A Silk Way West Airlines Boeing 747 accidentally flew toward the wrong airport, and ran low on fuel, yet the pilots still wanted to fly to their intended destination, even though they didn’t have enough fuel to reach it.

I can’t even begin to figure out what’s going on here. Let’s start with what we know about this incident, and then we’ll talk about what could’ve been the cause here.

Silk Way West Airlines 747 flies toward Dallas instead of Houston

Silk Way West Airlines is an Azerbaijani cargo airline, which operates a fleet of just over a dozen planes. On August 4, 2026, the airline was scheduled to operate a flight from Mexico City Felipe Angeles Airport (NLU) to Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The 741-mile flight was operated by a Boeing 747-8 with flight number 7L5722, and with the registration code VQ-BVB.

Ordinarily this flight would take somewhere around 90 minutes. In this case, roughly two hours after takeoff, the plane found itself circling near Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW), well over 200 miles from Houston. Keep in mind that Dallas is even further from Mexico City than Houston.

While it’s normal for planes to take circuitous paths for a variety of reasons (spacing, weather, etc.), something here seemed off. For that matter, the plane was down at 5,000 feet, as if it was going to land there. If you were circling somewhere 200+ miles from your destination, you wouldn’t ordinarily be at such a low altitude.

That’s where the air traffic control audio comes into play:

• The pilots declared a “pan pan pan,” indicating that they were “running out of fuel”
• The air traffic controller asked if they were declaring an emergency, and if they wanted to divert to DFW
• The pilots responded by saying they needed to “land as soon as possible on runway 26R,” referring to IAH, which again, was hundreds of miles away
• The air traffic controller then pointed out how they were nowhere close to IAH, so he asked how much fuel they had left
• The pilots initially indicated that they had six tons of fuel, and later “confirmed” they had 6,000 pounds of fuel, though I imagine that may have been a communication issue, and that they really had 6,000 kilograms, give or take; honestly, who knows what’s going on with these guys
• The air traffic controller then informed them they didn’t have enough fuel to get to IAH, and asked if they wanted to divert to DFW
• Their response was to say “yes, we want to go to Houston, we are able to Houston now, but the shortcut, please”
• The air traffic controller then declared an emergency on their behalf and told them they were being diverted to DFW

Just for context, a Boeing 747-8 burns somewhere around 400 pounds of fuel per minute at cruising altitude, and a lot more when climbing, with go arounds, etc. Also keep in mind you always need fuel reserves in the event of a missed approach. So these guys were flying on empty.

Below is the path that the flight actually operated. After refueling in Dallas, the plane continued a couple of hours later to Houston, and that flight took 39 minutes.

What were these Silk West Way Airlines pilots thinking?

I have to acknowledge that English obviously wasn’t the first language for the pilot communicating. So while a language barrier may have been a contributing factor, it doesn’t fully explain what’s going on here. What were these pilots thinking?

• How did they end up approaching an airport they weren’t expecting to go to, and they didn’t say anything all along?
• When it became clear that something wasn’t right, why did they think they’d make it to a destination hundreds of miles away without sufficient fuel?

This seems like a mistake that a student pilot completing their first solo flight shouldn’t make, let alone a crew of experienced pilots flying a Boeing 747. Is there any reasonable explanation here?

The above X post points out a few interesting things:

• At some point there were possibly two different flight plans on file, with one being to Dallas Love Field (DAL), and it seems that’s the direction they were headed, as an air traffic controller even asked if they had the ATIS information for that airport; it’s beyond a mystery how that happened, since that’s not even an airport served by Silk Way West Cargo
• It seems that things started to go wrong around 50 minutes after takeoff, near the MATAMOROS VOR (right at the US and Mexico border), as the plane started flying direct toward San Antonio (a logical route toward Dallas), rather than turning more east toward Houston
• ACARS showed that the operations team was messaging the pilots to ask “are you heading to KDAL?” and they responded “due to high traffic in IAH ATC reroute us on longer route destination is IAH for the moment”

This just seems like the perfect storm of miscommunication and pilots not advocating for themselves. Somehow they had some sort of misfiled flight plan, and then they flew toward Dallas thinking they were just holding while enroute to Houston due to heavy traffic, only to then find out that air traffic control thought that was their destination.

The wildest part of this story to me is how even after all of that happened, the pilots still requested to land in Houston, despite not having enough fuel.

Bottom line

A Silk Way West Airlines Boeing 747 flying from Mexico City to Houston somehow ended up instead approaching Dallas. The pilots seemed to think they were being vectored due to traffic, but when you’re down at 5,000 feet hundreds of miles from your destination, it should be clear something is off.

Eventually the pilots explained they were low on fuel, and despite not having enough fuel to reach Houston, they still claimed they wanted to fly there. I don’t know what happened here, but yikes…

What do you make of this Silk Way West 747 incident?

One of the exciting developments on this plane is that the business class seats have privacy doors, which is a feature that many travelers value. However, up until now, it hasn’t actually been possible to use those doors, as they’ve been locked. There’s some good news on that front, as these are finally gradually being unlocked.

United gets 787 business class suite doors certified

Aircraft seat certification is a real pain nowadays for airlines, and can greatly delay new aircraft. In the case of United’s new 787-9 business class seats, they fortunately got certified pretty quickly… for the most part. That’s not surprising, since the airline is using the Elevate Ascent product, which is designed primarily for the Dreamliner, and is already in use on other airlines.

The catch is that the seats have privacy doors, but up until now, they’ve been locked, and couldn’t be used by passengers. That has finally started to change. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reportedly certified the doors for use on United’s 787s, meaning these can now be opened and closed.

A Reddit user shares a picture of the doors finally in use, and it appears that this flight was on the newly delivered 787-9 with the registration code N71108, which only entered commercial service on July 30, 2026.

Ultimately doors at business class seats aren’t some sort of a game changer, though if the planes have them installed, then it’s nice to have the option of using them.

It’ll take some time for all suite doors to be unlocked

Once business class suite doors are certified, you’d think they’d all be unlocked in a matter of hours, and that it would be a very easy process. Unfortunately that’s not actually the case, so I’d expect for it to potentially take weeks for the suite doors on all eight of United’s existing Dreamliners with new cabins to be unlocked.

Newly delivered 787s coming from the factory should come with the suite doors unlocked, so this is unlikely to be an issue going forward.

The long timeline for getting suite doors unlocked matches a similar situation at American. The airline has its new A321XLRs, and they have business class suites with doors. While these planes have been in service for months, the suite doors only got certified in recent days. The airline is now working on unlocking the suite doors, but anticipates that it’ll take “through the fall” to complete this project.

Bottom line

The FAA has finally certified United’s new Boeing 787-9 Polaris business class suite doors for use. Up until now, these doors have been locked due to lack of certification, but that has finally changed.

However, don’t expect them to be in use across the fleet effective immediately. While at least one plane now has the doors unlocked, it will take some time for the doors on other planes to be activated.

Atmos Rewards launches this promotion on the first Wednesday of each month (which the program calls “Atmos Members Day”), so we just saw the one for August launched. Let’s go over the opportunities, as you can save up to 50% on award tickets. There are some cool markets in which you can save miles, though unfortunately only economy travel qualifies.

Save on Atmos Rewards awards to select destinations

For the new Alaska Atmos Rewards Global Getaways promotion, you can save up to 50% on award travel to half a dozen destinations, with the following restrictions:

• This is valid for bookings made between August 4 and August 8, 2026
• This is valid for specific travel dates, though they vary by destination — I’ll note those dates below (typically they’re the same for all destinations, but not this time around)
• This is valid specifically for redemptions in economy, and not for travel in first class, business class, or premium economy
• You can receive discounts as long as you’re traveling to one of the eligible destinations and are originating in the United States; while discounts aren’t 100% consistent, they are generally valid for travel on all partner airlines when there’s saver level award availability
• These awards have the same change and cancelation policies as all other Atmos Rewards awards, so they’re refundable at no cost, minus the partner award booking fee (which it’s even possible to get waived)

The theme for this Global Getaways promotion is “start the year somewhere new,” with the idea being that “from historic cities to island escapes, August’s destinations spotlights places worth experiencing after the holiday crowds have gone home.”

With this sale, you can save on one-way redemptions to the following destinations (these savings are up to 50%, but not always that high):

• Budapest, Hungary (BUD), for travel January 5 through February 28, 2027; now starting at 25,000 points
• Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), for travel January 5 through February 28, 2027; now starting at 20,000 points
• Hong Kong (HKG), for travel January 5 through February 28, 2027; now starting at 34,000 points
• Madrid, Spain (MAD), for travel January 5 through February 28, 2027; now starting at 20,000 points
• Nadi, Fiji (NAN), for travel January 5 through February 28, 2027; now starting at 30,000 points
• Osaka, Japan (KIX), for travel August 1 through November 18, 2026; now starting at 27,500 points
• Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), for travel November 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027; now starting at 25,000 points
• Rome, Italy (FCO), for travel August 1 through October 23, 2026; now starting at 25,000 points
• Sydney, Australia (SYD), for travel August 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027; now starting at 35,000 points

My take on Alaska’s Global Getaways promotion

I very much appreciate Alaska Atmos Rewards’ creativity with this promotion, as nowadays it’s pretty rare to see programs offer award sales that are also valid for travel on partner airlines. Now, admittedly I wish there weren’t quite as many restrictions in terms of the booking window, travel period, the class of service limitations, and the one-way discount, but still, there will be value here for some, and it’s better than nothing.

If you’re simply looking for the lowest cost award, some of these award prices are very tough to beat. For example, getting from the United States to many points in Europe for 20,000-25,000 points in economy without paying high carrier imposed surcharges is quite a value. Keep in mind that with Atmos Rewards, award flights even earn status points, so could help you qualify for status.

I do hope that over time we see some first and business class award sales as well (it’s probably not happening, but we can dream, right?). Many of us have historically loved the program for the value it offers for premium cabin travel, so this promotion doesn’t help us much with that.

This is basically Alaska’s version of Air France-KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards or Singapore KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes, except it applies for travel on partner airlines (rather than just for travel on the program’s airline), and is exclusive to economy (while the other promotions are mixed).

Bottom line

Alaska Atmos Rewards has launched its latest Global Getaways promotion, which is a monthly redemption deal offering up to a 50% discount on awards. This time around, you can save points on economy redemptions to select destinations. You need to book by August 8, 2026, and most destinations are valid for travel in early 2027. While this won’t be useful for everyone, I imagine some people will get value from this.

What do you make of Alaska’s Global Getaways promotion?

However, let me state that I find this to be a lot less lucrative than in the past, given that Hilton Honors underwent a massive devaluation, and within the past year or so, top properties have gone up in price by up to 67%. So only take advantage of this if you know what you’re doing, and are aware of the program’s latest pricing.

Promotion on purchased Hilton Honors points

Between August 5 and September 25, 2026, Hilton Honors is offering a bonus on purchased points. Different members may be targeted for different bonuses, so you’ll want to log into your account to see what you’re eligible for. It would appear that the best offer is for up to a 100% bonus, which kicks in when you purchase at least 5,000 points in one transaction.

How much does it cost to buy Hilton Honors points?

Hilton Honors ordinarily charges one cent per purchased point, including all taxes and fees. That’s before any discounts or bonuses. If you’re eligible for the 100% bonus and maxed out the offer, you’d receive a total of 600,000 points at a cost of $3,000, which is a rate of 0.5 cents per Hilton Honors point.

When Hilton Honors offers a promotion on purchased points, it’s typically for either a 100% bonus or 50% discount, so this offer is in line with the best deals from the program.

How many Hilton Honors points can you buy?

Ordinarily, Hilton Honors lets members buy up to 160,000 points per account per calendar year, before any bonuses. However, during this promotion, that cap has been increased to 300,000 points. With a 100% bonus, that means you could purchase up to 600,000 points.

Do note that Hilton lets you combine points across accounts at no cost, so in reality you could acquire substantially more points by simply buying them across accounts and then consolidating them.

Which credit card should you buy Hilton Honors points with?

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

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

Is buying Hilton Honors points worth it?

There’s potentially huge value to be had buying Hilton Honors points. Hilton Honors sells points at a reasonable cost, has lots of aspirational properties, has good redemptions with a fifth night free opportunity, and elite status is also easy to earn with the program. Hilton’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is also awesome, and offers great redemption opportunities.

When you combine those factors, buying points can be a great deal.

How many points do you need for a free night at a Hilton?

Hilton Honors doesn’t have a published award chart, but rather the program has dynamic award pricing. This means that the cost of a standard free night award can vary depending on the day of the week, time of year, etc.

As a general rule of thumb, Hilton Honors free night awards start at 10,000 points per night, and go up to 250,000 points per night (which is a shame, because up until last year, properties maxed out at 150,000 points per night).

Sometimes you’ll see award costs that are way higher than these amounts. In those situations it’s because there’s not a standard room available, so higher pricing kicks in for premium rooms. That’s generally not nearly as good of a use of Hilton Honors points.

What is the Hilton Honors fifth night free benefit?

If you have Hilton Honors elite status (which is easy to earn, as I’ll outline below), you receive a fifth night free on award redemptions. This is a way to stretch your points even further, and whenever possible, I’d recommend making your Hilton Honors award stays in increments of five nights.

To take advantage of this, just log into your Hilton Honors elite account, and go through the process of making an award booking for five nights. When you get to the booking page, you should notice that the cost of the fifth night is automatically deducted.

Tip: Easily earn Hilton Honors elite status

One thing I love about the program is how easy it is to earn elite status with credit cards, including both Hilton Honors™ Gold Status and Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status. These tiers offer perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, and more. For example:

• The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more) offers Diamond status for as long as you have the card
• The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (learn more) and Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (learn more) offer Gold status for as long as you have the card
• American Express Platinum Card® (learn more) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (learn more) offer Hilton Gold status for as long as you have the card (Enrollment required)

Do Hilton Honors points expire?

Hilton Honors points don’t expire as long as you have at least some account activity once every 24 months. Eligible account activity includes earning or redeeming points, so buying points would even reset the expiration of your points.

How much are Hilton Honors points worth?

Everyone will value points differently, but personally I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, and I tend to value points pretty conservatively. As you can see, the pricing here is roughly in line with how much I value these points, and there are ways to get a ton of outsized value with this promotion.

Does Hilton Honors have blackout dates?

Hilton Honors doesn’t have blackout dates on award nights, and all standard rooms are available for award redemptions. So this is about as good of a policy as you’ll find with any hotel group when it comes to award room availability.

How else can you earn Hilton Honors points?

There are lots of ways to earn Hilton Honors points, beyond just staying at Hilton properties or buying the points directly. You can easily earn points by using Hilton Honors’ co-branded credit cards, which also offer great welcome bonuses. These cards include the following:

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more)
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (learn more)
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (learn more)
• Hilton Honors American Express Card (learn more)

While you can also transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors, I tend to think this doesn’t represent a very good deal, given how valuable Amex points are.

Bottom line

Hilton Honors has just launched a bonus on purchased points, whereby members can receive up to a 100% bonus, which is an opportunity to acquire points for 0.5 cents each. This is as good as deals from the program get. With a short term use in mind, there are plenty of situations where this could represent a good deal.

Unfortunately with the recent devaluation of Hilton Honors points, I wouldn’t consider this to be as lucrative as in the past. Still, there are definitely situations where the math checks out.

Do you plan on buying Hilton Honors points with a bonus?

I’ll get into more details below, but there are many aspects to this, with one common theme — community. We’re talking about everything from a new system whereby the most engaged users get fewer (or no) ads, the ability for members to submit their own stories that will appear on the front page of OMAAT, a new community forum, elite status with a gamification element (including prizes), and more.

Why we’re making changes to One Mile at a Time

I’ve written in the past about the state of miles & points blogging. The internet has changed massively over time, particularly in recent years, given the increased use of AI, the ways search engines have evolved, the increasing shift to short form video, etc.

I think just about anyone who makes a living publishing things online will tell you that the landscape has shifted drastically. That’s why we’ve also increasingly seen many sites update how they monetize things, with things like subscriptions and paywalls being increasingly common.

There’s no denying that using the internet has just become increasingly less pleasant in terms of ads, constantly being asked to sign up for things, etc. Nobody wants it to be that way, but it has kind of become a necessary evil.

That being said, we’re trying to take a different approach, with a different philosophy — can we make OMAAT more interesting, fun, and compelling than ever before? That’s the genuine intent with these changes, because I tend to think what sets OMAAT apart from the more “corporate” sites is that there’s a bit more of a sense of community here, since we have an actual readership, and don’t exist solely to get search engine traffic. I’d also like to think there’s a bit more “personality” here, and things can get spirited. So let me explain what’s going on…

What we’re changing at One Mile at a Time

If you scroll down the front page of OMAAT, you should notice some changes, which have all gone live within the past 24 hours. Before I talk about what’s changing, let me state what isn’t changing — well, basically everything you’re currently used to, including the content on the front page.

The below initiatives are all about building community, along with the new OMAAT video series, which will be launching in the coming weeks. Let’s go over the changes, in no particular order. I should mention that you can find the pages for most of these changes in the new “Community” navigation at the top of the site.

OMAAT Community Rewards

Registered users at OMAAT have been able to earn “elite status” through their posting activity for a long time, though there weren’t really any perks associated with that. It was just intended to be a cute play on the concept of how we’re generally elite status obsessed.

There are now updates to this, with the new OMAAT Community Rewards concept:

• There are three elite tiers — Gold, Platinum, and Diamond — and the higher your elite status, the fewer ads you’ll see, with Diamond members getting virtually no ads
• You can earn elite status through community engagement, with activities earning anywhere from 20 to 2,500 points each
• There’s now a “leaderboard,” with weekly and monthly stats, showing those who have earned the most points through being helpful, getting the most likes, having the hottest takes (I wonder who is gonna win that one!), and being the most prolific; if you check your own profile page, you can also see your year to date points and lifetime points
• With these updates, elite status is earned on an annual basis, but it’s intentionally supposed to not be too hard to earn; status is earned based on the calendar year, is valid through the end of February of the following year, and existing elites get a head start toward status for the following year
• Not only will there be direct prizes for certain activities (outlined on this page), but we’re also planning some really fun rewards for those who are the most engaged long term

If you haven’t yet registered for a free OMAAT account, please consider doing so, since you might as well be rewarded for the activity you engage in anyway.

OMAAT Community Stories

Those in the OMAAT community have a lot of their own stories to share, and I get a countless number of messages from people asking if we accept guest posts, if I can cover their travel story, etc. While I do this as much as I can, the ones that make it onto the site aren’t even the tip of the iceberg, because there are only so many hours in the day.

So I figured it would be fun to democratize this a bit, which is why we’re introducing the concept of OMAAT Community Stories:

• This gives registered members the ability to share their own stories in the form of blog posts, and they’ll appear on the front page of the blog, in a similar grid to the stories I write
• The intent here is to be flexible about what people want to cover — you can share a travel experience (whether positive or negative) and even ask for feedback, you can write an op-ed about your choice of airline or hotel topics, you can share a great redemption deal, etc.
• We’re giving people a lot of latitude here to express themselves how they’d like, though we ask that the posts be at least 500 words (because otherwise the content is probably better for the forums, which I’ll talk about below); you can also include up to five pictures, and then we’ll figure out where to insert them in the post
• There will be a manual review process for these (for obvious reasons, to make sure spam doesn’t publish), though the goal is to have content published within 24 hours; posts don’t have to be perfect, but we ask that at least some effort goes into them, so write them as if they’re going to be widely read (because hopefully they will be!)
• Members can then engage on these posts in the same way they’d engage on the posts that I publish
• For submitting a story and having it approved, you’ll receive 2,500 bonus points toward OMAAT status, which already gets you Gold status and unlocks reduced ads; so by contributing to the community, you’ll have a better experience immediately
• For the month of August, the most read Community Stories post will get a $500 travel gift card (your choice of airline or hotel), and we’ll continue to have prizes going forward; there’s a big incentive to submit a story early, since it leaves more time for people to read it

You can submit your OMAAT Community Stories posts here, and then when you scroll down on the page, you should start to see them once they’re live. I’d love for people to sound off, so don’t be shy, and go for it!

Let me say that while I don’t want to make this section just about grievances with airlines, hotels, etc., that is a perfectly acceptable use of this, in terms of sharing stories. I say that because those are the most common types of reader emails I receive, so this is a great way to get some eyeballs to whatever went wrong with your travel situation. And I’ll of course also gladly chime in on whatever stories people post.

OMAAT Community Help

On the home page of the site you’ll now see a link to the OMAAT Community Help section. The idea is that if you have a question about a topic that’s related to miles, points, travel, etc., that’s the place to ask. I will be engaging there as much as I can, and my hope is that others will help out as well.

After submitting stories, answering questions in the Community Help section is the next thing that earns the most points toward status, with no limits (so it gets you to a reduced or no ad experience as quickly as possible).

OMAAT Daily Discussion

On the home page of the site you’ll also now see a link to the OMAAT Daily Discussion thread. Every single day a thread will go live where those in the community can chime in with… well, whatever they’d like, basically.

Whether you want to point out a story that should be covered, have general feedback, want to talk about how your day is going, found a great award availability option, are annoyed by the quality of lounge cheese, etc., that’s the place to do it.

OMAAT “Yowzers!” button

This is minor compared to the other updates, but I’d like to talk about one other thing we added. When people comment, we’ve long had the “Helpful” button, so that members can show appreciation or approval for the comments of others.

The intent was to keep it positive, which is why we avoided something like a “dislike” button. However, we decided to make this all a bit more fun, so we’ve introduced a second button that can be clicked, which is “Yowzers!” Consider this to be a way to express surprise or shock, so that can be used to recognize hot takes, wild conclusions, etc.

For the month of August, there’s even a prize of a $100 airline or hotel gift card for the hottest take in a comment, decided based on getting the most exclamation points.

There’s one more point I’d like to emphasize — we’re really stepping up moderation of comments effective immediately. It’s important to me that this is a friendly community where people can disagree without getting personal, and where we don’t have people slinging unnecessary insults at groups or people.

We have published commenting rules and guidelines, and we now have a system in place whereby we’re upping enforcement. If you see a comment you take an issue with, please click the “Report” button next to a post. If a post does get removed for violating community guidelines, we also reserve the right to remove status points from an account. After all, showing basic courtesy toward others shouldn’t be complicated.

Again, I’m all for people disagreeing (with me or with others), but I just ask that we remain respectful. The people who have pointed out the issues with moderation on this site are correct, and I appreciate their desire for a friendlier community. That starts now. Please just be patient in terms of timing, since we’re not online 24/7, but we will check reports multiple times per day, and are making this a priority.

Bottom line

We’ve just rolled out the most substantial changes to OMAAT in years. The core of things will remain completely unchanged, but the idea is to add lots of fun community elements, with a gamification element.

Engaging in the community can earn OMAAT elite status, and the higher your status, the fewer ads you get, with Diamond members getting virtually no ads. On top of that, members can upload their own stories, ask questions in the Q&A section, and participate in the daily discussion.

I’ve been running this site for 18+ years, and it’s my hobby and passion above all else. So I think it’s time to lean more into what I think is best about this site, which is the community of readers, who have lots of great things to say. My hope is that these changes can amplify that.

Rather than going the direction of trying to put stuff behind a paywall or make countless other negative changes, I’m excited about this approach, as it’s all about showing appreciation for readers, and giving them more of a voice.

So if you’re not yet an OMAAT member, consider registering for free, so you can start earning points and elite status. Then consider submitting a story, asking or answering a question in the Q&A section, or participating in the daily discussions.

Please let me know what questions y’all have, and of course any feedback is welcome, whether positive or negative. Thanks for being part of the OMAAT community! I’m also very excited to see the first Community Stories submissions!

When he arrived, he was told he didn’t have a reservation, management refused to talk to him, and they even called the cops on him. This story absolutely makes my blood boil, and I’m not even involved in this. It’s not often I say this, but someone needs to be fired over this incident.

Amanvari claims guest has no reservation, calls cops on him

Ryan Walker publishes hotel reviews on YouTube, and he does a really professional and fair job. He doesn’t come in with any agenda, he seems to fund his own stays, etc., and he has a good, methodical system by which he judges hotels.

So Ryan booked Amanvari for earlier this week, on the second night that it was in operation. Unfortunately he didn’t exactly get to review the property, as he just uploaded an 11 minute video titled “Amanvari Called the Police on Me.”

In the video, Ryan can be seen pulling up to the gate at the resort. He informed the security guard he had a reservation, and the security guard responded “your name is Ryan Walker?” So clearly they knew his name, which seems like great, anticipatory service… right?

Well, not so fast. The security guard then informed the driver that they couldn’t enter. At that point Ryan was informed “we don’t have your reservation.” Ryan then asked how they knew who he was if they didn’t have his reservation, and the response was “I don’t know what happened, maybe you canceled?”

A security supervisor then got involved, and he said “you received another email,” and said “your reservation was not confirmed.” Ryan even showed the security guard an email from the Amanvari reservations team from that morning, confirming the anticipated arrival.

The supervisor just maintained the same position, claiming they didn’t have his information, and that there was nothing he could do. Ryan then understandably asked to speak to the resort manager, and the security guard responded that access can’t be permitted because they didn’t have a reservation, reminding him that this is private property.

He then again asked if a manager could come out of the property to speak to him, and they insisted that wasn’t possible, and the security guard then said “I need to talk to the police.” In other words, they were going to call the cops on him.

The security guards did indeed call the cops, and as he drove off, he searched his email inbox. He said he did find an email from the hotel from late the night before (while he was filming a video elsewhere), which read as follows:

“Having opened only days ago, we are still in the earliest phase of settling the resort into full operation, and we have taken the difficult decision to reduce arrivals over the coming days while we complete this work. Regrettably, this affects your stay, and we are unable to welcome you as planned.”

So literally the night before check-in the hotel canceled the reservation on him, because clearly they felt they weren’t ready for primetime. What’s even wilder is that after his reservation was canceled, they were still accepting reservations for that night, and several nights after that. So clearly that was a lie, and they just didn’t want him there reviewing the property, because they weren’t ready for what he’d say.

The person who claims to be the videographer also left the following comment on the video:

I am the videographer that shot this – this was truly a shocking experience. The security guard escalated the situation almost immediately and called the police on us for just trying to check in to the hotel. A mexican military police van stopped us on the way out of the area. Very scary situation that should have never happened in the first place.

I am in disbelief at the stupidity shown by this hotel

I’m furious on Ryan’s behalf here, and I’m in disbelief at how calmly he handled this. I’m someone who is good at maintaining my calm in bad customer service situations (I have a lot of experience!), but this is truly next level.

Let me once again emphasize that Ryan is a really honest reviewer. His reviews might not always be positive, but they reflect reality, so he’s not like a certain vlogger who tries to create drama out of every situation, regardless of the extent to which it reflects reality.

The level of absurdity here is just next level:

• He booked a $6K per night hotel
• The hotel informed him the night before of the cancelation
• Then when he showed up at the property they clearly knew who he was, then gaslit him, claiming he probably canceled his reservation
• No one from the hotel was willing to talk to him, and they even called the cops on him!

Guys, this is truly the most insane luxury hotel story I’ve ever heard. If the details are as presented, someone needs to be fired, both from a customer service and intelligence standpoint.

If you work at a hotel charging $6K per night, you have to be ready to deliver. And if you’re concerned about the review you’re going to get due to a hotel not being fully operational, what do you think the review is going to be like when you gaslight a customer and call the cops on him? Simply disgusting.

I really hope action is taken here, because this is inexcusable. And to travel advisors, I hope you think twice about booking clients here, with such a clear contempt for customers.

Bottom line

Amanvari just opened in Mexico, and it’s getting attention for all the wrong reasons. Hotel reviewer Ryan Walker booked a stay at the $6K per night hotel for the second night it was open. When he showed up, they claimed they didn’t have a reservation for him, and suggested he may have canceled it. They refused to let him speak to a manager, and then even called the cops on him when he didn’t leave the gate fast enough.

As it turns out, the hotel had emailed him the night before to indicate they were limiting the number of arrivals due to having just opened. Conveniently, though, they were still accepting reservations for the hotel, so clearly they just didn’t feel they were ready to be reviewed.

What horrendous customer service, and I’m in disbelief that they thought this approach is what would maximize a positive reaction.

What do you make of this Amanvari story?

Marriott’s promotion on purchasing Bonvoy points

Between August 4 and September 9, 2026, Marriott Bonvoy is offering a promotion on purchased points. With this offer, different members are targeted for different deals, so you’ll want to log into your account to see what you’re eligible for.

It seems the two most common offers are for a 40% or 50% bonus, and in both cases, you can unlock the bigger bonus if you buy at least 40,000 points in one transaction.

How much does it cost to buy Bonvoy points?

Ordinarily you can buy Bonvoy points for 1.25 cents each, before any discounts or bonuses. If you were eligible for a 40-50% bonus, the math on this promotion would look as follows:

• With a 40% bonus, you could buy a total of 280,000 Bonvoy points for $2,500, which is a rate of 0.89 cents per point
• With a 50% bonus, you could buy a total of 300,000 Bonvoy points for $2,500, which is a rate of 0.83 cents per point

If you’re eligible for the 50% bonus, that’s just about as good as offers on purchased Bonvoy points get nowadays, as we haven’t seen a lower cost per point in a long time. Admittedly points have also lost a bit of value over the years.

How many Bonvoy points can you buy?

Marriott Bonvoy ordinarily lets members buy up to 150,000 points per calendar year, before any bonuses. However, during this promotion, that cap has been increased to 200,000 points, pre-bonus.

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

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

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

Which credit card should you buy Bonvoy points with?

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

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

Is buying Bonvoy points worth it?

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

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

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

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

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

Do Bonvoy points expire?

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

How much are Bonvoy points worth?

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

Does Marriott Bonvoy have blackout dates?

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

How else can you earn Bonvoy points?

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

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

Bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy has just launched its latest offer on purchased points. Different members are eligible for different offers, and it seems that most members can receive up to a 40-50% bonus, which is an opportunity to buy points for 0.83-0.89 cents each.

While I wouldn’t proactively pick up points without a specific use in mind, this has the potential to represent a good value, and this is among the best deals we’ve seen from the program.

Do you plan on purchasing Marriott points with a bonus?

Well, I just dealt with my latest case of credit card fraud. All credit card fraud gets me wondering how something happened, but this one is especially strange, since it seems to be related to previous fraud I had… with another card issuer!

My unauthorized Amex card purchases in Malaysia

I have the Amex Business Platinum, and it’s a card that I primarily keep for the perks, rather than for actual spending. As a matter of fact, I’ve made a total of four transactions on the card this year, and they were all to unlock perks associated with the card.

Of course I always monitor my credit card statements, to make sure there’s no fraud, even for statement periods where I’m not anticipating any purchases. While reviewing my recent transactions on the card, I noticed two small charges — a $2.46 charge on July 10, and an $0.86 charge on July 19, both with Google. One was for Bongo Movies (“a modern African film industry in Tanzania”), and the other for WhatsApp.

Those transactions were small enough that I might not have thought much of them, but I also knew something looked off. Sure, I probably can’t keep track of all of the purchases I make that involve Google, but I couldn’t figure out any reason that I’d put those charges on this card, since this isn’t a card that I have connected to any auto-billing services.

Just to be extra sure, I clicked on the details of the transactions, and saw that the purchases were both actually in Malaysian Ringgit. Okay, so that’s definitely fraud!

I disputed both charges, indicating that I never authorized them. Usually Amex is great at resolving card disputes in the favor of cardmembers, but I was surprised to get a rejection within a few days. Per the email I received from Amex:

We’ve rebilled the $0.86 amount you disputed from GOOGLE.

Here’s what happened: We gathered the attached documentation we needed to explain this charge, and we’ve determined that you’re responsible for the amount in question.

They then attached the receipt that acted as proof, to show that I authorized the transaction. The issue is that the “customer email” — simonbarua124@gmail.com — is not me. And that was the same emailed used for both transactions.

Honestly, that’s rather disappointing handling on Amex’s part, when I suggest I didn’t make the purchase, and then they deny the claim on account of the “proof” of me having made the purchase, with a receipt that uses an email that has nothing to do with me. I can’t expect Amex to know the email addresses I use, but I’m not sure how this is “proof” that the purchase wasn’t fraudulent.

The Malaysia fraud connection gets more interesting

In isolation you might not think much of this, but here is where the story gets stranger, as I see it. Several months ago I covered how I dealt with fraud on a Citi credit card, specifically involving Grab “Poi Funding Transactions” in Malaysia (Grab is a competitor to Uber, particularly in Southeast Asia). The purchases were spaced out over the course of weeks, and totaled over $380.

They were all on my Citi Double Cash, which is another card that I don’t actually use much for spending nowadays, and it had also never been linked to my Grab account.

I know I’m unlikely to ever get to the bottom of credit card fraud, given what a big underground industry this is. However, curiosity does get the best of me. What I found strange is that this fraud happened just weeks after traveling to Malaysia for the first time in years. The thing is, I hadn’t used that card for any purchases there (it has foreign transaction fees), though I did have the card in my backpack, along with around a dozen other cards, including the Amex Business Platinum.

With this latest Amex Business Platinum situation, I’ve now had two cards compromised that I traveled to Malaysia with, but didn’t actually use there, with all the fraud being in Malaysia (or at least processed from there, as there also seems to be an Africa connection).

My theory here is that someone went through my personal belongings for the brief time I was in Malaysia, and maybe photographed my credit cards (rather than physically taking them, which would arouse more suspicion). Then they’re trying to take a very slow but steady approach toward fraud, doing this over months, or possibly just even selling the numbers on the dark web. I dunno…

It’s possible that I’m way off here, but I just find it to be a strange coincidence that this all involves Malaysia just weeks after I visited. I understand that a data breach of some sort is often the most common source of fraud, but we’re talking about two different card issuers here, so the cards wouldn’t even be linked in the same database anywhere.

Am I wild for coming up with this theory, or does anyone else have a good explanation? I’m certainly channeling my inner George Bush here.

Bottom line

My Amex Business Platinum Card, which I don’t use much for spending, was recently compromised with two small, fraudulent purchases, charged in Malaysian Ringgit. What makes this stranger is that my Citi Double Cash Card was also recently compromised with some purchases in Malaysian Ringgit.

I traveled to Malaysia with both of these cards in my bag, though didn’t actually use them for any purchases. Maybe this is a total coincidence, but I’m starting to think that someone went through my bag, took note of all my credit card numbers, and then is slowly but surely committing fraud on them.

Is my theory totally off, or does anyone have a different idea of how this could happen?

Well, Lufthansa has now expanded the concept of charging for seat assignments in business class on long haul flights beyond Allegris, as you’ll now find seat fees on the carrier’s reconfigured (but not with Allegris) Airbus A380s, as flagged by Travel-Dealz.

Lufthansa charging for Airbus A380 business class seats

Lufthansa is currently in the process of retrofitting its fleet of eight Airbus A380s with new business class seats. The airline isn’t installing Allegris business class seats, but instead, is just taking an off the shelf product, in the form of the Thompson Aero Vantage XL product. These seats are in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, so seats alternate between being closer and further from the aisle.

There’s now an interesting update, as Lufthansa has decided to monetize these different seating options, with a similar naming mechanism to what you’ll find on planes with Allegris cabins. For flights as of September 15, 2026, Lufthansa is starting to charge for seat assignments in A380 business class:

• Lufthansa’s A380 business class now has Privacy Seats, as they’re called, which are the seats closest to the windows, with the letters “A” and “K”
• Lufthansa’s A380 business class now has Extra Long Bed Seats, which are the bulkhead window seats, featuring a larger ottoman
• These seats now come at a fee of up to €170 per sector; Miles & More HON Circle and Senator members, as well as those on Business Flex fares, can assign Privacy Seats for free, while HON Circle members can assign Extra Long Bed Seats for free (elites can’t assign these seats for free on Business Light fares)

I don’t like this, but I guess it’s hard to be too mad?

I’m obviously not at all a fan of the expansion of seating fees in business class, and I also don’t like the way that Lufthansa is constantly finding new ways to brand the same product, in order to extract more revenue.

So this is objectively a negative change, though in fairness, at this point seat fees are becoming the norm on long haul flights operated by major European airlines. British Airways has charged for all business class seats for eons. Air France and KLM have both recently expanded business class seat fees globally, even though most business class seats are virtually identical (as they’re typically reverse herringbone).

At least in the case of Lufthansa, there is a material difference in popularity and comfort between these seats, with the “true” window seats being by far the most popular. So in that sense, I at least prefer only charging for the better seats, rather than simply charging for all seats.

Obviously Lufthansa realizes it would just be unconscionable to charge for business class seats in its old layout, given the 2-2-2 configuration, or else I’m sure it would do that as well.

Bottom line

Lufthansa has now expanded seat assignment fees to its reconfigured Airbus A380s, which feature a staggered (non-Allegris) product. Specifically, the airline is charging up to €170 to assign either the “true” window seats (“Privacy Seats”) or the bulkhead window seats (“Extra Long Bed Seats”).

Of course I hate to see seat fees expand, but this is very much the direction the industry is headed, unfortunately, and Lufthansa isn’t being quite as punitive as some other airlines, at least.

What do you make of Lufthansa’s new A380 business class seat fees?

The first planes to get reconfigured will be Boeing 777-300ERs. Last December we saw the first plane head to the “shop” to get a full makeover, and roughly eight months later, it sounds like it’s almost ready to enter service again, as reported by JonNYC.

American starts retrofitting cabins of Boeing 777-300ERs

American has a fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ERs, and these are the first long haul planes that American plans to reconfigure with new interiors (Boeing 777-200ERs and Boeing 787-8s will also be reconfigured, though the timeline remains to be seen). These 777-300ERs are a priority because they’re used for the carrier’s most premium routes, and also because they feature first class, which is a cabin that American is eliminating.

American had first planned to start reconfiguring 777-300ERs as of September 2024, but that project was delayed, due to a variety of factors. In December 2025, we finally saw the 777 with the registration code N718AN fly to Hong Kong (HKG), so it could be the prototype plane that gets new cabins.

Work on the first aircraft always takes a really long time, and then aircraft after that tend to be faster. There’s finally a positive update, as JonNYC reports that this plane should finally be returning to the United States in the coming days. It’ll then require a couple more weeks in Dallas (DFW), and presumably it would enter service after that.

So we’ll see how this plays out, though I’d expect the aircraft to be in service before the end of the IATA summer 2026 schedule (and possibly much earlier that), assuming these cabins have easily been certified, which is a real challenge nowadays.

American’s Boeing 777-300ER retrofit project is known as “Olympus” (similar to how the airline referred to its 737-800 retrofit project as “Oasis”).

American’s updated Boeing 777-300ER configuration

As American reconfigures its Boeing 777-300ERs, how will the seat count change? JonNYC has shared a seat map of what the reconfigured aircraft will look like, which tell us a lot.

For context, currently American’s 777-300ERs feature 304 seats, comprised of:

• Eight first class seats
• 52 business class seats
• 28 premium economy seats
• 216 economy seats

Once reconfigured, American’s 777-300ERs will feature 330 seats, comprised of:

• 70 business class seats
• 44 premium economy seats
• 216 economy seats

As you can see, the jet will be losing eight first class seats, but will be gaining 18 business class seats and 16 premium economy seats, all while economy capacity stays the same.

On the surface, it’s almost puzzling how the plane could be reconfigured so efficiently. Trading eight first class seats for 18 business class seats and 16 premium economy seats is a heck of a “deal.” Essentially what’s going on is that we’re seeing a slight improvement in efficiency just about everywhere. You can find the current 777-300ER seat map here, and the new 777-300ER seat map here, if you want to compare the two.

Just to highlight some of the main efficiency gains, starting from the front and moving back:

• The forward lavatories will both be right by the flight deck, rather than one being a bit further back; this won’t be great for when the pilots need to use the lavatory, and the galley is blocked off
• The second set of doors will continue to have two lavatories, but the walk-up bar is being eliminated, and there will just be a galley there
• The third set of doors will go from having four lavatories to two, and it’s not clear if those two lavatories will be dedicated to business class or premium economy
• The fourth set of doors are going from having two lavatories to zero lavatories
• The fifth set of doors are going from having two lavatories to three lavatories, but the size of the galley is being reduced considerably
• Business class is going from 43″ of pitch to 42″ of pitch, while Main Cabin Extra is going from 35″ of pitch to 34″ of pitch

Crews will probably hate working these planes, given the huge reduction in galley space. Meanwhile many passengers will be delighted by there being 70 business class seats — that’s fantastic for upgrades, as that’s way more business class capacity than we’ve seen on any plane up until now.

Just to compare this to the only other US airline flying this jet, United’s 777-300ERs feature 350 seats, including 60 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 266 economy seats. So United has 50 more economy seats, but 10 fewer business class seats and 20 fewer premium economy seats.

When will American eliminate international first class?

American has plans to eliminate its international first class product, instead introducing an improved business class, plus a new front row premium business class experience. The timeline for that change is expected to coincide with the 777 retrofit project being materially underway.

The initial plan was to eliminate first class as of late 2024, though with the retrofits having been delayed, obviously that was delayed as well.

Presumably there will be some period where American stops selling first class, but continues to offer the hard product on some planes, and will just seat some business class passengers here. After all, the 20 777-300ERs can’t all be reconfigured overnight. Regardless, we’re still a ways off from when that will happen.

For now, American continues to sell first class through the end of the schedule (into the middle of 2027), but I imagine it’s also easy for American to simply downgrade people once a final decision is made.

Bottom line

American has plans to reconfigure its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, eliminating first class, and introducing a new business class. In December 2025, the first aircraft was flown to Hong Kong to be reconfigured. The prototype planes always take a long time, though the good news is that work is wrapping up, and the plane should be back in the US shortly. Now it just remains to be seen if the cabins are certified.

I’d expect that it will take around two years (best case scenario) until all 777-300ERs are reconfigured. It’s great to see American expanding the footprint for its new business class, as it’s a very nice experience.

What do you make of American’s plans to retrofit Boeing 777-300ERs?

Book a ticket, get Companion Pass for several weeks

With a new promotion from Southwest, you can earn a promotional Companion Pass by booking a single roundtrip ticket (or two one-ways). Here are the details of how this works:

• You must register for the promotion, and then purchase one roundtrip or two one-way tickets between August 3 and August 6, 2026 (yes, the ticket has to be booked after registering, so it’s a short booking window; however, you can always cancel an existing ticket and rebook with vouchers)
• In order for a ticket to qualify, it can be booked with cash, points, or Cash + Points
• You must travel by November 18, 2026
• Then you can earn a promotional Companion Pass that’s valid for travel between January 5 and March 3, 2027; you’ll be able to change your companion up to three times during the promotion period

This is an extremely generous offer. We usually see an offer like this a few times per year, so it’s nice to see it return. It seems that even with all the other changes at Southwest, this promotion is at least one thing that’s remaining consistent.

What is Southwest Airlines Companion Pass?

For those of you not familiar with Companion Pass, it’s one of the best deals in travel. Those with Companion Pass can have a companion fly with them for just the cost of taxes, regardless of whether paying cash or redeeming points. Essentially think of it as a two-for-one travel pass, which is otherwise pretty unheard of.

Ordinarily Southwest Companion Pass requires 100 flights or 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, so this promotion offers quite the shortcut (though also with a limited travel window).

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines has introduced a generous promotion that can earn you Companion Pass. Those who register and then book a roundtrip ticket between August 3 and August 6 for travel by November 18 can earn a promotional Companion Pass valid for several weeks early next year.

Obviously this promotion isn’t for everyone, but if you have any travel to potentially plan over the promotion period, then this offer is seriously worth considering. It’s awesome how often Southwest offers this promotion.

Do you plan on taking advantage of this Southwest Companion Pass promo?

Basics of Amanvari in Costa Palmas, Mexico

Amanvari has opened as of August 1, 2026. The resort is located in the East Cape of Baja California, in the 1,500-acre Costa Palmas development. This complex already had a Four Seasons, and the Aman is the second property there. There’s also a yacht club and a bunch of residences (obviously a key financial motive for the development). To get here, you still fly into Los Cabos (SJD), and then it’s a roughly hour-long drive.

Amanvari features just 18 accommodations, each of which are described as contemporary casitas with sea and mountain views. Most accommodations are 82 square meters (833 square feet), with a private heated pool, terrace, and more.

In terms of dining, the resort features several options, including Luma (a Mexican restaurant), Sesui (a Japanese restaurant), Arva (an Italian restaurant), and The Lounge Bar (serving drinks and light bites). That’s a lot of options for so few rooms, but I suspect the intent is that some people from the Four Seasons will want to come over here.

On top of that, the resort features a full service spa covering 660 square meters (7,000 square feet), with six treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion, gym, a contemporary Temazcal (sweat lodge), two hydrotherapy areas, etc. There’s also a large resort-style pool.

It’s interesting to see this hotel finally opening, as this has to be one of the most oddly delayed projects we’ve seen in a long time. Amanvari was announced back in 2018, with a projected 2020 opening date.

Construction progress was really impressive at the beginning, but then there were some major delays. Of course there were lots of delays with things coming out of the pandemic, but this was extreme. For example, below is what the project looked like in very early 2025 (and that honestly doesn’t look so different from what I remember in 2021). It’s my understanding that the issues came down to financing, rather than anything related to construction as such.

Amanvari Mexico rates & how to book

With Amanvari now open, what are rates like? Given that all accommodations are just one bedroom, I think this might set the record for being Mexico’s new most expensive hotel.

The absolute cheapest rate I see throughout the year is for around $4,500 per night.

However, in peak season, rates get to $7,000+ on some nights for a standard accommodation.

Credit to Aman, those rates are at least displayed to include taxes & fees, which in Mexico, can add up to 30%+ of the cost of a stay. All rates include breakfast, in-room refreshments and non-alcoholic drinks, use of non-motorized water sports, etc.

I have no doubt that this hotel will be fantastic, and that the accommodations are super nice. However, it’s obviously priced at the very top end of the market, though you have to compare this to higher category suites at other properties, in terms of the amount of space you get, a private pool, etc.

There is something special about Costa Palmas, because while it’s in a complex, it otherwise feels very secluded, with beautiful nature. Admittedly this is a place you’ll want to book if you primarily plan on staying in the complex, and not if you want to go out to Los Cabos every night to a different restaurant.

Aman generally has pricing parity between different booking sources, so if you are going to book, you’ll want to use something like Virtuoso. That way you can receive a property credit, an upgrade subject to availability, and more.

Bottom line

Amanvari has finally opened as of August 2026, around six years behind schedule, so it’s good to finally see it coming to market. This should be an incredible hotel, though of course it’s priced accordingly, and makes the adjacent Four Seasons look like a bargain, by comparison.

Costa Palmas isn’t for everyone, but if money is no object and you just want an easy beach getaway that still feels secluded, this definitely fits the bill.

What do you make of Amanvari finally opening?

While there has long been value in strategically buying points, the concept of a revenue based frequent flyer program selling points has always been strange to me, especially for an airline like Southwest. Still, let’s go over the details.

Southwest Rapid Rewards selling points with a discount

Between August 4 and August 26, 2026, Southwest is offering a discount when you purchase Rapid Rewards points. Different members seem to be eligible for different offers, with some accounts seeing discounts of 35%, 45%, or even 50%. In all cases, the discount seems to apply if you purchase at least 7,000 points in one transaction.

Southwest lets you buy at most 60,000 Rapid Rewards points per day, though there’s no annual limit on how many points you can buy. Southwest ordinarily charges 3.0 cents per purchased Rapid Rewards point.

As you’d expect, the cost per purchased point varies based on the percent discount you’re eligible for:

• With a 50% discount, you could buy 60,000 points for $900, which is a cost of 1.5 cents per point
• With a 45% discount, you could buy 60,000 points for $990, which is a cost of 1.65 cents per point
• With a 35% discount, you could buy 60,000 points for $1,170, which is a cost of 1.95 cents per point

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 Airlines 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 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 points with Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the best values in domestic travel. It ordinarily requires earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, and if you get 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.

For what it’s worth, buying Southwest Rapid Rewards points doesn’t count toward Companion Pass qualification.

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:

• 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.

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 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.

Other ways to earn Rapid Rewards points

If you’re looking to earn Southwest Airlines points, there are a couple of best ways to do so:

• You can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio
• Southwest has several excellent co-branded Chase credit cards, which offer big bonuses

Bottom line

Southwest is selling Rapid Rewards points with a 35-50% discount, which brings the cost down to as little as 1.5-1.95 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?

Boeing 737 MAX 7 finally cleared to fly passengers

The FAA has just issued an amended type certificate and updated Production Limitation Record for the Boeing 737 MAX 7. The initial hope was for this to be issued in 2019, so we’re only around seven years behind schedule. Here’s how the FAA describes this approval:

The approval reflects years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues and complete a thorough review of the airplane’s design and supporting safety analyses. Throughout the process, the FAA performed or directly reviewed significant work involving flight controls, system safety assessments, human factors, flightcrew alerting, and other novel, complex, or safety-critical areas, while also requiring testing, design changes, and additional analysis where necessary.

Before granting approval, the FAA required the MAX-7 to incorporate key improvements that address requirements in the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act and NTSB recommendations, including updates to the flight-control software, flightcrew alerting system, and a redesigned engine anti-ice system. These changes provide pilots clearer information and warnings and prevent the engine inlet from overheating and potentially weakening the surrounding structure.

This is a huge and much needed win for Boeing, which has obviously been struggling in recent years, particularly with new aircraft certification. The 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 have been certified for years, while the expectation is that the 737 MAX 10 will be certified in the coming months.

For those not familiar, the 737 MAX 7 is the smallest and longest range variant of the four planes. It can seat 135-160 passengers, with a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles.

The 737 MAX 7 is a plane designed for Southwest

Boeing 737 MAX 7 deliveries should be able to start soon, and there’s really only one airline that has committed to a meaningful number of these planes. Southwest has 269 737 MAX 7s on order, which will feature 150 seats.

This has been a key component in Southwest’s fleet renewal strategy for years. The 737 MAX 7 is the updated version of the 737-700, and the airline has 288 of these planes in its fleet. So Southwest is basically planning a 1:1 fleet renewal, and who knows, maybe we’ll see even more of the planes ordered.

I’ve always found it interesting how Southwest is an all-Boeing 737 operator, but is exclusively focused on the two smaller variants of the plane. The airline never picked up the 737-900, and also never ordered the 737 MAX 9 or 737 MAX 10.

The way to think about it is that the larger variants add capacity but reduce range. What’s so great about the bigger variants is that their incremental operating costs are so low, so you’re able to add quite a few seats without much additional expense, assuming you don’t need the range.

The question is always whether you can fill those seats profitably. After all, flying around empty seats doesn’t exactly help anyone. I totally understand Southwest’s desire for having a smaller aircraft type for markets without a huge amount of demand. But I also find it interesting how the airline has had no interest in larger variants, since you’d think there are lots of markets where the economics would work.

It’s quite telling that literally no other airline has ordered a substantial number of 737 MAX 7s, so this plane is very much to Southwest as the Airbus A380 was to Emirates. Other airlines are focused on the larger 737 MAX variants, and the more popular 737 MAX 8 sized plane is the Airbus A220-300.

Bottom line

The Boeing 737 MAX 7 has finally been certified, roughly seven years behind schedule. Obviously Boeing’s certification woes have been really rough in recent years, so this is great new for the plane maker. The 737 MAX 7 is the smallest but longest range version of the 737 family, so it has a unique niche.

