New program, new transfer bonus

🌅 Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop — the newsletter that has a better track record than my closet when it comes to keeping up with fashion trends.

Turns out it’s fashion week in the travel world, too: a popular card just got a shiny mirror finish, and American Airlines is rolling out stylish new amenity kits.

Check it out:

• 💳 How to get the new shiny design on your card

• 💅 First Look: AA’s New Amenity Kits

• 🔥 Rove’s first-ever transfer bonus is here

• 🚢 Why transferable points are the best for cruises

💳 How to get the new shiny design on your card

The Platinum Card® from American Express just got a full refresh — new perks, new credits, higher annual fee… and yes, even a brand-new mirror-finish design. 😎

If you’re like me and already have Amex Platinum (and have decided to keep it), you don’t need to miss out on the new design fun — you can simply request a replacement card with the updated look.

Here’s how:

1. Log into your online account.

2. From the main menu, go to Account Services → Card Management → Replace a Card.

3. Choose the option “I want to change my card’s design”

4. Select the mirror design, confirm your details, and wait for your new card to arrive.

You can keep using your old card while you wait — same number, same credits, same earnings. No interruption.

And sure, this is purely cosmetic… but let’s be real: there’s something pretty satisfying about slapping a shiny new hunk of metal on the table at dinner, especially when nobody else has seen it yet. 😉

💅 First Look: AA’s New Amenity Kits

I’ll admit it: though they’re not great for the planet, I’m a sucker for airline amenity kits and those soon-to-be extinct mini hotel toiletries. Don’t @ me — I reuse the pouches to corral cables and travel gear, and I know some of you still swear by plastic straws.

So naturally, I was excited to get a sneak peek at American Airlines’ new amenity kits, rolling out later this month on premium transcontinental and international flights.

👜 Three new styles

Raven + Lily, known for ethically sourced leather goods with artisan details, designed the reusable bags. Each cabin gets its own look:

Flagship First & Flagship Suite Preferred: A navy crossbody bag with a removable strap, inspired by the brand’s Yami Backpack, with hand-stitched detailing.

Flagship Business & Flagship Suite: A powder blue and navy pouch with a kantha-stitched wristlet strap — good for travel or everyday use.

Premium Economy: A structured leather pouch in navy or orange that doubles as a sunglass case.

🧴 What’s inside

All kits include Joanna Vargas’ natural, plant-based skincare (think lotion and lip balm), along with basics like dental kits and earplugs. Beyond that, each cabin gets extras:

• First/Suite Preferred: oshibori towel, oversized eye mask, and crew socks

• Business/Suite: refreshing towelette, upgraded eye mask, and crew socks

• Premium Economy: microfiber cloth (remember, the pouch doubles as a sunglass case)

Bottom line

No, these aren’t Emirates’ Bulgari or Etihad’s Armani kits, but they’re a real step up. I’m especially into the Premium Economy sunglass cases and would actually use them day-to-day. Combined with AA’s new Flagship Suites, lounges, and dining improvements, these kits are another piece of the airline’s push to feel more premium.

Definitely a glow-up from those cardboard kits American was testing last year!

🔥 Rove’s first-ever transfer bonus is here

Rove Miles might not be on your radar yet — but it’s basically a shopping/booking portal where you can earn miles by booking hotels, flights, or shopping with partners.

Those miles can then be transferred to a handful of solid airline and hotel programs. Basically, it’s like all of our favorite credit card points programs… but without any credit card.

And starting today, Rove is running its first-ever transfer bonus:

• 20% bonus to Finnair Plus Avios (through December 31)

• 20% bonus to Air France/KLM Flying Blue (through October 22)

• Minimum transfer is 2,000 miles, then in 1,000-mile increments

And if you don’t have any Rove miles lying around, there are a few promos worth checking out — like a hotel booking bonus on your first booking (spend $250, get 2,500 bonus miles; spend $500, get 5,000 bonus miles, through October 3).

Avios flexibility via Finnair

Once you have Avios in Finnair Plus, you can use the new Avios transfer tool to shift those Avios among all Avios-based programs.

So “transfer bonus to Finnair” often equals “transfer bonus to any Avios airline” (British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Qatar, Aer Lingus).

Flying Blue value even for domestic travel

If you don’t want to fly across the Atlantic, this still helps.

Flying Blue allows you to book domestic Delta flights for as few as 5,000 miles one way — often cheaper than booking those same flights via Delta SkyMiles.

👉 TL;DR: New kid on the block, decent partners, new promos, and now a transfer bonus — not a bad combo.

🚢 Why transferable points are the best for cruises

There’s a solid chance you’ve heard us use the term “transferable points” once or twice.

Or maybe like… a zillion times. 🙃

But that’s because transferable points reign supreme, even for cruises! Cruise-branded cards tie you to one line, but transferable points-earning cards give you options.

You can use points for flights to your port city, a hotel the night before you hop on the ship, shore excursions, or even onboard credits if you redeem the right way. 

The other advantage? You’re not stuck waiting for one cruise line to release an offer. With transferable points, you can pivot to another program if prices shift or if a better redemption pops up.

And there’s no shortage of news right now to get all of you cruise people psyched!

Celebrity just announced some sweet new river ships launching in 2027, Carnival is adding a Hawaii series and shifting ships to new homeports, and Cunard is giving its Queen Elizabeth some exclusive upgrades for a full Caribbean season.

In other words, whether you’re planning for winter, spring, or a bit further ahead, it’s a great time to think about booking.

That’s all for today, friends. I hope you enjoyed today’s fashionable updates from the travel world, and we’ll see you again bright and early tomorrow. 🫡

Cheers,