Delta Airlines Enhances Customer Experience With These New Initiatives

Delta Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, has introduced several enhancements to its customer experience, primarily aimed at improving punctuality and productivity.

One notable initiative is the implementation of self-service kiosks for online check-in at select airports, including Seattle, Detroit, Boston, and Atlanta. These kiosks are designed to facilitate a contactless and expedited check-in process for online check-in passengers.

In addition to the enhanced check-in process, Delta has invested in expediting the security screening process for its members enrolled in TSA PreCheck. This initiative allows passengers to bypass the TSA PreCheck line by scanning their faces for facial recognition, resulting in significant time savings. According to Delta, this approach can reduce the average wait time in the TSA PreCheck line by up to 75%.

Furthermore, Delta will be implementing One Stop Security and eliminating baggage rechecking on certain international flights. This change will benefit passengers connecting in Atlanta from Seoul and London, as they will no longer need to reclaim and recheck their baggage before proceeding to their gate. This optimization can save up to 25 minutes for passengers. Additionally, select passengers connecting in Atlanta from London who utilize Global Entry or the Mobile Passport App will be able to skip redundant security checks and proceed to their gate directly, potentially saving up to 45 minutes.

These initiatives are expected to contribute to a more stress-free and productive travel experience for passengers.

American Airlines Makes Big Long-Haul Additions For Next Summer Season

American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, has announced a comprehensive expansion plan for the upcoming summer season. The airline will introduce new routes, extend existing seasonal routes, and implement aircraft upgrades to enhance its offerings.

One notable addition is the establishment of daily flights from Philadelphia to Prague and Budapest. Both destinations will be served on Boeing 787-8 aircraft, marking the first direct flights from the United States to Budapest. This expansion is particularly noteworthy given that until this announcement, American Airlines had not offered any unique European destinations, unlike other U.S. carriers, primarily due to its relatively low risk tolerance. This announcement represents a significant departure from the carrier’s previous strategy.

In addition to these new routes, American Airlines has announced year-round service from Miami to Milan, also operated by Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Furthermore, the airline has expanded its seasonal service from its hub, Dallas-Fort Worth, by introducing two new seasonal routes and extending a seasonal service to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on a 787-8 aircraft. These new summer routes include Dallas to Athens on a 787-8, and Dallas to Zurich on a 777-200 aircraft. This expansion will bring the total number of daily offered routes to Italy and Greece to 18 next summer.

American Airlines’ continued success in expanding flights to Athens and Italy is a testament to its strategic approach. The airline has consistently achieved high expansion rates year after year, driven by the exceptional performance of its flights to these destinations. Additionally, the airline’s growth at Tokyo Haneda has been facilitated by its partnership with Japan Airlines, headquartered in Tokyo. American Airlines has assigned its Boeing 777-300 aircraft from Dallas to Tokyo, an aircraft that has only served premium routes. This aircraft operates to international destinations such as London, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Sydney. In addition to its expansion to Tokyo from Dallas, American Airlines will now offer twice-daily 777-200 service to Tokyo from Los Angeles. Both services will commence at the end of March 2026. Tokyo has emerged as a premium destination for American Airlines in recent years. Previously, the airline assigned 787-8 aircraft to these routes, which offered less than half the business class capacity of the 777-300, indicating significant premium growth for the airline.

This premium approach is a first from American, and was surprising, given that there is no expansion from key hubs, such as Chicago O’Hare and New York JFK, two of the best hubs for international travel from the United States. I was speculating expansion from Chicago in particular, due to their strategic plan, which dictated that Chicago expansions were far overdue. I guessed that there would be a new service from Chicago to either Tokyo, Zurich, São Paulo, or Germany, given that their competitor, United, flies all of those routes, and the airline has historically been successful at those destinations. It is one of the airline’s disadvantages competitively to United, as much less service is offered from their Chicago hub. But overall, these are great expansions with hopefully more to come. It’s great to see American be the first carrier to offer Budapest service to the U.S. Hopefully, this can allow for the airline to boost its risk tolerance even more, and we can see some new and unique opportunities, just like what United is doing in Asia.

