somehow the lounge Wi-Fi doesn’t work on “foreign” computers (based on my experience, and confirmed by an airline employee), and that’s just mind-boggling to me. So if you want to use Wi-Fi on your laptop, you actually have to leave the lounge and go into the terminal, and use the airport free Wi-Fi. That’s just beyond embarrassing. Anyway, enough of an intro, let me get into the review.

Manila Airport Terminal 1 transit security

Fortunately my Philippine Airlines flights were both arriving at and departing from Terminal 1 in Manila, so at least I didn’t have to switch terminals. All international connecting passengers have to clear transit security, and I found this to be a mess.

There was a long queue, and the entire space is set up with a single x-ray machine and metal detector. The line shown below also doesn’t account for the endless passengers in wheelchairs cutting the line (nothing against them, of course, but it all slows things down). There was also no sense of urgency among the screeners. It took roughly 40 minutes from the time I deplaned until I was through transit security.

I understand that airlines don’t have full control over airport facilities like this, but it’s really something that airport authorities need to work on. Philippine Airlines is growing, and in particular, is trying to increasingly compete with international connecting traffic. This is just such an avoidable pain point, especially when you consider the short connections the airline sells.

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila location

Admittedly most hub airports get busy during peak hours, but Manila Airport Terminal 1 is a special kind of mess. The terminal is narrow, and I found the signage confusing. Typically if you’re at a carrier’s hub terminal, it’s not too hard to find lounges. So I followed the signage in the direction of “Airline Lounges,” only to end up on the wrong side of the terminal.

As it turns out, the other direction also has signage for “Airline Lounges,” so you’d think they could have signage indicating which lounges are in which direction.

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge is located near gate 15, though it’s honestly easy to miss.

There’s a sign for flights to Australia, and next to that is a sign where the biggest word is “Mabuhay,” and that’s the sign for the lounge. I walked past this area twice before I realized this is where the lounge was located. Again, for a hub lounge, you’d think they could do a bit better on signage.

The lounge is located on level four, which is one floor above the terminal. It can only be accessed via an elevator that’s in absolutely horrible condition (physically, and in terms of the feeling when riding it).

Once on level four, the entrance to the lounge was easy to spot. I have to say, my first impression was very positive, as the entrance is beautiful. For a moment I thought I’d actually have a nice lounge experience!

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila hours

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila is open 24/7, as I understand it. Some reports online suggest it closes for a couple of hours in the middle of the night on Wednesdays for “maintenance.” But big picture, you really don’t have to worry about the hours of this lounge — if you have a flight, it’ll be open!

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila entry requirements

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila has pretty straightforward access requirements. The lounge is open to Philippine Airlines business class passengers (no guests allowed) and Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite and Elite travelers (one guest allowed). On top of that, those without lounge access can purchase access at an additional cost, which varies based on the length of stay, and is subject to capacity limits.

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila seating & layout

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila opened in late 2023, and it’s approximately 1,200 square meters (13,000 square feet), with a capacity for just under 300 guests. As is the case with any lounge, your experience will vary based on when you visit, and I definitely visited during a peak crowding period. The lounge is set along one main corridor, with a few main rooms.

When you enter the lounge, the first main room just has traditional lounge seating intended for relaxing. This consists mostly of chairs in rows, along with some tables.

Then in the back of the lounge is an area with dining tables, and this is also where the buffet is located.

Along the side of the lounge is a small room that’s more intended for resting, as it has some chairs with ottomans.

This area also has a Million Miler Exclusive area, which is kind of laughable. It’s basically a small space behind a glass shield with some high-top seating, so it almost seems more like it should be the work area of the lounge, rather than something reserved for the carrier’s most loyal customers.

As you can tell, the lounge was really busy during my visit, and I initially could barely find an open seat (aside from asking to join someone at a dining table).

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila Wi-Fi & announcements

Now let me share what I’d consider to be the two worst parts of the lounge — the Wi-Fi situation and the announcements. These two things are my biggest beef with this lounge, and they’re why I actually just ended up sitting in the terminal rather than the lounge.

The first issue involves Wi-Fi. Being able to connect to Wi-Fi is perhaps the single most basic amenity you’d expect in a lounge, but that’s too much to ask for here.

I tried to connect to the Wi-Fi on my laptop, but it simply didn’t work. I spent several minutes troubleshooting things, and then eventually I went to the lounge reception to ask if the Wi-Fi was down, or what was going on.

The answer? “Actually sir, we have a problem where laptops from other countries can’t connect to our Wi-Fi.” At first I figured that couldn’t be true, so I tried connecting on my phone. Sure enough that worked!

I know this lounge agent is just the messenger, but I find this to be completely absurd. First of all, it’s ridiculous that this is the case. Second of all, I just found the way it was communicated to be poor, and showed a lack of understanding. It wasn’t “I’m so sorry, we’re working on fixing this.” She explained it as if this is a normal thing.

The airport offers free Wi-Fi, but it doesn’t extend to the lounge. So I actually had to go into the terminal in order to be able to work on my laptop.

Now let’s move onto the second issue, which is that this lounge has the ambiance of a live auction. Not only is every flight departure announced in the lounge, but it’s announced multiple times, and each announcement has so much unnecessary language and repetition. During the busiest period, the lounge agent barely put down the microphone. Again, the terminal had a nicer ambiance, and that’s saying something!

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila food & drinks

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila has a self-serve buffet located in the back of the lounge. I visited late at night, so it was the dinner selection on offer. The buffet was so busy that it was hard to get good pictures, but options included finger sandwiches, bread, salad, dumplings, noodle soup, and a few other hot dishes.

There were also some sweets, including cookies, cakes, and fruit.

The selection wasn’t awful, but it was also below average for an Asian carrier’s hub lounge, as I see it. When it comes to drinks, there were some self-serve options, including coffee, juice, and soda.

The lounge also has a bar with cocktails, beer, wine, and barista coffee.

Y’all know how much I love good coffee, and while I was happy to see barista coffee, it wasn’t actually good. At least based on my preferred tastes, I found it to be really bitter — bonus points for the presentation, though.

Philippine Airlines Lounge Manila bathrooms & showers

The Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila has bathrooms and shower suites. The bathrooms were okay — they were consistently crowded, but weren’t dirty. Meanwhile there was a wait for the showers, so I didn’t actually get a chance to visit them.

Bottom line

My transit experience at Manila Airport was really underwhelming. First there was the incredibly inefficient transit security, which admittedly isn’t directly the carrier’s fault. But the much bigger issue is the quality of Philippine Airlines’ flagship lounge.

The lounge design was okay, and the lounge was really crowded. I don’t fault the airline too much for that, since that’s the case at most hub lounges. Really what makes this lounge terrible for me is the lack of functioning Wi-Fi for foreign laptops, plus the constant announcements about flight departures.

I give this lounge a really low rating because I genuinely found it more pleasant to sit in the terminal than to sit in the lounge. When you have to leave a lounge to connect to Wi-Fi, something is very wrong. While I was looking forward to flying Philippine Airlines’ A350 business class, the experience up until this lounge was really underwhelming.

What do you make of Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Lounge Manila?

Spend $375+ with Marriott, get $150 back

The Amex Offers program has just rolled out a new targeted promotion that can save cardmembers money on the cost of Marriott stays. Specifically, I see an opportunity to receive a $150 statement credit after spending $375+ with Marriott (though it’s possible other accounts see different versions of this offer).

As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of:

• This offer is valid if you pay for your stay between October 23 and November 23, 2026
• This offer is valid for stays at properties in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico
• This offer excludes stays at select brands, including Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Vacation Club, Design Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, and Vistana
• This offer excludes gift card purchases, online retail purchases, and purchases of Bonvoy points
• The terms state that you need to book directly with Marriott to take advantage of this
• This can be combined with any promotion being offered directly by Marriott
• Registration is required

Make sure to maximize points while you’re at it

When it comes to Amex Offers deals, I always recommend trying to add them on cards that also offer you the best rewards on those particular purchases. For example, ideally you’ll see these offers on a co-branded Marriott card, so that you can earn 6x points on your stay, while also earning cash back. Or otherwise, at least use a card that offers bonus points on travel purchases, which include hotels.

Also keep in mind that it’s possible to split card payments at check-out. So if you have a certain spending threshold you still need to reach on a specific card, you can always ask them to charge one amount to one card, and another amount to another card.

Bottom line

There’s a new Amex Offers deal for Marriott, which can save you $150 on the cost of upcoming hotel stays. This offer seems to exclude Marriott’s higher end brands, so it should be useful across a wide variety of properties. If you’re eligible for this offer, I’d definitely recommend registering ASAP.

Was your account targeted for this Amex Offers deal, and do you plan on taking advantage of it?

Spend $2,500+ with Virgin Atlantic, save $200

With a new targeted Amex Offers deal, you can earn a $200 statement credit when you spend $2,500 or more with Virgin Atlantic by December 13, 2026.

There are some terms to be aware of:

• The flight needs to be booked directly through the Virgin Atlantic website
• The flight needs to originate in the United States and be charged in USD
• While you need to book by December 13, 2026, it’s okay if you travel on subsequent dates
• The offer is not valid for purchases by phone, at terminals, lounges, or onboard flights

It’s possible that there’s also a version of the offer for 25,000 bonus Membership Rewards points if spending $2,500+. If so, I’d definitely prefer that offer, since I value Amex points at 1.7 cents each, so those points would be worth $340 to me.

While I can’t guarantee it, I suspect that carrier imposed surcharges on award tickets will likely trigger this offer, given that they should be processed the same as any other airfare purchase.

Ideally you’ll see this offer on the Amex Platinum

This Amex Offers deal is targeted, though it’s possible you’ll see it on multiple of your cards. If so, I’d highly recommend registering your Amex Platinum Card for this offer. That’s because the Amex Platinum offers up to 5x points on airfare purchased directly with airlines.

I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me those points alone are worth an incremental 8.5% return. On top of that, the Amex Platinum offers valuable travel protection, should you experience irregular operations.

In other words, if you took advantage of this offer with the Amex Platinum for $2,500 in spending, you’d receive a total of 12,500 points, plus you’d get a $200 statement credit. By my valuation, that’s a return of $413 on $2,500 of spending with Virgin Atlantic, which is very good.

Bottom line

There’s currently a targeted Amex Offers deal that can save you money on a Virgin Atlantic trip. Specifically, you can save $200 when spending $2,500+ directly with Virgin Atlantic. If you’re planning travel on Virgin Atlantic in the near future, this has the potential to be a great deal.

Were you targeted for this Amex Offers deal, and if so, do you plan on taking advantage of it?

While there has long been value in strategically buying points, the concept of a revenue based frequent flyer program selling points can be tougher to rationalize. So that I don’t bury the lede, let me say that I’d only buy points in a very narrow set of circumstances, like if trying to top off a points balance for a specific redemption.

Link: Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points with this promotion for 50% off

Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points with promotion

Through 11:59PM CT on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Southwest Rapid Rewards is offering a discount on purchased points. With Southwest, it’s common for different members to be eligible for different offers, so you’ll have to log into your Rapid Rewards account to see what you’re eligible for.

However, the best version of the offer to buy Southwest points seems to be a tiered discount of up to 50%, structured as follows:

• Buy 2,000-6,000 points, receive no discount
• Buy 7,000-11,000 points, receive a 40% discount
• Buy 12,000-60,000 points, receive a 50% discount

Note that buying Southwest points doesn’t count toward Rapid Rewards elite status.

How much does it cost to buy Southwest points?

Ordinarily you can buy Southwest points for 3.0 cents each, and that price is inclusive of the 7.5% federal excise tax. Given the limit of being able to purchase up to 60,000 Rapid Rewards points per day, that means if you maxed out this promotion, you could buy 60,000 points for $900, which is a cost of 1.5 cents per point.

Southwest sells points in increments of 1,000 points, with 2,000 points being the minimum, and 60,000 points being the daily maximum.

Just in the interest of being thorough, some Rapid Rewards members may be eligible for smaller percentage discounts, so let me crunch the numbers on those potential offers:

• If you were eligible for a 45% discount, you’d be looking at a cost of 1.65 cents per point
• If you were eligible for a 40% discount, you’d be looking at a cost of 1.8 cents per point
• If you were eligible for a 35% discount, you’d be looking at a cost of 1.95 cents per point

How many Southwest points can you buy?

Southwest has no annual limit on how many Rapid Rewards points you can buy. The only restriction is that you can buy at most 60,000 points per calendar day.

How does this compare to other Southwest buy points promotions?

Southwest Rapid Rewards frequently offers promotions on purchasing points. When the program does have a buy points promotion, the 50% discount offer is pretty standard. So I’d recommend buying points based on when you have a relatively immediate use for redeeming them, rather than anything else.

Below is a chart with some of the recent Southwest buy points promotions that we’ve seen, before this one.

Which credit card should you buy Southwest points with?

If you’d like to buy Southwest Airlines points, note that purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as an airfare purchase for the purposes of credit card spending. Therefore this wouldn’t be treated as a Southwest purchase if you’re using a Rapid Rewards credit card.

I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or otherwise, a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending. See this post for more on which credit cards are best for buying points.

How much are Southwest points worth?

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue based frequent flyer program, and the number of points required for a flight is roughly correlated to the revenue cost of a flight. However, there is a dynamic element to the pricing, whereby the value you get per point varies significantly, based on the flight and fare class you redeem for. With this, we’re seeing redemption values as low as 1.1 cents per point, and as high as 1.5 cents per point, give or take.

As you can tell, there are probably few situations where it makes sense to buy points for 1.5 cents (or more) each, when they can’t be redeemed for that, best case scenario.

Is buying Southwest Rapid Rewards points worth it?

Let me cut to the chase — there are few situations where it makes sense to purchase Rapid Rewards points. Even at the discounted cost, there’s not usually value in buying points for 1.5 cents each when you can typically only redeem them for less than that.

There are three potential scenarios I’d like to address, including the main scenario where I think it could make sense (but not really), which is to build up a balance of Southwest points, given the flexibility this provides.

Buying Southwest points to top off for an award

Some might buy Rapid Rewards points in order to top off their account so they have enough points for a Rapid Rewards award ticket. I guess this might be worth it to some if you need a small number of points, though personally I’d just keep collecting points and then redeem with your next ticket.