However, only Southwest actually sees value with the plane, given that it has hundreds on order, while no other airlines have committed to a substantial number of these planes.

What do you make of this 737 MAX 7 certification?

Basics of the new Park Hyatt Phu Quoc, Vietnam

The Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is now accepting reservations for stays as of March 1, 2027. The delays on this property have been endless, so it’ll be interesting to see if this timeline actually sticks, or if we see further delays.

For those not familiar with Phu Quoc, it’s Vietnam’s largest island, and half of the island is in a national park and UNESCO site. The Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is expected to feature a total of 168 keys, including 114 rooms and suites, and 54 private pool villas. This is Park Hyatt’s first resort in Vietnam, and second property in the country, after the Park Hyatt Saigon.

The resort is located on the southwestern tip of Phu Quoc Island, and is developed on 160 acres of land, bordered by a mile-long white sand beach on one side, and lush hills on the other side. The Park Hyatt is a 30-minute drive from Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC).

Details about the property are fairly limited, though here are some things we do know:

• In terms of accommodations, entry level rooms are 861 square feet (80 square meters), suites start at 1,776 square feet (165 square meters), and villas start at 3,013 square feet (280 square meters); while I suspect these sizes include outdoor space, they’re absolutely massive across the board
• The resort features a variety of dining outlets, including Fisherman’s (offering a Vietnamese seafood experience), Pepper Grill (an open fire cooking restaurant), Herbs & Spices (serving Vietnamese comfort cuisine), La Maisonette (serving Vietnamese food with a French influence), Pool House & Bar (serving Italian food), the Living Room (the lobby bar), and more
• The property has two swimming pools, a lakeside spa, a gym house with a lap pool, a kids club, event space, and more
• The Park Hyatt Phu Quoc also has The Manor, which is an eight bedroom oceanfront villa, designed for up to 24 guests; this retails for $25,000+ per night

Below are some renderings of the Park Hyatt Phu Quoc. Given that we’ve had the same renderings for years and the property has been delayed year after year, I can’t help but wonder if the actual property looks anything like the renderings.

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc cash & points rates

With the Park Hyatt Phu Quoc now bookable, what are rates like?

If you’re looking to redeem World of Hyatt points, this is a Category 7 property, meaning that a free night redemption will cost anywhere from 25,000 to 55,000 points per night, assuming a standard room is available. I value World of Hyatt points at around 1.5 cents each, so that puts the “cost” of a redemption at $375-825 per night.

When it comes to cash rates, they seem to start at just over $700 per night, and that’s before the 13.4% in taxes and service charges, so we’re talking about entry level rates of over $800 per night all-in.

If you are looking to book a cash stay here, I’d recommend doing so through the Hyatt Privé program, which offers extra perks like room upgrades, a hotel credit, and more.

Depending on the award pricing for the nights you’re looking at, redeeming points here could potentially be a very good value.

Is Phu Quoc, Vietnam, worth a visit?

While I’ve visited major cities in Vietnam several times before, I’ve never gone there for a beach vacation, so I’m intrigued by this property, especially given the value of World of Hyatt points, plus of World of Hyatt Globalist status.

Based on what I’ve heard, currently the top properties on the island are the JW Marriott Phu Quoc and Regent Phu Quoc. Many people have told me that the JW Marriott, in particular, is fantastic, much better than you’d expect based on the branding.

I’m curious, though, for those who have been to Phu Quoc, is it worth a trek from the United States? I’m sure it’s gorgeous and I’ll certainly take Vietnamese food over Caribbean food, but is it otherwise worth traveling that far out of the way?

It’s funny how my preferences in that regard have changed over the years. 15 years ago, I’d almost exclusively take beach vacations in Southeast Asia, given the generally higher standard of everything (service, hotels, etc.), plus the more reasonable prices.

However, as I’ve gotten older, my opinion has changed. For one, the jet lag becomes more challenging the older I get, and can take away from relaxation. Furthermore, flight award options just aren’t as exciting as they were over a decade ago. Like, easily being able to always snag Cathay Pacific first class awards was a great reason to vacation in Asia, as far as I’m concerned. 😉 But that’s no longer so easy.

Bottom line

A Park Hyatt property is expected to open in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, and it’s now accepting reservations for stays as of March 2027. This property has been under development for eons, and it’s about five years behind schedule on opening. Here’s to hoping that the current March 2027 timeline sticks, as I know this is a resort that many people have been looking forward to.

Do you plan on checking out the Park Hyatt Phu Quoc?

I can’t say I’m a huge burger fan, but I finally figured I had to give this a try for myself, given all the hype, and I’d like to report back…

The Shake Shack cheeseburger in Delta first class

Delta’s Shake Shack cheeseburger is available exclusively for pre-order in first class on select domestic lunch and dinner flights. Over the weekend I was flying Delta from Boston (BOS) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and this was a pre-order option, so I figured I had to order it.

Here’s how it’s described:

Shake Shack Cheeseburger

Angus beef, cheese, toasted potato bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and ShakeSauce on the side. Served with crinkle cut potato chips and a brownie.

Below is how it was presented. As you can see, the burger is served open-faced in a casserole-style dish, then the toppings are in a bowl to the side, and then there were packaged chips and a brownie.

I don’t actually like burgers, but this was well executed

Okay, real talk, I’m probably not the person to judge a burger, because I don’t particularly care for burgers (minor detail, eh?). I’m not a huge meat eater, and when it comes to indulgences, a burger just doesn’t rank up there on the list of things that appeal to me.

Here’s what I will say, though — I appreciate the thought that went into how this is presented and prepared, given the unique constraints of airplane food:

• It makes sense to serve it open-faced and to have all the toppings on the side, so that it doesn’t get too soggy
• As much as it would be nice to have fries, those simply can’t be served with decent quality on a plane, so chips are a better alternative

I can’t help but contrast this to the (unbranded) sliders & fries that American is serving in first class, also available by pre-order. As much as I’m a fan of pretzel buns and french fries, the execution simply isn’t as good. The whole thing is just sort of a soggy mess.

That’s not to say it won’t be satisfying to some people who eat it, but it’s definitely less in line with what you’d hope for on the ground.

Bottom line

Delta’s first class pre-order Shake Shack cheeseburger is perhaps the most talked about airplane meal out there. It’s a brilliant collaboration, and while I’m not a big burger fan, I appreciated the thought that went into the execution, like not serving it with fries, presenting it open-faced, etc.

If you’ve tried the Delta Shake Shack burger, what was your take?

Long story short, American is replacing household Admirals Club memberships with single memberships, while greatly increasing the price for a standard membership with guesting privileges. The goal here seems obvious — to convince more people into applying for the premium card.

New American Admirals Club pricing as of August 23, 2026

As of August 23, 2026, American will be greatly updating how it sells Admirals Club memberships:

• American will stop selling household memberships, and will instead start selling single memberships, which allow Admirals Club access just for the member, without any guests
• The cost of a standard Admirals Club membership (allowing two guests or immediately family) is increasingly greatly, from $700-850 to $1,200-1,400
• There will no longer be a difference in membership fees based on whether you’re signing up for a new membership or are renewing

For context, below are the Admirals Club membership costs through August 22, 2026.

Below are the Admirals Club membership costs as of August 23, 2026.

To clarify a few additional points:

• The Admirals Club membership with the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card will continue to offer guesting privileges, so will be equal to a standard membership
• While authorized users on the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card don’t technically get a full Admirals Club membership, they’ll continue to get Admirals Club access with guesting privileges, as before
• There are no changes to the rules associated with Admirals Club access, so it’s not like Delta, where you’re limited to using lounges within three hours of departure, for example

American highlights how it’s investing in its lounge network, including updated food & beverage offerings, and a new design (which is rolling out very slowly).

My take on these American Admirals Club membership changes

It goes without saying that these price hikes are absolutely brutal. A non-elite member renewing their membership is going from paying $800 per year to $1,400 per year, while an Executive Platinum member is going from paying $700 per year to paying $1,200 per year.

We’re talking about overnight increases in fees of up to 75%, which is an absolutely massive change. Sure, American is investing in its lounge network, but I don’t think anyone could argue “yeah nearly doubling rates overnight seems fair.”

With that in mind, I think American’s motivation here is clear — the primary goal is to get more people to sign up for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card. The card has a $595 annual fee (increasing to $695 as of August 23, 2026), and that gets you a full Admirals Club membership with guesting privileges.

So rather than paying $1,200-1,400 per year, you’ll pay at most $695 per year, and you’ll get a membership plus all the other perks. Of course the goal is that once you have the credit card you’ll also spend money on the card and be more engaged in AAdvantage, so American sees more upside there.

This is something right out of the Delta playbook, where lounges are increasingly an extension of the credit card business, rather than something that’s about building a robust membership base of those outright paying. Heck, Admirals Clubs are even getting Citi branding, which tells you what you need to know about the direction things are headed.

Bottom line

As of August 23, 2026, American is completely overhauling how it sells Admirals Club memberships. The airline will be discontinuing household memberships and will be replacing them with single memberships. At the same time, the cost of an Admirals Club membership with guesting privileges will be increasing massively, by up to 75%.

I imagine American knows that the number of people being willing to outright pay for an Admirals Club membership will greatly decrease, and that’s probably the goal, with the airline trying to drive more people toward the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card.

What do you make of these Admirals Club membership changes?

The bad news is that we’re going to see the annual fee increase by $100 per year. The good news is that the card is getting some new perks, which many people will find to be valuable. I’d like to go over all the details of what’s changing, and then share my thoughts.

Link: Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Citi AAdvantage Executive Card gets $695 fee, new perks

Changes are coming to the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card as of August 23, 2026.

Let’s start with the bad news, which is that the card’s annual fee is increasing by $100 for the primary cardmember, from $595 per year to $695 per year. As before, the annual fee for authorized users is $175 for up to three authorized users (so potentially under $60 each), and $175 for each authorized user thereafter.

It’s worth noting that as of August 23, American will also be updating the prices of Admirals Club memberships. Standard Admirals Club membership fees are increasing greatly (for those who value bringing in guests), while there will also be a single person Admirals Club membership option. I’ll cover those details in a separate post.

