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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Credit cards offer more perks than ever these days, including lounge access and airline elite-style benefits. However, there are still certain travel experiences even the most premium cards just can’t get you. While carrying The Platinum Card from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve come with incentives like reimbursement for Global Entry application fees and Priority Pass lounge access, they won’t give you access to every lounge — your elite status with a particular airline may also gain you entry, but that’s not always the case....

What makes for a perfect day in the Bahamas? Royal Caribbean is betting millions that the answer for many vacationers is more than just a pretty beach.The line’s just-completed, $250 million overhaul of its private island in the Bahamas, now called Perfect Day at CocoCay, has transformed the once-sleepy beach getaway into a something-for-everyone playground with a pool that can hold up to 1,750 people (at 33,175 square feet, it’s the largest pool in all of the Bahamas and Caribbean) and a 1,600-foot-long zip line course....

[tpg_rating tpg-rating-score=“73” ground-experience=“6” cabin-seat=“21” amens-ife=“10” food-bev=“17” service=“19” pros=“Great privacy (if you choose your seat wisely), crisp IFE screen and easy to book using points.” cons=“Disappointing lounge in the carrier’s hub airport, warm cabin and wholly average food.” /]After a quick spring getaway to Mallorca, Spain, it was time to return stateside. Naturally, my first choice was to fly the Spanish flag carrier, Iberia, via its hub in Madrid.Iberia is known for offering some of the most competitive award redemption rates between the US and Europe — especially for off-peak flights on its own metal....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Obesity in America has become so bad that even our credit cards are overweight. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been feeling my wallet become increasingly heavy — and while that could have been because of the addition of new cards, there’s also been a new trend for credit card issuers to make their cards heavier. Not to say I don’t see the appeal in a nice, luxurious-feeling credit card, but who really wants a heavy wallet?...

The major hotel news from the past few weeks has surrounded property award category changes at the major chains, including Hyatt, IHG and Marriott. However, one of the biggest developments in the hotel industry was the recent acquisition of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group).IHG paid $300 million in cash to purchase the hospitality and wellness company from Pegasus Capital Advisors in a deal that includes the management of 16 hotels and resorts, 37 spas and Six Senses’ sister companies, Evason and Raison d’Etre....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.With the merger of Alaska Airlines and Virgin American complete, the airline has officially opened its long-awaited lounge at New York’s JFK Airport.The lounge will be the first on the East Coast for the airline, which is branding itself as the West Coast’s best airline. The carrier came out on top in TPG’s study of the best airlines of 2018, and already has lounges in Anchorage (ANC), Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PDX) and three in Seattle (SEA)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Since American introduced its new bundled Choice fares back in December, I have purchased them almost every time I’ve flown the airline domestically because. In short, I love them and think they provide a ton of potential value for flyers whose plans might change and who want the added bonuses of priority boarding, check in and mileage bonuses....

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t pinch myself and ask, “Do I really get to do what I do for a living?”Nine years ago this summer, I decided to start a passion project — a fun side blog on points and miles that I specifically didn’t want to monetize with ads. The goal was to get people to use my services to book award trips for them....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.American Express has released a series of great Amex Offers for four different Marriott Hotel brands.You can save $40 after spending $200 or more at the following brands: Courtyard by Marriott, SpringHIll Suites by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton. If all are used that’s $160 off $800 or more in hotel stays.Since you’re paying cash, you’d be eligible to earn elite and redeemable Marriott points for the stay....

Now you can see the Northern Lights wherever in the world you travel.Luggage brand Away has just debuted its new capsule collection, Solstice: an aurora borealis-inspired set of iridescent suitcases and travel accessories.https://www.instagram.com/p/BpzvRG_gFwc/According to Away’s website, the Solstice Collection comprises two new hues that mirror the glimmer of the Northern Lights. Aurora is described as a “deep iridescent green,” while Halo offers a “radiant white with a pearlescent glossy finish.“The color story is available on all of Away’s signature products, including the brand’s rollaboards and the Everywhere carry-all....

Emirates first class is one of the most blinged-out, sought-after products in the world of award travel. While the new 777-300ER suites are spectacular, you won’t suffer much in the carrier’s flagship A380 first class — think closing doors, fantastic cuisine and an onboard shower at 38,000 feet. And if your plans include a flight from Dubai (DXB) back to the U.S. next year, listen up, as we’re seeing a solid amount of award space to both Boston (BOS) and Washington-Dulles (IAD)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.La Compagnie is a French startup airline that flies all-business-class flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Newark. It launched last summer with 4-5 weekly flights with its first aircraft, and took delivery of a second back in December and now plan to launch service between Newark and London Luton Airport starting April 24, 2015.They are currently offering a promo sale from Newark to London Luton roundtrip in Business Class for $1,009....

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.Amtrak is back with another sale, this time with discounted fares across the US. As part of its Amtrak Across America Sale, the train operator has discounted seemingly all routes by 30%....

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.Sam’s Club is offering a one-day discount on gift cards for various restaurants, movie theaters and retailers. The 20% savings applies to nearly 200 brands....

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.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....

Delta’s on-time performance is the envy of the aviation world, but it’s apparently not on time with everything.With 92.7% of planes arriving on time, the largest network of lounges and cities served, and several other strong suits, Atlanta’s hometown airline took the top spot in TPG’s 2019 list of best and worst US airlines. Its SkyMiles program was also voted Best US Airline Loyalty Program by readers in the inaugural TPG Awards....

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Festive films almost always depict a beautiful, crisp, snowy Christmas Day, but I can only remember one time in my life when I have actually had a white Christmas, and that was in Canada a couple of years ago.Snow is like marmite. You love it or hate it. After searching dozens of major cities in the Northern Hemisphere, here are some of the snowy ones — and how you can get there at the last minute....

A China Southern Airlines flight between Malaysia and China made an emergency landing at the fight’s origin city after a fire ignited in-flight shortly after takeoff. The flight, which originated in Penang, Malaysia (PEN), was bound for Guangzhou, China (CAN), the airline’s primary hub. Based on photos posted to Twitter via the account ChinaAviationReview, it appears that an external power source stored in someone’s carry-on baggage ignited in an overhead bin....