Holiday weeks are weird.

On the one hand, I can’t believe it’s already Friday. On the other, I still have so many things left on my to-do list.

What started as a quiet week turned super busy when United announced on Thursday a massive overhaul of its MileagePlus loyalty program.

I break down all the changes and share my analysis below, along with a recap of my Asia trip, updates on Delta and Lufthansa, and much more.

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United just dropped one of its biggest loyalty updates yet. The changes impact every single MileagePlus member, so you should probably pay close attention.

Starting on April 2, the airline is changing how you earn miles from flights. Going forward, you’ll accrue miles based on whether you have a cobranded credit card (even if you don’t use it for the ticket purchase).

To start, basic economy will no longer earn 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.)

Some quick observations:

You can find the revised earning rates for basic economy on United’s website.

When it comes to redeeming miles, United says that it also pays to be a cardmember.

The airline will offer cardmembers:

Here’s the thing. These redemption benefits have already been around for a while.

So while United is just formally announcing them now, nothing on the redemption side should actually change. (Except for the 15% discount for being a cardholder + Premier elite. I haven’t seen that high of a discount in my searches until now.)

What was once subtle is now out in the open: loyalty isn’t just about flying anymore. For United, having a cobranded credit card now matters more than flying the airline itself.

With the revised program structure, United is basically pulling every lever to incentivize you to get a credit card.

And no, you can’t just get the no-annual-fee United Gateway^SM Card and call it a day. If you do that, you’ll need to spend at least $10,000 on purchases each year to unlock the higher earn rates.

I’m not sure if United is already thinking about phase two of these changes, but it wouldn’t shock me if it tied mileage-earning rates to how much you actually spend on the credit card (because spending on the card generates more revenue from interchange fees).

Simply carrying a cobranded card already earns United the annual fee, but there still isn’t a strong enough incentive to make it your primary card.

Personally, I’m a Premier 1K who already has the United Club^SM Card for club access.

Even though the card will offer 5x miles on United flights, I will continue to put my flight spending on the American Express Platinum Card® (5x on flights) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (4x on flights, but with better protections).

(As always, if you’re looking for a new card, you can apply from my top recommended cards guide to help support my content.)

I’ll continue to keep the Club card in my sock drawer, but I’ll enjoy higher mileage earning on United flights and lower award rates.

For casual flyers, United’s changes make free agency — choosing the airline that works best for each trip based on schedule and price — even more appealing.

What do you think about that strategy?

I was in Asia last week for the unveiling of Cathay Pacific’s retro Boeing 747 in honor of the carrier’s 80th anniversary.

I spent most of my time in Hong Kong, but stopped in Tokyo on the way home to experience the renovated Park Hyatt Tokyo and JAL’s new A350 business class.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on JAL’s A350 and how I booked it for $700. And I’ll recap my experience at Park Hyatt Tokyo and the Four Seasons in Hong Kong in Monday’s newsletter — stay tuned.

In the meantime, I wanted to pass along my shortlist for Hong Kong.

🍽️ Dining

📍 Do

On my Asia trip, I passed by a few Apple stores and couldn’t help but wonder why they’re always the best-designed shops in town.

Obviously, the company invests a ton in design, but I’m still shocked that no competitor (or player in a different industry) has successfully copied Apple.

Speaking of which, I’m excited to attend the tech giant’s “special Apple Experience” on March 4.

Rumors are suggesting new laptops — I’ve long been a fan of the MacBook Air for travel — but I’ll keep you posted on what happens.

Delta is gearing up to introduce a massive 44-seat first-class cabin on select Airbus A321neos.

These jets will eventually receive lie-flat Delta One seats, but as the pods await (a protracted) federal certification process, Delta will temporarily put 44 recliners in the space instead.

I’m especially curious how this plays out onboard. One narrowbody galley serving 44 premium passengers is no small feat. It might just be one of the most operationally complex cabins we’ve seen yet.

Question: What’s happening with the Lufthansa Allegris rollout?

Answer: Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class can be a very pleasant experience. (I had a phenomenal flight in an Allegris biz suite from San Francisco to Munich last year.)

The biggest problem with Allegris isn’t the PhD you need to decipher which seat to choose; it’s the repeated delays the airline has faced in getting these seats flying.

Allegris was announced in 2017, but it didn't start flying until 2024.

Even crazier, the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners with Allegris were inaugurated with just 4 of 28 business-class seats available due to certification issues.

The good news is that Lufthansa just announced that 25 of the 28 biz seats will soon be certified and bookable, but no word yet on when the remaining three seats will be available.

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