Christmas Eve edition: Chase is quietly making things right with disappointed Sapphire Reserve holders through massive retention offers. Meanwhile, Mesa card victims are finally seeing resolution, United's app gets even better, and we've got insights on how airlines are fundamentally changing the award seat game. Let's dive in.

After the widely criticized Chase Sapphire Reserve refresh turned the premium card into a coupon book, Chase is now offering retention bonuses up to $400 to keep cardholders from canceling. Multiple reports confirm these offers are live for existing cardholders calling to discuss the annual fee.

The timing isn't coincidental. The refresh added statement credits for DoorDash, Lyft, and other services while removing flexible value from the Priority Pass restaurant benefit. For those contemplating whether to keep the card after the $550 annual fee hits, a $400 retention offer suddenly changes the math—you're effectively paying $150 for a card that still offers 3X on dining and travel, plus the $300 travel credit.

There's finally resolution for Mesa Homeowners credit card holders after last week's sudden closure. The company has credited pending points at 0.6 cents per point—not as good as the transfer partner redemptions cardholders were hoping for, but significantly better than losing everything in the abrupt shutdown.

For cardholders who had been accumulating points toward premium cabin flights, this is a disappointing end. A reader with 100,000 pending points received a $600 statement credit rather than the potential $1,500+ value those points could have delivered through strategic transfers. It's a harsh reminder that newer programs carry real risk—stick with established players for your primary points strategy.

United Airlines continues to dominate airline app technology with a clever new boarding progress feature. The app now displays a real-time count of how many passengers have boarded your flight, giving you perfect intel on whether you can grab another coffee or need to head to the gate immediately.

This builds on United's already-impressive app features showing boarding group progress and gate crowding. For frequent fliers juggling lounge time with boarding deadlines, this granular data is genuinely useful. If you see 87 of 156 passengers have boarded and you're in Group 2, you know exactly how much time you have. It's the kind of passenger-focused innovation that separates United's technology from the competition.

There's a fundamental shift happening in how airlines release award availability, and it's changing the points redemption game. Airlines are increasingly holding premium cabin award seats until closer to departure, then releasing inventory based on actual booking demand rather than following predictable patterns months in advance.

This means the old strategy of booking exactly 330 days out is becoming less reliable. Instead, you need tools that constantly monitor availability and alert you when seats open. Services like Award Travel Finder are no longer optional—they're essential. The sweet spots are still there, but finding them requires either constant manual checking or automated monitoring. The passengers who adapt to this new reality will continue finding amazing value while others miss opportunities.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's campaign to bring back the "golden age" of air travel continues with a sit-down with etiquette coach Alison Cheperdak. The video features discussions about green flags (headphones on, reading quietly), red flags (bare feet, loud conversations), and beige flags (ambiguous behaviors like eating pungent food).

While well-intentioned, the focus on passenger behavior rather than airline service quality or infrastructure investment feels misplaced. The real barriers to the golden age of travel are shrinking seats, eliminated services, and chronic understaffing—not passengers who recline or talk too loudly. Still, if this raises awareness about basic courtesy like wearing shoes in the lavatory, it's not entirely without merit.

A Virginia family has filed a $200,000 lawsuit against Delta and KLM after allegedly encountering bed bugs during a March 2025 business class flight from Amsterdam to Norfolk. The family claims the infestation in their seats led to ongoing trauma and required extensive pest control treatment at their home.

This highlights an uncomfortable reality about airline hotel vouchers during irregular operations. When American Airlines offered an $84-per-night property to delayed passengers yesterday, reviews mentioned smoke smell, water damage, and bed bugs. You're often better off booking your own accommodation and seeking reimbursement—or better yet, having trip delay coverage on a premium credit card that lets you choose where to stay.

Some American Express Membership Rewards members are receiving targeted offers for a 15% transfer bonus to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. The timing matters—Amex is reducing the transfer ratio to Asia Miles from 1:1 to 1:0.75 in March 2026, making this potentially the last favorable opportunity to build Asia Miles balances.

Asia Miles offers excellent value for Cathay Pacific's own premium cabins and for partner awards on Alaska Airlines and JAL. If you've been considering transferring to Asia Miles anyway, check your Amex account for this targeted offer before the March devaluation makes it significantly more expensive to build balances.

Transfer Bonuses: Rove Miles to Finnair Plus (20% bonus), Amex Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (40% bonus, targeted).

Top Buy Points Deals: Frontier (150% bonus at 1.08¢), JetBlue (130% bonus at 1.4¢), United and Garuda (100% bonus), Alaska (100% bonus, ends today), Virgin Atlantic (70% bonus at 1.47¢). Check our complete buy points page for full details and booking strategies.

That wraps today's newsletter. The Chase retention offers are the big story—if you've been considering canceling your Sapphire Reserve, make that call before pulling the trigger. And if you're sitting on Amex points with Asia Miles aspirations, check for that 15% transfer bonus before March's devaluation hits.

Safe travels,

The Miles & Points Daily Team

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:

Hotel programs: