What to do if your airline strands you

👋🏼 Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop! We’ve got some breaking news today, including some important tips for avoiding disaster when things get rough.

Let’s get into it:

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• ✈️ PLAY Airlines shuts down — what to do if you’re booked

• 🍔 The Uber perk most people overlook

• 🙌 Keep calm and carry… LMNT

• 🚗 How to get car rental elite status without ever renting a car

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

Tune in to tomorrow’s newsletter for the answer. 😉

✈️ PLAY Airlines shuts down — what to do if you’re booked

Bad news: Iceland’s budget carrier PLAY Airlines officially ceased operations yesterday, leaving thousands of travelers — including some flying to and from the U.S. — stranded.

If you had a PLAY flight booked, here’s what to know:

Immediate steps to take

1. Contact your credit card company: PLAY has advised passengers to request refunds through their credit card issuers or banks.

If you booked with a premium travel card that includes trip cancellation insurance, this is exactly the type of event where those benefits may cover you. I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to book most of my paid travel for exactly this reason.

2. Look for “rescue fares”: When an airline collapses, competitors sometimes sell discounted tickets to stranded passengers.

PLAY didn’t name specifics, but it’s worth checking with other carriers like IcelandAir serving the same routes.

3. EU261 rights: Under EU law, you’d normally be entitled to a refund, rerouting, or even compensation when flights are canceled. But since PLAY has completely shut down, collecting on these rights will likely be very difficult.

Bigger takeaways

• This is why booking with points can be optimal — it often gives you more flexibility to pivot in the worst-case scenario.

• It’s also a reminder that while ultra-low-cost airlines can be tempting, they do carry more risk. We’ve seen this movie before with WOW Air, Primera, and others.

• If you do book a cash flight on a low-cost carrier, having a backup points stash (and knowing how to use it) can come in handy when you need a backup plan.

Real-world example

One of our Daily Drop Pro members reached out to us this morning in a panic after losing their PLAY booking to Paris.

Within hours, our resident redemption guru, Daniel, walked them through transfer bonuses, alternative flights, and helped them salvage the trip with points.

If you’re in this boat, know that these options exist — whether it’s a chargeback, an insurance claim, or pivoting to a redemption.

And if you’re a Daily Drop Pro member, we’ll roll up our sleeves alongside you to find the best path forward.

🍔 The Uber perk most people overlook

The American Express® Gold Card is insanely popular thanks to its monthly coffee credits, $100 annual dining credits, and strong points earned on everyday spending.

But one of my favorite features often gets overlooked: the monthly Uber Cash.

Here’s how it works:

Every month, you automatically get $10 in Uber Cash added to your account once your Amex Gold is added to Uber as a payment method.

You can use it for Uber rides or Uber Eats deliveries in the U.S., and it even stacks with promos, discounts, and Uber’s other unique transportation options.

For example, the new Uber Shuttle between New York’s LaGuardia airport (LGA) and Manhattan costs around $22–23 one-way.

Apply your $10 monthly Uber Cash, and you’re looking at a ride into the city for about $12. That’s cheap, convenient, and takes no effort to use.

So while the Amex Gold’s dining and coffee perks get a lot of attention, the Uber benefit quietly adds up to $120/year in real, usable savings — and it can make airport runs a whole lot easier.

Oh… and the Amex Gold currently has an elevated offer (as if you needed any more of a reason to get it 😉).

🚗 How to get car rental elite status without ever renting a car

Most travelers think elite status at Avis, Hertz, or National is reserved for road warriors who rent cars every week.

In reality, you can unlock the same perks without ever setting foot in a rental lot — just by activating benefits you probably already have through your credit cards, airline accounts, or memberships.

What these statuses actually get you

We won’t bore you with a laundry list of fine print, but at a high level:

• Avis Preferred Plus & President’s Club: Faster check-in, shorter lines, and upgrades when available.

• Hertz Five Star & President’s Circle: Skip the counter entirely and grab cars from the “elite” aisle, often bigger or nicer than what you booked.

• National Emerald Club Executive: Walk into the Executive aisle, pay for a midsize, and pick out something larger (yes, even SUVs if they’re sitting there).

Each program has its own upgrade rules and caveats, so you’ll want to check their terms, but the gist is simple: you book smaller, you drive bigger.

The shortcuts to status

Here’s where the magic happens:

• Credit card perks: Many premium travel cards quietly come with rental status baked in.

  • The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card unlocks Hertz President’s Circle — their top tier — with just a few clicks.

  • Other premium cards (like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Sapphire Reserve) also grant Avis Preferred Plus or National Executive.

• Airline & lounge programs:

  • United MileagePlus elites are eligible for Avis status

  • Priority Pass members can enroll in Avis Preferred Plus

  • Delta SkyMiles Medallion members are eligible for complimentary Hertz status when they link accounts.

• Memberships you already pay for:

  • Visa Infinite cards grant National Executive simply for holding an eligible card.

  • AAA ties into Hertz with perks like waived young-renter fees, a free child seat, and discounts.

How to actually activate it

1. Join the car rental program (free) — you need a loyalty number first.

2. Use the right enrollment link from your card, airline, or membership portal. Don’t skip this step — otherwise the status won’t attach.

3. Check your profile — your Hertz/Avis/National account should show the upgraded tier before you book.

4. Book direct — third-party bookings (think OTAs) often won’t honor the perks.

Why this matters

Rental car prices are up, and getting stuck in line at the airport isn’t fun. These shortcuts save you time and often land you in a nicer ride for the same price.

And the kicker? You don’t need to be a rental-car regular to get in on it — just savvy enough to activate the perks you already have. 👍

That’s all for today!

It’s sad to hear about PLAY going out of business, but that’s exactly why using points, miles, credit card perks, and more can really save your butt.

Take care and see you tomorrow,

42.9956° N, 71.4548° W

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