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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.One of our favorite promotions is back, with Staples offering waived purchase fees on its $200 Visa gift cards. Here are the details:Offer valid Feb. 23 - 29, 2020Limited to one gift card per customerWaived $7 purchase feeAvailable in-store onlyOne of the easiest ways to earn points is through buying gift cards — though be warned: banks have been known to claw back points if they think people are abusing the system....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.In May 2014, Etihad announced the launch of its new, ultra luxurious Residence and Apartment suites on board its A380 aircraft. And in November, TPG himself bought a $32,000 one-way ticket and flew the inaugural Residence route from New York-JFK to Abu Dhabi – a total over-the-top experience, even though the airline forgot to load his bag. And back in July, TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig flew the first-class Apartment suite from Sydney to Abu Dhabi and was equally impressed with his experience on board the most luxurious accommodations in commercial skies....

Is the US about to get a new “ultra low-cost” budget airline?That’s the plan of Andrew Levy, former chief financial officer at United and one of the executives who helped drive the profitable “ULCC” model now in place at fast-growing Allegiant Air.Levy’s effort with the new carrier could begin flying as soon as this year, according to WBUR, the Boston radio station that first broke the news.“There’s a lot of room for more airplane seats in the United States,” Levy said to Seth Kaplan on WBUR’s “Here & Now” program....

Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.This pre-Thanksgiving weekend will be a good time to wish upon a falling star.Diminutive comet Tempel-Tuttle will cross Earth’s orbit Saturday and Sunday, spraying a vaporizing shower of debris into the surrounding atmosphere. The resulting stardust will look pretty great from our perspective here on earth, with about 10 to 15 meteors visible per hour throughout the weekend....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.When I pondered where to stay on a recent trip to Hong Kong, everyone I asked seemed to be raving about the InterContinental. And while many Kowloon hotels are known for their fancy rooftop bars, this particular hotel sits on the very edge of the water, offering incredible skyline views not only from the higher stories, but right from the lobby....

As the old Kenny Rogers song goes, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” These words very accurately portray the scenario that ultimately led us to cancel our scheduled trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, due to the coronavirus and its real and potential implications.While we acknowledge and respect that some people are still pushing forward with their travel plans, let me tell the other side of the story....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.As the weather starts to heat up, music festival season is approaching. That means if you plan on going to one of the big festivals, it’s time to start preparing for what will most likely be an epic weekend. Festivals can get expensive with tickets, flights, hotels, rental cars and more to cover. Points can take the sting out of a flight or hotel stay, but not necessarily the cost of the festival ticket itself....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The internet has been buzzing with rumors of an all-new premium travel rewards credit card that’s supposed to hit the market very soon. Recently, details have emerged that all but confirm the new card, called the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card, will be open for in-branch applications May 1 and will be equipped to go head-to-head against some of the biggest names in the industry including the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Platinum Card from American Express and the Citi Prestige card....

Flying long-haul in economy could get a whole lot more comfortable thanks to a brand new prototype unveiled on Wednesday by Air New Zealand called the Economy Skynest.The Economy Skynest will feature six fully lie-flat sleeping pods, giving passengers flying in economy on long-haul flights the ability to stretch out and get proper rest. The six pods will be spread across three levels of beds, with two beds on each level....

Bungalows Key Largo, billed as the only all-inclusive adults-only resort in the Florida Keys, is now closed after an early morning fire broke out in the restaurant in the main clubhouse on Sunday.The resort website says that no guest accommodations were affected by the fire, but that all guests have been evacuated from the property. The website also states that the resort will be closed until further notice, and that the operations team is reaching out to guests with current and future reservations to help rebook stays....

A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Los Angeles (LAX) bound for Maui-Kahului Airport (OGG) departed Los Angeles International Airport two separate times before the airline ultimately canceled the nightmare flight. Hawaiian Airlines flight 33 was originally scheduled to depart LAX at 9:00am, arriving in Maui around 1:05pm. While the flight did depart on time, the flight never made it to its destination. Multiple issues involving separate onboard systems forced the aircraft to return to LAX two separate times, resulting in a nightmarish 12+ hour delay....

Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Back in February, Norwegian shared the details of several new flights between the US and Europe. The airline’s 4x weekly New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) service begins late tonight, followed by twice weekly service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris service beginning July 30 and once weekly flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Paris beginning August 4....

Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.A passenger on an Air Canada flight received severe burns after her cell phone exploded before takeoff. The passenger, who was on an Air Canada flight from Toronto bound for Vancouver, was treated by a team of paramedics who boarded the flight after the explosion....

In the category of celebrating eccentricity, passenger James Gagnon decided to check just one shoe as luggage on a recent flight. With one socked foot and one still shoed, he documented what happened next — and how people reacted — on Instagram.As you can see from the video, everyone from the check-in agent to a tarmac-side baggage handler smiled at the escapade and even snapped photos with their smartphones. Hey, TPG salutes anyone that can bring a bit of levity to those tough airport jobs....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Hunt wants to maximize his points when buying flights on United:"@thepointsguy which card should I use to buy United flights: Chase Sapphire Preferred or United Mileage Plus Explorer card?“Although it might seem like the best idea when buying an airline ticket is to purchase it using the co-branded credit card - like the Explorer for United, I would actually use my Chase Sapphire Preferred card instead....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Silvercar is expanding its presence in the Bay Area. The rental car company, known for its Audi-only fleet and simple reservation process, is adding a second location in San Francisco.As of September 24, Silvercar will offer rentals in the Union Square area. The company has long offered service from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), however, the addition of the Union Square location marks its first in-town location in the Bay Area....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Kate sent in an interesting question this week about what points-earning credit card or cards to put one month’s big spend on. It’s kind of like a credit card spend fantasy question - you’re going to rack up a lot of points no matter what, but the best way maximize those points and get the most return on your money is a whole other matter....

Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.If you’re itching to see polar bears in their natural habitat you’re not alone. And now, travel company Intrepid has partnered up with with its sister company, Peregrine Adventures, to give explorers an incomparable experience in the Arctic Unveiled trip....

United has announced that effective Jan. 7 there will be new rules on emotional support animals. The new policy seems to be a carbon copy of the one Delta enacted only a couple of months ago.The new policy will set a flight time limit of eight hours for emotional support animals. United is also limiting support animals to cats and dogs over four months of age.2018 was the year of the emotional support animal for airlines....

Singapore Airlines is stepping up its dining game.Beginning May 1, premium-economy passengers can pre-select the meal of their choice off of the in-flight menu either through the airline website or mobile app, as early as three weeks before their flight, and up to 24 hours before departure time.Singapore Suites, business and first class travelers have had access to the pre-order service for some time now. And while the popular Book the Cook service has been available to premium economy travelers since Singapore launched the cabin class in 2015, the new in-flight menu pre-order is a separate service altogether....