Estimated read time: 5 minutes and 30 seconds

This one caught me by surprise.

Just two days after launching three new credit cards and a completely overhauled rewards structure, Bilt hit the reset button. Member confusion over Bilt Cash and transaction fees forced the company to pivot—and the new simplified system actually makes more sense for most people.

Meanwhile, Hyatt just dropped one of its most compelling card bonuses in years, and if you've been eyeing the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business, tomorrow is your last chance to grab that massive 200k points offer.

Which Bilt card tier allows you to earn 1.25x points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee?

🔵 Bilt Blue (no annual fee)🟣 Bilt Obsidian ($95 annual fee)⚪ Bilt Palladium ($495 annual fee)🟡 Any tier, depending on your other spending

The answer is chillin' near the bottom of today's newsletter... keep scrolling.👇

Wednesday's Bilt 2.0 launch introduced a complex dual-currency system with Bilt Cash alongside Bilt Rewards points. The problem? Nobody could figure out the transaction fee mechanics, and the whole thing felt unnecessarily complicated.

Bilt listened. By Friday, they'd completely revamped the structure.

Here's the new simplified setup: You now choose between two earning paths for housing payments. Option one gives you straight Bilt Rewards points with no transaction fee—perfect if you want to keep things simple. Option two layers in Bilt Cash but adds a transaction fee that varies based on your card tier and overall spending.

The most interesting development? You can now earn up to 1.25x points on rent and mortgage payments—a 25% boost over the standard 1x rate—by hitting certain spending thresholds on your card for everyday purchases.

Here's how the math works: If you're on the Bilt Obsidian ($95 annual fee) or Palladium ($495 annual fee) and you put at least $1,000 per month in non-housing spend on the card, you unlock that 1.25x rate with zero transaction fees.

Even the no-annual-fee Bilt Blue can hit 1.25x, but you'll need $2,000 monthly in non-housing spend to get there.

For more on Bilt Rewards and how to maximize the program, check out our dedicated coverage.

Speaking of compelling offers, Hyatt just brought back one of the best credit card bonuses we've seen in over a year.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is offering five Category 1-4 free night certificates—and here's where it gets interesting: the spend required to unlock all five also positions you to earn a sixth Category 1-4 night through the card's standard earning structure.

The certificates work at properties ranging from budget-friendly Park Hyatt hotels in smaller markets all the way up to some surprisingly nice Category 4 properties. Think Hyatt Place and Hyatt House locations, plus select full-service Hyatts.

The catch? These certificates expire, so you'll want a clear plan for using them before you apply. But if you have Hyatt stays coming up or you're flexible with destinations, this is legitimately one of the most valuable hotel card offers available right now.

Hyatt's program consistently offers some of the best redemption rates in the industry—we've covered this extensively in our hotel rewards section if you want to dive deeper into maximizing these certificates.

If you've been on the fence about the Sapphire Reserve for Business, tomorrow is your last chance to grab the 200,000 bonus points offer after $10,000 in spending within the first three months.

This is Chase's premium business card, and yes, that $595 annual fee is steep. But here's what you're getting: 10x points on Chase Travel Portal bookings for hotels and rental cars, 10x on Lyft, 5x on flights, 3x on dining and other select travel categories.

Plus $300 in annual travel credits, Priority Pass lounge access, and all the premium perks that come with the Sapphire Reserve name.

The 200k bonus is worth at least $2,000 when redeemed through Chase's travel portal, and significantly more if you transfer to partners like Hyatt or United for high-value redemptions.

In fleet news that honestly should have happened sooner, United Airlines just boosted its Boeing 787-10 order and converted some of its smaller 787-9s to the larger variant.

The 787-10 is the largest Dreamliner variant—it seats about 40 more passengers than the 787-9 while maintaining the same fuel efficiency and range for most of United's long-haul routes.

This is a smart move. United's international network has been growing aggressively, especially to Europe and Asia, and those routes need larger aircraft to meet demand. The 787-10 gives them that capacity without the operating costs of a 777.

For MileagePlus members, this could mean more award availability on popular routes as United deploys these bigger birds on high-demand flights. More seats generally equals more saver award space—though United's dynamic pricing means that's not guaranteed.

On the flip side of premium cabin experiences, Delta had a situation this week that highlights an awkward truth about domestic first class: sometimes the physics just don't work.

A San Antonio to Los Angeles flight turned into a mid-cabin standoff when a tall passenger's knees made it physically impossible for the seat in front to recline. The passenger in front paid for first class expecting that recline feature. The tall passenger behind couldn't exactly make his legs shorter.

The flight attendant's response? An honest, "I can't make his legs smaller."

It's a reminder that domestic first class, while better than economy, isn't always the premium experience international business class offers. You're getting more space and better service, but on some aircraft configurations, physics still wins.

This is why checking seatmaps before booking matters—even in premium cabins. Tools like Flight Seatmap can show you exactly what you're getting before you commit points or cash to that upgrade.

The answer is 🟡 Any tier, depending on your other spending.

Under Bilt's new simplified structure, all three card tiers can earn 1.25x points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee—you just need to meet different spending thresholds on non-housing purchases. Bilt Blue requires $2,000 monthly in other spend, while Obsidian and Palladium only need $1,000. The flexibility means you can choose the card tier that matches your overall spending patterns rather than being locked into a specific tier for housing rewards.

Are you currently earning points on rent or mortgage payments? And if not, what's holding you back—is it the fees, the complexity, or something else? Hit reply and let me know—I read every response and I'm genuinely curious about what's working (or not working) for people!

That's it for today, my friends. See you tomorrow with more miles and points news.

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:

Hotel programs: