Welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and I've got to say, today's news is quite the rollercoaster. We've got everything from credit card tricks that sound too good to be true, to passengers behaving badly at thirty thousand feet, and some genuinely useful tips that could save you serious points. So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's dive into what's happening in the world of miles and points. But first, let me tell you about a tool that could save you thousands of points on your hotel stays. 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 twenty four seven, making sure you're always getting the best deal possible. Now, let's get to today's news. First up, we have an intriguing story about earning mortgage points without actually paying your mortgage with a credit card. The Mesa card, which has no annual fee, offers a unique program where you simply tell them your mortgage amount and they award you points as long as you spend one thousand dollars monthly on the card. The clever part? You can hit that spending requirement in their three times categories like daycare and taxes. This is a fascinating approach that sidesteps the usual mortgage payment restrictions we see with most credit cards. If you're looking to maximize points on expenses you're already paying anyway, this could be worth investigating. Just remember to read all the terms and conditions carefully. Speaking of credit card offers, View from the Wing has updated their monthly roundup of the best credit card bonus offers for August two thousand and twenty-five. These lists are always worth checking because offers change frequently, and what was available last month might be gone or significantly different now. If you're in the market for a new card, these comprehensive roundups can save you hours of research. Make sure to click through their links in the show notes to get the most current offers. Now, let's talk about a concerning trend in the airline industry. American Airlines has reportedly fired flight attendants for offering incentives to other crew members to pick up their trips. The union is fighting back, saying this is the first crackdown of its kind and violates their contract. What's particularly troubling is that these terminations happened without any progressive discipline. This situation highlights the ongoing labor tensions in the airline industry and could potentially impact service quality if crew scheduling becomes more difficult. For travelers, this might mean more irregular operations and potential flight disruptions as these labor issues get sorted out. In more positive news, American Airlines is offering fifty times AAdvantage miles for donations to Stand Up To Cancer. This is an excellent opportunity to support a worthy cause while earning substantial miles. These charity promotions are relatively rare, so if you were already planning to make charitable donations, this could be a great way to maximize both your social impact and your points earning. One of our favorite bloggers from One Mile at a Time recently became a DoorDash driver specifically to earn American AAdvantage loyalty points and miles. While this might sound extreme, these alternative earning methods can sometimes offer surprising value, especially when you're working toward elite status. The key is calculating whether the time investment makes sense for your situation. If you're close to reaching a status threshold, these unconventional earning opportunities might be worth exploring. In international news, Lufthansa's new Allegris cabin concept continues to face challenges. Their Boeing seven eight seven Dreamliners are ready to fly, but the airline is struggling to get the business class seats certified. This means some aircraft will launch with limited business class availability. For award travelers, this could mean reduced premium cabin award space on these routes in the short term, so you might want to book sooner rather than later if you're planning Lufthansa business class travel. Cathay Pacific has opened a new flagship lounge at Beijing Airport, which is significant given Beijing's importance to the airline's network. Cathay is renowned for having some of the world's best lounges, so this addition should provide an excellent experience for premium travelers and elite members transiting through Beijing. The lounge represents a major investment in a key market for the airline. Here's a useful tip for travelers: One Mile at a Time recently explored day-use hotel rates, which can be incredibly handy when you arrive too early to check in, particularly common with early morning flights to Europe. Instead of waiting around hotel lobbies for hours, you can book a room for just a few hours to shower, rest, and refresh. This is especially valuable when traveling with children or when you have important meetings shortly after arrival. Now for some concerning news that affects all travelers. There's been a reported case of someone being scammed for seventeen thousand dollars after calling what they thought was United's customer service number. The person found the number through a Google search after their flight was cancelled, but ended up reaching a scam travel agency instead. This is a growing problem where fraudulent agencies manipulate search results to appear as legitimate airline phone numbers. Always double-check phone numbers against official airline websites, and be extremely wary of any request for large payments or unusual procedures when dealing with customer service. Air Canada experienced a complete shutdown recently when flight attendants went on strike and management responded with a lockout. This resulted in the cancellation of all flights, stranding thousands of passengers. While the situation has since been resolved, it's a reminder of how quickly airline operations can be disrupted by labor disputes. For travelers, this highlights the importance of having backup plans and travel insurance when booking with airlines experiencing labor tensions. Finally, some lighter news to end on. We've got reports of passengers behaving badly, including someone planting their bare foot on an armrest for a nine-hour flight from Zurich to New York, and a Southwest passenger who tried to storm the gate in Houston after apparently missing boarding. These stories serve as reminders of basic travel etiquette and the importance of arriving on time for your flights. 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 and Points Daily Podcast. Thanks for listening! Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com for more miles and points news and tips. Until next time, happy travels and happy earning!