Get 5,000 Aeroplan points (for free)

🌅 Good morning from beautiful Bandung — the Paris of Indonesia (yes, that’s the real slogan (though Bandung is way cooler than Paris (I know that’s a pretty hot take (oh no, I’m trapped in a parentheses spiral (send help))))).

Wow, that was intense. Let’s talk about travel:

• 💳 5,000 free Aeroplan points (if you have this card)

• ✈️ Save 40% with Southwest’s Fall Flash Sale (book by TODAY)

• 🏝️ Fly FREE to Tahiti with Windstar Cruises

• 🇮🇹 The best points hotels in Italy

💳 5,000 free Aeroplan points (if you have this card)

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can score a 5,000‑point Aeroplan award credit — no hoops, no fine print trickery.

All you have to do is register on the promo page with your Aeroplan number and the last 4 digits of your card. Within 14 days, you’ll get a coupon code good for 5,000 points off your next Aeroplan award flight.

And because Aeroplan works with the entire Star Alliance network, you’re not locked into Air Canada — you can also use it on partner airlines like United, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, EVA Air, and more.

How this could look in real life

Personally, I just booked a flight from Zürich (ZRH) to Boston (BOS) on Swiss Air for 35,000 Aeroplan points for a little Daily Drop writers adventure later this year with McKay and Tiffany.

With this promo, that exact same flight would cost just 30,000 points for an eight‑hour nonstop across the Atlantic on one of the best European carriers out there.

If you’re not looking to hop continents, you could still get big value on shorter hops.

For example, flying in economy from Chicago (ORD) down to Mexico City (MEX) on United would normally set you back 15,000 points, but with this discount, you’d only pay 10,000.

Whether you’re crossing oceans or just chasing tacos, shaving off 5,000 points is nothing to sneeze at — especially when those points are easy to earn.

Feeling the card love

I’ve already told you about how the Sapphire Reserve is basically an overstuffed buffet of perks:

• A welcome offer of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points and $500 travel credit

• Hundreds of dollars in other travel credits

• Tons of other perks (as if we needed any more)

Now it’s casually throwing in 5,000 free Aeroplan points, and I’m here for it.

Anyway, if you already have the card, great — register and enjoy the discount.

If not, well… this is just one more reason why the Sapphire Reserve has been sitting comfortably in my wallet for years. 👇

✈️ Save 40% with Southwest’s Fall Flash Sale (book by TODAY)

Southwest has launched a Fall Flash Sale, offering up to 40% off base fares when you use the promo code LUVFALL.

But hurry — you must book by today (the final day of the sale) to secure the discount.

Travel & blackout details

• Booking window ends: August 7, 2025 (by 11:59 PM PT)

• Valid travel dates: August 25, 2025, to January 26, 2026

• There are a bunch of blackout dates (see the sale page for full details)

Why you should act now

• The booking deadline is today: Don’t delay — once the clock strikes midnight (PT), the offer disappears.

• Huge savings: Up to 40% off the base fare really adds up, especially for group or family trips.

• You can always cancel for flight credit if you don’t end up needing the flights

This is a simple way to potentially save a lot of money on your fall travels. Simply go to the Southwest website, use promo code LUVFALL, and see what discounts are available.

As always, make sure you use one of the airline’s co-branded cards or a card like the Sapphire Reserve with solid travel earnings when booking cash flights.

🇮🇹 The best points hotels in Italy

Whether you’re sipping espresso in Rome, chasing gondolas in Venice, or pretending to be a wine critic in Tuscany, Italy is packed with hotels you can book entirely with points.

We put together a region‑by‑region guide to some of the best options across multiple hotel programs — so no matter which points you have, you’ll find something to fit your style (and budget).

A few highlights:

• Luxury in Florence, where you can use Hyatt points to sleep steps from Renaissance art

• Coastal escapes in Amalfi with Marriott, Hilton, and IHG options

• Hidden‑gem countryside stays that will have you Googling “how to buy a villa in Tuscany”

• Even a Private island in Venice, where I personally stayed in a private two-story villa a couple of years ago… all for $0 👇

Whether you’re planning a quick city break or a cross‑country road trip, this guide has dozens of properties that can turn your points into an Italian dream vacation.

That’s gonna do it for today, folks!

I hope you enjoyed this nice award discount, solid Southwest deal, and go-to guide for all things Italy hotels.

See you tomorrow,

6.9175° S, 107.6191° E

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham, McKay Moffitt, and Benji Stawski