United nukes program, IHG goes indie, Amex closes loophole, and More
Talking Points - Issue 26
This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate disclosure
Today I'm another year older, and yes, my first thought was whether my wife used the right card for the cake. That's just who I am at this point. But here's the thing: birthdays unlock more free stuff than most people realize—free breakfast, free coffee, free doughnuts, free cookies, free smoothies... I wrote a shortlist. Another year of outsmarting the system starts today.
Key Points
A Finnish Olympic skier completed a slopestyle run in a tank top. No jacket, no excuses, podium energy only. Anyway, here's what happened with rewards and travel this week:
💥 United nukes MileagePlus: Starting April 2, United’s loyalty program officially splits into haves and have-nots—and the dividing line is whether you hold their credit card. No card? You’re earning 3 miles/$ instead of 5, basic economy earns zero, and saver business class inventory is essentially off the table. Partner miles for United long haul got quietly gutted too. Card holder? You actually come out ahead, jumping to 6 miles/$ and scoring a 10% discount on award redemptions (15% for elites).
🏨 IHG launches boutique collection: IHG dropped a new brand called “Noted Collection by IHG“, targeting independent boutique properties that want IHG’s distribution without a full rebrand. Think: the charming local hotel that doesn’t want to become a Holiday Inn, but wants to show up in your IHG One Rewards search. More program properties = more redemption opportunities. Worth considering for future award searches.
🚫 Amex closes the United TravelBank loophole: According to Reddit data points, Amex has officially ended the workaround that let Platinum cardholders use their $200 airline fee credit to load United TravelBank cash, which could then be applied to flights (and didn’t expire for 5 years). It was clean, flexible, and too good to last (though it lasted years). The credit still applies to incidental fees (checked bags, onboard purchases, lounge access, etc), but TravelBank loads no longer qualify. If you were counting on this for your annual fee math, time to recalculate.
☔ Rain insurance is now a thing: WeatherPromise just partnered with Expedia and Vrbo to offer weather guarantees at checkout. If it rains more than a preset amount during your trip, you get an automatic payout—no claims forms, no paperwork. Travel insurance used to just cover flights and health emergencies. Now it’ll cover a rainy beach day. Next up: sunburn insurance, bad Wi-Fi insurance, mediocre brunch insurance.
Hot Take
On buying points: Generally, it’s a trap. You’re paying real money for manufactured currency that devalues at the program’s discretion. But there are two exceptions worth knowing: topping off an account when you’re close to a redemption, or when a deal makes the effective cost too cheap to ignore.
Example: This week, Rakuten was offering 100x back on Incogni, a service that automatically scrubs your personal info from data broker databases. The Family Unlimited annual plan costs $275. That’s 27,500 Amex or Bilt points at effectively 1¢ each.
If you value those points at ~1.8¢ (and you should), you’re getting ~$500 value and a useful privacy tool for $275. Just set a reminder to cancel the renewal if you don’t want to keep it.
Rule of thumb: Never buy points speculatively. But when a real redemption is on deck, and a legitimate deal is in front of you, run the math. The value of an airline point is roughly 1.3-1.6¢ (depending on the airline and other factors), and varies wildly for premium seats (but usually in your favor).
Pro Tips
Points people rightfully obsess over flight and hotel deals. But your trip doesn’t start at the airport and end at hotel check-in. Saving on experiences like food tours, sporting events, walking tours, cooking classes, and live shows is fair game, too.
Case in point: I recently stacked targeted Capital One Shopping offers for three trip experiences—a fútbol match, a food tour, and a tango show. Total spend: $500. Total cash back: $200. That’s an average of 40% back on memories I would have paid full price for anyway.
Before booking anything, check your card offers (Capital One, Amex, Chase) for services like GetYourGuide, Viator, and TripAdvisor. Then check cash back portals to find the best rate for a stack.
Tip: Remember that Capital One Shopping sometimes rewards you with higher targeted offers in the hours AFTER you show interest in a specific merchant. If you don’t have Capital One Shopping, you can get a $40 sign-up bonus with my referral.
Fresh Picks
World of Hyatt Card - Up to 5 free nights (category 1-4):
3 free nights after $5,000 spend within 3 months
2 additional free nights after $15,000 spend within 6 months
Annual free night certificate
Discoverist elite status
$95 annual fee
Hilton Honors Business Card - 175,000 points + 1 free night:
After $8,000 spend within 6 months
Earn 12x on Hilton, 5x on everything else
Annual $240 Hilton credit ($60/quarterly)
Hilton Gold elite status
$195 annual fee
Alliant Credit Union Bank Account - $200/20,000 points
Get $200 or 20,000 Amex or Bilt points through Rakuten
Requires a $500+ direct deposit within 30 days
No monthly fee with paperless statements
Available nationwide. New members only.
New to Rakuten? Get a $50/5,000 point bonus
Got questions? I’ve got answers. Stuck on a points strategy? Confused about which card to get next? Want me to cover a specific topic that’s been bugging you? Send me your questions – I read every message, and you might get your 15 minutes of fame if featured in a future Talking Points.
Live rewarded,
Jason
Editor’s note: Opinions shared in this article are solely the author’s and do not represent the views of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other organization. The content has not been evaluated, approved, or endorsed by any of the mentioned entities. These are recommendations, not financial advice. I may receive a commission if you click through any of the links in this article.