🤙🏿 Welcome back to the Better Than Points Newsletter - the premier place for all things Credit Card Points News and Travel
My name’s Luis and I’m the one writing this (hit me up here!)
Oh boy do I have some beans to spill.
Should it be chili though since its starting to get cold here.
I digress, lets get into it.
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With the holidays coming up, now’s the perfect time to make sure you’re using your points wisely and picking the right card if you’re ready for a new one.
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🛋️ Luis’ Lounge
Each week, I’ll share something cool I’ve discovered or tackle a question from the community. It’s my little corner to explore ideas, offer fresh perspectives, and hopefully spark your own curiosity.
I channeled my inner Marie Kondo this week and did a little fall cleaning on the newsletter.
Don’t worry, the news section is still here, it just moved.
Let me know if you’re into the new layout (or not). I’m trying new things to see what works best.
Kicking things off with something I kinda forgot about but ended up saving us big.
We’re taking a cruise with the whole family in December, and as you know I volunteered myself to look at the best booking options, because I can’t help myself
So I got to work and started shopping around.
I personally have never gone on a cruise and not really a fan of them.
But since the rest of the family is going I begrudgingly compiled.
Since I’ve never been on this cruise, our price was higher than what friends/family were getting with their loyalty discounts.
I called a few agents, checked direct on the cruise site, poked around for holiday promos and to no surplice, trying to book a cruise during Christmas isn’t cheap.
Then I remembered Costco Travel.
On paper, the base fare was about $100 more per cabin.
But one thing was included with our booking, Costco Travel cards (basically Costco cash) back after booking.
Depending on cabin type, the rebate ranged from ~$150 up to almost $500 per room.
Since we’re booking multiple rooms, that shaved a lot off the effective price, like a couple thousand dollars back in Costco cash we’ll actually use.
So if you’re booking a cruise (especially during the holidays) or paying cash for a trip, always check Costco Travel.
Even when the sticker price isn’t the lowest, the Costco cash can make it the best net deal.
They also sneak in good promos on bundles (think cruise + perks, or car/hotel packages), so it’s worth a quick compare before you lock anything in.
I always check them out for car rentals too.
P.S. I’ve been talking with a couple of companies about partnerships for the newsletter, for some I told them it wasn’t a good fit but other I thought were perfect.
One of them asked me if the readers actually trust my recommendations and I told them I’d ask.
Do you trust my recommendations, including sponsored ones?
🤓 Hack
My buddy let me know of this cool new feature on the avios app that lets so see a map with how many points it would cost.
Travel News
Wyndham Vacasa Partnership No More (LINK)
No one likes seeing partnerships break up, and this one stings.
Vacasa was acquired by Casago, and with that, the ability to use Wyndham points to book Vacasa stays is ending.
Effective December 1, 2025, you’ll no longer be able to use Wyndham points on Vacasa.
And if you’ve already booked something on points, the stay must be completed by January 31, 2026.
Short notice and a big bummer for the points/miles crowd, this was a unique angle for booking vacation rentals with points.
If you’ve got Wyndham points earmarked for Vacasa, it’s time to lock something in now.
Fingers crossed someone steps in to fill this (very) useful niche for booking vacation rentals with points.
Bilt Introducing Bilt Cash (LINK)
Bilt announced that starting January 1, 2026, they’re rolling out Bilt Cash.
No need to panic, this won’t mess with Bilt Points.
It’s a separate thing meant to add value inside the Bilt ecosystem, basically merchant credits you can use like cash.
Think $20 dropped into your account to use at a local coffee shop or a partner restaurant.
The program is set for early 2026, but they’re still ironing out details.
I could see this showing up as targeted boosts (you frequent a spot, they send you Bilt Cash to spend there), milestone rewards, or promos tied to Bilt partners.
The idea is more flexibility to earn points, earn Bilt Cash, and redeem both in ways that feel tangible, so food, drinks, travel, etc.
They’re also talking about letting Bilt Cash help with status bumps.
Similar to Rent Day promos where Gold might get a 50% bonus and Platinum gets 100%, you might be able to use Bilt Cash to jump a tier for better earn rates or perks.
Don’t expect to leap from bottom to top instantly but those rules aren’t final yet but tier nudges look likely.
Bottom line this will add more tools in the Bilt toolbox.
If you can use Bilt Cash to hit a status tier instead of grinding spend, that’s real strategy.
I’ll keep an eye out for the best use cases once they publish the fine print.
Airline Cancelation and refund rules (LINK)
Orlando airport was a mess on Monday with the power going out.
Ground stops, delayed flights, even baggage trains getting stuck. Fun times.
Quick reminder while delays pile up (and with the shutdown stretching TSA/ATC thin, this may get worse before it gets better)
Know your DOT refund rights.
Here’s the gist, in plain English:
If your flight touches the U.S. (departing, arriving, or even a connection) and it’s significantly delayed or canceled, you’re entitled to a cash refund to your original form of payment, not a voucher.
The DOT “significant change” triggers are:
3+ hours change for domestic flights
6+ hours change for international flights
Plus things like extra connections, downgrades, big aircraft swaps, or moving you to a different airport.
Baggage fee refunds: if your checked bag doesn’t show on time, the fees must be refunded.
Domestic: not delivered within 12 hours of arrival.
International: 14–30 hours, depending on itinerary length.
Ancillary fees (seat selection, Wi-Fi, etc.): if you paid for a service and didn’t get it, you’re owed a refund for that fee.
Timing matters: refunds should hit within 7 business days (credit card) or 20 days (cash/debit).
Pro tips while you wait around:
Screenshot delay notices in your app/email.
Ask for the reason for delay in writing (weather vs. airline ops can affect what they offer beyond the mandated refund).
Don’t accept a voucher unless you actually want one, you can insist on cash if you qualify.
If the front line rep stonewalls you, HUCA (hang up, call again) or file a quick complaint at transportation.gov/airconsumer
Save this for your next “extended airport hangout.”
Check out these crazy award deals!
🔬 Secret Travel Research
This section includes some of the best award flights of the week bookable with points and miles.
If you see a flight you like book it as availability is always changing
Airlines are releasing a lot of award availability after Christmas.
🖥️ TravelBot
Chat with TravelBot - my AI clone. It’s trained on every newsletter I’ve published along with my 10+ years of points and credit card knowledge 🧠.
It’s also trained on my voice, so you can call it and have a full blown conversations. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
👀 My Favorite Finds
This section includes some of the best links videos and articles of the week around the points and travel community
Check out these crazy luxury hotels (LINK)
These newsletters are changing the game (LINK)
Save 10% on United flights until Halloween (LINK)
This airport is building a whole new terminal (LINK)
TSA suspending service of business class pre check lines (LINK)
10 free things you can get from guest services on cruise ship (LINK)
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Appreciate you,
Luis 🤙🏿
When you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:
My free toolkit - I’m sharing all the tools I currently use in my business to help find and book luxury travel.
My Current Favorite Cards - I always get asked what my current favorite credit cards are. Well, here they are yes, it’s an affiliate link.
Ultimate Credit Card Points Workshop - Learn my step by step system to book flights and hotels with points, even if you’re just starting out.
Turn your business spending into international flights. If you're an entrepreneur with a high-revenue business and love to travel first or business class internationally, I'd love to work with you.
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