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“Reader Questions” are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.While bonus points and lounge access are nice, the most eye-grabbing benefit of top-tier hotel elite status is definitely getting suite upgrades. Depending on when and where you’re traveling, you could enjoy these on a regular basis or find them surprisingly hard to get. TPG reader Yin wants to know if she can do anything to increase her odds …[pullquote source=“TPG READER YIN”]I’ll be getting Marriott Platinum status after my current stay....

It’s a perpetually hot issue of in-flight etiquette: Should passengers leave window shades open during flight? The Points Guy has explored this divisive issue on more than one occasion. But reader JB wrote to us in the TPG Lounge to pose an intriguing question: What about airlines that make you close your shade? He writes:“I recently departed on a Korean Air flight (KE 840) from Weihai, China to Seoul (ICN). Normally you are asked to open window shades for takeoff and landing but this time before departing the gate, the flight attendants asked everyone to CLOSE the window shades for takeoff....

Today, I want to share a story from TPG reader Heather, whose prepaid hotel reservation was unexpectedly canceled after she arrived:In 2017, I scored tickets with a group of friends to San Diego Comic Con. Since it was going to be my first trip to the West Coast and I hadn’t had a vacation in ages, I decided to go out a few days early on my own. I paid for a hotel room in advance, and though I wasn’t scheduled to arrive until after 9:00 pm, I wasn’t concerned since I had a confirmed room … or so I thought....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG Contributor Kelsy Chauvin returns to her spicy home state to share glimpses of the French Quarter, one of the most visited and historic districts in North America. (All photos were taken by the author — follow more of Kelsy’s travels on Instagram and Twitter.)Without mincing words or showing bias for my favorite city, New Orleans is the ultimate destination....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.In case you haven’t glanced at a calendar for a while, Thanksgiving is on Thursday (yes, this Thursday)!But for travelers without firm plans — or for people who have decided last-minute to ditch the dinner drama and fly far away instead — it’s not too late to book a flight. Though the best time to buy holiday flights was in October, you can still get tickets for under $500 round-trip for travel between Nov....

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 the month of July, American Airlines’ Stand Up To Cancer campaign will give those who donate $25 or more to the cause 10 AAdvantage bonus miles for each dollar donated. As a part of the promotion, AA is also allowing those who donate $25 or more to add the name of a loved one to the American Airlines Stand Up to Cancer plane....

Barcelona is experiencing civil unrest in response to lengthy prison sentences handed to Catalan politicians for their participation in the Catalonian separatist movement. After a guilty verdict was released Monday morning, protesters took the streets, blocking the airport and the streets leading up to it.Although many of the protests around the city have been peaceful, some have used barricades and fire to incite more serious disturbances, resulting in altercations with the Mossos (Catalan police)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I have a fascination with all things obscure, and when a rare flight deal popped up to a variety of exotic locales, I knew it was my one shot of flying on an airline that most Americans have never heard of.Ukraine International Airlines is Ukraine’s flag carrier. Established in 1992, the airline is rife with corruption and tries to fight off competition in a unique fashion by strong-arming airport authorities....

It’s all true: Chase recently credited me $55.74 for a $278 holiday meal with my extended family.The mealIt all started a few weeks ago, when my coworker discovered a Chase offer for 20% off of Kimpton Hotels, up to $120 total.Curious, I checked my own account — and there it was for my Chase Sapphire Reserve, shining in all of its generous glory. (A number of TPG Lounge members have reported receiving this targeted offer as well....

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 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 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.In December 2017, TPG readers and members of several online points and miles communities began alerting us to a troubling experience: Chase shutting down of all their credit card accounts, and in many cases, terminating all of their Chase banking activities. Since 2018, I’ve continued to read and hear from many Chase customers who are now casualties of credit behavior which has resulted in losing access to arguably the most valuable credit cards and loyalty currency....

How do you make traditionally stuffy river cruising appeal to a younger, hipper crowd? Bring in the drag queens and tattoo artists, of course.On the heels of start-up ocean line Virgin Voyages revealing it would have a drag queen in residence and a tattoo parlor on its ships, the one-year-old river line U by Uniworld, designed to target millennials, announced this week an entirely drag-queen-themed cruise. There will be one specifically for tattoo fans, too....

Update 3/7/17: It appears that match.com and eHarmony are cancelling some accounts and not awarding any Avios to those who signed up during this Double Avios promotion.Update 3/3/17: It appears that the offer for match.com has been pulled, but the offer for eHarmony is still live.Update 3/3/17: Based on some reports, it appears that Avios will be awarded for the base subscription price, but not additional items added at checkout.Looking for love and a few extra points to use toward your next redemption?...

The bottom line matters more to airlines than anything else, so you’d think they’d do everything in their power to make their planes run as efficiently as possible. Along with employee payroll and aircraft, jet fuel is one of the top-three costs for carriers, so what could be making airlines choose to order less-efficient planes?Apparently, the engines are the problem. Airbus offers its new A320neo with two engine options: the GE/Safran (CFM) LEAP 1-A, or the Pratt & Whitney Pure Power 1100G....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Years ago, TPG flew Air New Zealand’s then new(ish) business class between the West Coast and Auckland, NZ (which Eric Rosen reviewed way back in 2011). TPG… didn’t love it. In fact, it seems like he disliked it enough to actively avoid flying that particular 777-300ER in the future.But at 6-foot-7, Brian’s a big guy — I’m of average height, at 5'9"....

As the world continues to react to the coronavirus pandemic, hotel programs are announcing more updates to how members earn elite status, status extensions and more.Earlier this year, Hilton became the first of the major hotel loyalty programs to announce elite status extensions for all elite members. Now, the chain is back with even more news for its most loyal members. Here’s what you need to know.For the latest travel updates, sign up for our daily newsletter!...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.During a recent trip to Colombia, I spent a few nights at the Hyatt Regency Cartagena. I typically stay at boutique hotels, in Airbnbs or at Starwood properties, so it had been years since I’d been to a Hyatt. Since the Sheraton Cartagena was still under construction — it’s tentatively slated to open in July 2018 — and most boutiques were located in the historic center, the Hyatt Regency Cartagena’s many pools and oceanfront location eventually won me over....