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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.This question comes from TPG reader Jason who asks:“Can you discuss the major differences between cash back credit cards and travel points credit cards? Obviously travel cards are best for people who like to travel, but do you ever find that it makes more sense to use a cash back card rather than a points earning card?“As usual, the decision between getting a cash back card like the Discover More card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and a travel points credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card comes down to what exactly you want out of your card....

Are you experiencing post-Symphony of the Seas letdown? For at least some big-ship cruise fans, it’s a real thing.The arrival of the insanely-large, activity-packed Royal Caribbean vessel — at 228,081 tons, the biggest cruise vessel ever — was the big cruise story of 2018, and no doubt about it, there’s nothing coming this year that quite measures up.Still, we’re here to tell you all is not lost if you’re a devotee of big new ships....

Imagine this: you’re sitting in a direct-aisle-access, first-class seat with a lovely view over Chicago. You’ve got legroom for days. There’s fast Wi-Fi, and the plane is so fancy your roll-aboard is stashed in a closet rather than an overhead bin. Flight attendants are bending over backward to bring you snacks and drinks, but you’re more interested in serving yourself at the walk-up bar.An Emirates A380… or a vision of your future regional jet?...

Update: the enrollment website is once again accepting applications for New YorkersNew Yorkers, rejoice: Your Global Entry privileges are back. And you can once again apply for membership.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that the agency would allow New York state residents to resume enrollment in Trusted Traveler programs including Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and TSA PreCheck. All of these memberships allow verified travelers to pass through expedited security screenings at U....

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.Whether you’re participating in cuffing season or not, you can’t deny that love is in the air. This time literally.On Emirates flight EK096 from Rome to Dubai, crew and travelers alike participated in a mile-high proposal when passenger Stefano decided to pop the question to his girlfriend, Vittoria who is a flight attendant with the airline, aboard the flight....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Today, TPG Senior Points & Miles Correspondent Jason Steele examines the welcome bonuses offered by a variety of airline, hotel and other rewards cards to see which ones offer the best return.Sign-up bonuses are an important factor to consider when looking for a travel rewards credit card. While big spenders can easily afford to go after bonuses with high minimum spending requirements, most award travelers must be more selective....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Until recently, I was a pretty happy iPhone X user. There was one ever-present bug that drove me up a wall, as I’ll explain a bit later on, but Apple’s latest smartphone offers a fantastic camera, plus a slew of other features — like a long battery life and a sharp and vibrant screen — not to mention the ability to add just about any app a frequent traveler desires....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Next week isn’t just busy in the nation’s capital, but around the points and miles world as well. Regardless of whether you’ll be in the Washington DC area or traveling abroad in the next 7 days, there’s a lot going on that you’ll want to know about. So let’s take a look at what’s coming up in the week ahead…Monday, January 16, 2017Starwood, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton are quickly becoming aligned in their business dealings, and their promotions have now aligned as well....

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....

In the past few years, there’s been a surge in the number of animals on airplanes, with the largest increase coming in the number of emotional support animals. With backlash growing and incidents increasing, airlines finally started cracking down in early 2018 with Delta, United, Alaska, American Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest all rolling out restrictions. Since then, Delta has tightened its policy and then tightened it yet again.Now, AA is back with further restrictions on the type, number, age and documentation required for both service animals and emotional support or psychiatric-service animals....

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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.Turns out those low winter temperatures might be good for something other than an excuse to stay inside. The Boston-based Colonnade Hotel is bringing back its “Frosty Fridays” promotion, which offers guests room rates based on the temperature outside....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader DC sent me a message on Facebook to ask about redeeming travel credits:“I have $10 left on my Amex Platinum airline credit for Southwest Airlines. If I add Early Bird Check-In for an upcoming flight, will Amex reimburse me $10 of that $15 fee?”Like most premium rewards cards, the Platinum Card from American Express offers a statement credit toward select travel purchases....

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....

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....

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....

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 that 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....

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....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.“Reader Questions” are answered twice a week by TPG Associate Editor Brendan Dorsey.While waiting in line is usually an inevitability while traveling, there are a few ways to cut down on your time in security queues with a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. Even better, many credit cards reimburse the fees associated with signing up for either of these programs....

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.Well, how’s this for a nice surprise! As of Wednesday, United MileagePlus is discontinuing its expiration policy, just like Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue, United miles now never expire. Woohoo! Certainly a welcome improvement, especially considering the changes UA has in store this fall....