Loyalty Shakeups: United Tweaks Mileage Plus, Hyatt Rumors, and American Surprises

Watch Us On YouTube! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! ***At time of distribution, TSA PreCheck is operational, though Global Entry remains shuttered. United is making adjustments to MileagePlus — and while they're not dramatic, they're definitely impactful. This week, Ed and Julian break down what's changing on the earning side, how credit cards factor in, and whether these updates actually move the needle for everyday travelers. From there, the conversation shifts to Hyatt after a detailed (but ultimately false) rumor sparked debate about a premium credit card and new award categories. Could something like this still happen? And what would it mean for Globalist members? Plus, an unexpected development in the Chase Travel portal: American Airlines flights are now showing up with Points Boost pricing. What does that mean for Chase cardholders — and could this signal a bigger shift in airline partnerships? And yes, somewhere in the background….the U.S. men's hockey team wins Olympic gold in hockey during the broadcast. ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ United MileagePlus Changes Lower base earning rates without a United credit card Slightly higher earning with a co-branded card Basic Economy no longer earning miles (without a card) Who should (and shouldn't) consider a United card ✈️ Credit Cards vs Transferable Points Why flexible currencies may still win Opportunity cost of airline spend When a United card actually makes sense ✈️ Hyatt Premium Card Rumor (Debunked) The proposed $795 card details Category 9 and 10 award talk Would this have flooded Globalist status? Why Hyatt will likely evolve anyway ✈️ Points Boost and American Airlines AA flights appearing in Chase Travel How Points Boost changes redemption math What this could mean for airline partnerships ✈️ TSA PreCheck & Travel Friction Reports of possible program suspension Throughput vs security concerns Why consistency matters for travelers ✈️ Points Path Founders Club Update New Google Flights interface Points Wallet feature Scroll down for timestamps and details. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ⏱️ Episode 425 Timestamps 0:00 – Hockey chaos and cold open 4:00 – United Mileage Plus earning changes explained 9:30 – Credit card impact and who benefits 14:45 – Should you get a United card now? 19:20 – Basic Economy changes and flexibility tradeoffs 23:45 – Hyatt premium card rumor breakdown 29:10 – Would a new card create too many Globalists? 33:30 – American Airlines flights in Chase Points Boost 38:40 – TSA PreCheck concerns and travel impact 41:45 – Points Path Founders Club updates