Delta announces new Africa service’s from their Headquarters, Atlanta

Delta Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, is thrilled to announce the commencement of new routes to Africa. Effective October, the airline will embark on its inaugural route to Morocco, connecting Atlanta to Marrakech. This exciting development offers three weekly flights on its premium Boeing 767-400ER aircraft. The aircraft boasts a spacious premium cabin with 34 business class seats and a 20-seat premium select cabin, ensuring a comfortable and luxurious travel experience for passengers. Delta Airlines’ commitment to the African market extends beyond Marrakech. The airline is investing further in the region by expanding service from Atlanta to Accra. This expansion follows the successful launch of flights from New York in October 2023, which received positive feedback from passengers. To meet the increased demand during the winter season, Delta will seasonally offer service from Atlanta to Accra, providing travelers with convenient and reliable travel options. To enhance the overall passenger experience, Delta Airlines is committed to providing complimentary internet on routes to West Africa and Morocco. This innovative feature will empower travelers to stay connected, access information, and enjoy their journeys without any additional costs.

United Airlines Announces Expansion of Lounge Infrastructure at Denver International Airport

United Airlines, a Chicago-based carrier, has announced the expansion of its lounge infrastructure at Denver International Airport, its fastest-growing hub. The new lounge, the fourth United Club in Denver, is situated in Terminal B, near gate B32, and spans two stories, encompassing 33,000 square feet. It will accommodate over 600 seats for guests visiting the United Club. The lounge is strategically located near several of United’s long-haul gates, particularly those serving international travelers who often opt for more expensive tickets. With an average of over 550 United departures daily from Denver, United Airlines has committed nearly another billion dollars to enhancing customer experience in the city since 2021. This investment underscores the airline’s continued commitment to Denver’s growth and expansion.

American Airlines announces winter service expansions

American Airlines, a Fort Worth-based carrier, is expanding its services from major hubs Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia, and Miami International this winter. The airline will introduce service to Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, from Chicago O’Hare, winter break service from Chicago O’Hare to Queretaro, Mexico, and service to Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, from Philadelphia. Additionally, American Airlines has announced increased frequencies on active routes this week from hubs Miami and Philadelphia. This includes over seven frequencies daily from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico, five daily to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, four daily to Kingston, Jamaica, three daily to Santiago, Dominican Republic, three daily to North Eleuthera, Bahamas, three daily to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, two daily to Dominica, two daily to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and from Philadelphia, an increase in service to Aruba with two daily frequencies, three daily to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and once daily to Saint Maarten. American Airlines previously announced increases on Dallas, Miami, Chicago, and Philadelphia earlier this year for the upcoming winter season, including direct flights to Honolulu and an expansion of their reconfigured 787 aircraft offerings from hubs such as Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and Philadelphia. These announcements position the Fort Worth-based carrier to compete in multiple markets during the winter season, particularly in the Caribbean. American Airlines is the largest carrier in the Caribbean, further demonstrating its consistency in this region.

What U.S. airlines are adding to their hubs

Fort Worth-based carrier, American Airlines, and competitor based in Chicago, United Airlines, are introducing new airport lounge infrastructure for their premium customers. This started recently when United Airlines wanted to allow premium customers in a rush or having a tight connection to still be able to get food before their connecting flights. For United Airlines, this was a huge success, as in most of their key hubs, like Chicago, connections can be very tight. American is now making a similar product, called Provisions by Admirals Club. This offering will open at Charlotte International Airport later this summer. This concept if successful, will likely be added to many connection hubs, including Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, New York, and more. Looking toward the future, I think this is a huge competitive boost for American Airlines. As a frequent flier and Admirals Club member, I often have tight connections, and a quick bite of food can be incredibly helpful in such situations. Especially when connecting from a partner airline like British Airways or Iberia in a big airport.

