🤨 Who’s Actually Getting Those Flight Upgrades?

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TOGETHER WITH

Greetings,

We talk a lot about traveling smarter, but the quality of those experiences matters just as much.

You can go all-in with your loyalty, but will the airline actually give you that complimentary upgrade on your next flight? You can pick an excellent hotel, but will some bizarre quirk at the property ruin the stay? You can save up your miles for a big redemption, but are you sure you’ll actually be able to lie flat in that pricey seat?

Here’s what we’re talking about this week:

💺 Complimentary flight upgrades are harder to come by. Here’s how to boost your odds
🛁 A bathtub where?! Hotel design choices that have us scratching our heads
🫰 The premium flight experiences worth spending your miles on
💳 How many business cards should you have?

NEWS & NOTES

Checking in: Your smart travel briefing

There’s been a lot of news since we were last in your inbox, so let’s catch you up on some of the biggest developments in travel and loyalty.

Curious which premium flight experiences are actually worth your miles? Here are the first-class seats and business-class experiences TPG experts are jonesing to try right now.
Comparing flight prices could become more complicated as the U.S. Department of Transportation considers changes to this key airfare rule.
Bad news: Priority Pass members are losing access to this highly popular lounge network.
Speaking of bad lounge news, this network’s membership fees are increasing a whopping 65% to $1,400 per year. Ouch! The bright side? It’s still a much better deal to just get this soon-to-be-refreshed credit card.
This fan-favorite transfer bonus has (finally) returned — and it’s an incredible way to get outsize value on your American Express Membership Rewards right now.
Exciting! United Airlines is bringing its most premium planes to four more international routes — and they include the brand-new ultraluxe Polaris Studio suites.
And after seven years in abeyance, Delta Air Lines is bringing back nonstop service to this Asian hub.

SMART TRAVEL

Upgrades are harder to get. Here’s what works

It can be frustrating to be in an airline’s rewards program, only to never see your loyalty pay off with, say, the occasional upgrade to a better seat.

Unfortunately, those are harder to come by these days, largely because airlines have been much more successful at selling upgrades to the highest bidder, leaving fewer and fewer for loyalists.

Still, if you want to avoid paying for an upgrade, there are things you can do to tip the odds in your favor.

Start by checking out our playbooks for each major U.S. airline.

Flying United Airlines? Here’s who’s eligible and who gets priority for upgrades.

American Airlines? Some changes are happening here. The playbook for getting an upgrade is still the same. But starting later this month, you may only get premium economy on certain routes.

Delta Air Lines? Here’s the ultimate guide to scoring an upgrade.

You’ll have a leg up if you hold a cobranded credit card with the airline. This typically puts you in line ahead of non-cardholders. (And, these days, even top-tier loyalists are missing out on big benefits if they aren’t cardholders.)

And, of course, you could also use points and miles for an upgrade — if you’re not saving them up for something better.

Whether you want only complimentary upgrades or are willing to shell out a bit more for comfort, rest assured, there are still plenty of ways to move farther up the plane without spending a lot of money.

Want to know more? Check out these articles:

FOR THE ROAD WARRIORS

Dear hotels: Please stop

Let’s get real. There have been some questionable design trends emerging in hotels.

We’re just going to call it like we see it.

Like, why would they put the bathtub here?

Or the sink here?

Or a window here!?

Do they expect us to watch the TV at this angle?

Is this really a closet?

And why skimp on lighting where we need it the most?

We know we’re not the only ones scratching our heads over some of these decisions. So check out our expert Eric’s roundup of questionable hotel design choices — and be sure to comment on the article with your own pet peeves!

TOGETHER WITH

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