Emirates Launches New Business Class On Boeing 777s

Emirates has launched its new business class product for the Boeing 777 and it's great... for 2010. Unfortunately, it's 2024.

For context, I flew Emirates business class on the A380 in November 2016 and this "new" product will basically be the same. It'll have nicer finishes, but the seat and cabin layout are the same. At least the layout is 1-2-1 and all seats are lie-flat compared to the 2-3-2 layout with angled flat seats that had been on its Boeing 777.

The fact that their CEO said that they're "raising the industry benchmark when it comes to premium travel," is wild. I worked in politics for a decade, so I'll hope it's just spin. Not great spin, but spin. Alternatively, he might just be so passionate about where he works that he can't see their own shortcomings - this might be worse.

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Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you use the links below.

World of Hyatt is currently offering a 20% discount when buying points. To take advantage of this promo, you must make the purchase by October 8, 2024. Additionally, you must purchase at least 5,000 Hyatt points to get the discount.

You can buy up to 55,000 Hyatt points for $1,056 thanks to the 20% discount. For context, we haven't seen a higher bonus since September 2023 when Hyatt sold points with a 25% discount.

Keep in mind that Hyatt caps the number of points you can buy per year at 55,000 points.

If you're traveling with friends or family, keep in mind that you can only transfer points between accounts once every 30 days.

These purchases are via points.com so it won't qualify for a credit card travel bonus category. Your best bet is to use a card that earns 2x on all spend such as a Capital One Venture, Capital One Venture X, Amex Blue Business Plus, or Citi Double Cash.

Since you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards and/or Bilt Rewards points to Hyatt, you may not need to purchase points to book hotel stays.

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Disclosure: I may be compensated if you use the links below.

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The 100% bonus is a targeted offer. You'll need to log into your account to find out if you've been targeted.

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Hyatt Offers Some Elites Status With American Airlines

View From The Wing: "Hyatt is aggressively offering temporary status to members with American Airlines status with an opportunity to keep and even upgrade status to top tier through February 2026."

"As in past years, American Airlines is doing the same with Hyatt elites. In their announcement, Hyatt flagged that there was an American AAdvantage offer to World of Hyatt elites of temporary AAdvantage status but details offered were scarce, “select AAdvantage® members who have linked their World of Hyatt and AAdvantage® accounts may see an exclusive offer in the promotions tab within their AAdvantage® account on aa.com.”"

Emirates Getting New Business Class Tomorrow

One Mile At A Time: "At the beginning of July 2024, Emirates announced that it would shortly be introducing a new Boeing 777 business class. This product is now expected to enter commercial service tomorrow, though we still don’t know what it will be like, oddly. "

"The carrier’s Boeing 777s are a totally different story, as most of these jets have angled flat business class seats that are in a 2-3-2 configuration. "

"The good news is that this will finally be changing. Emirates is in the process of retrofitting 191 of its planes to update the passenger experience, including introducing premium economy. While the airline started reconfiguring A380s over a year ago, the airline has just started reconfiguring 777s. The very first jet with new interiors has the registration code A6-EQH, and it’s about to enter service, after being in the hangar for over a month."

Citi Devalues American AAdvantage Executive Card

Frequent Miler: "Those who applied for the card after 7/15/24 can earn the $120 annual credits only through pre-paid rentals. Those who applied before 7/15/24 can continue to earn the credits through either pre-paid or post-paid rentals through the end of 2025, then only through prepaid reservations after that. What about those who applied exactly on 7/15/24? I have no idea."

Southwest Airlines Flights Now Show In KAYAK Searches

One Mile At A Time: "Southwest Airlines has long been focused on direct bookings, and historically hasn’t partnered with online travel agencies or third parties when it comes to promoting its flights. That’s slowly starting to change. Recently, Southwest started displaying flights on Google Flights, and you’ll now also find the flights on KAYAK."

Amex Offer: Save At The Peninsula Hotels

American Express has just launched an Amex Offer for stays at The Peninsula Hotels in Europe and the U.S. You can get $100 back as a statement credit if you spend $500+ at select properties.

Important Details

• Expires November 30, 2024
• Reservations must be direct via peninsula.com or over the phone - Pen Club bookings should count (more on that below)
• Excludes gift cards, third party bookings, and amenities/services not charged to your room

Eligible Peninsula Hotels

• Beverly Hills
• Chicago
• Istanbul
• London
• New York
• Paris

Points Wire Note:

If you'd like to book with Pen Club benefits such as an upgrade on arrival (if available), daily breakfast for 2 guests, a $100 property credit, and more, you can do so via our self-serve booking portal (Pen Club bookings are direct bookings) or you can submit a booking request.

Delta To Sue CrowdStrike Over IT Failure

View From The Wing: "Delta Air Lines cancelled more flights last month than they did in 2018 and 2019, in an historic meltdown following the CrowdStrike outage. They delayed taking care of customers, denied blame, and their CEO jetted off to Paris for the Olympics."

"They’ve made a big show of their plan to sue CrowdStrike for damages, since this wasn’t Delta’s fault, but they have several hurdles to overcome."

"They also suggest that in any litigation they’ll be forced to drag Delta’s poor IT “design and operational resiliency capabilities” and failure to upgrade systems. In other words, Delta’s reputation for premium will be further called into question. Discovery, and ultimately trial testimony, could be more damaging to Delta’s business than anything they might hope to recover."

Thailand Looks To Use Casinos To Boost Tourism

Skift: "Thailand is on its way to legalizing casinos, a move seen as crucial to revitalize the country’s tourism sector and attract substantial foreign investment."

"Thailand’s Council of State has unveiled a draft bill, inviting public feedback until August 18. The draft bill’s next steps involve cabinet approval, parliamentary debate, and potential amendments. The 22-page document outlines plans to integrate casinos into large entertainment complexes, echoing a model used successfully in Macau."

Points Wire Note:

This comes on the heels of the UAE announcing plans to legalize casinos.