Welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, and if you're anything like me, you probably check your credit card offers before your morning coffee. Speaking of obsessions, I recently discovered I've been pronouncing 'Atmos' wrong for weeks - apparently it's not 'Atmosphere' shortened. Who knew? Anyway, we've got some fantastic miles and points news to dive into today, including a credit card that's disappearing forever and some major changes in the loyalty program world. Before we jump in, let me tell you about a tool that's been saving me points left and right. 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 who never sleeps and is obsessed with saving you money. Now, let's get into today's news. First up, we have some urgent credit card news. The American Airlines Aviator Red card from Barclays is officially disappearing forever. This is your absolute last chance to grab this card before it's gone permanently. While the exact sign-up bonus details weren't specified in our sources, this card has historically offered decent value for American Airlines flyers. If you've been considering this card, now is literally the time to act. You can find the application link in our show notes. My tip here is simple - if you're an American Airlines flyer and you've been on the fence about this card, apply now or forever hold your peace. Barclays can be finicky with approvals, so make sure your credit profile is in good shape before applying. Next, let's talk about the big loyalty program shake-up that's got everyone talking - Atmos Rewards. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have officially launched their combined loyalty program, and there are some fascinating details emerging. First, award flights still count toward elite status in Atmos Rewards - which is fantastic news for those of us who like to earn status the easy way. But here's where it gets interesting: if you have a Bank of America relationship, you can earn a ten percent bonus on all Atmos Rewards credit card purchases. This applies to the new credit cards in the portfolio, and it's a nice little boost for Bank of America customers. The Atmos Global Companion Awards are also worth understanding if you're planning to dive into this program. These certificates can provide significant value for international travel, especially if you're strategic about when and how you use them. My recommendation here is to familiarize yourself with the new program structure sooner rather than later, especially if you're a frequent Alaska or Hawaiian flyer. Speaking of exciting credit card news, Chase has rolled out a new one hundred and twenty-five thousand point bonus offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This is following the card's recent refresh which brought a higher annual fee but significantly more perks. The one hundred and twenty-five thousand points could be worth over fifteen hundred dollars when transferred to partners, making this a compelling offer despite the premium annual fee. If you're considering this card, make sure you can meet the spending requirement and that you'll actually use the premium benefits to justify the cost. You can find the application link in our show notes. Now, let's shift gears to some program-specific deals. Avianca LifeMiles is currently offering up to a one hundred and sixty-five percent bonus on purchased miles, bringing the cost down to one point two five cents per mile. This is just below the reasonable redemption value of one point three cents each, making it potentially worthwhile if you have a high-value redemption in mind. However, remember that buying miles should generally be a strategic move for specific redemptions, not speculative hoarding. Singapore Airlines is also offering some attractive deals through their Spontaneous Escapes program. Premium economy to and from the US is starting at thirty-five thousand KrisFlyer miles. The catch? These bookings are completely inflexible and can't be changed or cancelled, and they're only valid for travel in the following calendar month. If you have flexible travel dates and are comfortable with the restrictions, this could be a great way to experience Singapore's excellent premium economy product. Let me also touch on some operational news that affects our miles and points strategies. Delta is continuing its Austin expansion, adding three new destinations - Denver, Columbus, and Kansas City - while increasing frequencies to San Francisco and Indianapolis. This expansion brings Delta to thirty destinations from Austin, which is significant as Southwest's dominance in the market continues to weaken. For Delta loyalists in Texas, this means more redemption options and potentially better award availability. Delta is also expanding Premium Select domestically, now offering it on the JFK to LAX and SFO routes in addition to the previous JFK to Seattle route. This gives domestic flyers more opportunities to experience Delta's premium economy product using miles or dollars. There's also some concerning news about MGM properties booked through Marriott. Apparently, confirmed Marriott reservations at MGM resorts are leaving guests without rooms at check-in, with staff saying this 'happens all the time.' This is a reminder that when booking through hotel program partnerships, you're sometimes dealing with complex inventory systems that don't always communicate perfectly. My advice is to always call the property directly to confirm your reservation, especially for important trips. Before we wrap up, I have to mention a cautionary tale about phone scams. A United passenger was scammed out of seventeen thousand dollars after calling what he thought was United's customer service. The scammer got the passenger's information when a United agent looked up a phone number on the internet rather than using internal systems. This is a reminder to always use official phone numbers from the airline's website or app, never from third-party sources. And finally, some lighter news - there's apparently a desk at Vienna Airport for passengers who accidentally flew to Austria instead of Australia. While this might be more of an internet joke than reality, it does highlight how easy it can be to make travel mistakes when booking quickly. Always double-check your destination codes! That wraps up today's miles and points news. Before you go, I want to tell you about Award Travel Finder. 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. Thanks for listening to Miles and Points Daily Podcast. If you found today's episode helpful, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com. Until tomorrow, keep earning and burning those points wisely!