Capital One Adding New Airport Lounge

Capital One looks to be expanding its future airport lounge network with the addition of a new lounge coming to Denver International Airport (DEN), opening in 2022.

This will be in addition to lounges at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) airport, opening this fall, and Dulles International Airport (IAD), opening in mid 2022. 

As more details come out about these new airport lounges, I’m starting to get more excited about them. Based on the features, they really look like they are going to offer a true premium lounge experience, perhaps on par with Centurion Lounges.

If they can execute the service aspect, there may be some real competition, especially since it looks like Capital One is going to be expanding their lounge network at a good pace.

The only negative I have about the lounges is that the renderings don’t look that different from what you see in other lounges, but I will hold out judgment until we see some actual images of the real life facilities.

The new lounge in Denver is going to operate in partnership with Plaza Premium Group, will be approximately 11,200 square feet, and will be located in Concourse A on the mezzanine level.

Capital One stated that they are going to offer a premium in-lounge food and beverage experience, including delicious, health-conscious eating options that are served plated as small bites, a handcrafted beverage menu and an industry-leading, dedicated grab & go section.

Here are some of the highlights of the lounge:

  • A ready-to-eat food station will feature freshly curated grab & go snacks including artisanal nut mixes, fresh fruits, juice shots and rotating warm selections like breakfast sandwiches in the mornings or fresh-from-the-oven cookies in the afternoons. 
  • Unique beverage options include a fully stocked bar with craft cocktails on tap, local beers and regional wines
  • A full-service coffee and espresso bar featuring La Colombe cold brew on tap at select locations, and a custom six-tap system featuring artisanal sodas and flavored waters. 
  • Capital One partnered with creative agency Other Side of the Brain to create an original soundscape for the Lounge that provides travelers with an enriching, memorable and transformative experience as soon as they step foot into the space:
  • Relaxation rooms with eye covers, blankets and other luxury amenities to help you recharge away from the crowds
  • Shower suites with complimentary towels and hotel-inspired custom toiletries 
  • Ample, quiet working space, including private meeting rooms, with individual power outlets at every seat, a flight status display to keep you on schedule and complimentary high-speed WiFi
  • Kid-sized tables and chairs for families
  • A private nursing room for parents to tend to little ones
  • Secure lockers with plenty of room for carry-on luggage and personal items

Capital One also released some details of the new DFW lounge.

Amenities in the DFW lounge include:

  • The Capital One Lounge at DFW features more than 55 pieces of original artwork by local artists from the region. 
  • A cycling and yoga room with Peloton Bikes, resistance bands, and all of your yoga needs 
  • Relaxation rooms with eye covers, blankets and other luxury amenities to help you recharge away from the crowds
  • A shower suite with complimentary towels and hotel-inspired custom toiletries 
  • Ample, quiet working space with individual power outlets at every seat, a flight status display to keep you on schedule and complimentary high-speed WiFi 
  • Kid-sized tables and chairs for families
  • A private nursing room for parents to tend to little ones
  • Secure lockers with plenty of room for carry-on luggage and personal items
  • Multi-faith rooms offering a private space for travelers to pray, meditate or reflect

Final word

Looking at all of these amenities makes me think Capital One is pretty serious about competing with American Express. We still don’t have details on admission policies and prices which I think is the major question mark with these lounges.

A lot of people think a premium credit card from Capital One is on the way, which would be very exciting.

With crowding becoming so much of an issue at many Centurion Lounges, having a similar competitor enter the market will only be a good thing for travelers.

Free Crunchwrap Supreme when new users download the Taco Bell App

New users can download the Taco Bell app right now and receive a free supreme crunchwrap. After you sign up for the app check your rewards and you should see the free item.

Promo Link

  • Free-sign-up reward valid for 14 days from issuance and redeemable only via the Taco Bell mobile app for in-store/drive-thru pickup orders, at participating U.S. Taco Bell® locations, while supplies last.
  • Not available for a web pay-ahead, pickup order or delivery order.
  • Must be a registered Taco Bell app user in order to redeem.
  • Reward valid once per registered user.
  • No product or ingredient substitutions, upgrades or add-ons. Reward is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer. 

Smithsonian magazine’s free Museum Day is Coming Back!

Last year coronavirus canceled just about everything including Smithsonian magazine’s free Museum Day.

But this year it is coming back so just to make sure that you are ready.

If you are not familiar with this day, it offers free admission to more than 1,000 museums, zoos, and cultural centers located all across the country.

The free museum day will be on September 18 which falls on a Saturday.

How to get a ticket:

To get a ticket you will have to select a museum and download a ticket from the Smithsonian Magazine website.

If you click on that link you can use the filter on the left to filter museums based on states which I think is the easiest way to search.

I searched through Texas and Arizona and found quite a few museums that I had never heard of but that looks pretty cool to visit like the Museum of Southern History in Houston Texas.

Some of the museums look very random but could make for a cool Saturday morning visit, especially since you won’t have to come out of pocket.

Tickets will be available to download beginning at midnight on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.

You are allowed to download one ticket per email address but each ticket allows entry for two people.

If you like museums and like to visit them for free you should also check out the Bank of America Museum on US program.

Tennessee’s $250 airline voucher promotion

Tennessee is giving away $250 airline vouchers for people who book a minimum two night stay at participating hotels within the state.

You can choose from one of the four eligible cities: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, or Nashville.

If you are one of the first 10,000 people to book a two night stay for longer then you can receive a $250 airline voucher for one of the three participating Airlines:  American, Delta, or Southwest.

Only one airline voucher will be provided per qualified package so this is NOT issued per person.

The minimum two night stay must include at least one night on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

The reservations must be booked before September 15, 2021 but chances are supplies will be out by that time so the expiration date could be sooner. Full payment must be made at the time of booking.

The travel dates must be between July 11, 2021 to December 30, 2021. (You may encounter some black out dates.)

Hotels must be booked through TennesseeOnMe.com or the Nashville Reservations Center at 800-657-6910 to be eligible for the $250 airline voucher.

You can find how to book the promo here.

The Tennessee’s Department of Tourist Development allocated $2.5 million for this promotion.

Airlines May Have to Issue Refunds for Delayed Bags

The Biden Administration is set to propose new rules that will require airlines to refund passengers for bags that are significantly delayed and also for other services like Wi-Fi that don’t work.

White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese stated that these new rules are “part of a broader effort that the president will release shortly around driving greater competition in the economy in service of lower prices.”

Currently, under US Transportation Department rules state you are only entitled to a fee refund if your bags are lost but not delayed.

But under the new proposed rules a “significant delay” will entitle you to a refund. A “significant delay” will be one where a passenger does not get their bags for 12 hours on a domestic flight or within 25 hours for an international flight.

The new proposal will also require airlines to act swiftly to issue refunds for other types of services that are not available to paying customers.

These include things like advanced seat selection, Wi-Fi, in-flight entertainment, etc.

A single baggage fee may run you around $35 these days so that’s a pretty nice refund.

The refund will be nice but I would make sure that you prioritize getting baggage delay protection so that you can get reimbursed for essentials you may have to purchase while waiting for your bags to arrive.

If you are utilizing a premium travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve you can get solid protection for delayed baggage.

For example, if your baggage is delayed by a common carrier for more than six hours, you can get covered for essential expenses for up to $100 for a maximum of five days. 

The changes are expected to go into affect in 2022 based on reports that I saw but there is always the chance that efforts like these could run into opposition that slows everything down or prevents the effort from going forward.

Back in 2018, Congress attempted to get involved with baggage fee regulation by mandating “reasonable and proportional” baggage and change fees but they eventually dropped the effort.

It’s not clear to me yet what kind of resistance this new effort may come up against.

H/T

Huge Platinum Card Changes Coming?

6/30/21 Update:

It looks like we have confirmation that the platinum card annual fee is officially going to increase to $695. You can tell this from this PDF.

I’m expecting to hear something from American Express very soon (hopefully tomorrow) that officially outlines all of the enhanced benefits we have heard about such as the new credits that will help offset this much higher annual fee. So stay tuned!

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Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

There are some huge changes coming to the Platinum Card. Right now, there is a mixture of rumors and substantiated changes but even the rumors seem like they will likely come into fruition based on what we’ve seen so far. These changes will have pretty dramatic effects on the value proposition for the Platinum Card so you definitely want to take note about these.

Confirmed changes

Beginning in February 2023, it looks like free guests will no longer be permitted for Platinum Card members. Instead, you will have to pay $50 per guest unless you have spent $75,000 in the last calendar year or current year.

I think this is just yet another step American Express is taking to reduce overcrowding in Centurion Lounges and we’ll see if it actually works. This change is a pretty big blow to people who rely on a single Platinum Card to gain entry as a couple/duo or family because they will have to cough up $50 per visit.

Also, if you have kids below the age of 13 they cannot be added as an authorized users and so you will have to pay $50 for them. For families with multiple kids, that guest fee will add up pretty quickly.

This change will likely mean fewer people and families/kids in the lounge, but I do wonder if the changes will noticeably thin out the crowds.

Rumored changes

Below are some additional rumored changes.

Keep in mind that the change to the lounge admission policy was once upon a time a rumor so I think the odds are pretty high that we will see these changes happen.

Probably the biggest rumor is that the annual fee is set to increase all the way to $695! The increase of this annual fee will come with a host of different credits that if utilized properly, can probably make this increase actually a net gain.

According to DOC these credits include:

  • $300 equinox credit
  • $240 entertainment credit, $20 monthly (magazine/news subscriptions, video streaming services and audio/music streaming services)
  • $200 credit for prepaid hotel bookings
  • Annual CLEAR membership will replace TSA Precheck, but Global Entry seems like it’ll stay
  • $100 temp Resy credit

Here’s my breakdown:

Here in Tucson, we don’t have an Equinox Fitness near us so a $300 credit there may be completely useless depending on work around techniques with gift cards, etc. Obviously, if you are a current member then that $300 credit will be absolutely huge.

However, the big credit that will likely matter the most is the $240 entertainment credit. It looks like this credit will be given out $20 per month. This credit would presumably be good for things like streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify. For many people, a credit for those services would be as good as cash.

So without the $300 Equinox credit factored in, $240 would offset that $695 annual fee to $455.

A $200 credit for prepaid hotel bookings is still pretty attractive to me. While it is true that you would most likely not receive elite credit for your stay, I have received elite benefits for many stays booked through an online travel portal, including Amex Travel. I would happily utilize the credit for a one night or two night trip to Phoenix or Sedona.

So that credit would help knock the effective fee down to about $255.

The annual CLEAR membership, which might be replacing the TSA Pre-check credit, is also very enticing. A full price CLEAR membership is $179. Assuming that you would pay full price, that knocks the effective fee down to only $76.

There also is what looks like to be a temporary Resy credit.

Resy is an app that “powers the world’s best restaurants, using technology to imagine the future of hospitality. If you’re a person who loves dining out but hates hassling for reservations, download Resy now! Book sought-after seats at the best restaurants in 80 cities worldwide.”

I personally have not used the app but I might look into it if I had a credit.

It’s not clear to me what the plan is for the current credits (Uber, Saks, etc.). Given all of the value above I would assume that all/some of those would be dropped or at least modified. It also seems like some of these changes could start happening as soon as this year so be prepared for these changes to come quickly.

Final word

Overall, these changes mean a different value proposition (and look) for the Platinum Card.

The shift in lounge admission policy means that the card will be catering more to business/frequent travelers and high spenders — a key Amex demo.

Those who travel as a couple or with kids with only one Platinum Card will have to make a decision on whether or not they want to pay for lounge access or add authorized users if possible (based on age limits). Currently, you can add up to three authorized users by paying $175 but we might see that price go up as well. Who knows?

The annual fee increase is honestly not that big of a deal to me given the diverse range of credits. For someone like me who does a moderate level of traveling, I think it is going to be pretty easy to get the effective fee down to an acceptable level. Still, I’m not really in love with the full line-up of proposed credits (especially the $300 Equinox credit).

I will say that all of these additional credits will make using WalletFlo that much more important. You’ll be able to easily keep track of your fees and also keep track of whether or not you are coming out on top of your annual fees when utilizing your credits and perks.

Amex has been a bit of a trendsetter and so it won’t surprise me to see other issues mirror what Amex is doing by raising the annual fee and trying to get you locked in with an array of credits.

H/T: DOC

Hilton changing free breakfast benefit for Gold and Diamond members

6/28/21 Update:

We already heard about the change in breakfast policy for Hilton elite members but we just got verification about the new credit amounts. Check out the helpful infographic below to help you keep track of what type of breakfast benefits will be offered to you at the various brands:

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Hilton has long been my favorite hotel brand for breakfast.

That is because it offers a complimentary breakfast to both Hilton Gold and Hilton Diamond members and I have enjoyed many free breakfast meals during my Hilton stays.

Getting the free breakfast is convenient and also it has always been a great way to capture clear (non-subjective) savings while traveling.

But it looks like Hilton is about to switch things up and this could end up being a major negative depending on how it shakes out.

Beginning in July 2021 and through the end of 2021, Hilton is going to provide a daily food and beverage credit for Gold and Diamond members.

These credits will be offered at all luxury, full-service, lifestyle, and Hilton Garden Inn properties in the U.S.

These include brands like: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Signia by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton and Motto by Hilton.

The benefit is that you will be able to utilize these credits at anytime of the day so you are not restricted to only breakfast. That is actually pretty helpful for people who get a really late start or people like me who sometimes venture out before breakfast is even open.

The big question is how much will this credit be?

According to Hilton, the credit will range in value depending on the property you are staying at and the location. That gives me some hope that there will be real value with these credits since the price of breakfast can vary pretty widely.

However, it’s very possible that this credit will not offer the same amount of value that you could receive before with the free breakfast. And if that is the case then Gold and Diamond status will suffer a pretty clear devaluation — at least for US stays.

Once again, we don’t know exactly how this will play out but this is definitely something to watch as the summer comes around. Hopefully things will not be as bad as some are imagining but it’s certainly setting up to be a negative.

5/21 Update: there seems to be a somewhat credible rumor that the breakfast credit will be distributed as follows:

  • $25 credit for luxury properties
  • $12 credit for full service hotels but $15 in high cost markets
  • $12 credit for lifestyle hotels but $15 in high cost markets
  • $10 credit for Garden Inn

Free bagel at Panera Bread for vaccinated individuals

If you’re vaccinated you can show up to Panera Bread from July 2 to July 4 and receive a free bagel. Based on the terms it looks like you could receive a free bagel each day that you showed up (for a total of three free bagels).

Unlike the Krispy Kreme giveaway, you reportedly will NOT be required to show your vaccination card. Instead, they are relying on the “honor system.”

By the way, if you like getting freebies like this be sure to download the WalletFlo app which now has a promo section showing you all of the latest deals and freebies.

Key terms:

*No purchase required. One (1) free bagel per COVID vaccinated customer per day from 7/2-7/4/2021 in participating U.S. bakery-cafes.  Spreads not included.  In-cafe only.  Panera Catering and all online orders and orders placed on third party sites excluded.   While supplies last. Other restrictions may apply.

H/T

New Hyatt Promotion (Q3): Bonus Journeys [2021]

The new Hyatt promotion: Bonus Journeys is back! The deal for Q3 is still pretty sweet and below I will show you how you can earn up to 40% back on Hyatt stays depending on your elite status.

Promo details

  • Register for the promotion between July 7, 2021 and August 20, 2021 to participate.
  • All eligible stays under this promotion must be completed after registering and between July 20, 2021 and September 15, 2021
  • For every stay of two or more qualifying nights after registration, you will receive triple points
  • Only Base Points are tripled, and points awarded under this promotion are Bonus Points. 
  • Maximum 120,000 Bonus Points may be earned under this offer.

Registration

As mentioned above, registration is not open until July 7th. (Article will be updated when it goes live.)

Promo Link

How much is the promo worth?

The standard base points for Hyatt is five points per dollar spent, but with this promotion you’ll be earning 15 points per dollar spent.

As many of you know, Hyatt points are some of the most valuable hotel points available. WalletFlo values them at 1.57 cents per point. This means that with this promo you will be earning about 23.5% back.

If you have elite status or the World of Hyatt credit card, you can earn even more back. The World of Hyatt card will earn you 4X at Hyatt plus the extra .5 from Discoverist elite status.

So that would be a total of 19.5X per dollar spent — or 30% back. Not bad.

If you have top level Globalist you’ll receive a 30% bonus on your base points, which amounts to 6.5 points per dollar spent. With the World of Hyatt card, that’s 25.5X per dollar spent — or 40% back!

So this can be a very lucrative promotion if you have the ability to stack your earnings.

Final word

This is a solid promotion for late summer travel.

Amazing Southwest 50% Off Sale

If you have any travel plans for this fall you should take a hard look at the new Southwest Airlines sale. It’s an amazing deal offering 50% off flights of all fares — that includes Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select.

To take advantage of this promotion you need to book by June 17 and your travel dates need to be between September 15th and November 3, 2021.

When you go to book make sure that you can put the promo code: “SAVE50.” There is a box to input the code directly underneath where are you input your dates on desktop. After you proceed to the search results, you should see the savings reflected in the prices. The promo code works for both points bookings and cash bookings.

(You will know that the discount has been activated if you see the former price crossed out.)

I was just able to book 2 round-trip nonstop tickets between Phoenix and BWI for only $462 in October. Not bad at all. So if you have any travel plans for this fall I’d highly suggest checking out the discounted rates.

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