Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

What is the current Marriott Bonvoy Business Card welcome offer?

For applications through July 1, 2026, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex has a limited time, two-part welcome offer, for 150,000 Bonvoy bonus points plus a $125 statement credit after spending $8,000 within the first six months.

For what it’s worth, I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so I’d value the entire welcome offer at $1,175 ($1,050 for the points, and $125 for the statement credit).

What are the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card eligibility rules?

If you’re applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, the general Amex application restrictions apply. For example, you’re typically limited to having a total of five Amex credit cards (not including hybrid cards), regardless of whether they’re personal or business, and there’s also the “once in a lifetime” rule.

The good news is that I find Amex business cards to anecdotally be pretty easy to get approved for. Another awesome thing is that if you’re concerned about Chase’s 5/24 limit, applying for an Amex business card won’t count toward that limit.

Beyond that, since both American Express and Chase issue cards for Marriott, there are some pretty complicated restrictions regarding eligibility for this card, so see this post for more details. The good news is that Amex typically has an application pop-up in the event that you apply and aren’t eligible for the welcome offer, so you’ll know before there’s a hard pull to your credit.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card worth it?

Not only does the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex have a generous welcome offer, but this is a card that’s worth keeping in the long run. It’s a card I’ve had for years, and plan to continue to hold onto. The card has a $125 annual fee (Rates & Fees), and for that you receive two key perks:

• 15 elite nights toward Marriott Bonvoy status annually, making it much easier to earn Bonvoy Platinum status or above; if you want to earn as many elite nights as possible from credit cards, you need to have the business version of the card
• An anniversary free night award every year, valid at a property costing up to 35,000 points per night; you can even top this off with up to 25,000 additional points, to redeem at a more expensive property

To me that more than justifies the annual fee, and that doesn’t even factor in some of the other perks, like complimentary Marriott Gold status.

Read a full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex.

Marriott Bonvoy Business Card welcome offer FAQs

Bottom line

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is Marriott’s primary business card. At the moment, the card has a great welcome offer, and on top of that, this is a card that’s potentially worth keeping, thanks to the 15 elite nights toward status annually, the annual free night reward, and more. This is a card that I’ve had for years, so if you’re interested in picking it up, now would be the time to do so.

Do you plan on picking up the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex with 150,000 bonus points and a $125 statement credit?

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

I’ve gotta be perfectly honest, this hobby isn’t as fun as it used to be, and in some ways, getting amazing value is harder than before. But it’s not all bad news, and that negative perspective largely overlooks the ways in which this hobby has become much more lucrative than in the past.

So let’s talk about that in a bit more detail — what has actually changed, both for better and for worse? Then I’d also like to talk about the direction that things are headed, as I see it.

The miles & points hobby has gone mainstream

I got obsessed with miles & points in 2004-2005. Or put differently, I got obsessed with miles & points back when Delta SkyMiles could be redeemed for Air France first class and Singapore Airlines first class (yes, really… ugh, I miss the 747 #megatop!).

I don’t want to say that miles & points were some hobby that no one had ever heard of, but they were definitely a lot more niche than they are today. Yes, frequent flyer programs had existed for decades, and many people were members of them.

But miles & points and maximizing credit cards wasn’t a part of our society in the same way that it is today. I mean, just look at the revenue that US airlines are now generating through loyalty programs, and I think that will largely show you how mainstream things have gone.

What has contributed to these changes?

• The way we share information has changed — it used to be that miles & points and premium airline topics were discussed on internet bulletin boards made up primarily of us hardcore nerds, while now there’s endless short-form content on TikTok, Instagram, etc., making this available to a much larger audience
• What we value as a society has changed — younger generations place a heavy emphasis on travel and experiences, and are more willing to splurge on peak experiences
• The credit card landscape has become a lot more lucrative for consumers, making it easy for the average person to rack up valuable rewards, get airport lounge access, etc.
• Premium airline products have become a lot more flashy, which also increases their appeal; whether it’s an onboard shower or double bed, those features certainly make a lot more people interested
• Airlines have honestly just become much smarter businesses, and they’re better at monetizing their loyalty programs and other products, so opportunities that present outsized value often get shut down

Miles & points aren’t nearly as fun as they used to be…

Perhaps the clearest example of how much less fun miles & points have become is a look at my post with 11 amazing award redemptions from back in the day. If you haven’t been around the miles & points world for long, I don’t think you understand just got good the deals were 15 years ago.

For example, Aeroplan would allow US to Asia first class awards via Europe with two stopovers enroute for 120,000 miles roundtrip. Of course that’s an amazing price, but what was even better was the amount of award availability.

Lufthansa first class awards? They were super available, whether booking in advance or close to departure. And we’re not just talking one or two seats, but often six or seven seats. Even SWISS first class (which is now restricted to Senator level Miles & More members) could be booked with partner miles, and was super available.

There was just unlimited potential in terms of how far points could get you. Of course that’s quite a contrast to how things are nowadays, where even finding Lufthansa first class award availability within days of departure is incredibly challenging (and at the moment, availability is shut off completely).

The hotel industry was equally attractive, particularly with Hyatt Gold Passport’s Faster Free Nights promotion.

Then there was the world of mileage running, back when the concept of revenue based status qualification or mileage earning was basically unheard of. American Executive Platinum status for $3,000, while earning hundreds of thousands of miles, plus eight systemwide upgrades? Super easy!

But of course loyalty programs have gotten smarter. There are fewer opportunities to get outsized value, and there’s a lot less gamification. Loyalty programs have also changed their approach to how they open up award availability, including to partner frequent flyer programs.

Sweet spot awards are much rarer and less available, given how many airlines restrict award availability to members of their own programs. On top of that, we’re increasingly seeing airlines require members to have elite status for certain redemptions.

When I talk to a newcomer about miles & points, it can honestly be kind of hard to get them interested. Recently, a non-miles & points friend mentioned how he wanted to take his wife to the Maldives, and asked if there’s any “deal” with points.

Take the Waldorf Astoria Maldives as an example, as it’s probably the best points hotel in the Maldives. Hilton Honors massively devalued redemptions here recently, and increased the standard room cost from 150,000 points per night to 250,000 points per night. Not only that, but you still typically won’t find any standard room availability.

I think this sums up the reality at so many aspirational hotels nowadays. It used to be that hotel “no blackout date” policies basically guaranteed availability. However, nowadays finding standard room availability at many premium hotels is almost like playing the airline award availability “lottery.”

…but it’s not all bad news for miles & points

The miles & points hobby definitely isn’t as fun as it used to be, for those of us who get a thrill out of the chase. That being said, in many ways I’d say it’s more lucrative than ever before.

You know what we didn’t have in 2010? Well, all these amazing credit cards with massive welcome bonuses, bonus categories that can earn you 3-5x points per dollar spent, etc. Us savvy folks were using the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex for most of our spending, which had a modest welcome bonus, and earned one Starpoint per dollar spent (which could then be turned into one mile, with a 25% bonus for every 20,000 points transferred). That was as good as it got. And transferable points currencies? Well, they weren’t nearly a robust or flexible as they are now.

Speaking of premium cabin travel, one of the reasons that miles & points were so important back in the day is because airlines just had absolutely outrageous pricing for their premium cabins. Nowadays airlines will sell you upgrades to first class for tens of dollars. So yes, status may be harder and less fun to earn, but don’t even bother, because there’s not that much value to actually having it.

Oh, and the caliber of airline products and airline lounges we see nowadays? It’s on a completely different level than we saw when I started. Back in the day, it was exciting when an airline had angled seats in business class. Nowadays, many of us will barely settle for a product unless it has a door and dine on demand. 😉

The way I view it, the strategy for maximizing travel, and in particular miles & points, has changed:

• Airline elite status isn’t as important as it used to be, given how status has become much harder to earn (or at least comes with more opportunity cost), while offering significantly less value
• Credit cards with big bonuses and multipliers largely let people redeem points as cash toward the cost of travel, potentially offering good value
• Loyalty programs often sell points directly at a reasonable cost, which can be a way to score a deal on a premium cabin ticket or luxury hotel stay, with some effort
• There are still lots of amazing premium experiences to be had, though the key is to be ready to plan travel at any moment

I think that last point is worth emphasizing. For example, take a redemption at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives. It’s absolutely possible to book with points and get a good deal, even if there might not be availability for the entire calendar right now. Often availability opens up in spurts, and that’s the time to lock in a stay.

Similarly, people with Alaska Atmos Rewards points might be frustrated by the lack of Fiji Airways and Starlux business class award availability, yet every so often we see the floodgates of availability opened, and you can lock in some great itineraries. You just have to be ready to plan at a moment’s notice.

The miles & points hobby isn’t dying, it’s evolving

I’m not trying to sugarcoat things here for us old-timers, because as I said at the beginning of this post, the ability to maximize points is so much more difficult and less fun than it used to be.

But I think there’s a further topic here to be discussed, about what the future holds. The irony is that while miles & points are less interesting to those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time, the interest globally is at an all-time high. It’s not just that interest is high, but airlines also care about these programs more than ever before, given the profit centers they are.

How can airlines keep milking these programs for profits while having fewer “carrots” to dangle for members? I think one point to acknowledge is that most consumers aren’t necessarily rational. Like, people don’t spend on co-branded airline credit cards because they’ve crunched the numbers and decided they’re doing better than a 2% cash back card. Instead, they like a brand, they want the co-brand card perks, and they feel like spending on that card is the right thing to do. That’s the story of the Apple Card, for that matter.

My point is to say that programs don’t actually need to be that lucrative or rewarding to keep interest among members.

When it comes to award availability, I think the single biggest trend we’ll see in the coming years is reasonably priced seats increasingly being restricted to members of the “native” frequent flyer programs, and maybe some premium cabin awards increasingly being restricted to elite or credit card members in a program.

We’ve seen a ton of this already, and I think that’s only the beginning. I of course don’t like that, because it greatly limits arbitrage opportunities, the ability to book multi-partner awards, etc. At the same time, this was bound to happen, when we see programs essentially monetizing the award space of partner airlines by selling points, partnering with transfer programs, etc.

So I think some number of years down the road, most of us will be pretty limited in terms of our ability to redeem across airlines with ease. Instead, I think it’ll be all about having miles in that “native” program.

But the reality is that there’s still upside. The biggest aspirational goal people have with miles & points is to travel in premium cabins at a good value. Airlines will continue to have empty seats they are happy to have booked with miles, they’re sort of just taking a different approach to who those seats go to.

For example, while United has almost entirely cut Polaris business class award availability with partner programs, it’s pretty readily available at an okay cost if you’re booking directly through MileagePlus. So it’s not like there’s no value anymore. It’s just that there aren’t opportunities to buy 120,000 US Airways miles for $1,200, and then fly four long haul segments in Lufthansa and SWISS first class. 😉

Bottom line

The miles & points world is constantly evolving. This hobby was very different in 2006 than it is in 2026, as you’d expect (I mean, what hasn’t changed in the past 20 years?).

There are definitely a lot of things that I miss, including the opportunities for gamification, plus how available premium cabin award space was at the time. That combination made things so fun, because if you put in the effort, you could always come out way ahead.

However, a lot has also improved over the years — points are much easier to earn, in many cases premium cabins are just priced reasonably, and the caliber of airline and hotel products is on a different level than it was back then.

What’s your take on the evolution of the miles & points world?

Task force rounds up Bali influencers, detains and deports them

When you travel to another country, a visa may sometimes be required. The type of visa you need depends on the purpose of your trip, with many countries issuing tourist visas, work visas, etc.

The issue is, that line has been blurred a lot over the years, with the increase of remote work. Do you only need a work visa if you’re actually being paid locally? Or what about if you’re using your trip to a country to generate revenue in some way?

Well, this is something that authorities in Bali are cracking down on, as Bali has become influencer central over the years. Indonesian immigration authorities have drawn a hard line when it comes to what constitutes work, and it covers just about everything that influencers do.

The idea is that if you take part in any brand collaborations, post sponsored social media posts, participate in photography assignments, or even have a deal where you get free accommodation in exchange for content, that requires a work visa now. Even unpaid promotional photo shoots intended to increase an influencer’s portfolio are considered commercial activity, which requires a work permit or remote worker visa.

Essentially anything that creates economic value requires a work visa. In the past, many influencers thought that as long as they’re not being directly paid money locally, that doesn’t constitute work. But regulators have made it clear that even when money isn’t changing hands, economic value can still be created.

This isn’t just a theoretical law, but the Dharma Dewata Immigration Patrol Task Force was formed in April 2026, and is actively detaining and deporting people who violate the rules. They’re going around the areas popular with influencers, and even browsing social media content.

Within the first few weeks, 62 influencers were detained, and either fined, deported, or both. They’re also facing entry bans of multiple years.

People are divided, and this is a complex topic

As you’d expect, people have varying takes on this new policy. It’s hilarious to see the comments on social media posts — you have some self-important influencers up in arms, suggesting that such a policy will lead to Bali’s downfall, while you have others who are downright delighted.

In fairness to Bali, the government does make it relatively easy to get a remote work visa. It’s just more expensive, and ultimately it’s not unreasonable that the government would want to raise some more money from those who are generating revenue while in Bali, rather than those people spending their tourist dollars there.

At the same time, this isn’t always so straightforward, and I think many people genuinely don’t know what the rules are, since they differ so much between countries. Like, if you go somewhere and you’re being paid locally for your work there, that is without a doubt work, and it’s fair for them to crack down on that.

Let me even reflect on myself — I love flying airlines and staying at hotels, and I travel all over the globe reviewing those experiences. It’s not like I’m being paid locally, but I guess by Bali standards, they’d want me to get a work visa.

But I do think this is a slippery slope, when we’re talking about anything that generates economic value constituting work. For example, say you post on X a lot, and are in their creator revenue sharing program, where you get paid a percentage of ad revenue when people see your posts.

Say you usually post on X about politics, and you go to Bali to vacation. Then say you just post a picture of a pretty sunset, when this is otherwise in no way a business trip. Well, technically you’re generating economic value, right? So does that mean you should have to get a work visa?

Bottom line

Bali is known for being an incredibly beautiful destination… which also happens to be overrun by influencers. Bali’s government is fed up, and the issue isn’t the influencers as such, but the fact that they’re on the wrong types of visas.

However, the government is using a stricter definition than some other places when it comes to defining the type of activity that constitutes work. Bali has decided that any activity that generates economic value requires a work visa. Dozens of influencers have been detained and deported in recent weeks, and it looks like enforcement will only ramp up even more over time.

What do you make of Bali’s influencer crackdown?

The first location opened in 2017 in Los Angeles (LAX), the second location opened in 2023 in Atlanta (ATL), and the third location has just opened, in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), and I’d like to cover those details. On top of that, there are two more locations in the works, in Miami (MIA) and Paris (CDG).

PS private terminal opens at Dallas Fort Worth Airport

As of June 3, 2026, PS has opened a new private airport facility for commercial flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

The 12,200 square foot facility is adjacent to Corporate Aviation at DFW, and features both Private Suites (a private space) and The Salon (a shared space). PS travelers have access to private TSA and immigration screenings on-site, as well as a BMW chauffeured escort to and from the jet bridge stairs of their commercial flights. While at the facility, you can arrange everything from chef prepared meals, to spa treatments.

The facility is designed by Jean Liu, who specializes in high-end residential and hospitality projects. As it’s described, “from architecture and interior details to furnishings and accessories, each element has been thoughtfully considered and selected to ensure that guests are surrounded by design that inspires, relaxes, and restores.”

Is there a market for PS at Dallas Fort Worth Airport?

I totally get how there’s value for something like PS at LAX, given the number of celebrities and other very wealthy people passing through the airport, and what a mess the airport can be. Arguably the biggest challenge PS faces is that it’s going after a market of wealthy people who don’t fly private.

Of course that market exists, and it’s significant. But PS is also expensive, so even someone who is well off might think twice about using it. That’s especially true when you consider that travel doesn’t have to be a hassle nowadays, with programs like TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, Global Entry, etc.

Just for some context, you can find the pricing for PS here:

• Without a membership, you’ll pay $1,295 per person for access to The Salon, or $4,950 for up to four travelers to access a Private Suite
• With the $1,250 The Salon annual membership, you’ll pay $995 per person for access to The Salon, or $4,950 for up to four travelers to access a Private Suite
• With the $4,850 All Access annual membership, you’ll pay $895 per person for access to The Salon, or $3,650 for up to four travelers to access a Private Suite

I should also mention that PS has some partnerships. For example, those with the Amex Centurion Card receive a PS membership with two complimentary visits per year. PS is also partnering with American, to give Concierge Key members one free visit.

Dallas has a lot of wealth, so I can certainly see this concept working pretty well there. For that matter, it’s also pretty flashy — perhaps not as flashy as Miami, but for cities between the coasts, it definitely ranks up there.

One would think that demand for PS comes from a combination of people who value their time and avoiding the main part of the terminal, as well as people who like to show off and be in exclusive spaces.

Bottom line

The PS concept has expanded to DFW, with the facility now being open, just weeks ahead of the MIA location. PS is a concept with a unique value proposition, and it definitely has a loyal following. It’s not cheap, but then again, it’s only trying to skim the market.

What do you make of the PS concept expanding to DFW?

Qatar Airways will fly from Doha to Philadelphia again

@IshrionA flags how Qatar Airways is hiring for several airport positions in Philadelphia (PHL), which suggests the airline will be resuming its route from Doha (DOH). I had heard from a reliable source that this route would be returning, and I think that more or less settles it.

For some background, Qatar Airways launched flights to Philadelphia back in 2014, shortly after the airline joined the oneworld alliance. Philadelphia is of course an American hub, so that was the logic for launching service at the time, since the airline would have extensive connectivity beyond Philadelphia.

However, we saw the strategy shift in October 2023, when Qatar Airways cut that route. American and Qatar Airways have a strategic partnership, and prior to that, American served Doha out of New York (JFK).

What we essentially saw is that American switched its Doha flight from New York to Philadelphia, and around the same time, Qatar Airways added an additional daily flight out of New York.

Now it appears that Qatar Airways will be returning to Philadelphia. For what it’s worth, when the route was operating, it was most recently flown by a Boeing 777-300ER, with the following schedule (though prior to that, it was also flown by the Airbus A350-1000):

QR727 Doha to Philadelphia departing 7:55AM arriving 3:55PM
QR728 Philadelphia to Doha departing 9:30PM arriving 5:05PM (+1 day)

What’s causing Qatar Airways’ Philadelphia return?

It’s not too hard to read between the lines and figure out what’s going on here. American’s flight to Doha has been suspended since late February 2026, in light of the conflict with Iran. Qatar Airways continues to operate its global route network, given that it really has no other option in terms of where it can fly planes out of.

Meanwhile American, and many other global carriers, have suspended flights to parts of the Middle East. Currently, American has suspended Doha flights all the way through early 2027.

Philadelphia is an important strategic gateway for American and Qatar Airways, given that it’s the most efficient East Coast hub for funneling passengers into American’s network. Miami (MIA) is a big airport for American, but the geography isn’t ideal for Northeast connections. Meanwhile American’s domestic network out of New York isn’t actually that big.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see what happens if/when American actually resumes service to Doha. I mean, there’s simply no end in sight to the conflict with Iran, so it’s hard to know what to make of all of this. Will we get back to the point where things are calm in the region, or will Gulf countries spend the coming years dodging Iranian missiles?

I suppose there are several ways this could play out in the long run:

• American just doesn’t return to Doha, even when things calm down
• When American resumes flights to Doha, Qatar Airways cuts Philadelphia service
• American shifts the airport out of which it serves Doha… maybe we’ll see Charlotte flights?
• American and Qatar Airways both serve the Philadelphia to Doha market

Bottom line

It appears that Qatar Airways has plans to resume flights between Doha and Philadelphia, after cutting the service in late 2023. Qatar Airways ended the route when American launched it, and instead, added more service to New York.

With American having now suspended Philadelphia flights for months, and not planning on resuming them until 2027 (and possibly even later), it’s not surprising to see Qatar Airways once again making it a priority to serve the airport.

What do you make of Qatar Airways relaunching Doha to Philadelphia flights?

Cause of the United Boeing 767 approach accident at Newark

On May 3, 2026, a United Boeing 767-400ER was landing on runway 29 at Newark Airport (EWR), after a flight from Venice (VCE). This runway is right up against the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), and somehow the plane came in too low, to the point that it struck a light pole, which in turn, struck a truck (initially the belief was that the plane directly struck the truck, but that wasn’t the case, per the report).

While there was damage to the aircraft, and also major damage to the truck, this could’ve been so much worse, because at least no one was seriously inured. If the plane had come in just feet lower, this could’ve been a catastrophe.

What we knew is that it was a gusty day, and that runway 29 is short, so it’s understandable that pilots would want to touch down as early as possible to avoid a runway overrun. However, that of course doesn’t in any way explain why the plane hit something on the interstate.

So, what actually happened? Well, all signs point toward the pilots just not following best practices. For what it’s worth, the captain was flying this sector, and he had a lot of experience, with over 16,000 hours.

Runways have Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights, which are the four lights to the side of the runway, that are either red or white, and they’re supposed to help pilots maintain the right glideslope. The ideal descent profile is two white lights and two red lights — if you have more red, you’re too low, while if you have more white, you’re too high.

In this case, during the approach briefing, the captain indicated he wanted to fly the approach with three reds and one white, given the short length of the runway. So he intentionally wanted to fly in a bit low. However, the actual data shows that starting at around 4,500 feet, the plane was flying with four reds the entire time, rather than three reds and one white. So he didn’t actually fly the approach the way he said he would.

According to the first officer (who was the pilot monitoring), at an altitude of around 500 feet and within half a mile of landing, he recalled saying that he stated “hey you are slow,” followed moments later by saying “you are still slow and a little low.” In response to that, the captain claims he looked outside and “thought we were low,” however, since they were about to touch down, he didn’t have time to process the information in time to get a go around callout verbalized.

The captain explained that he turned off the autopilot at just under 900 feet. He said he “got fast” while he turned the airplane into the headwind, and pulled back the power levers to compensate, all while the airplane shortly returned to a stable airspeed, even though the wind gusts were producing “moderate turbulence.”

Was this get-there-itis, deference to the captain, or what?

The preliminary report only shares the details of the incident, but doesn’t actually come to a conclusion as to the cause (not that there’s much mystery here, as there were no mechanical issues with the plane).

Of course hindsight is 20/20, but aviation operates under a system of best practices, and erring on the side of caution. The idea is that either the captain or first officer can call a go around if they feel it’s not stable, in order to prioritize safety above all else.

So suffice it to say that this didn’t happen here. For one, the plane was coming in too low most of the way, and due to the gusts, the captain also seemed to be “wresting” the plane down a bit at the last minute, though he still decided at 500 feet that the approach was stable (was it really, if they were so low?).

But it’s concerning that the first officer told him twice that he was too slow, and once that he was too low, yet no go around was called. This sure seems like a situation that may come down to two factors:

• The much less experienced first officer perhaps not wanting to speak up to the captain, as it sounds like he should’ve called a go around; I think Nathan Fielder would have a thing to say about that, and one has to imagine if roles were reversed and the first officer were flying, the captain might’ve called a go around as the pilot monitoring
• They just completed a transatlantic flight and were probably tired and just wanted to get home, so it’s possible that get-there-itis played into it as well; this is essentially a plan continuation bias, a psychological condition where a person irrationally pushes to complete a journey despite red flags or unsafe conditions

Or I dunno, maybe it was all just DEI…

Bottom line

The NTSB has released its initial report into the landing accident that happened at Newark Airport roughly a month ago, involving a United Boeing 767, where it struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike, which in turn struck a truck.

According to the report, the plane was coming in too low starting at an altitude of 4,500 feet, but not much was done to correct that. Then shortly before landing, the first officer pointed out twice how the plane was flying too slow, and once how it was flying too low, but they continued with the approach.

Of course in hindsight it’s obvious that a go around should’ve happened, but for whatever reason, that didn’t happen…

What do you make of the report on this United 767 landing incident?

In this post, I’d like to talk a bit more about one of the potential challenges with transferable points currencies, which readers ask me about all the time (and which I experience every once in a while as well!).

Why I recommend waiting to transfer points

In order to keep your transferable points currencies as flexible as possible, I always recommend only transferring them when you’re ready to redeem (there are limited exceptions, like if there’s a transfer bonus that you think is worth speculatively taking advantage of).

The good news is that with the major transferable points currencies, point transfers to most partners are generally instant. You can see my guides here:

• Amex Membership Rewards transfer times
• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer times
• Citi ThankYou transfer times
• Capital One transfer times

As you can see, in most cases transfers are supposed to be instant. There’s always the caveat that the transfers might not be instant, though, and I’d like to talk a bit more about that in this post.

Why points sometimes don’t transfer instantly

If you’ve used transferable points currencies with any frequency, odds are that you’ve run into a situation where you were expecting points to transfer instantly, but that didn’t happen. That can be super frustrating, especially if you have a specific airline ticket you’re trying to book, and the frequent flyer program doesn’t allow award ticket holds (which is most programs).

You might transfer points, they don’t hit your account instantly, and then the award space disappears, leaving you with a balance you may not necessarily want. With that out of the way, I’d like to share some tips to minimize your odds of having issues with points transfers.

