Recap: AmEx Higher Costs, Equifax $700 Million, Non Cancellable Award Stays & More

Equifax to Pay Around $700 Million to Resolve Data-Breach Probes by WSJ. Seems incredibly low all things considered.
Watch Out for Non-Cancellable Hotel Rewards: Reader Got a Surprise $7000 Charge by VFTW. These types of charges are excessive. Gary highlights that Hyatt did an amazing job, but I’d say allowing properties under your management to charge these excessive cancellation fees in the first place means that they’ve done a bad job. I personally think that if an non-cancellable award stay is cancelled, the points should be forfeit as that’s how any sane person would assume the system works rather than having to pay a fee of $7,000 cash.

AmEx warns of higher costs as it boosts rewards program, shares fall by Reuters.
American Airlines insider xJonNYC with some news about the Alaska partnership.

look for more degradation to the AA/AS partnership (such as it is) coming. Not surprising, I suppose, but will definitely affect those who currently earn, etc. I’d expect reciprocal lounge access to remain however, but all up in the air at this point.

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) July 19, 2019