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If you have travel plans that are going to require a passport, the current US government shutdown might have you in a scramble. There is good news though: The US State Department will continue to process passports during the shutdown. If you need immediate assistance with a passport issue, your best option is to call the US State Department’s National Passport Center by calling 1-877-487-2778.You will, of course, be required to fill out paperwork for your shiny new passport....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Trying to burn some miles on award tickets to Asia? Well, now’s a great time as American has wide-open saver availability for first and business class seats to Hong Kong (HKG) from airports across the US.Decent availability can be found from Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Dallas (DFW) and Miami (MIA), and it’s possible other cities are open too....

Emirates has added new functionality for its U.S.-based members. The airline is offering U.S. members of its loyalty program the opportunity to earn miles through shopping online through a portal. Members of the Skywards program can now earn Skywards Miles at 1,500 U.S. and U.K. brands.Online shopping portals are arguably one of the easiest and best ways to earn miles. All it takes is an extra couple of clicks to open up your preferred airline’s shopping portal of choice where you’ll then be directed to the website of the retailer of your choice....

Ireland’s flag carrier made some big announcements Monday and signaled its commitment to growth and improving its onboard passenger experience. In a speech at the APEX EXPO in Boston today, Aer Lingus CEO Stephen Kavanaugh announced a series of changes to the airline that will roll out over the next year.Aer Lingus, which has grown 40% by passengers carried since 2014, just announced its adding two more routes from Dublin (DUB) to Montreal (YUL) and Minneapolis (MSP), is now serving a total of 15 North American cities....

Update 1/14/19 2:30pm: At an Airbus event in Montreal Monday morning, A220 program head Rob Dewar incorrectly stated that the aircraft had received ETOPS-180 certification by the FAA, EASA and Transport Canada, all during the month of December. Dewar issued a correction later in the day, clarifying that only Transport Canada had certified the aircraft itself for ETOPS-180 — the FAA had only certified the engines, and both the engines and aircraft are pending certification with the EASA....

As with many of my TPG colleagues, it’s been a very busy, points-and-miles-fueled year. In 2019, I spent more than 125 nights away from home, flying some 223,152 miles around the globe. I got to shoot a video series in Australia, cover the Paris Air Show and visit Japan with some of my closest friends.I’m constantly inspired by my fantastic colleagues at The Points Guy, but two have me thinking about this year in particular — Benji Stawski and Liz Hund — following 2019 recaps of their own....

American Airlines has issued a travel waiver ahead of the next winter weather system. Travelers eligible to take advantage of the waived change fees must be traveling through American’s largest hub, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).The next few days are predicted to bring a variety of precip to the Dallas-Fort Worth Area. Starting this evening, January 1st, the Dallas area can expect a cold-steady rain lingering on through Wednesday evening. Winter precipitation is predicted to take aim at the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro beginning Wednesday evening....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update: Beginning March 22, 2014, American Express Card Members will no longer have access to American Airlines Admiral Club and US Airways Club airport lounges through Airport Club Access / Airport Lounge Program. This means that Card Members will no longer be able to gain complimentary access to the American Airlines airport lounges (known as Admirals Club lounges) or the US Airways Club airport lounges as a benefit of their Platinum Card Membership....

Another year, another crown for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). It is yet again the world’s busiest airport, according to Airports Council International (ACI) World’s preliminary airport traffic rankings covering passenger traffic, cargo volumes and aircraft movements.In fact, the top three from the prior year have all remained unchanged, with Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Dubai International Airport (DXB) grabbing the silver and bronze, respectively. Dubai managed to grab the top spot when looking at total international passenger traffic for 2018, followed by London (LHR), Hong Kong (HKG), Amsterdam (AMS) and Seoul (ICN)....

British Airways revealed on Monday a stunning airplane, a Boeing 747-400 outfitted in the livery of the airline’s predecessor, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The jet, which BA showed off at one of its hangars at London Heathrow Airport, will retain the retro livery until it’s retired in 2023.Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy.The retro paint job was first announced by BA in January as a way for the airline to celebrate its 100-year anniversary....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Benjamin sent me a message on Facebook to ask about redeeming a credit card benefit:“I know the Sapphire Reserve card comes with Priority Pass, but I’m also interested in getting Admirals Club access. If I purchase a membership, can I use my $300 annual travel credit to help cover the cost?”The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers what I think is the best travel credit benefit available among premium rewards cards....

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.Credit cards are an amazing way to rack up free miles and points very quickly, but you can also get burned if you don’t manage your finances appropriately. The APRs on most mileage earning credit and charge cards are usually very high and if you are carrying a balance, the interest you pay can easily negate the value of any points earned....

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.Frontier Airlines is having a one day sale today with flights starting at $19 (up to $49) from Atlanta, Georgia to several of their cities including Austin, TX; Chicago-O’Hare; Cincinnati, OH; Denver, CO; Indianapolis, IN, Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; New Orleans, LA; New York-La Guardia; Orlando, FL; and Washington-Dulles, DC for for select dates this spring....

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.Here’s a roundup of the week’s points, miles and travel industry news you may have missed:September’s list of top travel rewards card offers is out. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.Reminder: Check Out the Top Credit Card Offers for SeptemberLoyalty programs are constantly changing, and so are the credit cards associated with them. Each month I compile what I think are the top travel rewards credit card offers to help you make the best choices for your own travel strategy and goals, and here are my picks for September:1....

Edinburgh’s City Council recently voted in favor of a new overnight tourist tax that will help the city to combat the effects of overtourism. Soon, visitors may have to pay a £2 ($2.60) fee for each day they spend in the city.The introduction of the tax doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise considering the high number of tourists that come through the city each year. According to Edinburgh’s government website, between 2015 and 2017, Edinburgh saw an annual average of 1,749,200 overseas visitors — that’s the highest in the UK....

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.With the Boeing 737 MAX grounded as a consequence of the Lion Air crash followed closely by the Ethiopian Airlines crash this past weekend, which was eerily similar, the airplane’s maker is facing a grave risk: Customers may cancel their orders, possibly switching to the rival A320neo from Airbus....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Amex Offers are opt-in, limited-time deals for American Express cardholders — like $160 cashback for spending $800 with Delta, 10,000 Membership Rewards points for spending $500 with AmexTravel.com, $30 back for spending $150+ with Marriott and more.Today, Amex posted a valuable new offer to certain American Express business card accounts: Spend $150 at AT&T and get either $100 cashback or 10,000 Membership Rewards points....

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