Happy halloween! It’s a historic day here in Berlin, as the new Brandenburg Airport finally opened, many years late and many billions of dollars over budget. I enjoyed the extent to which there was TV coverage about it today, which I’ve never seen in this way for an airport before. I look forward to checking out the new airport myself soon.
On the points & travel front, this week Hilton and Marriott extended the validity of loyalty perks, Delta SkyMiles devalued partner awards, Chase Sapphire cards added Peloton credits, Kuwait Airways took delivery of its first A330-800neo, six Lufthansa 747s got “stuck” at a small airport, and more.
With that out of the way, here’s a recap of this week on the blog:
Featured Stories
Reserve Your Spot For The New OMAAT Community!
We’re planning on making some improvements to the community aspect of OMAAT, including the comments section and Ask Lucky section. Yes, there will be some sort of status system and gamification element to this, because why wouldn’t there be? 
This is the chance for some of our more engaged readers to “reserve” their username for our new commenting system. So to commenters like “The Original Donna,” this is your chance to just become “Donna” again and have no one else be able to use it, should you so choose…
Is Chase’s “Pay Yourself Back” Feature Worth It?
We’ve seen card issuers add a variety of temporary perks, in light of current circumstances. This has especially been the case on premium travel cards, given that fewer people are traveling than in the past.
Chase has done a particularly good job with adding temporary perks to its credit cards, and in this post I wanted to take a closer look at the “Pay Yourself Back” feature. This has been extended and expanded since initially being introduced, and it’s arguably the best way to redeem any transferable points currency for a non-travel purchase.
Review: Deutsche Bahn ICE First Class
While I usually review flights, airport lounges, and hotels, I figure it’s sometimes useful to review other forms of transportation as well. Trains are increasingly replacing planes within Europe for short distances for (obvious) environmental reasons, so what’s Germany’s “premium” train experience like?
We’ve just spent several days in Düsseldorf (which we loved), and we decided to take the Deutsche Bahn Intercity Express (ICE) in first class. Winston even joined us, so I’ll share what it was like traveling with a dog.
TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos
Citi Double Cash: More Valuable Than Ever Before
My Experience With The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
Amex Gold Card Adds New Uber Credit Benefit
IHG Rewards Club Selling Points For 40% Off
Hilton Honors Extends Benefits, Reduces Elite Requirements
Exclusive: 80K Points With Brex Business Cash Account
Chase Targeted Spending Bonuses: Are You Eligible?
Install Rakuten Browser Extension And Earn $20 (Or 2K Amex Points)
Wow: JetBlue Credit Card 100K Bonus
American Express Gold Card Review (2020)
Starlux Airlines COSMILE Status Match: Get Top Tier Status For Four Years(!!!)
Last Chance: Buy Alaska Miles With Up To 60% Bonus (1.72 Cents Per Mile)
Why You Should Consider Applying For The Hilton Aspire Card Now
TRICKS: Redeeming Miles
Marriott Extends Free Nights & Points Validity
Chase Sapphire Adds Peloton Statement Credits
Huge Delta SkyMiles Partner Award Devaluation
Is Chase’s “Pay Yourself Back” Feature Worth It?
IHG’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith Partnership: Earn & Redeem Points At More Luxury Hotels
TRAVEL With Ben (Lucky)
Germany Going Into Lockdown For November, Banning Hotel Stays
Reserve Your Spot For The New OMAAT Community!
No, Airline Pilots Don’t (And Shouldn’t) Have Unlimited Power…
Four Reasons I Prefer The A350 To The 787
REVIEWS & Trip Reports
Review: Deutsche Bahn ICE First Class
Chase Ink Business Preferred Card Review (2020)
World of Hyatt Credit Card Review (2020)
NEWS & Updates
Turkish Airlines Takes Delivery Of First Airbus A350
Qatar Airways Passengers Strip Searched After Abandoned Newborn Found In Airport Bathroom
Air Canada’s Surprising New Route To Doha, Qatar
Video: Rude, Maskless Delta Captain Confronts Passenger
Spirit Airlines Brawl Leads To Onboard Tasing & Arrest
Six Lufthansa 747s “Stuck” At Small Dutch Airport
All Nippon Airways Launching New Low Cost Carrier With 787s
Gorgeous: New WestJet Elevation Lounge Calgary
Kim Kardashian Charters 777, Rents Private Island In French Polynesia
Qatar Government Statement On Airport Strip Search, Abandoned Newborn
Very Nice: Kazakhstan Embraces Borat Catchphrase In New Ad
Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas Opening March 2021
Southwest Launching Flights To IAH & ORD (Routes Revealed)
Hah: Qantas Operating “Scenic Flight To Somewhere”
United Airlines Updates Its Lavatory Policy
Avianca Increases Stake In LifeMiles Loyalty Program
Kuwait Airways Takes Delivery Of World’s First A330-800neo
United Airlines Trials Coronavirus-Free Flights
Qatar Apologizes For “Illegal” Sexual Assault On Passengers
RIP: Emirates Retires First Airbus A380
I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend, and if you’re in the US and eligible, don’t forget to vote, if you haven’t already!
Some great articles this week, as usual. With lockdowns on their way in Germany and other countries, how about a transatlantic YouTube coffee hour with Tiffany. German evening, usa morning...