Lazy Points of the Week
Story of the week
We’ve already mentioned the value of AirTags to keep track of your luggage when flying, helping your to figure out where your bags are in the airport and if they’ve been misplace—having them came in handy when American Airlines lost our bags this summer. And they are getting even more valuable now as Apple is launching a software update that will allow users to temporarily share the location of AirTags with a third party via a link. Even better, the bag tracking can be integrated directly with airlines’ customer service networks. Soon, 15 airlines will offer that option, including US carriers Delta and United.
Now’s a great time to go pick up some AirTags, as the price has dropped to $19 each on Amazon (affiliate link). As of posting, that’s actually cheaper than buying the 4-pack. I made the mistake of buying only two because I usually fly with only one bag and a backpack. But of course our bags went missing when we had checked four bags and had three AirTags. So stock up in advance!
Other card and points news
Earn bonus Alaska points with Lyft. If you haven’t linked your Lyft and Alaska accounts yet, you can earn 1,000 bonus Alaska miles if you do so and take a ride (minimum $15) between now and December 3rd. You’ll also earn 1 Alaska mile for every $1 spent on Lyft, although after this promotion you may want to switch your Lyft rewards partner to Bilt (especially if you have the Bilt card) to earn 2 Bilt points per $1—points that can be transferred 1:1 to Alaska.
And bonus Delta points on… all sorts of things. Delta has Cyber Monday “Winter Your Way” deals offering extra points in a variety of different ways. You can earn 3x miles per dollar on gift card purchases of $400+ (more with elite status), and 4x miles per dollar on car rentals, hotel stays, and cruises booked through Delta. That’s in addition to the points or miles you earn with your card.
The bonus points on travel are solid; likely to be quite a bit better than Expedia but maybe not competitive with booking directly with the hotel. As for the gift card, the rates are quite good: earning 3 Delta miles on the card plus, say, 2 points on the purchase with a Bilt, Venture X, or Chase Sapphire Preferred card would be a better haul than you would typically get for paying for a flight. But you would lose the consumer protections (like trip delay insurance) that might come with using your credit card to purchase a flight rather than a gift card.
Sign-up bonus of the week
There’s no new standout offers this week, but if you’re interested in the Discover It, now might be a good time to sign up. During the holiday(/Black Friday/Cyber Monday) shopping season, the card’s 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Target could be quite useful. As a bonus, Discover will match your cash back earned in the first year of card membership, and you’ll also get a $100 statement credit if you sign up using our referral link.
Previously highlighted cards with bonus offers still available:
•$200 Amazon gift card on the Amazon Prime Visa
•70,000 miles on the AA Aviator
•125,000 points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless (offer ends 11/20)
Lazy tip of the week
ThePointsGuy tested some popular social media travel hacks, like booking flights using a browser in incognito mode or apps like Hopper and Skyscanner. The results: nothing special. The best prices are usually found by booking direct with the airline or hotel, no incognito mode (or VPN) necessary. So don’t have FOMO when you see those posts; you can probably go to to Google Flights or book direct with the hotel and be just fine while saving time and hassle.