Transfer to programs you already have linked

Generally speaking, I find that I have the fewest issues with points transfers when my credit card account and loyalty account are already linked. For example, most credit card transfer portals will save your partner loyalty number for transfers you’ve made in the past, and that minimizes the odds of anything going wrong with the transfer. It also seems to minimize the odds of any fraud alerts being triggered.

So if you’re making a critical transfer and you aren’t sure which of your transferable points currencies to transfer from, try to use a program from which you’ve already made a similar transfer in the past, and your account is saved.

For that matter, if possible, open the frequent flyer account long before you plan to make a transfer. The older the account is, the better the odds that no fraud alerts are triggered.

Avoid multiple transfers in the same day, and huge transfers

People sometimes want to test out if transfers are instant. Say they need 50,000 points in one account. They may think it’s smart to transfer 1,000 points to test things out and see if the points arrive there instantly, and then to transfer another 49,000 points after that first batch of points post.

I’d generally avoid this, if possible. It’s not going to consistently be an issue, but there are situations where transferable points currencies block multiple transfers to the same program in the same day. I’d also recommend not moving the same exact number of points twice on the same day, since that can accidentally be flagged as a duplicate.

On the same topic, the bigger the transfer, the greater the odds that there will be some sort of a fraud alert. For example, if you’re moving close a million points between accounts, don’t be surprised if there’s some sort of a manual review that delays the transfer.

Make sure you format your loyalty number correctly

This might sound obvious, but if you’re going to transfer points, make sure you format the loyalty number correctly. This isn’t always as simple as it sounds. In some cases, the credit card portal might require a certain number of digits, and you might have to put a zero or two at the front of your loyalty number for it to transfer correctly.

Some loyalty programs have membership numbers formatted in a variety of ways, so getting that right is important.

Make sure the names on the accounts match

Again, this might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often it trips people up. Make sure the name on your credit card account and loyalty account match exactly. A slight variation isn’t always going to be an issue, but sometimes it could be.

This could include things as simple as slightly different first names (Ben vs. Benjamin), or one account having a middle initial, but not the other one. So the closer they are to matching, the better the odds of things going smoothly.

Some transfer issues are totally out of our control

Sometimes the “link” between a transferable points currency and a loyalty program are simply down, and there are consistent issues with transfers. Unfortunately there’s just not much that can be done in these situations, and sometimes it can take days or even weeks for this to resolve.

A lot of the behind the scenes tech is pretty fragile, so that’s one of the downsides to the complexity of these programs.

What can do you do if your points don’t transfer?

If you transfer points and they don’t post as you’re expecting, what can you do? Well, unfortunately be prepared for frustration. The unfortunate truth is that there’s not a whole lot you can do to immediately rectify these situations:

• While we anecdotally know that points transfer instantly to many partners, the terms almost always state that it can take multiple days, and there’s not much you can do to expedite this
• Even beyond that waiting period, there’s often not much customer support can do to instantly resolve your issue; the credit card company might show the points as having been transferred on their end, while the airline or hotel partner might not show that on their end, and resolving that isn’t an instant process

Realistically, typically the best you can do is to wait for whatever the published transfer time is, and then once that has passed, reach out to the credit card company, and they can open up a case. Don’t expect that this will be resolved instantly, unfortunately, as this is very much a situation where a “ticket” will be opened, and the communication between the credit card company and travel partner won’t be instant.

Some people will also ask if you can reverse points transfers after the points have already been moved, in situations where you have problems, like phantom award availability. Unfortunately generally speaking, once a points transfer hits a partner account, it won’t be reversed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible for this to happen, and there are very rare situations where programs have agreed to this. However, that needs to happen on a very high level, and is unlikely to be done in most situations, unless something very extreme happened.

Bottom line

I love earning transferable points, and always recommend earning them for the flexibility they offer. When things go as they should, everything is great. The problem is what happens when things don’t go as expected. Sometimes points just don’t transfer the way they should, and getting a resolution can take quite a long time.

The best you can do is take some steps that minimize your odds of having issues. However, when things go wrong, make sure you’re patient, because the problem may not be resolved quickly.

Have you ever had issues with transferable points converting as expected? If so, how did you handle the situation?

Along those lines, American has just announced its latest product investment, and it involves lounges. Admittedly it’s easy to make this all look and sound great for a press release, but I think I’m impressed?

American upgrades Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge food

American has revealed that it’s significantly upgrading dining across its Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges, which the airline describes as “redefining the premium lounge experience” (a bit of a stretch).

This includes refreshed culinary offerings with greater choice, more complete meal offerings, and an elevated presentation, intended to create a “premium, restaurant-inspired experience.”

So, what exactly is changing? In American Flagship Lounges (the premium international lounges), improvements include the following:

• Expanded culinary choices, including a wider range of a la carte dishes that can be ordered via QR code (something that started at the Flagship Lounge PHL, and will now be expanded to the rest of the network), as well as updated dishes at the buffet
• More interactive dining experiences, like new action stations, including a cheese-monger cart, which “bring craftsmanship and personalization to the forefront of the travel journey” (lol, who comes up with this stuff?)

The Flagship Lounge buffet will include the following updated options:

• Watermelon cucumber feta salad at the Flagship Lounge DFW
• Ham and egg chive waffle at the Flagship Lounge ORD
• Thai basil and chili crispy shrimp at the Flagship Lounge LAX
• Citrus-rum shrimp at the Flagship Lounge MIA
• Pineapple carpaccio at the Flagship Lounge DFW
• Sour cherry cheesecake at the Flagship Lounge PHL

Meanwhile in American Admirals Clubs (the more basic membership lounges), improvements include the following:

• More variety more often, including an expanded, frequently refreshed menu that brings travelers more of a rotation of dishes crafted with frequent flyers in mind, along with an improved premium wine selection, including Veuve rosé and Caymus cabernet sauvignon available for purchase
• Two additional hot options, to make it easier to build a more well-rounded meal
• Elevated presentation, including an upgraded charcuterie selection that improves both quality and visual appeal

The updated Admirals Club menu will include the following:

• Lemon herb chicken and mac and cheese bar at the Admirals Clubs in DEN, STL, and YYZ
• Chipotle lime chicken at the Admirals Clubs in AUS, BNA, DFW, and IAH
• Coconut turmeric chickpea and vegetable curry at the Admirals Club MIA
• Build-your-own breakfast tostada at the Admirals Club CLT, DCA, and RDU
• Rustic zucchini and flame-roasted corn at the Admirals Club LAX, PHX, SFO, and SNA

I’m cautiously optimistic about these changes

Admittedly I try not to read too much into press releases and focus too much on the pictures, since what’s promoted and the reality are often far from being the same. I do think this is a meaningful improvement, though.

I think the biggest improvement is in American Flagship Lounges. It’s nice to see a la carte ordering options, as that adds a nice, premium touch, especially given what the competition is doing. I’m also happy to see the increase in action stations. Meanwhile I wouldn’t think too much about the new rotation of dishes at the buffet, since airlines always love to hype the new selection as somehow being superior to the rest.

In the case of American Admirals Clubs, I think the main positive change here is the addition of two more hot options. That might sound minor, but the Admirals Club selection of hot food has been extremely limiting. For example, I don’t eat pork, yet so often one of the only options is a pork dish. That doesn’t just exclude me (as someone who loves pigs), but also two major religious groups.

Bottom line

American is investing in its Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge catering, and the changes sound positive. Admirals Clubs will get two more hot dishes, along with improved presentation. Meanwhile Flagship Lounges will get a la carte ordering via QR code, along with more action stations throughout the day.

Kudos to American on these changes, and I look forward to seeing them in person.

Iberia A350 damaged in Guayaquil during water salute

Thursday, June 4, 2026, was supposed to be a special day for Iberia in Guayaquil, Ecuador (GYE). While Iberia has long served the airport, it upgraded its service from an Airbus A330-200 to an Airbus A350-900, quite a boost in terms of passenger experience and capacity.

The Spanish flag carrier’s flight from Madrid (MAD) operated without a hitch, in a flight time of roughly 10 hours. The return flight to Madrid, with flight number IB132, was supposed to depart at 11:25AM, arriving at 5:30AM the next morning.

The roughly three-year-old plane with the registration code EC-NXD departed its gate roughly on schedule, and taxied out to the runway. The airport had prepared a special water cannon salute for the occasion, which is common for special flights.

So water trucks were positioned on both sides of the aircraft as it taxied out, with lots of plane spotters even there to witness this. Unfortunately they probably witnessed a bit more than they bargained for. As the aircraft moved down the taxiway, the left wingtip made contact with the part of the fire truck that disperses water. This event was captured from just about every angle, so see for yourself below…

As you can see, the wingtip was damaged significantly. The flight ended up being canceled, and the plane is still grounded there, so it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for the aircraft to go back into service.

Talk about an avoidable mistake… what were they thinking?

Aviation is complicated, and with the number of planes flying, things are bound to go wrong every so often. However, talk about a mistake that was just completely avoidable, and it’s amazing to me that neither party prevented this:

• It’s the responsibility of the pilots to make sure they have sufficient clearance, though admittedly that’s harder to measure when you don’t have numbers that can be measured on a chart, and you don’t have wing walkers
• You’d think the fire truck operators would determine the correct clearance needed for the plane based on the taxiway centerline and wingspan, in deciding where exactly to park during the water cannon salute

This situation seems to come down to a lack of thought. The fire truck by the left wing was parked next to the grass, and it seems like there was some sort of an access road behind it, which the fire truck didn’t want to block. But did they not actually take into account the wingspan of the A350?

I am curious what the discussion on frequency was like during this incident. In any point leading up to this, was concern expressed about the distance, or nothing was said until there was impact?

Bottom line

Guayaquil Airport was excited about Iberia flying an Airbus A350 to the airport, so the airport arranged a water cannon salute for the first flight. Well, it seems those involved failed to do any basic math, as the fire trucks weren’t positioned far enough from the aircraft. So the plane’s wing and the part of the fire truck made contact, damaging the wingtip, and causing the flight to be canceled.

As much as water cannon salutes are an old tradition, it’s amazing how many times things have gone wrong over the years.

What do you make of this Iberia A350 water cannon salute situation?

We’ve just seen an excellent new welcome offer rolled out on the card, making it the ideal time to apply. Let’s go over all the details.

Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

What is the current Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card bonus?

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card is newly offering a limited time welcome bonus, which can earn you points and a free night award, in addition to a limited time statement credit perk. The offer is broken down as follows:

• Earn 125,000 Bonvoy points plus a free night award after spending $3,000 within the first three months
• The free night award can be redeemed for a one-night stay at properties with a redemption value of up to 50,000 points per night; certain properties have resort fees
• There’s a special offer through June 30, 2027 — get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases, which comes in the form of up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually

I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, given all the great ways there are to redeem them. So while I’d rather fully earn points with no free night award, I think the free night award is worth pretty close to face value, so that’s a value of around $1,225, which is excellent for a card with such a reasonable fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card eligibility requirements

If you’re applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, the general Chase application restrictions apply. There aren’t too many direct, consistent rules, but considerations include Chase’s 5/24 rule (which isn’t always enforced), being able to get up to two Chase cards every 30 days, etc.

Beyond that, since both American Express and Chase issue cards for Marriott, there are some pretty complicated restrictions regarding eligibility for this card, so see this post for more details. To summarize the very basics, you can’t get the welcome bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card if:

• You currently have the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (review), or have received a new cardmember bonus on it in the past 24 months
• You currently have the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review), Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (review), or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review), and have received a new cardmember bonus on the card in the past 24 months (it’s fine if you have those cards, you just can’t have received a bonus in the past 24 months)
• You were approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, in the past 90 days

Why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card is worth it

Not only does the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card have a huge welcome offer, but this is a card that’s worth keeping in the long run. The card has a $95 annual fee, and for that you receive quite a few perks:

• The card offers an anniversary free night award every year, valid at a property costing up to 35,000 Bonvoy points (this can also be topped off with up to 25,000 additional points)
• The card offers Bonvoy Silver status for as long as you’re a cardmember, plus Bonvoy Gold status if you spend $35,000 on the card in a cardmember year
• The card offers 15 elite nights toward Bonvoy status annually, plus one additional elite night for every $5,000 spent, which can help you qualify for a higher elite tier
• The card offers 6x Bonvoy points on Marriott spending, 3x Bonvoy points on gas, dining, and groceries (on up to $6,000 in cumulative purchases per calendar year, and then 2x points), and 2x Bonvoy points on all other spending

The way I view it, the $95 annual fee can easily be covered by the anniversary free night award, which makes the card worth holding onto in the long run.

Admittedly there are several Marriott cards to choose from, so there’s not just one best option, as it all depends what you’re looking for. Personally, my strategy is to have the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review) and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review), as I think they make a good duo.

Read a full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card bonus FAQs

Bottom line

At the moment, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card has a great limited time welcome offer, which can earn you 125,000 Bonvoy bonus points plus a free night award, redeemable at a property costing up to 50,000 Bonvoy points.

The card offers an anniversary free night award valid at a property costing up to 35,000 Bonvoy points, and can also help you earn elite status, between the Bonvoy Silver status, the 15 elite nights annually, the elite night for every $5,000 spent, and more.

Do you plan on picking up the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card?

While Delta SkyMiles is far from my favorite mileage currency, I appreciate that miles in the program have a “floor” value, based on all the ways there are to redeem SkyMiles for at least one cent each toward Delta purchases. In addition to having Delta’s “Pay With Miles” feature, there’s also the “TakeOff 15” benefit, whereby cardmembers can get a 15% discount on award tickets.

What are the current Delta Amex welcome offers?

We’ve just seen some excellent welcome offers rolled out on Delta’s suite of co-branded credit cards, so if you’re interested, this would be a great time to apply. Let’s go over the offers, from least premium to most premium.

Delta Gold Personal Amex: up to 90,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 07/15/2026.
• The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. (Rates & Fees)

The Gold Delta Amex (both business and personal) offers perks like two free checked bags on domestic itineraries, priority boarding, savings on inflight purchases, 15% savings on select award flights, an annual rideshare (enrollment required), and more.

Read a full review of the Gold Delta Amex.

Delta Gold Business Amex: 90,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/15/26.
• The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (Rates & Fees)

Delta Platinum Personal Amex: up to 100,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 07/15/2026.
• The card has a $350 annual fee (Rates & Fees)

The Platinum Delta Amex (both business and personal) offers perks like an annual companion certificate, the ability to earn status through credit card spending, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck, or every four years for Global Entry), two free checked bags on domestic itineraries, priority boarding, savings on inflight purchases, 15% savings on select award flights, an annual rideshare and Resy credit (enrollment required), and more.

Read a full review of the Platinum Delta Amex.

Delta Platinum Business Amex: 100,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/15/26.
• The card has a $350 annual fee (Rates & Fees)

Delta Reserve Personal Amex: up to 125,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 07/15/2026.
• The card has a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees)

The Reserve Delta Amex (both business and personal) offers perks like an annual companion certificate, the ability to earn status through credit card spending, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck, or every four years for Global Entry), two free checked bags on domestic itineraries, savings on inflight purchases, 15% savings on select award flights, an annual rideshare and Resy credit (enrollment required), and more.

Read a full review of the Reserve Delta Amex.

Delta Reserve Business Amex: 125,000 SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card has the following limited time welcome offer:

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after spending $15,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/15/26.
• The card has a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees)

How many Delta Amex cards are you eligible for?

If you’re considering applying for a Delta co-branded credit card, then Amex’s general application restrictions apply. Each of these Delta American Express cards is considered a separate product, and you’re potentially eligible for the bonus on each card once.

However, you’ll want to be strategic about the order in which you apply for personal cards. Essentially, you can only earn the bonus on a particular card if you haven’t had that exact Delta card, or a more premium Delta card. So the less premium the card, the more restrictions. Here’s a rundown, ranked from most premium card to least premium card:

• You’re not eligible for the welcome offer on the Delta Reserve Amex if you’ve had that exact card before
• You’re not eligible for the welcome offer on the Delta Platinum Amex if you’ve had that exact card before, or if you’ve had the Delta Reserve Amex
• You’re not eligible for the welcome offer on the Delta Gold Amex if you’ve had that exact card before, or if you’ve had the Delta Reserve Amex or Delta Platinum Amex 

Which Delta Amex welcome offer is best?

Which Delta Amex offer is best depends entirely on what you’re looking for and what your travel profile is like. As far as my general advice goes:

• If you’re just a casual Delta flyer, it’s hard to go wrong with the big bonuses and introductory annual fees on the Delta Gold cards
• For those who fly Delta a bit more often, the Delta Platinum cards are great, given the annual companion certificate
• For the frequent Delta flyer who is going for status, the Delta Reserve cards are the best cards for earning status, and also offer the most compelling perks
• If you’re deciding between a personal and business card (and don’t want both), then I’d generally recommend a business card, given that the welcome offers are a bit better

Keep in mind that Delta’s “Pay With Miles” feature allows you to redeem your SkyMiles for at least one cent each toward the cost of a Delta ticket. That means 125,000 SkyMiles will get you a minimum of $1,250 worth of airfare. With the 15% discount on awards for cardmembers, you can often do even better than that by just outright redeeming for awards.

Delta Amex welcome offer frequently asked questions

Bottom line

We’ve just seen excellent new limited time welcome offers rolled out on Delta’s suite of co-branded Amex cards. This also coincides with the cards getting some new perks, including a two free checked bag benefit.

While SkyMiles might not be a great currency for aspirational redemptions in long haul premium cabins, there’s still lots of value to be had with these offers, as SkyMiles are incredibly useful for domestic and short haul international awards. SkyMiles also have a very high floor value, unlike some other currencies. They’re also useful for premium cabin awards when not touching the United States.

If you’re at all interested in a Delta co-branded credit card, now is the time to apply.

Do you plan on picking up a Delta Amex with these welcome offers?

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

While the airline has technically already launched operations, for all practical purposes, this is the “real” start of the airline, with tickets actually being available to the public.

Riyadh Air takes delivery of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

In March 2023, Riyadh Air placed an order for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s, including 39 firm orders and 33 options. This was the first aircraft type the airline ordered, and in the meantime, it has also ordered up to 60 Airbus A321neos and up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s.

Riyadh Air’s “formal” launch was delayed quite a bit, due to Dreamliner delivery delays. That was a combination of “Boeing’s gonna Boeing,” as well as some delays with cabins, both of which are pretty common nowadays.

Finally, at long last, delivery of these brand new planes is actually starting, with two planes currently enroute to Riyadh:

• The Dreamliner with the registration code HZ-RXAA is en route from Charleston (CHS)
• The Dreamliner with the registration code HZ-RXAB is en route from Everett (PAE)
• The plan is for the two planes to essentially “meet” over Europe, and then fly one behind the other, landing in Riyadh around the same time, on the morning of Friday, June 5, 2026

Now, it’s worth pointing out that prior to this, Riyadh already had one Boeing 787-9, with the registration code HZ-RXX. The plane is painted the same as the other Riyadh Air Dreamliners, but the interior is completely different. This is a plane that previously flew for Oman Air, so it still has those interiors.

Why does Riyadh Air have this seemingly random aircraft? Well, it’s what the airline initially used to get through its certification process, and for crew and pilot training. Riyadh Air actually launched regularly scheduled flights to London (LHR) with this aircraft as of late October 2025, but for the most part, they haven’t been open to the public.

So, why has Riyadh Air flown this route? Well, because it managed to secure Heathrow slots, and those have a “use it lose it” clause, so if the airline didn’t operate the flights, it would lose those slots. But the airline didn’t want to open flights to the public with a subpar product, so these flights have primarily been for employees of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Riyadh Air Boeing 787s boast 290 seats in three cabins

Riyadh Air unveiled its new cabins over a year ago, and they look beautiful. The entire fleet of Dreamliners is expected to feature 290 seats per plane, spread across three cabins (along with a “business class plus” product). Here’s how this is broken down:

• Four premium business class seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration
• 24 standard business class seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration
• 39 premium economy seats, in a 2-3-2 configuration
• 223 economy seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration

Throughout the plane, the airline will have free Viasat Wi-Fi, 4K OLED screens, and bluetooth audio, so the tech should be good. The cabins all look beautiful, and in business class, Riyadh Air is using the Safran Unity platform, which I’d consider to be among the best business class seats out there.

Riyadh Air’s new Boeing 787s will soon fly to London

As I recently covered, Riyadh Air flights between Riyadh and London are available to the general public on Riyadh Air’s website for bookings as of July 1, 2026, so that will be the formal launch of the airline, as intended.

The airline will continue operating that route daily, but it’ll finally be open to the public. Expect Riyadh Air to quickly expand its network beyond the initial route, given the number of aircraft on the way. The airline has quite the backlog of Dreamliners to be delivered.

Bottom line

In March 2023, Riyadh Air placed an order for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s, and the first of those are now being delivered. This is a major milestone for the airline, as it really represents the true unveiling of the carrier, after flying to Heathrow for over seven months without selling tickets to the public (more or less).

It’ll be very interesting to see how Riyadh Air evolves. Expect these planes to start flying to London by July 1 at the latest, and then we’ll see more routes soon thereafter.

What do you make of Riyadh Air’s Boeing 787 deliveries?

Along those lines, Singapore Airlines has just implemented a policy change, which strikes me as being rather un-Singapore Airlines (for an airline that’s known for being classily full service at all times).

Singapore Airlines restricts business class seat assignments

The MileLion flags how as of June 2, 2026, Singapore Airlines has implemented a new seat assignment policy in business class. Singapore Airlines has updated its advanced seat selection page. It used to read as follows:

You’ll enjoy complimentary seat selection at any time.

While now it reads as follows:

Business Class seat selection depends on the fare type and membership status. Some fare types allow selection of any available seat, while others may be limited to certain seats at the time of booking.

Under the old policy, all business class passengers could select all seats in advance, with the exception of the special bulkhead seats, which were restricted to elite members, and could be selected by others within 96 hours of departure.

Under the new policy, those booking Singapore Airlines’ two most expensive business class fare bundles, Flexi and Standard, as well as those booking the rule buster Access award fares, continue to get access to the same seats. Meanwhile those who book Business Lite fares, as well as Saver or Advantage award fares, can only choose from a subset of seats. However, PPS Club members continue to be able to select from all seats, regardless of fare.

For what it’s worth, this policy applies for all seat selections as of June 2, regardless of when the ticket was issued. Already assigned seats will of course be honored.

The good news is that all business class seat blocks are removed 96 hours before departure, so at that point, passengers can select from any remaining seats.

How extreme are Singapore Airlines’ seat restrictions?

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen an airline add restrictions on business class seat assignments, though I don’t recall ever seeing this exact method for business class. The idea here is simple — those who are subject to seat assignment restrictions can only select seats in the back of the cabin, at least in advance.

We’re not just talking a few rows in the front being blocked off, but instead, half or more of the cabin. For example:

• On the Airbus A350-900ULR, the first nine of 17 rows are blocked
• On the Airbus A380, the first 11 of 17 rows are blocked
• On the Boeing 777-300ER, the first six of 12 rows are blocked
• On the Boeing 787-10, the first five of nine rows are blocked

One wonders if this is purely a play to try to get people to buy up to more expensive fares over time, or if this is the first step in monetizing business class seat assignments, and letting people pay extra to sit further in front.

Fortunately my business class preference is typically to sit in the very last row, so I’m not terribly impacted by this. Or wait, maybe I am, since those seats are now more likely to be occupied. 😉

Bottom line

Singapore Airlines has quietly implemented new seating restrictions, whereby those on the cheapest business class fares (whether paying with cash or points) can only assign seats in the back of the cabin in advance. On all wide body aircraft types, half or more of the seats are blocked off.

The good news is that within 96 hours of departure, all passengers can continue to select any seat. I can’t help but find this to be a rather unusual way to go about adding business class seat assignment restrictions, but at least there’s not a monetization element to it… yet.

What do you make of Singapore Airlines’ new business class seat restrictions?

They share nearly every feature except one: the Blue Business Plus earns 2x Membership Rewards points, while the Blue Business Cash earns 2% cash back. Both have no annual fee, both cap that bonus rate at the first $50,000 in spending per calendar year (then you earn 1x points or 1% cash back), and both come with the standard set of Amex business card perks.

Because neither card has an annual fee, the “is it worth it” question is essentially trivial for both, as there’s not really much downside to getting either card. The more useful question is the one this post is actually built around: which one should you get?

Link: Learn more about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express or The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

What both Amex Blue Business cards offer for June 2026

Before getting into what makes the two cards different, here’s the shared foundation that applies to both the Amex Blue Business Plus and the Amex Blue Business Cash:

• No annual fee on either card (Rates & Fees) (Rates & Fees), with no extra cost for adding authorized users
• 2x/2% earning on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x/1% thereafter — same cap, same drop-off, same “in any category” simplicity (the cards just denominate that earning differently)
• A welcome offer worth claiming — the Blue Business Plus offers 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months; the Blue Business Cash offers a $250 statement credit after the same $3,000 in three months
• Intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, on both cards — useful if you have a large business expense to pay down over time, with the standard caveat to clear it before the variable APR kicks in
• Expanded buying power — both cards let you spend above your credit limit on a pre-approved basis, a useful feature for businesses with occasional large expenses that’s specific to Amex business cards
• Access to Amex Offers — targeted savings and bonus points promotions across major retailers, hotel groups, and airlines that have saved me hundreds of dollars a year and are one of the more underrated reasons to hold any Amex card
• 2.7% foreign transaction fees on both — these aren’t cards to use abroad; route foreign spending to a no foreign transaction fee card instead

On eligibility, both cards follow the standard Amex business card rules: you can typically be approved for at most two Amex cards in a 90-day period, and you can have at most five Amex credit cards at any one time (not counting charge cards or hybrid cards). One genuinely useful quirk for points strategists: applying for an Amex business card doesn’t count toward Chase’s 5/24 limit, so picking up either of these cards won’t materially impact your future approval odds at Chase.

Amex Blue Business Plus: who it’s actually for

The Amex Blue Business Plus is the version that earns 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year (then 1x points thereafter). I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, which makes the effective return on the bonus 3.4% — exceptional for a card with no annual fee.

The structural point that makes the Blue Business Plus more than just a high-earning everyday card: Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Amex airline and hotel partners. There aren’t any other no annual fee Amex cards that are open to new cardmembers that get you enrolled in the “full” Membership Rewards program. That makes it one of the most valuable “permanent wallet” cards in the Amex ecosystem, because:

• It anchors your Membership Rewards balance even if you eventually cancel premium cards like the Amex Platinum or Amex Gold — the points stay yours, and you can keep earning at 2x
• It accelerates your earning if you do hold a hub card — 2x in any category up to $50K is genuinely set-it-and-forget-it, and stacks alongside the bonus categories on the Amex Gold or Amex Platinum
• If your business spending doesn’t cleanly fit the rotating bonus categories on the Amex Business Gold (which is category-flexible but more complex) or the perks-driven Amex Business Platinum, the Blue Business Plus is the cleanest way to earn Membership Rewards points on the broadest possible base of business spending

The major caveat is the $50,000 cap. On spending above that threshold within a calendar year, you drop to 1x points — at which point a different card (more on alternatives below) becomes the better choice. For most small businesses, $50K is well above what they’d put on a single card, so the cap isn’t binding. For heavier spenders, it’s a real ceiling worth planning around.

Personally, I’ve had the Amex Blue Business Plus for around a decade at this point. However, at the moment it’s not a card that I’m spending a lot on. That’s because I’ve shifted most of my non-bonused spending to the Bilt Palladium Card (learn more), given that it also offers 2x points, but with no caps, and you also earn 4% Bilt Cash spending. Admittedly, though, I’m putting business spending on a personal card, and then reimbursing myself.

Amex Blue Business Cash: who it’s actually for

The Amex Blue Business Cash is the version that earns 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1% cash back thereafter), automatically credited to your statement each billing cycle. There’s no points conversion, no transfer partners, and no learning curve — this is just straight cash back.

The case for the Blue Business Cash over the Blue Business Plus comes down to three primary situations:

• You explicitly don’t want to manage a points balance. Some small business owners just want simple, predictable rewards they can apply against the statement. That’s a perfectly valid preference, and the Cash delivers on it without any of the complexity that comes with redeeming points through transfer partners.
• You’re not actually good at redeeming Amex points. Transferable points currencies can unlock all kinds of amazing redemption values, especially for premium cabin travel. The thing is, there’s a huge learning curve to getting good at redeeming points. I’d imagine a majority of Amex cardmembers redeem their points sub-optimally, and many even use them for gift cards or statement credits, earning well under a cent per point. If you’re one of those people, you should get the Blue Business Cash rather than the Blue Business Plus.
• Your business needs cash-flow predictability. A statement credit hitting every billing cycle is more useful for cash management than a points balance that has to be redeemed later.

2% cash back on the first $50,000 is a solid floor for any no annual fee business card (Rates & Fees), and for someone in any of the three situations above, the Blue Business Cash is the right pick. Personally, I have a strong preference for earning 2x Membership Rewards points rather than 2% cash back — but that preference assumes you’re set up to actually get more than one cent of value per point, which not everyone is.

Amex Blue Business Plus vs. Cash: which one I’d actually pick

Here’s the head-to-head on the Amex Blue Business Plus vs. the Amex Blue Business Cash, with the framing I’d use to decide:

• Get the Blue Business Plus if you value Membership Rewards points, and are good at redeeming them. It’s definitely possible to get way over one cent of value per point if you know what you’re doing, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you may get significantly less value than that.
• Get the Blue Business Cash if you don’t want to deal with points redemptions, or you’d value the cash flow predictability of a statement credit over the value of points. 2% cash back is a defensible floor, and there’s no friction to using it.
• Consider both if you’re a heavier business spender and want to double up your bonus earning headroom — Amex allows you to hold both cards, so you’d effectively get the 2x/2% rate on the first $100,000 per calendar year combined, rather than just $50,000 on one. This is niche but real for the right business.

My position is that for the typical OMAAT reader — someone optimizing for travel rewards and likely already in the Amex points ecosystem — the Blue Business Plus is the obvious pick, and the Blue Business Cash is a backup option for the specific cases above. The Plus is one of the few cards I’d say almost anyone who is eligible should consider holding.

Where both cards fall short

To be fair to both the Amex Blue Business Plus and Amex Blue Business Cash, here are some of the caveats that apply to each:

• The $50,000 calendar year cap. Above that threshold, you’re earning 1x or 1% on additional spending, which isn’t competitive — the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (learn more) at 1.5x points flat, the Capital One Venture X Business (learn more) at 2x miles flat, or the American Express® Business Gold Card (learn more) for category aligned spend, all become more attractive once you hit the cap on either Blue Business card
• Amex acceptance is narrower than Visa or Mastercard, particularly internationally and at smaller U.S. merchants. Combined with the 2.7% foreign transaction fees, these are emphatically not your travel card — keep them for domestic, non-bonused business spending only.
• Neither is a “premium” card. “Plus” in the name might suggest something elevated, but these are entry-level cards — they don’t compete with the Amex Business Gold for bonus-category earning, or the Amex Business Platinum for perks. Treat them as foundational, not flagship.

Bottom line

The Amex Blue Business cards are two of the easiest “worth it” calls in the business card market — both have no annual fee, both earn 2x points or 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in calendar year purchases, and both come with the Amex business card perks that make them genuinely useful long term holds. The choice between them really is just about whether you’d rather earn Membership Rewards points or cash back.

• Amex Blue Business Plus: the right pick if you’re in (or plan to be in) the Membership Rewards ecosystem. Earning 2x points on $50K per year of spending, with transfer partner access, makes it one of the most valuable no annual fee cards in the Amex lineup, and one of the few cards I’d recommend almost anyone eligible should hold.
• Amex Blue Business Cash: the right pick if you specifically prefer cash back, don’t have a hub card, or want statement credit simplicity over points optionality. 2% cash back on $50K per year of spending with no complexity is hard to argue against for the cashback-first business owner.

Personally, I hold the Blue Business Plus and have for years, since I value Amex points at well over a cent each. However, in fairness, it’s not a card I’m actually putting much spending on nowadays, just due to the other cards I have (which do have annual fees).

If you have an Amex Blue Business card, which version do you have, and how has it performed for your spending?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Rates & Fees).

It seems that as of the beginning of the month (now almost four days), Lufthansa has just completely stopped releasing first class award space to partner programs, so let’s talk a bit about that, and what’s going on, not that I have a definitive answer, unfortunately.

The state of Lufthansa first class award availability

Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult to redeem partner airline miles for travel in Lufthansa first class. Admittedly this has been a slow and steady trend over the past 15+ years, going back to when Lufthansa had 16 first class seats on the upper deck of its Boeing 747-400s (time flies!).

Nonetheless, Lufthansa first class remains one of the best mileage values for those looking to travel in first class across the Atlantic, given the lack of options, in those situations where the airline releases availability.

While Lufthansa’s own Miles & More members can book first class awards as soon as the schedule opens (subject to capacity controls), Lufthansa has significant restrictions for those booking first class through partner frequent flyer programs.

When it comes to redeeming partner miles for Lufthansa first class, historically it has been possible to redeem miles for first class up to 15 days before departure. In early 2024, that window was shortened significantly, and ever since, Lufthansa seems to be opening first class awards to partner programs within three days of departure. As you can tell, that provides a limited period during which you can redeem for Lufthansa first class.

For what it’s worth, seats.aero is an awesome tool for searching award availability, and it has a Lufthansa first class award tracker. Tools like this are great, in terms of making it easy to find award space. At the same time, the ease with which space can be searched is probably also one of the reasons we’ve increasingly seen airlines add restrictions on many types of award tickets.

Anyway, this brings us to what’s going on at the moment — as of June 1, 2026, Lufthansa has just completely stopped releasing first class award space to partners programs. It doesn’t matter which route you’re flying, or if you’re terminating in Germany or connecting. It’s the same story across the board.

I’ve not been able to get an answer as to what’s going on. In fairness, we’ve seen some quirks with Lufthansa award availability in the past, so it’s possible that this is one of those. However, I find it interesting that this essentially coincided with the change in calendar months, which seems deliberate… or maybe it’s just coincidental.

What could explain this latest trend? As I see it, there are a few most likely explanations:

• Lufthansa has just changed its policy, and will no longer release first class award seats to partner program; this would of course be the most drastic change
• Lufthansa is temporarily restricting award availability; this could be because we’re entering the peak summer season, or it could be because Lufthansa is anticipating another employee strike soon, and doesn’t want to have even more premium passengers to rebook
• It could just be some sort of a glitch that will resolve itself very soon

I don’t know what the answer is, but I think it’s worth acknowledging the current reality, and if I get any answer as to what’s going on, I’ll report back. My general assumption would be that this isn’t a permanent change, at least not yet, since we’ve seen somewhat similar stuff happen in the past

What does the future hold for Lufthansa awards?

When it comes to redeeming miles for Lufthansa first class, I have to imagine that our best days are behind us:

• Lufthansa is increasingly rolling out its new Allegris cabins, including the new first class, which has only three(ish) seats, and partner first class awards are completely blocked on those flights; for that matter, the airline also recently rolled out its new first class soft product, so one wonders if this might be part of a bigger “reset” in first class
• Lufthansa Miles & More has moved to dynamic award pricing, and over time, I suspect the premium cabin pricing will become more aggressive

The general industry trend we’ve seen is clear, as I wrote about some time back. We’re seeing airlines increasingly restrict award space to partner programs, to focus on monetizing their own programs.

So I’m not saying that Lufthansa will completely eliminate partner first class awards, but… I’m also not saying it won’t? I think the more likely direction this goes is that we increasingly see Miles & More added as a partner for international transferable points currencies, so that Lufthansa has more control over its award space.

Obviously this hobby is quite different than it used to be, but it’s not all bad news — there are also a lot of amazing opportunities that didn’t exist years ago.

Bottom line

While this is hopefully temporary, I’d like to acknowledge that since June 1, Lufthansa hasn’t made any first class award seats available to partner frequent flyer programs. There’s no denying that it has become much more difficult to redeem for Lufthansa first class over the years, but blocking space completely is obviously the most extreme measure.

It’s anyone’s guess what’s going on here. It could be a glitch, it could be temporary (due to summer demand or looming strikes), or it could be a permanent change. With Lufthansa increasingly moving toward its new Allegris first class, these opportunities are becoming more and more limited.

What do you make of this Lufthansa first class award availability situation?

Delta ups checked bag benefit for Amex cardmembers

As of today (June 4, 2026), primary cardmembers on the Delta Amex Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards (both personal and business) receive a complimentary second checked bag on domestic Delta-operated flights. The only card this doesn’t apply to is the Delta Amex Blue, which has no annual fee.

Previously, these cards with annual fees offered one free checked bag, so this is a pretty significant improvement, especially since the cards’ annual fees aren’t increasing. So this is no doubt a generous change, because no other co-branded card portfolio offers a benefit of two free checked bags.

Of course Delta and Amex aren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts — they’re doing it because they want to increase co-brand revenue. Obviously, Delta will take somewhat of a hit in terms of the checked bag fees it won’t get anymore, but the hope is that this will cause lots more people to grab Delta Amex cards and even be loyal to the airline.

After all, the airline industry nowadays is all about loyalty program revenue, and this is a pretty direct reflection of that. I suspect we’re going to see other airlines match soon as well, though it might not be instant (given the complexity of co-brand card agreements, and how they’re structured.

Delta Amex cards get new design, rideshare perks

I’d say the second checked-bag-free benefit is the biggest change to the Delta Amex portfolio, but there are a couple of other changes worth noting.

First, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Delta Amex partnership, the cards are getting updated designs, including a new slate grey option for Reserve cardmembers. As you can see, there are no more purple cards, and it seems Delta is moving away from purple as a brand color.

Furthermore, as a new perk, enrolled Delta Gold Amex cardmembers (both personal and business) will have access to the $120 rideshare credit after card renewal, unlocking up to $10 in monthly statement credits on eligible U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.

The intent here is simple, which is to keep people using the card. The hope is that if you try to remember to use the card for the credit, you’ll also use it for other purchases.

Bottom line

We’ve just seen some positive changes to the Delta Amex card portfolio. All the cards with annual fees (both personal and business) now offer a two free checked bag benefit, which is the first time we’ve seen such a generous allowance across the portfolio for one of the “big three” airlines. The card art has also been updated, and the Delta Gold Amex has a new rideshare credit as well.

Obviously these changes are all about making the cards more compelling, both to boost the number of cardmembers, and also to increase loyalty to Delta. Well done, Delta, on these changes!

What do you make of these Delta Amex changes?

Lufthansa Boeing 787 nose gear collapses at gate

A Reddit user shares pictures of a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 with collapsed nose gear at Frankfurt Airport (FRA). The plane in question has the registration code D-ABPQ, and it’s a new Dreamliner with Allegris interiors.

There’s also an airport CCTV video of the collapse happening.

This plane just entered long haul service with Lufthansa on February 13, 2026, so it has been flying for under four months. Today, the plane was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles (LAX), operating as flight LH450. However, as you’d expect, the flight was canceled (if you were booked on the flight, don’t forget to claim EC261, if eligible!).

Presumably this plane will be out of service for quite some time, and hopefully there were no injuries in this incident.

What could’ve caused this nose landing gear collapse?

Details about what caused this incident remain to be seen. The pictures show the unit load device (ULD) attached to the forward right cargo hold, along with the two jet bridges pulled up to the two forward left doors (though as you’d expect, the forward one is especially unaligned). You can also see the landing gear panel ripped off. The video, meanwhile, shows the forward gear just collapsing, without the aircraft being hit by anything.

While it’s possible this is completely unrelated, this reminds me of a June 2021 incident, where the nose landing gear collapsed on a British Airways Boeing 787-8.

An investigation later determined how that happened:

• While the plane was being loaded with cargo, a procedure was being carried out with regards to some deferred maintenance
• The procedure required the cockpit landing gear selection lever to be cycled with hydraulic power applied to the aircraft
• To prevent the landing gear from retracting, the procedure required pins to be inserted into the nose and main landing gear downlocks
• The nose landing gear downlock pin was accidentally inserted into the wrong hole — it was put into the apex pin bore, adjacent to the correct location
• As a result, when the landing gear selector was cycled, the nose landing gear retracted

For what it’s worth, it took around five months for that plane to return to service, so I’d expect this Lufthansa Dreamliner to be grounded for quite some time as well.

Could something similar have happened here? Was the forward landing gear somehow accidentally retracted, or was there some sort of malfunction or glitch? Whatever caused this, whoever is at fault for this probably has quite a bit of explaining to do…

Bottom line

A Lufthansa Boeing 787 suffered a mysterious forward gear collapse today at a gate at Frankfurt Airport, prior to a flight to Los Angeles. It remains to be seen what caused this, but it definitely represents some major damage, and this plane will be out of service for an extended period of time.

This scene looks very similar to a 2021 incident involving a British Airways 787, though the causes could be completely unrelated.

What do you make of this Lufthansa 787 gear collapse situation?

SAS inaugural flight ends up being 8+ hour flight to nowhere

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) was supposed to operate its inaugural flight between Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH), and Mumbai, India (BOM). This was SAS’ first flight to India in roughly 17 years, so there was a lot of buzz surrounding this flight.

Flight SK969 was scheduled to depart at 4:10PM and land at 4:30AM the following morning, using an Airbus A330-300 with the registration code LN-RKM. However, that’s not exactly how things played out.

First, the plane only took off at 8:23PM, roughly four hours behind schedule. For well over four hours, it made its way southeast, flying over Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. However, at that point the plane turned around, to head back toward its origin.

After a journey of well over eight hours, the plane touched down in Copenhagen at 4:35AM the following morning. So yeah, the flight time was roughly as expected, but the plane ended up at its origin rather than its destination.

This plane turned around due to lack of regulatory approvals

Typically when you see these kinds of “return to origin” situations, it’s due to some maintenance issue that doesn’t pose a risk to the flight, but where the airline has decided that there’s value in having the plane back at base, so that an issue can be addressed, rather than having a plane stranded at an outstation.

Meanwhile if you have some sort of a medical or safety issue, you’d typically divert to a nearby airport, rather than flying the same distance as what’s remaining to your destination.

So what happened here? As it turns out, the airline hadn’t received its final regulatory approval to operate this route. According to the company, it was awaiting final regulatory approval from Indian authorities, and expected that would come through while inflight.

However, that didn’t end up happening. So when the plane reached roughly the halfway point, the decision was made to return to Copenhagen, to avoid a diversion to some third country destination, where passengers could potentially be stranded.

In the meantime, the airline has also canceled its June 4 and June 5 flights to Mumbai, so clearly this regulatory approval issue was at least days from being resolved, rather than being minutes or hours from being resolved.

The airline has issued the following statement about what happened:

SAS completed all necessary operational and regulatory preparations for the launch following several months of planning and co-ordination. Based on ongoing discussions with the relevant authorities, SAS had every expectation that the remaining formal approval would be finalised while the flight was en route. As the approval was not finalised as anticipated, the flight could not continue as planned.

Our immediate focus is on supporting affected passengers and securing the remaining approval is obtained in order to commence service as soon as possible. We remain ready to commence operations and expect the service to begin within the next couple of days once the formal approval has been issued.

Suffice it to say that this is a very rough situation, and the optics of this for an inaugural are especially bad. Now, it’s anyone’s guess exactly which approvals were missing, and whether the airline was just being unrealistic with its hopes, or what.

While stuff like this is extremely rare, it does happen. In March of this year, an Air India flight to Canada had to turn around while inflight, as Air India operated the flight with a plane that it didn’t technically have permission to fly to Canada. Meanwhile last June, American flew the wrong type of plane to Italy, also causing a diversion.

Aviation is incredibly complex, and under normal circumstances, airlines do a great job managing all the logistics. This is obviously one of those situations where something slipped through the cracks. You’ll always see new airline announcements reference how a route is subject to government approval, and I guess this is one of those situations where that factor came into play. 😉

Bottom line

SAS was supposed to return to India, with a nonstop Copenhagen to Mumbai flight. The plane took off as scheduled on June 2, but the regulatory approval that the airline was expecting to come through during the flight didn’t actually come. Therefore the decision was made to return to Denmark, leading to an over eight hour flight to nowhere.

This is obviously super rough, though stuff like this does happen every so often.

What do you make of this SAS inaugural snafu?

Anyway, 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 money, 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 June 3 and June 6, 2026
• This is valid for travel between September 1 and November 15, 2026
• 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 “iconic cities,” and it includes destinations across the globe. 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):

• Bangkok, Thailand (BKK): now starting at 20,000 points
• Helsinki, Finland (HEL): now starting at 15,000 points
• Mexico City, Mexico (MEX): now starting at 7,500 points
• Papeete, Tahiti (PPT): now starting at 20,000 points
• Paris, France (CDG): now starting at 20,000 points
• Taipei, Taiwan (TPE): now starting at 30,000 points

That’s a cool list, but I’m not really sure I’d consider Papeete to be an iconic city, lovely of a destination as French Polynesia is. 😉

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 Europe for 15,000 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 sale 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 June 6, 2026, and can travel between September 1 and November 15, 2026. 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?

Promotion on purchased Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

Between June 4 and July 7, 2026, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program is offering a bonus on purchased points. The program is offering a tiered bonus of up to 70%, as follows:

• Buy 5,000-39,000 points, get a 20% bonus
• Buy 40,000-79,000 points, get a 40% bonus
• Buy 80,000-124,000 points, get a 60% bonus
• Buy 125,000-300,000 points, get a 70% bonus

The 70% bonus is in line with the best offers we see from the program.

How much does it cost to buy Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points?

The cost to purchase Virgin Atlantic points varies based on where your account is registered:

• If your account is registered in the United States, you’ll pay $25 per 1,000 points, pre-tax before any discounts or bonuses
• If your account is registered in the United Kingdom, you’ll pay £15 per 1,000 points, pre-tax before any discounts or bonuses
• On top of that, there’s a transaction fee of £15 or $22

The pricing is much better for those with accounts registered in the UK rather than the US. Assuming you’re eligible for a 70% bonus:

• Those with accounts in the US can purchase 340,000 Flying Club points for $5,022, which is a rate of $0.0148 per Flying Club point
• Those with accounts in the UK can purchase 340,000 Flying Club points for £3,015, which is a rate of £0.0089 per Flying Club point ($0.012)

It’s interesting how much Virgin Atlantic penalizes those in the United States when it comes to buying points. Then again, when it comes to overall points earning opportunities, we can’t really complain in the United States, given the amazing credit card offers we have.

We only see a bonus on Flying Club points a few times per year, and when we do, the offers are typically in the range of 60-70% (with 70% being most common).

How many Flying Club points can you purchase?

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club ordinarily lets members purchase up to 200,000 points per account per calendar year, before any bonuses.

Which credit card should you buy Flying Club points with?

Flying Club points 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 minimum spending, or otherwise, a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending.

Is buying Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points worth it?

Virgin Atlantic is definitely a frequent flyer program with more niche redemption opportunities. In addition to being able to redeem Flying Club points for travel on Virgin Atlantic, there’s also good value to be had for redemptions on Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, and Delta.

Virgin Atlantic recently introduced dynamic award pricing, and for those with flexibility who want the best deal, this was an incredibly positive change. Redemption rates are potentially lower than in the past. For example, there are some transatlantic one-way business class awards that cost under 30,000 points, which is amazing.

Beyond that, Virgin Atlantic has several airline partners, some of which are more lucrative than others. Probably the best use of Flying Club points is for travel in ANA first & business class. You can find the redemption rates below.

Paying 52,500-60,000 Flying Club points for a one-way business class ticket between the United States and Japan is a phenomenal value to start with.

All Nippon Airways’ new first & business class are amazing products as well. The major catch is that availability can be really tough to come by.

How much are Flying Club points worth?

Everyone will value points currencies differently, but personally I value Flying Club points at ~1.1 cents each. However, I tend to value points pretty conservatively, and there are many ways to get way more value from Flying Club points than that.

Do Flying Club points expire?

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points don’t expire. There’s no requirement to even have any account activity, as the points will never expire regardless.

What other ways can you earn Flying Club points?

While buying Virgin Atlantic points could represent a great deal, keep in mind that there are lots of other ways to earn Flying Club points. Most significantly, Virgin Atlantic is partners with major transferable points currencies, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou. There are several ways to earn these points aside from outright buying them.

Bottom line

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is offering members a 70% bonus on purchased points, which is an opportunity to buy the points for 1.20-1.48 cents each (in USD), depending on where your account is registered.

There are plenty of circumstances where this could be a great deal. The only major consideration is that there are lots of other ways to earn Virgin Atlantic points with transferable points currencies, so some may prefer to earn rewards that way. With a specific use in mind, there could definitely be huge value in buying Flying Club points.

Do you plan on buying Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points with a bonus?

Airline alliance & hotel group partner on loyalty

The oneworld alliance and luxury hospitality brand Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) have just launched a loyalty partnership, which for the time being is valid through March 30, 2028.

For context, the oneworld alliance includes airlines like American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Qatar Airways, while Indian Hotels Company has the Taj InnerCircle NeuPass program, and includes brands like Taj, Claridges Collection, Brij, SeleQtions, Clarks, Gateway, Vivanta, Ginger, Tree of Life, and amã Stays & Trails. The hotel group has 630+ properties across four continents.

So, what does this partnership entail?

• Effective immediately, all oneworld elite members get access to savings on hotel stays, when booking through the partnership link — Emerald members get 15% savings, while Sapphire and Ruby members get 10% savings, and that applies to room rates, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and spa treatments
• Furthermore, non-elite oneworld members booking their first stay at participating properties will unlock vouchers offering savings on stays and food and beverage experiences
• As a next step, the programs will offer reciprocal loyalty recognition — oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members will be matched to Taj InnerCircle NeuPass Gold and Silver, respectively, while Taj InnerCircle NeuPass Platinum and Gold members will get oneworld Sapphire status, and Silver members get Ruby status
• As the partnership evolves, the two companies will explore the introduction of points earning opportunities on hotel stays, across select oneworld airline loyalty programs

On the surface, it might seem random for oneworld to partner with such a regionally focused hotel group, but it’s my understanding that there’s a deliberate strategy behind this. The idea is that oneworld doesn’t have an airline based in India, so this is in particular intended to create more loyalty and awareness among members in the region.

Fun fact, though — Tata Group, which owns Air India (in the Star Alliance), is also a controlling shareholder in IHCL. So it’s noteworthy how they’re partnering with oneworld here.

Here’s what oneworld CEO Ole Orvér had to say about this:

“We are pleased to bring together the world’s premium airline alliance with IHCL’s Taj InnerCircle – NeuPass. Our members can now enjoy IHCL’s celebrated brands, including the iconic Taj, with its heritage of luxury, in a first-of-its-kind partnership that extends the value of oneworld loyalty beyond air travel. With 10 million international customers travelling to and from India each year on oneworld member airlines, this partnership recognises and rewards our customers across a key global market.”

Meanwhile here’s what IHCL CEO Puneet Chhatwal had to say:

“Our partnership with oneworld marks the coming together of two global leaders to redefine how travel and hospitality intersect, signaling a shift towards more integrated ecosystems. As we expand Taj’s international footprint, this alliance will strengthen our ability to engage a wider global audience, bringing together scale and warm Indian hospitality to create a desirable proposition across markets.”

Well done, oneworld & Taj InnerCircle NeuPass

It’s very cool to see this collaboration. We’ve seen some airline alliances try to expand beyond just air travel, with inter-modal partnerships, like Star Alliance partnering with Deutsche Bahn, and SkyTeam partnering with Eurostar. However, quite honestly, the execution has been kind of lackluster.

So by comparison, I find this to be great. Ultimately I’d say the biggest value here is the reciprocal status matching, which is super valuable. For airline loyalists, it’s awesome how oneworld Emerald members will be getting Taj InnerCircle NeuPass Gold status, as that ordinarily requires 40 nights or around $4,200 in spending, and actually offers some meaningful perks.

There are many Taj properties I’ve wanted to check out, so this might just be the thing that pushes me to finally stay at one. And I suspect that’s exactly the intent behind this partnership, to make these hotels appealing to people who may not otherwise stay at them.

Arguably the partnership is even more interesting in the other direction, though, as Taj InnerCircle NeuPass Platinum and Gold members receive oneworld Sapphire status (I am curious how that will work in terms of which airline program they’ll be matched to).

This is a fun new path to oneworld Sapphire status, since NeuPass Gold status can also be earned with roughly $4,200 in annual spending. So if you book a really nice Taj stay (they’re often not cheap), that could be enough to earn you oneworld Sapphire status, which offers some useful perks, from priority service to oneworld lounge access.

I’m also looking forward to learning more about how oneworld points earning at these properties is in the works, but there are no concrete details there yet.

Bottom line

The oneworld alliance and Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) have launched a partnership, offering oneworld elite members perks when staying at 630+ properties, including brands like Taj. With this, oneworld elite members can get discounted rates and on-property experiences.

Most exciting is that in the near future, it’ll be possible to status match from oneworld to Taj InnerCircle NeuPass, with oneworld Emerald members getting Gold status. Status matching will also be possible in the other direction, with Taj InnerCircle NeuPass Platinum and Gold members getting Sapphire status, and Silver members getting Ruby status. Well done to oneworld and IHCL!

What do you make of this new airline alliance and hotel partnership?

Earlier I covered how Delta is investing in its lounge network at LAX, and wondered just how big the carrier’s plans at the airport were. Well, we’re now getting more of a sense of what this could look like.

Delta’s plan to become LAX’s number one airline, by far

JonNYC has some insights on Delta’s latest strategy at LAX. It’s pretty clear that LAX is the new hub that Delta is most focused on. He shares a screenshot of the following text (I’m not sure who it is from, but I’d assume it’s a reliable source):

Delta has a once in a generation opportunity to accelerate leadership position at LAX. American, historically the leader, stepped back in recent years. AA has shed 10 points of corporate share and has a disruptive six-year terminal renovation underway. Meanwhile, Southwest is pulling back, JetBlue has shrunk to half its former size, and Alaska is shifting its focus to San Diego. United is the only remaining viable competitor but is limited by gate constraints and sub-par facilities for the foreseeable future.

That narrative is completely right, and there’s nothing there that I disagree with. So, what will Delta’s growth at LAX be centered around?

• Shortly, we’re going to see Delta launch flights to Hong Kong (HKG), and in 2027 we’re supposed to see a new route to Manila (MNL)
• Delta also reportedly plans to increase Shanghai (PVG) flights to daily, make Auckland (AKL) flights year-round, and also launch service to Seoul Incheon (ICN)
• The goal is also to have a much more comprehensive network within North America, including serving business markets, higher yield leisure markets, etc.; for example, we’re talking markets like LAX to Chicago (ORD)
• Given that the airline industry has evolved, one would assume that a primary motive is to also massively increase loyalty and credit card revenue in the local market

Delta’s goals are probably possible, but are they profitable?

I think everything Delta is suggesting is fair for the most part. Delta definitely has the best facility at LAX, and there’s no denying that the airline could increase its lead at LAX, though obviously the airport will never turn into a fortress hub.

The question isn’t whether Delta can grow its presence at LAX, but rather it’s a question of whether this is the best use of resources, and how profitable this could be in the long term.

As much as markets like Los Angeles and New York (JFK) sound sexy, they’re typically not actually very profitable for airlines. They’re expensive airports to operate out of, and airlines can’t scale their networks to turn them into fortress hubs. For that matter, coastal cities aren’t ideal for efficiently funneling connecting passengers (at least if you’re not connecting over an ocean).

American loves Charlotte (CLT) and Dallas (DFW), Delta loves Atlanta (ATL) and Detroit (DTW), United loves Denver (DEN) and Houston (IAH). These are all massive, super efficient, fortress hubs, with great geography. Furthermore, thanks to the dominance each airline has at those hubs, they’re also super lucrative for credit card revenue, due to the popularity of co-brand cards.

Great, so what’s my issue? Well, I just question what the end goal is here for Delta?

• Yipee, Delta adding Seoul Incheon flights is a nothing-burger, since joint venture partner Korean Air operates that route multiple times per day; Delta has a much higher cost structure, and if you’re going to tell me otherwise, please explain why Delta doesn’t fly from LAX to London (LHR)
• Delta is going to bleed money on its new Hong Kong route and Manila route when it launches, and I’d love for someone to argue that there’s any planet on which Delta flying year-round to Auckland is going to be profitable
• The amount of international competition among so many airlines at LAX greatly suppresses fares, and that’s why the “big three” have struggled with making LAX interesting
• From a loyalty and credit card perspective, I think Los Angeles is too scattered of a market in terms of consumer travel patterns for any airline to be truly dominant with credit card revenue

That’s my take, at least. Sure, Delta can grow there, but I don’t think Delta can get to the point where it says “yep, we’ve made LAX work, and now we’re printing money here.” Some will certainly argue that sometimes there’s a strategic interest here. But again, that’s also the case in Seattle (SEA), and to a lesser extent, Austin (AUS).

Bottom line

Delta really seems to be serious about growing its presence at LAX. We’ve seen the airline already announce some new long haul flying, and it sounds like there’s more on the way, along with a more comprehensive domestic network.

That’s all fair enough, and this growth is possible. My only concern is that I don’t think LAX is a market that can be “won.” Of course the “big three” US carriers all see the importance of having a presence there, but actually operating there profitably is challenging, given the amount of competition.

It just seems like all the long haul flying that Delta is looking at adding will be rather unprofitable, given that it’ll go head-to-head against foreign carriers with much lower cost structures, all while having to price attractively, and not actually having majority market share at the airport. This will definitely be something to watch…

What do you make of Delta’s LAX goals?

Alaska & Korean Air restore codeshare agreement

Alaska Airlines and Korean Air have just filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT), requesting permission to launch a codeshare agreement (thanks to Steve for flagging this).

Alaska flies from Seattle (SEA) to Seoul Incheon (ICN), and the idea is that Alaska wants to codeshare on Korean Air’s flights from its Incheon hub to Bangkok (BKK), Busan (PUS), Delhi (DEL), Hanoi (HAN), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), and Singapore (SIN). It seems this is a unilateral codeshare, so Korean Air will not be codesharing on any Alaska flights.

With a codeshare agreement, Alaska will be able to place its “code” on Korean Air flights between those cities. When it comes to airline partnerships, a codeshare agreement is more than an interline agreement, and less than a joint venture.

On the surface, this is a totally logical level of cooperation, and it’s a win-win. Alaska flies to Incheon, and presumably the routes on which it is requesting to codeshare are those with the highest passenger demand. So this will allow both airlines to fill seats on their respective flights.

Fair enough, right, so what’s the problem? Well…

What’s really driving this new codeshare agreement?

Delta and Korean Air have a transpacific joint venture, which is the closest level of cooperation you can have between airlines. Delta’s transpacific network is based so heavily around funneling passengers through the Incheon hub (though Delta is finally adding flights to other destinations in Asia).

Delta even owns a stake in Korean Air, and if we’re being honest, Delta is a very controlling airline partner. That’s understandable, because the airline has the clout to request that from its partners.

Alaska and Korean Air had a close partnership for many years, including a codeshare agreement, reciprocal points opportunities, etc. However, over the years, that was progressively scaled back. One would logically assume that Delta had a part in that, and pressured Korean Air to cut ties with Alaska, since Alaska will partner with just about anyone, as long as it’s a win-win.

Keep in mind that Delta has a special dislike for Alaska, given that it has been trying to grow in Seattle and go head-to-head against Alaska, but Alaska has stayed dominant. Delta is so used to going into markets and being number one, while the story has been a bit different in Seattle.

Delta wants to do everything it can to hurt Alaska, so why is this happening? Well, it appears that this isn’t so much voluntary on Korean Air’s part, but instead, it’s a remedy from the Korean Air and Asiana merger. With this, Korean Air had to agree to codeshare with competitors in markets that those competitors don’t serve. In other words, Korean Air is being forced into codesharing with Alaska on intra-Asia flights.

So while a codeshare agreement is happening, don’t expect any sort of restoration of loyalty program perks, since I can’t imagine that Korean Air actually wants this partnership (and it’s not required to restore loyalty perks).

For what it’s worth, Alaska is in oneworld, and hopes to join the transpacific joint venture with American and Japan Airlines. However, that doesn’t preclude a codeshare agreement, especially out of a hub without much oneworld service.

Bottom line

Alaska and Korean Air have requested permission to launch a codeshare agreement, which really represents the restoration of such a partnership. The idea is that Alaska could place its code on Korean Air’s flights between Incheon and select destinations in Asia.

On the surface, this is a logical commercial agreement. The reason it’s a bit surprising is because this kind of an arrangement was cut some time back, and I have to imagine that Delta played a part in that. What’s really happening here is that this is a concession that Korean Air has to make as part of its merger with Asiana, to ensure competition.

What do you make of Alaska and Korean Air once again strengthening ties?

After years of running this setup, the cards have sorted themselves into clear roles, and I figured it was worth sharing the full picture in one place — what I actually carry, what each card is the best at, and which ones I hold but don’t spend on. Admittedly this changes over time, which is why I think it’s time for an updated post on the topic.

For each card below, I link to the full “is it worth it” analysis I’ve written — so this post is the entry point, and you can dig into the math on any individual card from there.

My wallet at a glance

Before the details, here’s the quick version of which card I reach for in which situation:

• Everyday non-bonused spending: Bilt Palladium Card — 2x points plus 4% Bilt Cash on everything
• Foreign spending: Atmos Rewards Summit Card — 3x points on all foreign purchases, no cap
• Restaurants and U.S. supermarkets: American Express® Gold Card — 4x points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 annually) and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually), then 1x.
• Direct hotel bookings: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card — 4x points
• Airfare booked directly with airlines: American Express Platinum Card® — 5x points
• Hyatt stays + my $15,000 annual sweet-spot card: World of Hyatt Credit Card — 4x points at Hyatt, plus the second free night certificate at $15,000 in annual spend, in addition to elite nights for ongoing spending

That’s the spending side. Separately, I hold many cards purely for ongoing perks — free night awards, elite status, lounge memberships — that justify their annual fees without my needing to spend anything on them. I’ll cover those after the spending cards.

The cards I spend on

When I’m deciding which card to put a purchase on, the question is always the same: which card earns me the most value on this specific transaction? Below are the six cards that win that question for me across the categories that matter most. Each one is the best in my wallet for what it does — that’s why it earned its slot.

Bilt Palladium Card — for everyday non-bonused spending

The Bilt Palladium Card has a $495 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and is serviced by Cardless. It’s my go-to card for non-bonused spending, because the math on it is genuinely hard to beat: 2x points on all eligible purchases, plus 4% back in the form of Bilt Cash.

Bilt Cash can be redeemed in a variety of ways, including to earn points on housing payments (about $4,000 worth of rent or mortgage rewarded per $3,000 in spending) or for spending accelerators that effectively boost you to 3x points on non-housing spending, up to $25,000 per year.

Add it all up and on non-bonused categories I’m well over 3x points per dollar spent, which is the highest return on everyday spending of any card in my wallet. Bilt points are also genuinely valuable, transferable to Alaska Atmos Rewards, World of Hyatt, and other useful partners. The honest caveat I’d flag: tax payments aren’t eligible to earn points, which is a real exclusion that doesn’t apply to most major issuers, so I do have to route that spending elsewhere.

