Book cheap premium economy flights

Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop!

We’re going to hit all the bases today with an airline deal, a vacation rental promo, credit card tips, and even some travel trivia.

Let’s dive in:

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• ✈️ Flying Blue Promo Rewards (January 2026)

• 💳 The best low-fee card combo

• 🏡 Earn double points on vacation rentals

• 🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

The answer is waiting for you at the bottom of today’s newsletter… keep scrolling.👇

✈️ Flying Blue Promo Rewards (January 2026)

Every month, Flying Blue rolls out something called Promo Rewards, which sounds boring, but is one of the more reliable deals you’ll find every month.

The short version:

They discount certain award flights by 25%, but only:

• on Air France and KLM flights (no partners),

• in specific cabins,

• on specific routes,

• for a limited booking window.

So yeah, it’s pretty simple. And this month, the list of eligible cities is vast.

The economy deals

If you’re looking for a cheap, no-frills way to get to Europe, Flying Blue is discounting economy flights between Europe and a bunch of major U.S. cities for just 18,750 miles one-way (plus taxes).

Eligible cities include:

• New York City (JFK)

• Houston (IAH)

• Miami (MIA)

• Las Vegas (LAS)

• Washington, D.C. (IAD)

• Atlanta (ATL)

That’s a decent price for a transatlantic flight, especially if you’re flexible on dates and just want to get there without torching a pile of points.

And just because you have to fly KLM or Air France doesn’t mean you have to go to Paris or Amsterdam… these rates are also available on connecting flights to other European cities:

The belle of the ball: premium economy to Europe for 30k

The real standout this month is premium economy between Chicago and Europe for just 30,000 miles one-way.

That’s only 11,250 more miles than economy — and for that small bump, you get:

• a wider seat

• way more legroom

• better recline

• upgraded service (and food)

• and just a better overnight flight

Chicago is also a fantastic gateway city.

If you don’t live there, it’s one of the easiest places to position, thanks to cheap nonstop flights from basically everywhere.

And if Chicago doesn’t work, that same premium economy deal is valid for flights between Europe and Mexico City (MEX).

It’s more out of the way, but hey – there’s nothing wrong with spending a couple of days in CDMX and binge eating tacos before (or after) your trip to Europe. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Flying Blue is full of happy mistakes

While these Promo Rewards are published for very specific routes, you can often find good unpublished deals, too. 😏

For example, this Air France flight from Houston to Prague (via Paris) is pricing out at 30,000 miles in premium economy.

That’s the discount “Promo Reward” rate, but Houston is not supposed to be discounted in premium economy.

When you search for the same flight nonstop to Paris, it’s not discounted like that.

The point is:

Play around on the website, and you’ll probably find some fun fares like this.

Should you book these?

This isn’t the best deal you’ll find to Europe, but here’s why it’s still a good option:

Flying Blue miles are among the easiest miles on the planet to earn, since you can transfer at 1:1 from basically every major bank program.

Plus, availability is generally quite good – so you won’t have to bend over backwards and sacrifice your dog to a witch doctor to find award space.

A few final details to keep in mind:

• You must book by the end of January

• Travel can take place through June 30, 2026

If you’ve got transferable points sitting around from a big welcome offer and even a loose Europe plan in mind, this is one of those promos worth checking sooner rather than later.

💳 The best low-fee card combo

If you earn Ultimate Rewards points but feel like they disappear too quickly, there’s a very good chance you’re missing one of the easiest ways to earn more of them.

I’m talking about turning cash back into points.

We just published a breakdown on why pairing a no-annual-fee card (like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®) with a low-fee travel card (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) is one of the easiest ways to dramatically level up your UR points — without changing how you spend.

Using this combo means:

• 5% back becomes 5x Ultimate Rewards points

• 3% back becomes 3x Ultimate Rewards points

• Even boring 1.5% spending turns into 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points

Same spending. Same purchases. Way more flexibility.

We walk through how the pairing works, why it’s so powerful, and who it makes the most sense for in our latest article. 👇

🏡 Earn double points on vacation rentals

Marriott Homes & Villas just rolled out a promo that actually feels approachable for once.

Here’s the headline:

Earn double points on Homes & Villas stays of 4 nights or more.

You need to book by February 1, but the stays themselves can happen all the way through September 30.

That means you have weeks to book a stay and almost nine full months to actually travel.

The real surprise: no minimum spend

Normally, Homes & Villas promos come with a big, annoying catch – something like “spend $2,000+ before you earn anything.”

That’s what keeps a lot of people (like me) from even bothering.

This time, there’s no minimum spend requirement (yay!).

As long as your stay is 4 nights or more, the bonus points trigger — even on relatively cheap stays.

That’s great news for families, large groups, or anyone who wants to stay in more of a home than a hotel.

Don’t forget to stack, my friends

This promo also stacks nicely with other stuff you might already be doing anyway.

For example, Marriott co-branded cards will still earn the Marriott spend multiplier. And since many of those cards also give you Marriott elite status as a perk, you’ll even earn bonus points from having said status.

Finally, make sure you use a portal when booking stays through Marriott Homes & Villas.

For example, the Atmos Rewards shopping portal is currently offering 4x Atmos points:

That’s a GREAT way to add even more bonus points and get more bang for your buck.

Anyway, make sure you register for this offer before booking anything.

🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

We asked you which European spot was just named the most walkable…

… and if you picked Athens, you’re right!

A new study from BookRetreats.com gave Athens a perfect 20/20 for walkability, ranking nearly 50 cities based on how easily people can walk between major attractions, plus a handful of “feel-good” factors like sunlight, time outdoors, and physical activity.

Just within the historic center, you can walk from the Acropolis to the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Panathenaic Stadium in 30 minutes or less, making walking the easiest way to see the city. 😎

So yeah… this checks.

Other cities making the list include Helsinki, New York City, Prague, Rome, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Brussels, but Athens was the only one to get a perfect score.

If you’re thinking about a future Europe trip, especially one where you don’t want to rely on transit, file this one away.

You can read the full article and rankings here.

That’s it for today, friends. I hope you enjoyed these deals and tips, and I look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow.

Cheers,

6.9175° S, 107.6191° E

With contributions by McKay Moffitt