Hello and welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and boy do I have some fascinating updates for you today. From credit card news to airline drama, we're covering it all. But first, let me tell you about a tool that could save you thousands of points on your hotel stays. Introducing hotelredemptions.com, a clever tool that monitors your hotel bookings and alerts you when you can rebook for fewer points. It's like having a personal assistant watching for better deals while you sleep.

Now, let's dive into today's top stories, starting with some excellent news for American Express fans. Rakuten has just launched their very first credit card, and it's an American Express Membership Rewards earning card with no annual fee. This is huge because it gives you another way to earn Membership Rewards points without paying an annual fee, which we don't see very often. The card earns bonus points on purchases, and since it's tied to Rakuten's shopping platform, you're essentially getting rewarded for shopping through their portal. If you're interested in applying, you can find the link in our show notes.

Speaking of American Express, let's talk about something that trips up many newcomers to the points game: Amex's one bonus per lifetime rule. This policy means you can typically only earn the welcome bonus on each Amex card once in your lifetime. However, there are some important nuances here. The rule applies to the specific card product, so if Amex refreshes a card or changes it significantly, you might be eligible again. Also, business cards and personal cards are treated separately, so you could potentially get bonuses from both versions. The key is understanding exactly how Amex defines 'lifetime' and tracking which cards you've had before.

For those of you who love Chase Ultimate Rewards, here's something practical: transfer times to partner programs. The good news is that most Chase transfers are nearly instantaneous, typically taking just minutes to appear in your partner account. This is crucial when you spot award availability that might disappear quickly. However, some partners like Marriott can take up to twenty-four hours, so plan accordingly. The speed of these transfers is one of the reasons Chase Ultimate Rewards remains such a valuable currency.

Now for some interesting American Airlines news. You can now use your AAdvantage miles for inflight purchases, which is actually more useful than it might sound. You can use miles to buy alcoholic beverages on domestic flights over two hundred and fifty miles, and snacks on flights over eleven hundred miles. While this might not be the highest value use of your miles, it's convenient if you're short on cash and have plenty of miles. Just remember that you're probably getting less than one cent per mile in value, so save your miles for award flights when possible.

Here's something concerning from the hotel world: two popular Hollywood hotels, the Tommie and Thompson, are leaving Hyatt to join Marriott. This is part of a broader trend we're seeing where Marriott continues to gobble up properties, sometimes at the expense of smaller, more boutique-focused programs like Hyatt. If you had plans to use World of Hyatt points at these properties, you'll want to book soon before they make the switch.

On a more positive note, Marriott has completed its acquisition of citizenM, a trendy boutique hotel brand, for three hundred and fifty-five million dollars. This should eventually mean citizenM properties will become part of Marriott Bonvoy, giving you more options for using your Marriott points, especially in urban markets where citizenM has a strong presence.

Let's talk about an interesting airline pricing trend that's been developing. Airlines are now charging up to seventy percent more for solo travelers compared to those booking for multiple passengers. This dynamic pricing targets business travelers, who are more likely to fly alone and book last-minute. However, there might be a workaround: try booking for two passengers initially, then calling to cancel one ticket. Some airlines allow this, though policies vary.

There's also a broader trend of one-way domestic flights being more expensive than roundtrip tickets. This is another form of price discrimination, as business travelers are more likely to book one-way tickets. The lesson here is to always compare one-way versus roundtrip pricing, even if you only need to fly one direction.

For our Qatar Airways fans, there's an update on their Reward Seat Finder tool. While it's improved since launch, it's still not as comprehensive as we'd hope. The tool shows availability across an entire year, which is helpful, but it doesn't always display the best award prices or all available options. Still, it's better than manually searching date by date.

Finally, here's something that caught my attention at Miami International Airport: a restaurant offering bottomless mimosas. While this might sound fun, I can't help but wonder about the wisdom of unlimited alcohol before flights. It's certainly a unique airport dining experience, though probably best enjoyed if you're not flying anywhere soon.

Before we wrap up, let me 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 incredible time-saver when hunting for award space. Try it for free with our link in the show notes.

That's all for today's Miles and Points Daily Podcast. Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com for more great content. Until tomorrow, keep earning and burning those points wisely!