From a United lounge closure that'll make your skin crawl to Flying Blue's surprise elite perks and JetBlue's European expansion—here's everything that matters in miles and points today.

United Airlines permanently closed its DFW Airport Club yesterday after photos revealed conditions that look more like a condemned building than a premium lounge. We're talking roaches, visible mold, standing water in the kitchen, and maintenance issues so severe they violated basic health standards.

The timing couldn't be worse for United, which has been pushing its Premium Plus and Polaris products hard at DFW as it competes with American's fortress hub. The lounge had been operating in Terminal C, and there's no word yet on whether United plans to rebuild or simply redirect passengers to other lounge options. For now, United elites connecting through DFW are left with Priority Pass options or the Centurion Lounge in Terminal D.

While United deals with PR nightmares, Air France-KLM's Flying Blue program quietly rolled out a major perk for elite members: better award availability and pricing. Starting this week, Silver, Gold, and Platinum members are seeing lower mileage requirements and access to award seats that don't show up for regular members.

This is huge. Flying Blue was already one of the best programs for transferring points from Amex, Chase, or Capital One for transatlantic travel. Now elite members get first crack at the good seats—think Paris to New York in business class during peak summer dates when availability used to disappear instantly. If you've been sitting on SkyTeam elite status, this just became significantly more valuable.

Speaking of Europe, JetBlue just announced two new destinations that'll have travel hackers scrambling to book with points. Starting summer 2026, Boston will get nonstop service to both Barcelona and Milan—JetBlue's sixth consecutive year adding new transatlantic routes.

The Barcelona route launches daily, while Milan starts with five weekly flights. Both cities are JetBlue firsts, expanding beyond the London and Paris markets where they've been competing aggressively. For points enthusiasts, this matters because JetBlue TrueBlue points transfer from Citi ThankYou at 1:1, and their Mint business class often prices at half what you'd pay on legacy carriers. If you're eyeing Mediterranean travel next summer, check out our JetBlue coverage for booking strategies.

This timing couldn't be better because Delta just launched a flash sale on award flights to Europe starting at 20,400 SkyMiles round-trip. We're seeing deals to London, Paris, Milan, Munich, and Amsterdam from multiple US cities with mostly nonstop routings.

The sweet spots? New York to London clocks in at 24,000 miles round-trip in economy—about 60% cheaper than Delta's usual pricing. Some routes dip even lower to 20,400 miles if you're flexible with dates. These fares work for travel through spring 2026, which means you can already start planning next year's European adventures. With Delta's recent capacity expansion to Europe and now JetBlue entering Barcelona and Milan, competition is working in travelers' favor. For more on maximizing Delta SkyMiles, we've got strategies that go beyond basic redemptions.

Remember that controversy about airlines secretly selling passenger data to US Customs and Border Protection? After months of backlash, it's finally over. Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United all participated through the Airline Reporting Corporation—and all have now terminated the practice following public outcry.

The program allowed CBP to access detailed passenger itineraries, contact information, and travel patterns without individual consent. While airlines claimed it was for security purposes, privacy advocates argued it crossed clear boundaries. The good news: the practice ends immediately, though it raises questions about what other data-sharing arrangements might still exist behind the scenes. For travelers concerned about digital privacy, this is at least one less thing to worry about when booking flights.

On the flip side, here's a hotel horror story that defies logic. A Wyndham Rewards Diamond member requested their standard 4 PM late checkout benefit at a La Quinta property—a perk clearly stated in the program terms. The hotel not only refused but called the police and permanently banned the guest from all La Quinta locations.

The escalation makes zero sense. Diamond status explicitly includes late checkout as an elite benefit, yet the front desk treated the request as if the guest was attempting to squat illegally. Wyndham corporate eventually intervened and reversed the ban, but the damage to La Quinta's reputation is done. This incident highlights a growing disconnect between hotel brands promising elite benefits and individual properties actually honoring them. If you're relying on hotel elite status perks, always confirm benefits at check-in and document everything.

While we're on hotel quality control failures, a Hilton Honors member got upgraded to the Presidential Suite at the Hilton Branson Convention Center and discovered a mattress that was 13 years old—well beyond Hilton's own brand standards requiring replacement every 5-7 years. Photos also showed worn furnishings, maintenance issues, and general neglect in what's supposed to be the hotel's flagship room.

This raises uncomfortable questions about how thoroughly Hilton enforces its quality standards at individual properties. If the Presidential Suite—the room they presumably show off to VIPs—has a mattress that's double its expiration date, what condition are the standard rooms in? For travelers chasing upgrades through elite status or points redemptions, this serves as a reminder that higher room categories don't always guarantee better conditions. Sometimes a newer standard room beats an outdated suite.

Today's stories reveal both the opportunities and pitfalls of modern travel loyalty programs. Flying Blue is rewarding elite status with genuinely useful perks, while United and Hilton remind us that even premium brands can have serious quality control failures. JetBlue's European expansion and Delta's award sale create new redemption opportunities just as we head into holiday booking season.

The smartest move right now? Transfer points to Flying Blue if you have elite status and book that Delta Europe sale before inventory disappears. And maybe skip United's DFW offerings until they sort out their lounge situation.

Until tomorrow,

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: