Welcome to Miles & Points Daily Podcast! I'm Lucas, your host, and let me tell you - today's episode is packed with more drama than a reality TV show, but thankfully it's all happening at thirty thousand feet and not in our living rooms. We've got stolen phones ending up in rivers, credit card strategy updates, and some fantastic bonus opportunities that could save you serious money on your next award redemption. So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's dive into today's miles and points news. First up, we have a rather concerning story about airline crew theft that's making headlines. A Garuda Indonesia passenger had his iPhone stolen during a flight, and when the airline investigated, the phone's location was tracked to the bottom of a river. The entire flight crew has been temporarily suspended as the investigation continues. This follows a similar incident with Qatar Airways where a flight attendant was fired for stealing a passenger's phone from the business class lavatory. My tip here is simple but important - never leave valuable items unattended in airplane lavatories or seat-back pockets. Keep your phone, wallet, and other valuables on your person at all times during the flight. Speaking of passenger misbehavior, we have an absolutely bonkers story from Spirit Airlines. A passenger who missed his Detroit to Los Angeles flight decided the best course of action was to call in a bomb threat to delay the plane. The genius used his own phone to make the call, making it incredibly easy for the FBI to track him down. He's now facing federal charges. This is a reminder that missing a flight, while frustrating, has solutions - rebooking, standby lists, or purchasing a new ticket. Bomb threats will only land you in federal prison. Moving on to some positive news for hotel lovers - Hyatt has launched a fantastic summer promotion offering up to sixteen thousand bonus points for stays at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and Hyatt Studios through September seventh, two thousand and twenty-five. Here's how it works: you'll earn two thousand bonus points after your first night, four thousand after your second night, and an additional ten thousand points after eight nights, for a total of sixteen thousand bonus points. My recommendation is to combine this with Hyatt's credit card spending if you have one, and consider booking stays at these select service properties for upcoming trips. The bonus points could easily cover a future free night at many Hyatt properties. Now, let's talk credit cards. We have some exciting news about the Chase Sapphire Reserve - Chase has officially announced that changes are coming to this popular card this summer in two thousand and twenty-five. While they haven't revealed specific details yet, this is worth keeping an eye on if you're a current cardmember or considering applying. The Sapphire Reserve currently offers excellent travel benefits and earning rates, so any changes could significantly impact its value proposition. For those looking at American Express options, the Business Gold Card continues to be one of the strongest business cards available, offering up to four times points on select categories. If you're interested in this card, you can find the application link in our show notes to check current sign-up bonus offers. We also have some excellent opportunities to buy miles and points at discounted rates. United MileagePlus is offering up to one hundred percent bonus on purchased miles, bringing the cost down to about one point eight eight cents per mile. This could be a great deal if you're close to having enough miles for a specific redemption, especially for business or first class travel. Hilton Honors is running a one hundred percent bonus on purchased points, making them available for half a cent each. This is one of Hilton's best offers and could be worthwhile if you have a specific redemption in mind. And Avianca LifeMiles is offering up to one hundred fifty-five percent bonus on purchased miles, bringing the cost down to about one point two nine cents per mile. Given that LifeMiles can offer excellent value for premium cabin redemptions, especially to Europe and Asia, this could be a solid opportunity for luxury travel at a fraction of the cash price. Finally, some good news for American Airlines AAdvantage members - you can now redeem miles on JetSmart, American's South American partner. This adds dozens of new destinations across South America to your redemption options, including cities in Chile, Peru, and other countries in the region. This significantly expands American's already extensive Latin American network. Before we wrap up, let me share a quick story that highlights the importance of hotel privacy policies. A luxury hotel accidentally sent a guest's folio to the wrong person, creating family drama when personal details were revealed. The hotel has since ignored the affected guest's attempts to resolve the situation. This reminds us to always verify contact information with hotels and don't hesitate to escalate service failures to management when necessary. 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's a wrap for today's Miles & Points Daily Podcast! Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform, visit our website at milesandpointsdaily.com, and sign up for our daily newsletter at mail.milesandpointsdaily.com to stay up to date with all the latest miles and points news. Until tomorrow, keep earning and keep exploring!