Buying Southwest points with Companion Pass

The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the best values in domestic travel. If you qualify for this, you can always have a companion travel with you for just the standard taxes, regardless of whether you’re booking a cash ticket or redeeming points.

For those with a Companion Pass, buying Southwest points could get you outsized value:

• You could buy points for 1.5 cents each
• You could then redeem them for 1.1-1.5 cents each toward travel and have a companion fly with you, meaning you’d get 2.2-3.0 cents of value

However, there’s still absolutely zero reason to do that. You’d be better off just booking a paid ticket and then having a companion fly with you.

There is value in having a stash of Southwest points

There is one major benefit in general to paying for a ticket with Southwest Rapid Rewards points rather than cash. While Southwest Airlines has no change fees on both revenue and award tickets on most kinds of fares:

• If you cancel a revenue ticket then you’ll be issued a travel credit that has to be used for a future flight, while Rapid Rewards points can be redeposited in your account and used for anyone; some Southwest fares do allow you to transfer your ticket to someone else
• If you cancel an award ticket then the Rapid Rewards points go back into your account and can be used for anyone at any future point in time

I do think there’s big value in having a stash of Rapid Rewards points. I use this when I speculatively want to book travel (including for friends and family), since there’s no downside.

What other ways can you earn Southwest points?

If you’re looking to earn Southwest points, there are plenty of ways to rack up this currency with credit card rewards:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be moved to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, so you can move over points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more), Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (learn more), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (learn more), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (learn more)
• Bilt Rewards points can be moved to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, including points earned on cards like the Bilt Palladium Card (learn more), Bilt Obsidian Card (learn more), and Bilt Blue Card (learn more) (Rates & Fees)

On top of that, Rapid Rewards has a variety of co-branded Chase credit cards, which can be a great way to rack up rewards. This includes cards like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (learn more), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (learn more), etc.

Bottom line

Southwest is selling Rapid Rewards points with a discount of up to 50%, which brings the cost down to as little as 1.5 cents per point. I still don’t think there are many circumstances under which it makes sense to buy points, given that Rapid Rewards is a revenue based frequent flyer program, and points can typically only be redeemed for 1.1-1.5 cents each toward the cost of a ticket.

Under what circumstances do you think it’s worth buying Southwest Airlines points?

This post is my in-depth United Quest Card review, covering everything from its welcome bonus, to its mileage earning rates, to the perks it offers when flying United. Are the United Quest Card benefits worth the fee?

Link: Learn more about the United Quest℠ Card

United Quest Card summary & key details for October 2026

Before diving into the full United Quest Card review, I want to highlight the card’s key details:

• United Quest Card annual fee: $350
• United Quest Card welcome offer: Earn 500 Premier qualifying points after your first purchase and 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn another 10,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user in the first three months your account is open
• United Quest Card miles earning rate: 5x miles on hotel stays when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts, 4x miles on United purchases, 2x miles on all other travel, 2x miles on dining, 2x miles on streaming services, and 1x miles on all other purchases
• United Quest Card foreign transaction fee: None
• United Quest Card benefits with United: Free first and second checked bags for you and one companion, $200 annual United credit, Group 2 Priority boarding, save 10% or more when booking flights with miles, earn a 10,000-mile discount toward a United award flight every year starting with your first anniversary, get another 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year, get two Economy Plus seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year, 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on board United flights and on Club premium drinks
• United Quest Card credits & perks: Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit, annual partner credits for rideshare, Instacart, and more, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, primary rental car insurance
• Best for: Frequent United travelers who want to enjoy elite-like perks and save both miles and cash on United flights

Here are the main United Quest Card pros and cons:

Why United flyers should strongly consider a United credit card

There’s one more thing I want to touch on before getting into the details of the United Quest Card, and that’s why having a co-branded United credit card is worth it in the first place. In general, the major US airlines reward loyalists for using their credit cards, but this is especially true with United, since the number of miles you’ll earn on airfare increases dramatically when you add a card to the equation.

The amount of miles you earn on United flights also depends on your MileagePlus elite status, but having a United credit card will boost your earnings whether you’re a general member or a Premier 1K member. With the United Quest Card specifically, you’ll earn 4x miles on United flights. Since I value United miles at 1.3 cents, that’s a 5.2% return on spending before even factoring in the additional miles earned as a MileagePlus member.

Here’s how your United mileage earnings break down across elite status levels both with and without a United credit card:

Another benefit to United credit cards is that they get you access to lower award pricing and expanded seat availability, with no restrictions or blackout dates. So if you fly United with any frequency, picking up a United card can really be worth it.

United Quest Card bonus, eligibility, & fees

The United Quest Card is incredibly well-rounded, and while the card has an annual fee, it should be easy to justify based on the extensive perks. Let’s take a look at the welcome bonus, card eligibility, and annual fee.

