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When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But don’t do as the ancient Romans did and dress like a centurion. Nor should you wheel your chunky suitcases down historical staircases in the city, or partake in pub crawls — the practice of bouncing from bar to bar in quick succession, progressively shedding your sobriety as you go.As summer approaches, The Guardian reports these gauche behaviors and a slew of others are all part of the Italian capital’s ongoing battle to curb social and physical damage inflicted by thoughtless tourists....

In February 2019, American Airlines took delivery of the first of the 100 Airbus A321neo aircraft it had ordered, and that aircraft is entering service for the first time Tuesday, with flights from Phoenix (PHX) to Orlando (MCO) and back.I will be flying both of those flights to give full reviews to both economy and first-class on the brand-new plane. But, TPG got an early chance to take a look inside the plane while it was on testing runs around the country....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.Paris is full of Starwood properties varying in price and luxury. There are several design hotels, like the Les Bains Luxury Collection, the W Paris and the Westin Paris, among others. Le Méridien Etoile is a reasonably priced hotel that’s just a short ride from most of the city’s major attractions. TPG’s Senior Points and Miles Editor Sarah Silbert reviewed this hotel back in 2015, but that was before the property went through a massive renovation, so I was looking forward to seeing what the new rooms and lobby looked like....

Luxury hotels have some of the most extravagant breakfast buffets you will ever see. This is especially true in Asia and the Middle East. Endless options from fresh fruits and smoothies through to a full fry-up, sweet and savory, eggs any way you can think of and different stations with dishes from around the world.Park Hyatt Majorca Breakfast. (Photo by The Points Guy)As you might expect, these breakfasts don’t come cheap....

There’s (almost) no way around it — a trip to the Maldives is going to cost you a pretty penny, even if you’re redeeming points for your international flights and hotel.But there’s expensive, and then there’s a-year-of-college-tuition expensive. The John Jacob Astor Estate at the uber-luxe St. Regis Maldives Vommuli clearly falls into that latter camp, with nightly rates that range from $21,000 to $26,000 and up, depending on when you visit....

There are only two weeks left to register for Marriott Bonvoy’s third-quarter promotion. The promo, which allows members to earn 1,500 bonus points on stays of two nights or more, is still available as long as you’re registered by September 2, 2019.To register, visit the Marriott Bonvoy promotion page. You’ll enter your Bonvoy information and complete your stays of two nights or more in order to earn the 1,500 bonus points for each....

My personal perspective of waterfalls changed forever about 60 years ago. My family was in Rocky Mountain National Park when, as a nine year old boy being a nine year old boy, I slipped on some wet rocks and went over Chasm Falls. I was physically unhurt, but psychologically scarred.I have had waterfall-a-phobia ever since that long ago October day. I love looking at them from a distance, but the thought of being near the headwaters above the falls, any falls, is quite disconcerting....

An Argentine soccer player flying to a new team that had drafted him in Wales was on board a plane that disappeared off the coast of Guernsey in the UK Monday night.Officials said Tuesday that Emiliano Sala’s aircraft disappeared from the radar while it was over the English Channel Monday night. The 28-year-old player was flying on a Piper PA-46 aircraft from Nantes, France, where he played for the city’s team....

Each week in his column “The Critical Points,” TPG Loyalty and Engagement Editor Richard Kerr presents his opinion on a loyalty program, card product or recent news that he believes is overlooked, unsung or the result of groupthink taking mass opinion in a direction with which he doesn’t agree. His goal is not necessarily to convince you to agree with his position but rather to induce critical thought for each of the topics and positions he covers....

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.In an effort to relieve some of the overcrowding on the Tokyo metro, commuters who take subway lines outside of morning peak hours are being rewarded with free soba noodles and tempura.With about 7.2 million people using the Tokyo’s metro system daily, it’s no surprise that it’s perhaps known best for “the crush” – or the effect of being so squished into one cart of a train that passengers can’t move their bodies or limbs....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers hereMy stay at the W Bali Seminyak wasn’t part of my original travel plans. I had been staying at the Ritz-Carlton Bali, and my next stop was East Timor for a PeaceJam conference, but Mother Nature decided that wasn’t going to happen. The Mount Agung volcano was erupting, so when I arrived at the Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), I found it closed and all flights canceled because of the ash....

Launched in 2016, United’s Polaris business class is one of the carrier’s largest cabin reconfiguration projects to date.Four years later, the project is hardly complete, though United’s been making some significant progress. At the current pace, the airline is, on average, introducing one plane with these cabins every ten days. New planes delivered to UA are getting factory-fresh installations, and all existing wide-bodies are going through the retrofit program.Not only is biz getting a redesign, but the airline has also introduced a premium economy cabin called Premium Plus....

Helicopters are a constant sight in Manhattan, where they whizz by the city hundreds of times a day, taking off from three heliports next to the rivers around the island. But the ubiquitous thump of helicopter blades is not a recent addition to the city; it has been a Manhattan feature since the early 1950s.Monday’s accident in midtown Manhattan, in which the pilot died when his helicopter crash-landed on a West Side skyscraper, called to mind another era....

Feeling lucky? Good, because you might just win a pot of gold.Well, not exactly — but The Points Guy is officially announcing our “Pot of Gold” giveaway in which you could win an array of prizes (including a trip to Ireland, but we’ll get to that later) just by signing up for our newsletter, here!Launched in January, the new TPG newsletter features a curated, daily round-up of stories that are handpicked and curated by the editorial team....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update 1/1/17: Following a change in policy, it is no longer possible to use hotel transfers to qualify for the Companion Pass.My parents selflessly raised four kids and helped put us all through college. They cringe when I say I “owe” them, because they never did it to be paid back. That’s why it’s so great to be able to do nice things for them whenever possible — such as scoring VIP seats at a Knicks game with SPG and a Mother’s Day trip to Chile....

As you may have heard on the news, the Zika virus spreads from person to person by way of mosquito bite and although rare, it’s possible for a mother to transmit the virus to her newborn child. In May 2015, the first alert of the virus was reported in Brazil — prior to that, the virus was typically only found in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Although there have been no locally transmitted Zika cases within the US, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of potential cases among travelers returning from affected areas and has issued a travel alert....

If you’re looking for a getaway to a luxurious hotel this year, InterContinental has a deal worth considering. Now through March 10, IHG is offering a third night free at 59 different InterContinental properties for stays through Dec. 31, 2019. And for those that plan to stay longer, you can get the sixth night free as well.The catch is that this promotion isn’t available for standard rooms. You’ll need to book a Club InterContinental room, suite or villa to get the third night free....

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 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.Citi is a TPG advertising partner.“Reader Questions” are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.The big 75,000-point sign-up bonus on the Citi Prestige is only available for a limited time, and you’re eligible to get it if you haven’t opened or closed a ThankYou card in the last 24 months....