Hello and welcome back to the Miles & Points Daily Podcast. I'm your host Lucas, and I've got to say, it's been quite the eventful week in the miles and points world. From massive credit card bonuses to some rather concerning developments in customer service, we've got plenty to unpack today. But first, let me tell you about a fantastic tool that could save you thousands of points on your next hotel stay. 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 over your reservations twenty-four seven. Check out the link in our show notes to learn more. Now, let's dive into today's news. Starting with some incredible credit card offers that are making waves this week. The American Express Business Platinum Card is in its final week of offering an absolutely massive one hundred and fifty thousand points welcome bonus plus a five hundred dollar flight credit. This is through June thirtieth, two thousand and twenty-five, and let me tell you, this is one of the most benefit-packed business cards out there. If you've been on the fence about applying for the Business Platinum Card from American Express, this is your last chance to grab this elevated offer. You can get the card by clicking the link in our show notes. But that's not all on the credit card front. We're seeing some leaked information about upcoming Chase Sapphire Reserve bonuses that are absolutely eye-watering. The personal Chase Sapphire Reserve is reportedly going to offer one hundred thousand bonus points plus a five hundred dollar Chase travel credit, while the business version might hit an unprecedented two hundred thousand bonus points. These aren't live yet, but they should be within the next day or so. Keep your eyes peeled for those official links. Speaking of great deals, there are some fantastic transfer bonuses happening right now. Citi ThankYou points is offering a twenty percent bonus when transferring to Air France KLM Flying Blue, and a fifty percent bonus when transferring to Accor Live Limitless. That Flying Blue bonus is particularly noteworthy since we typically only see one like this per year from Citi. The transfer ratio goes from the usual one thousand to one thousand, up to one thousand to one thousand two hundred. That's a significant boost that could open up some excellent award opportunities. On the award availability front, there's fantastic news for Delta flyers. Delta One business class awards are wide open right now across many routes. If you have transferable points currencies and have been wanting to experience Delta's premium cabin, this is an excellent time to book. Don't sleep on this availability as it tends to disappear quickly. Now, let's talk about some concerning developments in the hotel world. Hyatt has reportedly laid off nearly all of their remaining US call center agents overnight. We're talking about roughly three hundred US agents being terminated, leaving just thirty-five remaining. They've also dismissed eighteen managers and most of the US chat team, leaving only about thirty-six US chat agents. The customer service is now being handled primarily in El Salvador, where agents reportedly earn around four hundred dollars per month. This is a significant change that could impact the quality of customer service for World of Hyatt members. If you're having issues with Hyatt reservations or your account, be prepared for potentially longer wait times and language barriers. I'd recommend being extra patient with the remaining staff and perhaps trying the chat function first before calling. There's also some concerning news from the airline side. Several major carriers including KLM, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, and Ryanair are now confiscating coffee and other beverages at boarding. While they claim it's for safety reasons rather than to boost onboard sales, this is yet another inconvenience for travelers. The good news is that most US carriers haven't adopted this policy yet, but it's something to be aware of if you're flying these European airlines. On a more positive note, there's some interesting developments with EL AL. The Israeli carrier is resuming flights after suspending operations on June thirteenth due to the conflict with Iran. However, they're implementing a unique fifty-person passenger cap and lottery system for bookings. This is quite unprecedented in commercial aviation and shows how geopolitical situations can dramatically impact airline operations and award availability. For those looking at hotel credit cards without annual fees, there's a solid option worth considering. The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers substantial perks despite having no annual fee, which is quite rare in the hotel credit card space. While the welcome bonus isn't as large as fee-based cards, the lack of an annual fee makes it a good option for light travelers or those just starting their points journey. Looking at some practical redemption advice, The Points Guy has highlighted ten-point hotels near major US cities that are perfect for last-minute summer getaways. These properties offer excellent value and are within driving distance of cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston. This is a great strategy for maximizing your points when you don't want to travel far but still want that vacation feeling. Alaska Airlines is also making travel easier by rolling out TSA PreCheck Touchless ID at Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle airports. This technology speeds up the security process significantly and is another reason to consider Alaska Airlines if you're flying through these hubs regularly. For those interested in manufactured spending opportunities, there are a couple of deals worth noting. Staples is offering fee-free two hundred dollar Visa gift cards from June twenty-second to twenty-eighth, with a limit of nine cards. Meijer is also offering seven thousand five hundred points when you purchase fifty dollars in select gift cards. These can be valuable for meeting minimum spending requirements on new credit cards. Finally, there's been a development with American Express discontinuing the Clear from American Express credit card. Cardholders are being automatically converted to the Cash Magnet card on August twentieth, two thousand and twenty-five. This was a basic no annual fee card that earned twenty-five dollar gift cards for every two thousand five hundred dollars spent. Not a huge loss for the points and miles community, but worth noting if you held this card. As we wrap up today's show, remember that the miles and points game is constantly evolving. These transfer bonuses, award availability, and credit card offers can change quickly, so if something interests you, don't wait too long to act. Speaking of not waiting, if you're looking for the best award flights, you need to check out AwardTravelFinder.com. Use it 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's all for today's Miles & Points Daily Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and for being part of our community. If you found today's episode helpful, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com. We'll be back tomorrow with more miles and points news to help you travel better for less. Until then, keep earning and keep exploring.