Security used to be one of our least favorite parts of flying. Not anymore. Plus: hours left on a 25% transfer bonus, and a job opening if you’ve ever wanted to get paid to chase hotel deals.
- 🛂 TSA PreCheck & CLEAR+ Are Changing the Security Game
- 🤝 Deal of the Day: 100K Points + 25K Companion Award & More
- 🏡 Booking a Vacation Rental is More Rewarding With These Cards
- 💳 Last Chance: Snag a 25% Amex Transfer Bonus to Flying Blue
- 💼 Come Work With Us: We’re Hiring a Hotel Expert!
- ✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
🛂 TSA PreCheck & CLEAR+ Are Changing the Security Game
A year or so ago, two of the most popular airport security programs felt a bit … washed. Played out. Boring, even.
Yes, TSA PreCheck could still be an enormous time-saver, but lines were long as more and more travelers signed up. And CLEAR … woof, where do I even begin? It was a coin flip whether the private security program would save you time or hurt you – unacceptable odds for a service that costs $200-plus a year (on paper, anyway).
So far, 2026 has been a different story thanks to massive advancements with both programs. I’m more bullish on both than I’ve been in … ever, maybe?
Let’s start with TSA PreCheck, shall we?
The federal government essentially created a souped-up subdivision of its trusted traveler program with the annoyingly named (but incredibly powerful) “TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.”
In lieu of handing over your ID to a TSA agent as usual, this service allows you to head to a separate queue, step up for a quick photo to confirm your identity using facial recognition technology, and walk through.
The catch? You have to opt in for Touchless ID with each and every airline individually in order to be eligible to use it before your flight. But that step – along with the fact that few Americans seemingly realize this option even exists yet – also means that lines are shockingly short.
It’s available at 60-plus major U.S. airports and counting. Currently, only Alaska/Hawaiian, American, Delta, Southwest, and United offer the option to use it. But a recent announcement from Google should expand its reach in the coming weeks … for Android users at least.
Read our full guide to TSA PreCheck Touchless ID!
Just a year or so ago, CLEAR+ was down bad in our books. Long queues full of premium travel card-wielding flyers trying to sign up for their “free” CLEAR+ membership bogged down lines. Some airports like Denver (DEN) and Atlanta (ATL) were notoriously bad.
In my experience, new technology has changed everything. Every time and everywhere I’m using CLEAR+ these days, I’m getting through in minutes.
It’s all thanks to the company’s new automated “e-gates,” which have rapidly rolled out to nearly 40 U.S. airports this year.
Forget the clunky process of checking in with a CLEAR agent, snapping a selfie, secondary ID checks, and more – with this new setup, you simply head straight for an e-gate, scan a boarding pass, tap a screen for a quick selfie, wait for the gates to open, and walk through to the TSA scanners.
Honestly, it’s been a game-changer. And while I’m not sure I’d pay the now-$219 annual rack rate for the service, it has me seriously rethinking the value of the premium travel cards that offer credits to cover that cost.
Put them both together, and it feels to me like there’s been a quantum leap in getting through airport security – arguably the worst part of the travel experience here in the U.S. As we covered on the podcast last week, it’s one of the biggest and best stories in all of travel lately.
🎧 Listen to our latest podcast recapping all the things going right in travel now!
– Kyle Potter, executive editor
🤝 Deal of the Day: 100K Points + 25K Companion Award & More
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥🔥
Last chance: Earn 100,000-bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 or more in the first 90 days. Plus, you’ll get a 50% flight discount code for a future flight after opening the card.
We can’t name the card here due to some silly bank rules (🙄) – but trust us, you want these ultra-valuable points … even if you never fly this airline.
This limited-time offer ends today, June 30!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
🏡 Booking a Vacation Rental is More Rewarding With These Cards
For years, we considered Capital One’s Venture cards the gold standard for booking Airbnb and Vrbo stays. They earn an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, and you can redeem those miles at a flat 1 cent apiece to cover nearly any travel purchase from your statement – including vacation rentals.
But Chase just flipped the script with its recent card updates.
The *csp* now earns 3x points on vacation rentals, making it our new top pick for Airbnb and Vrbo bookings. Better yet, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can always be redeemed for cash back at 1 cent per point as a statement credit or deposit into an eligible Chase bank account.
