Bilt finally published the missing Bilt Cash details—and they change how the new cards pencil out. With the “extra 1x” points option, Palladium effectively becomes a 3x catch-all card (up to $25,000 in spend), while Obsidian can hit 4x in your chosen category.
This Marriott only runs heat or air conditioning at a time—if your room needs the other mode, the “solution” is to open a window. Also, Qantas is closing the Emirates First Class workaround, Ted Cruz spotted flying to the beach as Texas braces for ice, and more.
Hyatt is advertising this card bonus as 5 free nights, but the spend required to earn it also triggers the card’s annual Category 1–4 night and generates enough points for another award night. Put it together and the “5-night” offer can realistically turn into 7 nights at Category 1–4 Hyatt hotels.
United’s CEO Scott Kirby went out of his way on the earnings call to “draw a line in the sand” in Chicago—promising United will add flights to match any American expansion at O’Hare. The point of saying it publicly wasn’t bravado. It was deterrence: to signal to American (and to analysts) that new Chicago capacity will be met in kind, making growth less attractive for both airlines.
American’s response came fast anyway, announcing new routes from O’Hare—turning Kirby’s game-theory warning into an immediate test of whether this becomes a real fare war or a negotiation by headline.
United made a big claim in its latest earnings update: in 2026 it expects to take delivery of roughly 20 Boeing 787s—more widebody aircraft in a single year than any U.S. carrier has taken since 1988. The “since 1988” reference isn’t random; it points to one standout widebody delivery spree that still hasn’t been surpassed.
A family’s Alaska cruise was effectively over before it began after a delayed Delta flight out of Detroit caused them to miss the only Minneapolis–Vancouver connection that could reach the ship on time.
Delta rebooked them to try to save the trip, but the replacement flight didn’t pan out, and once the cruise sailed there was no “meet it at the next stop” option, because a 19th-century U.S. maritime law prevents cruise ships from carrying passengers between U.S. ports.
Bilt wants you to treat Bilt Cash like money, but that framing misses what’s actually new here. It functions more like a monthly “benefits budget” that lets you pick the credits and perks you value—more points, rides, dining, hotel benefits—rather than forcing everyone into the same coupon book. The one big catch: expiration, which turns end-of-year spending into a lot less attractive deal.
Bilt just released the missing details behind its new cards: what the promised 4% “Bilt Cash” actually buys on top of points. The redemption menu is much bigger than expected—ranging from monthly Grubhub and Lyft credits to Blacklane rides, hotel portal credits, and even Blade flights—and there’s a points-accelerator option that can effectively raise your ongoing earn rate if you play it right.
NYC’s mayor says he’s banning hotel “junk fees” everywhere—not just in the city. In reality, the proposal forces all-in price disclosure (and disclosure of deposits and card holds), pretty much mirroring existing federal rules with additional fine revenue for the city.
A Canadian ex–Air Canada flight attendant allegedly spent four years posing as an airline pilot—using a forged employee ID to grab hundreds of free flights on American, United, and Hawaiian, and even asking for cockpit jumpseat access. Indicted in Hawaii after two 2024 Hawaiian flights, he was arrested in Panama, extradited to the U.S., and is now jailed in Honolulu awaiting trial on two wire-fraud counts.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
