Today's lineup starts with a bombshell: Marriott just abruptly ended a 20-year partnership, leaving thousands of members scrambling. Then Hilton drops major elite status news that could reshape your hotel strategy for 2026. We've also got a shocking United incident, a Visa settlement that might change how you earn rewards, and why premium economy could be your best-value redemption right now.

Marriott pulled the plug on its Sonder partnership overnight, yanking roughly 9,000 apartment-style properties from the Bonvoy portfolio without warning. The licensing agreement that started in August 2024 is now dead, with Marriott citing "Sonder's default" as the reason.

Here's where it gets messy: guests who booked through Marriott are discovering their points and promised elite benefits no longer apply. If you had a Sonder property booked through Bonvoy, you'll want to call immediately to confirm your reservation status. This is part of Marriott's ongoing struggle to expand its portfolio without diluting brand quality — a balancing act that clearly failed here. For more on Marriott's portfolio strategy, we've been tracking these developments closely.

While Marriott contracts, Hilton expands. The hotel giant just confirmed a new Diamond Reserve tier launching soon, requiring 80 nights and $18,000 in annual spend. The game-changer? Finally, confirmed room upgrades at Hilton's top tier — something loyalists have been demanding for years.

But here's the silver lining for everyone else: Hilton is reducing qualification requirements by 30% across lower elite levels. This puts Hilton in direct competition with Marriott and Hyatt for high-status travelers while making Silver and Gold status more accessible to casual travelers. If you've been on the fence about which hotel loyalty program to focus on, this changes the calculation significantly.

A veteran United Airlines flight attendant was rushed to a London hospital after working a San Francisco to Heathrow flight on October 17th. Authorities found her 10 times over the legal alcohol limit for aviation personnel after she reportedly consumed multiple bottles of vodka during the transatlantic flight.

The 56-year-old longtime employee now faces court proceedings. While this is obviously a tragic situation requiring intervention and support, it raises serious questions about crew monitoring protocols during long-haul flights. The incident adds to growing concerns about aviation safety as the industry continues dealing with staffing challenges and operational pressures.

Visa and Mastercard are finalizing a settlement that would let merchants refuse certain rewards cards for the first time. The deal stems from lawsuits over interchange fees — the charges that fund credit card rewards programs and make those lucrative sign-up bonuses possible.

Before you panic: the real-world impact will likely be limited. Most merchants won't want the customer service nightmare of accepting some Visa cards but not others. However, large retailers with significant negotiating power might start pushing back on premium cards with higher interchange fees. If you're carrying cards with elevated earning rates, you'll want to keep backup options in your wallet.

A savvy traveler recently discovered something fascinating: premium economy pricing can sometimes be shockingly close to economy fares. On a recent Air Canada flight from the US to Vancouver, the premium economy upgrade cost just a fraction of the business class premium while delivering substantially more comfort than regular economy.

The takeaway? Always check premium economy pricing before booking economy on long-haul flights. Sometimes airlines price premium economy aggressively to fill those seats, especially on competitive routes. The extra legroom, better meals, and priority boarding can transform a flight for surprisingly little extra cash or points. This is particularly true when redeeming miles — premium economy often offers better value per mile than either economy or business class.

If your flights have felt more chaotic lately, you're not imagining it. The record-long government shutdown is causing increased sick calls among air traffic controllers, and our already-stressed aviation system has very little slack. The FAA is now requiring airlines to proactively cancel flights to manage staffing shortages and maintain operational reliability.

Good luck out there. Book morning flights when possible, build in extra connection time, and consider travel insurance for critical trips. The situation likely won't improve until the shutdown ends and normal ATC staffing resumes. For real-time updates on airport delays and cancellations, we're tracking this daily.

Rakuten is offering a best-ever $50 new member bonus — more valuable than ever with holiday shopping season starting. The portal remains the best way to stack cash back (convertible to Amex points) on top of credit card rewards. Just remember to click through before every purchase.

November's best credit card offers continue rolling, with several elevated bonuses still available. If you've been waiting for the right time to apply for premium cards, this month delivers. For the complete list of current credit card bonuses, we're tracking every major issuer.

That's today's essential miles & points news. Marriott's Sonder divorce shows how quickly partnerships can implode, while Hilton's Diamond Reserve launch proves the hotel wars continue heating up. Check your Bonvoy bookings, evaluate your hotel status strategy for 2026, and always look at premium economy pricing before settling for economy.

— 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: