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Many passengers thought the day would never come, but it has. The first new concourse in the multi-billion dollar overhaul of New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) opened to the public Saturday morning. Though just 11 of the airport’s 72 gates are currently housed within the new space, the concourse gave passengers a glimpse of what’s to be expected in the coming years.The new Eastern Concourse at Terminal B as seen from Terminal C....

After a little bit of a rocky start due to normal jetlag + a slightly unwell baby on arrival from London, our next 24 hours have proven to be much better…and we couldn’t ask for better weather than 79 degrees and sunny. In fact, we didn’t really pack appropriately for weather quite this warm!Eat, Play, and Shop at HarrodsIt may sound crazy, but a big winner for the little ones so far has been the Disney Cafe on the 4th floor in Harrods....

The Points & Miles Backpacker is a weekly column appearing every Monday. TPG Contributor Brian Biros, who has backpacked the globe for the past 15 years, discusses how to fund this adventurous, budgeted and increasingly popular form of travel with points and miles. He’ll also explore all things backpacking-related. Read his story here and his high-level approach here.Sure, you can always crack open a guidebook or load up your favorite travel website....

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.While snow is a welcomed sight for skiers at resorts throughout the Alps, winter weather is wreaking havoc for travelers and commuters across parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The winter storm has already brought with it heavy snow, sleet and gusty winds, and is expected to continue through the weekend and into the early part of the week....

As the Transportation Security Administration continues to process record numbers of people traveling through airports we’ve also seen lengthy security checkpoint wait times.On Monday, the TSA has announced a partnership with Denver International Airport (DEN) to install new body scanners that will hopefully speed up the security screening process and give passengers a less strenuous airport experience.The TSA introduced a new Enhanced Advanced Imaging Technology (eAIT) machine at DEN last week that features “enhanced detection capabilities” in addition to quicker scanning times than currently-employed technology....

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.A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago made an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on Tuesday night.Flight UA698 had an “issue with its landing gear,” a United spokesperson told TPG in an emailed statement....

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.Many frequent flyers would agree that United already offered one of the most powerful airline apps in the biz. Still, the airline decided it was time for a refresh, and as of Thursday morning, the new version is now live....

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.Virgin Atlantic’s five Airbus A340-600s won’t be exiting the airline’s fleet at the end of October after all. According to Flightglobal, Virgin Atlantic is being forced to prolong Airbus A340 operations as a result of a parts shortage involving the A340’s replacement, the Boeing 787....

It’s quite often said that the job of a pilot is very much like that of an anesthetist. It’s pretty busy at the start and end of the operation, but in the middle it’s a bit more relaxed. With the intensity of the departure complete, the atmosphere in the flight deck relaxes.The pilots instruct the Autopilot to do the dogs work of keeping the wings level and flying the route entered into the Flight Management Computer (FMC) on the ground....

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.When you spend a large chunk of your waking hours talking about, researching, and writing about miles and points it is no shocker that it seems to become a common topic of conversation....

Over the weekend, American Express Membership Rewards launched a new transfer bonus to Italy’s flag carrier, Alitalia. Now through October 31, for every 1,000 Amex MR you transfer to Alitalia, you’ll receive 1,250 miles — rather than the standard 1,000 miles.You’re free to transfer as many Membership Rewards points as you wish. Terms and conditions note that transfers are typically immediate but may take up to 48 hours. In our testing, we found miles didn’t post immediately, but Amex MR did transfer to Alitalia within 24 hours....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Phoenix is a warm-weather destination offering big-city sophistication and small town charm. Known for its picturesque natural parks and top-notch shopping centers, this popular Southwestern destination is the perfect setting for family vacations and romantic getaways. Escape the high-end resorts of Silicon Desert and enjoy the city like a local in one of these incredible Airbnb rentals.Value Deals (less than $150 per night)1....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.When Delta Airlines introduced the Airbus A350 on some long-haul routes last year, aviation enthusiasts and frequent flyers were thrilled. No event is more exciting for an AvGeek than a new airplane entering service, and we at TPG were eager to try the newest airplane in service with a US carrier. The A350 stands out also because it offers the first true Premium Economy cabin on a US carrier outside of American Airlines, which TPG Reviews Editor Nick Ellis tried out on the inaugural flight while TPG himself sampled the Delta One enclosed suite....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week:Don’t expect many perks when American’s basic economy fares launch next month....

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, airline customers have faced extraordinary wait times when attempting to reach an agent — if they’re able to get though to one at all. This month, American and United each made it easier to get help, thanks to new chat tools in the latest versions their mobile apps.To access AA’s chat tool, head to the American app and swipe up to show more options. Click “Contact American” at the bottom of the page, then select the “Chat with us” feature....

Reader Questions are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.Serious award travelers don’t just focus on the route and airline they’re flying with; they go out of their way to book themselves on a specific type of plane whenever possible. Sometimes airlines will change equipment at the last minute. Usually you’ll stay in the same cabin you booked originally, but you might end up with a wildly different seat, as TPG editor Nick Ellis found out a few years back when Korean Air swapped the plane flying his route....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.While Barclaycard may not have as many travel credit cards as some of the other big issuers, they’ve been on a roll lately with their US Airways World MasterCard and Virgin America Elevate cards- both of which can offer huge value if you know how to leverage the points and perks of those cards.They also recently launched two versions of a new product called the Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard....

The last Boeing 747 will roll out of the Everett, Washington, plant in about two years, ending the more than five-decade production run of the legendary airplane known as the Queen of the Skies. It’s a momentous decision in the history of aviation: the airplane that made long-haul travel into a mass phenomenon is officially being terminated.According to Bloomberg News, which cited “wording changes in financial statements” by the company, Boeing has decided to end production of the 747 and close the assembly line when the last remaining orders are filled....

EDIT: The following letter was sent from Bookit.com CEO Bud Finlaw to hotel partners on the evening of March 17:As we are all very much aware, the coronavirus event has had a disastrous effect on the entire Travel Industry, especially in our international space.BookIt.com has been especially hard hit, as we have been an “all- inclusive only” website for the past 3/12 years-this leaves us, effectively, with nothing to sell until this crisis passes....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.British Airways is offering flyers the chance to book flights and vacation packages for travel to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Nice, Paris and Rome between now and Spring 2017. The deals include the option of just air travel or vacation packages, which include a five-night hotel stay. In addition, you can choose to fly in either BA’s World Traveller or World Traveller Plus (premium economy) cabin....