New whopping 65% transfer bonus

Good morning and happy Tuesday from Hong Kong! A lot has happened in the travel world over the last couple of days, so let’s get into some of it:

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• ❤️ Bye bye, Spirit

• 🏨 65% transfer bonus to Marriott

• 🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

❤️ Bye bye, Spirit

As you know by now, Spirit Airlines ceased all operations early Saturday morning. 💔

It’s sad to see Spirit go… I always told people that if I lived in the U.S., my travel strategy would likely be just buying low-cost fares with Spirit – and I generally enjoyed flying with them (especially in the Big Front Seat).

It’s actually been really sweet to see the industry's reaction.

Other airlines like American and United have pledged to prioritize hiring former Spirit staff, which is great to see.

Plus, a number of airlines have stepped up to offer travelers some options if their travel was disrupted by Spirit’s demise.

When something like this happens, airlines will often offer “rescue fares,” which give travelers last-minute options for completing their trips:

Southwest

Southwest is offering flat, distance-based fares for any routes where they overlap with Spirit (for customers who had already booked Spirit flights):

• 0-500 miles: $200

• 501-1,000 miles: $300

• 1,001+ miles: $400

They’re not cheap, but if you really need to get from A to B at the last minute, it’s nice to have the option.

United is doing something similar. 👇

United Airlines

They’re offering price-capped fares from cities where Spirit flew, mostly topping out at $199 or $299 each way.

Again, you need proof of a Spirit flight booked for travel before May 16, and you’ll need to book through this dedicated website.

American Airlines

Similar to Southwest, American is offering rescue fares on overlapping Spirit routes (of which they have 67), which you can explore on this page.

If you have Spirit flights currently booked, they are null and void – as are all of your points (and co-branded credit cards, if you have one).

Spirit has confirmed that refunds will be automatically processed for any canceled flights (along with extras like seat selection, WiFi, bags, etc.) purchased using a credit or debit card.

If you booked through any other method, check out this full Q&A page for more details.

If there are any developments, I’ll be sure to let you know. 🫡

🏨 65% transfer bonus to Marriott

We often see transfer bonuses in the 10%, 20%, or 30% range… heck, sometimes we even see 40% or 50%.

But it’s quite rare to see one topping that…

Right now, however, there is a 65% transfer bonus from UR points to Marriott Bonvoy.

To be totally up front with you, don’t get too excited – Marriott points aren’t the most valuable.

But…

Given the upcoming Hyatt devaluation, this could actually be a great way to use your UR points.

Combine this with Marriott’s 5th night free perk

When you use Marriott points to book a 5-night stay, you get the cheapest of those five nights for free.

When you stack that with this bonus, it could really work out in your favor.

For example, this Moxy in downtown Boston costs 37,000 points for a night:

For a 5-night stay, it would cost you 148,000 Marriott points, which you could get by transferring just 90,000 UR points. (That’s just 18,000 points per night.)

If you paid cash, the same stay would cost you $1,300, so that’s not a bad tradeoff at all.

If you want an extreme example, check out this Marriott hotel in Cairo:

Using the same logic as earlier, here’s how it works out:

• 31,000 points (or $391) per night

• 124,000 points for a 5-night stay

• 80,600 UR points with a 65% transfer bonus

• $1,955 of savings (how much you would’ve paid in cash)

In this example, you’re getting 2.6 cents per point in value, which is more than you normally get with programs like Hyatt.

Plus, there are TWO different cards that could earn you enough points for a stay like this:

• This $95 annual fee card is offering 75,000 UR points after meeting the minimum spending requirement

• This premium card is offering 150,000 UR points – enough to book TWO stays like the one above.

The bottom line

At first glance, a 65% transfer bonus sounds amazing.

At second glance, it seems underwhelming when you realize that Marriott points aren’t the most valuable.

And at third glance, you crunch the numbers and see that you actually can use this for niche stays to save thousands of dollars.

Then, at fourth glance…

Just kidding, no more glances. 🧐 

🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

A few minutes ago, we asked which main street just took the top spot on USA TODAY's 10Best list...

If you said Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, you're right! 🎉

Main Street in Bethlehem is a walkable stretch of boutique shops, restaurants, and genuinely good people-watching. It runs right past America's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Moravian Settlement at Bethlehem, which was designated in 2024.

The city has been called "The Christmas City" since 1937, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's a one-season town. The locals have clearly been busy the other 11 months of the year.

If you're looking for a home base, the Historic Hotel Bethlehem sits right in the middle of it all and has been welcoming guests since 1922. Boutique hotel, 100-year-old bones, walking distance to everything. That's a good weekend.

Bethlehem beat out nine other towns for the top spot, including Waynesville, NC (just outside Asheville, great Appalachian food scene), and the surprisingly underrated Commercial Street in Emporia, Kansas, which apparently has a gourmet chocolate shop and a brewery.

We're choosing not to ask questions. 😉

Anyway, the full list is worth bookmarking for your next road trip. Check out all 10 winning main streets here.

That’s it for today, amigos. I hope those of you with Spirit flights booked are able to navigate the situation without much issue.

As always, tune in tomorrow for more travel tips. ❤️

22.3193° N, 114.1694° E

With contributions by Sam Anthony and April Wilson.