Welcome to the Miles & Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, and I've got to say, today's news feels like a soap opera meets a travel show, with a sprinkle of award travel gold mixed in. We've got everything from hotel horror stories to fantastic credit card offers, and yes, even a baby who got paid one hundred and fifty dollars to fly first class. So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's dive into today's miles and points news.

Let's start with the good stuff - some excellent credit card opportunities that landed today. The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is offering sixty thousand bonus points plus Explorist status through February twenty-eighth, two thousand and twenty-six after you spend seven thousand dollars in your first three months. This offer ends June thirtieth, two thousand and twenty-five. Now, here's why this is particularly interesting for Globalist chasers - that Explorist status gives you a head start on elite qualifying nights, making the path to Globalist much more achievable. If you're interested in this card, you can get it by clicking the link in our shownotes.

Speaking of credit card offers, Delta American Express cards are currently featuring increased limited time welcome offers of up to one hundred and ten thousand SkyMiles. These are solid bonuses if you're looking to top up your Delta account or working toward elite status. Again, you can find the application link in our shownotes.

Now, let's talk about a story that's both amusing and impressive. A traveler's baby received one hundred and fifty dollars plus forty-five thousand American Airlines points as compensation after their first-class video screen didn't work on a flight to Sydney. The kicker? The baby's ticket only cost fifty-eight dollars as a lap infant. The parent notes they only expected maybe fifteen thousand points, but American went above and beyond with the compensation. This is a great reminder that it's worth speaking up when you experience service issues - airlines often want to make things right, especially in premium cabins.

Unfortunately, not all hospitality news is positive. The St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami is facing a seven million dollar lawsuit after a guest claims an employee used a master key to enter her room and watched her shower for several minutes. What makes this story even more troubling is that Marriott allegedly called it a 'mistake' and offered the guest wine as compensation. This is a serious privacy violation and a stark reminder of why hotel security is so important. If you ever experience anything like this, document everything and don't settle for inadequate responses.

On the operational side, Delta faced significant disruptions after forty-five regional jets operated by Endeavor Air were grounded for inspections. This led to dozens of canceled flights, with potential continued disruptions. It's always worth having backup plans when flying, especially during busy travel periods.

There's also an interesting operational story from American Airlines, where they accidentally flew the wrong Boeing seven-eighty-seven to Italy, causing a diversion because the aircraft wasn't authorized to land at the destination airport. Imagine being the captain having to make that announcement - definitely not something you practice in flight training.

For those dealing with jet lag, United Airlines is offering their MileagePlus members access to the Timeshifter app, which can help optimize your sleep schedule for long-haul travel. It's one of those lesser-known benefits that can actually make a real difference in your travel experience.

Now for our travel tip of the day: if you're flying from New York to London, consider daytime flights instead of the typical evening departures. You'll arrive in London in the evening local time, allowing you to go to sleep at a more normal hour and potentially reduce jet lag. It's a simple scheduling trick that can make a big difference in how you feel upon arrival.

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 shownotes.

That wraps up today's Miles & Points Daily Podcast. Thanks for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform, visit our website at milesandpointsdaily.com, and sign up for our daily newsletter at mail.milesandpointsdaily.com to stay on top of all the latest miles and points news. Until tomorrow, keep those miles earning and those points burning!