Cheap lounge access for occasional flyers

Hey there, stud. Welcome back to Daily Drop, the pierogi of newsletters – simple, but packed with delicious stuff.

Here’s what today’s is packed with:

• ✈️ 20% transfer bonus to Qantas

• 🥂 Cheap lounge access for occasional flyers

• 🇬🇧 How to plan the perfect first trip to Europe

• 💳 Current Transfer Bonuses

✈️ 20% transfer bonus to Qantas

There’s a new 20% transfer bonus floating around through November 8 that, at first glance, you might overlook or think is irrelevant to you.

But I’m here to tell you that it’s actually very relevant to you.

Here’s the deal:

For the next couple of weeks, you can transfer ThankYou points to Qantas with a 20% bonus.

Now let me get ahead of the big question here: Yes, this is useful even if you never fly Qantas or never want to fly to Australia.

Here’s why:

Qantas is a oneworld airline with tons of partners, all of which are bookable with Qantas points.

The list even includes airlines like Emirates, for which Qantas has some amazing award pricing – made only more solid by this transfer bonus.

For example, let’s say you want to fly Emirates business class on their 5th freedom route from New York to Milan.

Emirates will charge you 87,000 miles for the privilege, where Qantas will charge you 82,100 points.

Throw in the 20% transfer bonus, and you’ll shell out just 68,000 ThankYou points, which is a solid deal.

If you wanted to fly American Airlines from New York to London, you’d pay even less - just 68,400 Qantas points in business class, according to the same award chart above.

After the bonus, that’s 57,000 ThankYou points.

So here’s the bottom line:

This is one of those funky transfer bonuses that is deceptively good… so while most people overlook it, you can sip your Dom Perignon champagne in the sky. 🥂

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🥂 Cheap lounge access for occasional flyers

Usually, the easiest way into an airport lounge is tagging along as an authorized user on someone else’s premium card. For example, being added to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives you your own Priority Pass Select membership, plus access to every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club.

But I get it. Not everyone has a friend or partner willing to share perks, and dropping $795 a year just for lounge access can feel steep if you’re not also maxing out the other benefits and credits.

So if that’s off the table... consider The New United℠ Explorer Card or The New United℠ Business Card. With a much more approachable $150 annual fee ($0 intro annual fee the first year for the Explorer), they quietly offer one of the cheapest ways to score lounge access.

What you get

• Two United Club℠ one-time passes each year, good for you (or you + a guest on the same reservation).

• Passes work at any United Club when you’re flying United or a Star Alliance partner the same day.

• Beyond that, you’ll get perks like your first checked bag free, priority boarding, in-flight discounts, and over $500 in annual partner credits (terms apply).

My personal favorite United Club is the one at Los Angeles (LAX), mostly because of its outdoor terrace 👇

United has also been improving its lounge food at bigger hubs, including more hot options and premade sandwiches. 😋

Bottom line

If you’re not ready to commit to a premium card with a hefty annual fee, The New United℠ Explorer Card or The New United℠ Business Card offer a budget-friendly way to dip into lounges without going all-in. Two passes a year won’t change your life, but for the occasional traveler, they can turn a long layover or the start of a big trip into a much smoother experience.

✈️ Learn more about the personal version ✈️

🍷 Learn more about the business version 🍷

🇬🇧 How to Plan the Perfect First Trip to Europe

Hey friends, McKay here! 👋

If you’ve ever dreamed of finally crossing the Atlantic… this one’s for you.

When I took my mom to Europe for the first time, I realized how many people want to go but feel paralyzed by all of the moving parts — flights, hotels, trains… it can sound like a lot.

But it doesn’t have to be. 🙂

I recently put together a full guide to help you plan your first European vacation without losing your mind (or all of your savings). It’s built around the same London and Paris route, complete with flight sweet spots, a Eurostar breakdown, and some of my favorite hotels and neighborhoods in both cities.

It even includes our full itinerary — from grabbing breakfast at the famous Regency Café to seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at midnight — so you can see exactly how doable it is, even for first-timers.

If the idea of planning a trip abroad feels overwhelming, I promise this will make it feel exciting again.

And who knows — maybe you’ll be the one convincing your mom (or best friend, or partner) to finally take the leap across the pond!

Alrighty. That’s gonna do it for this week, my friends!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s content, and I look forward to seeing you again next week from beautiful Switzerland.

Farewell,

35.0116° N, 135.7681° E

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham and McKay Moffitt