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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Before starting at TPG, I’d never flown across the Atlantic (or Pacific). Yep, you read that right — I’d never left North America before! However, all that changed in a big way when I was tapped to jet off to Morocco to film videos for the site. I was certainly more than excited for this opportunity, but also a bit anxious, as most people’s first trips across the pond are to London or Paris and I was jumping right into the deep end by visiting Morocco, a somewhat unconventional destination for a first trip overseas....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Earlier this year, American Airlines tested a food pre-ordering system for economy passengers on select routes. On August 1, the innovation went systemwide. On qualifying flights, you’ll now be able to ensure that your preferred “light meal” option will be onboard and reserved just for you.While these meals aren’t free — unless you qualify for complimentary snacks through elite status — it’s a nice if marginal improvement of the passenger experience....

Each Saturday, we round up the top miles, points and travel news that you might have missed on TPG this week. Here’s what you need to know:Amex Platinum 100k Offer Returns via CardMatch Tool, Amex Gold Available With 60k & 75k BonusCheck the Cardmatch Tool to find out if you’re eligible for this amazing offer.American Express Membership Rewards Adds Qantas as Its 19th Airline Transfer PartnerAnother solid airline joins the other 18 transfer partners under Amex....

The battle over resort fees is once again entering the halls of Congress.Traveler frustration with these fees has been growing, and several state attorney generals are fighting the added costs in the courts. Now, federal lawmakers are taking action.Wednesday night, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced bipartisan legislation named the “Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019,” aimed at making the practice of charging resort fees illegal....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.At the beginning of June, Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue mileage program ditched standard region-based award charts for a new flexible mileage calculator based on origin and destination. And the only way of describing the new program is illogical.And that’s on full display today. Flying Blue’s new Promo Rewards discounts went live Monday morning, offering 50% off business class flights between Seattle (SEA) and Europe....

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: The Platinum Card® from American Express, Citi Prestige Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire ReserveWant 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....

Airlines around the world launch and announce dozens of new flight routes and service changes every month. Today, we’ll share just a few of the latest flights that will take to the skies this month or in the near future. Keep in mind that exact flight details (like schedules and aircraft, among other things) may change.NEW ROUTES LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY 2019Spirit Airlines Adds New Routes From Austin, Baltimore, Jacksonville, New Orleans and San Juan (launched February 14 and 15)Fly from Baltimore to San Juan thanks to a new route on Spirit Airlines....

Although the actual inaugural flight of Delta’s Airbus A330-900neo had been slated for July 15, the carrier’s first revenue flight on the jet came earlier than expected. It departed Wednesday for Shanghai, and the jet is now officially in service for Delta. I’ll be aboard for the festivities next week, but in the interim Delta has published a gallery of photos showcasing its latest jet.Delta One Suites aboard Delta’s A339 (Photo by Chris Rank/ Rank Studios)Delta is the first North American carrier to operate this particular bird, with a total of 35 on order....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I spent three nights in Shanghai at the end of a recent trip to China, and while I stayed the first night at the St. Regis Shanghai Jingan, I decided to conclude my trip at the W Shanghai - The Bund, which opened in July 2017.BookingThe W Shanghai was just over two months old when I stayed there at the beginning of October....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Citi PrestigeThis week, Cathay Pacific took delivery of its very first A350. The airline is perhaps best known for its fantastic first-class product — which unfortunately isn’t available on this latest addition to the fleet. Still, Airbus’ answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner arguably offers one of the most comfortable rides in the sky — seat configurations are typically identical to what you’ll find on the 787, but the A350 cabin measures nearly half a foot wider, allowing for nearly an extra inch of width in economy....

Sign up for a free Plastiq account hereThe bill-paying service Plastiq has cut the limit on its fee-free transactions using Masterpass, citing “high demand for our latest promotion.“Late last week, the company began sending out emails to some users announcing the change, which will lower the transaction threshold at which Plastiq will waive its 2.5% fee — from $500 to $250, according to Miles to Memories. A company spokesman confirmed the change on Tuesday....

Capt. Sully, of Miracle on the Hudson fame, may soon be joined in the hall of aviation heroes by Russian pilots who performed a remarkably similar feat on Thursday.The Russian pilots safely landed a Ural Airlines A321 in a nearby cornfield after both of its engines were disabled in a bird strike moments after the jet took off from Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport for Simferopol, Crimea. All 226 passengers and seven crew members aboard the flight survived the incident, and only one passenger remains hospitalized with injuries, The Associated Press reported....

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.Each Saturday, we round up the top miles, points and travel news that you might have missed on TPG this week. Here’s what you need to know.National Launched Its Lucrative Rental PromoThe one, two, free promo just went live this week and it lasts until February 29, 2020....

TPG reader Faith has a sticky scheduling situation:“I booked an award travel on Air Berlin using American Airlines miles and they just changed my flights to new times that are terrible for me. Any suggestions on how to take care of that?“Schedule changes are common. Airlines constantly update their schedules to adjust to demand, and unfortunately they’re generally pretty bad at letting customers know about the changes. However, these can work to your benefit if you are proactive....

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.Give anything long enough, and history is apt to repeat itself — even in aviation. ExpressJet, once a subsidiary of Continental Airlines, is coming back home in a roundabout way. After ceasing regional jet operations with Delta Air Lines in 2017, parent company SkyWest is selling ExpressJet to United Airlines joint venture ManaAir, LLC for $70 million in cash....

Less than four years ago, Wyndham Rewards switched to an award night system where any property could be booked for 15,000 points per night. We learned back in February that Wyndham Rewards would be undergoing many changes as of April 3, 2019, including switching to a three-tier award chart. These changes were implemented last night, meaning Wyndham now has three different award rates for properties under its umbrella. And as of today, this includes more than 900 La Quinta-branded hotels now that La Quinta Returns is fully integrated into the Wyndham Rewards program....

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional information from Citi.Citi is a TPG advertising partner.While we all love the feeling of redeeming points for a premium cabin flight or luxury hotel stay, travel (especially international) will likely continue to be limited for the foreseeable future. Flexibility in redemption options is more important now than ever. Thankfully, multiple credit card issuers have taken steps in recent months to help cardholders get more value out of their points — from Capital One’s added redemption categories to Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature....

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.Remote regions of the world are continuously becoming more accessible through improved transportation and more connected through the internet and social media....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I know what you’re thinking… but Thanksgiving’s in two weeks! Well, if you haven’t already booked your flights, you might not be out of luck. Just a few days ago, I canceled award tickets in favor of paid flights for myself and three family members (booked for 2 cents per point with my Amex Business Platinum card), redeeming just over 25,000 Membership Rewards points for each transcon flight....