A new way to book all-inclusive hotels

Good morning, my friends! It’s Friday – and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit the pub, demolish a pork knuckle, and then hibernate for two days.

Don’t judge.

Here’s what we’ve got to finish off the week:

• 😭 TSA lines are a disaster right now

• 🏨 A new way to book all-inclusive hotels

• 📆 Bilt’s Rent Day promo is… fine. I guess.

• 💳 Current Transfer Bonuses

😭 TSA lines are a disaster right now

No, you’re not crazy. TSA is a disaster right now.

Because of the government funding mess colliding with peak-ish travel demand, TSA staffing is stretched thin right now… and it’s showing.

We’re seeing reports of people waiting hours, airports telling travelers to show up way earlier than usual, and security lines that feel more like a theme park ride (minus the fun part).

So yeah… if you’ve got a flight coming up, you’re gonna want a game plan.

We put together a full breakdown of what’s going on, along with some tips for how to get through security faster. Ya know, without just blindly showing up four hours early like everyone else panicking in the group chat.

Inside the guide, we cover:

• Where to check actual wait times

• Which days and times are currently the least chaotic

• What still works to skip the worst of the lines (and what doesn’t anymore)

If you want the real-world version (not to be confused with The Real World version, which would be way more interesting), go check out the Daily Drop Lounge.

Readers are sharing data points, tips, and offering emotional support based on their airport experiences.👇

If you’ve got a flight soon, do yourself a favor and spend two minutes on both of these resources before you go.

Future you, standing in a chaotic security line, will be very grateful.

🏨 A new way to book all-inclusive hotels

Hyatt just added Bahia Principe as a new brand within the World of Hyatt program.

This means you can now book these hotels with Hyatt points, earn points on stays, and get elite credit just like any other Hyatt property (yay).

Bahia Principe is a large all-inclusive hotel chain with resorts across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Spain.

These are classic all-inclusive resorts – big properties, multiple restaurants, pools, beach access, and everything bundled into one price.

Not super luxury… but very solid value.

And best of all, these properties are already live and bookable on Hyatt’s website.

For example, this all-inclusive in Playa del Carmen is priced at 20,000 points per night.

During peak travel times, that could actually be a great deal – especially when you factor in that you’re getting food, drinks, and activities included.

But also… that same property is going for around $164 per night on many dates (as in the example above).

Which is also a really good cash price.

Especially because Hyatt is currently running a promotion specifically for this new brand:

Between April 1 and June 30, you’ll earn 2x points on paid stays at Bahia Principe hotels.

So instead of the usual 5x Hyatt points per dollar, you’ll earn 10x – which makes those cheap cash rates even more appealing.

(Just make sure you register for the promo in your Hyatt account before booking.)

But wait… THERE’S MORE! 🤗

This new brand also counts toward Hyatt’s Brand Explorer promotion:

Quick refresher:

Every time you stay at 5 different Hyatt brands, you earn a Category 1–4 Free Night Award.

Hyatt has so many brands that you can earn up to seven free nights from this method alone.

Since Bahia Principe is now its own brand, this gives you one more easy way to work toward that free night.

So here’s the bottom line:

Hyatt adding Bahia Principe means more all-inclusive options, solid pricing on both cash and points, a 2x points promo to juice earnings, and another path toward free night awards.

It’s a small bit of good news in an otherwise dark, gloomy, hopeless world. ☠️

📆 Bilt’s Rent Day promo is… fine. I guess.

Bilt Rewards just dropped a brand-new transfer partner: Wyndham Rewards.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with Wyndham lately, but they seem to be the belle of the ball, partnering up with multiple points programs in quick succession.

And to celebrate… Bilt is giving us a one-day-only transfer bonus to Wyndham on April 1st.

Cue polite golf clap.

Don’t get me wrong – a transfer bonus is a transfer bonus. But this one feels a little like getting excited about extra legroom in a middle seat.

The transfer bonus amount is based on your Bilt status:

Even if you’ve got zero status with Bilt, you’re still getting a 25% bonus… which sounds solid.

But here’s the thing…

There’s already a 30% transfer bonus to Wyndham from UR points right now. 👇

So unless you’re bored, experimenting, or just really love the Bilt app… this isn’t exactly moving the needle.

… but there is one angle here 👀

Bilt is letting you do a one-time status upgrade using $125 in Bilt Cash.

Which means if you’ve got some Bilt Cash sitting around from spending on one of Bilt’s new revamped cards, this could be a great way to use it.

Having no Bilt status means you could upgrade yourself to Silver status to unlock a 50% transfer bonus, for example.

And look – Wyndham isn’t sexy, but it can be useful.

You’ll find redemptions starting at 7,500 points per night, and there are actually some nicer hotels that cost 15,000–30,000 points.

So if you’ve got a specific trip where Wyndham happens to be:

• The cheapest option

• The only option

• Just convenient

… then yeah, this could absolutely make sense.

Otherwise, let’s just hope Bilt does something less boring next month. 🤷🏼‍♂️

That’s it, my friends. Take care and have a great weekend.

Peace,

59.4370° N, 24.7536° E

With contributions by McKay Moffitt and Sam Anthony