For that increased annual fee, we’re seeing several new perks added to the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card:

• The card will offer up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year, up from the previous up to 20,000 Loyalty Points; get 10,000 Loyalty points after passing 50,000, 90,000, 165,000, and 240,000 Loyalty Points, in a membership year (previously there were only the first two thresholds)
• The card will offer up to $100 back every calendar year on inflight and eligible Admirals Club purchases when using the card; so you can use this for everything from buy on board snacks or drinks, to premium drinks in Admirals Club lounges
• The card will offer up to $500 back in statement credits per calendar year on eligible American Airlines Vacations purchases; this will be a semi-annual credit of $250, which will apply for a booking of two or more travel components, like a flight, car reservation, or hotel booking
• The card will offer up to $180 in Lyft credits every year (an increase from the previous perk of up to $120 in credits); this will come in the form of a $15 credit each month after taking three eligible rides (compared to the previous $10 monthly credit)
• The card will offer 12x AAdvantage miles on eligible AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars bookings, an increase from the previous 10x miles
• The card will offer Omni Hotels & Resorts Champion status, the program’s second highest tier, offering benefits like early check-in, late check-out, and room upgrades subject to availability
• The card will offer an Omni Free Night Reward once per calendar year after completing a qualifying stay of two or more consecutive nights booked directly through Omni Hotels & Resorts
• The card will offer complimentary Avis President’s Club status, with enrollment available through August 31, 2028; this offers car upgrades, expedited service, and complimentary additional drivers
• The card will offer World Legend Mastercard benefits, an improvement over the current World Elite Mastercard tier

That complements the existing perks of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, which include things like the following:

• The card continues to award one Loyalty Point for every dollar spent, helping you qualify for AAdvantage elite status, whether you’re going for Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum
• The card continues to offer an Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember with guesting privileges (while authorized users continue to get Admirals Club access, but not a full membership)
• The card continues to offer 4x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines flight purchases, and after spending $150,000 on the card in a calendar year, cardmembers can earn a total of 5x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the calendar year
• The card continues to offer up to a $120 credit on a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
• The card continues to offer a first checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to eight companions on the same reservation on American Airlines domestic flights
• The card continues to offer priority boarding, priority check-in, and priority screening on American Airlines flights for the primary cardmember and up to eight companions on the same reservation
• The card continues to offer up to $120 back on eligible prepaid Avis or Budget rentals every calendar year
• The card continues to offer travel protection, including for trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, lost baggage, and worldwide rental cars

What happens for existing cardmembers?

If you’re an existing Citi AAdvantage Executive Card member, how should you expect these changes to be implemented? The new perks kick in for everyone as of August 23, 2026, whether a new or existing cardmember, regardless of when you have to pay the higher annual fee.

That also means you can earn the additional up to 20,000 Loyalty Points from the two added thresholds as of August 23, 2026, even if you already passed those thresholds for the membership year

When it comes to being billed the higher annual fee:

• Existing cardmembers who have had the card for over 12 months will be sent a notification in August or September 2026, and the new annual fee will be billed at the cardmember’s anniversary date
• Existing cardmembers who have had the card for less than 12 months will be sent a notification in August 2027, and the new annual fee will be billed at the cardmember’s next anniversary date

So there could be merit to apply for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card ahead of August 23, before the annual fee goes up. Then again, maybe when the card is officially relaunched, we see a limited time welcome offer (I don’t have any intel here, but that’s common with card refreshes).

Is the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card still worth it?

I’m not a huge fan of the constant credit card annual fee inflation that we see. Especially for those of us who have many premium cards, holding onto these products can get really costly. With that in mind, what’s my take on these Citi AAdvantage Executive Card changes?

To be honest, a $100 annual fee increase on a premium card is hardly the most drastic price increase we’ve seen, so it’s hard to get too upset about that. Furthermore, the benefits are being meaningfully improved. Admittedly most of the new perks follow a sort of “coupon book” strategy, are merchant funded, and/or require using a portal on which American earns a commission. So you’re unlikely to truly recoup the “sticker price” of these perks.

Everyone will value each individual perk differently, but the extra $100 in statement credits on inflight and Admirals Club purchases is nice, especially given that the included alcohol in Admirals Clubs isn’t exactly great. For those who use AAdvantage Vacations or AAdvantage Hotels, this change is also positive, in terms of the potential statement credits and additional bonus miles.

If you’re a big Loyalty Points earner, you might also appreciate the ability to earn up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year with the card, rather than half as many (this is unrelated to spending, but instead, just reflects your total Loyalty Points earned). If you go for Executive Platinum status, which requires 200,000 Loyalty Points per year, just having this card will earn you 30,000 Loyalty Points toward that, unrelated to spending.

The Omni and Avis perks are nice as well, but are more niche. Meanwhile I don’t think it’s worth shifting Lyft spending to this card just to get that $15 monthly credit, given the opportunity cost.

Simply put, the core value proposition of the card hasn’t changed — if you value Admirals Club access, this is still the best deal for getting that, given that the card’s annual fee is lower than any individual Admirals Club membership, and you get all kinds of additional perks as well.

Bottom line

The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is undergoing major changes as of August 23, 2026. The card’s annual fee will increase from $595 per year to $695 per year, and the authorized user fee remains unchanged ($175 for up to three authorized users, and $175 each after that).

There are some positive changes to the card, though, including new opportunities to earn statement credits, an improved rewards structure, the ability to earn up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points annually without spending, and more.

What do you make of these Citi AAdvantage Executive Card changes?

A rather ungrateful operational upgrade recipient

Over the weekend I flew the new SWISS A350 first class from Zurich (ZRH) to Boston (BOS). Up until close to departure, I was the only person booked in first class. However, the flight was overbooked in economy, so there were lots of operational upgrades (between all cabins, so from economy to premium economy, premium economy to business, and business to first).

In the case of first class, I witnessed the other two first class passengers being informed of their operational upgrade from business class to first class. A free upgrade to international first class? That’s kind of the dream, eh?

I was in seat 1D (the center “double suite”), and then eventually the guy showed up who was seated across from me, in seat 1A. The flight attendant was friendly in greeting him, and asked if he had flown SWISS Senses first class before. He said he hadn’t, and his first comment was “I hate it.” He then continued “it’s like a box.” He then proceeded to spend a couple more minutes just ranting about the seat.

After that was done, he called up a family member on the phone, and… started complaining about the seat. Eventually he said “enough complaining,” and they talked about other things.

Toward landing, the purser came around to ask how the flight was, and as soon as those words came out her mouth, I thought to myself “oh, you’re gonna regret that!” In describing how the flight was, he put up his wrist and hand and shook it back and forth (as one might do if they want to convey “meh” or “50/50” or something). You can guess what he complained about (while at the same time not saying anything positive about the excellent crew we had).

People are entitled to their opinions, but…

I understand some people might not like the trend toward more private premium airplane seats. However, the irony is that he still used the privacy doors when he went to sleep, so if you don’t want to feel “boxed in,” that seems like something you wouldn’t want to do.

Ultimately people are entitled to their opinions, regardless of whether they paid cash, redeemed miles, or even got an operational upgrade. But when you literally get a free upgrade right before departure and then immediately start complaining, it does feel like it’s a bit in the “looking a gift horse in the mouth” category.

A minute into his complaining, I was very tempted to jump in and point out that I’m sure someone in a non-privacy seat in business class would be delighted to swap seats with him. But of course I didn’t.

In fairness to this passenger, it was a good reminder of how we’re all looking for different things from seats, and how there’s no first class or business class seat that’s objectively good.

A majority of people like the trend toward more private premium seats, and see that as major progress. But then you also have some people who don’t feel that way, and that’s fair enough.

Bottom line

I flew the new SWISS first class across the Atlantic, and the other two seats were filled by last minute operational upgrades, due to lower cabins being oversold. Usually people are delighted when they get operational upgrades, but the guy across from me wasn’t at all a fan of the seat, and complained to the flight attendant, the purser, and his family, about how the seat was like a box, and he wasn’t a fan.

People are of course entitled to their opinions, but being so upset about something you got upgraded to for free seems a bit extreme, as I’m sure someone in one of the most “open” business class seats would’ve been happy to trade.

Transfer Citi points to Turkish Airlines with 40% bonus

Between August 1 and August 31, 2026, it’s possible to receive a 40% bonus when you move points from the Citi ThankYou program in the United States to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. However, there are some important terms to be aware of:

• The bonus is being offered on Turkish Airlines’ end, so you won’t see this on the Citi ThankYou website
• The bonus miles will only post after the end of the campaign, so that’s nowhere close to instant, unfortunately
• Members can earn up to 50,000 bonus miles with this offer
• There’s no registration required to take advantage of this

Ordinarily points transfer at a 1:1 ratio (in 1,000 point increments), while through this promotion you’d get 1,400 Miles&Smiles miles for every 1,000 Citi ThankYou points transferred, though only after the fact.

There are several great cards earning Citi ThankYou points, including the Citi Strata Premier® Card (learn more) and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (learn more), and it’s easy to combine points between the cards.

Should you transfer Citi points to Turkish Airlines?

Back in the day, the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles program offered incredible redemption values across the board, but that’s no longer really the case. At this point, I’d say the sweet spot with the Miles&Smiles program is if you’re looking to travel on Turkish Airlines specifically to or from Istanbul.

That’s because the Miles&Smiles program now charges per segment for awards on Turkish Airlines metal. You can find the cost of one-way saver awards below, just to give you a sense of pricing.

So as an example, a one-way business class award between the United States and Istanbul will cost you 65,000 miles. In other words, with a 40% transfer bonus, you’d be paying around 47,000 Citi ThankYou points for a business class award, which is a pretty great deal.

If you know what you’re doing and have specific redemption plans in mind, this could be a great deal. Just be sure you understand the complexities of the program, and read my guide to the Turkish Miles&Smiles program. Also keep in mind the Miles&Smiles expiration policy, which is that miles expire 36 months after they’re earned, regardless of activity.

The other big restriction is that the bonus miles will only post after the campaign is done, so you couldn’t transfer points and then immediately redeem all of them (including the bonus). The cap on 50,000 bonus miles is also limiting. But hey, if you value Turkish miles, this could definitely offer some value.

Bottom line

Between August 1 and August 31, 2026, it’s possible to receive a 40% bonus when you move points from Citi ThankYou to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. The catch is that the bonus miles only post after the end of the campaign, and you can only earn 50,000 bonus miles with this offer.

If you’re looking to travel on Turkish Airlines to or from Istanbul, there are some good deals to be had by taking advantage of this.

Do you plan on taking advantage of this transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles?

Well, here’s one of the most extreme stories I’ve ever heard — a Malaysia Airlines pilot was caught in Indonesia transporting 57 pounds of ecstasy. Not only that, but he even tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine, in his own system.

