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It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest customers. Although the two brands formally completed the biggest hotel loyalty program merger in history this past summer, at least on paper, thousands of customers still find themselves struggling with the new hybrid system.But Marriott promises a fresh start is on the horizon, including a new name for its loyalty program. A leaked peek led to fresh buzz this weekend… although not exactly in the direction most patrons probably expected....

In the heart of Rome, just a few blocks from the Pantheon and Piazza Navona sits a historic site many tourists overlook. Largo di Torre Argentina — a busy square where lots of buses stop — doesn’t make it into many guidebooks. But it’s actually one of the city’s most significant sites.History buffs will know it as the site where Julius Caesar was murdered on March 15, 44 BC — the Ides of March....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Were you busy traveling to exciting locations yesterday (on points or miles, of course)? Never fear — we’ve got your back with a recap of the previous day’s top stories, including news, reviews and more.Southwest is Offering $49 One-Way Flights through ThursdaySouthwest’s 72-hour flight deals are back, with a ton of different options around the US and fares as low as $49....

You don’t have to believe in phantom spirits to love a good ghost story. Just in time for Halloween, we’ve scoured the globe for some of the most haunted airports, aircraft, train stations and ships on Earth — many of which you can transit through (or tour).Whether you’re in search of frights or you just have London Heathrow on your travel itinerary, be sure to watch out for apparitions if you find yourself in one of these spectral hotspots....

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 points and miles have helped them get where they want to go. Each week I pick one that catches my eye and post it for everybody to enjoy. If you’re interested in sharing your own award travel success story, email it to info@thepointsguy....

Amtrak is joining airlines and other transportation companies by adjusting its service in response to reduced demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues in the U.S.The railroad will be slashing service on the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington by as much as 60%, it announced Monday evening. Amtrak had already suspended nonstop Acela service between New York and Washington as part of its earliest coronavirus-related cuts, and now additional service will be pared from the company’s Northeast Regional and Amtrak schedules....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Great news: Two-for-one flight deals are once again available for destinations in Europe. Singapore Airlines is currently running a sale where you can fly business class nonstop to Frankfurt from $1,999 per person round-trip. Singapore Airlines’ product is one of TPG’s best business-class options to Europe, while Frankfurt itself makes an excellent gateway city if you plan on exploring more of the continent....

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.Earning airline miles using the traditional method (actually flying) is just one way to add to your account balance. While it’s increasingly harder to earn miles from flying, airlines make it relatively easy to accrue miles without stepping foot on a plane — whether through top credit card offers or by utilizing shopping portals and dining rewards programs....

Parts of the US will be colder than Antarctica this week. And though the dangerously cold temperatures might not have any impact on aircraft, it can be extremely challenging for workers on the ground.This week, temperatures are expected to hit record-breaking lows with subzero wind chills as a band of cold air caused by a massive polar vortex sweeps across much of the country. And forecasters predict the frigid weather could extend well into February....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I’ve recently gotten several inquiries on how to combine and transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points to hotel and airline partners as well as transfer them to other Ultimate Rewards accounts. There are actually a few circumstances where combining points is possible, and I’m more than happy to go over the steps of how to get that done, as well as how to transfer the points to hotel and airline partners such as United, Hyatt, Singapore, and more....

International travel is about to get a lifeline from the U.K. government. As of Friday, the government has unveiled plans to allow for those from 59 low-risk countries to not have to self-isolate when entering England as of July 10.Travelers returning to or visiting England from certain destinations will no longer have to isolate for 14 days when they arrive in England as of July 10. The full list of 59 exempt countries includes:Australia and Pacific Islands: Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New ZealandAfrica: Mauritius, Reunion, SeychellesAsia: Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, VietnamCaribbean and Central America: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, St Barthelemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and TobagoEurope: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican CityNorth America: St Pierre and Miquelon"These are countries where it is now possible to travel if you’re in England to those countries and back and not have to quarantine at the end of the holiday," Transport Minister Grant Schapps said in an interview on Friday....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The Points & Miles Backpacker is a weekly column appearing every Monday. TPG Contributor Brian Biros, who has backpacked the globe for the past 15 years, discusses how to fund this adventurous, budgeted and increasingly popular form of travel with points and miles. He’ll also explore all things backpacking-related. Read his story here and his high-level approach here....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Citi is a TPG advertising partnerYou might still be able to score 50,000-mile bonuses with smaller minimum spending requirements via this FlyerTalk thread, which will take you to application landing pages for the Citi Select AAdvantage American Express and the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard, but there are no explicitly stated terms about the mileage bonus or the minimum spending requirements....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update 10/5/18: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Platinum cards were deactivated once the yellow replacement had been shipped, however original cards remain active until after the replacement arrives.Last month, members of The Points Guy team got to party with Pharrell, Missy Elliott and other personalities at the very first Yellow Ball. Tickets cost $1,000 a pop, with proceeds going to Young Audiences Arts for Learning, a non-profit tasked with providing arts education for more than 5 million children each year....

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.Tired of your crowded commute? Well, we have news for you. While you might not be able to avoid a stuffy train ride, you now can at least know how stuffy that ride will be in advanced. Thanks to a new Google Maps feature launching Thursday, July 4, you can now see how jammed your train, bus or subway will be prior to boarding....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.We started 2016 with a non-mobile 5 month old baby and a kindergartener in intensely cold Steamboat Springs, and we are scheduled to end the year at home in 70+ degree weather with a fully reading first grader, a toddling 17 month old, and a new puppy named Holly. I can’t say that the pace of life has slowed any in these last 12 months, but it was certainly a big year of growing for our crew in almost every way imaginable....

United Airlines has again extended its cancellation of Boeing 737 MAX flights, saying that the jets now won’t return to its schedules until Dec. 19.Previously, United had the 737 MAX returning to its schedules on Nov. 3.If United is able to return the aircraft to its schedule according to its newest projection, it would help give the carrier extra slack to handle the volume of travelers expected to fly around the busy Christmas and New Year’s holidays....

The National Weather Service is predicting heavy snowfall in and around Denver Monday night into Tuesday, and the storm is likely to disrupt travel for those starting their Thanksgiving weekend a little early.The storm is expected to dump about a foot of snow in the Denver area, with blizzard conditions predicted to make travel difficult or impossible on Tuesday morning.Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips!...

In 2016 there were clowns at the checkpoints. In 2018 it was dancers hanging from the terminal rafters.Now San Diego International Airport (SAN) has a troop of lumpy, colorful monsters roaming around.SAN has a robust performing arts program that brings dance, theater, live music and special performances into the terminals.Since 2016, the airport has also been hosting a Performing Arts Residency Program that invites artists and collectives to use the airport terminals, including the baggage claim areas and security checkpoints, as workshop space to develop, document and perform new work....