News and notes from around the interweb:

• FAA won’t require altimeter upgrades to handle 5G until early 2024

• Best Buy changes its loyalty program.

  @garyleff @OneMileataTime given that you guys ran a story about Starbucks devaluation, I wanted to let you know that BestBuy has kinda devalued its program: free shipping only if $35+ order and no points accumulation unless one has their credit card. pic.twitter.com/OIDVcccHgg

  — Ivan (@istrakhov) January 9, 2023

• IHG co-brand cardmembers get a 20% discount on award redemptions if booked by January 20 for stays through March 10, 2023.

• Choice Privileges lifetime Gold status for active and retired military and their spouses (HT: Frequent Miler)

• United’s ice cream sundae cart returns to all long haul business class flights next month.

• I’ve written about a trick some Hyatts use to avoid awarding points (and save money). A reader made my blood boil when mentioning that the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek refuses to award points for alcohol spending (which is high margin!). They use the program to encourage spend, and then exploit a loophole meant to allow hotels to remain legally compliant (that hotels can opt out of awarding points for alcohol based on local conditions) in order to shortchange the customer.

  More and more hotels across brands seem to be pushing the envelope with loyalty program rules. They want the benefits of the program (brings them guests) without the costs, leaving hotel rewards in a game theoretic downward spiral.