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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Earning points and miles via the traditional method (actually staying in hotels or flying) is just one way to boost your account balance. Fortunately, travel providers make it relatively easy to accrue rewards without traveling, whether through top credit card offers or by utilizing shopping portals and dining rewards programs. You can also purchase points or miles directly from the hotel or airline....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I recently flew my first-ever flight with Alaska Airlines in its economy cabin. I was impressed with the level of comfort, the high-quality food for purchase and the affordable inflight entertainment. So I couldn’t wait to try the carrier’s first-class product on a recent flight from the Hawaiian island of Kauai to Oakland, California. I rarely fly first class, so when I do, it feels like a treat....

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.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.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 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.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.Due to bad weather in Chicago on Sunday, American Airlines and United have issued travel waivers allowing passengers to change their flights for free.Thus far, 110 flights to and from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) have been cancelled on Sunday and another 254 have been delayed, according to FlightAware. The situation is likely to get worse, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a delay advisory for Chicago flights....

It’s no secret that eating at most airport restaurants is a great deal more expensive than if you were to eat at a similar restaurant on the street. This is because vendors know that once passengers pass through the secured area, we become captive consumers. Our choices are immediately limited and restaurants and retailers take advantage of this.For decades, passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) were protected from higher-predatory pricing thanks to a piece of legislation capping prices at restaurants inside the terminal....

Uber is changing the way it shows you fares across The Pond. This week, the ride-hailing service announced that it will be introducing upfront pricing — or fixed pricing — in the U.K.In the past, when you opened the Uber app to order a ride, you would be given a range of prices. Now, with the introduction of upfront pricing, both the rider and the driver will know the exact cost of their trip before they confirm....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.A disruptive company has finally done what most large consumer transportation companies call a necessity, and even consider a massive profit center for the business.In what seemed like an inevitability, Lyft has announced that it’s launching its own loyalty program called Lyft Rewards. The program will reward riders with points, car upgrades and more when it officially starts operating in December....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Airbus A380s are one of the greatest wonders flying today. Their sheer size is enough to make anybody, AvGeek or not, stop in their tracks and marvel at the four-engined giant zip past. The 238-foot long double-deckers, weighing 1.235 million pounds at maximum weight, usually fly around 500 people, on long-haul routes up to 9,000 miles. But not always: On Sunday, Emirates operated an exceptional flight just over 200 miles with an A380....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Ethiopian Airlines is perhaps the best-regarded airline in all of Africa, and, as I found out, it’s for good reason. The airline offers daily flights throughout the African continent — and all over the world — on a state-of-the-art fleet that’s certainly more modern than many European or US carriers. While the country’s geography puts it just slightly out of the way if you’re traveling directly to or from the US, Ethiopia is an excellent jumping off point to the rest of eastern Africa, including some of the jaw-dropping landscape along the western Indian Ocean in Tanzania and Mozambique....

The disappearance of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, has sent ripples of indignation throughout the world. We at The Points Guy find his disappearance deeply disturbing, and are horrified by credible reports that Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, may have been killed in the consulate and possibly even dismembered. The Saudi government has been unable or unwilling to explain what happened inside one of its own diplomatic missions — the kingdom’s official position that Khashoggi left the consulate of his own accord and has since vanished is increasingly unlikely as evidence to the contrary piles up....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.One of the easiest decisions for travelers to make is getting the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card — even if you don’t stay at IHG hotels or never spend anything on the card. Simply put, getting a free night certificate each year more than makes up for the $49 annual fee (waived the first year). That certificate can be used at any IHG hotel in the world, including InterContinental properties that can cost hundreds of dollars per night....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Now through April 16 for travel between May 19 to June 11, 2015, Amtrak is running a sale with routes starting as low as $20 each way in the Northeast.With this offer, you can travel to/from NYC to New Haven; Providence; Boston; Baltimore; and Washington, DC, making this a great deal if you’re looking for a quick away and don’t want to hassle jumping on a plane....

In an effort to boost tourism, the island nation of Sri Lanka will allow travelers from nearly 50 nations to get a free visa on arrival starting Aug. 1. The visa, which originally cost between $20 and $40, will be valid for one month and available to travelers holding passports from countries including the US, the UK, the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, China and more, according to Reuters.Tourism in Sri Lanka has been really struggling since the devastating terrorist bombings that occurred in April, and making it easier for travelers to visit is just one way the country is hoping to revitalize the tourism sector....

Throughout the month of May, we’re exploring Mexico at The Points Guy, so check back regularly for flight and hotel reviews, features and deals from our neighbor to the south.When it comes to favorite American getaways, Mexico always ranks among the top choices. It’s close, it’s warm, it’s affordable and it has so much to offer travelers of all stripes.Lately, Mexico has been a bit of a hot button issue in the news, which is why it’s more important now than ever to remember that Mexico is an incredible neighbor, filled with gorgeous beaches, incredible food and a culture that has withstood the test of time....

If you’re traveling abroad, you should be reading the Yellow Book, says Dr. Manisha Patel.Patel is the team leader for measles epidemiology for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been busy lately discussing the recent, frequent measles outbreaks. In a conversation we had with her in March, she emphatically recommended that all travelers planning on venturing outside the US get familiar with the 2018 CDC Health Information for International Travel guide....

If you’re headed to the Maldives you now can book yourself in at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Itaafushi for stays starting July 1. Prices however aren’t for the faint of heart.The cheapest accommodation is the King Beach Villa with pool. Rates per night are showing $1,833, plus taxes and fees. So what do you get for that kind of cash? 2,500 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of the ocean, your private deck and of course easy access to your pool....

Since the fatal crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on Sunday, several airlines and countries around the world have taken to grounding the Boeing 737 MAX.While investigations of both crashes are still ongoing, many have compared the similarities between the October 2018 Lion Air crash, which killed all 189 people on board, and the most recent incident. While no US carriers have taken action, and the Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t directed airlines to ground the newest version of the 737, about 30% of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft around the globe have been grounded....