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The words “snow” and Hawaii" aren’t typically found in the same sentence, though it’s also not completely unheard of in areas of high elevation. But what’s happening right now in one of America’s most stunning national parks is still an extremely rare sight.And for travelers headed to Hawaii right now, the extreme weather is having an impact on some very popular tourist destinations.https://www.instagram.com/p/BtO47UOgvAk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=v3wv2ymj2fmfA few days after snow drifted across Polipoli State Park in Maui for perhaps the first time in history, the island’s national park — Haleakalā — was pummeled with snow and ice....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.It was a very newsworthy week in terms of frequent flyer programs, with Delta’s huge SkyMiles revenue-based changes announcement, American Airlines dropping bereavement fares and jacking up pricing on its Choice Fares, and more. That led the New York Times to publish this article by Ron Lieber titled, “Now May Be A Good Time To Bail Out on Frequent-Flier Programs....

We’ve never hesitated to recommend signing up for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck in the past, and during the current federal government shutdown, it’s an absolute must.On a day trip from Newark (EWR) to Miami (MIA) on Thursday, I had an opportunity to put three separate TSA checkpoints to the test. Don’t worry, I didn’t waste valuable resources just to tally up the wait — I had business at two unconnected terminals in Miami, which meant passing through multiple checkpoints on the same trip....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Earlier this year, customers were repeatedly disappointed as Chase slowly removed benefits from credit card after credit card. One of these benefits that Chase confirmed would be removed from all Chase cards as of August 26 is price protection, which reimburses you for the difference in price when you find a lower advertised price for an item you’ve recently purchased....

Flying with kids, especially young toddlers, isn’t always easy. That’s why (most) traveling parents put lots of strategy into what to pack, what toys to bring, where to sit, what airline to fly, etc. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things don’t go well with toddlers at 36,000 feet. Things might get messy, loud, stinky or worse. That’s life, and hopefully fellow passengers and crew are understanding of situations beyond anyone’s control....

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.Priority Pass has announced the winning airport lounge in its most recent survey of 52,000 members. So what’s the best of the more than 1,200 lounges in 143 countries? It might not be where you think.The winning choice was the Sala VIP International at Quito International Airport in Ecuador....

Of all the places we have ever been, my favorite destination is still Hawaii, so when I recently had the chance to head there, even for just a night, I was all-in. This particular night was spent in Waikiki, which may not be my #1 spot in all of Hawaii, but I found plenty of great things to do and eat in the Waikiki area during my 24 hours in paradise....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Chase Sapphire Preferred CardTPG reader Sofia tweeted me to ask:@thepointsguy— “I already have the Chase Ink Plus Business card, but I want more Ultimate Rewards points. What are the chances of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offering a bigger bonus soon? Should I just apply now?“If Beyoncé had a song about credit card points, I think she’d call it Drunk On Ultimate Rewards Points....

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.Bienvenidos a Miami! It’s the best time of year to get away to this thriving city for events like Art Basel, the Super Bowl, the Miami Open. Unfortunately, everyone else is thinking the same thing you are, especially as temperatures drop throughout the rest of the nation....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.With the current limited-time 30,000-point sign-up bonus offers (when you spend $5,000 in 6 months) on both the personal and business versions of the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express a lot of readers have been asking me about the best uses for Starpoints and the program’s airline transfer partners. I asked TPG contributor Jason Steele to put together this post on SPG’s airline partners – including their alliances and non-alliance partners you can use their miles on, as well as one-way and roundtrip routing rules, and online versus phone – as a comprehensive web resource on the Starwood Preferred Guest program and its airline partners....

These airports are going to the dogs, but in this case, that isn’t a bad thing. A new study analyzed airports across the country to find which were the very best for our four-legged friends. Since airports carrying 10,000 passengers or more are required to provide service animal relief areas in every terminal, the survey put an emphasis on the quality of pet relief areas and amenities, rather than the quantity....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Following an epic layover in London, a quick ride on the Eurostar train from London to Paris and an okay-but-snug flight on Vietnam Airlines’ A350, I finally reached Hanoi, the first stop on my first trip to Vietnam. I managed to sleep for most of the 11-hour and 20-minute flight, so I was able to start exploring the city as soon as I got there....

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.United’s most frequent economy flyers know to avoid the Airbus A319 if they’re hoping for any chance of a complimentary upgrade — with just eight first-class seats but 120 in coach, the odds are far better even on some of the airline’s regional jets....

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.It’s finally here: Tuesday is Election Day across the nation.And while most people are getting out to their local polling places, some travel influencers and frequent flyers were working a little harder to cast their ballots for the 2018 Midterm Elections....

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and NYC hosting World Pride, Virgin Atlantic took to the skies on June 28 to celebrate with a Pride-themed trans-Atlantic flight from London to New York and TPG was lucky enough to be invited along.Photo courtesy of Matt Crossick/PA WireThe flight was decked out to say the least, from live performances to Drag Queen bingo, this was not a flight to catch some shut eye on (nor would you want to)....

Ever been to Manokwari, Indonesia? The West Papua coastal town of 100,000 is a popular tourist destination for travelers seeking a bit of outdoor adventure. And, according to my United itinerary, I’ll be visiting myself in February 2021, departing just after midnight on United Flight 1342.United doesn’t offer service to Indonesia, though, and Manokwari’s Rendani Airport (MKW) doesn’t offer any international flights. And I certainly didn’t book this itinerary myself. So, what’s going on?...

A Hawaiian island vanished underwater earlier this month after Hurricane Walaka created a massive storm surge that swallowed the 11-acre sliver of land.University of Hawaii climate scientist Chip Fletcher told told Honolulu Civil Beat he had “a holy s–t moment” when he realized the island had disappeared.East Island, which belonged to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, was home to many species of endangered animals, including endangered Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles....

American Airlines has been updating its fleet for years, giving it one of the youngest fleets in the airline industry. While there are still some old planes (and interiors) flying around the world wearing the AA logo, you’ll find plenty of new planes such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Last year, American Airlines doubled down on the Dreamliner, placing another large order. The airline placed orders for both the 787-8 and larger 787-9 aircraft, which gives them a lot of flexibility for new route expansion and for retiring older aircraft....

After 37 years of faithful service, American Airlines is retiring the last of its old McDonnell Douglas MD-80s on September 4. Although there are 17 MD-80 flights scheduled that day, the last flight is where most of the fanfare is planned.Aptly given flight number 80, the last-ever scheduled American Airlines MD-80 flight will depart Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) at 9:00am and arrive in Chicago O’Hare (ORD) at 11:35am. This flight has been sold out for months – even before American Airlines announced it as the final flight – as AvGeeks caught the unique flight number and scooped up the tickets before the announcement....

Update: Some of the offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard, Chase Sapphire Preferred CardIn our newbie question for today, TPG reader Jessica asks on Facebook:“Can I book any airline with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Barclaycard Arrival?“The basic answer is yes. If you’re looking to book any airline, use the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, because that card allows you to pay for the actual flight no matter what airline it is....