Happy Sunday! Today's lineup includes Chase's new 70% Marriott transfer bonus (don't get too excited), Delta's surprise court victory, the official death of airline delay compensation rules, Chase tightening Ink card eligibility, and a traveler whose single-letter legal name is creating absolute chaos. Let's dive in.

Chase dropped a 70% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy running through November 30th. At first glance, turning 10,000 Chase points into 17,000 Marriott points sounds appealing. But before you hit that transfer button, let me show you why this is actually a terrible deal.

Here's the reality: Even with the 70% bonus, you're still getting roughly 1 cent per point when redeeming through Marriott. Compare that to using Chase's own travel portal through The Edit, where Sapphire Reserve cardholders get 1.5 cents per point and Sapphire Preferred holders get 1.25 cents. That's close to double the value without any transfer at all. The only exception? If you're sitting on Marriott points already and need just enough to top off for a specific redemption. Otherwise, skip this bonus entirely.

In a major victory for Delta, a federal appeals court just paused the Department of Transportation's order to break up its joint venture with Aeromexico. The partnership—which allows joint scheduling, pricing, and revenue sharing—can now continue operating while the appeal winds through the courts, likely pushing any final decision into late 2026.

This matters for anyone flying between the U.S. and Mexico. The joint venture creates significantly more award availability and competitive pricing than either airline would offer independently. For now, you can continue booking Delta flights operated by Aeromexico (and vice versa) without worrying about the partnership dissolving. If you've been eyeing Mexico City or Cancun redemptions, this buys you at least another year of seamless connectivity.

The Trump administration formally withdrew the Biden-era proposal that would have required airlines to pay cash compensation for significant delays and cancellations. But here's the thing: this rule was never going to happen anyway. Despite two years of headlines, the Department of Transportation never actually issued a formal proposal, never established legal authority, and never moved beyond an advance notice of rulemaking.

The proposed framework would have paid passengers $200-$300 for domestic flights delayed more than three hours or canceled. While this sounds consumer-friendly on paper, the withdrawal simply makes official what was already reality—the U.S. won't be adopting European Union-style compensation rules anytime soon. Your best protection remains premium credit cards with trip delay coverage and knowing your rights under DOT's existing denied boarding rules.

Chase quietly added new restrictions to the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited cards, effective immediately. Both cards now include cross-card eligibility language similar to what we saw with the Sapphire family in June. If you've received a welcome bonus on any Ink card in the past 24 months, you're no longer eligible for the bonus on these no-annual-fee versions.

This matters because many points enthusiasts previously cycled through the Ink lineup every 24 months, collecting multiple bonuses. Those days are ending. The silver lining? If you haven't touched any Ink product yet, you can still get one bonus from this family. Just choose strategically—the Ink Business Preferred with its higher annual fee and bigger bonus might be your better play if you're only getting one shot. For more on maximizing Chase business cards, we've got extensive coverage.

Marriott officially confirmed its elite status soft landing policy extends into 2026. If you don't requalify for your current elite tier in 2025, you'll hold the status one level below from March 2026 through February 2027. For example, Platinum Premier members who fall short will keep Platinum status for another year.

This gives you breathing room if 2025 was a lighter travel year. Instead of dropping all the way to no status, you get one more year at a respectable tier to rebuild your nights. With just six weeks left in 2025, now's the time to check your account and see if you're close to requalifying—or if you should plan to leverage that soft landing into 2026 hotel bookings. We track all the latest Marriott news and strategies if you want to stay updated.

Here's a bizarre one: A traveler whose legal first name is literally 'A'—just the single letter—is facing serious travel complications because airlines won't accept it. Instead, they're forcing him to book as 'AA,' creating a name mismatch with his passport that could cause problems with security checks, international flights, and points transfers.

While this seems like a technical quirk, it highlights a real issue with airline booking systems that can't handle legal names outside traditional formats. If you have an unusual legal name—whether it's one letter, a mononym, or special characters—always book exactly as it appears on your government ID. When systems won't allow it, document everything in writing with the airline before traveling. This traveler's situation serves as a reminder that booking system limitations can create real-world headaches, especially on international trips where passport matching is critical.

A few more stories worth noting: American Airlines' new $11 cheese plate is getting roasted on social media after passengers posted photos showing exactly what you get—including what one person calculated as a $3 individual grape. Meanwhile, a Hyatt property is raising eyebrows after a guest photographed housekeeping carts stocked with bulk DRIFT soap while guest room bottles displayed Jonathan Adler branding. And if you're booking ride-shares, new data shows 84% of riders never compare Uber versus Lyft prices—and they're paying significantly more as a result.

Today's stories highlight an important theme: not every bonus is worth taking, and not every system works as it should. Whether it's Chase's Marriott transfer bonus that loses you money, airlines unable to process legal names, or cheese plates that cost more per ounce than caviar, the lesson is the same—do the math, read the fine print, and question everything.

We'll be back tomorrow with more miles and points news. Have a great Sunday!

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: