American's A321XLR reviewed, Rakuten 97x points promo, and United's new cardholder benefits

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Monday! Quick one today: Dan just flew American's new A321XLR, Rakuten is (again) doing one of those promos where you can earn a stupid number of transferable points from a single purchase, and United just announced some changes that matter if you hold a co-branded card.

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

Dan's review of American Airlines' brand-new A321XLR is one of those videos where the subtext is louder than the words: this plane matters.

American's first A321XLR flight kicked off in February 2026, and they're positioning the aircraft as a premium-capable narrowbody — including on transcon routes — with both business and premium economy onboard.

Dan's highlights (and honestly, the things you should actually care about):

The seat is the story.

This business cabin is a true 1-1 layout (direct aisle access for everyone), and the privacy is on another level for a narrowbody. That tracks with how American is configuring the aircraft: 20 business class seats up front.

The "why this matters" angle: it's a narrowbody that's built to feel like a long-haul product, not domestic "first class with a bigger recline."

Premium economy exists… and it's legit.

American has a dedicated premium economy cabin (not just "economy with a nicer headrest"). On this A321XLR, it's three rows in 2-2, which is exactly the kind of layout you want for a small, quiet cabin.

Hard product vs. soft product: American finally wins one side of the equation.

The vibe is basically: the seat + privacy + entertainment + Wi-Fi are strong, but catering still needs work (and the broken sink situation was… very on brand for a "new plane with old ops"). That last part is key: hardware upgrades don't automatically fix service consistency.

The bigger meta-point:

American spent years betting that "network + cost cutting" would beat "premium experience." Now, this aircraft is a real attempt at a reset — and it's not subtle. When an airline launches a flagship narrowbody with a real premium cabin and starts talking about premium positioning, they're telling you where they want to compete.

If you're someone who books based on product (or you just like flying new aircraft): this is one to watch.

This is your periodic reminder that shopping portals aren't only for shopping.

Right now, Rakuten is offering exceptionally high portal payouts on certain subscription-style products — the kind of deal where you spend ~$80–$350 and generate a meaningful chunk of points.

Example from the current promo: there's been an offer as high as 97% back / 97x on a NordVPN purchase, and 85% back / 85x on LifeLock.

The setup (what makes this valuable)

Rakuten lets you choose to earn:

So when you see "75x" or "97x," you're not earning 75 airline miles… you're earning 75 transferable points per $1.

The simple math

1) NordVPN — 97x points

Rakuten is currently showing 97% cash back / 97x points on NordVPN for new customers (initial sign-up only, one per Rakuten member, and the payout is on the eligible NordVPN portion). Keep in mind that this bonus goes for the basic plan, with no add-ons. I spent $83.43 and earned ~8,050 points back.

If you're new to Rakuten, you can also stack the $50 referral bonus (after a first purchase of $50+) — which would turn that same NordVPN purchase into ~13,050 points total.

2) LifeLock — 85x points

Rakuten is currently showing 85% cash back / 85x points on LifeLock (initial enrollment only; free trials/auto-renewals don't count; and canceling within 90 days voids the cash back/points — also don't use non-Rakuten coupons). The "max points" example in the promo is spending $349.99 and earning ~29,749 points back.

Again, if you're new to Rakuten, stack the $50 referral bonus and you're looking at ~34,749 points total (29,749 + 5,000) from one purchase.

One important reminder: portal rates like these can change fast, so always confirm the exact x-rate shown in Rakuten right before checkout, and make sure your purchase tracks as pending afterward.

About the welcome bonus

Rakuten also has a refer-a-friend program where new members can earn an extra $50 bonus after a first purchase of at least $50 — which (in points-mode) is effectively another ~5,000 points.

If you're going to do one of these promos anyway, stacking that signup bonus is the clean move.

On another note, United Airlines announced changes that benefit co-branded cardholders, with updates going live April 2, 2026.

Expanded award discounts

United is rolling out better award ticket discounts through its "special" award pricing (including for cardholders), and they're expanding who can access them.

Translation: if you redeem United miles often, this can reduce the number of miles you need — but you'll still want to compare dates because the discount varies.

More "expanded saver" access for cardholders

United is adding expanded saver award inventory access for cardmembers (and certain elites).

Translation: this can be a real advantage when saver space is tight — especially on popular routes or peak dates.

Slight mileage earning changes on United credit card spend

There are tweaks to how some United cards earn miles.

Translation: don't assume your earn structure is identical after April 2 — worth a quick check if you're optimizing spend.

We are seeing a trend in which airlines are trying to make better use of their co-branded credit cards. None of this is "game-breaking," but it's the kind of quiet shift that makes United miles a little more usable if you're already in their ecosystem.

That's it for today. More deals and strategies coming your way on Wednesday.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi