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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Staying at the Park Hyatt Bangkok was a little bit like going out with someone beautiful but shallow. The first date was perfect: I was immediately impressed by the high ceilings, chic decor and intimate feel. But throughout my stay, there were several ups and downs, just like those second and third dates, which really made me wonder: Did I want to continue my love affair with the Park Hyatt Bangkok?...

Ultra-low-cost carriers have democratized air travel throughout the world. In Europe, it’s not uncommon to find one-way fares for as little as $11. While passengers enjoy these low fares, one airline executive isn’t too thrilled about airlines selling such cheap flights.In a recent interview with the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr called out Europe’s ultra-low-cost carriers for offering such cheap fares.Spohr told NZZ am Sonntag that the fares offered by low-cost carriers are “economically, ecologically and politically irresponsible” and that “flights for less than 10 euros shouldn’t exist....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.One of the things I love most about being The Points Guy is getting to hear stories from readers about how award travel has affected their lives — the exotic vacations they’ve planned, the trips they’ve made to be with family and friends, the premium seats and suites they’ve experienced and so much more, all made possible by points and miles....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Citi is a TPG advertising partnerLast month, I wrote about some of the Changes To Citi ThankYou Preferred such as 2X Earning on Dining and Entertainment as well as how they are no longer offering an anniversary bonus. According to this Flyertalk post, Citi is also making some more changes (some good, some bad) that also impact the ThankYou Premier card and standard ThankYou cards....

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 market for a new car seat for your little one? You’re in luck, because Walmart just launched its car seat trade-in event in celebration of National Baby Safety Month.As shared by Dan’s Deals, starting today through September 30, you can bring in any old car seat to a participating Walmart store and receive a $30 Walmart gift card....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Last weekend, I had the opportunity to speak at the 2014 New York Times Travel Show for the third year in a row, and it was a great opportunity to connect with readers about some of the exciting new changes in point valuations, frequent flyer programs (I’m looking at you Delta!) and credit card bonuses.I have uploaded the presentations from Day 1 and Day 2, and they provide tons of useful information regarding all of the topics I discussed....

There’s now one less airline flying the Airbus A340.TAP Air Portugal retired its last of the four-engine widebodies earlier this week, marking the occasion with a ceremony for employees in one of its hangars (and with the Portuguese-language farewell video seen below).The airline recalled how the A340 was state-of-the-art when it came into TAP’s fleet in the 1990s, noting in press release how it allowed the carrier to introduce new business-class amenities and individual seatback entertainment....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Over the past few years, Starwood Preferred Guest has been ramping up its efforts to be ahead of the competition as far as technologically-savvy properties go. In 2015, Starwood gave a preview of its products of the future, including keyless entry, colored LED lights and USB power outlets just to name a few. And, the brand is only continuing to improve its products with time....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.For a luxury first class ticket that often sells for over $10,000, Emirates First Class used to be surprisingly easy to book by redeeming miles. But all good things must come to an end, and the last few years have seen devaluation after devaluation.First, Alaska Airlines increased the cost of Emirates first class awards by as much as 100% overnight with absolutely no warning....

The third and final of All Nippon Airways’ Airbus A380 aircraft has left the paint shop at Airbus, and it may be the most impressive aircraft out there.The orange-painted A380 joins ANA’s other two A380s already in service, which are painted in blue and emerald green.(Photo courtesy of Airbus)Like the previous two A380s that ANA has already taken delivery of, the livery of this third iteration also features sea turtles, which are an iconic species in Hawaii....

Are you clever, quick-quitted and good under pressure? Have you ever wondered just what, exactly, you would do if your plane was falling out of the sky?Well, French company The Game has got you covered with its very own A320 escape room, in which you have one hour to — you guessed it — escape an airplane that’s about to crash:While my own run-ins with escape rooms have ended in utter failure (how was I supposed to know the key was under the seat?...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.Back in October, Amex announced some nice changes to The Enhanced Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN. One of the most intriguing was the new 50% points rebate when you redeem points for qualifying airline tickets through Amex Travel, a perk that has changed the way we book business travel here at TPG. In essence, this allows you to guarantee a redemption value of 2 cents per Membership Rewards point, a pretty solid value proposition....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The inaugural TPG Awards ceremony was this week in NYC, with everything from a live performance by Bebe Rexha to a special tribute to Captain Sully — in addition to awards for the best cards, loyalty programs and more, of course.While the full list of TPG Awards winners is out, we wanted to give you a closer look at the nominees in each category....

Aircraft manufacturers have been sounding the alarm of an upcoming airline pilot shortage around the globe.Boeing has predicted an “unprecedented” demand of 790,000 pilots for airlines worldwide during the next 20 years due to “record-high air travel demand and a tightening labor supply.” Airbus predicts that Europe alone will need 94,000 new pilots during the next 20 years. So to help solve the problem, it has decided to start its own pilot academy....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Heads-up, AvGeeks: Delta’s latest experience auction is perhaps the best possible use of your SkyMiles balance. Well, outside of the rash of recent SkyMiles award sales, that is. Those looking to be the first to see Delta’s Airbus A220 in final assembly now have precisely that opportunity. A new SkyMiles Experience Auction, which runs from now until October 1, 2018 at 3:00pm ET, gives Delta loyalists a chance to bid on an exclusive preview of the Airbus A220....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Alex email me to ask about Starwood elite benefits:“Which SPG 50 night benefit would you choose? I wasn’t impressed by the suite night awards I chose last time, as they never cleared. I’m also not worried about re-qualifying next year, so the 5 nights of elite credit aren’t worth much to me.“When Starwood introduced choice benefits for 50-night Platinum members in 2015, the new options were a bit lackluster....

Bars can be great places of relaxation, especially when they float. Whether they’re on lakes and rivers or at the edges of the sea, these establishments combine the pleasures of the drink and being on the water. We’ve already outlined some of the best bars we know of, whether they’re underwater or underground, have incredible views or sport the coolest rooftop scene in America or around the world. Now, we’ve chosen eight floating bars — from New York to Fiji — each unique in its atmosphere and setting, each providing a different experience and every one worth a dip....

A massive new resort by Atlantis is one step closer to rising on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It will be located at Ko Olina, which is already home to the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina; Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa; and Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, among others.“What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to take that property they have in Dubai on the Palm Island and replicate it in Hawaii in a gorgeous setting,” TravelPulse founder Mark Murphy told CBS....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Families that like to stretch their miles to the max know that learning a foreign frequent flyer program or two can be paramount in getting more value out of your miles and points. One pretty easy-to-use frequent flyer program used by many families is the British Airways Executive Club. Via British Airways, flights on partner airlines such as American Airlines, start at only 7,500 points each way using their distance based award chart....

American Airlines produces a podcast for employees called Tell Me Why. Anyone can listen to these podcasts on Soundcloud and gain insight into internal communications at the world’s largest airline.On the podcast from this Wednesday, the host sat down with Rhett Workman, American’s managing director at London Heathrow (LHR). On the podcast, Workman dropped some fascinating facts about AA’s “non-hub hub” at Heathrow:Largest number of international widebody departures of any airport for AAHighest volumes of outbound cargo of any airport for AASecond-highest number of Concierge Key travelers, behind Dallas/Fort WorthSummer 2019 will see a 10% capacity increase year-over-year — the largest since AA started at Heathrow in 1991 — with new service from Phoenix (PHX) and bigger planes on flights from Chicago (ORD)But the most interesting bit of the podcast came when Workman was discussing AA’s partnership with British Airways....