✈ Christmas in July, How to Earn Hyatt Free Nights & More Daily News From TPG ✈

Also: Activate the Chase Freedom Q3 categories now July 3, 2023 [THE POINTS GUY]( [View in browser]( [TPG Daily NEWSLETTER]( [THE POINTS GUY]( All I want for Christmas is points by Nick Ewen, Director of Content [TPG | Hero Image] My friends and family members know that I am a big fan of Christmas — but while I’d love to opine on my favorite aspects of the Yuletide season (Sept. 1 = time for Christmas music!), today’s newsletter focuses on a different theme: holiday travel. Despite [record-breaking heat]( across the country and tomorrow's [Fourth of July celebrations]( in the U.S., it’s time to start thinking ahead to the winter holidays, especially if you’re planning to put your hard-earned rewards to use. Last year, experts recommended [booking holiday travel]( in late summer or early fall. And with continued demand for leisure travel, we expect the same this year. So, what does this mean for you? For starters, if you want to use points and miles, start looking at prices now. Remember that the vast majority of award tickets booked through U.S. programs — including [American AAdvantage]( [Delta SkyMiles]( and [United MileagePlus]( — are completely refundable. In other words, booking tickets now carries zero risk. If the price only climbs from here, you’ve locked in a cheap ticket. But if it drops, you can [cancel and rebook](. However, if you’re hoping to get a new card and use those rewards (or benefits) for holiday travel, stop reading this and apply. Like, right now. Most [top travel credit cards]( have spending requirements to earn a welcome bonus, which may take two to three months to hit. In other words, if you apply today, your bonus may not arrive until September or even early October — giving you very little time to finalize those plans. Thankfully, a number of [top airline credit cards]( feature limited-time bonuses right now: - [New Delta credit card welcome offers: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles]( - [Earn 60,000 points plus a 30%-off promo code with Southwest cards]( - [Earn up to 80,000 miles with these United credit card bonuses]( Alternatively, consider cards that earn [transferable points]( and thus give you more flexibility. This includes products like the [Ink Business Preferred Credit Card]( which just [lowered the minimum spending threshold]( to earn its 100,000-point welcome bonus. Happy travels! Nick Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, [visit this page](. Photo Credit: VISIONKICK/GETTY IMAGES. Today’s top stories [How to earn free nights with Hyatt Brand Explorer]( This lesser-known perk lets you earn a free night award for every five unique World of Hyatt brands you try. [Read more]( [Chase Freedom Q3 categories now live: Earn 5% back/5 points per dollar at gas stations, EV charging and select entertainment]( You won't want to miss out on a single point — or cent of cash back — on your spending. [Read more]( [Marriott's new safari camp, Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse and other hotel news you missed]( From Dolly Parton's new HeartSong Resort at Dollywood to a safari camp in Tanzania from Marriott, here's the hotel news you might have missed in June. [Read more]( [The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise ship]( Fast-growing Viking has one of the most diverse array of itineraries of any cruise line. [Read more]( [What it’s like staying at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas]( Aria Resort & Casino was one of my favorite places to stay prior to the pandemic, so I checked in earlier this month to see what’s changed in the last few years. [Read more]( The latest 1. [Meet Hotel La Compania, Hyatt’s historic hit in Panama City]( 2. [How to meet minimum spending on the Ink Business Preferred: Now $8,000 in 3 months]( 3. [5 things you need to know about the Delta-LATAM joint venture]( 4. [Sweet Spot Sunday: How to book intra-Japan flights for just 5,500 United miles]( 5. [United offers travelers 30,000 miles following week-long disruptions]( 6. [6 tips for booking your 1st cruise]( 7. [Bilt's July Rent Day is here: Here's how to get a Lyft ride credit, earn bonus points and more]( 8. [Sparklers and savings: These July 4th cruise deals are worthy of a few fireworks]( 9. [Here are the best credit card welcome offers for July]( 10. [Delta bans TikTok on employees' personal cell phones, following similar Southwest rule]( [fb]( [insta]( [yt]( [tw]( [in]( [mail](mailto:hello@thepointsguy.com) You are receiving this email because you opted in at [thepointsguy.com](. Where to find us: The Points Guy 100 5th Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA USA If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can subscribe [here](. Changed your mind? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( at any time. Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which [ThePointsGuy.com]( receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our [advertising policy]( page for more information. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. THE POINTS GUY © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023