Reach 4 continents in business class

🍂 Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop. Doesn’t it already feel like summer was forever ago?? Suddenly, it’s pumpkin spice season, and our suitcases are gathering dust.

Mike is out sick today, so it’s Tiffany and Benji stepping in to keep your travel cravings satisfied.

Here’s what we’re serving today:

• 🍾 Biz class to almost any continent for under 60k points

• ⚠️ Do you really need travel insurance?

• 🏨 This $500 hotel credit just got WAY better

🍾 Biz class to almost any continent for under 60k points

If you’ve been dreaming of flying business class across the globe but assume it takes mountains of points, here’s some good news: you can do it for less than 60,000 points each way to four different continents.

These aren’t one-off unicorn deals — they’re repeatable sweet spots, and each comes with a few extra perks that make them even more attractive. Let’s take a little tour.

🛫 U.S. to Europe for 40k Avios (Boston → Madrid on Iberia)

One of the sweetest sweet spots in the world is Iberia’s nonstop flights from the U.S. East Coast to Madrid (MAD).

• Just 40,000 Avios one-way (off-peak) in business class from cities like Boston (BOS)

• Low taxes and fees compared to other transatlantic carriers

• Avios are very easy to earn (as we’ve discussed a few times this week 😉). You can transfer points from multiple banks into British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar, and move them freely between those programs.

• Frequent transfer bonuses make this sweet spot even sweeter (including one happening now with ThankYou points)

🌍 U.S. to Africa for 55k Atmos points (New York → Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc)

Alaska’s Atmos Rewards program is full of gems, and NYC to Casablanca is one of the best.

• 55,000 Atmos points for business class to North Africa

• Royal Air Maroc’s network makes Casablanca a great stopover or springboard into other parts of Africa

• You can transfer Bilt Rewards to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio

🗾 U.S. to Asia for 55k Aeroplan points (Seattle → Tokyo on ANA)

Aeroplan’s distance-based award chart shines here because this route is just under the 5,000-mile band for the region, locking it in at 55,000 points in business class.

• 55,000 Aeroplan points in business class

• You can book it on All Nippon Airways (ANA) — one of the world’s top airlines, or on Air Canada itself via Vancouver (YVR).

• Aeroplan is a transfer partner of nearly every major flexible rewards program, so points are easy to rack up.

🇨🇴 U.S. to South America for 21k UR points (Dallas → Bogotá on United)

South America often has excellent cash fares in business class, making it the perfect region to take advantage of the “Points Boost” feature of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This lets you redeem Ultimate Rewards points at up to 2 cents each toward airfare.

For example, a business-class flight from Dallas (DFW) to Bogotá (BOG) on United prices out around $436 — which translates to just under 22,000 Ultimate Rewards points with no added taxes or fees. 👇

• Cash fares are often cheap, and you can find similar value on routes to Colombia, Peru, Chile, and beyond.

• No award space stress, since you’re redeeming for paid fares with points.

• You’ll even earn miles on the ticket, since you’re technically booking cash fares, not awards.

Bottom line

With the right points strategy, you can sip champagne and stretch out in lie-flat seats without burning six figures of your balance. Whether it’s Europe for 40k, Africa or Asia for 55k, or South America for just over 20k, these sweet spots give you serious mileage for your… miles.

⚠️ Do you really need travel insurance?

We hear this question all the time: If my credit card already comes with travel protections, do I actually need to buy travel insurance?

Here’s the quick breakdown:

What your card likely covers

Many premium travel cards, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, include solid protections when you pay for your trip with the card:

• ⏳ Trip delay/cancellation insurance: Reimbursement if you’re delayed or need to cancel for covered reasons

• 🧳 Lost or delayed baggage insurance: Coverage for essentials if your bags don’t make it

• 🚘 Rental car insurance: Often primary coverage on eligible rentals

• 🚑 Emergency evacuation or medical coverage: Sometimes included, but usually capped

These benefits can save you hundreds on hiccups like delayed flights or lost luggage, and for short domestic trips, they’re often enough. I’ve personally gotten thousands of dollars reimbursed thanks to the Sapphire Reserve and a series of unfortunate events involving snowstorms and fender benders (don’t ask 🫠).

When standalone insurance makes sense

There are situations where a dedicated policy may be worth it:

• 🌎 International travel: Some card policies may not cover large medical bills abroad

• ⛷️Adventure trips: Activities like skiing or diving often aren’t covered by cards

• 💰 Extended or expensive trips: If you’ve prepaid for a big package or cruise, full insurance can protect that investment

• 🛡️ Pre-existing conditions: Standalone policies may offer coverage that cards won’t

How to decide

Ask yourself: Could I afford the financial hit if something goes wrong? If the answer is no, consider buying coverage. Otherwise, leaning on your card perks may be enough, especially if you’re traveling light or staying closer to home.

If you want a full policy, AXA Travel Insurance and Travelex are popular options that offer strong coverage options that go beyond what cards provide.

Bottom line

Credit card protections are a terrific safety net, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. For longer, riskier, or pricier trips, a standalone travel insurance policy adds real peace of mind.

🏨 This $500 hotel credit just got WAY better

Good news for those of you who have one of our favorite premium travel cards, the Sapphire Reserve (or its business counterpart, the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠). Starting January 1, 2026, Chase is making some key enhancements to your hotel stay perks. 👀

More flexibility with the $500 The Edit credit

The credit card world is ironic sometimes, because just yesterday, we told you about how current cardmembers get a $500 annual credit split into two $250 credits (each usable every six months) for stays at The Edit — a collection of curated properties where you’ll enjoy elite-like benefits like:

• Free breakfast for two

• Complimentary room upgrades

• Late checkout, when available

• $100 property credit

But now, from 2026 onwards, that time split goes away. You’ll still have two credits worth up to $250 each, but you can use them whenever you want during the year.

That means you could book one stay in January and another in February, and still get the full benefit without having to wait another six months for your second $250 credit. 🙌

One small caveat: you can’t double dip on on-property benefits if you make back-to-back reservations at the same property.

New $250 hotel credit with select hotels

The bank is also introducing a new $250 annual hotel credit (with a two-night minimum stay required) for bookings with certain partner brands through its travel portal.

Eligible hotels include IHG, Omni, Virgin, Montage, Pan Pacific, Pendry, Minor, and others.

What’s nice here is that even for amounts beyond what the credit covers, you’ll still earn both UR points and the hotel loyalty points for the full stay — so there’s good stacking potential!

Bottom line

These are solid upgrades — more freedom in using your Edit credit, plus extra value from the brand new partner hotel credit. If you love luxury hotel stays, this gives you more ways to make your card work harder for you. 😎

That’s all for today! Feel better soon, Mike. The rest of you — may your coffee be strong, your points plentiful, and your upgrades clear without a fight.

Catch you tomorrow 😉

The Daily Drop Team

Contributions by Benji Stawski, Tiffany Eastham, McKay Moffitt, and Mike Dodge