Something quietly shifted in the transfer partner world overnight - and if history is any guide, it could cost you real value if you're not paying attention.

Amex has paused transfers to ANA Mileage Club. No announcement, no fanfare. Just... transfers no longer going through. And if you remember what happened the last time a major program went dark like this - Emirates Skywards saw every major transferable currency pause transfers back in May 2024, and when they came back online, the ratios had been cut for multiple programs. Chase dropped Emirates entirely.

More on that in a moment. But first, let's get your brain warmed up.

Flying Blue just improved its mileage expiration policy. But under the OLD rules, how long did miles take to expire if your account was inactive?

The answer is waiting for you near the bottom of today's newsletter. Keep scrolling. 👇

Here's the situation: American Express has quietly paused transfers to ANA Mileage Club. If you try to move Membership Rewards points to ANA right now, you're not getting through.

Now, this could be a technical glitch. Transfer pauses happen from time to time for routine reasons. But the timing and the pattern are worth watching very carefully.

Think back to May 2024. Every major transferable currency - Bilt, Capital One, you name it - temporarily suspended transfers to Emirates Skywards. When they came back, Citi, Amex, and Capital One all reduced their transfer ratios. Chase dropped Emirates as a partner entirely. Then in December, Amex quietly cut its transfer ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles from 1:1 to 5:4.

The pattern is becoming familiar. A pause precedes a ratio cut. And ANA Mileage Club has historically been one of the most valuable sweet spots in the entire points ecosystem - particularly for booking Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa first class and United business class at exceptional rates.

Nothing is confirmed yet - this could resolve cleanly. But given the track record, this is not a situation to ignore. We'll update you the moment anything changes on the transfer ratio front.

For all our coverage on transfer partners and bonuses, keep an eye on our transfer partners page.

Good news from the Air France-KLM side of the world. Flying Blue has quietly improved its mileage expiration policy, and it's a genuine win for anyone who collects miles but doesn't fly constantly.

Under the old rules, miles expired after 24 months of inactivity - and only specific activities reset the clock. Earning miles through partners would reset the expiration only for the miles earned in that transaction, not your entire balance. It was a confusing, slightly punitive system that tripped up casual members.

The new policy simplifies things significantly. Any qualifying activity now resets the expiration on your entire balance - not just the newly earned miles. That means a small shopping portal purchase or a hotel stay credited to Flying Blue is now enough to keep your whole account alive for another 24 months.

For people who earn Flying Blue miles through credit card transfers and then sit on them while planning a big trip, this is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement. Flying Blue is already a strong program for transatlantic redemptions - particularly if you're looking at business class to Europe. If you want to search for availability, our partners at

Award Travel Finder track Flying Blue sweet spots daily - worth checking if you're planning a Europe trip this year.

For more on Flying Blue and SkyTeam-related coverage, see all our Flying Blue stories.

JetBlue is cutting more routes. Asheville, North Carolina and Belize City, Belize are the latest casualties as the airline continues its transformation program.

JetBlue had planned to resume seasonal service between Asheville Regional Airport and Boston Logan in May - that's now off the table. Separately, the New York-based carrier is also ending flights to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City from Fort Lauderdale.

This is part of a broader pattern for JetBlue. The airline has been pulling back from thinner routes and refocusing on its core markets as it works through significant financial pressure. If you have TrueBlue points and you've been flying these routes, now is a good time to think about where those miles will actually take you going forward.

Belize City in particular is a notable loss for points travelers - it was one of the more interesting Caribbean/Central America redemptions accessible without a major hub connection. If you're flexible on destination, now is a good time to browse award availability before more routes shift.

For all our coverage on JetBlue changes, check out our JetBlue updates page.

Remember the woman who spent hours undetected in Delta lavatories on a flight to Paris? She's back.

The same individual has now allegedly snuck through TSA screening at Newark and boarded a United Airlines flight to Milan - without a ticket. The incident is raising fresh questions about how the same person can breach airport security twice, and what that says about current screening procedures.

Both incidents involve getting past TSA checkpoints - the supposedly impenetrable front line of airport security. The details on exactly how she did it aren't fully public yet, but the fact that a known stowaway from a previous, high-profile incident managed to repeat the feat is remarkable.

From a practical standpoint, this is a reminder that airport security systems have gaps - which is worth keeping in mind when you're planning connections or cutting arrival times close. If you're traveling through Newark Liberty specifically, you can check estimated wait times at FlightQueue before you head to the airport.

We flagged the elevated Hilton Amex bonuses yesterday and they're still live - so if you haven't looked yet, now is the time. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card are both currently offering up to 175,000 Hilton Honors points for new cardmembers, with a free night certificate included on some offers.

175,000 Hilton points is genuinely substantial. Hilton's Points Explorer tool shows that number gets you multiple nights at mid-tier properties or one to two nights at aspirational resorts - particularly useful if you're targeting a Maldives or Caribbean stay where cash rates are eye-watering.

These elevated offers don't stick around forever. If Hilton is already in your plans for 2026, this is worth a serious look.

The answer is B - 24 months of inactivity.

Under Flying Blue's old policy, miles expired after 24 months without activity - and the tricky part was that only certain types of activity actually reset the clock for your full balance. The new policy changes that: any qualifying activity now resets expiration across your entire balance. A small but meaningful upgrade for everyone who earns Flying Blue miles through transfers or partners.

The ANA situation is one I'll be watching closely over the next few days. If you've been sitting on a stash of Amex points with ANA in mind - whether for Star Alliance business class or a Japan itinerary - I'd genuinely love to know your backup plan if a ratio cut happens. Reply and let me know. You might even end up in a future newsletter.

That's all for today - see you tomorrow with more. And if a friend forwarded this to you, you can subscribe to get it fresh every morning.

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now:

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.

The points and miles world is unusually quiet today - no major transfer bonuses or buy points promotions to report. Sometimes patience pays off in this game.

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