Hello, and welcome back to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast. I'm Lucas, your host, and before we dive into today's news, let me tell you about an incredible 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 jump into today's miles and points news, starting with a significant development from Southwest Airlines that could reshape how we think about airline seating strategies.

Southwest Airlines is moving towards assigned seating, and this change could eliminate several common boarding abuses that frequent flyers have dealt with for years. According to reports, the new system will help end wheelchair boarding abuse, where passengers falsely claim mobility assistance just to board early, and seat saving abuse, where travelers hold multiple seats for companions who board later. The FBI has even complained that Southwest's current open seating system makes it difficult to identify disruptive passengers during incidents.

For miles and points enthusiasts, this is actually great news. The current system often rewards bad behavior and makes it harder for legitimate frequent flyers to secure good seats despite their status. With assigned seating, your elite status will likely translate to better seat assignments from the start, rather than hoping you can snag a good spot during the boarding chaos.

Moving on to credit card news, there's an interesting comparison worth discussing between the Chase Ink Business Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The Ink Business Preferred offers some compelling advantages over the premium personal card, including three points per dollar on travel, shipping, internet, cable, and phone services, plus advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. The card also has an eighty thousand Ultimate Rewards point sign-up bonus after spending twelve thousand dollars in the first three months.

The key advantage here is that business cards don't count towards your five over twenty-four rule with Chase, meaning you can hold both cards simultaneously. If you're considering either card, I'd recommend thinking about your spending patterns. The Ink Business Preferred might actually be more valuable for many travelers, especially those who can take advantage of the three times points categories.

Speaking of credit cards, there's exciting news about the new Citi Strata Elite card. This ultra-premium offering from Citi represents their return to the high-end travel card market after the demise of the beloved Prestige card. While full details are still emerging, this card is positioned to compete with other premium travel cards in the market.

For those looking to maximize their existing Citi points, remember that Citi ThankYou Rewards has an impressive roster of transfer partners, including Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, often providing excellent redemption value for international premium cabin flights.

Now, here's a helpful tip for Global Entry applicants who've been struggling to find interview appointments. U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases new interview appointment slots on the first Monday of each month for conditionally approved applicants. If you've been conditionally approved but can't find an available appointment, mark your calendar for the first Monday and check early in the morning for newly released slots.

In hotel news, there's a stunning new property that's now bookable with points. The Sax Paris, an LXR Hotels and Resorts property, offers Eiffel Tower views and luxurious accommodations starting from one hundred and ten thousand Hilton points per night. This intimate luxury hotel on the Left Bank features a showstopping rooftop restaurant and a cozy subterranean spa. If you're planning a trip to Paris and have Hilton points to burn, this could be an incredible redemption.

For shopping enthusiasts, Staples is running a promotion with no activation fees on two hundred dollar Mastercard gift cards from August tenth to sixteenth, with a limit of nine cards per customer. This is a classic manufactured spending opportunity for those looking to meet minimum spend requirements on new credit cards.

And here's something interesting about airline loyalty programs - flight attendants generally cannot see whether you've redeemed miles for your ticket or paid cash. Your boarding pass and seat assignment look the same regardless of how you paid, so there's no need to feel awkward about using an award ticket in premium cabins.

For Priority Pass holders, there's been some concerning news about TSA agents allegedly exploiting lounge access for free meals. While this doesn't directly affect your access, it's worth noting as these kinds of issues can sometimes lead to policy changes that might impact legitimate cardholders.

Before we wrap up, 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. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.

That's all for today's episode of the Miles and Points Daily Podcast. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com for more travel rewards content. Until next time, keep earning those points and miles!