Welcome to Saturday, December 27, 2025. Today we're covering the uncomfortable truth about elite upgrades, the luxury hotel lies stealing your time, and a viral Marriott bench controversy that says everything about modern hospitality. Plus: the only jet lag advice that actually works, and why your Diamond status might not mean what you think it does.

Let's start with the uncomfortable truth: complimentary elite upgrades are dead. Delta and American Airlines have effectively killed them by selling premium seats cheaply rather than rewarding loyalty. Instead of pretending upgrades still exist, here's a radical idea: replace them entirely with meaningful first-class discounts for elite members.

Think about it. Airlines would benefit from guaranteed revenue on premium seats, and frequent flyers would finally get transparent value for their loyalty instead of sitting on upgrade waitlists that rarely clear. When American would rather sell that first-class seat for $200 at the gate than upgrade a Platinum member, the game has clearly changed. Time for the rules to catch up with reality.

For all our coverage on airline elite status changes, check out our dedicated page tracking these industry shifts.

Speaking of broken promises, let's talk about the most infuriating phrase in luxury hospitality: "We'll text you when your room's ready." Spoiler alert: they won't. High-end hotels have perfected the art of sounding helpful while stealing your time.

The pattern is everywhere. Front desks promise texts that never arrive. "Upgraded" rooms turn out to be identical to standard ones. Eco-friendly programs that are really just cost-cutting measures dressed up as environmental consciousness. These aren't just minor frustrations—they're systematic failures at delivering genuine hospitality. When you're paying premium rates at a luxury property, being forced to circle back to the desk repeatedly isn't service, it's disrespect dressed in marble.

A New Orleans Marriott posted signs reading "Benches Are For Employees Only," and guests rightfully read it as a pretty blunt message. The hotel claims it's about controlling loitering, but here's the thing: a clumsy attempt at security theater that insults paying guests isn't solving anything.

This incident perfectly captures modern hospitality's struggle. Instead of addressing root problems, properties implement visible band-aids that alienate the very customers they're trying to serve. When your solution to a loitering problem is telling guests they can't sit on lobby benches, you've failed at basic hospitality design. There are better ways to manage security without making your guests feel unwelcome in spaces they're paying to occupy.

Now for something genuinely useful. Forget complicated jet lag apps and melatonin schedules—here's the formula that actually works: Set your watch to local time immediately. Stay up until local bedtime. That's it.

The moment you board your flight, your old timezone stops existing. Eat when locals eat. Sleep when locals sleep. Fight through that afternoon drowsiness with activity, not naps. Your body will adjust within 24-48 hours instead of dragging for a week. It's not glamorous advice, but it works consistently—which is more than can be said for most travel tips floating around the internet.

A hotel guest went viral for all the wrong reasons after exploding at the front desk when asked to lower his TV volume at 4 a.m. His defense? He's a Diamond member, which he believed exempted him from basic quiet hours. The front desk's perfect response: "So is the neighbor who complained."

This viral moment captures something important about hotel elite status—it grants benefits, not immunity from being a decent human. Diamond status gets you upgrades, late checkout, and lounge access. It doesn't get you special permission to disturb other guests at 4 a.m. The disconnect between perceived status and actual privileges has never been clearer.

Alaska Airlines is hiring someone to manage inflight credit card pitches on red-eyes and 6 a.m. departures. The job description talks about "empowering" flight attendants and being guided by "core values and leadership principles." Translation: they want someone to maximize credit card signups on flights where passengers are desperately trying to sleep.

Here's the uncomfortable reality of modern airline economics—these inflight pitches generate serious revenue. But there's a delicate balance between capturing value and annoying your most frequent customers. When you're making credit card announcements at 6 a.m. or on overnight flights, you've probably crossed that line. Airlines wonder why premium passengers are grumpy, then wake them up to pitch credit cards. The math isn't difficult.

United Airlines operates the most global network among U.S. carriers, making MileagePlus miles genuinely valuable if you know how to use them. Recent changes have actually made the program more useful for strategic redemptions, particularly for international premium cabin awards.

The sweet spots? Partner awards on Star Alliance carriers often price better through United than through the operating airline's program. Tools like Award Travel Finder make searching for these opportunities dramatically easier—you can compare award availability across multiple programs in seconds rather than checking each airline individually. That's the kind of efficiency that turns good deals into bookable trips.

Rakuten is offering their best-ever $50 bonus for new members through December 31—you'll get $50 after spending $50 total within 90 days. With holiday returns and January shopping ahead, this timing couldn't be better. The portal lets you earn Amex Membership Rewards instead of cash back, effectively making it a 5-10% bonus on purchases you're making anyway.

Air France and KLM are offering $50 off flights from U.S. gateways through December 30 for completed travel before May 31, 2026. Use code AFHOLIDAY5 for Air France or KLHOLIDAY5 for KLM on operated flights to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, India, and Africa.

For miles buyers: Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles ends its 100% bonus today (December 27), bringing costs to 1.08¢ per mile. JetBlue TrueBlue offers 130% bonus at 1.4¢ through December 31, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club gives 70% bonus at 1.47¢ also ending December 31.

Transfer bonus watch: Amex Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (targeted 40% bonus) and Rove Miles to Finnair Plus (20% bonus) remain active. Always have a specific redemption in mind before transferring—transferred points can't come back.

That's it for today. Tomorrow we'll be covering the latest in premium credit card changes and new award availability opening up for spring travel. Until then, safe travels.

— The Miles & Points Daily Team

Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

Active transfer bonuses worth considering:

Airline programs:

Hotel programs: