Welcome to Miles and Points Daily Podcast, your go-to source for all the latest in miles, points, and loyalty program news. I'm Lucas, your host, and I'm here to help you navigate the wonderful world of maximizing your travel rewards. Whether you're chasing elite status, hunting for the best credit card bonuses, or just trying to squeeze the most value out of your points, we've got you covered with today's hottest stories and my take on what they mean for your travel game. Now before we dive into today's news, I want to tell you about a fantastic tool that every points and miles enthusiast should know about. Introducing hotelredemptions.com, a tool that monitors your hotel bookings and alerts you when you can rebook for less points. Imagine booking a hotel stay only to find out later you could have saved thousands of points for the same room. With hotelredemptions.com, you'll never miss those opportunities again. The tool constantly monitors your reservations and notifies you instantly when better rates become available. It's like having a personal assistant watching your bookings twenty-four seven. Check out the link in our show notes to learn more. Now let's jump into today's biggest stories. First up, we have some excellent news for anyone looking to boost their Marriott status. Marriott is currently offering a free Gold status trial that could keep you covered through February two thousand and twenty-seven. Here's how it works: you can get a free trial of Marriott Gold status, and if you complete just three nights during your trial period, you'll keep that status all the way through February two thousand and twenty-seven. That's almost three years of Gold benefits for just three nights. Now, while Marriott Gold isn't the most premium status tier, it does come with some solid perks. You'll get to avoid the worst rooms in the house, which honestly is worth it alone, plus you get two PM late checkout at eligible properties. For frequent Marriott guests or anyone planning a few stays in the coming months, this is essentially free status that could save you money and upgrade your experience. My recommendation? If you have any Marriott stays planned or can easily knock out three nights, definitely take advantage of this offer. Even if you're not a regular Marriott guest, having Gold status in your back pocket for future trips is never a bad thing. Next, we have some intriguing news about Chase's five twenty-four rule. There are data points suggesting that the Chase Sapphire Reserve's current one hundred thousand point bonus might be approving applicants who are over five twenty-four. For those unfamiliar, Chase's five twenty-four rule typically blocks applications from people who have opened five or more credit cards from any issuer in the past twenty-four months. However, it appears that this best-ever offer on the Sapphire Reserve might be bypassing that restriction for some applicants. We've seen this happen before with particularly attractive offers from Chase. When they roll out their most compelling bonuses, they sometimes relax their usual approval criteria to maximize applications. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is currently offering one hundred thousand Ultimate Rewards points, which is indeed a best-ever bonus for this premium card. If you've been sitting on the sidelines because you're over five twenty-four, this might be your window of opportunity. That said, proceed with caution and realistic expectations. Data points are just that - individual experiences that may not apply universally. But if you've been wanting the Sapphire Reserve and you're over five twenty-four, it might be worth a shot while this elevated offer is available. Speaking of Chase, there's also news about the brand new Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card. This is Chase's answer to filling the gap in their premium business card lineup. While we've had the Ink Business Preferred with its ninety-five dollar annual fee, there wasn't really an ultra-premium option for business owners who wanted the full Sapphire experience. This new business version should offer similar perks to the personal Sapphire Reserve but structured for business spending and needs. Now let's talk about what might be the last chance to grab an incredible American Express offer. Today is apparently the final day for the Amex Business Platinum card's limited-time offer of one hundred and fifty thousand Membership Rewards points plus a five hundred dollar flight credit. The Business Platinum Card from American Express is already one of the most benefit-packed business cards available, offering perks like Centurion Lounge access, airline fee credits, hotel elite status, and much more. This current offer makes it even more attractive. One hundred and fifty thousand Membership Rewards points is worth well over a thousand dollars in travel value when used strategically, and the five hundred dollar flight credit essentially covers a significant portion of the card's annual fee. If you've been considering the Business Platinum card, today really is your last chance to grab this enhanced offer. You can get the card by clicking the link in our show notes. Remember, this expires today, so don't wait if you're interested. There's also some concerning news for Southwest Airlines fans. Southwest appears to be surveying potential changes to their beloved Companion Pass program. The Companion Pass is one of the most valuable loyalty program benefits in the industry, allowing you to bring a companion on flights for just the cost of taxes and fees for an entire year once you qualify. Any changes to this program would be significant for Southwest's most loyal customers. While we don't know what specific changes they're considering, the fact that they're surveying about it suggests they're at least thinking about modifications. This could range from making it harder to qualify, reducing the benefits, or changing how it works entirely. For Southwest fans, this is definitely something to keep an eye on. If you've been planning to pursue Companion Pass status, it might be wise to accelerate those plans while the current program structure is still in place. In hotel news, we have an interesting story about a Marriott guest who fought back against a property that repeatedly refused to honor elite breakfast benefits. After being denied complimentary breakfast seven times despite having elite status, this guest filed formal complaints and eventually received a one hundred dollar payout from Marriott. This highlights an ongoing issue in the hotel industry where individual properties sometimes refuse to honor corporate elite benefits, claiming they have their own rules. While most guests just accept this treatment, this particular guest's persistence paid off. The lesson here is that if a hotel refuses to honor your elite benefits, don't just accept it. File complaints with the corporate office and be persistent. Your elite status comes with contractual benefits, and hotels should honor them. Moving to airline alliance news, Oman Air has officially joined the oneworld alliance as its fifteenth member. This has been in the works since June two thousand and twenty-two, so it's great to see it finally come to fruition. For oneworld alliance members, this opens up new redemption opportunities and elite benefit recognition when flying with Oman Air. Oman Air operates from Muscat and serves destinations across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. If you hold oneworld elite status through American Airlines, British Airways, or other alliance partners, you'll now be able to enjoy reciprocal benefits when flying Oman Air. There's also a significant development for those who transfer American Express points to Hawaiian Airlines. The ability to transfer Amex Membership Rewards to HawaiianMiles is ending, with today likely being the final day for such transfers. This change is probably related to Hawaiian Airlines' ongoing integration with Alaska Airlines following their merger. If you have any Amex points you were planning to transfer to Hawaiian, today is your last chance. Otherwise, you'll need to find alternative ways to book Hawaiian Airlines flights, potentially through other transfer partners or by booking directly with cash. Finally, let's touch on some broader industry trends. We're seeing continued evolution in loyalty programs, with airlines and hotels constantly tweaking their offerings. The key for travelers is to stay informed about these changes and adjust strategies accordingly. Whether it's taking advantage of limited-time offers like today's Amex Business Platinum bonus, grabbing free status trials like the Marriott Gold offer, or being aware of program changes like the potential Southwest Companion Pass modifications, staying on top of these developments can save you significant money and enhance your travel experiences. That wraps up today's Miles and Points Daily Podcast. Before we 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. It's an incredibly powerful tool that can save you hours of searching across multiple airline websites. Try it for free with our link in the show notes. Thanks for listening to today's show. If you found this information valuable, please subscribe to Miles and Points Daily Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also visit our website at milesandpointsdaily.com for more great content and resources. Until next time, keep earning and keep exploring.