United Quest Card welcome bonus of up to 90,000 miles & 500 PQPs

The United Quest Card is offering a limited time welcome bonus where you can earn 500 Premier qualifying points after your first purchase and 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. You can also earn a further 10,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user in the first three months your account is open.

This is a solid welcome bonus. Based on my latest miles & points valuations, I value MileagePlus miles at 1.3 cents each, making the 90,000 bonus miles worth $1,170. That doesn’t factor in the potential value of the PQPs, if you are going for elite status.

United Quest Card bonus eligibility & rules

You’re eligible for the welcome offer on the United Quest Card even if you have other United co-brand credit cards. The only people who aren’t eligible for the United Quest Card are those who currently have the card, or those who have received a new cardmember bonus on the card in the past 24 months.

Beyond that, be aware of the general Chase restrictions on applying for cards. This includes everything from the Chase 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), to the Chase 2/30 rule, whereby you’re typically limited to being approved for two Chase cards every 30 days.

United Quest Card $350 annual fee

The United Quest Card has a $350 annual fee, and there’s no cost to add additional authorized users. For some context as to how that fits into United’s co-brand personal card portfolio:

• United Gateway℠ Card (learn more) has no annual fee
• United℠ Explorer Card (learn more) has a $150 annual fee, waived the first year
• United Club℠ Card (learn more) has a $695 annual fee

As you can see, the United Quest Card has the second highest annual fee, though I’d argue it also has the annual fee that’s easiest to recuperate consistently, thanks to the perks, which I’ll cover below.

United Quest Card foreign transaction fee

The United Quest Card has no foreign transaction fees, making it a good card for purchases abroad. It also earns bonus miles on dining and travel, and it’s a Visa card, so it should be accepted most places abroad.

United Quest Card rewards structure (miles & PQPs)

Whenever you’re considering applying for a new credit card, evaluating the welcome bonus is an important step. But the ongoing rewards structure matters too, so let’s take a look at how the United Quest Card earns miles on purchases and how you can use the card to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) toward United MileagePlus elite status.

United Quest Card mileage earning on spending

The United Quest Card offers the following return on spending:

• Earn 5x miles on hotel stays when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts
• Earn 4x miles on eligible United purchases
• Earn 2x miles on all travel, dining, and select streaming purchases
• Earn 1x miles on all other purchases

While other cards are compelling in the travel and dining categories, those are some of the broadest bonus categories I’ve seen on a co-branded airline credit card. Still, there are better cards for everyday spending if you’re looking to maximize the return on every single dollar you spend.

You’ll notice that the United Quest Card markets itself as earning 10x total miles on United flights, but what does that mean exactly? That total reflects the number of miles you’ll earn between the bonus multiplier on the United Quest Card and the bonus miles you get as a United MileagePlus member.

If you’re a general MileagePlus member, you’ll earn 6x miles on United airfare spending, but higher status levels earn more. So in reality, only 4x miles are coming from paying with the United Quest Card. This is still a very good earning rate, but it’s just worth being clear on how it breaks down, and that’s why I don’t use the 10x miles marketing point above.

United Quest Card PQP elite status earning potential

If you want to earn elite status with United MileagePlus, the United Quest Card can help. Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) are one of the primary metrics for qualifying for MileagePlus status, and the card can earn you PQPs through the welcome bonus as well as ongoing spending.

So, how does spending on the card count toward status? The United Quest Card offers one PQP for every $20 spent on purchases, up to a maximum of 18,000 PQPs per year. That’s pretty good, though if you’re serious about spending on United cards to earn elite status, consider United Club Card (learn more), which offers one PQP per $15 spent, up to 28,000 PQPs per year.

Here are the United MileagePlus elite status requirements for 2027, to put the card’s PQP earning potential into perspective. Note that status earned in 2027 is good through 2028.

United Quest Card benefits & credits

Airline co-branded credit cards are primarily about the perks, and the United Quest Card most definitely doesn’t disappoint. Let’s go over the United Quest Card benefits, starting with the ones that I find to be most compelling, and which will most quickly justify the annual fee.

$200 United TravelBank cash annually

The United Quest Card offers $200 in United TravelBank cash annually, including the year in which you open the account. This should be worth close to face value to anyone who considers this card. Qualifying purchases with TravelBank cash include airline tickets, for travel on United and United Express, so that should be easy to maximize.

Anniversary award discount of 10,000 miles

The United Quest Card offers an anniversary award flight credit of 10,000 MileagePlus miles:

• Starting with your first anniversary and every anniversary thereafter, you’ll get a 10,000-mile discount to use toward an eligible award flight
• The award itinerary must include at least one United-operated flight

If you redeem miles on United with any frequency, that should get you 10,000 miles yearly. Between that and the $200 annual United credit, I’d argue the annual fee is nearly offset.