Delta Airlines announces major route network expansions from hubs Salt Lake City and Los Angeles

Atlanta-based carrier, Delta Air Lines, announces new long-haul routes. Starting on December 4th, 2025, the carrier will lift off from its hub, Salt Lake City International, to Lima, Peru, daily on a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. This route is intended to connect passengers from the northwest United States to Peru and South America by utilizing their partner airline, Latam, for connections. This route came from right field and is offering quick access to South America from the northwest USA, a market that historically has been minimal. This could be a hidden gem for the carrier by testing this service out. Additionally, to compete with competitors American Airlines and United Airlines for the Los Angeles market, Delta has announced new service from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, a route offered 5X daily by other carriers. In addition, Delta will now fly from Los Angeles to Chicago O’Hare, a route with over 20 daily flights. Of those, both of their competitors, American and United, offer wide-body aircraft service. This route has always been a huge route for American and United, with American using their brand new 787-9P with their nicest/newest business class product on this route, and being one of 2 active routes being served by this type of aircraft. Delta's Los Angeles service additions were needed to keep competing, and their Salt Lake City expansion is a good test to see if they can excel in a new market.

How airline ticket pricing is changing

U.S. Airlines American and United have started raising ticket prices for people traveling individually. Most frequently, the business travelers, the ones with the highest travel budgets, are flying individually. For this reason, whether a ticket is an extra $100 won't make or break if the business traveler takes the flight or not. They likely aren't paying for it and are writing the ticket price off, so they don't care. For airlines, this is great; higher ticket prices without changing anything is just printing extra money, assuming demand stays the same. I do fear that ticket prices for individuals are going to get too high. I took a look at United flights from Chicago to Peoria, and as of 5:15 PM on June 30th, the cost per person when booked as one is $280, and $174 per person if booked for two people. Meaning, for no reason, the price was gauged up an extra $106. According to Thriftytravel.com, United is offering a discount for those who aren't accompanied by someone over 15 to purchase the more expensive ticket. American Airlines is doing something similar. On the flight on July 2nd at 7:08 am from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Fort Myers, Florida, tickets as of June 30th at 5:30 pm are $390 per person if booked for one, but when booking for two, it's $240 per person. This is a huge difference, $150 per person. Again, showing the airline's attempt to grab money from business travelers. While this is only happening on very few routes, I think it's going to expand to more routes in the near future.

American and Chicago’s legal battle: an update to multiple lawsuits between them

Fort Worth-based carrier American Airlines has, since February 2024, been having multiple legal disagreements with the city of Chicago over gate allocations and favoring competitor United Airlines. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in May 2025, American filed one of two lawsuits alleging O'Hare engaged in lease violations and breach of fair access and requesting injunctive relief to halt gate allocations. The other lawsuit filed in 2024 is due to unfair gate allocations in the Terminal 5 expansion. This case is actively in discovery. In June 2025, the city of Chicago argued American misunderstood lease agreements and placed a motion to dismiss, but the judge rejected the claim. The FAA in both lawsuits promises equal opportunity to American Airlines, as it is required to give equal access in federally funded airports. Both have recently made press releases, and they both seem to have completely different claims. The city claims they are giving fair space, while American claim not. The next court date is set for September 2025, and hopefully, both parties will come to a resolution. Chicago is a key hub for American Airlines, and I hope the competition between American and United for Chicago will continue.

JetBlue still is involved in tax lawsuits

New York-based airline JetBlue has been involved in a tax scandal, resulting in lawsuits. On all domestic airfares, there is a $5.60 tax added to the total ticket fare. But when you cancel your ticket, refundable or not, you are entitled to the $5.60 back. JetBlue isn’t returning it and has refused to give it to their customers. A customer service agent in their chat feature told a client that “You agreed to the terms and conditions of the fare when you booked your reservation. I can't separate the taxes from the fare. It is nonrefundable,” according to the complaint. The complaint also states that this controversy has taken over five million dollars from Americans and that JetBlue's contract of carriage states, “Taxes and fees will not be refunded except when required by applicable law and, where permitted, only upon written request by Passenger.” Although that is printed there, the airline seems not to follow it, which is the grounds for the lawsuit. Most airlines have the taxes refunded automatically for this reason. This case has been active since 2021 and doesn't seem to be ending any time soon, with JetBlue previously attempting to dismiss the case..

