Hello and welcome to the Miles & Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and I'm absolutely delighted to have you with us today. You know, they say timing is everything in life - well, except when you're told to arrive at the airport three hours early for a domestic flight. But hey, at least that gives us more time to rack up lounge visits and maximize our credit card spending, right? Speaking of maximizing, let's dive into today's fantastic lineup of miles and points news that'll help you travel smarter and earn more rewards. Before we jump in, let me tell you about a fantastic tool that can save you serious points. 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 into today's stories. First up, we've got some exciting news about Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points being available for fifty percent off. That's right, you can currently buy Southwest points for just one and a half cents per point. While buying points isn't always the best strategy, this could be a golden opportunity if you're close to having enough points for a specific redemption, or if you want to top off your account before Southwest's upcoming changes to assigned seating. My recommendation? Only buy what you need for a specific booking, and make sure the total cost including purchased points is still less than paying cash for the ticket. Speaking of Southwest, they've also announced a partnership with Peet's Coffee for their inflight coffee service. While this might not seem like miles and points news, remember that small improvements to the flying experience can make your award redemptions more enjoyable. Next, let's talk about a fantastic American Airlines secret that could save you big money on premium experiences. American Airlines offers certificates that AAdvantage elites can redeem using twenty thousand miles to gain access to their exclusive Admirals Club lounges, even when traveling with family. One traveler recently used this to get access to premium dining and champagne worth two hundred and seventy dollars. If you're an AAdvantage elite traveling with companions, this could be an incredible value, especially compared to paying guest fees out of pocket. Now, let's dive into some credit card news. Citi has launched two new cards that are shaking up their ThankYou points ecosystem. The new Citi Strata Card is a no annual fee option that replaces the old Citi Rewards Plus Card, while the Citi Strata Elite Card is their new premium offering designed to compete with cards like the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve. Both cards earn Citi ThankYou points, which can be valuable for travel when transferred to partners. If you're interested in either of these new Citi cards, you can get them by clicking the links in our show notes. We're also seeing some updates to the Citi Double Cash Card, which now earns two times ThankYou points on all purchases with no annual fee. This makes it one of the most valuable no annual fee cards for everyday spending, especially when you can transfer those points to airline and hotel partners. You can get the Citi Double Cash Card by clicking the link in our show notes. For our Hyatt fans out there, there's a targeted promotion running where eligible members could earn thousands of bonus Hyatt points. The key word here is 'targeted,' so you'll need to check your account or email to see if you're eligible. These targeted promotions can be incredibly valuable for reaching elite status or topping off your account for a dream redemption. Unfortunately, it's not all good news in the Hyatt world. Two popular Hollywood area hotels, the Tommie and Thompson, have left Hyatt to join Marriott. This is part of a concerning trend for Hyatt's footprint in the Los Angeles area, so if you were planning to use World of Hyatt points for these properties, you'll need to look at alternatives. Let's talk about American Airlines awards for a moment. There's been some discussion about a potential devaluation of American AAdvantage business class awards. While it's not a traditional across-the-board devaluation, American seems to have reduced the availability of saver level awards on some long-haul routes, effectively making business class redemptions more expensive. My advice? If you're planning a big international business class trip with American miles, book sooner rather than later. And speaking of American, there's a great new review of their Boeing seven eight seven Flagship Suite business class. Early reports suggest this new product is really impressive and could make American's long-haul business class competitive again. If you're considering redeeming miles for premium cabins, this could be worth targeting. For our Amex fans, The Points Guy has highlighted seven reasons why the Amex Blue Business Plus Card should be in everyone's wallet. This card earns two times Membership Rewards points on the first fifty thousand dollars spent annually with no annual fee, making it fantastic for everyday business spending. The key benefit is that it helps you accumulate transferable Membership Rewards points without paying an annual fee. You can get the Amex Blue Business Plus Card by clicking the link in our show notes. Finally, there's an interesting comparison between holding both the American Express Gold and Platinum cards. While it might seem redundant, there are actually four solid reasons to hold both cards, including maximizing bonus categories and taking advantage of different benefits. The strategy works particularly well if you can maximize the credits and benefits on both cards. Before we wrap up, let me share a quick update on European Union airport security. The EU is gradually ending the liquids ban in carry-on bags, but the implementation is incredibly confusing with different airports having different rules. This won't directly affect your miles and points earning, but it's good to know for planning purposes. That's a wrap for today's Miles & Points Daily Podcast! Before you go, 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. Try it for free with our link in the show notes. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. If you found this valuable, please subscribe to the Miles & Points Daily Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and don't forget to visit us at milesandpointsdaily.com for even more ways to maximize your travel rewards. Until next time, keep earning and keep exploring!