There's a quiet pattern playing out in the airline industry right now, and today's news makes it crystal clear. Airlines aren't raising fares - they're moving the price into fees. And it's not an accident.

That distinction matters more than it might seem. Keep reading and I'll explain exactly why it's worse than a standard price hike, plus we've got a wild story about an influencer who may have just set a new record for most dramatic airline ban ever.

Alaska Airlines recently rebranded its frequent flyer program. What is the new name?

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

Starting today, April 4th, United is charging $50 for a first checked bag on most domestic, Mexico, Canada, and Latin America flights. That's a $10 increase, and it follows JetBlue making the exact same move just recently. If you think the other major carriers aren't watching closely, you'd be wrong.

Here's the part that makes this more than just a routine fee hike. The federal excise tax on domestic airfares is 7.5%. That tax applies to the base fare - not to bag fees. So when airlines shift more of the price into fees instead of fares, they're moving revenue into a bucket that Congress largely exempts from taxation.

That creates a real incentive to keep base fares artificially low while hiking everything around them. You're not necessarily paying more in total - you're just paying it differently, and the airline keeps more of it. Worth understanding when you're comparing fares across carriers.

The most straightforward way around this is a co-branded credit card. United cardholders get the first bag free, which more than pays for a mid-tier card's annual fee on its own if you fly United a few times a year. You also get a $5 discount if you prepay bags online. Small, but worth knowing.

For all our coverage on airline fees and how to avoid them, check out our airline fees coverage.

Alaska's frequent flyer program - now called Atmos Rewards - is running its best buy points promotion right now: a 100% bonus, bringing the cost to 1.88 cents per point through May 2nd. This matches the best offer the program has ever run, so if you've been watching and waiting, this is it.

Alaska partners with an impressive list of airlines - including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Finnair, and Japan Airlines - making these points genuinely useful for international premium redemptions. A common sweet spot is Cathay Pacific business class to Asia, which can be booked using Alaska miles at rates that often beat what you'd pay through the airlines' own programs.

At 1.88 cents each with the 100% bonus, the math works well if you have a specific redemption in mind. Buying speculatively is always riskier, but if you've got a trip planned and need to top up, this window is worth using.

Use our Alaska Miles Calculator to check the value of your target redemption before buying.

Southwest credit cards now earn more points on Lyft rides, and the real story here isn't just the higher earn rate - it's that the rewards can stack. You can earn points from your Southwest card on the ride, and still credit the trip to another Lyft loyalty partner at the same time.

Stacking rewards on everyday spending like rideshare is one of the most underused strategies in points collecting. If you're working toward a Southwest Companion Pass - which requires earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year - every stackable earning opportunity helps close that gap faster.

Southwest Rapid Rewards points are also on sale right now at a 50% discount, bringing the cost to 1.5 cents each. That sale ends today, April 4th, so if you're short on points for a specific redemption, today's the day to act.

Check out all our Southwest Airlines coverage for more on the Companion Pass and earning strategies.

The Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena opened earlier this month in the city's Getsemani neighborhood, just steps from the UNESCO-listed Walled City. It's a 131-room property inside a 1920s landmark building - the kind of combination that tends to generate serious bucket-list attention.

Four Seasons properties can be booked using World of Hyatt points through the Hyatt-Four Seasons partnership, meaning this opening is relevant if you're sitting on a Hyatt stash. New hotel openings sometimes come with Category pricing that hasn't been fully adjusted yet, which can mean temporary sweet spots.

Speaking of Hyatt - the program is currently offering 500 bonus points per night at 33 newly opened hotels with no registration required. It won't change your life, but free points you don't have to opt into are always worth knowing about. Check our Hyatt coverage for the full list of qualifying properties.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking Hyatt and Four Seasons award availability if you want to check what points can get you in Cartagena right now.

This one is genuinely wild. Colombian influencer Yeferson Cossio - nearly 20 million TikTok followers, 13 million on Instagram - was flying Avianca on March 11th from Bogota to Miami when he set off what he described as an accidental stink bomb on the plane. Passengers were subjected to a foul smell for the duration of the transatlantic flight.

Avianca didn't send a strongly worded email. They issued a lifetime ban and filed a lawsuit. The airline is seeking compensation for the disruption, the distress caused to other passengers, and what sounds like a very unpleasant few hours for the crew. Cossio has a track record of stunts for content, and this one clearly crossed a line that airlines have legal standing to act on.

It's actually refreshing to see an airline hold the line here. The miles and points community depends on functioning airline relationships, and stunts that turn aircraft into content sets make the experience worse for everyone. For more travel incident coverage, see our travel incidents page.

The American Express Business Gold Card is showing targeted welcome offers as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards points for eligible applicants. The standard offer is lower, so this is worth checking before you apply - your eligibility depends on your Amex history and whether you've held this card before.

The card carries a $375 annual fee and earns 4x points in your top two spending categories each month - a genuinely useful structure for business owners with variable spending patterns. At 200,000 points, you're looking at significant value depending on how you redeem.

Not sure if you're eligible? Check our guide on which Amex welcome bonuses you still qualify for before applying.

Use the Amex Points Calculator to model out what 200,000 Membership Rewards points could be worth for your specific redemption goals.

A few transfer bonuses are either expiring soon or offering genuinely outsized value right now. The Choice to Air France KLM Flying Blue 100% bonus is the headline - it runs through April 24th and doubles your points on transfer. Flying Blue has strong sweet spots to Europe and the Caribbean, and our Flying Blue coverage has full context on the best uses.

Citi ThankYou Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is offering a 30% bonus through April 18th. If you've been considering a Virgin Atlantic redemption - particularly for Delta flights, which can be booked at strong rates through Flying Club - this bonus meaningfully improves the math.

Chase to IHG is running a 70% transfer bonus, which is one of the larger bonuses I've seen from that pairing. IHG has some solid luxury properties where points go a long way. See the full list of active transfer bonuses at our transfer bonuses tracker.

Not a cash deal person? Neither are we most of the time. But Friday Flight Deals spotted some seriously low cash fares this week that might be worth comparing against your award options before you commit points.

The answer is B - Alaska Atmos Rewards. Alaska Airlines rebranded its Mileage Plan program to Atmos Rewards, keeping the same core earning and redemption structure but giving it a fresh identity. The program remains one of the better ones for international partner redemptions, especially given its broad airline partner network.

That's it for today - see you tomorrow with more from the miles and points world. Safe travels!

Here's what we're seeing in award availability right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto - Kyoto, Japan | 1.3cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort - Bora Bora, PF | 2.8cpp value | 130,000 pts/night

Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel - Rome, IT | 1.5cpp value | 85,000 pts/night

Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts - West Indies, AI | 1.6cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman - Grand Cayman, KY | 2.9cpp value | 25,000 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

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.

Capital One Miles to JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +30% bonus - ends April 30, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan: +20% bonus - ends April 30, 2026

Chase Ultimate Rewards to IHG: +70% bonus - ends April 30, 2026

Choice to Air France KLM Flying Blue: +100% bonus - ends April 24, 2026

Citi ThankYou Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles: +25% bonus - ends April 18, 2026

Citi ThankYou Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: +30% bonus - ends April 18, 2026

Rove Miles to Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) EuroBonus: +20% bonus - ends April 08, 2026

Rove Miles to Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) EuroBonus [Targeted]: +20% bonus - ends April 08, 2026

Airline programs:

Air France–KLM (Flying Blue): 80% bonus at 1.69¢ (expires April 16, 2026)

Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards): 100% bonus at 1.88¢ (expires May 02, 2026)

American Airlines (AAdvantage®): 40% discount at 2.26¢ (expires May 03, 2026)

Etihad (Guest): 35% discount at 2.08¢ (expires May 03, 2026)

EVA Air (Infinity MileageLands): 35% bonus at 2.66¢ (expires April 10, 2026)

Hotel programs:

Choice (Privileges): 35% bonus at 0.76¢ (expires April 28, 2026)

Hyatt (World of Hyatt): 20% discount at 2.08¢ (expires April 07, 2026)

Leading Hotels of the World (Leaders Club): 100% bonus at 6.0¢ (expires April 03, 2026)

Wyndham (Rewards): 100% bonus at 0.65¢ (expires May 01, 2026)

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

Business Platinum Card: 200,000 points after spending $20,000 in 3 months ($895/yr)

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

American Express Gold Card: 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in 6 months ($325/yr)

Business Gold Card: 100,000 points after spending $15,000 in 3 months ($375/yr)

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

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →