Riyadh Air finally goes on sale, Hyatt gets worse, and Four Seasons opens in the Red Sea

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday!

Today's edition has one exciting airline launch, one sad loyalty update, and one very cool luxury hotel opening.

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

Riyadh Air is finally ready for paying passengers.

The new Saudi airline is now selling tickets to the public for flights starting July 1, 2026, beginning with its flagship route between Riyadh and London Heathrow. The airline has technically been flying this route since late October 2025, but those flights were not available to the general public. They were used as part of a controlled launch process, with access limited to employees, PIF-related passengers, and their families.

Now the real public launch is coming.

The schedule is:

The airline is launching this public phase with its custom-fitted Boeing 787-9s, which is what makes this interesting. Riyadh Air has been promising a premium, design-heavy experience since it was first announced, and now we are finally getting close to seeing what that looks like for real passengers.

Riyadh Air is one of the most ambitious airline startups we have seen in a long time. It has orders for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s, up to 60 Airbus A321neos, and up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s. That is not a small regional airline quietly testing one route. This is Saudi Arabia trying to build a serious global airline around Riyadh.

The Middle East already has Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Saudia, Oman Air, and Gulf Air. So Riyadh Air cannot just show up with purple planes and expect everyone to be amazed. The product needs to be good, the service needs to feel different, the loyalty partnerships need to be useful, and the network needs to grow fast enough to matter.

The first few passenger reviews will be very interesting. Will it feel like a true premium airline? Will the soft product match the branding? Will the business class be worth the hype? And how quickly will the airline build meaningful connections beyond Riyadh?

This is one of those launches aviation people will be watching very closely.

Now for the sad part.

World of Hyatt's new award pricing takes effect today, and this is a reminder that loyalty programs do not stay generous forever.

The good news is that Hyatt is not abandoning award charts completely. That still makes it more predictable than many hotel programs, and I give them credit for that.

The bad news is that the chart now has a lot more room to get expensive.

Instead of the old off-peak, standard, and peak pricing structure, Hyatt is moving to five award levels within each category. In theory, that gives the program more flexibility. In practice, it means the same hotel can now swing across a much wider points range depending on the date. The most expensive awards can now cost up to 67% more points than under the previous chart.

Hyatt points are still valuable. I still like the program. I would still rather have a Hyatt award chart than fully dynamic pricing. But the ceiling is higher now, and once a loyalty program creates room for higher pricing, those higher prices usually become more common over time.

That is how these things tend to go. First the new structure arrives. Then the highest pricing bands are used selectively. Then, slowly, they become the norm.

Sad update, but not surprising.

Now let's end with something much more exciting.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Red Sea at Shura Island is now open, with first arrivals from May 20, 2026. This is a major milestone for Saudi Arabia's Red Sea destination and one of the most interesting luxury hotel openings in the region in a long time.

And yes, we are already booking this for a client. That is always fun.

The resort sits on the eastern point of Shura Island, within The Red Sea Project on Saudi Arabia's western coast. The setting has been described as (fancy words coming) “a secluded island sanctuary surrounded by sea on three sides, with desert-inspired architecture designed to evoke ancient desert trade caravans”. That sounds bougie... 😉 The Red Sea destination is being positioned around untouched landscapes, marine life, diving, wellness, and a more remote kind of luxury. There is access to one of the world's largest barrier reefs, along with desert landscapes and island living.

The resort includes six restaurants and lounges, three pools, a spa, Kids For All Seasons, a Teen Centre, a Marine Discovery Centre, and alcohol-free dining and lounge venues.

Saudi Arabia is still a very different destination from places like the Maldives, Dubai, or the Seychelles. This will not be the right fit for every traveler. But for the right client, it can be very compelling.

The accommodations also look very interesting. The Garden-View Room is described as an extra-spacious room inspired by a chic desert safari camp, with glass walls that open onto a furnished outdoor sitting area facing lush gardens. Beachfront categories are also available for travelers who want the classic Red Sea view.

With a brand-new ultra-luxury resort, there is a lot worth understanding before booking: which room category makes sense, what the best view is, how transfers work, what benefits apply, whether there are any opening-period quirks, and which dates price better.

That is where we can help.

As Four Seasons Preferred Partners, we can book eligible stays with added benefits, which typically include daily breakfast for two, hotel credit, upgrade priority, early check-in, late check-out, and VIP recognition, depending on the property and rate. We also have access to an exclusive 15% discount offer for the opening period!

For a brand-new resort like this, I would not book blindly. It is worth understanding the room categories, transfer logistics, opening timeline, and what kind of traveler the resort is best suited for. But as a new luxury opening? Very exciting. Saudi Arabia's Red Sea is clearly trying to become a serious player in ultra-luxury resort travel, and Four Seasons arriving on Shura Island makes that much more real.

That's it for today. Riyadh Air is finally selling tickets to the public, Hyatt's award chart gets a bit worse today, and Four Seasons has opened one of the most interesting new resorts in the Red Sea.

More deals, news, and trip reviews are coming your way on Friday.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master