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We recently published a step-by-step guide on exactly what happens when an aircraft is turned around, or readied for its next flight after arrival. TPG UK just got to experience this in a live environment. We were invited by Malaysia Airlines to to go behind the scenes on Tuesday and see what it takes to turn around the carrier’s flagship Airbus A350 aircraft at London’s Heathrow airport. It was a busy but fascinating experience to see what it takes to get a 300-passenger jet ready to go on a 12-hour journey....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.This past March, TPG reader Brandon knocked a major milestone off of his bucket list: traveling first class around the world.From March 8 to 25, Brandon traveled from New York through Frankfurt, Singapore, Auckland, Queenstown, Sydney, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo before arriving back into JFK. Even more impressively, Brandon managed to accomplish his round-the-world #goals for just $273 in taxes and fees, thanks to his stash of points and miles....

What goes on outside and inside a large commercial airplane to get it ready for its next flight is mostly hidden from view.We’ve all watched out the windows of a terminal building to see baggage being unloaded and loaded and aircraft being refueled. But that’s just a small part of what is needed to get a plane ready to take off again after a long-haul flight.To get a close look at the whole process — known as turning around, or simply turning, an aircraft — we went along recently as a Virgin Atlantic team took a plane just arrived at New York JFK from Great Britain and turned it around in less than two hours....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Happy New Year! If you were out a little late last night and your head is screaming “WHY!!!” as you read this, don’t worry — that’s something we call “fortitude.” It means you made it through 2016 and even New Year’s Eve 2017. Congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back and grab some coffee, some Tylenol and some greasy food, because it’s time for a look at what’s coming up this week in the world of points, miles and travel....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG readers have a chance to win a $500 Marriott gift card in this week’s Thursday Giveaway. Earlier this week, Marriott and United announced that you can earn bonus points for using the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card with United, or the United MileagePlus Explorer Card or United MileagePlus Club Card with Marriott during the month of November....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Credit cards are kind of like automobiles - there’s a wide range from your cheap, no-frills starter cards all the way up to your tricked-out Maseratis and Bentleys. Today I’d like to take a look at the creme de la creme of travel credit cards with some of the highest annual fees out there, and just what you get for all that money....

Heads up if you’re visiting New Zealand anytime soon: It’s now illegal to swim with the wild bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Islands.The government recently banned tourists from swimming with dolphins in this area near the North Island, citing the negative impact of human interaction.According to a statement released on Aug. 29 by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, “Research shows interaction with bottlenose dolphins is having a significant impact on the population’s resting and feeding behavior,” and that people are “loving the dolphins too much....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.All award travelers should earn transferable points, as they give you great flexibility in your redemptions. They also shield you from any potential devaluations, since the ability to transfer to other programs means you’re not locked into one currency. Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the best transferable points out there, and TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Nick Ewen explains how you can transfer them to Virgin Atlantic....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Citi PrestigeYoung, broke backpackers seem to have hijacked the term “budget travel” like it’s a local bus heading to the full moon party. It’s true: Those disheveled nomads packed in grimy hostels with little regard for noise or hygiene are technically travelers on a budget — but the term is by no means exclusive. Budget travel truly is for anyone looking to make travel less expensive, and doing so doesn’t make you a vagabond....

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.For five weeks in April and May, United’s Newark-LAX Premium Service route is getting a huge upgrade. The carrier will be operating one of its three-cabin 777-200ERs between the two hubs, featuring United’s international Global First product. Interestingly, Delta’s also operating a wide-body between NYC and Los Angeles during the next few weeks, so if you don’t want to fly Delta’s 767 and don’t mind switching between airlines (and alliances), you’ll be able to book wide-body transcons from February through early May....

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.It’s the secret airline hiding in plain (or should I say, plane) sight.Little is officially known about Janet, the call sign of a government-contracted air carrier that ferries employees to secret US military sites. Janet is known as “the most mysterious airline in the world,” and that’s all that outsiders can be told about it....

[tpg_rating tpg-rating-score=“85” ground-experience=“4” cabin-seat=“22” amens-ife=“13” food-bev=“23” service=“23” pros=“Well-padded seat with above average width and recline, tasty food and great service.” cons=“Inefficient ground experience with long lines everywhere, limited IFE selection.” /]On my recent hop around the world, I found myself in Bangkok without a flight booked back to New York. Before I departed for my trip, I couldn’t find a great mileage option to review, so I waited until two days before my planned return date hoping that an exciting award option presented itself....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update 12/11/16: I went to visit the pop-up lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal over the weekend, and it really isn’t anything to get excited about. There aren’t any amenities to speak of, besides a few power outlets and a variety of seating. It certainly isn’t representative of what you’ll find in an actual Centurion Lounge — it’s simply a place to sit and pass the time before a flight....

If you are a parent flying with your kids, you’ve probably experienced the same pit-in-stomach feeling as many other families out there. You questioned your seat assignments when you booked your flight, the week leading up to your flight and, most likely, the morning of your flight. “Will my family actually be able to sit together?“Airlines are now charging an arm and a leg to pick your seats in advance solely to ensure that your 4 year old doesn’t end up in row 23 while you are all the way up in row 15....

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.Boom Supersonic, a Colorado-based aviation company, announced on Jan. 4 that it has raised $100 million in capital during a Series B investment round. The new funding will allow the company to continue its work on “Overture,” the company’s supersonic airliner....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.Earning airline miles using the traditional method (actually flying) is just one option for growing your account balance. Airlines make it relatively easy to accrue miles without flying — whether through top credit card offers or by utilizing shopping portals and dining rewards programs. If these methods leave you short of your travel goals, you can also purchase miles directly from the airline....

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....

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 EST within one day of booking....