How American and their partners are conquerring the market to Oceania and Australia

Fort Worth-based carrier American Airlines has conquered the market in Oceania. It hasn't done it by flying to so many destinations, but rather by making partnerships. They have partnerships with Fiji Airways, with them merging into American's loyalty program earlier this year, in addition to a codeshare agreement with Air Tahiti/Air Tahiti Nui, and they have a longtime Oneworld partner, Qantas, who they codeshare with, and in addition, they have an upgrade agreement for frequent fliers. With all three of these partnerships, American has frequent flier benefits, mileage ticket availability (on flights operated by these airlines), codeshare agreements, and the possibility to earn miles on either airline's flights. Because of these 3 partnerships, American has access to connect people to the most destinations in Oceania via mainline and partner operations. United has ten direct flights from the U.S., Delta has two, and American has up to 14 flights a day if you include their partnerships. This doesn't even cover all of the destinations via connections American and its partners have to offer. Qantas alone offers over 85 destinations direct from its hubs and has more to come. Over 55 of those are in Australia. While United's partner Virgin Australia offers 35-38 a year, that is still far less than Qantas, giving American and its three partners a huge advantage in terms of destination counts.

American Airlines announces new routes on their premium reconfigured 787 aircraft

Fort Worth-based carrier, American Airlines, announces additions to their recently announced 787-9 premium configuration aircraft. The difference for the premium layout is that there are 21 more business class seats and 11 more premium economy seats, in addition to a newer and nicer product. American flies three 787 aircraft daily from hub Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow. American noticed that dozens of seats in the main cabin were often empty; business class and premium economy class, in contrast, were commonly sold out weeks in advance. American corporate noticed similarities on other routes. They decided they needed an aircraft premium-focused that’s not a 777 that can fly from hubs like Chicago and Philadelphia that aren’t set up for those types of aircraft. Ordering new aircraft will take many years, so they took a look at what’s on order, and they have nearly three dozen 787-9 aircraft on order. American decided that a premium reconfiguration for some 787-9 aircraft would be the best offering due to the fact that most destinations in need of premium heavy aircraft likely don’t need a huge coach cabin. Making this a perfect fix to the supply and demand chain on some routes for American. As American is taking delivery of these aircraft, they have started by basing them in Chicago. On June 5th, 2024, it was swapped with a normal configuration 787-9 on flight 98 from Chicago to London Heathrow, and for familiarizing the crew, it is operated temporarily from Chicago to Los Angeles.  American decided that starting next week, they will be substituting the other two base configuration 787-9 flights from Chicago to London to be replaced by two premium configuration versions. Following this, American will be introducing this aircraft configuration to Philadelphia, with two daily flights on this configuration to London Heathrow daily starting August 6th, followed by service to Zurich, Switzerland, starting September 3rd. Shortly after American is adding this configuration to their headquarters, Dallas Fort Worth, on October 25/26th, with services to London Heathrow, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Brisbane, Australia, and in January, Auckland, New Zealand.  This is huge for American, with their SVP of network and schedule planning, Brian Znotins, adding “In addition to giving customers more premium seat offerings in key markets, we are also expanding this product to some of our longest routes, giving travelers an elevated experience when traveling to exciting destinations” and “At American, we know our customers are counting down the days to their next vacation, and we’re excited to expand our newly debuted Flagship Suite® seats to new long-haul destinations.” For American, this will allow for fewer seats empty and more premium seats sold, generally speaking, where they make the most profit. American is one of the biggest carriers worldwide, and this shows them continuing to expand and also improve customer experience while doing it. This will hopefully help American fix their problems of a shortage of long-haul aircraft. This is an amazing expansion with great potential.

