Frequent Miler
Mayday: Brutal new World of Hyatt chart launches May 20th
Update 4/24: Well, we have an official date for Mayday: May 20th. That’s when World of Hyatt’s new, new dynamic award chart will roll out. Make those reservations while you can. There will also be (primarily negative) category changes to 136 properties that will go live on that same day,...
No Work All Travel
Trip Report: JR East Pass (new Japanese rail pass)
Disclaimer: I received one JR East Pass in exchange for a review. The aptly named JR East Pass was introduced last month, having combined two smaller regional passes to become one mega all-you-care-to-ride pass. Check out the map below and I will fill in the two major prefectures (roughly Japan’s...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Ryanair Shutters Base in Berlin With Loss of 210 Jobs in Row Over Airport Fees
Low-cost behemoth Ryanair is making good on its threat to abandon airports with higher landing fees than the famously frugal airline is willing to pay, after it announced that it was shuttering its base at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport and labeled Germany “hopelessly uncompetitive.” The decision, which will see seven...
Economy Class & Beyond
TRIP REPORT: Off to Liverpool and HM Passport Office
To Liverpool, The Mersey and HM Passport Office TRIP REPORT: Still for the Friends Before a big adventure, it’s time to sort out something rather important for the next ten years – my passport. That means it’s time to head to the North West of England and to the Passport...
View from the Wing
Hyatt Announced 136 Hotels Changing Free Night Price Categories — Data Shows The Devaluation Is Worse Than It Looks
Hyatt has now announced which hotels are changing award categories next month, at the same time its new award chart devaluation takes effect, and the combined impact is worse than most members realize. The category list alone looks bad, but the real damage shows up when you run the numbers...
Miles To Memories
A Tale of Two Twin Cities Hotels
In conjunction with the recent MTM Diamond meetup in Minneapolis, I stayed in two very different Twin Cities hotels - one clearly superior.
Points Miles and Bling
The New Starbucks Rewards Program
PMB doesn’t usually cover everything Starbucks, but it is a rewards program, and one I’ve passively participated in for about…
One Mile at a Time
World Of Hyatt 2026 Hotel Category Changes: 136 Properties Impacted
We know that as of May 20, 2026, World of Hyatt is completely overhauling award pricing, by introducing a new five tier award chart (compared to the current three tiers). On the high end, this has the potential to be awful.
Live and Let’s Fly
Lufthansa Can Change The Uniforms, But It Still Lacks Vision
New uniforms are often what airlines roll out when they want to look like they are improving without addressing what is actually broken. New Lufthansa Uniforms Look Nice, But Feel Like Lipstick On A Pig Lufthansa has unveiled a new set of uniforms for its frontline staff, its first major...
One Mile at a Time
Ouch: World Of Hyatt Updates Award Chart, Costs Increase By Up To 67%
World of Hyatt has announced some major changes to award pricing. While the program is maintaining published award charts, these changes have the potential to be pretty brutal, especially as time goes on. Separately, I’ve covered a couple of minor positive program updates, related to points sharing and early access...
Monkey Miles
Using the 25k Global Companion Certificate that comes with Alaska Airlines Atmos Summit Card
One of my best pickups last year was the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card. Not because I use the card that much for purchases, but it’s saved me a ton on partner booking fees and I just used the 25k Global Companion certificate on an Aer Lingus booking....
TravelUpdate
Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounges at Changi Airport (SIN)
Background and Access I was able to visit both of Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounges at Singapore Changi Airport…
One Mile at a Time
Now Is The Ideal Time For United To Buy JetBlue… Or Was It All A Bluff?
For quite some time now, there have been rumors that United Airlines might be interested in buying JetBlue Airways. In March 2025, United CEO Scott Kirby even said that ”JetBlue is the obvious candidate” for consolidation, and that ”the ball is going to be in JetBlues court” when it comes...
Miles To Memories
(Today!) Gas Discount for Amazon Prime Members, Save 20 Cents/Gallon Every Friday Through May 29
Amazon is running a Fuel-up Fridays promotion for Prime members. The gas discount for Amazon Prime members is doubled on Fridays for now.
View from the Wing
American Airlines Fired A Blind Reservations Agent After Four Years Of Unpaid Leave — EEOC Sues
American Airlines is being sued by the EEOC after allegedly keeping a blind reservations agent on unpaid leave for nearly four years, refusing to make screen reader software work, and then firing her. The case is now turning into a fight over whether the airline can block testing of its...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Miles and Points On Sale — April 24 2026
Sometimes you need an infusion of miles or points to your membership account for whatever reason — perhaps to have enough to redeem for a limited time award as one example — and the best time to purchase or gift miles or points is when they are on sale, as...
