✈️ As your plane prepares to depart, you're reminded to stow belongings, adjust your seat and tray table, and switch your devices to airplane mode— here's why airplane mode is necessary and what it entails. Read the full story here.
Good morning, and welcome back to Daily Drop, your one-stop shop for all things travel, miles, points, and the occasional cat meme.
But today is an exciting day, folks, and I’ll tell you why:
🔥 Earn 85k Southwest points
It is a crazy time to be alive.
I say that because our favorite local airline has decided, once again, to one-up every other airline by offering INSANELY high welcome offers on their credit cards.
And this next phrase is going to be controversial, but I stand by it:
I think this offer is even better than the Companion Pass offer from earlier this year… 🫢
Check it out:
Right now, you can earn 85,000 points with this airline when you sign up for any personal co-branded credit cards and meet the minimum spending requirements.
That’s a LOT of points, people…
Here’s why I think this is the best offer we’ve seen in… well… forever:
The Companion Pass is a great deal.
But even if you like flying with someone else, these points might be more valuable than the Companion Pass because they allow you the flexibility to use them for one person, two people, four people, etc.
You see, Southwest often has incredible deals on award flights, including 3-hour flights like this one for just over 2,000 points.
With the current welcome offer, you’d be able to book this flight more than 40 times…
Keep in mind that two of the airline’s credit cards have annual fees under $100, and ALL of them have benefits and perks when flying Southwest.
But right now, you might be thinking,
What if I don’t want to fly from Boston to Orlando 40 times?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered…
Check out this ridiculous itinerary from Fort Lauderdale to Costa Rica, Houston, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Oakland, Denver, Seattle, Nashville, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Puerto Vallarta, and back to Houston.
I found options to fly this itinerary for 89,660 Southwest points…
That means that in addition to the 85,000 points you get from the welcome offer, you only need to earn a little over 4,000 extra points to book this trip.
Given that you need to spend $3,000 to earn the welcome offer (thus earning you at least 3,000 more points, if not more), this is not as crazy as it might seem.
So here’s the bottom line…
A big batch of Southwest points can take you WAY further than you might think…
Keep in mind that one of these cards has an annual fee of less than $70, so it’s absurd to think you can book a wild trip around the U.S., Hawaii, and a couple of other countries from the welcome offer…
Click this gorgeous button to learn more about the different card options or apply:
🍪 Tasty Travel Tidbits
🏕️ Do you work remotely? Do you like meeting other people? Do you miss going to Summer Camp as a kid? Then I’ve got good news: Later this month, Camp Indie is hosting its annual Adult Summer Camp, and Daily Drop readers can get a $100 discount using code DAILYDROP at checkout. Have fun!
✈️ Emirates has officially started operating its new fifth freedom flight between Miami and Bogota, Colombia! This could be an excellent way to experience the best first-class seat in the world without having to go too far.
🇫🇯 Fiji Airways is officially joining the Oneworld alliance later this year. This could mean some great opportunities to redeem points for flights to Fiji and Oceania, as well as a new option for connecting to other countries across the Pacific.
🏨 Marriott launches worldwide Summer Flash Sale
The summer travel season is fast approaching, and Marriott is offering a sizzling hot Summer Flash Sale where members can receive 20% off at nearly 6,000 participating hotels!
Here are the quick deets:
You have until this Sunday, June 9, to book your stay using Promo Code QRI to get 20% off (15% off for non-members)
Eligible for travel between June 10 - July 7, 2024
Participating regions include the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific
5-day advance booking required for pre-paid, non-refundable rates
In the nature of a true flash sale… the deadline to book is coming up QUICKLY.
But if you’ve had your eye on a small or last-minute vacay, you’ll have almost a month of dates to choose from.
If I wanted to hop over to San Francisco for a weekend and visit the infamous Alcatraz Island, I could simply do a search for that region, select the appropriate QRI Promo Code under Special Rates, and feast my eyes on all the discounted properties available 👇
And remember, there are participating properties in a handful of great regions around the world.
A 20% discount isn’t groundbreaking by any means, but I don’t think I know anyone who would simply just say “no” to a sale…
So if you have a trip planned and haven’t booked your accommodations yet, this could be a nice little opportunity to get a discounted rate.
Or… maybe this has inspired you to take a quick getaway for an upcoming weekend 🤗
Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter!
I think it’s pretty ridiculous that we’re still seeing these credit card offers that at one time would’ve been totally unbelievable, but now they’re just par for the course.
Anyway, I hope you have a great day!
Cheers,
