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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The Points Guy is introducing a brand new review format that includes numerical scores for each section of the experience. These scores were used to determine the winners at the 2018 TPG Awards, where Qatar’s Qsuite was named the Best International Business Class of the year.[tpg_rating tpg-rating-score=“90” ground-experience=“8” cabin-seat=“22” amens-ife=“15” food-bev=“23” service=“22” pros=“Amazing suite with supreme privacy, loads of fantastic lounge options at HKG, comfortable amenities like PJs” cons=“Mediocre headphones, spotty Wi-Fi at times, the cabin was too dim....

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.Investigators probing the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet have said that preliminary finding show a controversial anti-stall system was activated on the aircraft before it plummeted to the ground.According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, this preliminary consensus among investigators is based on information from the plane’s so-called “black boxes” and was presented to high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration officials on Thursday....

As frequent travelers, we know one of the things that can make or break a trip is your luggage. You want something that is functional yet stylish, something that isn’t going to fall apart after three trips but also won’t break the bank. But did you ever think you’d see a carry-on bag that you could actually ride?The Modobag, which just launched its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign today, is hoping to become the world’s first motorized, rideable carry-on smart luggage....

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.Have you ever wondered what some of the most points-and-miles friendly flights are? And, not secondarily, what to do once you’re there? We feel you, and we’ve got you covered.SET YOUR REMINDER HEREThe Points Guy is introducing “Have Points, Will Travel” – a brand-new travel series with travel influencer, videographer (and puppy owner!...

On Monday, the UK’s Information Commissioner Office (ICO) slapped British Airways with a potential £183 million fine for its 2018 data breach. To follow that up, on Tuesday, the ICO detailed its intention to fine Marriott more than £99 million (nearly $125 million) for its November 2018 data breach.Like the BA fine, the ICO’s fine on Marriott was placed because of ‘infringements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)’. That GDPR breach involved the stealing of personal information of about 339 million Marriott guests....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Over the weekend, multiple ominous reports of Chase cardholders no longer being able to book Disney vacations using their Chase Ultimate Rewards points bubbled across the internet. The process of using Ultimate Rewards to book Disney resorts, park tickets and more has changed several times in recent months, but it’s never been impossible. Until late last week, the most recent process was to call the Chase Cruise and Vacation Packages line to book over the phone....

Air travelers across the nation faced residual flight delays Monday after a software glitch at a flight-data vendor affected numerous US airlines.A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, Greg Martin, attributed the problem to “a non-FAA flight planning weight and balance program called Aerodata.” Martin told TPG that the outage began at 5:24am ET and lasted until 6:12am ET.The glitch slowed flights on several major carriers and their regional affiliates, including American, Delta, Southwest, United, Alaska and JetBlue....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Look, I totally get it — rental car loyalty programs just don’t have the cachet of their airline and hotel counterparts. After all, the best you can hope for is a free day or two, or an upgrade whenever you borrow what’s effectively a used (and not especially well-cared-for) car — that obviously doesn’t garner the same level of excitement as a flight in a first-class suite....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.While booking hotel reservations directly with the chains is usually the best method to maximize member discounts, earn and utilize hotel points and status – sometimes the third-party booking sites have very enticing deals.Save $75 on a $300 Expedia Hotel BookingExpedia is currently offering an extra $75 off $300 in select hotel reservations if you use the code MASTERCARD75 during checkout and pay using your Mastercard, such as a Citi Premier® Card that will even earn you 3 points per dollar on the travel charge....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Southwest Airlines started the year by announcing that hotel transfers would no longer count toward qualification for the Companion Pass. Nevertheless, the Companion Pass is still one of the most lucrative travel rewards in the industry. And today, it looks like the carrier mistakenly sent out Companion Pass emails to a number of Rapid Rewards members — who were then told that it wouldn’t be honored....

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.If you’re in New York City over the holidays, you can give yourself a cool gift – the chance to win $1,000 in flight credits from us!We’re excited to have the first-ever TPG billboards up in our NYC home base, and all you need to do to enter is post a picture of one of them....