Virgin Atlantic changes award tickets, more fees and more expensive mileage tickets

London-based carrier Virgin Atlantic has had an increase in taxes/fees for mileage-based tickets. Virgin has changed its fees to be upwards of 1800 pounds round-trip for mileage tickets. This is because Virgin relies on carrier-imposed fees as part of its pricing model. In addition to this, Virgin has changed its system to make miles tickets more expensive in an attempt to have more revenue passengers on board, where they make money. Other than on Carrier Imposed fees, there is no revenue from a reward seat. On a cash ticket, the airline can get thousands in revenue, allowing for profit to be made. The point being that Virgin Atlantic wants to try and get more revenue tickets, and not reward tickets, so that they can increase ticket revenue, especially in premium cabins.

A guide to Marriotts loyalty program

A guide to Marriott's loyalty program

Arguably the most popular hotel chain worldwide, Marriott is a key brand in luxury hotels. It also comes with a loyalty program that has five elite tiers. Today I will go through the requirements and benefits below, followed by reward choices. 

Bonvoy Silver(stay ten nights a year)

• Ultimate reservation guarantee (if your reservation cant be honored, expect to be in a different hotel nearby with compensation)

• 10% points bonus

• Priority late checkout

Bonvoy Gold(stay twenty five nights a year)

• All silver benefits

• 25% points bonus

• 2:00pm late checkout

• Guaranteed points welcome gift at check in every marriott stay

• Enhanced room upgrades 

• Earn marriott points for Emirates flights

Bonvoy Platinum(stay fifty nights a year)

• All Gold and Silver benefits

• 50% points bonus

• 4:00pm late checkout

• Points, complimentary breakfast, or amenity gift choice when you check in at a Marriott hotel

• 24/7 elite support

• Lounge access

• Emirates priority benefits

• Hertz Fastrack to Five Star

Bonvoy Titanium(stay seventy five nights a year)

• All Platinum, Gold, and Silver benefits

• 75% points bonus

• Guaranteed room access if booked at least forty eight hours before check in

• Hertz Five Star

• United Silver

Bonvoy Ambassador(stay 100 nights and $23,000 hotel spend annually)

• All Titanium, Platinum, Gold, and Silver benefits

• Your 24, a service where you choose your check in time, and you check out at the exact same time

• Ambassador service(better customer service) 

• Hertz President Circle

Reward choices

• At 50 nights

• 5 Nightly room upgrade rewards

• Save $1,000 on beds from Marriott Boutique

• Gift of Bonvoy SIlver status

• Five elite night credits

• $100 charity donation to select charities

• At 75 nights

• A free night award up to 40,000 points value

• Gift of Bonvoy Gold status

American expands its Miami Admirals and Flagship Lounges

Fort Worth-based airline American Airlines has recently announced that it will be redoing its Flagship Lounge and its Admirals Club. The airline recently added a flagship and redid an admirals club at the transatlantic hub, Philadelphia International Airport, and it was completed on May 20th of this year. Improvements and feedback have seemed to be nothing but success. Following these results, American has decided it needs to redo its lounges at its transatlantic and South/Central America hub, Miami International Airport. I personally took a stop at the Admirals Lounge at Miami (the one being expanded) in mid-April, and what I noticed was that it was in need of improvement and expansion. You had to wait for chairs, food options were limited, etc. This seems to be a consistent problem in some Admirals Clubs. I was additionally in the Flagship Lounge in Miami this past winter, where the lounge was again fairly packed. With this expansion, there shouldn't be problems, and the airline's recent commitment to improving customer experience will again be further shown. With Miami serving a lot of key routes for American, I think this improvement is a huge improvement and will allow American to continue to have a strong premium customer experience out of its hub in Miami. Passengers on American's Flagship First and Flagship Business have access to the Flagship Lounge. Some Flagship seats can cost over fifteen thousand dollars one way from Miami. Making it very important for them to get the best experience.

American makes new additions for this winter with new nonstop services

Fort Worth-based carrier American Airlines adds new domestic seasonal service. In an attempt to get ski travelers this winter, with routes to Sun Valley, Idaho, from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Phoenix International Airport. The airline is additionally launching nonstop service for the first time from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Aspen, Colorado, and from Chicago O'Hare to Missoula, Montana. American has recently seen a surge in demand from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and they have decided to add service from Chicago and Los Angeles. A perfect supplement to their service from Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix. American has added another supplement to its network with service from Phoenix to Fort Myers. American has also announced service to its seventeenth city in California, Santa Maria, and service will be done out of Phoenix. American will be the only legacy carrier to fly out of Santa Maria.

Delta adds new long haul routes, check in, and lounges to its Seattle hub

Atlanta-based carrier Delta Airlines makes new expansions in its hub, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. For the 2026 summer season, Delta opens new routes from Seattle to Rome Fiumicino and Barcelona El Prat International Airports seasonally. These routes will be operated on their Airbus A330-900NEO aircraft. Following these network additions, Delta's adding a Delta One check-in, a Delta One lounge, and a Delta Sky Club. The Delta One lounge has a very extensive plan to have two stories, with the top floor being outside with breathtaking views of Mount Rainier, a popular mountain worldwide. This is another example of Delta's commitment to having a premium brand for customers, with the VP of lounges and Sky Clubs, Claude Roussel, adding, “By continuing to invest in key markets and creating bespoke lounges and Sky Clubs, we are responding to customer demand for the elevated experiences they have come to know, love, and expect from Delta at our hubs and beyond.” This expansion should put Delta’s premium customer experience in Seattle at the top, hopefully allowing them to win some business travelers. Good lounges are a great supplement to their beloved Delta One premium product. 

A guide to Hyatts loyalty program and credit cards

Hyatt credit cards and loyalty program guide

Hotel brand Hyatt is a big competitor in hotels worldwide, and today I am going to guide you through the benefits and options. In terms of personal credit cards, Hyatt only offers one credit card. It is called the World of Hyatt Card. It comes with a signup bonus, in addition to a ring of benefits. The sign-up bonus comes with 30,000 points after $3,000 in card spending within your first three months of owning the card, and in addition, you can earn an additional 30,000 points within your first six months of owning the card by spending with points earned at two points per dollar, capped at 30,000 points. In terms of benefits, this card comes with a good chunk of benefits. These include a category one through four free night award earned every year while the cards are open, travel and purchase coverage for items/travel bought on the card, a DoorDash DashPass, no foreign transaction fees, World of Hyatt Discoverist Status, World of Hyatt points that don't expire, five nights credited toward your Hyatt status annually, and point accrual for all spending. Accruals from the World of Hyatt card include two credited nights toward your status for every $5,000 spent, four points earned per dollar spent on World of Hyatt purchases in supplement to what's earned from the hotel stay, two points earned per dollar spent on flights booked directly through the airline, local transit and commuting, and gym/fitness club memberships, and one point earned per dollar spent on everything else.

Reward choices

• 20 nights or 35,000 base points

• 2,000 bonus points after your next stay

• 2 club access rewards

• $25 Find experience credit

• 2 American Airlines preferred seats

• 30 nights or 50,000 base points, a category 1-4 free night award and a choice of

• 2,000 bonus points after your next stay

• 2 club access rewards

• $25 Find experience credit

• 2 American Airlines preferred seats

• 40 nights or 65,000 base points, a gift of Globalist status for a stay up to a week, and a choice of,

• 5,000 bonus points after your next stay

• Suite upgrade on your next stay up to 7 nights

• $150 Find experience credit

• 2 American Airlines Main Cabin Extra coupons

• 50 Nights or 80,000 base points

• 5,000 bonus points after your next stay

• Suite upgrade voucher on your next stay up to 7 nights

• $150 Find experience credit

• 2 American Airlines Main Cabin Extra coupons

• 60 nights or 100,000 base points

• 2 gifts of globalist status for stays up to 7 nights

• 2 suite upgrade vouchers on stays up to 7 days

• Category 1-7 free night award

• MyHyatt concierge (personal agent for help)

• 70, 80, 90 nights gift of globalist status for a stay up to 7 nights and a choice of

• 10,000 points

• Suite upgrade voucher on stay up to 7 days

• $300 FInd experience credit

• AAdvantage Gold

• 100 nights Category 1-7 free night award and a choice of

• 10,000 points

• Suite upgrade voucher on stay up to 7 days

• Extra night at any Miraval hotel

• AAdvantage Platinum

• 110, 120, 130, 140 nights gift of globalist status for a stay up to 7 nights and a choice of

• 10,000 points

• Suite upgrade voucher on stay up to 7 days

• Extra night at any Miraval hotel

• AAdvantage Platinum

• 150 nights category 1-8 free night award and a choice of

• 10,000 points

• Suite upgrade voucher on stay up to 7 days

• Extra night at any Miraval hotel

• AAdvantage Platinum

World of Hyatt’s loyalty program

Discoverist (10 nights or 25,000 base points)

• 10% points bonus

• Member discounts

• Waived resort fees on free night awards

• Complimentary premium internet

• Complimentary bottled water

• Preferred room (within category) complimentary upgrades

• Elite check in

• 2:00pm late checkout 

Explorist (30 nights or 50,000 base points)

• All Discoverist benefits

• 20% points bonus

• Room upgrades(discludes rooms with club access and suites)

• Guaranteed availability if booked at least 72 hours before check in

Globalist (60 nights or 100,000 base points)

• All Explorist and Discoverist benefits

• Waived resort fees(some exceptions)

• 30% points bonus

• Complimentary room upgrades

• 4:00pm late checkout

• Guaranteed availability if booked at least 48 hours before check in

• Welcome gift at Hyatt Studios

• Club access or breakfast

• Free parking on free night award stays

• Priority room access

A guide to Hilton’s loyalty program and credit cards

Hilton Hotels, a popular hotel group, has changed credit card offerings. Today, I am going to go through the common differences and options for credit cards.

Sign-up bonuses

To start, Hilton’s partner, American Express, has increased the sign-up bonuses on Hilton credit cards. You now can earn up to 175,000 points just for opening a Hilton credit card (spending minimums may apply), enough to pay for hotel rooms costing upwards of $2000 a night. Through opening any credit card with Hilton, you earn Hilton status, which can give you point bonuses, discounts, room upgrades, lounge access, premium Wi-Fi, and guaranteed access to rooms depending on your status level. Let's now dig into the specifics.

Credit cards

The Hilton Honors Card by American Express, Hilton’s lowest-level credit card consisting of no annual fee, is a popular choice for many, especially those that are younger. It has some pretty strong benefits for no annual fee, including Hilton Honors Silver status, 100,000 Hilton Honors points and a $100 statement after $2,000 in purchases within your first six months, no foreign transaction fees, and with $20,000 card spending in a calendar year, Hilton Honors Gold status. In terms of points accruals, you earn seven points per dollar spent on Hilton’s hotels booked directly through Hilton, five points per dollar spent on U.S. restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and three points per dollar spent on all other purchases. 

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card, another popular Hilton card, has some even better benefits. Coming with a $150 annual fee, it has a big signing bonus. It offers 130,000 points plus no annual fee for your intro year after $3,000 card spend in your first 6 months. Built-in benefits are extensive, with Hilton Honors Gold status, with that being upgraded to Diamond after $40,000 in card purchases during a calendar year; a free night award after $15,000 card spend in a calendar year, no foreign transaction fees, up to $50 statement credit per quarter on purchases made directly with Hilton on this card (up to $200 annually), complimentary National Car Rental Executive status, and better point accrual rates. Those include 12 points earned per dollar spent on hotel purchases booked directly with Hilton, six points per dollar spent on U.S. supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations, four points per dollar spent on online retail purchases, and three points per dollar on everything else. 

Hilton’s most enhanced card, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, has some very impressive benefits and a gigantic signup bonus. The signup bonus offer is 175,000 points after $6,000 is spent within your first six months of owning the card. The card's extensive benefits include Hilton Honors Diamond status, no foreign transaction fees, one free night award each year complimentary, with additional ones after spending $30,000 a calendar year and $60,000 a calendar year, up to $200 statement credit for Hilton purchases on the Aspire card earned semiannually, up to $50 statement credit each quarter on airline purchases booked through Amex Travel or directly with the airline when paid for on the Aspire card, statement credit on Clear if paid on the Aspire card, National Rental Car Executive status, up to $100 credit for Waldorf and Conrad stays if booked on special rates, and impeccable point acquisition rates. Acquisition rates include 14 points earned per dollar spent on Hilton Hotels booked directly with Hilton, seven points earned per dollar spent on travel booked through airlines directly, Amex Travel, car rentals booked directly at select companies, and U.S. restaurants, and three points per dollar spent on everything else.

Hilton status benefits

Silver(earned by ten nights or 4 stays or 25,000 base points)

• 20% point bonus

• Free bottled water

• Fifth night free on points stays

• Elite rollover nights

• Spa discounts

Gold(earned by forty nights or twenty stays or 75,000 base points)

• All silver benefits

• 80% points bonus

• Room upgrades if available

• Food/beverage credit or continental breakfast

• Milestone bonuses

Diamond(earned by sixty nights or thirty stays or 120,000 base points)

• All Gold and Silver benefits

• Priority on room upgrades if space is available

• 100% point bonus

• Lounge access

• Diamond status extension

• Premium Wifi complimentary

• Guaranteed room availability if booked at least 48 hours prior to check in

• Gift of elite status

Chase Bank announces the most expensive travel card and increases benefits

New York-based banking company Chase Bank announced changes to its Sapphire Reserve credit card. The card's annual fee will jump from $550 to a staggering $795.This now marks the most expensive card in travel. While the annual fee is a huge difference, let me show you how it is worth the new difference. For point earning through card spending, the only difference is in travel. It was previously 10 points a dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Chase's portal, 5 points a dollar on flights booked through the Chase travel portal, and 3 points a dollar on all other purchases. It will now change to 8 points a dollar on all travel booked through Chase, 4 points a dollar on hotels and flights booked directly, and 1 point a dollar on all other travel purchases. Chase just announced a program called Points Boost, and passengers will be able to redeem points at 2 cents each toward select hotels and flights, and those not eligible, 1 cent each. *Note it will take a bit for the program to update. This is better than Chase’s previous 1.5 each. Additionally, if you would rather spend your points alternatively, Chase still has 14 companies you can transfer your points to at a 1:1 ratio. These include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Iberia, Emirates, JetBlue, Singapore, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt. The active benefits still include a $300 travel expenses credit, Nexus/PreCheck/Global Entry Credit (up to $120), a DashPass with DoorDash, up to $25 a month in credits, $10 a month in Lyft credits in addition to 5x points a dollar on Lyft spending, and travel insurance.

Added Benefits

The new benefits include two $250 credits a year toward Chase's hotel portal (given as one January-June and another July-December), two $150 credits toward Chase's Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program (given once at each half of the year), two StubHub $150 credits, up to $250 toward Apple Music and Apple TV+, $10 a month in credits in Peloton in addition to 10 points a dollar earned on Peloton purchases, complimentary IHG Platinum status, and after $75,000 credit card spend, getting $500 Southwest credit, Southwest A-List status when booking through Chase, IHG Diamond status, and $250 to Chase’s shopping program.

Thoughts

This card has a lot of benefits and is definitely worth the increase for these added benefits. It offers over $1000 in added benefits. Making an extra $245 is definitely worth it! I think it shows a huge improvement from Chase and that they want to be at the top tier like American Express, and they are setting themself up to see growth in members.