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I nearly did a double-take when I saw this morning's Delta announcement. After years of committing to an all-Airbus wide-body fleet, the airline just placed an order for up to 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This is huge news for anyone who follows airline fleet strategy — and it could mean better award availability on certain routes in the coming years.

Meanwhile, European travelers just got a massive upgrade with Lufthansa Group announcing free Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire network. And if you've been eyeing premium credit cards, Citi just made its new Strata Elite card even more tempting.

Let's dive in.

Which airline group just announced plans to add free Starlink Wi-Fi across more than 850 aircraft?

A) Delta Air Lines and partners

B) United Airlines

C) Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, etc.)

D) American Airlines

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

Delta just announced a firm order for 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, with options for 30 more. This is a major departure from the airline's long-standing strategy of operating an all-Airbus wide-body fleet for its trans-Atlantic and long-haul Pacific routes.

Here's why this matters: Delta has been flying Airbus A330s, A350s, and even aging Boeing 767s (which they're finally retiring). The 787-10 is Boeing's longest Dreamliner variant, designed specifically for high-density long-haul routes — think New York to London, Atlanta to Paris, or Los Angeles to Tokyo.

The 787 is known for better cabin pressure and humidity, which means you'll arrive less fatigued. More importantly, Delta will likely configure these planes with their newest Delta One suites — the lie-flat business class product with doors that rivals Qatar Airways and Emirates for comfort.

These planes won't arrive overnight — deliveries start in a few years. But if you're sitting on Delta SkyMiles or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles (which you can transfer from Chase, Amex, Citi, or Bilt), this fleet renewal means fresher planes and better premium cabin experiences ahead.

Delta also announced $1.3 billion in profit sharing for employees yesterday — that's 8.9% of eligible pay. While that doesn't directly affect your miles, it's a sign of a financially healthy airline that's investing in both fleet and people.

Lufthansa Group just announced plans to roll out free Starlink Wi-Fi across 850+ aircraft. This includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings — basically the entire group.

If you've experienced Starlink on other airlines, you know it's a game-changer. We're talking high-speed, low-latency internet that actually works for video calls and streaming — not the sluggish, overpriced Wi-Fi that most airlines still offer.

Lufthansa Group hasn't given exact dates yet, but this is a massive infrastructure project. We're likely looking at a multi-year rollout, with newer aircraft getting priority. Still, the fact that it's free and across the entire fleet puts Lufthansa ahead of most European carriers.

For award travelers, this is especially valuable on long-haul Star Alliance flights. Imagine booking a United MileagePlus award in Lufthansa or SWISS business class and having reliable, free Wi-Fi the entire way. Need to check Award Travel Finder for availability on your next segment? No problem.

Remember when we covered the launch of the Citi Strata Elite card with an 80,000-point welcome bonus? Well, Citi just increased it to 100,000 points — and the card already had some of the most generous first-year benefits in the premium card space.

The welcome bonus: 100,000 Citi ThankYou Points after meeting the spending requirement. At a conservative 1.5 cents per point value (transferred to airline partners), that's $1,500 in travel value.

But here's where it gets interesting. The card comes with massive first-year credits that effectively offset the annual fee. We're talking about airport lounge access credits, travel credits, and other perks that add up to over $1,000 in value if you use them strategically.

Citi ThankYou Points transfer to 18 airline partners, including Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles — three of the best programs for premium cabin redemptions. This makes the Strata Elite card a legitimate competitor to the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum.

Here's a deal worth jumping on: Nonstop American Airlines flights from Philadelphia to Prague and Budapest are available for just 55,000 Atmos Rewards points one-way in business class, plus minimal taxes and fees.

Atmos Rewards is Alaska Airlines' new frequent flyer program name (they rebranded from Mileage Plan). The best part? You can transfer points from Bilt Rewards to Atmos at a 1:1 ratio — meaning you can literally pay rent and fly to Europe in business class.

There are also premium economy seats on the same flights for 35,000 points. Use Award Travel Finder to search availability and lock in dates before this sweet spot disappears.

This one's not good news. United Airlines is parking some of its Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing 777s due to engine and parts shortages. Worse yet, if more incidents occur, the FAA could restrict United's ability to fly long overwater routes — which would significantly impact trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic service.

For award travelers, this means potential schedule changes, aircraft swaps, and fewer premium cabin award seats on certain routes. If you've got United MileagePlus awards booked for later this year, keep an eye on your itinerary and set up flight alerts.

The good news? United operates a massive fleet, so they can likely shuffle routes around. But if you were planning a Polaris business class award to Asia, you might want to have backup options ready. Check out our Singapore Airlines award guide for alternatives.

Hilton Honors just opened registration for its first promotion of 2026. It's called Points Unlimited, and members can earn 2,000 bonus points per stay completed between January 15 and April 30, 2026.

Is it the most generous Hilton promo we've ever seen? No. But if you're already planning stays at Hilton properties this winter or spring, you might as well register and stack the bonus. Two thousand points isn't life-changing, but complete five stays and you've got 10,000 bonus points — enough to cover a Category 3 award night.

Make sure to register before your first eligible stay. The promotion landing page is live now on Hilton's website.

The answer is C) Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings). They just announced plans to roll out free Starlink Wi-Fi across their entire network of 850+ aircraft — a massive upgrade for European aviation.

Which premium credit card is your go-to for travel? Are you team Chase, Amex, Citi, or something else? Hit reply and let me know — I read every response and love hearing what's working for you!

That's all for today, my friends. See you tomorrow with more miles, points, and travel deals!

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:

Hotel programs: