Welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and let me tell you, today's news is packed with everything from airline lounges to Spirit's potential demise, and yes, even a story about a United passenger that you absolutely cannot unhear. But before we dive into the chaos, let's talk about a tool that could save you some serious points. Are you tired of booking a hotel with points only to see the price drop later? Well, 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. Check out the link in our show notes to get started.

Now, let's start with some exciting lounge news from San Francisco International Airport. A massive twenty-four thousand square foot lounge is coming to SFO, and it's shaping up to be the biggest project yet for either Chase or Capital One. This beast will be located on level five of the Courtyard four Connector project, and the airport is preparing to release the space for bidding. For context, that's absolutely enormous - we're talking about a lounge that could potentially rival some of the world's best airport lounges. My tip here is simple: if you're a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Capital One Venture X cardholder, this could be a game-changer for your San Francisco travels. Keep an eye out for announcements about which bank wins this bid, as it could influence your credit card strategy if you frequently travel through SFO.

Speaking of Chase, let's talk about why Hyatt continues to be one of the best Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. The Points Guy just highlighted this, and I couldn't agree more. Hyatt offers incredible value when you transfer Chase points at that sweet one-to-one ratio. You can often get outsized value, especially at luxury properties during peak seasons. My recommendation? Start looking at Hyatt properties for your next vacation and compare the cash rates to the points required. You'll often find that transferring Chase points to Hyatt gives you significantly better value than booking through the Chase travel portal. And speaking of Chase transfers versus booking through their portal, there's actually a strategy to this decision. Generally, you'll want to transfer to hotel partners when you're booking higher-end properties or during expensive periods, while booking through Chase Travel might make more sense for budget hotels where the point values are lower.

Now, let's shift to some concerning news about Spirit Airlines. The airline is facing serious financial troubles, with substantial doubt about their ability to continue operating over the next twelve months. They're warning employees about cost-cutting measures, and their credit card processor is requiring more collateral due to their shaky finances. Here's my advice: if you have any Spirit flights booked, consider purchasing travel insurance if you haven't already. Also, avoid booking Spirit for any critical travel in the coming months. And if you have Spirit miles sitting in your account, now might be the time to use them rather than letting them potentially disappear if the airline doesn't survive.

On a more positive note, United Airlines is making some interesting moves in Seattle. They're relocating from Concourse A to Concourse B, which will free up international-capable gates for other airlines. The exciting part? United is opening a brand new United Club on Concourse B to replace their current one at gate A nine. This is great news for United frequent flyers and anyone with United Club access through cards like the United Club Infinite card. If you travel through Seattle regularly, this move should provide better gate access and a fresh lounge experience.

Let's also touch on Hawaiian Airlines, which is cutting several underperforming routes including Boston, Fukuoka, and Seoul Incheon flights. This is part of Alaska Air Group's updated strategy following their acquisition of Hawaiian. If you had plans to use Alaska or Hawaiian miles for any of these routes, you'll want to look at alternative redemption options. The silver lining is that Alaska typically has good partnerships that might offer similar routing options.

Now for some hotel news that's particularly exciting for Hilton loyalists. The first-ever Hilton property in the US Virgin Islands has opened - the Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas. This means you can now use Hilton points in the US Virgin Islands for the first time ever. For those with Hilton credit cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, this opens up a new tropical redemption opportunity in a destination that previously required cash.

I also want to highlight an important discussion about buying airline miles from brokers. While it's generally against airline terms of service and could result in account closure, it's not technically illegal. However, my strong recommendation is to avoid these brokers entirely. The risks far outweigh any potential savings, and you could lose both your money and your miles if the airline discovers the transaction. Stick to earning miles through legitimate means - credit cards, flying, and official airline mile sales.

For our Capital One cardholders, remember that Capital One has an excellent lineup of transfer partners including Turkish Airlines, Avianca, and hotel partners like Wyndham. The key is understanding which partners offer the best value for your specific travel goals. Turkish Airlines, for example, can be fantastic for Star Alliance award travel, while Avianca opens up opportunities throughout South America.

Before we wrap up today's show, I want to mention the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and its automatic Platinum elite status benefit. This status gets you late checkout, room upgrades when available, and bonus points on stays. If you're someone who stays at Marriott properties regularly, this card can pay for itself through the elite benefits alone, not to mention the welcome bonus. You can find the application link in our show notes.

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 tool that can save you hours of searching individual airline websites. Try it for free with our link in the show notes.

That wraps up today's Miles and Points Daily Podcast. Thank you so much for listening! If you found today's episode helpful, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform - whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. You can also visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com for more tips and strategies. Until tomorrow, keep earning and burning those points wisely!