Today's lineup includes a merger that might actually happen this time, a hotel loyalty reset that cost Marriott a $200K customer, and why British Airways Avios just got more expensive. Plus, a Lufthansa fraud case that should worry anyone with miles in the bank.

Spirit and Frontier are back in merger talks, and sources close to the discussions say an announcement could drop as soon as this month. This would be the third attempt to combine the two ultra-low-cost carriers after previous deals collapsed in spectacular fashion.

The timing makes sense given Spirit's bankruptcy proceedings. For frequent flyers, a combined carrier would create the nation's fifth-largest airline and potentially reshape the budget travel landscape. The real question: will points and status from either program survive a merger? History suggests existing miles typically transfer, but the devil's in the details. For all our Spirit Airlines coverage, check our dedicated page.

A longtime Marriott Ambassador who spent over $200,000 and stayed as many as 250 nights per year just walked away from Bonvoy completely. The reason? Denied benefits, unchecked franchise abuse, and eroding standards finally pushed him to reset his entire hotel loyalty strategy.

His new approach: Hyatt comes first, IHG fills the gaps, and Marriott is points only. This story highlights a growing problem for hotel chains—elite members are increasingly willing to walk when the benefits they were promised don't materialize. When someone spending six figures annually decides your program isn't worth it, that's a red flag. Check out all our Marriott coverage and hotel elite status stories for more on loyalty program issues.

British Airways implemented its promised devaluation this week, and the damage is now clear: Avios prices jumped up to 14% across the board. The changes took effect Monday, December 15, with surcharges on BA-operated award tickets also increasing.

If you were sitting on American Express Membership Rewards or other transferable points waiting to book British Airways flights, you missed the window. The good news? This might make other Avios-earning programs like Aer Lingus and Iberia relatively more attractive if their pricing hasn't moved in lockstep. For complete coverage, see our British Airways tag page.

A Lufthansa Miles & More member just reported that 383,000 miles were stolen from their account. They immediately reported the fraud to Lufthansa, expecting the airline to make them whole like most carriers do when fraud occurs. Instead, the airline reportedly said tough luck.

This is highly unusual. Airlines typically restore stolen miles if members took basic precautions to safeguard their accounts. The situation raises serious questions about Lufthansa's fraud protection policies. If you have miles with any airline program, this is your reminder to enable two-factor authentication immediately and check your accounts regularly. The stakes are too high to assume the airline will help if something goes wrong.

World of Hyatt's year-end promotion on purchased points is ending soon, offering 20% off at 2.08 cents per point. This is the program's last buy points deal of 2025, and if you haven't hit your annual purchase limit, it's worth considering.

Hyatt points are consistently valuable, especially if you don't have easy access to transferable points currencies that move to Hyatt. At 2.08 cents per point, you're getting reasonable value if you have a specific redemption in mind—but never buy points speculatively. Calculate your redemption value first using our Award vs Cash Calculator before pulling the trigger. Check our Hyatt Hotels tag page for more redemption strategies.

IHG One Rewards is selling elite qualifying points through the end of the year, essentially offering a way to buy elite status. While we've seen similar promotions before, this one isn't quite as generous as last year's offer.

The math on buying IHG Diamond status depends heavily on your travel patterns. If you're close to a status threshold and would benefit from the perks, it might make sense. But paying full price to leap from nothing to top-tier status? That's usually a losing proposition unless you have very specific stays planned where the benefits will pay for themselves. For complete details on IHG programs, visit our IHG Rewards coverage.

United Airlines updated its mobile app with real-time boarding updates, including a "virtual gate" feature that shows which groups are boarding and how many people have already scanned. No more crowding at the gate wondering if you missed your zone.

JetBlue confirmed it's cutting the seasonal JFK-Amsterdam route and won't bring it back in March as planned. The carrier is likely done with European growth "for a while" as it focuses on profitability over expansion.

Planning award travel? Use Award Travel Finder to search award availability across all major programs simultaneously, and check Flight Queue for estimated security wait times at your departure airport before heading to the terminal.

Today's stories highlight the fragility of loyalty programs—whether it's a $200K Marriott customer walking away, British Airways quietly raising prices, or Lufthansa's questionable fraud response. The lesson? Stay flexible, diversify your points portfolio, and never assume the benefits will remain unchanged. That Marriott Ambassador's story is a reminder that even the highest-spending customers are reevaluating where they direct their loyalty in 2025.

As always, find me on Instagram for daily updates and breaking news.

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: