Happy weekend to all my points-and-miles party people!

Unless you, too, were personally victimized by Flying Blue’s changes this week. 😒

In that case, it’s a less happy weekend, but still happy to have you here.

And fitting because we’re covering the highlights and digging into whyyyy you should plan a trip with your points instead of sitting on them. Don’t sit around waiting for Big Bad Airlines to come water those beautiful points down.

Plus, nothing turns that frown upside down like a new vacay to look forward to. 😏

So let’s get right to it!

✈️ How to book the best business-class seat in the world without the steep price tag. 

🤑 Who doesn’t love bonus miles? Earn an extra 10,000 miles on your next Euro trip.

🏨 BINGO! The simple game that could earn you multiple free hotel nights.

😮 Ooh man... Bilt just made adding an authorized user really useful.

👀 Biz owners, you could unlock 100,000 points for $0 and net thousands in Hyatt stays.

🎥 The Daily Drop YouTube team opened every card from this bank and ranked the best ones in this week’s video.

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: The circle of points and miles

Earlier this week, Mike mentioned the phrase “earn and burn” in reference to not hoarding your precious points and miles. 

While that may sound like a game-y thing to do, it’s actually pretty wise advice, especially coming from someone who knows what they’re talking about. 💯

So, why do we encourage people in this hobby to regularly use their stash of points and then earn more? 

Because airlines and loyalty programs are constantly devaluing the value of your points.

It’s like driving a car off the dealership lot — it starts to depreciate rather than increase in value (and if a “flying blue” bus sideswipes your new car, then it really loses value quickly).  

This week’s example

The latest devaluation move from Flying Blue is just one of many recent examples of loyalty programs watering down redemptions and award availability.

They’re going the route of so many other airlines and unbundling their award fares, splitting them into three tiers – Light, Standard, Flex. 

Which means that while you can still find that 60,000 business class seat, it’s now a Light fare that doesn’t include checked bags, isn’t refundable, and may not include lounge access. 😔 

The full break down can be found here… where they lovingly framed it as them doing you a favor, giving you more choice and flexibility — to leave your bags at home and pay more for changes. 😑

It’s a bummer and we didn’t get a lot of notice before the September 8^th changes go into effect. 

And that’s another harsh reality: loyalty programs have ZERO obligation to give us a heads-up – it's their world, and we’re just playing in it. 🙄  

So, if you’re me and have over 100,000+ miles stranded in Flying Blue from a previously cancelled trip, the pressure is now ON to book new flights ASAP before the upcoming changes go into effect. 😥

What’s the point of it all?

Loyalty programs are constantly changing, different sweet spots emerge, and there are new deals to find and take advantage of. And that’s honestly some of the fun.

This doesn’t mean it’s a risky hobby and not worth getting into. It’s just a fact of life.

Having a scarcity mindset and hoarding points for a “someday” trip, can cost you more than just confidently booking a trip — even if clicking the button and transferring points feels scary.

The main takeaway here? Use your stash of points. Book the dream trip — before your points are suddenly worth way less.

And then come back, figure out what trip you want to plan next, pick a new card to help you get there and earn more points.

As long as you’re continually earning points, you are more protected from sudden program devaluations.

It’s why we encourage you to have a card that earns transferable points and not move them to programs unless you have a booking you’re ready to make.

It’s also why we mention a variety of cards and talk about earning points just as much as redeeming them.

Bottom Line

Points and miles aren’t your whole retirement plan.

They can be a big part of your plan to keep traveling when you retire, but with the right cards, you can stay a step ahead of devaluations and turn a once-in-a-lifetime trip into a regular travel habit.

Earn the points. Book the trip. Enjoy (mostly free) travel. Rinse and repeat. 😊

👀 This Week’s Must-Reads

🌍 Week in Review

• Monday: ✈️ How to book Qsuites with points

• Tuesday: 🏨 How (and why) to play hotel bingo

• Wednesday: ✈️ The points program fueling my U.S. trip

• Thursday: 🔥 Why you should earn and burn points

• Friday: 💰 Get 10,000 bonus miles on a Europe trip

Alright, friends, I’m off to take my own advice and book something with those Flying Blue miles.

Hope you’re encouraged to book that trip you’ve been eyeing… or at minimum, stick it to the airline man before they devalue your points.

Next week we’re up to something fun so April will be at the helm… so I’ll see you in two weeks!

29.7499° N , 95.3584° W

With contributions by Mike Dodge and April Wilson.