A Prague hotel deal I like, Emirates gets Starlink rolling, and Alaska tries something different

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday!

Today's edition is a fun mix, because all three topics are about travel but in very different ways.

Here's what's inside today's post:

There is a 3rd night free offer at Mandarin Oriental Prague running for stays through December 29, 2026, and it includes a very good set of added benefits on top: breakfast for two at Monastiq Restaurant, a $100 restaurant or spa credit, upgrade subject to availability, early check-in and late check-out subject to availability, a welcome amenity, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

That is a very good structure for a city hotel stay, because a third-night-free deal in a destination like Prague can be a good way to save some money!

But what makes this one worth highlighting is not only the discount. It is also the hotel itself.

Mandarin Oriental Prague is a special property. The hotel sits in Malá Strana, one of the most beautiful and atmospheric neighborhoods in the city, on a building that was a monastery a long time ago. That history comes through in the rooms and suites, and it gives the property a character that a more generic luxury hotel cannot replicate. Prague is a magical and slightly mysterious city, and Mandarin Oriental fits right into that feeling.

There is also a real luxury angle beyond the rooms. The hotel's well-known spa is set within a former Renaissance chapel, connected by an underground passageway. Very Prague. Even if you do not spend your whole trip inside the hotel, that kind of detail makes a stay feel more memorable.

I like this offer a lot. A 3rd night free in Prague is already useful. A 3rd night free at a hotel with this much character, plus breakfast and credit, is even better. If you were already considering Prague, this is the sort of deal that makes it easier to justify doing it properly.

And as always, if you want to book this property or any other hotel around the world with added perks at no extra cost, just send your request. Breakfast, credits, upgrades, flexible rates. All the good stuff, none of the hours spent comparing hotels on TikTok!

I wrote about this announcement last year, and now the fun part is that it is no longer just an announcement.

Emirates has completed the first installation of Starlink Wi-Fi on an A380, making it the first Starlink-equipped A380 in service. The broader rollout will cover 232 Boeing 777s and A380s, and the service will be free for all customers across all cabins.

You all know how I feel about free Wi-Fi on planes. Very happy to see this becoming real.

Lets recap. Airline Wi-Fi has improved over the years, but too often it is still unreliable, overpriced, or frustratingly limited. It can be fine for messaging and awful for anything else. And once you have used Starlink, you understand why this is different. It is not just faster internet. It is the difference between hoping you stay connected and basically knowing that you will.

Emirates says Starlink will offer ultra-fast, ground-quality connectivity at 40,000 feet, and that passengers will be able to stream, browse, work, and stay connected throughout the flight.

We all know the airline already has a very polished product across all four cabins. Economy is a pleasant experience, Premium Economy is one of the best in the sky, Business Class is consistent, even if it can be a bit underwhelming at times given the expectations, and First Class is about as close to the top of the travel world as it gets. Add reliable, fast, free internet to all of that, and you are removing one of the most annoying remaining gaps in long-haul flying. For premium travelers it makes the whole experience easier. For economy travelers it changes the value of a long flight more than people might think.

I came across this in a few different places recently and found it fascinating.

Alaska Airlines has debuted its new safety video, specifically for its new long-haul Boeing 787-9 flights from Seattle. The video has a global theme, features over 100 Alaska employees, and highlights the destinations the airline flies to from Seattle. Passengers on 787 flights also see a separate welcome video from CEO Ben Minicucci about Alaska's global growth ambitions.

On its own, that is already a fun story. But here is the part that really got people talking.

The video features London, Rome, Japan, and Seoul, which all make sense since Alaska flies or is launching service to those destinations. But it also features Sydney. And Alaska does not fly to Sydney.

That is a pretty hard detail to accidentally include in a brand-new safety video that went through full production and sign-off. Alaska has said it wants 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030 and currently has five. A Seattle to Sydney route would cover around 7,700 miles and would become by far the airline's longest-ever flight, beating the new Rome service by 36%. The demand numbers also make sense: Seattle is reportedly Sydney's second-largest unserved US market.

Nothing has been confirmed yet. But between the safety video, and the investor day slides that listed Sydney as a target market, it would be very surprising if this does not happen.

I love this kind of aviation detective work. And if Alaska does announce Seattle to Sydney, it will be one of the most exciting route launches in the Pacific in years.

Before I go, I want to try something a bit different. I would love to do a reader Q&A, where I take your real questions about points, miles, hotels, or anything travel-related and answer them in the newsletter. So drop your question by answering this email! I will go through everything and answer as many as I can in a future post, as long as they make sense to cover here. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

That's it for today. More deals, news, and trip reviews coming your way on Friday.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master