Welcome to the Miles and Points Daily Podcast, your daily dose of loyalty program news, credit card deals, and travel hacking tips. I'm Lucas, and whether you're redeeming points for a first class seat or just trying to figure out why your Uber ride didn't earn travel points, we've got you covered. Let's dive in.

Before we get into today's news, a quick word about some tools that can seriously level up your travel game. If you're hunting for award flight availability, head over to AwardTravelFinder dot com — it searches across programs like Qatar Airways, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, and more. You can also find high-value hotel redemptions and status match opportunities all in one place. And if you want to be notified the moment a points deal drops, alerts dot AwardTravelFinder dot com has you covered with instant alerts on flights and hotels. Plus, before your next trip, check out FlightQueue dot com to see estimated security and passport control wait times so you're never caught off guard at the airport. All six of our travel tools are linked in the show notes — go check them out.

Alright, let's get into the news.

First up — and this one had us doing a double-take — American Airlines has been caught placing a table on a window seat of an Embraer 170 regional jet, deliberately making that seat unusable. Now, you might think this is some kind of comfort upgrade or a clever workaround for a broken seat. Nope. It's actually about pilot contract scope rules. By keeping the plane at 65 seats instead of 66, American avoids contract limits that apply to larger outsourced regional jets. So next time you wonder why there's a random table bolted to a window seat, now you know. The tip here: if you're booking on regional jets and want every seat option available, always check the aircraft configuration before you book.

Next, let's talk about a story that's close to home for frequent travelers — Southwest Airlines has apparently stopped publicly replying to customers on social media as of mid-June. Southwest once staffed social media customer care around the clock, answered thousands of tweets, and even made custom GIFs to delight customers. Now? Silence. It's another sign that the old customer-friendly Southwest is fading as the carrier cuts costs and pivots its business model. The practical takeaway: if you need help from Southwest, calling or using their app directly is now your best bet rather than reaching out on social media.

Moving on to United Airlines — and this one is a bit of a saga. United's brand-new Boeing 787-9, tail number N61101, which features the airline's shiny new Polaris suites and one hundredth anniversary decals, has been plagued by maintenance issues since the moment it entered service. The plane was sent back to Boeing's facility in Moses Lake for repairs focusing on the TCAS system — that's the Traffic Collision Avoidance System, a critical safety feature. After about ten days with Boeing, both antennas were reportedly replaced, and the plane returned to service. But on its very first international trip after the fix — a flight to London — the return leg was cancelled due to yet another maintenance issue. The plane is now being ferried back to San Francisco empty. The good news is other new United 787s in the fleet appear to be doing fine, suggesting the issues are isolated to this one aircraft. If you're booked on a United flight and want to know what plane you're on, check FlightSeatMap dot com to view the seat map and confirm your aircraft type before you travel.

Now let's talk credit cards — because there are some genuinely excellent offers right now.

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card is currently offering a best-ever welcome bonus of one hundred thousand points after spending eight thousand dollars within the first four months of account opening. This card has no annual fee, which makes this offer extraordinary. Now, Chase markets the bonus as one thousand dollars cash back, but if you pair this card with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points — like the Chase Sapphire Reserve — those points become transferable to airline and hotel partners, potentially making them worth around one thousand seven hundred dollars based on typical valuations. The card also earns one point five times points on all spending and includes primary rental car coverage, which is incredibly rare for a no annual fee card. If you're eligible, this is a no-brainer. You can grab the link to apply in the show notes.

On the topic of big credit card bonuses more broadly — it's worth remembering that a massive sign-up bonus isn't always the same as a great long-term card. The strategy here is simple: capture the upfront value when the math works in your favor, then shift your everyday spending to the cards that reward you best after the bonus period ends. Think of sign-up bonuses as a fast-track to your next big trip, not a reason to stick with a card forever.

Speaking of maximizing cards — if you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you might be wondering exactly what counts as a travel purchase. The good news is Chase has one of the broadest travel category definitions out there — covering everything from parking garages and tolls to ferries, ride-hailing services like Uber, and even cruises. What doesn't count? Think tourist attractions, onboard cruise purchases, RV rentals, and some vacation rental platforms. One important heads-up: the Chase Sapphire Preferred now transfers to World of Hyatt at a four-to-three ratio rather than one-to-one, unless you have the card paired with a Sapphire Reserve. Keep that in mind if you're planning any Hyatt transfers.

For Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines fans, the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite credit card is worth a look. It's currently offering eighty thousand bonus points plus a twenty-five thousand point Global Companion Award after spending four thousand dollars in the first ninety days. Per current valuations, that's worth around one thousand six hundred dollars. The card charges a three hundred ninety-five dollar annual fee but earns three points per dollar on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, dining, and all foreign transactions — that last category being a real standout for international travelers. The companion award alone nearly offsets the annual fee. You can find the application link in the show notes.

Now for some last-chance deals you should know about before they expire. The American Airlines award sale is ending this Tuesday, the seventh of July — you can book flights for as low as nine thousand points to the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, or twenty-one thousand points to Europe for travel through the thirtieth of September. Choice Hotels' summer promo offering eight thousand points every two stays ends Monday the sixth of July. And Best Western is running a promo through the seventh of July where you earn two thousand five hundred bonus points per night. There's also a thirty percent transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic running until the fourteenth of July, a twenty percent bonus transferring American Express Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors until the fourteenth of July, and a thirty percent bonus transferring Amex Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic until the thirty-first of July. Stack those strategically!

On the hotel side of things, a United Airlines pilot is suing Marriott after his room at the Sheraton Denver Downtown was invaded by bats in the middle of the night on the twenty-ninth of August, two thousand and twenty-five. The pilot woke up to bats flying around his room, notified the hotel, and maintenance removed some of them — but didn't relocate him or properly seal the breach. He later discovered a bat had bitten his foot, and he racked up over one hundred thousand dollars in medical bills for rabies treatment. After Marriott allegedly offered a low-ball settlement, he filed a lawsuit. This is a stark reminder to always advocate for yourself when hotel service falls below any reasonable standard — and Bonvoy status or not, you deserve a safe room.

Finally, a story worth reflecting on — sometimes the best use of miles isn't for yourself. Sending a parent in first class to visit family, giving your kids a trip they'll never forget, or using your points to take care of the people you love — that's where travel loyalty programs create their deepest value. It's easy to hoard points endlessly chasing the perfect redemption, but sometimes spending them on someone else is the best return you'll ever get.

That's all for today's episode of the Miles and Points Daily Podcast. Thanks so much for listening — if you found today's show useful, please subscribe on your favourite podcast platform and visit us at milesandpointsdaily dot com for more tips, deals, and deep dives into the world of loyalty travel. Until next time, keep collecting, keep redeeming, and happy travels!