British Airways Fees

It would appear nothing has changed (test booking):

A $320 fare and $700 in taxes/fees is just silly...

Weekend Nor'Easter

The Northeast is bracing for a Nor'Easter this weekend!  Nearly all airlines have waivers in place - stay safe!

Hyatt to Partner with Delta

Wow that didn't take long!

Just after announcing the partnership with American is ending, Hyatt announces that they will be partnering with Delta. 

Announcement: https://newsroom.hyatt.com/DeltaAirLines

For me this is a negative.  Delta's miles and earning program is awful compared to other programs and redemption options are limited for comparable value.   

American and Hyatt to End Partnership

When American and Hyatt originally announced their partnership, I was excited to see the potential crossover.  The ability to earn in both programs was a nice addition.  However, this partnership is now ending:

To our valued AAdvantage® members: As we continue to build relationships that enhance the value of your AAdvantage® membership and reflect American’s commitment to our customers, we wanted you to be among the first to know that, after careful consideration, we have mutually decided to not continue our enhanced relationship in the coming months. Throughout this transition, we’re committed to preserving the benefits members of both programs can earn through the current status qualification year. If your AAdvantage® and World of Hyatt accounts are linked, no further action is required. If you haven’t already, be sure to link your loyalty accounts no later than Nov. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. With this update, here’s what you can expect as an AAdvantage® member: You have until Feb. 28, 2027, to earn World of Hyatt rewards and can choose them as Loyalty Point Rewards through March 31, 2027. You’ll keep World of Hyatt status benefits through Feb. 29, 2028, if you selected them as a Loyalty Point Reward option for the 2026-2027 AAdvantage® program year. You can continue to earn miles on hotel stays with Hyatt in lieu of World of Hyatt points when you add your AAdvantage® number at check-in.

New Card in my Portfolio: Citi Strata Elite

I recently decided to add a new card to my wallet - the Citi Strata Elite

https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/citi-strata-elite-credit-card

I'm forward planning a bit for trips in 2028 and this card will certainly help with access to airlines such as Qatar Airways and BA.  The signup bonus right now is 75,000 points (not as great as the 100k when it first was offered but still good).

Some benefits I'm looking forward to:

• 6x points when you use CitiTravel for air bookings
• 6x points at restaurants on Sat/Sun 6pm-6am
• $200 splurge credit a year on AA
• Priority Pass lounge access

United Adds 10 International Destinations for 2027

United continues to expand international flight choices and announced this week they are adding 10 new destinations around the world.

Press Release: https://www.united.com/en/us/newsroom/announcements/cision-125479

Route	Start Date	Frequency	Aircraft
San Francisco (SFO) – Okinawa (OKA)*	Mar. 27	3x Weekly	Boeing 777-200ER
Newark (EWR) – Luxembourg (LUX)*	Apr. 2	Daily	Airbus A321XLR
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Toulouse (TLS)*	Apr. 26	Daily	Airbus A321XLR
Newark (EWR) – Ljubljana (LJU)*	May 12	4x Weekly	Boeing 767-400ER
Newark (EWR) – Olbia (OLB)	May 27	3x Weekly	Boeing 767-300ER
Newark (EWR) – Catania (CTA)	May 28	4x Weekly	Boeing 767-300ER
Newark (EWR) – Ibiza (IBZ)*	May 31	4x Weekly	Airbus A321XLR
Newark (EWR) – Valencia (VLC)*	Jun. 2	3x Weekly	Airbus A321XLR
Newark (EWR) – Marseille (MRS)*	Jun. 4	Daily	Airbus A321XLR
Newark (EWR) – Terceira (TER)*	Jun. 9	3x Weekly	Boeing 737 MAX 8
* United is the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from the U.S. to this city.

I continue to be impressed by United's willingness to try new locations - American and Delta just don't seem to prioritize similar offerings (and may not be able to based on market, locations, and passenger demand).  

JetBlue Opens BlueHouse Lounge at Logan Airport

As reported yesterday, JetBlue will officially open its new lounge at Logan Airport called the BlueHouse Lounge on Thursday.

Official Press Release: https://www.news.jetblue.com/latest-news/press-release-details/2026/Welcome-Home-Boston-JetBlue-to-Open-Second-BlueHouse-Lounge-Adds-New-Access-for-Mint-Customers/default.aspx

For those passionate about flying JetBlue, this has been a topic of conversation for many months given the frequency of flights in Boston and lack of an official lounge compared to United or American.   Unfortunately, access for most will not be complimentary - Mint and Mint Flex will have priority and others may be able to access for a fee subject to space availability.

Access to BlueHouse:

Customers	Access Policy	Guest Policy
Mosaic 4 Members1	Complimentary	One complimentary guest $39 per additional guest
JetBlue Premier Cardmembers1	Complimentary	One complimentary guest $39 per additional guest
Mint Customers1 (NEW!)	Complimentary	$39 per guest

Eligible customers and guests may access BlueHouse up to three hours before their scheduled departure and must present a confirmed, same-day boarding pass for travel on a Mint, Mint Flex, EvenMore, EvenMore Flex, Main, or Main Flex fare. Mosaic 1-3 members and JetBlue Plus & Business cardmembers and eligible guests may access BlueHouse by purchasing a one-time pass in person at the BlueHouse check-in desk, pending space availability.

Customers	Access Policy	One-Time Pass Price
Mosaic 3 Members and Eligible Guests	Non-complimentary	$59 per-person
Mosaic 1-2 Members and Eligible Guests	Non-complimentary	$79 per-person
JetBlue Plus & Business Cardmembers Members and Eligible Guests	Non-complimentary	$79 per-person

Experience Using Chase Travel

It was on my list to try using Chase Travel more for flights since the benefit for purchases awards 5x points (since 2021).  My most recent itinerary had a cancelation where I was sent a partial refund, however, after several weeks the refund had not posted to my Chase card account.  I reached out to Chase with the information and was told I needed to contact JetBlue - when I called JetBlue I was told a refund was issued to a card ending in numbers that were not mine.  That's a problem.  

I found out that Chase Travel uses virtual numbers to complete transactions.  Even though I have a receipt showing the charge to my (correct) card number, Chase Travel used a virtual number to confirm the reservation.  My impression is this should be resolved internally by Chase Travel once the refund is issued back to the travel partner.  When I called, the nice agent confirmed they had received the refund but 'hadn't got around to it yet' to process the final.   This seems pretty dubious to me - how long does it actually take them to process these when received?  I asked the agent and was told that eventually they get to them but anyone can call sooner to complete the process.

My recommend: increase awareness when using 3rd party travel sites for both customer service and any reservation issues

JetBlue Changes EvenMore Upgrades

I received this update from JetBlue:

Starting today, you can select EvenMore® 12 hours earlier—beginning 36 hours before your flight's scheduled departure. That's more time to lock in more space, more speed and more service.

This update to your Mosaic 1 Signature Perks will be available for all eligible existing and future bookings—for you and up to 2 eligible travel companions.1

Thanks, as always, for being a Mosaic member. We look forward to seeing you on board soon.

Not a bad update!

30th Reunion Fun

I made it back home this last weekend for my 30th high school reunion - it was fun and I had a chance to catch up with so many friends.  There's never enough time and I hope there are opportunities to get together again soon.  Kudos to Kristie for planning a great evening!

My trip back home was not the best - two cancellations required a drive to O'hare just to get to my connecting plane.  United didn't do a great job for this trip.  Notifications and updates were poor at MSN and I even received a flight cancel 'retraction' which was a first.

JetBlue Selected to Continue EAS Service at PQI

The Department of Transportation has selected JetBlue to continue Essential Air Service to PQI Airport in Northern Maine.

Link: https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-2000-8012-0371

Both American and JetBlue had submitted bids for the service; at the initial filing Jetblue's package was several million dollars more.  However, they were allowed to resubmit a proposal on June 2nd which turned out to be much less and comparable to AA's (revision).   By my initial search it doesn't appear that any media outlets reported this change.

The impression of favoritism set aside, it's disappointing that AA's bid wasn't taken more seriously given it would have increased flight frequencies to 12 a week from what will stay at 7.  While there has been a lot of passion in the local community for JetBlue, a more rational analysis would have been preferred.

JetBlue Introducing BlueFirst

JetBlue shared the following announcement today:

BlueFirst™

Arriving soon, our newest take on premium travel, on non-Mint flights.

More information: https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us/fares-simplified

MileagePlus Dining Offer for Extra Miles

I received the following offer today to earn an additional 2x bonus miles through Mileage Plus Dining:

Dine at participating restaurants through August 13, 2026 and review your experiences.

Did anyone else get it? 

Airbnb Adjusting Service Fee

Did anyone else receive this email update?

Today, hosts and guests both pay service fees. As a result, you set one price, but guests see a higher price that includes their service fee. Many hosts tell us this makes pricing difficult.

To simplify pricing, we’re combining both fees into a single 15.5% service fee on September 15. The 15.5% fee is based on Airbnb’s global average service fees.

End of OneWorld Sapphire Status

Back in October 2025 I wrote about an opportunity to confirm OneWorld Sapphire status with Royal Jordanian as a Gold Sparrow - this has been very helpful over the last months whenever I fly American Airlines as it gets me access to AA Flagship Lounges.  The lounge at O'hare has been a favorite stop!

Unfortunately my access and status ends this week.  It's been a good run and I'll miss the stopovers!

Qatar Airways Changes Awards Redemption Rules

Kudos to OneMileAtaTime for sharing information about a change implemented by Qatar Airways related to use of Avios.  It has been possible for individuals to book awards for others from their accounts - now Qatar Airways has introduced the following rules:

1. The member’s Privilege Club account must have been active for a minimum 30 days
2. The main member must have completed at least one qualifying activity;
   1. A flown flight accrual with Qatar Airways or any partner airline
   2. At least one eligible co-branded credit card accrual transaction

You can find more information and the article here: https://onemileatatime.com/news/qatar-airways-restricts-award-bookings-others-absurd-new-rule/

I'm disappointed since using Avios has been a great way to plan trips in business to the Middle East and Maldives.  I'll need to see whether it works to credit a flight and meet the requirement.

Chase Changes to Sapphire Preferred Start Today

I was very disappointed to see the news last week about Chase making changes to the Sapphire Preferred card.  If you don't want to pay the huge annual fee for the Reserve, the Preferred has been an excellent alternative. However, some of the changes may affect your points earning and redeeming strategy.

The primary announcement is here: https://media.chase.com/news/Meet-the-New-Chase-Sapphire-Preferred

Top items to note:

- The addition of 3x points on gas and EV charging is a great category adjustment - Airbnb/vacation homes earning is not useful for many in frequency

- Complimentary Apple TV is not applicable for many

- The 10% anniversary points bonus goes away, and was a notable perk for the card

- Points transfers to Hyatt will now be at a 4:3 ratio.  This is terrible.  Feedback so far has been quite negative and I wouldn't be surprised if many shift spend away to other cards.  This will be the only transfer partner that isn't 1:1.

 

New Seasonal SFO Flights

Sharing this brief update from the latest SFO newsletter:

Enjoy the following new seasonal nonstops starting service at SFO this summer:

• Guatemala City (GUA) on avianca operating 4x weekly, launching June 1
• Portland, Maine (PWM) on United operating 1x weekly, launching June 27
• Warsaw, Poland (WAW) on LOT Polish operating 4x weekly through September

New Hyatt Promo: 3X points on 3-night stays

I just received this new offer from Hyatt:

Qualifying activity must be completed by August 19th. 

British Airways: Upcoming changes to Reward Flight pricing​

...except they don't exactly say what the pricing changes will be!  Figures.

United/Jetblue Partnership Adds Reciprocal Perks

JetBlue announced that reciprocal perks on United are starting this week for Mosaics:

More information can be found here: https://www.jetblue.com/jetblue-united

Spring Trip to Stockholm!

I just returned from a spring trip to Stockholm with mom!  She selected the country although it also worked out for me as it was my first time visiting Sweden.  The weather was perfect and we were able to walk nearly 25 miles over the five days!  Tickets via Lufthansa/United were very reasonable ($679) and we didn't have any fuel cancellations (thankfully). 

Landing to Stockholm is very straightforward although the new EU EES system was a bit of a mess - the kiosks were not all working and lines were not organized.  Once we did the initial checkin we still had to get another round of fingerprints at the gate?  Seems inefficient.  The Arlanda Express train takes about 18 minutes to get into the center of Stockholm and from there we acquired our multi-day city transport pass for the trip.  Our stay was at Hotel Rival and the room was very comfortable (with amazing breakfast).  For dinner the first evening, we decided on a very popular local favorite, Restaurant Kyp In, and luckily they had a table open!

On Friday we visited the City Hall, Royal Palace. and Riddarholmen Church.  Public transportation is easy in Stockholm and we didn't have any problems using the busses and trains.  We were lucky to watch the changing of the guard right after our palace tour was done!  The old town Gamla Stan is a great place to walk with many cobblestone streets, shops, and restaurants.  One place we stopped for drinks and a snack was Cafe Nova - street seating is very popular.  For dinner, we chose one of the highly rated restaurants on the island, Gastabud.  No reservations so you need to arrive early or wait!

For Saturday we decided to train over to Djurgarden where we visited the Vasa Museum and Skansen museums and zoo.  Dinner was at a local bar and restaurant called Akkurat.  So many beer and whiskey choices!

Sunday's (and Mother's Day) plan was exploring Sodermalm with many shops and walkable gardens as well as a special get together in the evening with a classmate from high school!  Henrik was very generous to host us at his home and we enjoyed catching up with a special dinner.  

On Monday we booked an archipelago tour via GetYourGuide that was a 2.5 experience around the islands.  I highly recommend this if you're interested in learning more about how Stockholm developed over time.  After the tour we made our way to the airport and stayed one night onsite due to an early morning departure.  

Overall it was an excellent trip and we can't wait to visit again soon!

Hyatt Award Chart Updates and Property Changes

Hyatt is making changes to their award charts and we finally have news about which properties are changing categories.  The list is here: https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/rewards/award-chart-updates.html

Thankfully I'm not seeing any changes for the places I typically stay!

 

JetBlue Updating Boarding Groups

I wasn't expecting to receive this update - they are moving from letters to numbers and still have 8 groups:

We always like to give our Mosaic members first dibs, and want to let you know that starting next week (April 29), we’re introducing a simplified boarding process. All boarding groups will be numbered (Groups 1–8)—with Mosaic 3 & 4 in Group 1, and Mosaic 1 & 2 in Group 2 (both Groups 1 & 2 board through a dedicated lane).

Following is the new boarding order:

• Group 1: Mosaic 3 & 4 members, Mint customers
• Group 2: Mosaic 1 & 2 members, EvenMore® customers
• Group 3: JetBlue Premier Card Cardmembers, JetBlue Business Cardmembers. Blue Extra fares, Early Boarding Perks You Pick® (excluding Blue Basic fares)
• Courtesy Boarding: Active military, Customers traveling with car seats or strollers
• Group 4: JetBlue Vacations customers and general boarding based on seat location
• Groups 5 - 8: General boarding based on seat location

United in the news

I'm always watching for relevant airline updates and the past bunch of days were significant for United:

-Scott Kirby alludes to a merger with American Airlines

-United possibly rolls out free Wifi across their fleet, then clarifies it's not free! (via Live and Let's Fly)

-Will Jetblue merge with United (or other airlines)?

Many of these would have impacts for travelers!

My Star Alliance Goal - Update

Some time ago I challenged myself to see whether I might be able to fly on all Star Alliance airlines.  This has been an ongoing goal though not specifically a priority given my change in travel patterns over the last few years.  Crossing 1M miles this year was a special milestone! 

However, I was able to add a new airline to the list after flying Singapore Airlines for the first time last week:

• Aegean Airlines A3
• Air Canada AC
• Air China CA
• Air India
• Air New Zealand NZ
• ANA NH
• Asiana Airlines OZ
• Austrian OS
• Avianca AV, TACA Airlines TA
• Brussels Airlines 
• Copa Airlines CM
• Croatia Airlines OU
• EGYPTAIR MS
• Ethiopian Airlines ET
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines LO
• Lufthansa LH
• Scandinavian Airlines SK
• Shenzhen Airlines ZH
• Singapore Airlines SQ
• South African Airways SA
• Swiss LX
• TAP Portugal TP
• THAI TG
• Turkish Airlines TK
• United UA

The project continues!

Statement from United on Travel

United published a message late in the week from CEO Scott Kirby about the state of operations and fuel costs - it's an interesting read:

https://www.united.com/en/us/newsroom/announcements/cision-125448

I'll be curious to see how flight prices adjust in the upcoming weeks.

Chase and United Months of Miles

Another promotion?  Yes!  This one is focused on spend per month ($1500 in March/April/May):

Probably will not go out of my way for this one.

Updated Spring Break Trip Routing

The new plan for Spring Break is now ready - map courtesy of the Great Circle Mapper:

I was able to adjust flights around the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict.  Thankfully I had enough United miles for an option through Vienna on Austrian.  I'm sad not to get back to Doha this trip, and we'll be unable to do Business the whole way.  It's the safer option right now so we don't have to cancel the whole trip. 

Customer Service Center During Disruption

My British Airways Call Center experience to cancel my booking to Doha:

Website: manage booking form, error and would not complete

1st call: menu, then disconnected

Received survey call 

2nd call: number rang through to a person

Phone transferred to the Club team as Reservations agent can not help me

Club team wants to know where I'm calling from (why?) besides flight info; front-end system allowed them to refund

#persistence

Possible Changes to Spring Break Plan

The world changed a bit this morning as military activities occur across the Middle East.  This is affecting most of the major airports in the region including KWI, DOH, AUH, DXB, BAH, and AMM.  And while it remains to be seen how long these airports will be impacted, I'm preparing for cancellations of flights I've already booked toward/through Doha.  

Making changes to international itineraries within a week of departure is extremely challenging under normal circumstances - it's a greater challenge now given the number of airports that would usually be available for transit but are closed.  

United (and most airlines) would prefer that you avoid overlapping bookings which I was reminded of this morning when I tried to book an alternative staging flight.  Thankfully I was able to find another option via Heathrow using miles that would still get us to Malé though not in Business.  This would also avoid a flight path through the region for the most part. 

I'll be monitoring our booked flights this week to see what the airlines decide to do.  We may need to make more changes or cancel - safety is a priority. 

Spring Break 2026 Adventure: Maldives!

Less than 30 days remain before we are off again on another spring break adventure, this year going back to the Maldives with two city stops along the way.  We're using points and miles for nearly all options which will be a huge savings.  Plus almost every segment will be in Business!  Here's the map via GCMap:

The points and miles breakdown:

Park Hyatt Maldives (4 nights): 140,000 Hyatt points 

We have Globalist status again with breakfast included (as brunch) so dinner is our only expense. 

Overnight LHR and DOH (1 night each): 

We have an evening stopover in London at the T4 Hilton using 51,000 points and then one night at the Park Hyatt Doha for a very low rate.  The extra time in Doha before a 1am departure means we'll have time for the Souq and a fun dinner.

LHR-DOH: We'll be on the Qatar Airways A380 in Business from Heathrow to Doha which only required 86,000 British Airways Avios total for two.

DOH-MLE: One ticket is using 75,000 Alaska miles/Atmos for Business Class, and another ticket uses a combination of 52,500 Avios via Qatar Airways for First Class.  Availability on this route was very limited and I was fortunate to find two premium seats between both programs. 

MLE-SIN-SFO-EWR: I'm excited to be able to fly Singapore for the very first time in Business!  We'll have a brief stop at Changi before flying UA2 in Polaris back to SFO.  This was booked using United miles (395k) which is a lot though worth it to me for the Singapore segment.

Looking forward to the journey and a relaxing week!

United Resumes Flights to LSE

I posted this request on Flyertalk a long time ago hoping that United might resume flights to LSE sometime in the future.  And I was thrilled when I saw the recent announcement!

https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/01/27/united-airlines-adding-daily-chicago-la-crosse-service/

I'm looking forward to this in May and hope that fares overall are competitive. 4x daily is promising! 

New Chase United Offer

These offers are being sent again with some frequency and this one is much better than the last - 3x points on gas/grocery/restaurant is good through March 31st, but there is also a promotion running right now for 5x dining on Freedom.  

When I already have a 3x option to get general points for gas and grocery, this offer is a bit underwhelming.

Hyatt Bonus Journeys 2026

Hyatt has just announced Bonus Journeys for early 2026!  While this will be another point earning moment for some, the number of points possible continues a trend of being reduced and now includes a property distinction as well:

I expect to receive some additional points with stays already planned though will not be able to earn the full amount this year.

New Terminal in MLE

I'm seeing an article from late December that Qatar Airways is now operating out of the new Terminal 1 at MLE airport.  

https://corporatemaldives.com/qatar-airways-begins-operations-from-terminal-1-at-velana-international-airport/

Can't wait to see it in March!

25 years...

...of being a Delta member.  Thank you for the reminder!  :)