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Etihad Airways is making changes to its economy class products on its fleet of A320 and A321 aircraft, it announced over the weekend. Most notably, Etihad is ditching seatback screens on narrow-body aircraft in favor of in-flight entertainment streamed through personal devices, and expanding dining options. The airline’s savvy marketing campaign spins the new changes as an opportunity for passengers to “Go Your Own Way” when traveling.Instead of seatback in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens, customers will now have to bring their own device, much like passengers do when they fly American Airlines, Southwest and United....

World Cup-winning soccer players: They’re just like us! No, seriously.Ashlyn Harris, goalkeeper on the US women’s national soccer team — yes, the one that just won the World Cup! — flew United Airlines in economy earlier today and by the looks of her hilarious Instagram story, was none too pleased about it.Yeah, this is definitely not where we left our lie-flat Polaris seat.She even gave us a video glimpse inside her flight and… well, well, well....

The current and very public labor dispute at Southwest Airlines has the top safety official at the FAA on edge. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, FAA’s Ali Bahrami issued a letter to Southwest and its mechanics in an unusual move outlining the concerns held by the FAA.In his letter, Mr. Bahrami stated that the FAA is worried that the current dispute between labor and management “raises concern about the ongoing effectiveness of the airline’s safety management system....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.Delta’s periodic mileage sale for award flights to Europe is back – and it’s even better than before! While you can still score economy flights to Europe from 32,000 SkyMiles round-trip, you also have the option of redeeming for business class for just 128,000 SkyMiles round-trip....

The British royal family travels all around the world — in particular to some of the 53 sovereign states that make up the Commonwealth of Nations, including destinations like Antigua and Barbuda, Vanuatu and The Gambia.But how do they do so?The Queen herself does not travel on scheduled flights, unlike others in the family, but instead has chartered British Airways planes for official business numerous times before. For example, in 2011 she chartered a British Airways Boeing 777 for her journey to Australia for an 11-day tour with the Duke of Edinburgh, and has also chartered Concorde in the past....

Today, I want to share a story from TPG reader Kim, who got a suspicious phone call in her room during a hotel stay:I was working in my room at the Gaylord National Resort (a Marriott property), and I ordered room service for breakfast. After it was delivered, I got a phone call in my room (supposedly from the hotel) asking me how my breakfast was. They told me they had an issue with the way an employee placed my order, and that they needed my credit card information again....

Amid preparations for the Tokyo Olympics next year, Japan is about to introduce a new model of its famed shinkansen, the “bullet trains” that pioneered high-speed rail transport in the 1960s. The newest model, the N700s, has reached a record speed of 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour, the fastest ever achieved by a commercial model of Japan’s bullet trains.According to rail operator JR Central, the N700s is undergoing testing before it enters service in 2020....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.JetBlue flyers, be prepared to pay more in fees. In a memo sent to employees, JetBlue detailed that fees will be increased for several categories — from checked baggage to change fees.According to a source familiar with the changes, the new fee information was sent out to all employees in the August monthly bulletin. The new fees will likely be introduced quietly on August 31, 2018....

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.Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Chase recently launched the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, the first premium-level Southwest card in the Chase co-brand lineup, with a $149 annual fee....

The big Marriott news of the week has been the introduction of peak- and off-peak award pricing. However, there’s more big news today for those who travel to Marriott properties with kids. Since at least early 2019, the Marriott booking system has been charging extra person fees for children who are included on paid or award reservations to the tune of up to $100 per person, per day.This was not just the case at boutique or international properties where small room occupancy limits might be at play....

Update: Category 8 rates took effect on March 5, 2019. For details on Marriott redemption options, please visit How to Redeem Points With the Marriott Bonvoy Program.Come August, the Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programs will essentially be combined, with unified elite status levels, points valuation and redemption rates. While we knew what to expect for the first two, individual property redemption rates have largely been a mystery — until now....

Can you tip TSA agents during the government shutdown?It’s a valid question. Agents have been working long hours without pay to keep order, and they’re doing their best to ensure travelers can get from one place to another safely. Factoring in the fact that there is no end to the shutdown in sight, flyers might think that tipping just sort of seems like the right thing to do.Well, the answer to this question is no, you cannot tip TSA workers, and if you do, it could actually cause more harm than good....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Jennifer asks:“Do you know how to use Membership Rewards for flights now on United Airlines? I am having trouble learning how to use my AMEX points for this airline.“October 1, 2011, was a very sad day for American Express cardholders who valued the ability to transfer their points directly to Continental OnePass (now United MileagePlus). However, even though you can no longer directly transfer Amex points to United, there are two main ways to still book United flights using your Amex points: Transfer to a Star Allance partner of United and redeem for a United award or book the flight through Pay With Points....

In an effort to find the best hotel or Airbnb rental possible in Havana, Cuba, I decided to stay in eight different properties as a way to figure out which one was the best for each type of traveler.It was my second trip to Cuba, and I already knew that, thanks to the embargo, hotels there don’t offer the same type of luxury amenities, simply because they just don’t have the same access to them as hotels in other countries....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Now that we’re into the new year, it means it’s time to really plot out your credit card spending strategy for 2014, because there’s a lot more to maximizing credit card rewards than simply raking in the sign-up bonuses. While an easy boost to your miles and point balances, a more sustainable approach is to select the most lucrative credit cards to use for all of your daily expenses....

United Airlines’ immediate suspension of its Newark to Mumbai route has led to a unique opportunity on Sunday, June 22. The airline is moving a Boeing 777-300 from Mumbai back to the mainland US tomorrow. The aircraft has been ferried from Mumbai to Honolulu and tomorrow at 7am it will depart for Newark (EWR), according to Live and Let’s Fly, with some amazing award space open in Polaris, United’s top business class....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Believe it or not, I spend a lot of time at dinner parties helping people get their wallets in shape. While people are generally pretty savvy with their personal credit cards, I’m always amazed at how many business owners are completely bungling their points earning strategies. As a small business owner myself, I’ve leveraged business credit cards for years to help me separate finances and also reap valuable rewards....

Alaska just published what might be my favorite safety video of all time.OK, well, it’s not actually a pre-flight safety video, but the airline’s newest YouTube video is sure to remind you that it doesn’t tolerate Flyers Without Masks on its flights.Alaska’s take on Men Without Hats’ one-hit-wonder “Safety Dance” reiterates everything the airline is doing to keep you safe on your next flight — and, yes, it’s just as catchy as the original....

In addition to free or discounted Clear membership, which launched this summer, United MileagePlus members now have a tool at their disposal when it comes time to beat jet lag during a time-zone-jumping trip.Built with input from physicians and scientists, Timeshifter, which is available for Android and iOS, provides travelers with a detailed daily schedule, clearly outlining what time to wake up, go to sleep, find some light, drink caffeine and more....

Update 12/20/18: Business class is now entirely sold out.United’s been planning a big event for its 787-10 Dreamliner inaugural, flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Newark (EWR) on Jan. 7. The airline even launched a special MileagePlus Exclusives auction, with bidding ending in the 500,000-mile range. The winners are not going to be happy to read this news…One of today’s round-trips between LAX and Newark was supposed to be operated by the smaller 787-8 Dreamliner, which for some reason “wasn’t available” — United swapped in the 787-10, instead, marking the first time the extended-length plane is operating a passenger flight....