Court Rules Against DOT Rule Regulating Airline Fee Disclosure

The Points Guy: "A U.S. Department of Transportation regulation requiring airlines to more transparently disclose add-on fees appears to be in peril."

"On Monday, a panel of federal judges temporarily halted the Biden administration's new regulation, noting that they felt the rule 'likely exceeds DOT's authority and will irreparably harm airlines.'"

"The decision, made by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, means airlines can hold off on making sweeping changes in how they display prices, fees and fare rules — at least until the case is resolved."

Chase Makes Changes To Travel And Purchase Protections

One Mile At A Time: "As of October 1, 2024, Chase will be introducing a new branded website (chasecardbenefits.com) where cardmembers can access their complimentary benefits, and file new travel and purchase protection claims all in one place."

"To coincide with this, Chase is changing the Benefits Administrator and Underwriter for its card products to Assurant. Chase cardmembers should be notified of this change between late July and the middle of August 2024, via email or direct mail."

Save On Southwest Airlines Gift Cards

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

Whether you simply love flying Southwest or you use Southwest for positioning flights, buying discounted gift cards is an easy way to save on your flight costs. I would only buy if you fly Southwest regularly or you have a specific use for them in the near term.

Several merchants regularly offer discounts. You can find the current promos below.

Amazon

You can get $50 off when you buy a $500 Southwest gift card. That's a discount of 10%.

Link to offer

BJ's Wholesale Club

Buy a $500 Southwest gift card for only $429.99. That's a discount of 14% (generally as good as it gets).

Purchase limit: 5 per member 

Direct link to offer

Costco

No current offer

Sam's Club

Buy a $250 Southwest gift card for $229.38. That's a discount of ~8.2%.

Direct link to offer

Earn 95x Amex Points On Norton Security And Antivirus

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

Update: It's back! (July 29, 2024)

Rakuten is offering 95% cash back at Norton Security And Antivirus. If you have an Amex Membership Rewards card, you can link it to your Rakuten account and earn 95x Amex points instead of cash back.

The most expensive Norton option is the Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus plan which currently costs $299.98 will earn you the most points. Make sure you choose to pay annually as only the first payment will qualify for the 95x points.

At 95x, you can earn 28,498 Membership Rewards points which is ~1.05 cents per point.

If you don't have a Rakuten account, you can sign up and earn a bonus 10% back (or 10x Amex points) on purchases made during your first seven days with Rakuten.

Exclusions: Exclusions: Cash Back not available on free trials, Norton Download Insurance, Small & Midsize Business product renewals, Trialware, Norton Premier Edition, auto-renewals or re-orders. 

Special Terms: Cash Back is only available on first time orders and first month subscription for Gamers. You will only be eligible for Cash Back after merchant has confirmed your order payment has been processed. Maximum Cash Back amount is limited to the amount actually paid for the subscription. Limit one per member.

Stack With An Amex Offer

Check for Amex Offers before you make a purchase.

Rakuten Offer for Norton Security And Antivirus

Points Wire Note:

This deal isn't quite as good as the LifeLock deal which has more expensive offers and thus allows you to earn more points. Still, this is an easy 28,498 Amex points!

Do Hyatt's Recent Expansion Efforts Pose Risk For Loyal Customers?

View From The Wing notes that Hyatt has been franchising more and more to grow their footprint in the last few years. This means Hyatt isn't managing the properties itself. Instead, hotel owners are hiring hotel management companies to run the show.

As we've seen at Marriott and Hilton properties, this often leads to service standards not being met and properties failing to deliver on promised elite status benefits. VFTW notes that Hyatt has traditionally been a more high-end brand than either of those and falling short on service standards poses a risk for Hyatt.

"The trick is offering more than a place to sleep, eat and shower – it’s offering guests an overall experience, helping them tell stories not just about their stays but about themselves, and making their lives fuller when they’re away. That’s also why cutbacks on things like housekeeping make no sense at the premium end, while some guests say ‘I re-use towels at home’ or ‘I don’t make my bed every day’ that misses the point. This is all part of the experience that is more than the sum of each feature, that guests will pay more for and why they choose a premium property over a short-term rental."

Don't Ruin Airport Lounges For Others

Chris Dong (Washington Post): "Grumpy security agents, the threat of flight delays, crowds massing at the gate: Together, they’re a recipe for traveler stress. If you have access, airport lounges can be a serene haven in which to counter it."

"Lounges have become easier to access and, at times, overcrowded. As airports open more of them, travelers should recognize the major do’s and don’ts."

The article digs into several points:

• Entry rules
• It isn't your space
• "Free" food and drinks doesn't mean go nuts
• Be quiet
• Keep an eye on the kiddos
• Don't be a slob

UAE Lays The Groundwork For First Casinos In The Gulf

Skift: "Regulators in the United Arab Emirates approved the first license for a lottery on Sunday, and made public its casino and gambling regulations – a major step towards the Arab state being the first in the Gulf to allow legalized gaming."

Points Wire Note:

I've often joked that Dubai is like Vegas without the gambling. Well, I guess it might not be a joke soon.

Don't Get Caught Out By Airbnb's Conversion Fees

Point Me To The Plane: "The new guest service fee of 2%, before taxes, will be added on the total rate if a booking is made where the local currency differs from the currency set in your Airbnb account."

"To get around the new 2% fee, all you have to do is change the default currency your Airbnb account is set to. It needs to match the local currency of your next destination."

Chase Instacart Benefits End In Two Days

Frequent Miler: "The Instacart benefits on the Chase Sapphire and Chase Freedom cards are scheduled to end on 7/31/24. We’ve all been expecting Chase to extend these, but we’ve heard nothing about it and the benefits have been removed from the public card page sites, so we assume that these are indeed going away next week. If you haven’t used your monthly/quarterly credits yet, now’s the time."

Bilt Slashes Rent Day Double Points Limit

Disclosure: I serve on an advisory board for Bilt.

In a disappointing turn of events, Bilt has reduced the cap on the number of bonus points you can earn on Rent Day (the first of the month). On Rent Day, cardholders are able to earn double points on non-rent spend. Since Bilt launched the monthly promo, cardholders have been able to earn up to 10,000 bonus points per Rent Day.

That cap will be reduced to 1,000 bonus points as of October 1, 2024.

There's no sugar coating it, that's a rough 90% reduction.

Points Wire Note:

While I doubt the majority of cardholders are spending $3,333 at restaurants, $5,000 on travel, or $10,000 on non-bonus categories, this change still hurts. Many cardholders made a point to pay bills on Rent Day to earn double points. Others timed large purchases they needed to make to earn extra points.

If you ask me, this change was aggressive. I can appreciate a change might have been necessary, but a 90% cut seems drastic.