News and notes from around the interweb:

• Marriott adds an option for 5000 points to successful Best Rate Guarantee claims. That’s not a ton, but some people will prefer points over a discount (eg if they’re on a work stay).

• Audit finds red flags in Atlanta airport contracting in other words another report telling us what we already know, it’s how the airport works.

• Two New York state troopers stepped in to pay for a flight for a friend of a shooting victim to fly to a Florida funeral. She walked up to a jetBlue counter to buy her ticket, couldn’t afford the $700 price quoted, so the two officers threw down their own credit cards to share the cost.

• Star Alliance’s new technology investments:

  Seamless partner seat assignments
  Paperless, efficient crediting of miles
  Baggage tracking using the Star Alliance app/carrier of your choice
  Online redemption for all 28 Star Alliance partners when using any Star Alliance loyalty program

• 500 free Voila Hotel Rewards points for suggesting new hotels

• Since Amazon owns Whole Foods the Amazon Visa now offers 5% back there, too.

• Former American Express CEO Ken Chenault thinks a card issuer’s brand becomes more important once physical plastic cards go away. I’m not sure that’s the most commonly held view.

• Passenger’s electronic device starts smoking as Delta flight lands in Wisconsin. It’s a good thing the federal government isn’t requiring that personal electronic devices travel in the cargo hold any longer. Because that was just stupid.

  At approximately 8:45 this evening Delta flight 4671 inbound from MSP landed at ATW. Upon landing an item in a passenger’s carry-on suitcase began smoking in the cabin. The plane landed safely and all passengers left the plane using the airplane's stairs.

  — Appleton International Airport (@ATWairport) February 19, 2018