Free WiFi. On British Airways. Fleetwide. That sentence would have seemed like fantasy two years ago.

Yet here we are - BA has already installed Starlink on its first 787, and the rollout is officially underway. There's a lot to unpack today, from a stunning Maui property entering the Marriott ecosystem to a new Capital One travel app that just went live. Let's get into it.

Which parent company is behind British Airways' new free Starlink WiFi partnership?

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

Something most frequent flyers have been waiting years for is finally moving from announcement to reality. British Airways confirmed this week that its first Boeing 787 is already flying with Starlink installed - meaning the free WiFi rollout is no longer a future promise. It's happening now.

Back in November 2025, parent company International Airlines Group announced plans to bring free Starlink across all its brands, including BA. At the time there was no timeline. Now we know the 787 is ground zero for the installation program, with more aircraft to follow.

This is full Starlink connectivity - the same satellite internet powering remote homesteads and research stations globally. In-flight WiFi that's actually usable isn't just a perk. For anyone on long-haul business class redemptions, it changes the calculus on productivity and entertainment. If you want to check which flights already have Starlink before booking, SeatWifi is the easiest way to confirm coverage before you commit.

For UK readers planning BA redemptions, Smart With Points has excellent coverage of BA Avios strategies worth bookmarking.

Chase cardholders can also transfer to Iberia Avios and Aer Lingus Avios at the same 20% bonus rate through March 31st. All three programs book the same Oneworld partners, giving you options for routing. Check all current transfer bonuses at our transfer bonuses page.

For all our British Airways coverage, head to our BA tag page.

The Resort at Kapalua Bay on Maui's northwest shore - previously known as Montage Kapalua Bay - has officially joined Marriott Bonvoy. And it's not stopping there. The property is slated to convert to a St. Regis, which means it'll eventually sit at the top tier of Marriott's award chart.

This is one of those moments where timing matters a lot. Properties often reprice when they convert to a premium brand - and a St. Regis on Maui is going to command serious points. If you've been sitting on Marriott Bonvoy points, it's worth checking whether this property prices favorably right now before the flag formally changes.

Marriott anniversary free night certificates can be applied to properties up to a certain category cap - our guide to redeeming Marriott free night awards breaks down exactly how to get maximum value from those certificates, especially for high-end properties like this one.

Not sure which Marriott card makes sense for you right now? Check out our eligibility guide to figure out which card you can actually apply for.

Capital One quietly launched a brand new travel app this week, and it's a more ambitious product than you might expect. The goal, according to Capital One's head of travel, is to build a fully integrated travel franchise - bringing technology, supplier relationships, and booking all under one roof.

The app consolidates flight, hotel, and car booking with Capital One's points ecosystem baked directly in. For Venture X cardholders especially, this could simplify the redeem-or-pay decision significantly. Instead of toggling between portals, you'd see your options and their point costs side by side.

Speaking of that decision - our Award vs Cash Calculator is genuinely useful for moments like this, when you're trying to figure out whether burning points through a portal or transferring to a partner makes more sense for a specific trip.

This one closes in two days and it's worth your attention. Avianca is offering a 160% bonus when you buy LifeMiles, bringing the cost down to approximately 1.27 cents per mile. That's a legitimately low price for a currency that can unlock some excellent redemptions - Star Alliance business class to South America and Europe in particular.

There's also an Amex Membership Rewards transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles running at 15% through March 28th. So if you have Amex points and want to top up your LifeMiles balance, you're getting boosted from both directions right now - buying at a discount AND getting a bonus on transfers.

For all current buy points promotions across every program, our buy points offers page keeps everything in one place.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan revealed his number one personal travel rule: he never checks a bag. Which is a remarkable thing to say publicly when you run an airline that recently started charging for checked baggage after decades of making 'bags fly free' its core identity.

The optics are genuinely awkward. Southwest built enormous customer loyalty around that policy, and ditching it was already controversial. The CEO openly admitting he doesn't trust his own operation with luggage is the kind of candid moment that tends to get screenshotted and shared. You can follow all the Southwest changes unfolding this year on our Southwest coverage page.

United CEO Scott Kirby has spent months publicly claiming that American Airlines loses massive money at Chicago O'Hare - framing it as a battleground he can dominate. American's CFO finally fired back this week, arguing Kirby is using the wrong profit metric entirely.

The core dispute: Kirby is pointing to one measure of profitability, while American's team says the metrics that actually drive internal decisions tell a completely different story - and that O'Hare is not a drag on the airline at all. It's a rare and unusually public spat between two major carriers over a single hub. For both airlines' full coverage, see our American Airlines and United Airlines tag pages.

This one requires almost zero effort. Marriott Bonvoy and Uber have a standing partnership that lets you earn Bonvoy points on Uber and Uber Eats spending. Right now, new users who link their accounts for the first time can earn 1,500 Bonvoy points without making a single purchase.

1,500 points won't fund a free night on its own, but it takes about 90 seconds and it's free points for doing essentially nothing. If you haven't connected the two accounts yet, this is the nudge to do it. And if you're building toward a bigger Marriott redemption, Award Travel Finder tracks Bonvoy sweet spots and availability regularly - worth subscribing if you're planning a hotel points redemption.

The answer is B - International Airlines Group (IAG). IAG is the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling. Back in November 2025, IAG announced a fleetwide Starlink deal covering all its brands. British Airways is now the first to begin actual installation, starting with its 787s.

A few windows closing soon that are worth acting on before the weekend:

The Citi to Wyndham bonus deserves a special callout - 25% extra points ending tomorrow is one you don't want to miss if you've been considering a Wyndham redemption. Check the full list of active transfer bonuses to see everything currently running.

And if you're wondering what any of your points balances are actually worth right now, our Points and Miles Value Calculator gives you a quick current valuation across all the major programs.

Hit reply and let me know - especially curious whether free Starlink on British Airways would change your booking behavior. I read every response and genuinely love hearing how you all think about this stuff.

That's it for today - have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. See you Monday with more.

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua - 1.6cpp value

Hermitage Bay, an SLH Hotel - 1.9cpp value

See all award deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →

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.

Amex Membership Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles: +15% bonus - ends March 28, 2026

Capital One Miles to Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer: +30% bonus - ends March 31, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aer Lingus Avios: +20% bonus - ends March 31, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to British Airways Avios: +20% bonus - ends March 31, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to Iberia Avios: +20% bonus - ends March 31, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to Wyndham: +30% bonus - ends March 31, 2026

Citi ThankYou Rewards to Wyndham: +25% bonus - ends March 21, 2026

Rove Miles to Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) EuroBonus [Targeted]: +20% bonus - ends April 08, 2026

Airline programs:

Air Canada (Aeroplan): 90% bonus at 1.44¢ (expires March 19, 2026)

American Airlines (AAdvantage®): 40% discount at 2.26¢ (expires April 18, 2026)

Avianca (LifeMiles): 160% bonus at 1.27¢ (expires March 22, 2026)

Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 60% bonus at 1.88¢ (expires March 27, 2026)

Etihad (Guest): 35% discount at 2.08¢ (expires April 18, 2026)

Hotel programs:

Hyatt (World of Hyatt): 20% discount at 2.08¢ (expires April 07, 2026)

Leading Hotels of the World (Leaders Club): 100% bonus at 6.0¢ (expires April 03, 2026)

Marriott (Bonvoy): 40% bonus at 0.89¢ (expires March 26, 2026)

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

Business Platinum Card: 200,000 points after spending $20,000 in 3 months ($895/yr)

Chase Sapphire Reserve: 125,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ($795/yr)

Business Gold Card: 100,000 points after spending $15,000 in 3 months ($375/yr)

Ink Business Preferred: 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in 3 months ($95/yr)

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →