Hi everyone! Sorry I missed an update last week – I was in New York City for the weekend and was a little swamped. Here’s all the news that caught my eye over the past two weeks:
Airlines + Miles
Aeromexico is starting new flights from Mexico City to Seattle and Portland, and adding new Mexican destinations from Atlanta and Los Angeles. [Travel Codex]
Alaska Airlines added Helsinki-based Finnair as a Mileage Plan partner. [Alaska Airlines]
I bought one of the first tickets on Alaska Airlines’ new service from San Francisco to Mexico City, scheduled to begin August 8. [Travel with Grant]
American Airlines now offers a full refund within 24 hours of purchase if a flight is booked at least 2 days before departure (previously it was 7 days). [Travel Codex]
American Airlines will no longer offer a full beverage service on most flights under 250 miles starting June 1. Water and orange juice cups will be distributed, and other beverages will be available upon request. [The Forward Cabin]
Hainan Airlines has applied for permission to launch service to Tijuana, Mexico (as well as Zurich, Sydney, and Tehran). [Wandering Aramean]
JetBlue is offering 6,000 bonus points if you fly three roundtrips to/from a New York area airport this summer. [Angelina Travels]
Japanese low-cost carrier Peach Aviation will soon accept Bitcoin as payment. [Bloomberg]
Credit Cards
American Express announced their new Blue for Business Plus card, a no-annual-fee card that earns 2 Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent, up to $50k/year. [Frequent Miler]
The Escape Lounges in Oakland, Hartford, and Minneapolis are now accessible to American Express Platinum cardholders, and the Minneapolis lounge is leaving the Priority Pass network on June 14. [Mommy Points]
UBS is launching a new premium Visa Infinite card with a $495 annual fee. [Doctor of Credit]
Hotels + Points
Hyatt’s seasonal 10% points rebate for Hyatt credit card holders is back. Register here.
Trip Reports
Following the President of the United States around the world can get complicated when he’s flying between countries that don’t have diplomatic relations. [Wandering Aramean]
American Airlines opened its new Flagship Lounge at JFK. [The DesignAir]
Mommy Points went to the Co-Brand Partnerships Conference in Atlanta to get the inside scoop on all things credit card related. [Mommy Points]
Shelli was underwhelmed by some recent experiences in United first class. [Travel with Grant]
Are there any other news stories that I missed that are worth checking out? Let me know in the comments below.