Tomorrow is May 1. And if you've been sitting on a pile of Bilt points, that date should already be circled on your calendar.

Bilt Rent Day is back - and this month it's an Avios-focused transfer bonus with the potential to double your points. There's a twist though, and if you don't know about the new cap, you might be caught off guard. More on that in a moment.

We've also got a genuinely strange story out of United's C-suite, a quietly significant airport security upgrade, and a few deals that close in the next 24-48 hours. Let's get into it.

Bilt Rent Day falls on the first of every month - but which three Avios programs are part of this month's transfer bonus?

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

Starting tomorrow, May 1, Bilt is running its monthly Rent Day transfer bonus - and this one is pointed squarely at Avios collectors.

The three participating programs are British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, and Iberia Plus. The bonus amount depends on your Bilt status tier, with the top level unlocking a full 100% transfer bonus. Lower tiers earn 40% to 75%.

Here's the part worth paying attention to: Bilt has introduced a new cap on this month's bonus. If you want to hit that 100% rate, you'll need to use $150 in Bilt Cash to unlock it - so factor that into your math before transferring.

Even at the base bonus rates, this is still one of the better transfer promotions running right now. Avios are incredibly flexible - you can use British Airways Avios to book short-haul American Airlines flights domestically, Qatar Airways business class, or Iberia transatlantic awards. The math on short-haul AA flights in particular can be exceptional.

UK readers - Smart With Points has extensive coverage of how to maximise Avios across all three programs. Worth a read before you transfer.

The bonus is only available on May 1, so don't sleep on it. Transfers can take a few days to post depending on the program, so initiate early in the day.

Check all current transfer bonuses (including ones expiring in the next 48 hours) at our transfer bonuses page.

Here's a story that gets stranger the longer you look at it. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby didn't just quietly float the idea of merging with American Airlines - he made a public case for the deal after American had already rejected him.

The pitch leans on a "trade deficit" argument: that a single US mega-airline could better compete with heavily subsidized foreign carriers. On the surface it has some logic. In practice, it's a merger pitch dressed up as national interest policy.

What makes this unusual isn't that Kirby wants to buy American - it's that he published the rationale publicly after being turned down. That's not how corporate M&A typically works. The move suggests the intended audience isn't American's board at all. It's regulators and the White House, who Kirby is apparently hoping will see the logic and apply some pressure.

Whether that goes anywhere is anyone's guess. But for points collectors, a United-American merger would be one of the most significant loyalty program shakeups in decades. AAdvantage and MileagePlus under one roof would reshape how millions of Americans earn and redeem miles.

Keep an eye on this one. For all our coverage on both carriers, see our United Airlines stories and our American Airlines coverage.

Amidst a stretch of mostly bad airport security news, here's something genuinely useful: TSA PreCheck Touchless ID has completed its nationwide rollout and is now available at more than 60 airports across the US.

The system lets TSA PreCheck members move through the ID verification step without physically handing over their passport or license. It pulls your identity automatically from the facial recognition scan, cutting down one of the friction points in the lane.

At major hubs where PreCheck lanes can still back up during peak periods, this genuinely shaves time off the process. If you're not enrolled in TSA PreCheck yet, this upgrade is another reason to get it sorted - especially with Global Entry back on the table as well.

Worth noting: even with PreCheck, security wait times can vary wildly depending on the airport and time of day. Before your next trip, check estimated wait times at your departure airport with FlightQueue - it's a surprisingly useful tool for planning your airport arrival time.

For more on TSA policies and updates, see our TSA PreCheck coverage.

This one falls squarely in the "truth is stranger than fiction" category. A top-tier Marriott Bonvoy elite member is claiming he was jailed after reporting a threat made against his wife at the Ritz-Carlton Doha.

The full details are still emerging, but the broad strokes are alarming: a guest reports something to hotel staff, and ends up on the wrong side of local law enforcement. The Ritz-Carlton Doha is a Marriott property, and the story is circulating widely in the loyalty community right now.

Whatever the full facts turn out to be, this is a useful reminder that the legal landscape at luxury hotels outside the US operates very differently. What feels like a routine escalation to management in the States can carry very different consequences in other jurisdictions.

For context on Marriott's properties and elite program, see our full Marriott coverage.

Two buy points offers are closing imminently and both are worth a look if you have upcoming redemptions planned.

JetBlue TrueBlue is offering a 20% discount on purchased points, pricing them at 2.58 cents each - but that deal expires today, April 29. If you're planning a TrueBlue redemption in the near future and know you'll use the miles, this is worth acting on before midnight.

United MileagePlus has a 50% discount running, bringing purchased miles down to 1.88 cents each. That one closes tomorrow, April 30. At that price point, United miles can be solid value for premium cabin redemptions - especially Star Alliance partners. Use our United Miles Calculator to check whether buying makes sense for your specific redemption.

Also worth flagging: the Capital One to JAL transfer bonus of 30% ends April 30, and the Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan 20% bonus closes the same day. If you're planning an Asia trip and have been eyeing JAL award space, now is the time to move. Award Travel Finder is tracking available JAL business class seats right now if you need to check availability before committing.

See all current buy points promotions at our dedicated buy points page.

In its 94-year history, Alaska Airlines has never produced a safety video. That changed this week with the rollout of a new Boeing 787-specific video - and people are reading into it.

Alaska's long-haul ambitions have been building since the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines gave the group a platform for transoceanic flying out of Seattle. The 787 is a long-haul aircraft. A 787-specific safety video suggests Alaska is serious about expanding that footprint further.

The video's imagery reportedly hints at a specific destination, though Alaska hasn't confirmed anything officially. Speculation is running toward a new international route announcement in the near term. Watch for any Alaska route news in the coming weeks - this could be the preamble to something interesting for points collectors who've been building up Alaska Mileage Plan miles.

Alaska Mileage Plan remains one of the most underrated programs in the US, with strong partner redemption options. If you're curious what your Alaska miles are worth, our Alaska Miles Calculator has you covered.

For all our Alaska Airlines coverage, see our Alaska Airlines stories.

The answer is: British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia.

All three programs sit under the IAG Loyalty umbrella and share the Avios currency - which means points you earn in one program are usable across all three. The 100% bonus (unlocked via $150 Bilt Cash) doubles every point you transfer, making it one of the better one-day promotions in the loyalty space. Just remember: May 1 only.

Not sure whether buying points makes financial sense for your redemption? Run the numbers with our Award vs Cash Calculator before committing.

Genuinely curious where people see the best Avios value right now. Reply with your answer and I'll share the results in a future issue.

That's it for today - see you tomorrow with more. If you prefer cash fares over points for some trips, check out Friday Flight Deals for the best cheap flights landing this week.

Points sitting in your account? These are the redemptions worth looking at this week, tracked by Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

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

See all status matches →

Browse all award deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →

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:

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

1. Business Platinum Card: 300,000 points after spending $20,000 in 3 months ($695/yr)

2. Business Gold Card: 200,000 points after spending $15,000 in 3 months ($375/yr)

3. The Platinum Card: 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in 6 months ($895/yr)

4. Chase Sapphire Reserve: 125,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ($795/yr)

Award Travel Finder hunts down the best redemptions so you don't have to.

See all deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →