News and notes from around the interweb:

• United is offer a 40% discount on purchased miles — again — through October 31. They offered it in September and August and April. I’m not a buyer given the price of a bit over 2.2 cents and that I have a large United balance, but it’s a good way to top off towards a specific award. (HT: Lucky)

• Global Entry — which expedites immigration, and can also be used to get TSA PreCheck — is being offered to Loews Platinum elite members. It’s also offered to United Platinums and 1Ks. And American Express Platinum reimburses the fee as well.

• Cranky Flier realizes that what the TSA does is security theater, not security.

• An interview with Ed French of Marriott Rewards. Correctly I think he notes that the unique selling proposition of the program is the breadth and depth of hotel properties (as opposed to, say, the program’s benefits). But now that suites aren’t excluded from the top tier elite upgrade benefit, Platinums are getting suites about 10% of the time. And they got rid of ‘buy one get one free’ certificates because most customers didn’t even know about them, though I suppose they could have marketed them instead..

• Loyalty Lobby says that Delta has made another unannounced devaluation — this time eliminating the ability to upgrade almost-full fare “M” fares on KLM (although the Delta website still lists this option).