While I first covered this a couple of days ago, some more details have now emerged, including video footage of him at the airport, plus the revelation that he was traveling with a vial of clean urine, to be able to pass a drug test.

Malaysia Airlines pilot caught smuggling drugs into Indonesia

This incident happened on the night of Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK). Customs officers at the airport were inspecting baggage at the international arrivals hall via x-ray, and noticed a bag that looked suspicious.

The bag was later collected by a 39-year-old Malaysia Airlines pilot who had just completed flight MH727 from Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL). At that point, customs officers approached the pilot, and took him and the suitcase to a customs inspection room for further examination.

It was there that authorities discovered 14 large packages containing more than 70,000 ecstasy pills, weighing a total of 26 kilograms (57 pounds). There was also a separate package of methamphetamine.

As you’d expect, the pilot was detained, and authorities are still trying to figure out the network he was involved in. During questioning, the pilot stated that he had been instructed by another person to transport the drugs to Jakarta, and that they would be picked up from his hotel. He was offered 50,000 MYR (11,700 USD) for doing the job.

The pilot also admitted that he had previously transported drugs on two occasions. In addition to once previously transporting seven kilograms (15 pounds) of methamphetamine to Jakarta, he had also once transported methamphetamine to Sabah, Malaysia.

Unfortunately for this pilot, Indonesia has some of the strictest anti-drug laws of anywhere in the world, and drug trafficking charges can carry a life sentence, or even the death penalty (though the country has maintained a moratorium on executions for the last decade).

The pilot also tested positive for three different drugs

Here’s what makes this story even more shocking. When this all happened, the pilot also had a drug test administered on him, and that showed positive results for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine.

What’s even wilder is how much he had planned this out. When his luggage was searched, a clean vial of urine was also found, so clearly he was frequently using drugs while flying, and was prepared for any random drug test by traveling with the bottle of urine.

One would hope that he hadn’t consumed these drugs shortly before flying, and that they were just in his system from days earlier. Of course that still completely violates rules and is unacceptable, but there’s a difference between doing these drugs days before a flight, vs. an hour before a flight.

Sometimes we’ll see airline employees get caught drug smuggling because they need (or want) the money, even if they wouldn’t consume any of these drugs themselves. However, in this case it seems the pilot both consumed and smuggled drugs.

I’m sorry if he found himself with some sort of a serious drug addiction, but I have a lot less sympathy here in terms of the extent to which this was clearly premeditated on his part. He wasn’t just transporting drugs for profit, but he was also clearly using drugs in violation of international standards for pilots. He had even planned for the possibility of being tested by carrying the vial of clean urine. That’s just beyond reckless.

Bottom line

A Malaysia Airlines pilot was caught smuggling a huge quantity of drugs at Jakarta Airport, including 70,000 ecstasy pills. He admitted he had done something like this twice before, and that someone was supposed to pick up the drugs at his hotel.

What makes this even wilder is that a drug test was performed on him, and he tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine. He was even found to be traveling with a vial of clean urine, with the intent of passing any random drug tests he may get.

Unfortunately for him, this is going to come with quite the punishment, given Indonesia’s strict anti-drug laws. Thank goodness authorities found him, because imagine what could’ve happened at some point if he continued “flying while high.”

What do you make of this Malaysia Airlines pilot drug bust?

Receive a 30% transfer bonus from Amex to Avios

Between August 3 and September 27, 2026, the Amex Membership Rewards program in the United States is offering a 30% bonus when you transfer points to British Airways Club.

The same transfer bonus is also being offered to Aer Lingus AerClub and Iberia Plus. Keep in mind that you can transfer Avios between the various “flavors” online at no cost, so this is also a way to acquire Avios with Finnair Plus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Points ordinarily transfer at a 1:1 ratio, so during this promotion they transfer at a 1:1.3 ratio. Since the bonus is hardcoded into the transfer ratio, you can take advantage of this promotion multiple times. Transfers between the programs are generally instant.

For what it’s worth, we haven’t seen such a transfer bonus in roughly a year, so it’s nice to see it return.

Is acquiring Avios with a 30% bonus worth it?

I think there’s huge value to be had in taking advantage of a 30% bonus on points transfers from Membership Rewards to Avios. That’s not because of any one particular redemption opportunity, but rather because of the collective value of the Avios ecosystem.

Back in the day, the best uses of British Airways Avios were for short haul travel on partner airlines, including on Alaska and American. Unfortunately those redemption opportunities have been devalued horribly.

However, lots of great new options using Avios have emerged. For example, I love how Qatar Airways Privilege Club is an Avios airline, as this opens up some great opportunities:

• Qatar Airways has one of the world’s best business class products, and the airline makes a vast majority of business class award space available only to those redeeming Avios
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club has some unique partner redemption opportunities, like being able to fly JetBlue Mint across the Atlantic for 78,000 Avios (so with a 30% bonus, that would be just 60,000 Amex points)

Anyway, there’s a ton of potential value here, so see my guides to maximizing Avios with British Airways Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus Aer Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Finnair Plus.

There are lots of ways to earn Avios

While a 30% bonus on transfers from Amex to British Airways is a good deal, I just want to point out the other ways to earn British Airways Avios. British Airways Club partners with multiple transferable points currencies, including Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

On top of that, there are three credit cards issued in the US that earn Avios:

• Aer Lingus Visa Signature^® Card (learn more)
• British Airways Visa Signature® Card (learn more)
• Iberia Visa Signature^® Card (learn more)

Lastly, British Airways Club sometimes sells Avios with a bonus.

Bottom line

Through September 27, 2026, the US Amex Membership Rewards program is offering a 30% bonus on points transfers to British Airways Club, Iberia Plus, and Aer Lingus AerClub. This is the first time in roughly a year that we’ve seen such a transfer bonus.

While British Airways Club isn’t as useful for partner redemptions as it used to be, I still think this could be worth a speculative transfer. There are five different Avios currencies that are all valuable in their own way, so this opens up a lot of redemption opportunities, including on Qatar Airways.

Do you plan on converting Amex points into Avios with this bonus?

Spend $500+ with Accor luxury brands, save $100

There’s a targeted Amex Offers deal for stays at select Raffles, Fairmont, SLS, Sofitel, and Legend properties, in the United States and select global locations:

• Save $100 when you spend $500+ across one or more transactions (up to 20% back)
• This is valid when you pay for your stay between August 3 and November 2, 2026
• This is only valid for stays at select properties in the Americas and in select global locations, and you can find the full list of participating properties here
• The terms state that you need to book directly with Accor to take advantage of this; for these purposes, an Accor Preferred booking should qualify, though
• All room charges, including taxes and fees, should qualify toward this offer
• This is valid only for room rate and charges, and excludes all other Accor brands, residences, registries, weddings and events, amenities such as golf, spa, and dining, Fairmont Store, Raffles Boutique, and any other retail purchases
• Registration is required

You can split your payment to maximize rewards

Hotel stays can be expensive, especially at luxury brands, so it always makes sense to use a credit card that maximizes your return on hotel spending. The truth is that there are a limited number of Amex cards with good spending multipliers on hotels (the Amex Green Card offers 3x points, but is no longer open to new applicants, as of late).

That’s why I think it’s worth pointing out that it’s typically not an issue to split payment methods at check-out, when staying at a hotel. So you could use an Amex card on which you have the Amex Offers deal for $500, and then put the remaining amount on a card that has a better rewards structure for hotel spending.

Bottom line

There’s a new Amex Offers deal that can save you money at select Raffles, Fairmont, SLS, Sofitel, and Legend properties, in the United States and select destinations abroad. If you have any upcoming stays with these Accor brands, this deal is absolutely worth taking advantage of.

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

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 intriguing promotion… is it worth it, though?

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

Between August 3 and August 31, 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 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
• I don’t have firsthand experience with actually buying D$, so I’m not sure how it codes for the purposes of credit card spending; a hotel stay could earn you several bonus points per dollar on the right credit card, but I’m not sure this purchase would code that way

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, and more.

Being able to essentially buy a discount on a hotel stay could be a good value, but the only catch is that you don’t earn rewards on the portion of the stay you redeem for. Given that you usually earn a 4-7% return on spending, that lowers the real value here to 8-11%, before any additional promotions. So I think this could make sense with an upcoming stay, but it’s not any slam dunk.

Does anyone plan on buying D$ at a discount?

I’d say the one thing that has been missing with Singapore Airlines’ first class experience is making the ground experience seamless and end-to-end, and that’s something that the airline seems to be addressing… at least in a trial.

New Singapore Airlines first class concierge service

The MileLion reports how Singapore Airlines is quietly trialing a new service for first class passengers at its hub. Historically, first class passengers have had to get from the first class check-in facility to the lounge on their own, and then from the lounge to the gate on their own.

Keep in mind that at Singapore Changi Terminal 3 and Terminal 2, security is at each individual gate, meaning that actually clearing security as a first class passenger typically isn’t seamless.

So the airline is now unofficially trialing a personal concierge concept, which includes a buggy service from the lounge to the gate, including being able to cut the line at security.

What’s interesting here is that the personal concierge service starts when someone arrives at The Private Room, so this isn’t from check-in all the way to the lounge, but instead, starts at the lounge. Once there, the personal concierge can help with monitoring your flight, any rebookings in the event of irregular operations, shopping requests, etc.

Then when it’s time to board, they’ll drive you to the gate in a golf cart, help you cut the line, and drop you all the way at the jet bridge to the plane. You can also decide whether you want to board first or last.

This first class concierge service is just a trial for now

For now this concierge service is being operated as a trial, and the airline will reportedly decide in the near future whether to keep this on a permanent basis. I imagine the timing with trialing this service is no coincidence, as Singapore Airlines will be introducing a new first class product in 2027, and I would imagine the airline may be looking at raising the bar in terms of the soft product.

Ultimately Singapore Changi is a very efficient airport, so I don’t think anyone can argue that this level of service is “needed.” However, first class is more competitive than ever before, and it’s not just about taking care of all the necessities, but also about making the journey as frictionless as possible, and even adding some frills.

Bottom line

Singapore Airlines is trialing an airport concierge service for its first class passengers at Singapore Changi Airport. The idea is that when guests arrive at The Private Room, they’ll be assigned a concierge who will look after them during their time there, and then bring them to the gate, help them clear security, etc.

For now this is just temporary, though in the coming months the airline is expected to decide whether to make this a permanent feature.

What do you make of Singapore Airlines trialing personal concierge service? Would you value this as a first class passenger?