Canceled flight? Cash is your new consolation prize
Plus, curing a fear of flying in a day, the first airline for dogs, and other travel news
The travel industry has been abuzz with news for the past few weeks, so today’s dispatch is dedicated to breaking down everything that’s been happening. Here’s what’s inside:
Premium domestic lounges opening this year
Michelin Key hotels
An amazing credit card sign-up bonus
And much more…
Ever been burned by a flight cancellation, long wait times for checked luggage, or not getting the service you paid for on a flight?
Okay, so all of us? Under a new Department of Transportation rule, airlines will soon be required to automatically issue cash refunds to passengers when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. This also applies to several other situations like significant wait times for checked bags and when extra flight purchases aren’t available on board.
This comes as a majorly welcome change, as airlines have long been able to make their own rules for issuing refunds. Typically, this process has A) put the burden on the passenger to initiate the refund request (which can be lengthy at best and impossibly confusing at worst) and B) usually comes in the form of vouchers or loyalty points. The new rules establish an industry-wide standard that puts the responsibility on the airline to issue cash instead of vouchers or credit. The new rule goes into effect on October 28th and, according to the DOT, is the biggest expansion of airline passenger rights in the department's history.
Calling all lounge-loving Delta loyalists in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles:
As I was passing through JFK last week, I saw “coming soon” banners for a Delta One lounge. According to the Delta News Hub, this will be Delta’s first “premium lounge” and the largest lounge in the Delta network, clocking in at a stunning 38,000 sq. ft. In addition to the inaugural JFK location, Delta will open two more premium lounges toward the back half of the year at Boston’s Logan Airport and LAX. No two premium lounges will be the same, with each featuring a design inspired by the surrounding city. Admission requirements are still being worked out.
As a passionate plane spotter, I’m also looking forward to the Sky Deck opening soon at LGA’s Terminal C Sky Club! Both JFK’s premium lounge & LGA’s Sky Deck are slated to debut in early summer 2024.
RIMOWA’s latest partnership has nothing to do with luggage.
RIMOWA collaborations typically look like limited edition suitcases, but this time, they’ve teamed up with La Marzocco, an industry leader in handmade espresso machinery, on a RIMOWA x La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine. The partnership isn’t totally out of left field, as both brands are known for their craftsmanship, ingenuity, and meticulous attention to detail. To celebrate the collaboration, a CAFFÈ RIMOWA pop-up was held in Milan from April 15th through the 21st.
If my household hadn’t just splurged on a La Marzocco of our own, I’d be pouncing on the chance to have this on display in my kitchen.
If you’re in the niche cross-section of aviation geek & points nerd like me, Delta just brought back their metal Amex Cards made from Boeing 747s!
Back in 2022, American Express and Delta released a limited-edition credit card design made of 25% metal from a retired Boeing 747 aircraft, and AV geeks everywhere went absolutely wild for it. The company couldn't keep up with demand, and a lot of people were left empty-handed. Luckily, they're back this year with a brand-new design—this time made from 33% metal—and they'll be producing twice as many cards.
For those not in the know, the 747—aka the "Queen of the Skies"—is one of two “jumbo jets” that is easily recognized by its distinctive shape and upper deck. It's a very special aircraft that revolutionized aviation technology and passenger experience when it entered service in 1970 and ultimately helped extend aviation’s golden age. If you ever want to read more about the incredible feat of engineering that is the 747, I love this AD article.
The limited edition cards are embossed with the aircraft's registration number, model, miles flown, and first and last flight dates. For aviation buffs, having a piece of this remarkable aircraft within reach in your wallet is incredibly special.
Good news: The Mr and Mrs Smith integration with Hyatt finally went live! Bad news: the redemption value isn’t as good as we were hoping for.
The long-awaited Mr and Mrs Smith x Hyatt integration that I wrote about in a previous newsletter finally went live on April 24th, meaning over 700 of these boutique & luxury properties are now available through Hyatt booking channels, with more hotels being added quarterly. The partnership expands Hyatt’s footprint into 20 new countries and allows Hyatt members to use their Hyatt points to book nights at Mr and Mrs Smith’s collection of posh hotels and villas.
This was meant to be a cause for celebration, but unfortunately, unlike Hyatt’s traditional award booking system which uses an award chart to determine the amount of points per stay, the Mr and Mrs Smith bookings are dynamically priced. This is bad news because ultimately, it means that your Hyatt points won’t go as far. It appears that most award bookings will get only around 1 to 1.4 cents per point value, which is a terrible value compared to getting over 2 cents per point value on average Hyatt hotel stays. Looks like I’ll be continuing to fork over cash for these properties instead of the Hyatt points I’ve been steadily stockpiling…
Remember when I mentioned that Michelin would soon be rating hotels using a “key” system, similar to how they rate restaurants with stars?
Michelin just announced its US hotel list, and 124 properties received Keys. 11 hotels were awarded the highest distinction of Three Keys, denoting an “extraordinary stay,” and all of them are in New York or California. There are two other Key ratings: Two Keys mark an “exceptional” stay, while One Key means the stay is “very special.” You can check out the full list of hotels in the US here.
Side note: Post Ranch Inn—pictured above as one of Michelin’s Three Key hotels—is one of the properties you’d be able to book using Hyatt points with the new Mr and Mrs Smith integration, as it’s available on their booking platform.
…If you could ever accumulate enough points (and didn’t care about a horrendous redemption value), that is.
Other news:
CLEAR & TSA PreCheck are now bundling services (and you’ll save 35%).
My favorite travel credit card, the Amex Platinum, has an incredible welcome offer right now—175k points if you spend $8k within the first 6 months (it’s typically only 80k points).
There’s a new airline prioritizing service…for dogs?
Can a fear of flying be cured in a day? I wish I had known about this nine years ago!
Airbnb launches Icons, a new category of extraordinary experiences. Feels a bit too gimmicky to me.
Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
There's a sky deck opening at the Delta lounge at LGA?! LGA becoming my preferred airport more and more every day.
That espresso machine might be the most beautiful piece of machinery I've ever seen!!