One Mile at a Time
Portugal To Privatize National Airline TAP, Sell 44.9% Stake: Two Airlines In Running
In the summer of 2025, the government of Portugal relaunched a project to privatize national carrier TAP Air Portugal, with the goal of selling a large stake within a year or so. All too often, not much comes of these kinds of projects, though it seems like this is moving...
Frequent Miler
Citi AT&T Points Plus card is intriguing with new monthly credits and $250 welcome offer
Citi and AT&T have increased the welcome offer and added new statement credits to the AT&T Points Plus card, making it a surprisingly compelling option, especially for AT&T customers. The new welcome bonus is $250 after only $500 in spend, and there are new $20 statement credits for each billing...
Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Air France KLM Flying Blue: Earn 10,000 bonus miles on Air France & KLM flights out of the U.S. or Canada (April 24 Bonus Offer Highlight)
Today's bonus offer highlight is a great one from Air France KLM Flying Blue who are offering 10,000 bonus miles on economy class flights out of the U.S. and Canada, Check out all of the new bonuses added today:
View from the Wing
[FINAL WEEK] Best-Ever 200,000-Point IHG Business Card Bonus
Chase has brought back the best-ever 200,000-point offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card, giving small-business owners a shot at one of the richest hotel bonuses currently on the market. The card’s $99 annual fee is easy to justify if you value the annual free night and fourth-night-free...
You Are Travel
These Are The Best Bars In North America for 2026
​tl;dr – A few newcomers to the list and several mainstays. The World’s 50 Best just released its…
Live and Let’s Fly
Trump Doubles Down On Buying Spirit Airlines. The Market Already Rejected It
President Trump says the government should just buy Spirit Airlines, sell it later for a profit, and call that good stewardship. That is not how any of this works. Trump Digs In, Says Government Should Buy Spirit Airlines. What Exactly Are Taxpayers Buying? President Donald Trump has again openly floated...
Monkey Miles
I’ll easily offset the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ annual fee by $600
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ is the flagship business card within the Chase portfolio and it has an annual fee to match, $795.  It’s chock full of credits and benefits, that if used to their potential, easily offset the annual fee. If not…well, you may be better suited with...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Lufthansa Introduces Designer Hugo Boss Uniforms For Tens of Thousands of Pilots, Flight Attendants and Ground Staff
German flag carrier Lufthansa has just unveiled a new look for tens of thousands of frontline employees, including pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents, and the airline has chosen none other than the iconic German designer Hugo Boss to create the new look. The uniform, which was unveiled on Friday...
Miles For Family
Gearing Up for LA28 Olympics Ticket Drop #2
I have a dream to attend the LA28 Olympics! Planning this trip is going to be a marathon over the next two years. Yesterday, LA28 Olympics ticket team announced the timing for the next set of Olympics ticket sales. Ticket Drop #2 will happen in August, and winners of the...
TravelUpdate
Spirit Airlines Lawyer: We’re Running Out Of Cash, But A Taxpayer Funded Bailout Is On The Table
Spirit Airlines' lawyer sounded confident about the possibility of a taxpayer funded bailout by the Trump administration.
View from the Wing
Seattle Airport Offers Free Feminine Products In Men’s Rooms — But Charges For Diapers
Seattle-Tacoma airport has been offering free menstrual products in all restrooms, including men’s rooms, while a vending machine beside them charges $1 for diapers. The policy is meant to support travelers of all gender identities, but the sharper public reaction comes from the contrast itself: the airport made one category...
TravelUpdate
AI Trip Planning Guide 2026: Pros, Cons & Should You Use It?
Do you regularly use AI to plan your travel? What works and what doesn't? What are some of the common pitfalls while using AI?
View from the Wing
[FINAL WEEK] Hyatt Business Card Record 80,000 Points — The Fastest Way To Spend Toward Status
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card now has its biggest-ever welcome bonus: 80,000 points after $10,000 in spending in the first three months, up from the previous 60,000-point offer. The bigger reason to care is that Hyatt makes this its fastest card for spending your way toward elite status.
One Mile at a Time
CEO Of Nigeria’s Air Peace Claims He’s Scared Of Flying, Only Trusts “His” Airline
We’ve seen a lot of airline executives make questionable claims in recent times, though this takes the cake…
Frequent Miler
JetBlue TrueBlue Complete Guide (2026)
JetBlue TrueBlue is the loyalty program for JetBlue Airways. The program can be a bit confusing, but it offers rich rewards for those who spend a lot with JetBlue. This is our guide for everything that you need to know about TrueBlue. What’s new? This guide has been fully updated...
Live and Let’s Fly
World’s Most Powerful Flight Attendant Now “Praying” Trump Saves Spirit Airlines
  Sara Nelson aligning herself with Donald Trump to save Spirit Airlines tells us something: when labor jobs are on the line, all political bets are off. Sara Nelson Is Now “Praying” For Trump To Save Spirit Airlines Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants and often called...