Note that you can earn a second award flight credit if you spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year. That can nicely contribute toward the value proposition of spending on the card.

Up to $180 in Instacart credits annually

The United Quest Card offers up to $15 in Instacart credits monthly, up to $180 total each calendar year. This comes in the form of a monthly $10 credit and a monthly $5 credit. This applies for purchases made through Instacart with your United Quest Card, and currently the benefit is valid through December 31, 2027.

Cardholders also get a three-month complimentary Instacart+ membership, which offers $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees. Note that the Instacart+ membership auto-enrolls with a 50% discount on the annual rate.

If you use Instacart anyway, then this could be worth close to face value. For others, the small increments of the credits will make it hard to get much value.

Up to $150 in JSX flight credits annually

The United Quest Card offers up to $150 back on JSX flight purchases per anniversary year. This comes in the form of a statement credit, and you must use your United Quest Card to make the purchase. JSX is a hop-on jet service, which United owns a stake in. If you fly JSX with any frequency, then this is a great perk.

Up to $150 in Renowned Hotels and Resorts credits annually

The United Quest Card offers up to $150 in statement credits each anniversary year for hotel purchases, when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts with your United Quest Card.

This is essentially a Chase Travel℠ booking platform for select luxury hotels, available to United cardmembers. You can receive extra perks for booking this way, though admittedly there’s also sometimes an opportunity cost to booking this way.

Up to $100 in credits on rideshare purchases annually

The United Quest Card offers up to $8 back per month on rideshare purchases ($12 in December), in the form of a statement credit, when paying with your card. This allows you to earn up to $100 in statement credits every calendar year, and an annual opt-in is required.

On the one hand, these statement credits are easy enough to use. The catch is that there are probably better cards for rideshare spending in terms of maximizing rewards.

Up to $80 in United travel credits for Avis and Budget rentals

The United Quest Card offers up to $80 in United travel credits when you book an Avis or Budget rental car directly through United’s MileagePlus travel portal and pay with this card. This breaks down as a $40 credit for your first rental and another $40 credit for your second eligible rental each year.

This perk isn’t the card’s main attraction, but it’s reason enough to at least check rental car prices through United to see if it’s worth booking to get the credits.

TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS fee credit

The United Quest Card offers a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit of up to $120 every four years. Simply charge the enrollment fee to your card, and it will automatically be reimbursed.

Nowadays, quite a few credit cards offer these fee credits, so you can always use this benefit for a friend or family member. They just have to use your credit card to pay, and you’ll automatically receive the statement credit.

Free first & second checked bags on United

If you ever check bags, having the United Quest Card can get you a free first and second checked bag for you and one companion on the same reservation. The primary cardmember just needs to pay for the ticket with their card and be one of the travelers.

Priority boarding on United flights

As the primary cardmember on the United Quest Card, you can receive priority Group 2 boarding for you and your companions on the same reservation for United-operated flights. Many people want to board early to be able to secure overhead bin space, so this is a perk that I know many cardmembers value.

25% savings on United inflight purchases

You can save 25% on inflight purchases on United if you have the United Quest Card. This will come in the form of an account statement credit, and applies for purchases of beverages, food, and Wi-Fi.

Valuable purchase & travel protection

One of the perks many people look for in credit cards is good protection for purchases. The United Quest Card has some great coverage in that regard:

• Trip cancellation & interruption insurance of up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip
• Trip delay reimbursement of up to $500 per covered traveler for delays of more than 12 hours
• Baggage delay insurance of up to $100 a day for three days when baggage is delayed more than six hours
• Lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per covered traveler
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver coverage
• Purchase protection of up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per year in the event of accidental damage or theft within 120 days of the purchase date
• Extended warranty protection for up to an additional year

How to redeem United miles for the best value

I have a post dedicated to the best way to use United miles, but I’ll touch on it briefly here, since you’ll want to put the welcome bonus to good use if you get the United Quest Card.

In general, you’ll get the best value from United miles when you use them to book award flights on United and its Star Alliance partners. Redeeming miles for United Polaris business class is the best-value option overall, in my opinion, though other Star Alliance programs like Air Canada Aeroplan have more competitive award pricing on some routes.

The United MileagePlus program doesn’t pass on any carrier-imposed surcharges on award flights, which I appreciate. It also doesn’t charge any award change or redeposit fees.

Is the United Quest Card worth it?

I think the United Quest Card is United’s best value credit card for someone who flies United at least a few times per year and redeems miles sometimes as well.

While the $350 annual fee is steep, the United Quest Card benefits are really strong, including the $200 annual United TravelBank cash, which should lower the “real” annual cost to $150. Then if you redeem 10,000 miles for United-operated flights each year, you’re getting 10,000 additional miles in value.

At that point, you’re already close to recouping the card’s annual fee, and that doesn’t account for perks like up to hundreds of dollars in credits (admittedly it takes some effort to maximize them), free checked bags, savings on inflight purchases, and much more. On top of that, there’s the card’s excellent welcome bonus, which gets you a lot of value shortly after getting the card.

