Even after 15 years in the job, it still amazes me the number of myths that still seem to circulate around being a pilot and how aircraft work in general. According to some of the stories, we all get free flights, have perfect vision and don’t suffer from jet lag as badly as passengers.Some of these are true, others less so. Here are eight of the most common myths about being a pilot, explained....
The integration of Marriott, SPG and Ritz-Carlton has had its fair share of issues, and we’ve addressed these extensively. Even though I (personally) am sticking with Marriott for now, I’m sure many others are looking for alternatives. Hotel companies need to remember that customer loyalty is certainly not set in stone, and additional negative changes or significant devaluations could easily sway that decision for many travelers.Well, it appears that one such issue is now coming up....
In a quiet, nondescript building off an interstate in Wilmington, Delaware, the future of America’s high-speed rail is taking shape.Amtrak gave select journalists, including TPG, a chance to tour full-scale mock-ups of the interior of its new high-speed Acela train cars, giving a sneak peek at what passengers will experience when the first cars are rolled out in spring 2021.American’s primary passenger train operator launched the Acela trains in 2000, and this is the first time since then that they are getting a new look and feel....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.“Reader Questions” are answered twice a week — Mondays and Fridays — by TPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig.Some airline programs offer better award availability than others, but American’s race to the bottom has left many loyal flyers with a frustrating disAAdvantage. After feeling the burn when searching for Oneworld award flights to Europe, TPG reader Martin reached out for support via email — while he’s willing to redeem for pricier AAnytime travel, he doesn’t have enough miles in his account to pull it off…[pullquote source=“TPG Reader Martin”]How can I transfer my wife’s miles to my account to book our award flights to Europe?...
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.One of the things I love most about being The Points Guy is getting to hear stories from readers about how award travel has affected their lives — the exotic vacations they’ve planned, the trips they’ve made to be with family and friends, the premium seats and suites they’ve experienced and so much more, all made possible by points and miles....
Almost two years after a massive data breach was announced, Equifax has now agreed to a “global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories.“In September 2017, Equifax disclosed that hackers accessed sensitive data for 143 million Americans including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s licenses, credit card numbers, email addresses and phone numbers. The number of affected Americans was later increased by another 2....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Through July 31, you can earn a 25% bonus when you transfer your points from Citi ThankYou Rewards and select hotel programs to Etihad Guest. Typically, these transfer bonuses are processed by the credit card issuer’s program, but this time it’s Etihad tacking on the extra miles. Bonus miles are expected to post by the middle of August, regardless of when you begin the transfer....
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.The COVID-19 pandemic has put the world on hold and as a result, many people are going through some serious hardships. That’s why TPG himself has decided to launch a live Cameo that will benefit No Kid Hungry, an organization dedicated to ending child hunger....
Twenty months and two fatal crashes later, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ungrounded the Boeing 737 MAX.Following a rigorous review and modifications to the flight control systems, the FAA has deemed that the MAX can once again take to the skies.The FAA’s re-certification is just the beginning of the plane’s return to service. In addition to obtaining similar authorization from other international governing bodies, the airlines themselves need to retrain their pilots and install the required software updates to their jets....
Starting Dec. 1, 2018, passengers flying internationally out of Terminal F at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) can use their face to get them from curb to gate, and onto the plane. Delta announced the news just over two months ago, and I traveled to the airline’s home turf to experience the future of boarding just days before it exits trial and enters mass availability.The effort is a massive, complex one....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Wyndham Rewards is currently offering an impressive status match and challenge offer. This offer allows you to match your status with another hotel loyalty program to Gold, Platinum or Diamond in Wyndham Rewards, which was named the second best hotel loyalty program by TPG in 2017.Wyndham Rewards Gold status normally requires five qualifying nights and provides useful benefits including preferred rooms and late check-out when available....
The SATS Premier Lounge in Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 won the Priority Pass Lounge of the Year award for Asia Pacific in 2017. This was a notable feat, especially considering how many Priority Pass lounges there are in the Asia Pacific region. I was able to check out the lounge before a recent flight on budget carrier Scoot. Here’s my take on this award-winning lounge.LocationSingapore has four terminals, and while there are SATS Premier lounges in terminals 1, 2 and 3, this review covers only the T2 space....
Cathay Pacific’s First Class lounges are some of the best in the world. Cathay’s The Pier First Class Lounge is a peaceful, refined space with sit-down dining and complimentary massage services. So I came into a couple recent visits to Cathay’s The Wing First Class Lounge with admittedly high expectations.LocationThe entrance to The Wing First Class is just outside immigration above gates 1 and 2. Immediately after clearing immigration, take a hard left and walk down a short corridor to the lounge entrance....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.On June 1, 2018, the United Explorer Card revamped its benefits line-up quite a bit. It now offers 2x miles per dollar spent not just on United purchases, but also at restaurants and on charges paid directly to hotels. The card also offers up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck reimbursement every four years. On the flip side, they eliminated the bonus of 10,000 miles if you spend $25,000 per calendar year, as well as price and return protections....
TPG Lounge member Anthony I.W. recently asked the rest of the group to share where they draw the line between saving money and paying extra for convenience when it comes to booking flights with cash or airline miles.“I’m curious, how does everybody value cost versus convenience when paying cash for a plane ticket? How much extra would you pay for a flight from a closer airport or with more convenient layovers?...
As we approach the end of another year, it’s time to survey the airline industry’s highs and lows from 2018. This year’s top airline stories included charity flights and moments of human kindness and compassion. The worst included unimaginable, and possibly avoidable, tragedies. Here’s a look back at 2018 and some of the most memorable stories in the world of aviation.Let’s start with the bad news…1. Lion Air Crash: The worst airline story of 2018 was the recent crash of Lion Air flight 610 in Indonesia just minutes after the plane took off from Jakarta (CGK)....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I just returned from my second Coachella adventure in southern California. Both this year and last, I spent some time at the American Express Platinum House at the Parker Palm Springs, which made my Coachella experience that much better. To get access to the Platinum House, you had to have either The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Centurion card....
In 2019, airports across the United States were creative in bringing passengers some fresh and very welcome new amenities.More than a dozen food venues at Chicago’s Midway Airport now offer kids meal combos served with a side of chips and 12oz bottle of milk or water for under $10. Better yet, menus are posted online, so parents with picky eaters are able to plan ahead.Tampa International Airport, Seattle Tacoma International Airport and the reborn Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport joined Pittsburgh International Airport in offering gate passes to non-ticketed passengers....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Airline lounges are becoming more and more sophisticated by the day, and are one way the major airlines try to build brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive marketplace, so I thought I’d take a look at the ten best ways you can get access the next time you’re flying without having to pay the annual membership fee - which is closing in on the $500 mark for most airlines....
Uber wants to make airport pickups more efficient. With ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft becoming the preferred method of transportation for many travelers, plenty of airports have yet to fully adapt to Uber’s popularity. This has resulted in congestion on airport roadways and sometimes poorly marked or located pickup zones. Today, the ride-hailing company took a step in improving airport pickups with the launch of Uber PIN at Portland International Airport (PDX)....
