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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.United is currently flying a 747 between Chicago and San Francisco each day, giving domestic flyers a great opportunity to try out this long-haul aircraft. Last week, TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig flew the 747 in business and first class to give you an idea of what to expect from an international plane on a domestic route — here is his review....

Backed by the Airlines for America (A4A) association, major airlines including Southwest, United and American are taking steps to incorporate a new nonbinary gender option into the flight booking process for passengers who do not identify exclusively as either male or female, according to The Daily Beast.Members of the association, as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recently approved a “new international standard to account for nonbinary IDs,” according to People, slated to go into effect on June 1....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Planning a perfect trip requires putting in some time to research your best options, from flights to hotels and local activities. While planning ahead is always preferable, TPG Contributor Richard Kerr is here to show you that cobbling together a great itinerary at the last minute is still possible.Finding out at the last minute that you have time for a trip is both exciting and perhaps a little daunting....

United Airlines is moving its 14 Boeing 737 MAXes to a storage facility in Arizona as the grounding of the jets continues.Since the Federal Aviation Administration barred the MAX from flying in March, United has stored 12 of its planes in Houston and the other two in Los Angeles.Weather is the primary reason the planes in Houston need to be relocated, United said in a statement Wednesday. As hurricane season reaches its peak, it is safer to store aircraft at inland facilities where they are less likely to be damaged by storms....

If your Global Entry pass is expiring soon and your renewal application is still “pending,” fear not — you won’t lose your perks just yet. U.S. customs will extend Global Entry privileges a year beyond the expiration date to those who are still waiting to renew.The extension comes after U.S. Customs shared that it has a backlog of 350,000+ applicants to work through.Arriving flight information is accessible to CBP agents, and Global Entry kiosks....

The countdown marches on to the inaugural TPG Awards on December 4, and we’re also continuing our “10 Days of Travel” contest to reward our loyal readers for taking time to vote in the Readers’ Choice categories. We’ve already given away over $1,000 in prizes, and all you need to do to enter is complete the secure Google poll and let us know what credit cards, airlines and hotel programs are worthy of an honor....

Want to learn the Finnish secret to happiness? You might get your chance this summer. Visit Finland — the country’s official national tourism organization — has just launched the first-ever “Rent a Finn” contest that will give a few lucky winners a free trip to Finland with a Finnish guide.According to the 2019 United Nations World Happiness Report, which was released on Wednesday, Finland is the happiest country in the world for the second year in a row....

When it opened to the public on November 6, 2019, the new 35-gate, state-of-the-art terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) was celebrated with live music, a second line parade and a very early morning appearance by the New Orleans rapper Darwin Turner, better known as Choppa.https://www.instagram.com/p/B4hVecHgeVb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheetThe celebration was deserved, if just a wee bit overdue.The brand-new $1 billion Cesar Pelli-designed terminal built on the north side of the airfield replaced a very worn facility that first opened in 1959 and which still sits on the south side of the airfield....

The Maldives is one of the most desirable destinations in the world. Vacationers flock to the small island nation to take in its breathtaking blue waters, top-notch resorts and relaxing vibes.Related reading: Not just for honeymooners: A review of the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau ResortTPG U.K. Head of Video Jean Arnas took to the country in December and stayed for a portion of the trip at the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort. You can read his full review here, but how about a look inside the resort’s most exclusive room, too?...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Although Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, Aeroplan, saw a significant devaluation last year, there are still plenty of redemptions that can give you good value. And with the program’s most recent promotion (you’ll need to log in to your Aeroplan account to see the details), you may be able to find a deal on short-haul awards within North America....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Fellow travel blogger (and LA Times Travel Show panelist) Johnny Jet forwarded me an exclusive new credit card offer from Citibank on the Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard with a whopping 75,000-mile sign-up bonus - which is as high as we’ve seen any bonus on any of the Citi AA cards in a while.The terms of the offer are as follows:Apply now, get the card and earn 75,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making $7,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of cardmembership....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to travel....

American Airlines has announced the retirement plans for its McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 fleet, signaling the end of an era at the carrier.On Sept. 3 and 4, American’s 26 remaining MD-80s will all conduct their final flights.The schedule of American Airline’s last revenue MD-80 flights. (Courtesy of American Airlines)The very last one, Flight 80 from Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago O’Hare, will land in the Windy City around 11:30am on Sept. 4, before joining its sister aircraft in Roswell, New Mexico....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I spent a few nights this week in Dallas at the CardCon and FinCon conferences both as an attendee and a panelist. I originally had booked flights from Houston to Dallas and back to head to the conferences, but when it came down to it, it had been a busy week for our family and I really didn’t want to go to the airport super early in the morning and deal with all of the steps involved with flying....

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.Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking....

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 fuel tanker collided with another vehicle near an airport hangar at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) early Tuesday morning, spilling around 5,500 gallons of jet fuel onto the tarmac.The Cleveland Fire Department arrived on the scene just after 5:30am and was able to dam the tanker leak around half an hour later....

The busy Thanksgiving travel days have arrived. The days surrounding Turkey Day this year are expected to see record-breaking levels of air passengers – and that means crowded airports and long lines at TSA checkpoints. While there are ways to prepare for a busy airport and your commute to the airport, there is nothing you can do to control if your flight is delayed or change the weather.According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service, as of 11:00 AM EST, more than 60 flights have been canceled and nearly 800 have been delayed within, into or out of the United States....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The big and very much anticipated Starwood and Marriott announcements came this afternoon live from New York City and many of our questions and concerns about what comes next for Starwood and Marriott have now been answered. As we knew would be the case, it isn’t all great news for traveling families, but it isn’t all bad news either....

Wednesday, the FAA grounded every 737 MAX aircraft in the US. This includes the 737 MAX 8 aircraft flown by Southwest Airlines and American Airlines as well as the 737 MAX 9 planes flown by United Airlines. While the impact of the grounding is actually quite limited, there are some cancellations of which every flyer should be aware. By sheer numbers, Southwest passengers have been the most affected since the airline operates 34 of these planes (American Airlines has 24 and United 14)....

Booking award travel is so great because its means you’re getting what amounts to a free flight. Usually there are minimal taxes and fees on award tickets, with the exception of flights departing from one place in particular: the United Kingdom.UK taxes and fees increase with each class of service and number of miles being flown, and can even be higher depending on which airport you fly out of. British Airways also adds on its own “fuel surcharges” to any award tickets flown on BA metal....