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Rise &Grind

💍 Impulse buys

Good morning and happy Sunday. The best Costco hacks (opens in a new tab) start where the grocery aisles end. Members use the warehouse to score discounts on bigger purchases, from diamond rings and gold bars to cars, vacations, and even saunas. Shopping around can pay off too, since as much as 40% of a warehouse’s inventory can be tailored to its location. And when an unexpected specialty item appears, regulars know not to wait too long because Costco’s rotating inventory means it may be gone on the next trip.

Today, we've got some mixed reads for you:

  • Hyatt dumps American for Delta: Eight-year partnership ends, taking elite perks with it
  • Alaska Air goes upmarket: $600M cabin overhaul adds premium middle tier by 2028
  • IRS introduces retirement match: Federal benefit deposits up to $2K directly into accounts starting 2027

We've risen. Now, let's grind.

Loyalty Shifts

Loyalty Shifts

AAdvantage and Hyatt Are Ending Their Years-Long Partnership: Another Airline Program Might Be the Ultimate Winner

For years, frequent flyers and luxury hotel enthusiasts found a home between flying on American Airlines and staying in Hyatt hotels.

When the two announced a partnership in 2019, travelers scored “reciprocal earnings.” Hyatt elites earned AAdvantage miles for stays, while AAdvantage elites earned Hyatt points for flights.

That “double dipping” ended in 2025 with a massive devaluation, but it was at least replaced by a structure that offered benefits for hitting certain milestones (nights stayed, loyalty points earned) to unlock partner status faster. Unfortunately, after an eight-year partnership, this travel glitch has only gone downhill and will finally come to a close next year.

End of an era: Since 2025, the Hyatt and American partnership has been worse, but there was still a path to earn free elite status, flights, or hotel stays if you were already getting special treatment from one of the two brands. There were also status-match challenges (opens in a new tab) to speed up your status chase. But now, even that is going away. Last week, Hyatt and American announced they would wind down their partnership next year.

Atmos Picks Up The Slack

It’s hard to see how this won’t reduce the attractiveness of AAdvantage, which counted on Hyatt as a major additional reason to earn status (mostly through spending). Combined with a major new change in a competing airline ecosystem, I suspect many travelers could change direction.

  • Starting in 2027, eligible American Airlines flights will be able to earn points and status points in Alaska/Hawaiian’s Atmos Rewards program — even when you book on AA.
  • AA earnings can be directed to Atmos, where you can unlock status much faster through flying alone (thanks to mile-based earnings) and access AA benefits (opens in a new tab), too.

One big asterisk: Unlocking the highest levels of Atmos status will put you ahead of some American elites on the flight upgrade list, but still behind AAdvantage’s Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members. So if you were already in the upper tiers of AA’s ecosystem before (likely due to spending), there is a ceiling for AA mainstays within the Atmos ecosystem. However, that might be okay—unless you are really an AA elite earning from heavy spending alone.

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Cabin Strategy

Alaska Air Pushes Upmarket With Major Cabin Overhaul

Alaska is betting more than $600M that travelers will keep paying up for a better trip. Starting in 2028, Premium Reserve will add a new middle ground between economy and first, while lie-flat suites push Alaska and Hawaiian further into long-haul travel. Flyers should watch which 737-10, 787, and A330 routes get the new cabins, since the aircraft you book will increasingly determine your upgrade options, comfort, and value from miles. [Read (opens in a new tab)]

Federal Benefits

The IRS Prepares Taxpayers for a New Retirement Match

Letters regarding the upcoming Saver's Match are reaching taxpayers to introduce a federal retirement benefit taking effect in 2027. Unlike past tax credits, this program deposits up to $2K directly into an IRA or 401(k) for qualifying low- and middle-income workers. Because the funds require an established retirement account to land in, savers may need to open an account beforehand. Workplace plans can accept the match, though plan rules vary. [Read (opens in a new tab)]

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Sunday Reads

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Extra Grind

Today’s edition of Rise & Grind was written by Rhea Lobo, Daniel Schoester and Noah Weidner. Designs by Daniela Mavrich.

All content provided by Finks is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as trading or investment recommendations.