The Extra Mile, June 25: Delta’s CEO Says High Fares Will Stay, World Cup Savings & More

😬 Delta CEO Sounds Off on Higher Fares, Premium Travel

Back by popular demand – OK, like two of you said it was fun – it’s time for another round of “Translate That Airline CEO”!

Yet again, Delta’s big boss, Ed Bastian, is in the hot seat after an interview on FOX Business yesterday. The interview was full of all the industry buzzwords and jargon we’ve come to expect – plus, so much flattery that I could almost swear Delta paid for the appearance.

Yet it was also very revealing about where Delta – and the airline industry at large – is heading. So without further ado, here’s Ed:

“Bookings have continued to be very resilient. We’ve had to raise prices because of the high fuel prices, but that has not impacted bookings at all … The higher end, such as Delta, allows for us to be able to do that.”

Translation: We’re Delta, and we know it. And we know we can get away with charging higher fares right now than the likes of American, Southwest, or Spirit (RIP) because our customers are ultimately willing to pay more. So that’s exactly what we’re doing, and it’s working – for us.

But fuel prices have come down, host Maria Baritromo pointed out. So when do fares come down too? Not so fast, Bastian said:

“Prices will come down when we can fly more, when there’s more supply. It’s supply and demand. Right now we’re kind of log-jammed. There’s not a lot of supply we can bring in because the air traffic control system is congested.”

Translation: Honestly, this is such hogwash I’m not going to bother translating it. After raising fares (and fees too, remember) as a direct result of skyrocketing fuel prices, Bastian is now pointing at the federal aviation system as the problem – the roadblock for bringing fares back down.

Supply and demand are everything, and more flights would bring prices down. But Delta and other airlines won’t add flights in order to keep those higher fares in place … all while the cheaper fares from the likes of Spirit (again, RIP) disappear.

This is misdirection, plain and simple. Yet somehow, these weren’t Bastian’s boldest remarks of the day. These were:

“There’s not just one economy. The high end of the economy is really strong … The higher the premium opportunity, the greater the growth potential. That’s where all of our investment is going.”

Translation: This is Delta’s entire “premium” travel strategy in just a few sentences. Years ago, Delta made a bet that it could convince flyers to pay more for a better flight – and that, if and when the economy took a turn for the worse, those higher-end travelers would stick around and keep flying Delta.

This explains everything Delta has done: installing more seatback screens as competitors ripped them out, making Wi-Fi free, building more Sky Clubs and premium Delta One business class lounges, upgrading onboard champagne selections, and yes, charging higher fares.

If you’re a budget traveler and you feel like Delta doesn’t care about you, that last line from Bastian should tell you something: You’re right – they don’t. Not anymore.

The big boss made a few more remarks that were far easier to parse, like poo-pooing the idea of acquiring another airline (“I see no reason,” he said) and confirming the airline’s plan to add nonstop flights to the Philippines (“We’re going to be going into Manila”).

Until we meet again for “Translate That Airline CEO,” remember: Cheap flights are out there, and have your pets spayed or neutered.

– Kyle Potter, executive editor

🎙️ New Pod Alert: What’s Going Right in Travel

🔥 Something(s) Hot: What’s Going Right in Travel

✈️ There’s plenty to be excited about in travel right now! So this week on the pod, Gunnar and Kyle outline all the things that are going well in travel right now: flight deals, new routes and airplane seats, big improvements for airport security, bigger and better lounges, massive credit card offers, and more.

Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

🤝 Deal of the Day: Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones for $179!

Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥🔥

Why we love it: Of all the deals on travel gear for Amazon Prime Day, this one is the best … by far.

Just $179 for our favorite pair of noise-canceling travel headphones is 50% off the normal price and the lowest price we’ve ever seen … but the deal ends tomorrow!

Get these headphones now for $179 (was $359!)

– Kyle Potter, executive editor

⚽ How Our Team is Saving On World Cup Trips This Summer

🤒 Several members of the Thrifty Traveler team are sick … with World Cup fever! A trio of Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert writers are all taking a few days off this month to see the World Cup in person and we know many of you are too.

You’ve probably seen the headlines: The World Cup – and everything around it – is expensive this year. But luckily, our team members have a few tips to help you save. Let’s see how they’re doing it:

🏟️ Peter Thornton: 🇦🇷 Argentina vs. 🇩🇿 Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City

It was a pretty sweet experience to see Messi score his first World Cup hat-trick and tie the record for most World Cup goals at the same time.

My number one tip is to check for any special public transportation options for the World Cup. Kansas City implemented a special bus network for the event. I found the regional buses to be really slick – the 1-hour ride from the airport to the convention center near my hotel was 100% free. Unreal!

But a word of caution: The $15 roundtrip bus to the stadium was a bit of a mess. Skip the city on the day of the game and just go straight to the stadium – and go like 4 hours early. Grab some drinks at Casey’s (gas station) across the street and tailgate (beers inside the stadium come to ~$25 after all the fees add up.) – Peter

🚉 Katie Rollins: 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan vs. 🇨🇩 D.R. Congo on June 27 in Atlanta (& more)

To save money while I’m there, I’m planning to use my Resy dining credits that come with several different Amex cards and what’s left from my Open Table dining credit on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to grab food at a restaurant nearby before or after the games. There are plenty of restaurants in Atlanta that are on Resy and the CSR open table list so I shouldn’t have a problem using those.

Luckily I’m able to stay with family nearby so I didn’t have to book a hotel, but I’m planning to use Marta (the train system in Atlanta) to get to the stadium so I don’t have to worry about paying the insane parking rates and navigating traffic. And I’m taking Peter’s advice and going early! – Katie

Bottom Line: If you’re going to the World Cup, use all the travel rewards tools at your disposal … and make sure to get to the stadium early!

– Peter Thornton and Katie Rollins – Thrifty Traveler Premium

💸 My Mid-Year Push to Maximize $625+ in Statement Credits

You’re on the clock, Amex and Chase cardholders.

With even one or two popular travel cards in your wallet, keeping track of use-them-or-lose-them benefits can feel like a full-time job. And considering the halfway point of the year is officially less than a week away, it’s crunch time: a whole slew of monthly, quarterly, and twice-a-year credits will expire and reset come July 1.

With a huge assist from our free new credit card benefit tracker – easily the best way to track and remember what expires when – I’ve been on a spending (kinda!) spree lately to get everything I can from my *amex platinum* … with a guest appearance from a few others.

Here’s a quick look.

🛏️ $300 Hotel Credit for a Trip to Boston

I made it almost halfway through the year without finding a use for one of the two up to $300 hotel credits for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts® (or The Hotel Collection, two-night minimum stay required) reservations. As I told Gunnar on our podcast a few weeks ago, I hoped to use it for a domestic trip … but hadn’t figured out the right concert or destination.

I found it: I’m heading to Boston in December to see my favorite band … twice in two nights! And I’ll be staying at The Langham Boston – a great luxury chain with locations all over the world, including a property I really enjoyed in Hong Kong earlier this year.

The total cost? Just $161 for what would otherwise be a nearly $500-a-night stay, once that credit kicks in.

Much as I’d prefer not to spend out of pocket while using this credit, that’s pretty tough to do here in the good ol’ U.S. of A – prices for these fancier properties are generally just too high. I’ve had better luck abroad, especially in Asia and Australia … but I’m not heading there anytime soon (sadly).

But I need two nights – not one, remember? Rather than booking a two-night stay and forking over another $500, I’m planning to book my second night right on July 1 when I get that second $300 hotel credit for the year.

I almost certainly won’t get two of those $125 food and beverage credits (The Langham Boston throws in an extra $25 beyond the standard $100), but I’ll still be coming out way ahead on a fun stay.

🛏️ & Another Hotel Stay

Not every hotel stay needs to be luxurious. Sometimes you just need a place to sleep for the night … but you still want to save.

That’s the situation I found myself in while planning a quick trip across Minnesota after the long Fourth of July weekend coming up. A night in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to break up the trip would set me back $130 or so.

Honestly, these kinds of stays were tailor-made for many free night certificates from many co-branded hotel credit cards … but also the Delta Stays credits (of $100 or more) on (basically) the entire suite of SkyMiles Amex cards, as well as the (recently expanded) up to $100 hotel credit on the *csp*.

I decided to use the up to $100 Delta Stays credit from my *delta skymiles gold card* for one simple reason: it will reset at the end of 2026, while I’ve got until next May before my Sapphire Preferred credit bites the dust.

That’s another $100 in savings and a $30-something night at a Best Western in my future!

🍱 A $100 Date Night Dinner Discount

Among the many benefits Amex added to its flagship Platinum Card last year, a new quarterly $100 credit toward Resy restaurants is one of the best. It’s certainly the tastiest.

With a few weeks to go before that credit resets, my wife and I booked a reservation at Vinai here in Minneapolis (from a James Beard semifinalist chef) – a restaurant we’ve been dying to try since it opened.

It was delicious. And it definitely didn’t hurt that it was $100 cheaper.

👖 & $75 Off a Pair of Pants

The Amex Platinum Card’s quarterly Lululemon credit, however, is more of a chore – especially since the retail giant has stopped selling physical gift cards online … and some report not being able to buy $75 gift cards in store, either.

I was fully prepared to buy a shirt, socks, or shorts, which I surely don’t actually need, until my wife mentioned she wanted a new pair of Lulu pants for an upcoming work trip.

Done.

🧴 My Last Bottle of Saks Fifth Ave Soap

Twice a year, like clockwork, I’d restock our hand soap supply and charge it to my Amex Platinum Card … by shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. No more.

After June 30, that twice-a-year up to $50 credit is officially gone as the upscale retail chain fights through bankruptcy. So I ordered one last bottle of Lowe’s soap, paid way too much more than $50 in the end, and charged it to my Platinum Card. Might as well.

Honestly, this credit turned into a headache thanks to Saks’ high prices and decision to charge shipping fees unless you spend, like, $400. It wasn’t worth the full $50 face value or anything close to it, really.

Still, Amex subsidized some bougie soap for my home for years. Thanks for keeping my hands clean all these years.

🚙 & The Usual Monthly Shenanigans

Most other perks I can typically use without thinking twice, like:

• $15 toward Uber each month goes pretty quick: One-way trip to/from the airport or a ride after a night out
• Ditto for $25 in “entertainment credits: This is the one true set-it-and-forget-it benefit – my Platinum Card is on file with a pair of services. As Gunnar once said on the podcast: “I get the New York Times to make me smarter and Peacock to make me dumber.”

– Kyle Potter, executive editor

🏡 Bilt’s New ‘Rent Day’ Transfer Bonus … Is a Bit of Dud

Bilt’s July Rent Day is headlined by a one-day transfer bonus to Hilton Honors, with members able to boost transfers by anywhere from 75% to 200% depending on their Bilt status.

Here’s how the bonus shakes out:

• Blue: 75% bonus (1:1.75 to Hilton)
• Silver: 100% bonus (1:2 to Hilton)
• Gold: 150% bonus (1:2.5 to Hilton)
• Platinum: 175% bonus (1:2.75 to Hilton)
• Platinum + upgrade: 200% bonus (1:3 to Hilton)

On paper, a 200% bonus sounds huge. In reality? It’s a bit less impressive.

American Express Membership Rewards already transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio year-round, meaning you’d need at least Silver status just to match what Amex cardholders get every day. And because Hilton frequently sells points at steep discounts, it’s often possible to effectively generate Hilton points at the same rate using other flexible points.

That doesn’t mean this promotion is a total flop. If you have Gold or Platinum Bilt status – or you’re sitting on a stash of Bilt Cash that makes a temporary status upgrade worthwhile – and have a high-value Hilton redemption in mind, this could be a solid opportunity. Just don’t transfer speculatively: Flexible Bilt points are typically worth far more than Hilton points.

The bonus is only available on July 1 and applies to the first 100,000 Bilt points transferred.

Beyond the transfer bonus, July Rent Day includes the usual lineup of neighborhood dining, comedy, and fitness experiences, plus the return of double points on everyday purchases for Bilt cardholders (excluding rent) on July 1, capped at 1,000 bonus points.

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

✈️ Other Travel Tidbits

• 📱 Google Wallet is now the first digital wallet to integrate with TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. To get set up, add your passport to Google Wallet, check in for your flight, and opt in via your boarding pass. (Google)
• 🏗️ Delta is building a nearly 40,000-square-foot Delta One Lounge at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport (ATL). But don’t hold your breath waiting to get in – the lounge isn’t set to open until sometime in 2029.
• ✈️ Asiana Airlines is refusing to honor Star Alliance award tickets booked for travel on or after Dec. 17, 2026, as the carrier moves toward full integration with Korean Air and the SkyTeam alliance. (OMAAT)
• 🌭 Cool or crazy? A freshly-converted Boeing 777 cargo plane did a little hot-dogging yesterday, with an incredibly low-altitude pass at an airstrip in Texas. (@EBaviation)
• 🛋️ Chase’s smallest Sapphire Lounge is about to get a (little) bigger. (VFTW)