This might be the smarter Sapphire

☀️ Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop — the only newsletter that treats travel like a game of Tetris: cramming deals, gear, and just one more outfit into a carry-on with unsettling precision.

Here’s what we’ve got packed in for you today:

• 💳 The smarter Sapphire for most people

• 🧳 Your travel gear game plan (Prime Day edition)

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• 🔥 What’s your spiciest hot travel take?

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🤔 The smarter Sapphire? It might be this one.

With all the buzz around the revamped Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’d think it’s the only star in town. But the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is quietly having a major moment of its own — and it might be the smarter move for most people. 👀

That’s a ton of points for a card with an annual fee of only $95!

And the thing is… those points unlock nearly all the same redemption options as the more premium Sapphire Reserve — just without the pressure of using travel credits, navigating lounge access rules, or justifying a massive annual fee.

Let’s break it down.

The same transfer partners

You’ll have access to Chase’s amazing airline and hotel transfer partners, including top-tier programs like World of Hyatt, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, and more.

These are the same partners you’d get with its premium sibling, which means your points can be just as powerful.

Increased point redemption value through Chase Travel^SM

The Sapphire Preferred now also gives you access to the new Points Boost feature, which allows you to redeem your points for:

• Up to 1.5x cents each on thousands of top hotels and flights with select airlines

• Up to 1.75x on premium cabin tickets on select airlines

For example, this hotel in downtown San Francisco is on offer for $254 a night, or just over 19,000 Chase points — a value of 1.5 cents a pop, as promised. 👇

$50 annual hotel credit

Despite its low annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred comes with a $50 annual hotel credit when booking through Chase Travel.

Yes, it has to be a prepaid hotel through the portal — but it’s an easy win that helps offset the card’s already-low annual fee.

The same transfer bonuses

And unlike many programs where points sit idle, Chase’s partners frequently offer transfer bonuses — meaning you can snag around 20 to 30% more value by timing your redemptions right.

Bottom line

The Sapphire Preferred gives you the same core power as many premium cards — transfer partners, boosted redemptions, travel perks — with none of the stress of optimizing five different credits to make the card “worth it.”

✨ LEARN MORE ✨

🧳 Your travel gear game plan (Prime Day edition)

Amazon Prime Day is officially live through July 11 — and it’s the perfect excuse to means it’s time to snag deals on travel gear you’ll actually use (and not just whatever your aunt Marlene panic-buys every July).

For example, this Wrangler carry-on suitcase is down to just $57. 👇

It’s got 360° wheels, a built-in charging port, and a literal cupholder on the side — which is perfect, because 101% of my airport time involves a Starbucks latte.

I’m personally also a big fan of this travel belt from Arcade. I’ve used this exact belt for eight years, and it’s the only belt I own.

It’s stretchy for that post-Thanksgiving travel day, made of heavy-duty plastic, and I’ve never once had to remove it at airport security.

It might be the single best travel purchase I’ve ever made, now that I think about it.

Anyway, you’ll need an Amazon Prime membership to access most of these deals — and if you want to really make the most of Prime Day, I have another clever move for you…

That’s enough to cover your new suitcase, the belt, some packing cubes, a travel pillow, and maybe even an emergency neck fan (because you will forget how hot it is in Italy in August).

We also have a page on our website with our team’s favorite travel finds — so check back often, and click below to shop more Prime Day deals.

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

And the winner is… Bangkok, Thailand!

According to a new global study of over 1,300 cities, Bangkok scored the highest overall (91 out of 100), making it the top digital nomad spot this year.

Remote workers love it because of its affordability (just $1,537 per month). Plus, there’s solid public transit, co-working spaces, and strong infrastructure.

There are seven Thai cities in the top 100, y’all.

So if you’re looking to relocate (and have a remote job), Thailand seems to be a great option.

Want to see who else made the cut? Check out the full rankings in this article.

🔥 What’s your spiciest hot travel take?

We want to hear your spiciest travel takes. The ones that get you side-eyes in the lounge. The ones you only whisper after two airport martinis.

Do you love Spirit? Think lie-flat seats are overrated? Not a fan of Paris?

Select your spice level below, describe your hot take, and I’ll pick one or more to share (anonymously 😉) in a future Daily Drop.

That’s it for today, amigos. I look forward to reading your hot takes, and may the Prime Day deals be ever in your favor. 🙏🏼

See you tomorrow,

6.9175° S, 107.6191° E

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