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Update 08/07/20: Great news! TPG face masks are BACK IN STOCK and ready for purchase. You can purchase one here.Face masks have become a common part of our everyday life since coronavirus stalled normal activities four months ago. Though it has been an adjustment to say the least, most places you go around the world are requiring you to wear a face mask in public places or when social distancing isn’t possible since coronavirus is often transmitted through coughs and sneezes....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week:Non-revenue passengers are expected to comply with certain policies pertaining to apparel when they fly on a given airline....

Running to the gate may be a beginner’s move, but the real challenge comes when you have too much time to make a connection. There’s nothing to do in airports besides spend money or mindlessly scroll through Instagram — or is there?Turns out the terminal doesn’t have to be deadly. In fact, it’s possible to transform a very long layover — or, worse, a delayed flight — into a decent experience that won’t have you reaching for your sleeping pills before you’ve even boarded....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.As we countdown to the end of the year, I decided to take a look back at my own year in travel, and it’s been a great one! I know you’ve read the trip reports and hotel reviews, so I won’t get into the details of each and every trip, but here’s a look at the raw numbers and a couple of my favorites from this past year - it only makes me look forward to traveling even more in 2014!...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Chase once again upped the ante and introduced a monster offer - the Sapphire Preferred card with a 50,000 point bonus.Here is the application link, my referral link doesn’t go active until Monday, so if you can wait, I’d appreciate it and on Monday I’ll also be featuring an in-depth review of the card and all of the key features and benefits....

Despite efforts to curb carbon emissions and the introduction of more green technology, US carbon emissions rose by 3.4%, the largest increase in eight years.A record number of coal plants closed in 2018, and cars have become more efficient, but a strong economy has led to a significant growth in demand for air travel, which in turn became a primary cause for the increased emissions.The Rhodium Group conducted a preliminary study on US Emissions Estimates in 2018 and found that the transportation sector held its title as the leading source of CO2 emissions....

Move over, MGM.Eldorado Resorts — a collection of 26 properties spread across the country — said on Monday it had entered into a merger agreement with Caesars Entertainment.The $17.3 billion sale will create the largest gaming company in the United States.Though Caesars is undoubtedly the more recognizable name, with notable properties like Caesars Palace, The Linq Hotel and Bally’s, all in Las Vegas, the company has been plagued with financial difficulties for years....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.From the rotating quarterly 5x points/5% cash back categories with the Chase Freedom card (No longer open to new applicants) to the incredibly lucrative (for small businesses in particular) 3x categories with the Amex Business Gold Rewards card, consumers and business owners alike have some pretty fantastic opportunities to earn tens or even hundreds of thousands of bonus points with their regular spend....

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....

It’s clear that the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the travel industry. The airline industry hasn’t been spared, either. Airlines have suspended flights, severely disrupting travel to, from and within many of the world’s busiest markets.To cut costs, Delta Air Lines is giving its pilots an ultimatum: take a pay cut or risk furlough. According to a leaked memo obtained by CNBC, the airline is proposing that the pilots union agree to a 15% cut to pilots’ minimum pay in order to avoid furloughs for a year....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The holiday season brings a variety of point and miles earning opportunities. Whether it’s buying gifts for your favorite traveler or using the best credit card for these purchases, you can do many things to boost your account balances before the end of the year. One of the best ways to do this is through airline shopping portals, and one carrier just sweetened the deal for those of you in need of last-minute gifts....

The Faroe Islands, which have recently caught the eye of travel bloggers and adventurous travelers as tourism to the islands expands, are about to become way more accessible in 2019. According to OneMileAtATime, Atlantic Airways, the primary airline for the self-governing archipelago, has filed paperwork with the US Department of Transportation for the rights to fly between New York City. The filing is dated December 14th, with Atlantic Airways requesting the rights to fly between the Faroe Islands and the New York area as soon as next summer....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TO THE POINT: American Airlines’ 787-9 business class establishes itself as a finalist for the best in the fleet. The pros: a lie-flat seat, top-notch Dreamliner windows and an excellent entertainment system. The cons: lack of foot room for taller passengers in lie-flat mode, and no dividers between the middle seats.On October 6, American Airlines launched its brand new 787-9 Dreamliner on flights between Dallas (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX)....

Update: This offer is no longer available.Update 11:54am: Chase has reached out to clarify that Chase Sapphire cardholders are eligible in addition to Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders.Chase made waves last fall with the spectacular 100,000-point offer on the brand-new Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which proved to be so popular that the bank temporarily ran out of the material to make the cards. Now, Chase is back again now with a new 100k offer: Through August 6, you’ll get 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points for closing a new mortgage through Chase Mortgage....

After we were selected to enter the park on a specific day via the lottery, we started reading more and more about The Wave to best prepare us for our big adventure. We learned that it is not just a stroll in a park. It is a 6-7 mile hike through an unmarked open desert in unpredictable conditions to an unseen destination.Click here to read Part 1 of this adventure to The Wave, including using points, miles, deals, getting selected to enter via the lottery, and more....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Today TPG Contributor Nick Ewen continues his series The Weekly Wish, looking at flaws, shortcomings, and room for improvement in the world of travel and loyalty programs. Today’s wish: for airlines and hotels to spread some cheer and goodwill in the holiday spirit.Though I started listening to Christmas music weeks ago, for most people Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season....

The city of Key West — the farthermost island in the Florida Keys — just voted to ban sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which are believed to harm coral reefs. It joins the state of Hawaii, which voted to ban such sunscreens last spring. In both destinations, the bans will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.Though there is still debate about the exact effects these chemicals have on coral reefs, scientific studies suggest that oxybenzone and octinoxate cause coral bleaching and other damage to marine ecosystems and animals....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.It’s notoriously difficult to find available premium-cabin awards on routes between the US and Australia. Thankfully, on a recent trip to the continent, my schedule was somewhat flexible, and, having kept tabs on the United Award inventory, I noticed decent availability three to seven days out. I jumped at the chance and nabbed a seat on a Dreamliner, which made for a comfortable 14-hour flight home....

When Qantas Airways Flight 7879 takes off tonight from New York JFK, it will displace Singapore Airlines’ Flight 21 from Singapore to Newark as the longest airline route in the world.But the title change for the “world’s longest flight” will be short-lived.QF7879 is scheduled to depart JFK around 9 p.m. for a nonstop flight to Sydney, where it will arrive around 7 a.m. local time on Sunday morning. Total flight time: about 19....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Now through July 12, 2015, you can earn up to a 30% bonus on purchased Amtrak Guest Rewards points, when you log into your account and choose the purchase points option for either yourself or as a gift.If you were to buy 10,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points, you’d receive 13,000 with the 30% bonus for $275, which comes out to 2....