Posts

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Mike from the Hustle Blog recently Tweeted me about an easy way to get 2,500 free Chase Ultimate Rewards points via stamps.com.Basically, you need to have an Ultimate Rewards card, like Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, or Ink Bold (Business) and then log-in to the Ultimate Rewards site, in the top right search box just enter “Stamps” and you’ll see stamps....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The newest aircraft type in American Airlines’ fleet is the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The newest product from Boeing is designed to be more fuel efficient, quieter and with a better cabin interior than the earlier 737s.However, the world’s largest airline has more than offset the passenger-experience positives by shoving 172 seats into the aircraft, leading to complaints from travelers and flight attendants alike....

One of the biggest stories in commercial aviation in 2019 was the delivery and introduction into service of brand-new Airbus A350s for both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic: the U.K.’s two largest airlines, and among the most iconic names in aviation.Perhaps even more exciting than the planes themselves was the fact that both airlines installed on them brand-new business-class seats suites, which looked like they’d finally allow these two British carriers to better compete with rivals who had vaulted ahead of them in recent years with state-of-the-art seats....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Recent data from Hopper and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reflects news that’s surely music to travelers’ ears: The drop in oil prices has caused a sharp decrease in airfare.The airfare modeling and forecasting site Hopper recently reported that the average airfare for January 2016 was 2.53% lower than December, and a staggering 14.2% lower than January 2015....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Because I had such a great experience flying to London last week, for the current Thursday Giveaway, I decided to give one lucky TPG Instagram follower 20,000 British Airways Avios deposited into their Executive Club account, which is enough for a one-way economy award ticket on Aer Lingus from New York JFK, or almost enough for a roundtrip award ticket in economy from Boston to Dublin (which requires only 25,000 Avios!...

Reader Questions are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.Transferable points are a somewhat simple concept to understand in theory, but things get much more complicated in practice, as you have to navigate a web of different transfer options and remember that the program with which you’re booking your ticket might not belong to the airline operating your flight. TPG reader Lisa wants to know if she can combine points between her British Airways and American Airlines accounts …[pullquote source=“TPG READER LISA”]I have a large number of British Airways Avios, and every time I try to search for American Airlines flights it says none available....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: The Platinum Card from American Express, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit CardChase is launching a Ritz-Carlton branded credit card next week, which is geared towards high-end customers, especially since it has a $350 annual fee.The initial sign-up bonus is 50,000 points (which can be used for 1 free night at a tier 1-3 hotel, or on Marriott stays)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.After testing out the micro hotel concept at the Arlo NoMad, I wanted to see if a change of neighborhood would make things any different. I spent two nights at the Arlo SoHo, and the vibe was completely different than the NoMad location, starting with the 24-hour-a-day Dylan’s Candy Bar in the lobby (danger!).If you’re not sure what a micro hotel is, it’s basically a way to justify small hotel rooms in large cities like Tokyo or New York....

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.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 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....

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest, Delta is giving a nod to the former NW hub by submitting a proposal to launch Minnesota’s first-ever nonstop flight to China. The carrier has announced its intentions to connect its Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) hub and Shanghai (PVG) starting in June 2020, assuming all goes well with government approvals.Better yet, the route will serve as yet another option to enjoy a Delta One Suite on the flagship Airbus A350-900....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Benjamin had a question about credit card sign-up bonuses and spending:“After you fulfill the bonus requirements for a card, do you continue to use the cards, or do you set them aside to work on fulfilling your other card requirements? I’ve been simply putting them in the drawer after I know they’re completed, but wanted to know is there anything negative that happens when you don’t use the card?...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.With its Boeing 787s plagued by engine trouble, Norwegian Air has been forced, like other airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, to ground many of its Dreamliners to have their Rolls-Royce Trent turbines fixed. To combat the problem, it’s been wet-leasing planes from various charter companies — including a Wamos Air Boeing 747, which TPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig reviewed and called “Junkyard Air....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The British Airways Visa Signature Card has long been a favorite of TPG thanks to the large sign-up bonus and ability to earn a companion ticket after hitting a spending threshold. Recently, Chase launched a sibling Avios-earning card with the Iberia Visa Signature Card. And now, Chase is introducing a third Avios card: the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.If you’re going on vacation — or traveling for work — this July, Hilton is making a compelling case for your business. As if double points weren’t good enough, Hilton is back with an offer for stays in July: triple points for Hilton Honors American Express cardholders.By combining this triple points promotion with elite status bonuses and credit card earnings, you can score up to 54 Hilton points per dollar spent on stays in July:10 base points20 bonus points through the triple-point promotion10 bonus points for Diamond elite members14 points at Hilton properties using the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAt current TPG valuations, 54 Hilton points is equivalent to 32....

Over the years, the Airbus A380 has become practically synonymous with Emirates Airline. By the time the Dubai-based carrier takes delivery of its last superjumbo jet in 2021, Emirates will have operated more than half of all the A380s ever produced, or about 120 in total. By comparison, the next largest A380 operator is Singapore Airlines, which only ever ordered 23 of the double decker jets.Emirates president Tim Clark recently explained in an interview with AirlineRatings why other airlines haven’t been able to find the same success with the A380, as reported by One Mile At A Time....

The Federal Aviation Administration delayed most flights out of and into New York’s LaGuardia Airport Friday morning due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, who have been calling out sick as they go unpaid because of the shutdown of the US government.The short-staffing had caused initially a ground stop on Friday, meaning no flights into or out of LGA were taking off. Flights were being held at their airport of origin to mitigate traffic....

A large-scale fire ripped through the Princess Cays, a resort on Princess Cruises’ private island in Eleuthera, the Bahamas, on Monday.According to the cruise line, the fire began around 11pm on the south side of the island near the community of Bannerman Town. It raged for about an hour, encompassing several buildings before local firefighters extinguished the flames.Unverified video footage of the conflagration was posted YouTube by Bahamas Press and shows the intensity of the blaze....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I consider myself to be something of a credit card expert — from The Platinum Card® from American Express to Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, I know most of the products we cover inside and out.Having just signed up for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, I’m a bit of a newbie when it comes to Capital One “miles,” however, which I just proved to myself (and much of the TPG team) by making a rookie mistake....