The wait is finally over for American Airlines flyers tired of paying for Wi-Fi. Starting today, free inflight connectivity rolls out across most of the fleet. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines just unveiled a stunning $600 million cabin upgrade that will transform its A330s, and Hilton made headlines by severing ties with a Minneapolis-area hotel. Here's everything that matters today.

American Airlines is joining Delta and JetBlue in offering free Wi-Fi to AAdvantage members starting today, January 8th. But the rollout isn't instantaneous across the fleet. Not every aircraft has been enabled yet, and widebody planes will come later in the year.

If you've been paying for monthly or annual Wi-Fi subscriptions, watch your billing closely. American hasn't yet clarified how refunds or cancellations will work for existing plans. The good news? This puts American firmly in competition with United and Alaska, which are moving toward free Starlink service.

Check if your flight has free Wi-Fi using SeatWifi before you board.

Hilton isn't playing around. The hotel giant has officially removed a Minneapolis-area Hampton Inn from its brand after follow-up video evidence showed the property was still refusing Department of Homeland Security bookings—even after issuing an apology.

The property had reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with confirmed reservations and told them they weren't welcome. After initial public backlash and assurances that agents would be accommodated, new video emerged suggesting nothing had changed. Hilton's response was swift and definitive: the hotel is out of the brand.

This is a rare example of a major hotel chain taking such immediate action. For Hilton Honors members, any existing reservations at this property should be automatically moved or refunded.

Here's the news that has aviation geeks buzzing: Hawaiian Airlines just announced a complete cabin overhaul for its fleet of Airbus A330s. We're talking business class suites, a proper premium economy cabin, and refreshed economy seats arriving in 2028.

This is part of Alaska Air Group's broader $600 million investment over five years to modernize Hawaiian's operations. The A330s currently offer lie-flat seats in business class, but the new suites should bring them closer to what you'd expect on premium international carriers. Premium economy will be a first for Hawaiian's widebody fleet, offering a middle ground between economy and the pricey business class.

If you're sitting on Alaska Mileage Plan miles or Hawaiian HawaiianMiles, 2028 is when these upgrades will matter. Keep an eye on award availability windows as the retrofit schedule gets closer.

Taiwan's premium carrier Starlux Airlines just took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 this week, marking the beginning of a major fleet expansion. The airline has 18 of these long-range jets on order, and they're eyeing new routes to the U.S. East Coast and Europe.

The A350-1000 seats 350 passengers across four cabins, giving Starlux the range and capacity to compete on ultra-long-haul routes. CEO Glenn Chai called this delivery "the beginning of a new era" for the airline's long-haul capabilities. For points enthusiasts, Starlux's business class product has been generating serious buzz—if they add direct service to major East Coast cities, expect award availability to be competitive.

Use Award Travel Finder to track when award space opens up on these new routes.

Cathay Pacific is celebrating its 80th anniversary by rolling out two planes in its iconic "lettuce leaf sandwich" livery—a throwback to the 1990s green-and-white design that aviation enthusiasts adore. The oneworld airline is promising a variety of initiatives throughout the year, but this retro paint job is what's getting everyone excited.

If you're booking Cathay flights this year using Asia Miles or transferring points from Amex, Chase, or Citi, keep an eye out for which aircraft gets the special livery. It's a fun detail that makes for great photos and adds a bit of nostalgia to your travel.

A guest at the Conrad Maldives says a spa massage left him needing neck surgery, costing more than $50,000 out of pocket. After submitting medical records and bills, he claims Hilton has gone silent for months—even as he describes the injury as life-altering.

This is a sobering reminder that luxury doesn't always equal safety. While spa treatments at high-end resorts are generally safe, this case raises questions about what went wrong and what recourse guests have when things go seriously sideways. If you're booking award stays at luxury properties, check whether your credit card's travel insurance or medical coverage extends to spa treatments.

Airlines and airports love telling you to arrive 2 hours early for domestic flights and 3 hours for international. During peak times, they push it even further. But is this actually necessary, or just extreme caution?

The truth is more nuanced. If you have TSA PreCheck or Clear, travel light, and aren't checking bags, you can often cut that time significantly. But during holiday periods or at notoriously slow airports, those recommendations exist for good reason. Use Flight Queue to check real-time security wait times at your departure airport before deciding how early to show up.

The bottom line? Know your airport, know your travel style, and adjust accordingly. Those 2-hour rules aren't gospel—they're guidelines based on worst-case scenarios.

If you're looking to top off your account for a specific redemption, here are today's best buy points offers:

Frontier Airlines is offering a 150% bonus at 1.08¢ per mile through January 9. This is a rare opportunity to buy miles at just over a cent each—useful if you're booking a high-value domestic redemption on their limited route network.

American Airlines has a 40% discount at 2.26¢ per mile through February 6. While not the cheapest, this can be valuable for topping off for a business class award to Europe or Asia when you're just a few thousand miles short.

Lufthansa Miles & More is offering a 50% bonus at 1.39¢ per mile through February 6. This is interesting for Star Alliance awards, particularly if you're targeting first class on Lufthansa or Swiss.

As always, only buy points when you have a specific redemption in mind and the math works out cheaper than paying cash. Never buy speculatively.

Today's biggest takeaway is the free Wi-Fi rollout from American Airlines—if you're flying American regularly, make sure you're an AAdvantage member to take advantage. Even if you never redeem miles, the free Wi-Fi alone makes membership worthwhile.

The Hawaiian Airlines cabin refresh won't arrive until 2028, but it's worth watching. If you've been hoarding Alaska miles, these premium cabins could offer significantly better value when they launch.

And if you're planning award travel soon, use Award Travel Finder to search across all programs at once—it's the fastest way to spot availability and compare redemption values.

Safe travels, and we'll see you in tomorrow's newsletter with more deals, news, and strategic insights.

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.

Airline programs: