TRENDING TRAVEL NEWS
• Huge relief: Despite the ongoing government shutdown, passport processing is working as normal.
• Tasty: Delta Airlines is collabing with chef José Andrés to bring Spanish flavors to the skies.
• Be careful: Here’s how to make sure your hard-earned points and miles don’t expire.
• That’s lit: 2026 will be the best year in a decade to see the northern lights – here’s where to go.
Good morning from beautiful Zurich, Switzerland – home of the cheesiest fondue, the richest chocolate, and, surprisingly, the dankest $30 tacos. 🌮
Today is full of big updates, so let’s get started:
🛫 JetBlue + United’s “Blue Sky” partnership is officially live
After months of teasing, JetBlue and United have officially launched their “Blue Sky” partnership, unlocking a new era of cross-earning, redemptions, and eventually, shared perks between the two loyalty programs.
Here’s the quick rundown on what’s happening right now:
TrueBlue members can now earn points on United-operated flights and redeem for United seats.
MileagePlus members can do the same on JetBlue flights.
Each airline handles its own redemptions, so you’ll still book awards through the loyalty program whose points you’re using.
As part of this rollout, United will return to JFK airport right alongside JetBlue, though this won’t happen until 2027.
Some JetBlue and United routes are excluded from earning miles/points — think select leisure or partner-operated flights.
🌍 Coming soon in 2026
Early next year, you’ll be able to book combined JetBlue + United itineraries on one ticket, meaning one check-in, one bag drop, and one set of rebooking protections.
For example, you could fly from Boston to New York on JetBlue and connect onward to Frankfurt on United.
Equally as exciting, status holders will finally see their perks carry across both airlines, though we don’t know exactly when this will take effect.
Here is a chart of what you can expect from this partnership down the road:
✈️ Why this matters
For JetBlue fans, this partnership opens the door to United’s global network without losing your beloved Mint seat domestically.
For United loyalists, it means better domestic coverage and a long-awaited return to JFK (so yes, you can finally connect to that JetBlue-only Caribbean route without switching airports).
The partnership still has fine print and growing pains, but the headline takeaway is clear: your earning and redemption universe just got way bigger.
If you want the nitty-gritty (like which fare classes earn or some of the other drawbacks), check out the official press release and dedicated airline pages:
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✈️ Earn up to 100,000 Aeroplan points with this limited-time offer
Most people see Air Canada and think, “Cool if I lived in Toronto… but why would I care?” Here’s the thing: Aeroplan points aren’t just about Air Canada — in fact, the best redemptions usually don’t involve Air Canada at all.
Aeroplan has the largest network of airline partners in the world, covering Star Alliance favorites like United, Singapore Airlines, and Lufthansa, plus unique non-alliance carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Air Mauritius, and more.
That makes it one of the most versatile (and valuable) points currencies out there.
And right now, the Aeroplan® Credit Card has a limited-time offer where new cardmembers can earn up to 100,000 Aeroplan points:
75,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
25,000 additional points after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months
That’s a lot of spend, sure… but it’s also a lot of points — and enough to unlock some incredible trips.
Example #1: Singapore business class
Fly business class from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Singapore Airlines (yes, Singapore!) for just 60,000 Aeroplan points + $79 CAD ($57 USD) one way.
Screenshot from aircanada.com
That’s a lie-flat seat to Europe on one of the best airlines in the world. Plus, after you complete all of the required spending for the welcome offer, you’ll have enough points to book this flight round-trip.
Example #2: Crazy long-haul business pricing
I once booked a wild route from Victoria Falls (VFA) → Addis Ababa (ADD) → Lomé (LFW) → New York (EWR) → Toronto (YYZ) — all in business class for just 80,000 Aeroplan points thanks to a dynamic pricing quirk. 👇
Screenshot from aircanada.com
Anyway, Aeroplan is one of the only programs that makes crazy, multi-stop itineraries like this possible, especially if you take advantage of its 5,000-point stopover deal.
Between the sheer number of partners and the sweet spots across the globe, Aeroplan points open doors far beyond Canada. This current offer is a fantastic chance to stock up — and it all comes from a single card with a low annual fee.
😮 25% transfer bonus to… Southwest??
Whoa… this is weird. We’ve literally never seen a transfer bonus to Southwest before – how cool is that?
Until November 6, you can get a 25% bonus when transferring Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest.
So… should you?
It depends! Obviously, if you’re someone who already likes to transfer points to Southwest, this makes a lot of sense.
For example, you can fly between Raleigh, NC, and Denver, CO for as few as 7,500 points on Southwest – a great deal for a 4-hour nonstop flight.
With this transfer bonus, that’s just 6,000 UR points… which is certainly the best deal you’ll find on that route.
On the other hand…
Ultimate Rewards points can be much, much more valuable when used with other partners like World of Hyatt.
For example, this hotel in Malta runs just 6,500 points per night almost every night next April.
As you can see, the cash cost on those same nights ranges from $700 to $1,000 per night using (almost) the same amount of points you can use here to book a $150 Southwest flight.
So here’s the bottom line:
For loyal Southwest fans, this is a great deal. If the right flight pops up before November 6 and this makes sense, go for it.
But generally? Your points will likely yield more value when used elsewhere.
🎥 How to get the most from your card’s travel portal
If you’ve got a card with a built-in travel booking tool, you might be missing out on some serious perks.
In this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video, we break down how to use your card’s portal like a pro — including a new feature that can literally double the value of your points and hidden luxury-hotel benefits you probably didn’t know existed.
That’s all for today, folks! I hope you enjoyed these big updates from the travel world, and I look forward to sharing even more with you tomorrow. 🫡
Cheers,
