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During my girlfriend’s Southeast Asia birthday getaway, we were lucky enough to spend time at two Four Seasons properties in Thailand. Our stay at the Koh Samui property was full of sun, beach and relaxation, and we knew that Chiang Mai would be a completely different vibe, but we didn’t know exactly what to expect before we arrived.After a day of nonstop activities in downtown Chiang Mai, we were excited to get outside of the city, check in at the hotel and see whether this property would match the high bar set at the Koh Samui property....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.TPG reader Rodrigo sent me a message on Facebook to ask about maximizing points on spending:“Should the Sapphire Reserve be my new go-to card for everything, or should I still try to make the $30,000 spending goal for my Aviator Silver companion tickets?”The Chase Sapphire Reserve has been a hit since it was first released in August....

On Tuesday, Chana and Yisroel Beck arrived at Newark Airport (EWR) with their three children to embark on their first family vacation together in Fort Lauderdale. However, from the moment they boarded their Spirit Airlines flight, things took a turn for the worst — and Chana believes that anti-semitism on the part of the flight crew is the reason why.“It was our first family trip, a nice, beautiful vacation that turned into a traumatic experience — a nightmare from the way we were treated and how we were escorted off without being told what we did wrong,” Chana told The New York Post....

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....

In episode six of the TPG Talks, Scott Keyes — founder and Chief Flight Expert of the airfare deal subscription company Scott’s Cheap Flights — described what he sees happening to prices in 2020 and beyond. COVID-19 continues to have substantial effects on the airline industry. When carriers cut their route networks, park hundreds of aircraft or suspend operations entirely, what does that mean for the future of flight deals?Register for our next TPG Talks webinar at this linkIf you’ve been wondering about that very question, make sure to watch the replay of this week’s episode with Scott....

Earlier this month, United Airlines shared a video featuring a repatriation flight, bringing Australians home from San Francisco to Melbourne. The flight took place after the Centers for Disease Control initially recommended wearing “cloth face coverings in public settings,” so I was surprised to see that although most of the passengers had their faces covered, not a single flight attendant appeared to be doing so.Fortunately, the airline has since reversed course, and is even leading the way when it comes to this important protective measure....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.This morning I posted about an American Express/Membership Rewards bonus of 5,000 Amex points for every $100 in Delta spend. The online registration form did not allow me to register, so I figured I wasn’t targeted. Most of you met the same fate.However, I was tipped off by my friend The Frugal Travel Guy, that by calling, they might be able to manually register your account, so I figured “it couldn’t hurt to ask!...

From ever-decreasing seat sizes in economy to ever-longer flights, air travel seems to be getting increasingly grueling on the body. And being sedentary for so long can have serious consequences. As airports and airlines battle to counter the threat, what started off as few one-off yoga spaces in airports seems to now have turned into a full-blown trend.In conjunction with the launch of its 17-hour flight from Perth to London in March last year, Qantas opened a new lounge complete with a wellness studio with guided stretching classes....

If Cardi B performs on a cruise ship, can cruising ever be the same?Cardi B performing at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)In what might be the final nail in the coffin for the idea that cruising is just for old people (or B-list stars), the infectious stripper-turned-rapper has signed on as a main act for what is sure to be a raucous, hip-hop-themed music festival at sea in June....

There’s a new low-cost, high-speed train company about to slash rail fares in Spain. AVLO – an acronym for Alta Velocidad Low Cost (Literally “high speed low cost”) – will start operating between Barcelona and Madrid as of April 6th, just in time for la Semana Santa (Holy Week), a popular holiday in Spain.The route will operate between the stations of Atocha in Madrid and Sants in Barcelona, initially stopping in only one other station along the way in Zaragoza, about halfway between the two....

Air Canada Aeroplan, home of the 80,000 point Star Alliance business class ticket North America-Europe, is running a promotion to encourage people to transfer their hotel points. When you transfer enough hotel points to reach 10,000 Aeroplan, you get a 1,500 point bonus. For each brand, I’ve indicated the amount of points needed to hit 10,000 Aeroplan.You can only get the promo once per hotel program. Now through Sept 20, 2010....

TPG celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and over the past decade, we’ve grown quite a bit.Not only has our team expanded tremendously, but our presence on the internet has as well. From Brian Kelly’s first blog post to Facebook groups and webinars, we’re so much more than what’s on the website.To keep you up to date with all that TPG has going on right now, we’ve rounded up all the ways you can stay in touch with us....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.With winter setting throughout most of the United States, you may be starting to daydream about long stretches of white sand and glittering turquoise water.Well, daydream no more: Here’s a list of island destinations with warm temperatures and solid sunshine that’ll have you relaxing in your beach hammock, cocktail in hand, chic as ever — and with a wallet as comfortably fat as the day you left home....

Never let go, Jack: A replica of the Titanic is going to make its maiden voyage in 2022.The Titanic II will set sail from Dubai on a two-week maiden voyage and will ultimately make regular trips between Southhampton and New York during the summer and world cruises during the rest of the year.The $500 million project was initially announced in 2012 by Blue Star Line — not to be confused with the original ship’s shipping company, White Star Line....

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.An American Airlines flight Monday made an emergency return to its gate shortly after takeoff, citing a strong odor of smoke in the cockpit. The source of the odor was unknown as of the time of publication.AA Flight 1060, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 149 passengers and 6 flight crew, departed for Newark (EWR) from Miami (MIA) at 8:36am on Feb....

A video has surfaced showing a performance at a charity event for American Airlines Executive Platinum members during which a group of off-duty American Airlines employees sing “Big Spender” burlesque-style to a man seated on stage. American Airlines has said that it did not sanction the Dallas-area event Saturday, but confirms that the performers were indeed AA flight attendants.In a statement emailed to TPG on Sunday, AA spokesperson Ross Feinstein said:“We saw a customer’s social media post depicting a group of American flight attendants at a customer-organized and hosted event....

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.There are just over two weeks left of the current 50% transfer bonus of American Express Membership Rewards points to British Airways Avios (the last day to transfer is May 31, 2012). Avios points aren’t the most valuable points out there because of the high fuel surcharges on most flights to Europe and Australia, but they can also be incredibly valuable for certain awards, like short and mid-haul flights and partner awards, and upgrading from Premium Economy to Business class....

Chinese carriers China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines have suspended some flights to North America as airlines across the globe scale back service to mainland China amid the coronavirus health scare.A collection of international airlines — including all three major U.S. carriers — has already announced temporary cancellations of routes to China, but China Eastern was the first carrier based in the country to announce the suspension of its flights to the U....

The Trump Administration’s last-minute ban on travel to Cuba in June may have snarled the vacation plans of hundreds of thousands of cruisers. But it’s turned into a boon for thousands more.Following a wave of cancellations for cruises affected by the ban, cruise lines have been forced to offer unusual discounts to get people back on board the sailings.“We’re seeing rates as low as $40 per day, per person,” said Denise Bialek, director of Priceline Cruises, the cruise division of Priceline....