So yeah, I think this card is worth it, but how does the value proposition compare to United’s most popular credit card?

United Quest Card vs. United Explorer Card comparison

Many people may be trying to decide between the United Quest Card and the United Explorer Card (learn more). I think the United Quest Card is the better choice, but let me provide a quick comparison.

The advantages of the United Explorer Card are the following:

• The United Explorer Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150, compared to a $350 annual fee on the United Quest Card
• The United Explorer Card offers two United Club passes annually

However, virtually everything else about the United Quest Card is either equal or significantly better:

• The United Quest Card offers an annual $200 United TravelBank cash benefit, while the United Explorer Card only offers $100 in TravelBank cash after spending $10,000 in a calendar year, and the Quest’s credit should be worth face value to most
• The United Quest Card offers a 10,000-mile discount to use toward an eligible award starting with your first anniversary and every anniversary thereafter, which the United Explorer Card doesn’t offer (at least without a spending requirement)
• The United Quest Card offers two checked bags free, while the United Explorer Card offers only one checked bag free
• The United Quest Card offers larger credits, including with rideshares, JSX, Instacart, hotels, and more

In the long run, the United Quest Card is more compelling because of the additional perks that should help offset the annual fee for a vast majority of savvy consumers.

The only consumer who should consider the United Explorer Card is someone who values the United Club passes but doesn’t redeem miles at least once per year for United-operated flights.

United Quest Card vs. United Club Card comparison

If you want United Club lounge access, the United Club℠ Card (learn more) is worth a look alongside the United Quest Card.

The United Quest Card doesn’t come with lounge access at all, so the United Club Card is the clear winner on that front. The United Club Card has a $695 annual fee, so it’s a significantly more premium card. But United Club access is the main differentiator.

Who shouldn’t get the United Quest Card?

The United Quest Card is a great option for frequent United travelers, but I’d recommend skipping it if:

• You rarely book cash fares on United, since the $200 annual United credit is one of the card’s best ongoing selling points
• You don’t care about United perks like free checked bags and priority boarding
• You’re prioritizing United Club access, since that’s not offered on this card

While I appreciate that the card has several bonus categories, I wouldn’t use it for everyday spending beyond United flights. Even if your priority is earning rewards to redeem on United, you can earn a higher return on your spending with cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (learn more) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (learn more). These cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and you can transfer them to United at a 1:1 ratio.

United Quest Card FAQs

Bottom line

The United Quest Card is arguably the most compelling card in the Chase and United lineup. While the $350 annual fee sounds high, the $200 annual United TravelBank cash, plus the 10,000 miles you save when redeeming miles, should help offset the annual fee. And that’s only the start of the United Quest Card benefits, as there really are tons of valuable perks here, including up to hundreds of dollars in credits.

If you’re looking for a United card with strong perks and an annual fee that’s easy to justify, this is the card to consider.

If you want to learn more about the United Quest Card, follow this link.

United reveals its two newest flight attendant bases

Airlines have flight attendant bases at certain airports. While lots of flight attendants choose to commute, the idea is that flight attendants typically start and their trips at their base. These bases are important, since there will also often be reserve flight attendants there on standby, in case they need to fill in for someone else, to keep the operation moving.

As things currently stand, United has roughly a dozen flight attendant bases. There are bases at all the carrier’s hubs, and also in places like Guam (GUM) and London (LHR), which are more focus cities than hubs. There are also bases in places like Boston (BOS) and Honolulu (HNL), reflecting the amount of service the airline has there.

Anyway, JonNYC reports on how United has just revealed its two newest flight attendant bases, and they’re in Dallas (DFW) and Sacramento (SMF).

Flight attendants can bid on where they want to be based, and then they’re selected based on seniority. So I imagine that some flight attendants who live in those cities may be happy about this. For that matter, many new hire flight attendants may end up at these bases, as they really have no say over where they’re based. It would be rather odd to be hired as a United flight attendant, only to end up working out of Dallas, no?

Does anyone understand the logic for these bases?

It’s not too hard to figure out why airlines have flight attendant bases at their hubs… that’s obvious. My assumption would be that otherwise airlines select these based on the amount of service they have out of there, and also based on geographic diversity, to some extent, in terms of easily being able to get a flight attendant to a nearby airport, in case a reserve is needed.

So I have to say, the Dallas base sure caught me off guard. Dallas is of course a fortress hub for American, and United has a relatively small presence there. Now, United CEO Scott Kirby does live in Dallas, and commutes to Chicago sometimes. However, he reportedly typically does that on American, since the airline has more flights in the market, and he has unlimited first class travel privileges on the carrier.

I don’t want to come up with any conspiracy theories. I don’t think the logic here is that:

• United wants to significantly build its presence in Dallas, since that doesn’t make much sense
• Kirby just wants better reliability at his home airport, since he usually flies American anyway

Still, I’m not sure I actually have a theory here either? It doesn’t seem like Dallas ranks among United’s most served airports without a flight attendant base, so any guesses here?

Bottom line

United Airlines is opening two new flight attendant bases, in Dallas and Sacramento. Ultimately this doesn’t directly impact passengers, though it’s still interesting to see where airlines decide to open these. We had known two new bases were coming, and I wouldn’t have expected these to be the two airports to get them. The Dallas one is particularly interesting to me.

What do you make of United’s newest flight attendant bases?

A few months ago, I took a look at the data of how poorly Delta is performing across the Pacific, following the “big three” carriers reporting their Q2 2026 earnings. With all three of the airlines having now reported their Q3 2026 earnings, I’d like to take a look at the latest. Are things getting better or worse for Delta?

The math on Delta’s expansion isn’t pretty right now

With American, Delta, and United, having all reported their Q3 2026 earnings, I think it’s interesting to look at how all airlines did across the Pacific in the quarter, at least directionally. I’m not doing this to pick on Delta (I swear), and I’ll explain more later. But first let’s look at the actual math, and thanks to JonNYC for bringing this up.

I’d like to compare performance across the Pacific in the last two quarters between American, Delta, and United. Just to define the terms here:

• Yield is the passenger revenue divided by the number of revenue passenger miles flown, so it reflects what people are actually paying to fly, and doesn’t account for empty seats
• PRASM is the passenger revenue per available seat mile, and you calculate that by taking the total passenger revenue and dividing it by the number of seat miles, so it factors in empty seats
• ASMs refers to available seat miles, meaning the total number of miles flown by a plane multiplied by the number of available seats
• Load factor refers to the percentage of seats actually filled on flights

Below is a comparison of Q3 2026 year-over-year Pacific performance for American, Delta, and United.

As you can see, there’s a major outlier here. To put this into basic terms:

• American saw the biggest increase in the average fare paid, with a significant increase in revenue per available seat, despite a decrease in load factor; yield growth more than double outpaced capacity growth, which is excellent
• Delta saw a bigger increase in capacity than in yield and revenue per available seat mile, despite fares being up so much across the board
• United had very balanced growth across the Pacific, adding a modest amount of capacity, while being the only airline to see load factor go up, and also commanding higher fares

As you can see, Delta was the outlier here, and was the only airline where capacity growth exceeded yield growth.

Below is the chart for Q2 2026. As you can see, Delta was also the negative outlier then, but the situation has gotten even worse since then.

What can we make of Delta’s issues across the Pacific?

Please hear me out, because I’m not writing this to rag on Delta. Quite the contrary, I’m happy to see an airline growing across the Pacific and trying to compete with United.

Airline data is fascinating because it’s both endless and insightful, but it doesn’t tell the full story, given the complexity of airline revenue performance. When I look at airline data, what I find most interesting is directional trends among competitors.

Delta is a very well-run airline, all things considered, and has been the most profitable US carrier for many years now. In most areas, Delta outperforms competitors. So it’s really interesting to see one region where Delta has now lagged both United and American in two consecutive quarters.

I have to imagine these two quarters weren’t exceptions, and that Delta’s performance will keep getting worse before it improves, as the airline continues to add new routes. Now, that’s largely fair enough, because it takes time for growth to become profitable. I think I have two takeaways here.

First, I can rationalize why American has sort of given up on Asia, and has such a minimal presence:

• It’s really hard to make money as a US airline flying across the Pacific unless you have the perfect hub and have other advantages, like being the established player
• American actually seems to be doing well in Asia for the limited number of routes that it operates

Second, one wonders if Delta will just struggle as it continues to grow, or if Delta has a major, structural disadvantage to United, which it can’t overcome. Delta’s split hub strategy between Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle (SEA) is just much more poorly positioned than United’s primary hub in San Francisco (SFO), in terms of pricing power, local loyalty, connectivity, etc.

Delta recently added Hong Kong (HKG) flights, and it’s a market United serves four times daily. So the fact that Delta’s performance has only worsened while United’s performance has continued to remain strong despite the new competition isn’t exactly a great sign. United CEO Scott Kirby probably wasn’t wrong when he mocked Delta’s recent transpacific expansion.

Bottom line

Delta’s numbers across the Pacific aren’t pretty. While both United and American are seeing yield growth significantly outpace capacity growth, the opposite has now been true for Delta for two quarters in a row. I don’t think this should come as much of a surprise, since it takes time to become profitable in new markets.

However, one can’t help but wonder if this is just a temporary issue that will solve itself with time, or if Delta has a structural disadvantage here that it won’t be able to overcome. We’re only at the very early stages of Delta’s transpacific growth, if the airline is actually serious about overtaking United.

What do you make of Delta’s Pacific situation?