There are two new ways to get to Las Vegas thanks to new routes announced by budget carrier Sun Country Airlines.Sun Country has announced two seasonal routes to the gambling and entertainment mecca from Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX). The routes launch Sept. 5 and will operate through Sun Country’s winter schedule.“We’re excited to offer more low-cost service options for those looking to visit Las Vegas and local residents looking to book a vacation,” Grant Whitney, Sun Country’s Chief Revenue Officer, said in a statement....

On today’s episode of Talking Points, Brian Kelly sits down with the hilarious comedian and actress Heather McMahan. Heather, who has aviation in her blood, details how two generations of family members influenced her love of Delta Air Lines.Brian gets the scoop on Heather’s plans for her own travel show and her flying pet peeves — like passengers who wear open-toe shoes and go commando under sweatpants. Plus, we learn Heather’s tricks on what to pack for two weeks in one carry-on for your favorite global destinations....

Update 5/26/17: AA has shared its a-la-carte menus for the Flagship Lounge as well, which offers a mix of buffet and menu items akin to United Polaris:Here are the breakfast items (available until 11:00am):Deviled Eggs — trio of deviled eggs topped with the chef’s daily choice of accompanimentsCashew Crusted Brioche French Toast — served with smoked apple and maple compoteEggs Benedict — thick-cut smoked bacon, grilled kale, herbed hollandaise, roasted fingerling sweet potato hashAnd here are the all-day dining items (available after 11:00am):Flagship Burger — hand-formed short-rib, brisket and sirloin burger, with bacon, red onion marmalade, arugula, beefsteak tomatoWild Mushroom Flatbread — wild mushroom, goat cheese, fontina, mozzarella cheeseFresh Herb-Parmesan Crusted Chicken Paillard — arugula pesto dressed bucatini pasta with balsamic stewed tomatoesWhile American Airlines is in the process of making flying more restrictive and less comfortable for less-than-frequent flyers, it’s investing heavily in the pre-flight and in-flight experience for its top-spending passengers....

Once you spend enough time hopping between hotels, you begin to pick up on all the small things that differentiate the endless check-in counters, elevators and lobbies — which can quickly blur over the course of a few travel weeks. While most major chains do their best to give you standardized experiences, there are several things about a hotel stay that can irrationally make me sour on — or alternatively fall in love with — a property within 15 minutes of entering....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.From the moment you step into an international terminal to the time you clear customs, duty-free shopping is everywhere — even in-flight. To help you find the best bang for your buck, TPG Contributor Lane Nieset shares some of the best duty-free buys around the globe.I once looked at duty free as a last-minute souvenir spot where I could snag that wine I forgot to pick up for friends, or find gifts for family that I didn’t have time to purchase in town — but recently, airports seems to have stepped up their duty-free game....

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ned Russell (@airbus777) on Jul 20, 2018 at 7:10am PDT View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ned Russell (@airbus777) on Jul 20, 2018 at 7:10am PDT

As I’ve found when visiting China – where most Google products are blocked – I rely on the company in many ways. Between Google Maps, Gmail, Google Flights, Google Photos, Google Fi, Google Hotels and Google search, Google has firmly integrated itself into my everyday life. But, would I use a Google checking account and debit card?Want more news and advice from TPG? Sign up for our daily newsletter.TechCrunch recently revealed leaked photos of a new Google debit card....

Delta Air Lines has, like all U.S. airlines, parked a lot if its fleet in response to passenger traffic dropping during the coronavirus crisis — but it has not put in long-term storage any of its Airbus A220s. You can still find the 109-seater, Delta’s newest plane, all over the airline’s network. Popular with passengers and offering many amenities other planes its size don’t have, it’s going to become more and more a mainstay of Delta’s North American routes....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.“Reader Questions” are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.TPG reader J.J. is looking to double up on SPG elite stay credits for an upcoming trip, and sent us an email message asking if this plan will work…[pullquote source=“TPG Reader J.J."]If I were to book back-to-back nights in two separate Starwood hotels in the same city two blocks apart, would they consider that two separate ‘stays?...