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The Points Daily
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Thursday, May 14, 2026
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| 🦨 STINKER | | Bilt's Rakuten conversion deal ends May 15—act now | | Bilt's conversion deal with Rakuten ends tomorrow. Since November, Bilt members could convert Rakuten cash back to Bilt Points at 1:1, essentially earning free points for online shopping through the Rakuten portal. After May 15, that conversion rate drops significantly except for Bilt status holders. This was one of the better stackable earning opportunities available, allowing you to shop through Rakuten, earn cash back, convert to Bilt points, and transfer to airline partners. After tomorrow, it's probably time to set your Bilt redemption back to Amex Membership Rewards or cash if you're no longer interested. | | source → |
| 🦨 STINKER | | Summer fares spike 27% as fuel costs surge—book smart | | Summer flight prices just jumped 27% as fuel costs spike across the industry, with airlines passing these increases directly to passengers. The timing is particularly brutal since this is exactly when most people finalize vacation plans. Fuel is airlines' second-biggest expense after labor, so ticket prices follow oil price movements quickly. Airlines have also gotten much better at dynamic pricing, meaning these increases hit immediately rather than being absorbed over months. Your best defense is flexibility: Tuesday and Wednesday departures stay cheaper even when weekend prices explode, so lock in prices now and keep change fees low to recover costs if prices drop. | | source → |
| 🔥 FIRE | | Delta One LAX-Hong Kong from 85K miles—rare summer space | | Delta just released solid award space on their LAX to Hong Kong route this summer at 85,000 SkyMiles in Delta One, which is rare since Delta typically guards premium cabin awards closely and the mile requirements are usually steep. The availability spans multiple dates through the summer travel season, giving you actual options instead of being stuck with a single date. Delta One on this route features the newer suites with doors for the full premium experience. Act on this if Hong Kong is on your list, because Delta award space this reasonable doesn't stick around. | | source → |
| ✅ SOLID | | JetBlue Mosaic status available at 7 tiles—if you got offer | | JetBlue sent targeted offers to select TrueBlue members allowing them to earn Mosaic 1 status with only 7 tiles instead of the usual 50, an 86% reduction in the qualification threshold. Any JetBlue status gets you better boarding, free bags, and bonus points on a network that's become considerably more useful. Check your email to see if you received the offer, and pursue it if you did. | | source → |
| 😐 MEH | | Multiply Marriott points 4X and buy at just 0.88¢ each | | Marriott's points multiplier lets you take points from a previous stay and multiply them up to 4 times over, which works out to buying Marriott points for as low as 0.88 cents each and beats their usual direct purchase rates. This is essentially Marriott's way of letting you buy points at a discount using your existing earning activity as the base. The 4X multiplier cap means you need a solid points balance from recent stays to make this worthwhile. Consider using it if you have a big Marriott redemption planned and earned substantial points recently. | | source → |
| 🔥 STEAL OF THE DAY | | Steal of the Day: Book the Andaz 5th Avenue now before Hyatt increases award prices on May 20. This property remains the crown jewel of World of Hyatt's NYC portfolio despite newer competition from the Park Hyatt New York and Thompson Central Park. You have less than a week to lock in current award rates before they climb higher. If you've been sitting on Hyatt points and eyeing a NYC trip, stop overthinking it and book now with the option to cancel later if needed. The clock is literally ticking on this one. | | source → |
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| 💳 CARD OF THE DAY | | Card of the Day: American Express Business Platinum Card. Amex just rolled out ChatGPT statement credits for select business cardholders, adding another perk to an already robust benefits package that includes 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels, plus Centurion Lounge access and a $200 airline fee credit. With companies increasingly integrating AI tools into daily operations, having your credit card subsidize ChatGPT subscriptions makes practical sense. The card carries an $895 annual fee, but between the travel perks and AI credits, it's positioning itself as the go-to card for businesses embracing modern productivity tools. | | Apply here → (referral link) |
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