Today's newsletter covers a potential airline shutdown happening right now, a credit card that went bust overnight leaving cardholders scrambling, American's impressive new narrowbody premium cabin, and a Hyatt stay that descended into chaos. Plus, we'll show you how to squeeze maximum value from Citi's newest premium card before your first annual fee hits.

Multiple U.S. airlines are quietly drawing up contingency plans for a Spirit Airlines shutdown that could happen as soon as today. The budget carrier faces a crucial $100 million cash deadline on December 13, and senior executives at competing airlines believe Spirit may not secure the lifeline it needs.

With no sale or standalone reorganization plan filed yet, Spirit's future hangs entirely on what its lenders are willing to accept. The airline's struggles stem from its failed merger with JetBlue and an increasingly competitive ultra-low-cost carrier market where even Spirit's rock-bottom fares haven't been enough to stay profitable.

If you have Spirit flights booked or Spirit points sitting in your account, pay close attention today. While bankruptcy doesn't automatically mean shutdown, the fact that competitors are preparing contingency plans suggests industry insiders see this as a real possibility. Consider booking backup flights on other carriers if you have important travel coming up on Spirit.

Speaking of sudden closures, Mesa Homeowners card holders woke up yesterday to find their accounts closed effective immediately. The card, which offered points for paying your mortgage plus other lucrative earning opportunities, appears to have gone out of business without warning.

All Mesa credit cards were deactivated as of December 12, and the option to transfer points to airline miles and hotel programs has vanished from the app. The only redemption option still showing appears to be cash back, though it's unclear how long even that will remain available. Many cardholders are reporting they can't access their accounts at all.

If you still have Mesa points, try to redeem them for cash back immediately while that option still exists. This is a harsh reminder that startup fintech credit cards, no matter how attractive the rewards, carry real risk. When a company goes under, your points can evaporate overnight.

On a much more positive note, American Airlines just unveiled its new A321XLR cabin, and it's genuinely impressive. The aircraft features 1-1 business class suites with doors in a single-aisle plane—something that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.

The premium cabin includes an upgraded 2-2 premium economy section, and every seat throughout the aircraft gets seatback screens and power outlets. Perhaps most notably, American installed rear ovens that will allow them to serve hot meals in coach on long, thin routes where a widebody wouldn't be economical.

This aircraft will open up new ultra-long-haul routes that couldn't support a 787 or 777. Think secondary European cities, Latin American destinations, or even transatlantic routes from smaller U.S. cities. For award travelers, this means more opportunities to use your AAdvantage miles for business class to places American couldn't previously serve with premium cabins.

Here's a strategy that's too good to ignore: Citi's new Strata Elite card doesn't just come with a 100,000 point bonus—its Splurge, Blacklane, and $300 hotel credits reset based on the calendar year, not your cardmember anniversary. That means you can use them twice in your first year if you time it right.

Apply now in December, and you can trigger all the credits before December 31. Then you get a fresh set of the same credits on January 1, giving you nearly 24 months to use two years' worth of benefits before your first annual fee hits. Add in Priority Pass access and Admirals Club passes, and the first-year value is exceptional.

The key is acting quickly—you need to get approved and receive your card with enough time to use the credits before year-end. Focus on easy wins like booking a Blacklane airport transfer or using the Splurge credit on a nice dinner. Then do it all again in January.

Meanwhile, one traveler's night at a JFK-area Hyatt turned into a nightmare when they arrived to discover their reservation had been changed behind their back. The front desk informed them someone had called to modify the booking—except the guest had made no such call.

The situation spiraled from there: broken door locks that wouldn't secure properly, lounge access issues, and bogus charges that appeared on checkout. When confronted, staff suggested someone at Hyatt was "messing with" the reservation, though no clear explanation emerged for who would do this or why.

This raises serious questions about hotel account security. If someone can call and modify your reservation without proper verification, what else can they change? Make sure you have strong passwords on your hotel loyalty accounts and consider enabling two-factor authentication where available. And always screenshot your reservation details before arrival—it's your proof if something gets changed without your knowledge.

Here's a frustration many business travelers share but rarely discuss: Southwest's WiFi is so unreliable that it's driving customers to other airlines, even when Southwest has better schedules and lower fares. One frequent flyer in Austin—Southwest's ideal customer on their monopoly DCA-AUS route—now books away specifically because the WiFi makes work impossible at altitude.

Southwest is rolling out assigned seating and premium legroom options to attract business travelers, but they're missing the bigger picture. When you're paying extra for a better seat but can't answer emails or join video calls because the connectivity is unusable, that "premium" experience becomes worthless. For those of us who need to stay productive in the air, reliable WiFi isn't a luxury—it's essential.

Delta, United, and American have invested heavily in satellite-based connectivity that actually works. Southwest needs to do the same if they want to win over road warriors who can't afford to lose five hours of productivity. Until then, expect business travelers to keep choosing carriers with functioning internet, even if it costs more. For more on Southwest's recent changes, we've been tracking their evolution closely.

Today's stories remind us that the travel industry moves fast—sometimes too fast. Airlines can potentially shut down over a weekend. Credit cards can close overnight. But opportunities also emerge quickly, like American's new long-haul narrowbody opening up award space to new destinations, or timing strategies that let you double-dip on premium card benefits.

Stay flexible, diversify your points across multiple programs, and always have backup plans for important travel. And if something seems too good to be true—like a startup fintech card with outsized rewards—understand you're taking on extra risk in exchange for those benefits.

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: