Secret elite status shortcut

Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop, the soothing voice of reason for all your travel needs.

We’re like David Attenborough, if he had a flight tracker and an unhealthy obsession with credit card perks.

Let’s finish off the week strong:

• 🏨 Marriott’s secret elite status shortcut

• ✈️ Earn some easy bonus Delta miles

• 🥂 Mini Review: Korean Air Prestige Suites

• 💳 Current Transfer Bonuses

🏨 Marriott’s secret elite status shortcut

If your summer plans include Marriott stays, there’s a secret way to turn that into Platinum Elite status — without needing the usual 50 nights.

Enter: the Marriott Platinum Challenge. While it’s not advertised, it’s been around for years and is very real (I’ve even done it).

Here’s how it works:

• Call Marriott and ask to enroll in the Platinum Elite Status Challenge

• Stay 16 paid nights within 90 days

• If you succeed, you’ll be upgraded to Platinum Elite Status for the rest of the year and all of the following year

The only noteworthy fine print is that only paid cash nights count — not award nights, elite night credits from credit cards, or promo-based nights.

Why this matters: You can book cheap Marriott stays and turn them into serious perks, such as:

• Room upgrades (including suites when available)

• Free breakfast (or credit toward breakfast) and lounge access

• 4 p.m. late checkout

• 50% bonus points

For example, if you’re looking to hit up Las Vegas this summer, you could book some cheap nights at the MGM Grand for just $115 per night (including the egregious $50 resort fee).

Or find bargain Marriotts across Europe or Japan to knock out the challenge on the cheap.

Bottom line? The Marriott Platinum Challenge is one of the best-kept secrets in hotel loyalty. Don’t sleep on it (literally).

✈️ Earn some easy bonus Delta miles

Delta just launched a fun new promo that’ll earn you extra Delta SkyMiles and a $50 gift card for doing things you were probably going to do anyway.

The basic gist is that there are three different activities you can do with Delta partners, each of which will earn you a small chunk of bonus miles:

• ☕️ Link your SkyMiles and Starbucks accounts + reload at least $50 to earn 100 miles.

• 🍔 Join SkyMiles Dining and earn 1,500 miles when you spend $30 or more at an eligible restaurant, opt in to emails, and complete a review of that restaurant.

• 🚗 Book a rental car through Delta ($400 or more, excluding taxes & fees) to earn 1,000 miles.

Do all three and you’ll also get a $50 Delta eGift card.

Keep in mind that these bonuses are on top of the normal earnings from each activity, so the total amount will be higher (and vary based on how much you spend, of course).

Take this one-week car rental from Salt Lake City airport (SLC), for example. It would only cost you $420 through Delta, thus triggering the bonus and giving you ample time to explore the best national parks in the country. 😉

Most of us eat out. Most of us drink coffee. And some of us rent cars. So this is easy miles.

You do need to register for this offer, so go do that now.

🥂 Mini Review: Korean Air Prestige Suites

I had the pleasure of flying Korean Air’s brand-spanking-new 787-10 business-class Prestige Suites yesterday.

Since these planes are now flying to the U.S., I thought I’d give you my super quick rundown in case you have a chance to fly it yourself!

The seat

It’s fantastic. All suites are private, have direct aisle access, and have lots of high-tech features. We’re talking fast Wi-Fi, Bluetooth pairing, wireless charging, USB-C ports, and giant IFE screens. The crew was also fantastic, and the food was delicious.

The one major downside? The suite doors are still locked for regulatory reasons. 😑

Where to fly it

If you’re flying from North America, this product is currently available on routes between Seoul (ICN) and Seattle (SEA), Honolulu (HNL), and Vancouver (YVR). The footprint is limited for now, but Korean Air is in the process of rolling these out across more of its long-haul network, so more U.S. cities should be added soon.

How to book with points

Korean Air awards can be tough to find, but doable if you book far in advance with the following popular points programs:

• Delta SkyMiles

• KLM/Air France Flying Blue

• Alaska Mileage Plan (yes, really)

As always, consult our Transfer Partners Cheat Sheet for details on how to turn your credit card points into miles with these programs.

Bottom line

This is one of the best new seats on an Asian airline… Korean Air is revamping its entire fleet, making it an easy choice when searching for premium cabins.

That does it for this week, kiddos. Here’s to free breakfast, Delta gift cards, and biz-class doors that actually close.

Cheers,

6.1944° S, 106.8229° E

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham, McKay Moffitt, and Benji Stawski