Chase just fixed one of the most frustrating aspects of the Sapphire Reserve, American's newest plane has a problem that's costing them 5,000 miles per passenger, and Emirates is auctioning status in a way we've never seen before. Plus why you might want to reconsider that American Airlines diversion story, and what happens when airport security meets biometric gates.

Chase just announced the most significant Sapphire Reserve improvements in years, and they all arrive in 2026. The $500 Edit hotel credit—previously one of the card's most annoying features—no longer forces you to split bookings across two calendar halves. Book whenever you want, use it however you want.

Even better: there's a new $250 two-night hotel credit that finally includes IHG alongside the usual luxury suspects. The Exclusive Tables dining credit is expanding to 100+ new restaurants in more cities. After years of Reserve holders complaining about difficult-to-use benefits, Chase actually listened.

American Airlines is proactively emailing business-class passengers on its new A321XLR to deliver awkward news: those fancy suite doors you saw in the marketing photos? They don't close yet. The FAA hasn't certified them for operation.

To compensate for the missing privacy feature, American is offering 5,000 AAdvantage miles per affected passenger. That's actually a decent gesture for an operational limitation rather than a service failure—though passengers paying premium fares for the new product might disagree. The suites themselves are still impressive; you just can't close yourself in completely.

Emirates is auctioning something truly unique: Skywards Platinum status for up to 20 years, with rare low membership numbers included. The Emirates Airline Foundation and Emirates Auction are running this online charity auction, with all proceeds benefiting a good cause.

This isn't just status—it's the kind of membership number that usually only goes to the airline's earliest frequent flyers. Given that Platinum normally requires flying 150,000 tier miles annually (roughly 15-20 long-haul flights in premium cabins), locking in two decades of lounge access, upgrades, and bonus miles could be worth serious money to the right bidder.

Remember the passenger who got American Flight 1124 diverted after a lavatory dispute? An FAA judge just cleared him of the most serious allegations. He blew 0.00 on a breathalyzer at the gate, wasn't intoxicated, and the threat allegation didn't stick.

Here's the problem: he's still banned from American and is now suing to get flying privileges restored. The airline can ban passengers even when they're technically cleared of wrongdoing. It's a reminder that once you're on an airline's no-fly list, getting off it is nearly impossible—regardless of what actually happened.

American just rolled out a November/December lounge food refresh, and they're already planning another one for winter. Flagship lounges are getting active stations like a Pho bar in Philadelphia, bulgogi in Dallas, and lemongrass salmon in Chicago. Cocoa bars are appearing for the holiday season.

The Admirals Clubs are pivoting toward a bagel-based version of the current avocado toast concept. It's interesting to see American investing in lounge food while Delta faces "SkyPesos" backlash. Sometimes the unglamorous stuff—like whether there's decent food when your flight delays—matters more than marketing campaigns.

Biometric boarding gates are replacing human agents at airports worldwide, and that means one requirement: an unobstructed face scan matched against your passport photo and the flight manifest. A viral video of veiled women being told to uncover at the gate sparked predictable online reactions—but the real story is how quickly we've normalized government face-matching as a condition of travel.

The technology doesn't care about religious freedom arguments; it simply requires a match. As these systems expand, travelers who cover their faces—for religious, privacy, or personal reasons—are discovering that "biometric exit" isn't optional anymore. It's worth considering what you're agreeing to every time you board with TSA facial recognition or similar systems.

Evita Duffy-Alfonso, daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is calling for the TSA to be abolished after a 15-minute pat-down almost caused her to miss a flight. She argues it's unconstitutional and ineffective.

The timing is fascinating: the daughter of the person overseeing U.S. transportation policy experiences exactly what millions of travelers complain about regularly. Whether anything actually changes remains to be seen, but it's rare to see someone this close to power experiencing—and publicly criticizing—TSA procedures most travelers simply accept as unavoidable.

With Chase improving Sapphire Reserve benefits, it's worth revisiting your premium card strategy for 2026. The new $250 hotel credit makes the annual fee easier to justify, especially combined with the more flexible $500 Edit credit.

Several airlines are running year-end buy miles bonuses that expire before December 24th. United's 100% bonus ends December 24th, Turkish Airlines is at 100% through December 22nd, and Copa's 90% bonus expires tomorrow. If you have specific award needs for early 2026, these bonuses can make otherwise expensive redemptions reasonable.

For award searches, Award Travel Finder remains the fastest way to compare availability across multiple programs—essential when you're trying to use those purchased miles before they expire.

Chase's Reserve improvements, American's A321XLR growing pains, and Emirates' creative status auction all point to the same reality: loyalty programs are finding new ways to deliver (or fail to deliver) value while competing for our spending. The key is knowing which benefits actually work for your travel patterns—not just which ones look good in marketing materials.

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: