Happy Saturday! Today's lineup includes Chase's surprise new benefit for Sapphire Reserve cardholders, IHG's generous double points offer, and the most creative (or bizarre?) way a Spirit Airlines flight attendant got passengers to pick up their trash. Plus: your 2026 elite status roadmap and why one expert is walking away from Hyatt Globalist.

Starting yesterday, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders got an unexpected New Year's gift: up to $250 in statement credits for prepaid hotel bookings through Chase Travel℠. The benefit applies to select hotel chains including InterContinental, Marriott, and Hilton properties when booked through the portal.

The catch? Bookings must be prepaid and made through January 1 through December 31, 2026. Business cardholders with Sapphire Reserve for Business® get the same benefit. Chase also made their The Edit credit easier to redeem, addressing one of cardholders' biggest frustrations. Combined with the card's existing travel credits and 10x points on hotels through Chase Travel, this makes the $550 annual fee significantly easier to justify.

Speaking of hotel benefits, IHG One Rewards launched their first quarter promotion: double points on all stays starting with your second eligible stay. Registration is required, and the promotion runs through March 31.

The math works out nicely: If you're already IHG Diamond Elite, you'll earn a 100% bonus on top of your elite bonus. That means two nights at an InterContinental could easily net you 40,000+ points—enough for a free night at many properties. The promotion stacks with credit card bonuses too, so if you're using an IHG co-branded card earning 26x points at IHG properties, you're looking at potentially massive returns.

For anyone sitting on Flying Blue miles, January's Promo Rewards list just dropped with 25% off select routes. The discount applies to both short-haul European flights and long-haul routes to the Americas, though most deals are concentrated in economy class.

The sweet spot? Transatlantic economy awards that normally price at 24,000 miles can drop to 18,000 miles one-way. Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members get access to premium cabin discounts too. Check the full list on the Air France-KLM website and book before these disappear—Promo Rewards tend to get snapped up quickly on popular routes.

Now for the most creative (or manipulative?) move of the week: A Spirit Airlines flight attendant went viral for announcing a 'stretching exercise' that was actually a ruse to get passengers to bend down and pick up their trash. The video caught passengers reaching under seats—not to stretch, but to grab garbage.

Reactions split between 'genius cabin management' and 'this is what Spirit has become.' Either way, it highlights the reality of ultra-low-cost carrier operations where quick turnarounds matter and cabin crews get creative. The real question: Would this work on any other airline? Probably not—but it's peak Spirit energy.

The new quarter brings back one of the best Chase Freedom Flex® categories: 7% cash back on dining (5% for legacy Freedom cardholders) through March 31. You'll also earn elevated rates on Norwegian Cruise Line and American Heart Association purchases, though those are obviously more niche.

Don't forget to activate—the bonus only works after you opt in through the Chase app or website. The $1,500 spending cap per quarter means you can max out $105 in cash back (or 10,500 points if you're treating them as Ultimate Rewards). For anyone who regularly dines out, this is free money sitting on the table.

Frequent Miler just published their 2026 elite status strategy, and the headline surprised many: they're walking away from Hyatt Globalist. After years of leveraging award nights for elite status (which started counting in 2018), the writer explains that their travel patterns have shifted and the 60-night requirement no longer makes sense.

The bigger story? This reflects a broader trend of travelers becoming more selective about elite status in 2026. With hotel points easier to earn through credit cards and programs increasingly devaluing benefits, the question isn't 'how do I get status?' but 'is this status worth my time?' One Mile at a Time published similar thinking yesterday, focusing their 2026 hotel strategy on flexibility over loyalty to any single chain. For more insights on elite status strategies, check out our comprehensive coverage.

Cirium just released their 2025 on-time performance rankings, and the results might surprise you. Delta maintained strong performance domestically, while United and American Airlines showed improvement but still lagged behind international carriers in reliability metrics.

The data matters when you're booking award travel—arriving on time means fewer missed connections and less stress. Before booking your next flight, check real-time airport wait times at Flight Queue and aircraft-specific seatmaps at Flight Seatmap to maximize your travel experience.

With several buy miles promotions active, here's what's actually worth considering:

Frontier is offering a 150% bonus at 1.08¢ per mile through January 9. That's aggressive pricing if you're booking domestic travel, though remember Frontier's bare-bones service model. American Airlines AAdvantage® has a 40% discount running through February 1, bringing miles down to 2.26¢ each—worth it for premium cabin redemptions to Europe or Asia.

The real sleeper? Air Canada Aeroplan's 30% discount at 1.91¢ per point through January 24. Aeroplan's award chart offers solid value for Star Alliance travel, and this pricing makes topping up your account for a specific redemption more palatable. Just remember: buying points speculatively rarely makes sense—only purchase when you have a specific redemption in mind.

We're barely three days into 2026 and the moves are already happening. Chase added unexpected value for Sapphire Reserve cardholders, IHG is practically giving away double points, and elite status strategies are shifting toward flexibility over blind loyalty. The message? This year rewards strategic thinking over habit.

Don't forget to register for that IHG promotion and activate your Chase Freedom categories. And if you're planning award travel, use Award Travel Finder to search availability across programs—it's the fastest way to compare options and find hidden award space.

See you tomorrow with more moves worth making.

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: