- Daily Drop
- Posts
- š Best points program merge ever?
š Best points program merge ever?
This could be a game changer. Plus, hotel promos were on fire this week.
Welcome back, and happy first weekend of fall! Itās officially acceptable to embrace pumpkin EVERYTHING š
If youāre as basic as me, start sipping that PSL, light a spiced candle, and cuddle up in a cozy flannel while we look back on this past week of travel.
ā Airalo is one of our favorite travel apps. I never leave for a trip without being ready to go on my phone for seamless data use while abroad. Check it out!
ā Hereās how you could earn 200k points using one of our favorite cards with an elevated offer right now.
ā Check out this 50% transfer bonus to Marriott (through November 15th!) and this 25% transfer bonus to Avianca (through October 19th!).
ā Brendan is at it again in this weekās video! Heās showing us whether or not flying Air Franceās business class is worth the extra points compared to economy.
ā If youāve ever pondered how to justify keeping a card because of its annual feeā¦ this weekās podcast is for you.
š Favorite pick of the week: Alaska and Hawaiian merger details are revealed
It seemed FOREVER ago that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines announced their plans to merge.
Since then, we the people have been twiddling our thumbs, patiently (ish) waiting to see if 1) the merger would actually happen, and 2) what the details would be.
Well, they FINALLY dropped a press release with many of the details weāve been waiting to hear š
Hereās a quick summary:
Changes effective now
Miles earned in either program will retain their full value (HECK yeah). Plus, Alaska Lounge members will still be able to access lounges even when flying with Hawaiian (versus with just Alaska).
Changes coming soon
By the end of September, we will be able to transfer miles in both programs to one another at a 1:1 ratio š
Getting Alaska miles has notoriously been difficult in the past, but because we can transfer MR points to Hawaiian, we will, in theory, be able to transfer to Alaska because of this!
We will also be able to book flights with both airlines on each otherās websites, opening up a much larger network of routes.
Plus, we should soon see reciprocal mileage earnings and elite benefits for both (e.g. earn Hawaiian miles when flying Alaska or vice versa; and use elite benefits from either program when flying on either airline).
And this is just scraping the surface of what this partnership will look like in the future!
If you want more of a summary, check out our full newsletter. If you want ALL the details, check out the original press release.
šš»āāļø Runner-Ups
š„Hotel deals and promos from the week
There were actually quite a few hotel highlights from this past week that we featured in our newslettersā¦ So I figured Iād make things easy for you and compile them all together right hereātidbit style šš
š¢ Marriott launched a new āPoints Multiplierā feature that could help you boost your points on past stays by up to 4x. Just crunch the numbers and the cost first to make sure itās working in your favor.
šµ If youāre new to the hotel world and donāt have an IHG account yet, the hotel brand is offering new members a bonus of 5,000 points for completing your first stay. Thereās no better time to sign up than now!
š£ Thereās an interesting āsweet spotā with Choice Hotels, a brand we donāt talk about often enoughāyou can DOUBLE your ThankYou points when transferring them to the brand if you have a card that earns these points (like this solid one).
š“ IHG also has a new global promotion going on where you can earn 3,000 bonus IHG points for every two nights you stayā¦ Until December 31, 2024! The amount of bonus points theyāre throwing around in all these promos is cray.
š” Save up to 20% with Marriottās Fall Flash Sale if you book between September 25 - 29, 2024 (no, the booking window isnāt open yet) for travel between September 30 - November 10/11, 2024, depending on what destinations youāre looking at.
š£ Quick Callouts
ā Expired: Virgin Atlanticās 25% Award Sale
š Good to know: Weāve got 25 cards with elevated offers right now
š¤ Travel trivia: Which country has the highest percentage of its citizens who have visited at least ten other countries?
š Inspirational: Where in the World Wednesday: London
I hope you enjoyed another Daily Drop week in review. As always, weāll have more great stuff cominā at you next week.
See you then!