Buy Atmos points with a 100% bonus (maybe)

Howdy, friends! Welcome back to Daily Drop.

Before we get into the meat of the newsletter, I want to let you know that tomorrow’s newsletter will come out at 8 am rather than 6:30 am…

But don’t worry… it’ll be worth the wait. And that’s all I can say. 😉

Here’s what we’ve got going on today:

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• ✈️ Should you buy Atmos points with a 100% bonus?

• 📍 A beginner’s guide to stopovers

• 🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

✈️ Should you buy Atmos points with a 100% bonus?

For the next month or so, you might be targeted for a massive bonus when buying Atmos Rewards points.

Just to be extra clear, this is targeted. You might have a 100% bonus, a 90% bonus, or no bonus at all.

But… a lot of people are seeing a 100% bonus. And that could be verrrrrrrry good.

In this case, buying 200,000 total points will cost you $3,762.50, or about 1.88 cents per point.

So, is it worth it?

Let’s illustrate the potential value with a couple of examples:

One of the reasons we love Atmos Rewards is that you can book short-haul flights on American or Alaska for just 4,500 Atmos points each way (plus $19 in taxes and fees).

If you’re buying points for 1.88 cents each, that’s like paying $104 per flight (including taxes), which could save you quite a bit of cash on more expensive routes or dates.

If you’re willing to pay some cash but save a LOT of it, you could also leverage this deal for long-haul business-class flights.

For example, you can fly from the U.S. to Europe for as few as 45,000 Atmos points in business class, like this flight from New York to Dublin in Aer Lingus’ lovely lie-flat seats.

Including the same low taxes of just $19, that’s $865 cash to fly business class across the pond.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s still an investment… but it’s also a hell of a lot cheaper than booking the same flight directly through the airline using cash:

Anyway, you can think of this as a way to effectively get a discount on flights, rather than getting them for “free” (obviously).

If you do buy Atmos points, make sure to use a card with solid earning rates on everyday purchases.

My go-to option for points purchases is one of the two Capital One Venture cards, as they earn 2x on everything (that’s either the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card).

📍 A beginner’s guide to stopovers

Stopovers are the perfect way to turn one flight into two vacations.

They effectively let you add a free stop between flights on your journey, where you can spend a couple of days or longer in a middle destination.

In this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video, we’ll give you the beginner’s introduction to the concept of stopovers, including some examples of specific programs that offer them.

Check it out:

🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

A few minutes ago, we asked which U.S. destination was named Most Welcoming by Booking.com…

If you guessed Fredericksburg, Texas, y’all were right! 🤠 

Now this one is near and dear to my heart, because I (Katie here) looove Fredericksburg and personally think it lives up to the hype.

Though instead of “Welcome”, you might be greeted with a cheery “Willkommen!” as the town, which was settled by Germans in the 1800s, proudly maintains its heritage today.

Located in the Texas Hill Country, about 1.5 hours west of Austin, Fredericksburg is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. A small town well accustomed to tourists, it’s known for its shopping, local wineries, German heritage, and easy access to outdoor must-see sights like Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

Spend an afternoon strolling Main Street, popping in and out of stores, tasting local snacks, wines, or beers, and sampling local honey, farm-fresh peaches, and delicious German-inspired fare. Stop by the Pioneer Museum, the National Museum of the Pacific War, or a former president’s stomping grounds.

If the arts are more your speed, Fredericksburg is home to several galleries and live music venues. And if you’d rather disconnect, spa and wellness opportunities abound.

But Fredericksburg is largely putting itself on the map as the premier destination for award-winning Texas wines, with miles of tasting rooms and vineyards. One of the local wineries even serves a welcome pour of their flagship wine, aptly named gemütlichkeit (German for a feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer).

Whatever your interest, Fredericksburg has something for you. And whenever you walk in the door, you’ll be warmly greeted by locals who’ve been making it special for 180 years.

That’s it for today, folks.

Take care and see you tomorrow for a very tasty newsletter.

Cheers,

6°55'37.5 N,79°51'40.5 E

With contributions by Sam Anthony and Katie Begnoche.