The Extra Mile, Sept. 8: A New Loophole the Airlines Will Love, Iceland Under $399 Roundtrip & More

😑 Is the DOT Gutting Passenger Protections … Again?

It’s the unfortunate reality of flying in the good ol’ U.S. of A, but travelers here have shockingly few rights when things go wrong. In fact, it sure seems like we’re sliding backwards.

There’s no requirement to compensate passengers for lengthy delays or cancellations, unlike our neighbors to the north in Canada and over in Europe. There’s not even a legal requirement for airlines to cover meals or hotels when stranding you somewhere overnight, though some (but not all) choose to do so.

Much of what it means to “do right by customers” is left up to the airlines themselves. And they just got more wiggle room to leave customers high and dry.

New federal regulations published last week expand the list of “uncontrollable disruptions” – the ones that, like weather or an air traffic control outage, aren’t the airlines’ fault … and allow them to stiff passengers asking for a hotel or comped meals when stuck overnight.

To be clear: This predates the Trump administration. It was set in motion by a bill passed by Congress and signed into law in 2024.

But still: That sounds bad – really bad, right? But to be honest, there’s a lot here that simply makes sense. Is it really the airline’s fault if there’s a delay due to:

• a thorough cleaning of the aircraft because a passenger died onboard?
• extensive damage to the plane due to extreme weather or intentional sabotage?
• an unruly passenger onboard who needs to be removed?
• or the entire airport is closed due to clouds of volcanic ash?

But then there’s this, in lucky #7 on the list of new “section 511(b) of the 2024 FAA Act” exceptions that allow airlines to dodge the promises they’ve made to passengers:

(7) unscheduled maintenance, including in response to an airworthiness directive, manifesting outside a scheduled maintenance program that cannot be deferred or must be addressed before flight.

Equipment repairs suddenly mandated by the FAA are one thing. But “unscheduled maintenance” itself is a category so broad, you could fly a Boeing 747 through it. Maybe I’m cynical, but I’m betting airlines are licking their chops thinking of all the money they’ll save on hotels and passenger meals due to “unscheduled maintenance” once this all kicks in come Oct. 19.

Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this is much ado about nothing and we can all trust airlines to do the right thing, as they always have and always will.

… had you for a minute there, didn’t I?

– Kyle Potter, executive editor

🤝 Deal of the Day: Iceland under $399 Roundtrip!

Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥

Why we love it: Jump on this sale on nonstop flights to Iceland starting at just $348 roundtrip!

Flying Icelandair this fall and winter with all fares under $399 roundtrip from nine U.S. cities!

Sign up now to get all the details on this deal & don’t miss the next flight deal alert.

Already a member? Log in to see all your deals. (Not seeing it? Remove your airport filters to see every deal.)

– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst

🎙️ Starter Kit Vol. 3, How to Transfer & Redeem Your Points

🧰 Starter Kit: How to Transfer & Redeem Your Hard-Earned Points

⭐ It’s time to learn how to redeem those points and miles you’ve earned for travel … and while it might seem scary, this is the fun part! We walk through the basics of redeeming your points – including a step-by-step guide to transferring to partner airlines and hotels, which is (almost) always the best path.

Watch it now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And stay tuned for the next installment next week!

📲 From the Thrifty Traveler Company Slack

Air Canada announced new nonstop service from Vancouver (YVR) to Guangzhou, China (CAN) last week, which led to Kyle recounting his brief visit there back in 2019.

Pretty hard to argue with that 9/10 rating. Look for him on the inaugural next May!

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

📊 How to Keep Tabs on Your Chase 5/24 Status

If you’re working towards getting approved for a Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or any other Chase card for that matter, one number matters almost as much as your credit score … your Chase 5/24 status.

Chase won’t approve you for a new card if you’ve opened five or more personal cards (from any bank, not just Chase) in the past 24 months.

For someone with one or two cards, this rule is largely just background noise … but if you’re building a real points and miles strategy, tracking exactly where you stand can be the difference between landing a big bonus and being instantly declined.

That’s where our free Credit Card Benefit Tracker comes in. It has a built-in 5/24 module that does the math for you. Just enter the open date for each card (even ones you’ve closed), and it keeps a running tally automatically. There’s no sensitive information required.

It’ll show you exactly how many slots you’ve got open and how close you are to your next eligible application. The tool also supports up to four profiles on one account, so you and a partner can each track your own status separately.

Not into the idea of another tool? Free credit monitoring services like Credit Karma or a report from AnnualCreditReport.com can help you piece it together manually. Just know the math is on you.

Read our full story

– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder

🍻 Minneapolis: Join Us for a First Class Happy Hour!

Mark your calendars, and join the Thrifty Traveler team on Thursday, September 24, from 5:00–8:00 p.m. at Utepils Brewing in Minneapolis for our First Class Happy Hour!

Get your tickets for a casual evening where travelers can connect, swap stories, and have some fun!

We’ll have drinks, travel-themed games and giveaways, plenty of travel talk, and a live Q&A with members of our team! Bring your questions and get to know the people behind Thrifty Traveler!

And because no happy hour is complete without one, your first drink is included with your ticket.

Whether you live nearby or are making the trip to Minneapolis, we hope you’ll join us for a fun evening with fellow travelers!

Get Your Tickets Here

– Kat Erdahl, community marketing manager

🏕️ Fields of Michigan Glamping Review: High-End, but Low-Key

🌲 It’s kids riding bikes and roasting marshmallows. It’s unwinding by the pool and sipping cocktails in Adirondack chairs at sunset. It’s picking blueberries and eating them by the pool.

It’s a retreat. It’s a place to unwind. It’s one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been … and it was made possible by points.

The Fields of Michigan is a glamping property on a blueberry farm in the woods of Western Michigan. It’s also a partner of the glamping brand Under Canvas … which is a part of Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties … which means it’s bookable with World of Hyatt points. 🤩

I stayed here two weeks ago after transferring 40,000 Bilt points to World of Hyatt to book two nights in one of the properties’ glamping tents – a price I noticed on many other dates I checked before writing this review.

🛏️ The tents themselves are fancy – even for glamping. You’ll have running hot water. You’ll have electricity with full plug-ins. You’ll even have heat and air conditioning, too. It’s certainly more fancy than most glamping sites, but even though it’s rather bougie, it’s also unbelievably wholesome.

The tents (and the cabins pictured below, bookable for a few more points) line the property in the woods, while this pond, rows and rows of blueberry bushes, and a swimming pool make up the rest of the property. ☀️

Just five minutes from quaint South Haven, Michigan, and its beautiful Lake Michigan beaches (or 25 minutes away via bicycle, which are free to use for all guests), the property is quiet during the day, crescendoing at 6:30 p.m. when the s’mores are put out by the fire.

The cafe offers a small menu that packs a punch, including a solid beer, wine, and cocktail list for those of age. 😋

I use my points to travel, book long overseas flights, and stay in five-star hotels. But sometimes using 40,000 of my points to chill on a blueberry farm with my wife and 1-year-old is the best redemption of all.

Check out my full review of The Fields of Michigan on our website.

– Gunnar Olson, travel reporter & host of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast

✈️ Other Travel Tidbits

• 🛂 TSA is piloting a program that lets non-travelers past security to see off family, meet someone on a layover, or grab a bite at the gate. “Gateside by TSA PreCheck” requires PreCheck membership and a Known Traveler Number, and is now live at 13 airports. (ABC News)
• 🇩🇪 La Compagnie is launching Newark (EWR) to Düsseldorf (DUS) starting spring 2027, becoming the only airline flying that route nonstop. Flights will run up to five times weekly on an Airbus A321neo LR with fully lie-flat seats. (La Compagnie)
• 🔮 Marriott just filed a trademark for “Bonvoy Brilliant Business,” hinting at a new premium business card modeled on its top-tier personal Brilliant card. (One Mile at a Time)
• 💼 Chase’s elevated $1,000 bonuses on the no-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash cards are ending soon. Pair either with a Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred card to turn that into 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.