Something quietly shifted in the hotel loyalty world - and if you're sitting on Marriott free night certificates, you're going to want to read this before you book.

Marriott Bonvoy appears to have bumped award prices at a number of properties - with some hotels now costing up to 16% more points than they did before. No announcement, no press release. Just higher numbers when you go to search. That's the Marriott playbook, and at this point it shouldn't surprise us - but the timing matters because of how it intersects with free night certificates.

We've got that, a rare buy points opportunity from Air France-KLM, a meaningful Hilton expansion, and a genuinely impressive business card bonus to get through today. Let's go.

Flying Blue is one of the more underrated programs for booking premium cabin award flights. But how many transfer partners does Air France-KLM Flying Blue currently have?

The answer is waiting for you near the bottom. Keep scrolling. 👇

Marriott Bonvoy has done it again. With no public communication, the program appears to have raised award prices at a number of properties - some by as much as 16%. The changes are live now, and if you've been monitoring specific hotels for an upcoming trip, the number you see today may be meaningfully higher than it was last week.

Here's where it stings most. If you're holding free night certificates - whether from a Marriott credit card annual benefit or a status perk - those certificates have maximum redemption caps. A hotel that previously fell inside your certificate's cap may now exceed it, effectively rendering that certificate useless for that property. The math changes fast when you're talking 16% jumps.

If you have certificates expiring in the next few months, it's worth auditing your target properties right now. Book what you can before more repricing hits. And if you're evaluating whether the Marriott cards are still worth holding, our Marriott points calculator can help you run the numbers on whether those points are still pulling their weight.

Air France-KLM's Flying Blue program just launched a new purchase promotion: buy miles with up to an 80% bonus, which works out to a cost of approximately 1.69 cents per mile. That's not the absolute best we've ever seen from Flying Blue historically, but it's a legitimate deal if you have a specific redemption in mind.

The key word is "specific." Buying miles speculatively is almost always a losing strategy. But if you're already eyeing a Flying Blue award - particularly in business or first class to Europe, or through a partner like Kenya Airways or Vietnam Airlines - and you're short on miles, buying at this price can unlock serious value. Business class to Europe through Flying Blue can run in the 50,000-70,000 range one-way depending on origin, and at 1.69 cents per mile, paying to top up a shortfall can be worth it.

Also worth noting: Flying Blue has some solid transfer partners if you'd rather move existing points than buy. Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Flying Blue at 1:1, and there's currently a 15% Amex transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles running through July 15 if you want to explore another SkyTeam angle. Check the full list of live promotions at our transfer bonuses tracker.

Award Travel Finder has been spotting some excellent Flying Blue availability lately - worth checking if you're planning a trip and want to see what's actually bookable right now.

Starting July 15 - one week from today - YOTEL's properties will begin transitioning into the Hilton Honors program under a new brand called Select by Hilton. The YOTEL Club loyalty program winds down on the same date, and most YOTEL properties are expected to be fully integrated with Hilton Honors by early September 2026.

This is a meaningful expansion for Hilton Honors members who stay in cities frequently. YOTEL operates compact, tech-forward properties in major transit hubs and urban cores - including airports like London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, and New York JFK. If you've ever wanted to earn Hilton points at an airport hotel without paying full-service prices, this is a genuine upgrade to the program's footprint.

If you're an existing YOTEL Club member, make sure your points or status are migrated properly. The timeline is tight - YOTEL Club closes on July 15, so you have about a week to sort out any outstanding balances or redemptions before the switchover.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business - the premium business card Chase launched in 2025 - is back at its best-ever welcome bonus of 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points. This matches the launch offer that ran briefly last year and is a significant number for anyone who can justify the annual fee.

To put 200K in context: that's enough for multiple business class award flights to Europe depending on how you transfer. Chase Ultimate Rewards partners include Hyatt, United, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines among others. Speaking of Virgin Atlantic - there's currently a 30% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club running through this Tuesday, July 14. That's six days left on a bonus that makes 200K Chase points stretch even further.

If you're a business owner who spends heavily and wants a premium card with real flexibility, this is one of the strongest current offers on the market. Worth a serious look before this bonus rotates.

If you're looking at buying points this week, Frontier Airlines has a 100% bonus on purchased miles that ends this Friday, July 10. That's two days from now. A 100% bonus effectively cuts your cost per mile in half, making this one of the more aggressive buy-points promos running right now.

Frontier Miles aren't the most versatile currency in the world, but if you're a Frontier flyer or have specific routes in mind, this is the time to stock up. Also live right now: JetBlue TrueBlue with a 125% bonus through August 9, American AAdvantage at 40% off through August 7, and Hilton Honors at a 100% bonus through July 24. See everything that's currently live at our buy points promotions tracker.

In the Chase Sapphire Preferred's recent update, one change is getting less attention than it deserves: the card now earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on vacation home bookings at select brands booked directly - including Airbnb and Vrbo. If you regularly travel with family or friends and tend to book a house over a hotel, this is a meaningful category upgrade.

3x on vacation rentals isn't something you see on many cards, and since these bookings often run into the thousands of dollars for longer stays, the points accumulation adds up fast. If the Sapphire Preferred is already in your wallet, make sure you're routing your Airbnb and Vrbo spend through it rather than a flat-rate card. If you're not sure how to maximize your Chase points, our Chase Points Calculator can help you map out the value.

The answer is 🅳️ - Flying Blue has 20+ transfer partners. The program connects to American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, Capital One Miles, and several bank programs in Europe and beyond. That broad transfer partner network is a big part of what makes Flying Blue so useful - you can often find a way to move points into the program from whatever currency you're holding.

Marriott's quiet repricing is a frustrating pattern in this hobby. Have you had a free night certificate devalued by award price increases - where a hotel you were saving it for suddenly jumped out of range? Hit reply and tell me your story. I read every response and I'd love to know how widespread this is affecting readers right now.

That's it from me today. The Marriott repricing is the one to watch closely - if you have certs sitting in your account, today is the day to do your homework. More tomorrow.

- Jack

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These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

2. The Platinum Card: 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in 6 months ($8.95/yr)

3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: 50,000 points after spending $6,000 in 6 months ($6.5/yr)

If you're planning a redemption, check these out first. Data from Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• The St. Regis Aspen Resort - Aspen, CO, US | 2.6cpp value | 114,000 pts/night

• The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali - Maui, HI, US | 1.3cpp value | 79,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria Orlando - An Official Walt Disney World® Hotel - Orlando, FL, US | 1.3cpp value | 90,000 pts/night

• Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa - Atoll, MV | 1.4cpp value | 120,000 pts/night

• InterContinental Hotels Yokohama Pier 8 - Yokohama, 14, JP | 1.2cpp value | 50,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue (Iberia) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → Avianca LifeMiles: +15% bonus - ends July 15, 2026

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +20% bonus - ends July 14, 2026

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +20% bonus - ends July 14, 2026

• Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

• Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

• Capital One Miles → EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: +30% bonus - ends July 31, 2026

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 20% discount at null (ends July 14, 2026)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at null (ends August 07, 2026)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 20% discount at null (ends August 07, 2026)

• Frontier Airlines (Frontier Miles): 100% bonus at null (ends July 10, 2026)

• Garuda (GarudaMiles): 50% discount at null (ends July 28, 2026)

• JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue): 125% bonus at null (ends August 09, 2026)

Full live tracker → milesandpointsdaily.com/buy-points-promotions

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →