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.
Danny the Deal Guru: "Barclays and Hawaiian Airlines announced today the renewal of their decade-long co-branded credit card program. Under the newly signed agreement, Barclays will continue to issue the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard."
Points Wire Note:
The Barclays Hawaiian Airlines co-branded cards are niche plays with limited use for those who use points and miles to travel. They have their place, but these are not top priority cards.
One Mile At A Time: "Just under a year ago, the Lufthansa Lounge Newark closed, as it was undergoing a major renovation. This wasn’t just any renovation, though, as this lounge was intended to serve as the prototype for the carrier’s lounge concept going forward, in line with the new Allegris concept."
"Well, the Lufthansa Lounge Newark has just opened. While the airline hasn’t yet put out a press release about this, the Lufthansa Group station manager for Newark has shared pictures of the new lounge on LinkedIn, and has stated that the first guests have been welcomed to the lounge. Not only has the lounge been fully redesigned, but it has also been expanded compared to the previous setup."
One Mile At A Time: "Hyatt has just introduced an exclusive alliance with Under Canvas, opening up some unique new lodging options that many World of Hyatt members will appreciate."
"For those not familiar with Under Canvas, the company has 13 outdoor resorts, which are primarily at national parks and other notable outdoor destinations. Properties include Under Canvas Bryce Canyon, Under Canvas Grand Canyon, Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase, Under Canvas Moab, Under Canvas Zion, and even ULUM Moab."
This new partnership is being rolled out as Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties. While you can redeem Hyatt points for stays at Under Canvas properties, it's often not a great use of Hyatt points.
Loyalty Lobby: "Air Canada’s Aeroplan has a new redemption partner, Eurowings, which is part of the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Edelweiss, and Discover)."
"Eurowings was previously part of Germanwings before these two brands were consolidated. Eurowings operates short-haul flights from German airports other than Munich or Frankfurt."
Please note that Eurowings is not a Star Alliance member. That means other Star Alliance loyalty programs won't be able to book awards on Eurowings unless they have their own agreement.
Verylvke flagged that the Intercontinental Ambassador program is increasing their price from $200 (or 40,000 IHG One Rewards points) to $225 (or 45,000 points) per year. This price increase will go into effect on October 2, 2024.
Intercontinental Ambassador Benefits
Upgraded Points: "Among the benefits JetBlue offers to its Mosaic elite members is Move to Mint, a benefit you can use to upgrade yourself to the airline’s famed business class product. And we’ve got good news: Using these is now easier than ever."
"The number of certificates needed for an upgrade varies by flight, and you can now find this information before booking. Better yet: It’s all online."
ANA Mileage Club will be increasing award flights on flights within Japan as of October 14, 2024. The new award rates are 5-20% higher than the current rates. ANA Mileage Club continues to have low, regular, and high season award rates, so the date you travel will determine the rate.
Frequent Miler: "Virgin Atlantic is currently running a promotion that’s awarding double points on flights to the UK through the end of the year, but you only have until July 25 to book your flight."
One Mile At A Time: "The Winston Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, will be joining Hyatt’s portfolio. The hotel is in the process of undergoing an extensive renovation, and once that’s completed, it will be branded as the Park Hyatt Johannesburg. While the renovation is taking longer than planned, the hotel is now accepting reservations for stays as of October 15, 2024."
Points Wire Note:
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg is not part of Hyatt Privé yet. I would expect it to be added soon i if you want to book with perks such as an upgraded, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 property credit. When it's available, you can book the Privé rate here.
If booking with points, this is a Category 5 property. The off-peak, standard, and peak award rates are 17,000 points, 20,000 points, and 23,000 points, respectively.
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