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London’s Heathrow airport (LHR) has had to halt departures for about 30 minutes Tuesday afternoon following the sighting of a drone. The disruption is occurring less than a month after London’s Gatwick airport was closed multiple times following the sighting of drones above the airfield. Hundreds of thousands of travellers were affected, with all flights cancelled for over 24 hours on December 21.On an average day, there are 1,400 movements, or takeoffs and landings, from Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport....

The Transportation Security Administration confiscated yet another gun at check-in at Baltimore–Washington International Airport (BWI). Only this time, the passenger claims he didn’t know it was there because his mom packed his carry-on bag.TSA stopped the man after officers detected an unloaded, collapsible .40 caliber rifle in his bag at the security checkpoint. The unidentified man was arrested on weapons charges.According to a local news station in Maryland, this is the 20th gun found at one of BWI’s checkpoints this year, and a total of 26 were found last year....

Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you might have missed from the week before. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you might have missed on TPG this week.Amex Closes Centurion Lounges to Cardholders at Final DestinationsNow you really won’t plan on sticking around at the airport once you’ve made it to your final destination.Delta Serves as Hometown Hero, Funds MLK National Park ReopeningThe government is shut down, but this special national park will be open before MLK weekend....

Going all-in on a Disney family vacation is something I can very much understand. We pay-up for after hours parties, pack princess dresses and mouse ears and even splurge on Deluxe Disney Resorts, but some parents make us look like amateurs. Apparently, you can take things much further with themed stroller rentals. I’ve certainly seen a princess carriage or two in my time at Disney, but there’s a brand new stroller option coming to a theme park near you....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers hereVietnam-based TPG Contributor Daan van Rossum recently flew Singapore Airlines’ Suites product from Singapore to Tokyo, which he booked using 51,000 Krisflyer Miles.Ever since I read TPG’s review of Singapore Airlines Suites I knew I had to try it myself someday. When two of my friends said they would be visiting Tokyo, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get in on the Suites action....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.If you’ve booked a Ryanair flight that might be jeopardized by the looming strikes against the airline, we’ve got bad news for you: The company says it won’t compensate you for those delays or cancellations — even though the law says they have to.Ryanair pilots based in Ireland, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands have all voted to strike again on Friday, after Ryanair already admitted it canceled 1,000 flights affecting almost 200,000 customers in July....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here - Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express, Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American ExpressOne of the best-known and most talked-about features of the Starwood Preferred Guest program is the ability to transfer points to over 30 airline partners at a 1:1 ratio, and the 5,000-mile bonus you get on transfers of 20,000 points, giving members a 25% bonus on their points....

You may soon lose access to the Uber platform thanks to a new policy set to be implemented by the rideshare giant. According to a press release from Uber, riders with low passenger ratings will be at risk of account deactivation, just as drivers are now. The company did not directly state when rider deactivations would begin, nor if it would be possible for riders to reactivate their account down the road....

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has enabled airlines to launch some very interesting routes, and United’s arguably been one of the most ambitious here in the US, using the extended-range Boeing 787-9 to introduce nonstop service from Houston (IAH) to Sydney (SYD), San Francisco (SFO) to Singapore (SIN) and other intriguing routes.Monday, United shared plans to launch what’s arguably one of its most exciting new routes yet, a nonstop from Newark (EWR) to Cape Town, South Africa (CPT), beginning on December 15, 2019 and running through the end of March 2020....

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.Air Canada is adding four semi-new aircraft to its fleet. In 2019, the carrier will acquire four Airbus A330s from TAP Air Portugal. The planes were originally acquired by TAP from Singapore Airlines in 2017, however, since TAP is expected to take delivery of the newer A330-900neo, it’s sending the A330s to Air Canada....

It’s no surprise that airports might not be the most hygienic places on earth. From bare feet in the security line to crowded terminal gates, there are plenty of viruses lingering around that you should be mindful of.When it comes to the dirtiest parts of an airport, though, a new study found that the plastic bins at airport security checkpoints carry the most germs — even more than toilets.A group of pandemic experts from the University of Nottingham and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare swabbed a variety of the most-touched surfaces at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) in Finland during the winter of 2016 and found high concentrations of viruses....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.American Express is giving Canadians another credit card option — and it’s pretty appealing. The issuer released its the American Express Cobalt Card, which, unlike its American consumer card counterparts, focuses on monthly earning and perks rather than those that are annual.The card comes with a bonus of 40,000 points, but you won’t get all those points at once....

Spending as little time as possible in New York’s Penn Station is a goal for nearly any New Yorker. The dark, dirty maze of a station is home to the regional train lines: New Jersey Transit and Long Island railroads, as well as Amtrak and some of its most profitable routes along the Northeastern Corridor.In 2016 it was announced that Penn was finally getting a much needed renovation and now Amtrak is upping its game too, enough to where Amtrak passengers may actually want to spend time at the station before their ride....

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.Hoping to pick your meals from Singapore Airlines’ diverse selection of Book the Cook entrees ahead of a trip on the world’s longest flight? Assuming you’re flying from Newark (EWR) on Singapore 21, you’ll be fresh out of luck....

Using PayPal doesn’t mean you can’t earn credit card rewards along the way. Several card issuers offer bonuses for using their cards with PayPal. And, PayPal offers its own branded cards that allow cardholders to earn cash back or points that can be redeemed for gift cards and travel vouchers. TPG takes a look on how you can maximize your credit card rewards when using PayPal.Want more credit card news and advice from TPG?...

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 Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking....

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.Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.CLEAR’s expedited security program just got a bit more valuable for travelers with a Delta Sky Club membership. As of this week, members of both programs will be able to access Delta’s 50 US lounges with the tap of a finger....

Alaska Airlines unveiled a number of new offerings and brand-related updates Wednesday at the San Francisco International Airport, complete with a chartered-flight tour of its first retrofitted Airbus A321neo, a months-old aircraft sporting tail number N928VA.Among other announcements, the Seattle-based airline debuted its latest cabin redesign and new uniform designs for flight crew and ground employees, offered samples of its new menu offerings and restated its commitment to expanding direct flights to Seattle’s Paine Field Airport (PAE), which will open to commercial traffic in a few days....