Marriott Bonvoy has released some targeted promo offers for Q1 2024. I wasn't targeted with any offers, but I've seen reports of several offers so far.
If you get an offer, DM me on Instagram and let me know what you get! I'll update this post
Points Wire Note:
The double elite nights promo is one of my favorites. I had it last year and it helped me make some serious progress toward Lifetime Platinum status. It's definitely worth checking to see if you have an offer on your account. Whether it's an offer worth pursuing will depend on the exact offer. Some are great if you happen to have a stay, while others are so good that it's worth prioritizing Marriott stays.
Danny the Deal Guru: "American Express has brought back two promotions to earn extra points for adding Employee Cards to your business accounts. These offers are not quite as good as the ones we used to see a couple of years ago, but they can still be valuable as you can earn up to 5X on all your spending."
You can earn 15,000 points when a new employee cardholder spends $4,000 within 6 months when you add a new employee card to the Amex Business Platinum, Amex Business Gold, and Amex Blue Business Plus.
Use the links below to check if you're eligible:
Direct link to Business Platinum offer
Direct link to Business Gold offer
Direct link to Blue Business Plus offer
Points Wire Note:
For each business card you have, you can add up to 5 new employees to earn the bonus. It's a lot to track but you could earn a ton of Amex Membership Rewards points. Don't forget, you can add Employee Business Expense Cards which don't have annual fees but still qualify for the bonus.
Southwest is running sale in which you can save 20-40% on both cash and award tickets if you book by January 11, 2024. Eligible travel dates: January 30 - May 22, 2024.
Use the promo code WOW.
The discount is determined by the day you fly:
Blackout Dates:
Points Wire Note:
Don't forget, if you currently have Southwest flights, you can rebook to get the cheaper rate.
Dan's Deals: "Unfortunately, finding standard award space at the resort is typically very difficult for even a single night, but currently, award availability at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is wide open for nearly all of 2024! Talk about a unicorn, this certainly won’t last long."
To quickly find dates with standard room availability, follow these steps:
Whenever I hear that a program is making changes or "enhancements", I immediately brace for negative changes.
Well, American surprised me. They've announced several changes and they're not making it harder to earn elite status or increasing award rates.
How civilized!
Some changes that are coming for AAdvantage members that caught my eye:
Direct link to AA's program updates
We'll see how things unfold this year and if they announce any further changes, but I'll give American credit for actually making improvements!
Thrifty Traveler: "Capital One made a splash with the debut of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card back in 2021. A premium travel rewards credit card with benefits and perks worth more than its middle-of-the-road $395 annual fee? It seemed too good to be true."
"So far, Capital One has resisted the urge to hike the card's annual fee in favor of trimming back benefits. Just last year, we saw the bank remove access to Priority Pass Restaurant and devalue the card's $300 travel credit. Now we know the next benefit to get the axe: Complimentary Hertz President's Circle status."
Venture X cardholders will continue to have access to the President's Circle benefit through December 31, 2024.
Points Wire Note:
If you regularly rent cars from Hertz and are the kind of person who sticks to one credit card, this change will sting a bit. If you don't rent cars regularly, I don't think it's a huge blow. Similarly, if you're someone who has put together a combo of credit cards with a variety of benefits, this can change can be offset. You can get Hertz President's Circle with Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum.
The Air Current: "United Airlines has found loose bolts and other parts on 737 Max 9 plug doors as it inspects its fleet of Boeing jets following the Friday rapid depressurization aboard an Alaska Airlines jet of the same make, according to three people familiar with the findings."
"The discrepant bolts and other parts on the plug doors have been found on at least five aircraft, one of the people told The Air Current."
I recommend reading the whole piece.
Points Wire Note:
Understandably, people in the travel community pay close attention when there's an aircraft safety issue. Unfortunately, that leads to to a ton of clickbait which makes it tough to find reliable information. Jon Ostrower's publication The Air Current is a resource I go to for solid reporting on aviation industry news such as aircraft safety.
American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping and United MileagePlus Shopping are both running promos for the new year. You can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles with each by meeting the following qualifications:
American AAdvantage eShopping
Spend $200+, earn 500 bonus miles. Spend $400+, earn 1,000 bonus miles.
The bonus miles do not count as Loyalty Points. However, now is still a good time to use the AA shopping portal for a Dell purchase and earn up to 9x miles and Loyalty Points (even better if you have an Amex Business Platinum).
Direct link to offer and terms
United MileagePlus Shopping
Spend $150+, earn 500 bonus miles. Spend $300+, earn 1,000 bonus miles.
Earn 500 bonus Hyatt points per night at select new properties through April 29, 2024.
Direct link to eligible properties
Save 24% and get free breakfast at select Hyatt properties in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East through May 6, 2024. You need to use the Offer Code "SALE24" to get the discount.
Travel on Points: "There is a new Southwest credit card spending offer that could net you up to 8,000 extra Rapid Rewards points. This one is a bit different since it needs to be located in your Southwest Rapid Rewards account and not via Chase"
Offer Terms: Earn 4x up to $2,000 through February 29, 2024.
Log into your Southwest account to check for the offer.
Sign up for free flight alerts or upgrade to Straight To The Points Premium.
Premium members even get text alerts when there are great opportunities to book business and first class flights!
To make choosing your next card a bit easier, we've ranked the best credit card offers to help find the best bonuses.
Whether you need help figuring out the best ways to earn or redeem points and miles, I’ll work with you to create a personalized strategy that’s easy to follow.
In August 2018, I started the Straight To The Points flight alerts newsletter with the goal of making it easier to book business and first class flights with points & miles and fare deals.
I started Points Wire to make it easier for you to keep up with the news you need to know without all of the fluff.