That means you can earn 3x points on your stay, then turn those points – or a stash you’ve already built up – into cash to offset the cost. Since Airbnb and Vrbo don’t have loyalty programs, it’s one of the easiest ways to score a free (or at least much cheaper) vacation rental.
The *capital one venture card* and *venture x* are still excellent alternatives, especially if you value simplicity. Since each Capital One mile is worth 1 cent when used to cover travel, you can easily redeem 50,000 miles to pay for a $500 Airbnb or Vrbo, for example.
The new Bilt Palladium Card and American Express® Green Card also deserve a mention, each earning 3x points on vacation rentals (with an extra step required for the Bilt Card). While redeeming those points directly for an Airbnb stay isn’t nearly as valuable (or straightforward), they’re both great currencies that can unlock incredible flights and hotel stays down the road.
Check out our full list of the best cards for vacation rentals – including a few no-annual fee options!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
💳 Last Chance: Snag a 25% Amex Transfer Bonus to Flying Blue
American Express hasn’t exactly been generous with transfer bonuses lately … but there’s a good one on the table right now, and it expires tonight, June 30.
Amex is offering a 25% bonus when you transfer Membership Rewards points to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and that’s a bigger deal than it might sound. For the last year or two, bonuses to this program have topped out at 20%. This one clears that bar.
Flying Blue is one of the best programs out there for booking flights on SkyTeam airlines – Air France, KLM, Delta, and Korean Air – and this bonus stretches your points further across all of them. A few ways to put it to work:
- Business class to Europe on Air France or KLM: Flying Blue charges as low as 60,000 miles each way. With this bonus, that’s just 48,000 Amex points.
- Book Delta flights for less: Flying Blue is now the best workaround for Delta awards since Virgin Atlantic devalued its program. Short domestic hops can run as few as 5,000 miles; Hawaii roundtrips that Delta prices at 70,000+ SkyMiles can be had through Flying Blue for under 40,000 … or just 30,000 Amex points with the bonus.
- Promo Rewards discounts: Flying Blue’s monthly discounted routes include economy to Europe from MSP, JFK, BOS, ATL, IAH, and SEA for as low as 18,750 miles – under 15,000 Amex points with the bonus factored in for travel through November 2026.
One important caveat before you move points: transferring is a one-way street. Once your Membership Rewards leave for a Flying Blue account, they’re not coming back. Transfer only if you have a specific redemption in mind.
Read our full breakdown of how to use this bonus here
– Nick Serati, co-founder
💼 Come Work With Us: We’re Hiring a Hotel Expert!
Are you a diehard traveler and bona fide “sicko” (that’s a term of endearment around here) when it comes to hotels and award travel?
Do you love nothing more than scouring for the next great hotel redemption? Want to help others do the same? Loathe the prospect of another devaluation but relish the thought of breaking that news?
We don’t just want you. We need you.
Here at TT HQ, we’re hiring again – this time for a dedicated hotel deal analyst & reporter. It’s a hybrid role, split between the two worlds of what we do here at Thrifty Traveler:
- You’ll spearhead and even expand the hotel deal alerts that make our Thrifty Traveler Premium+ service so special, and
- Help us cover the news and must-knows of all things hotels on our site, social media, and in this very newsletter!
There’s tons of additional details, responsibilities, qualifications, and basics about the job on our site, but here’s a big one: We’re specifically looking for someone who can join us in our Minneapolis office.
Fit the bill? Be sure to apply by the July 5 deadline!
… and see you soon in the office?
– Kyle Potter, executive editor
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 🥤 Fresca is coming back on board Delta flights starting July 1 after a hiatus. There’s also a new snack addition: Rold Gold Tiny Twists are replacing SunChips as a complementary snack option. (Delta News Hub)
- 🏝️ United is launching new winter service from Denver (DEN) to Turks and Caicos (PLS). Flights start Dec. 19, running once weekly on Saturdays through April 24, 2027. (Denver International Airport)
- 🏨 Airbnb is now offering up to a 15% credit when booking select hotels through its app. (Frequent Miler)
- 🛋️ Emirates is rolling out a redesigned lounge concept, already live in Munich and Frankfurt, with Manchester, Mauritius, and Istanbul following this year. Each refurbished lounge features upgrades like live cooking stations, private work areas, and spa-style shower suites. (Loyalty Lobby)