Full analysis: Is the Bilt Palladium Card worth the $495 annual fee?

Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card — for foreign spending

The Atmos Rewards Summit Card has a $395 annual fee, and it’s one of those rare cards that’s worth applying for, worth holding, and worth spending on. For my purposes, it has earned its slot for one category specifically: 3x points on all foreign purchases, with no cap. This might be the single best bonus category on any card I’ve seen — we’ve never had a blanket return on foreign spending like this — so it’s my primary card whenever I’m abroad.

The other reason it sees heavy spend from me: the card offers a 100,000-point Global Companion Award when you spend $60,000 in an anniversary year. I’m aiming for that threshold, which means even some domestic spending gets routed here once foreign spending alone won’t get me there. Between the 3x points on foreign purchases and the threshold bonus, the effective return on spending can reach as high as 4.67x points per dollar (I would’t value it quite that high, but that’s the math).

If you’re going for elite status with Atmos Rewards, the card is useful as well, as you earn one status point per $2 spent. What I also appreciate so much is how the card’s annual fee is easily offset by the 25,000-point Global Companion Award, as well as waived partner award booking fees, for those of us who frequently redeem Atmos Rewards points.

Full analysis: Is the Atmos Rewards Summit Card worth the $395 annual fee?

American Express® Gold Card — for restaurants and U.S. supermarkets

The Amex Gold Card has a $325 annual fee (Rates & Fees), though that can largely be offset with the card’s credits. What earns it a wallet slot is the bonus categories, which are arguably the most well-rounded in the entire market for any household that eats:

• 4x points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1x points), including takeout and delivery
• 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x points)

Between those two categories, my family racks up a lot of points just on food spending — and food is expensive, especially with two little kids in the equation. The 4x dining category also applies worldwide, so this card travels well for restaurants abroad (though the supermarket category is U.S.-only). One honest note from my own experience: I struggle to fully maximize all of the card’s credits, particularly the Dunkin’ credit, so the “real” value depends on how many of those you’ll actually capture.

Full analysis: Is the Amex Gold Card worth the annual fee?

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card — for direct hotel bookings

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $795 annual fee, and while I mostly hold it for the perks (the lounge access, the travel credits, hotel credits, dining credits, the Apple Music subscription), there’s one spending category where it earns its keep, which is 4x points on direct hotel bookings.

Hotels are a big spending category for me, and 4x Ultimate Rewards points on those bookings is among the best returns available on a category that’s hard to bonus elsewhere.

Admittedly the importance of this bonus category largely reflects that I spend a lot on hotels. Others will appreciate that the card also offers 3x points on dining, but dining isn’t where I use it — that’s what the Amex Gold is for. And it offers 5x points on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027, which is genuinely useful but isn’t a huge category for me. The hotels alone, paired with the credits and lounge access, are what justify the slot.

Full analysis: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth the annual fee?

American Express Platinum Card® — for airfare

The Amex Platinum Card has an $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees). Like the Sapphire Reserve, this is primarily a hold-for-perks card for me (the lounge access, the four credits I max with minimal effort, the hotel and rental car status). But it has one bonus category where it’s unambiguously the best card available: 5x points on airfare booked directly with airlines, on up to $500,000 in flight purchases per calendar year.

I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so that’s an 8.5% return on airfare spending — better than any other airfare-earning card I’ve seen. I spend meaningfully on airfare, and the card also offers solid travel protection on top of the earning rate, so this is one of those decisions that essentially makes itself: airfare goes on the Platinum, full stop.

Full analysis: Is the Amex Platinum Card worth it after the refresh?

World of Hyatt Credit Card — $15,000 of spending for the second free night

The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, and it’s the unusual case where the card isn’t my best earner in any single category but still earns a deliberate $15,000 of spending from me each year. Here’s why: that $15,000 threshold unlocks a second Category 1-4 free night certificate plus six additional elite nights toward status — and I’ve consistently redeemed those certificates at hotels worth well over $200 per night. Effectively that’s better than two points per dollar on otherwise-unbonused spending.

I’ve held this card since 2018 and hit $15,000 every year for exactly this reason. Beyond the spending sweet spot, the card already justifies its $95 fee through the anniversary free night alone, plus Discoverist status and five elite nights toward status with no spending required. It’s the cleanest “worth it” call in my wallet for a hotel card.

Full analysis: Is the World of Hyatt Credit Card worth it?

The cards I hold but don’t regularly spend on

These are the cards that earn their keep without seeing meaningful spending from me. The model is straightforward: each one offers ongoing benefits — a free night certificate, elite status, lounge access — that more than cover the annual fee on their own.

Spending meaningfully on these cards would be a waste based on my own goals, because better options exist for that, but holding them is essentially free value. Here are some of those cards:

• The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more) has a $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees) but offers benefits that more than justify it, including an annual free night award, up to $400 per year in Hilton resort credits, Honors Diamond Elite status, and much more.
• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (learn more) has a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and is worth it for up to $300 in dining statement credits per calendar year ($25 monthly at restaurants worldwide), Bonvoy Platinum Elite status and 25 elite nights for having the card, and a free night award valid at properties costing up to 85,000 points per night
• The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (learn more) has a $99 annual fee and offers an anniversary free night certificate, IHG One Rewards Platinum status, and a fourth night free on award redemptions
• The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (learn more) has a $595 annual fee and is justified by its perks on their own, including an Admirals Club membership and up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year with no spending requirement

To me, the perks on these cards more than justify the annual fee on an ongoing basis, so they stay in the drawer, get used for the credits and statuses, and don’t see much purchase spending. That’s a perfectly valid card-management strategy, and one that I think is underused.

What’s not in my wallet (and why)

Just as useful as knowing what I carry is knowing what I deliberately don’t. A few categories of cards I’ve considered, tried, or actively avoid:

• Most “everyday spending” 2% cashback cards. These would replace the Bilt Palladium in my wallet for non-bonused spending, but the Bilt math (2x points plus 4% Bilt Cash that translates into housing rewards or 3x accelerators) consistently beats them for me, so they don’t earn a slot (though for those looking for a simple strategy, I think this is the way to go).
• Single-airline co-brand cards beyond what I already hold. Outside of products like the Citi AAdvantage Executive (held purely for the Admirals Club membership) and the Atmos Summit (held for perks and used for foreign spending), I generally don’t carry airline co-brands — the bonus categories tend to be limited and the perks are too narrow for non-loyalists.
• Hotel co-brands for chains I don’t stay at regularly. I hold the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, IHG Premier Card, and World of Hyatt Card — four hotel cards aligned with chains I genuinely use. Adding more would mean paying annual fees for free nights I’d struggle to redeem at properties I’d actually want to stay at.

I also have several cards that I’ve picked up in recent times for the great welcome offers, where I’m deciding what to do with them in the long run. For example, these include the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (learn more), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (learn more), etc.

Bottom line

I’d like to think I have a pretty well-tuned credit card setup. Across the six cards I spend most on, I’m earning anywhere from 2x to 5x points per dollar in their best categories, and when you blend it all together I’m averaging well over 3x points per dollar on my overall spending — a return I’d value at over 5%. To recap:

• My favorite card for everyday non-bonused spending is the Bilt Palladium Card (for the 2x points and 4% Bilt Cash)
• The Atmos Rewards Summit Card is unbeatable for foreign spending (3x points, no cap), plus the $60,000 spend threshold unlocks a 100,000-point Global Companion Award
• The Amex Gold Card gets all of my food spending — restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve handles my direct hotel bookings, and the Amex Platinum Card handles my airfare
• I deliberately spend at least $15,000 on the World of Hyatt Credit Card every year for the second Category 1-4 free night certificate and six additional elite nights toward status
• Several cards (Hilton Aspire, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, IHG Premier, Citi AAdvantage Executive) stay in the drawer purely for the ongoing perks, which more than justify the annual fees on their own

For the deep “is it worth it” analysis on any of these cards — the credits I actually capture, the math after fees, where the value breaks down — follow the linked worth-it post in each card’s section above. This post is the wallet snapshot, and each of these posts has a lot more details.

What are the primary credit cards you use for spending? Has your setup evolved recently, and which card has surprised you most — for better or worse?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees).

BermudAir will fly to Anguilla, Belize, Guatemala, Turks & Caicos

For a little bit of background, in mid-2023 we saw the launch of BermudAir, a quirky niche airline with the goal of operating Embraer jets between Bermuda (BDA) and the United States and Canada. Initially the airline was going to operate all-business class planes, but it scrapped (“delayed”) that concept before launch, instead introducing a two-cabin concept (though business class just has blocked adjacent seats and better service).

As I said from the beginning, the whole thing struck me as an odd venture, essentially trying to serve Bermuda year-round profitably, while going up against the major carriers that serve the airport.

To my surprise, the airline is still in business nearly three years after launch, though it hasn’t necessarily been that smooth. As is pretty common for an airlines startup, the first years have been rocky, with several routes being cut after launch. For that matter, the airline faced a lawsuit over millions in unpaid airport fees at its hub, which isn’t exactly a great sign.

But worry not, BermudAir has a new strategy… which is to fly between the United States and four places that aren’t Bermuda! In fairness, the airline had already launched seasonal Anguilla flights, but this is being taken to the next level:

With these latest updates:

• BermudAir will fly to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (PLS), from Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Newark (EWR), Raleigh Durham (RDU), and St. Petersburg (PIE)
• BermudAir will fly to Belize City, Belize (BZE), from Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando Sanford (SFB), Raleigh Durham (RDU), and St. Petersburg (PIE)
• BermudAir will fly to Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) from Boston (BOS)
• BermudAir will fly to Anguilla (AUA) from St. Petersburg (PIE), with returning seasonal service from Boston (BOS), and expanded service from Baltimore (BWI) and Newark (EWR)
• BermudAir will fly to Bermuda (BDA) from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), which actually represents a route resumption, as this was one of the carrier’s first three routes, before being cut

Some of these routes are actually “direct” routes, meaning they have an intermediate stop. For example, it appears the Guatemala City route will operate via Belize City.

Here’s how BermudAir CEO Adam Scott describes this:

“We’re thrilled to continue expanding our Caribbean network as the premium leisure carrier from North America. Our customers are ranking us with industry-leading satisfaction scores. Together with Bermuda, we now connect U.S. travelers to some of the region’s most exceptional and sought-after island destinations.”

As a reminder, Bermuda, Anguilla, and Turks & Caicos, are all British Overseas Territories, while Belize is a former British Overseas Territory. The airline emphasizes how service to Belize will be operated under fifth freedom operations, with flights technically originating in Bermuda and Turks & Caicos, so that the service is legal.

Interestingly, these are all winter seasonal flights, so I guess the idea is that the airline will focus on Bermuda in the summer (even though that’s seemingly not proving a huge success either), and then focusing more on other markets in winter.

Just to put these frequencies into perspective, out of Fort Lauderdale, BermudAir will operate one weekly flight to Fort Lauderdale, and three weekly flights to Belize and Turks & Caicos. *scratches head*

BermudAir’s expansion makes no sense at all to me

Look, I love to see startup airlines succeed, but the problem is that all too often, their business models don’t make sense. I mean, let’s look at how we got to this point:

• First BermudAir was going to be an all-business class airline, and then it backtracked at the last minute
• Then BermudAir was going to be all about Bermuda flying (I mean, with that name, you’d hope so, right?), and then it largely slashed that flying, as it increasingly looks at other markets
• BermudAir’s dispute with Bermuda Airport some time back over millions in unpaid airport fees certainly doesn’t built much confidence in the carrier’s sustainability

I’m not suggesting there’s no demand in any of these new markets. The demand may very well be there. But there’s a lot of challenges here:

• It takes a lot of effort to build up demand over time, in terms of the local community actually being familiar with an airline and its routes, and that requires spending money on marketing and patience (which also requires money!)
• It’s especially hard to build up demand when you have less than daily service and fly to secondary airports (like Orlando Sanford and St. Petersburg), since the flight options often won’t show up in search results for the main airports
• It goes without saying that at this point the branding is just completely off; when you hear the name BermudAir, you don’t expect an airline flying from St. Petersburg to Belize City, and I imagine that will make some people a bit uneasy about booking the airline, given the unknowns

We’ll see how this plays out, but in terms of vibes, this is a lot more “desperate airline throwing stuff at wall to see what sticks,” than “successful airline with good business plan expanding rationally.”

Bottom line

BermudAir plans a massive expansion. The initial strategy was to operate between Bermuda and the United States and Canada, though that obviously didn’t work so well, we saw several routes cut. Then the airline expanded to Anguilla. Now it’s expanding to Belize, Guatemala, and Turks & Caicos.

That’s, um… special. I’m very curious to see how this plays out. Maybe next we’ll see Falkland Islands to Gibraltar, or Saint Helena to South Georgia?

What do you make of BermudAir’s latest expansion?