Happy Friday!

We’re celebrating Passover with family, but the travel updates never stop.

Starting with the bad news: you’re going to pay more for many business-class and premium economy fares.

United’s major loyalty shake-up also just went into effect, and I break down what it means for you below.

And as a reminder: don’t forget to bookmark and share my free live TSA wait-time tracker, which now has data for Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles.

Advertiser and Editorial Disclosure

There are just 10 days left for one of the best sign-up bonuses you’ll find on a $95-annual-fee card.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is currently offering (at least) $1,000 in travel after meeting the minimum spend.

Here’s how it breaks down.

To maximize those 75,000 miles, I’d suggest a business-class flight on Swiss from the U.S. to Europe (booked using miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan). Or you could use them to book Japan Airlines’ stunning new A350 business to Tokyo (with miles transferred to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank).

The Venture card earns 2x miles per dollar on all purchases and 5x miles on select Capital One Travel bookings. It’s a simple, easy-to-use card with a modest annual fee and a killer bonus.

If this card has been on your mind, it’s your last chance to lock in the current offer.

Basic fares are officially coming to business class.

The cheapest biz fares will no longer include seat assignments, changes, or even access to business-class lounges. (In United’s case, that means no visits to the Polaris Lounge.)

United just announced it’s starting to sell these fares, and Delta already promised to follow suit.

If the basic economy rollout taught us anything, it’s that today’s cheapest fares will likely just be rebranded as “basic” — meaning you’ll pay more for the same perks that are currently included.

It’s a brilliant segmentation strategy to boost revenue, and I’d expect the other major U.S. carriers to copy it soon.

This same tiered structure is also coming to premium economy. No word yet on how many miles you’ll earn from these new fares.

United’s major MileagePlus overhaul is now live, and loyalty isn’t just about flying anymore.

In fact, if you log in to the United app, one of the first things you’ll now see is whether you’re a cardmember (along with your status).

For United, having a cobranded credit card now matters more than ever.

You now accrue miles based on whether you have a cobranded credit card (even if you don’t use it for the ticket purchase).

Basic economy no longer earns any miles — unless you’re also a Premier elite and/or have a cobranded United card.

For all other non-basic fares, here’s a handy chart outlining the new mileage accrual rates. (Note: figures are in miles per dollar.)

Children are eligible to earn at the higher cardmember rate if a parent has a United card and links their child’s MileagePlus account to it. As a new dad, this is a welcome addition.

United is giving cardmembers access to lower award rates.

If you have a United cobranded card, you’ll now get:

The biggest opportunity here is the double dip for elites who are also cardholders.

As a Premier 1K with a card, I’m seeing domestic saver awards starting at 12,700 miles and Polaris awards to Europe for 68,000 miles — some of the lowest rates I’ve seen in years.

If you’re a casual United flyer, it’s time to either open a cobranded card or fully embrace free agency.

For casual flyers, the entry-level United^SM Explorer Card should do the trick.

There’s also the United Quest^SM Card ($350 annual fee) and the United Club^SM Card ($695 annual fee).

Just note that the no-annual-fee United Gateway^SM Card requires spending at least $10,000 on purchases each year to unlock the higher earn rates and cardholder mileage discounts.

I personally have the Club card, but I don’t actually put spending on it. It sits in my sock drawer, gets me lounge access, and now unlocks the higher earn rates and mileage discounts.

(I put my everyday spending on a mix of my top recommended credit cards instead.)

If you don’t fly United regularly, these changes should push you to comparison shop more closely on every trip.

As always, if you’re considering one of these cards, using my referral links helps support my content — so thanks in advance!

I love when airlines get fiesty.

Spirit isn’t happy about JetBlue growing in its hometown of Fort Lauderdale, so it’s taking a page from United’s playbook in Chicago.

If you’re driving around Fort Lauderdale, look for billboards promoting Spirit as the hometown airline with cheaper fares.

With Spirit in bankruptcy and making cuts, JetBlue has been trying to grow its share in Fort Lauderdale, a key battleground for both carriers.

Apparently, Spirit still found room in the budget for a marketing campaign.

I’ve seen it all while traveling, but one thing bothers me more than almost anything: people who go barefoot on planes. (And Amtrak’s tray tables.)

Especially when they go to the lavatory without shoes.

I saw this happen twice last week. If you do this, I’ll remind you that the liquid on the lavatory floor isn’t 100% water.

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