Welcome to the Miles & Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, and I'm here to bring you the most important miles and points news, deals, and strategies to help you maximize your travel rewards. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned points collector, I've got the insights you need to make the most of your miles and points. Let's dive into today's news! But first, let me tell you about a game-changing tool for hotel bookings. Introducing hotelredemptions.com, a tool that monitors your hotel bookings and alerts you when you can rebook for less points. It's like having a personal assistant watching your reservations around the clock, making sure you never overpay for your hotel stays. Now, let's get into today's biggest stories. First up, we have some exciting news about Alaska Airlines and their upcoming loyalty program rebrand. According to a leak reported by View from the Wing, Alaska Airlines is preparing to launch a new loyalty program called Atmos Rewards. This will combine Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan with Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles following their merger. While we only know the name so far, this represents a fifty million dollar gamble for Alaska as they work to integrate these two loyalty programs. For those of you with miles in either program, my recommendation is to keep an eye on official announcements in the coming weeks and consider using your existing miles before any potential devaluations that sometimes accompany program mergers. Next, we have some fantastic credit card news. Chase is reminding everyone that their biggest bonus ever on the Chase Sapphire Reserve is ending soon. The current offer is worth up to five thousand dollars when you factor in the one hundred thousand Ultimate Rewards points welcome bonus plus the five hundred dollar travel credit. This is genuinely one of the best credit card offers we've seen this year. If you've been considering the Sapphire Reserve, now is the time to act. You can get this card by clicking the link in our show notes. The card does come with a higher annual fee than before, but the enhanced benefits and this massive welcome bonus make it incredibly valuable for frequent travelers. Speaking of credit card offers, we also have news about Hilton Honors American Express cards. They're currently offering limited-time welcome bonuses of up to one hundred and seventy-five thousand Hilton Honors points. These Amex Hilton cards are fantastic for anyone who stays at Hilton properties regularly, offering valuable benefits like automatic elite status and free night certificates. If you're a Hilton loyalist or planning some hotel stays, you can get these cards by clicking the links in our show notes. In airline news, Southwest Airlines is currently trialing free Wi-Fi for Rapid Rewards members. This is a significant development because Southwest has historically charged for internet access. While it's just a trial for now, this could signal a major shift in Southwest's ancillary revenue strategy. My tip here is simple: if you're flying Southwest in the coming days and you're a Rapid Rewards member, take advantage of this free Wi-Fi trial. It's a great perk that might not be around forever. We also have some interesting deal alerts to share. United Airlines is running special twenty-four-hour flash sales for MileagePlus members and cardholders this week. Today's deal features flights to Thailand and Vietnam for as few as thirty thousand United miles. These flash sales happen every day this week, so if you're flexible with your travel plans and have United miles to burn, keep checking their website daily for new deals. For those looking to maximize their points earning, The Points Guy has published a comprehensive guide on the Chase Trifecta strategy. This involves combining three Chase cards - typically the Sapphire Reserve or Preferred, the Freedom Flex, and the Freedom Unlimited - to maximize Ultimate Rewards points across all spending categories. It's one of the most effective points-earning strategies available, and if you're serious about accumulating points quickly, it's worth studying this approach. Finally, let's talk about some practical travel tips. There's been discussion about seating strategies for couples, particularly the window plus aisle strategy where couples book a window and aisle seat hoping the middle stays empty. However, experts are now recommending booking two aisle seats across from each other instead. This guarantees you'll be near each other while both getting aisle access, and it's often easier to swap with other passengers if needed. Before we wrap up, I want to remind you about some important program rules. If you're considering Citi credit cards, remember their forty-eight-month rule. Unlike American Express's once-in-a-lifetime rule, Citi allows you to earn welcome bonuses again after forty-eight months have passed since your last bonus on the same card. This makes Citi cards more churnable than Amex cards, so factor this into your credit card strategy. For our international listeners, there's also been some clarification about UK261 compensation rules. Similar to the European Union's EC261 rules, the UK has its own flight delay and cancellation compensation scheme that can provide significant cash payments when flights are disrupted. If you're flying from or within the UK, make sure you understand your rights under these regulations. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the show notes. That wraps up today's Miles & Points Daily Podcast. Thanks for listening! If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com. We're here every day with the latest news and strategies to help you travel better for less. Until next time, keep earning those miles and points!