As a general rule, I don’t make nonrefundable travel reservations. I broke that rule…and was promptly reminded why I ordinarily live by that rule.
Earlier this week, I booked a completely non-refundable flight (in this case, a cash ticket) three days before departure. About 30 hours later, one of my sons woke up sick in the middle of the night. It came out of nowhere, but it was immediately obvious that we weren’t going to make that flight.
Thank goodness for credit card protections. I fully expect that trip cancellation insurance will have us covered here (I’ll report back with details after that process is finished), so instead of sweating it, I was able to focus on taking care of him and a backup plan. Normally, I count on award bookings to maximize flexibility. In this case, credit card protections came to the rescue, and I’m thankful to be focusing on filing a claim rather than fretting over a big loss.
On the blog this week, the Bilt 2.0 rollout continues to be rocky, Greg compares two luxury hotel booking platforms, I have success with an EU261 claim, and more.
This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Bilt cards being frozen, and 5x not being honored. Bilt’s response: Pound sand, it’s TPG’s fault (Update: Bilt investigating case-by-case)
Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a great week for early Bilt 2.0 adopters. Many new cardholders have had one problem after another, including some cardholders having their cards frozen for new purchases within the first day, and the limited-time The Points Guy introductory offer not attaching properly to accounts, even for people who we know applied through that offer. Frustratingly, the initial responses given by Bilt have left a lot to be desired. That’s been really disappointing. However, there has been an update to this post as it appears that Bilt has changed course and will review details and perhaps honor the promotion after all for some.
Bilt mortgage payments are running into snags…even with its own partner
On top of the above issues, we have also seen a number of reports from members who attempted to pay their mortgage through Bilt and had payments that were not delivered in time. In some cases, payments were cancelled altogether. In fact, we have even seen some reports from folks who attempted to pay a mortgage with UWM, Bilt’s mortgage partner, only to have their payment rejected with a note indicating that it is not a valid housing payment. If I were going to pay a mortgage with Bilt, I’d be sure to schedule that payment weeks before it was due so that there’s plenty of time for me to make the payment another way if I hit a snag. In my household, we’re sticking with the 3x multiplier; I’ll wait for systems to normalize before complicating things with Bilt-run mortgage payments.
My EU261 compensation claim for a Finnair flight booked with Alaska Atmos rewards
In a positive twist on customer service, I recently completed Finnair’s EU261 compensation claims process. When my family’s trip was disrupted by a delayed flight that caused a missed connection, I had previously reported that Finnair’s automated systems kicked into gear to make it easy to book a hotel and get meals covered. The next step was making a claim under EU261, Europe’s consumer protection laws that govern disrupted air travel. Each passenger on our itinerary was entitled to 400 Euros in compensation due to the overnight delay in getting to the destination on the ticket. It didn’t matter that we had ticketed the flight via Alaska Atmos; we were entitled to the same compensation as if we had booked directly. The online claims process was simple; it only took me about 10 minutes to file a claim. It took a couple of weeks to get a response, but, when they replied, they recognized their responsibility and made it easy enough to receive the payout. We got 400 EUR per passenger for a total of 1,600 EUR — about $1,900 USD. That certainly took some of the sting out of mostly missing our Fine Hotels + Resorts® stay in Frankfurt that night.
70 Marriott elite nights for $1,118 in annual fees: Should I do it?
Stephen sits in an advantageous spot, with access to the UK Marriott debit card increasing the number of total elite night credits he can earn with Marriott each year. In this post, Stephen contemplates whether it would be worth trying to earn elite nights from a UK credit card in the hopes that they would stack, and if that worked, he explores several wallet permutations to decide which would make the most sense for his situation. Unfortunately, some commenters have indicated that elite nights from the UK cards do not stack. Nonetheless, I imagine that many readers could benefit from taking a look at their cards to decide whether the benefits match the sticker price.
My JetBlue blunders chasing Mosaic 2 or higher
While Stephen looks at chasing Marriott Titanium status, I spent some time this week setting my sights on JetBlue Mosaic 2 status. Unfortunately, I didn’t get quite as close as I’d hoped thanks to a small blunder I made with the way I selected Perks You Pick. That said, while I concluded in the post that 25 for 25 customers likely wouldn’t receive those perks year after year, at least one commenter who attended a recent official JetBlue celebration for 25 for 25 participants reports that executives have indicated that the intention is to make those perks available for selection every year. That’s great news. Frankly, it makes a lot of sense. JetBlue gained a set of ~2,000 free ambassadors through 25 for 25 (the number of people who now have Mosaic 1 status for 25 years). Making sure that those folks can speak to full Mosaic benefits could be a valuable word-of-mouth advertising tool for JetBlue. Maybe I’ll end up being able to make Mosaic 2 in future years as well.
Private Island ultra-all-inclusive barefoot luxury: $2,500 rebate | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep345 | 2-13-26
Calala Island, an SLH property that is bookable with Hilton Honors points, is offering $2,510 to guests who book four-night stays, including using points. We’ve written about the promotion, but this week, Greg and I discuss the details. What do you need to know? Is it worth it? Why are they doing this? Will we see other “points farms” follow Calala’s lead? Watch or listen to this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air to get our take.
How to get into Delta Sky Club® lounges
Delta Sky Club access has changed over the past few years, with Delta trying to reduce overcrowding by introducing some limitations on access. Greg has updated his guide for how to access Sky Club lounges, whether through the right credit card, or in the right situations in terms of elite status and/or cabin class.
Do we undervalue Delta card welcome offers? | Ask Us Anything Ep83 | 2-4-26
We recently hosted our monthly Ask Us Anything Live on Youtube. This month, questions covered topics like the new Disney card, best uses of Wyndham posts post-Vacasa, and how to maximize Sky Team. Check the replay or find it on your preferred podcast platform.
The Edit vs Amex: My experience at Pendry Chicago (and a point mystery)
Ever wonder about the difference in booking through Amex’s luxury hotel platform or Chase’s version? Greg recently booked back-to-back stays at Pendry Chicago, with two nights booked via Chase’s The Edit and one night booked via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts®. As you may expect, there weren’t big differences between the two, but the finer details show that you may have reason to prefer one over the other. Personally, I really value the guaranteed 4pm late checkout and the ability to book one-night stays through Amex, so I’d probably look to book this one through Amex in the future, even if I didn’t earn I Prefer points.
Disney® Inspire Visa® Card | Coffee Break Ep92 | 2-9-26
A new Disney card has hit the market, but is it all that? At first glance, I thought this card would be pretty exciting for Disney enthusiasts, but Greg is far more measured and underwhelmed. Hear the details on this week’s coffee break and decide for yourself — are you inspired by the new Disney card?
Review: Hyatt House London Stratford – my new go-to London hotel
Stephen has found a new preferred London hotel — and it’s a Hyatt House! See this post for more on where it is, how much it costs, and whether it should be on your list when planning a trip to London.
Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide (2026)
The largest hotel chain in the world has what is undeniably the most complicated loyalty program on the market. From brands that offer less than 1 elite night credit to complex rules across issuersregarding your eligibility for bonuses to figuring out whether breakfast is free, this post has been fully updated with everything you need to know about Marriott.
Updated reviews & resources
The following resources have been updated this week for your reference.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals and make sure you grab them before they’re gone.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
