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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was delivered to the first customer, ANA, in 2011 and quickly won over passengers with its large, dimmable windows and healthier design. American Airlines flew its inaugural 787-8 flight in early 2015, and now has 20 787-8’s (the shortest variant of the 787 family) in service.When my husband, TPG Points and Miles writer JT Genter, reviewed American Airlines’ 787-8 Main Cabin Extra product in 2015, I was on board with him....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Here at TPG, we always stress that if you’re going to do some online shopping, you should leverage the opportunity to double-dip by going through a shopping portal. Not only does clicking through one of these sites net you extra travel rewards, but they also frequently run promotions that can get you even more points or miles. Currently, United MileagePlus shopping is running one such promo, offering you the opportunity to get up to 15 miles per dollar with select retailers....

Friday evening, rental car giant Hertz filed for bankruptcy in order to restructure its debts totaling more than $17 billion. The company intends to use more than $1 billion in cash on hand in order to keep the company running while it goes through the bankruptcy process.“The impact of COVID-19 on travel demand was sudden and dramatic, causing an abrupt decline in the Company’s revenue and future bookings. Hertz took immediate actions to prioritize the health and safety of employees and customers, eliminate all nonessential spending and preserve liquidity,” the company said in a statement....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The Hilton Honors program is adding a new benefit for its mid-tier and top-tier elite members — beginning January 1, 2018, Hilton will offer its Gold and Diamond members the option of a complimentary continental breakfast when staying at its Waldorf Astoria properties.If you’re a Hilton Gold or Diamond member, as of January 1 you’ll be able to choose between a complimentary continental breakfast or an equivalent food & beverage credit as a MyWay benefit choice at Waldorf properties....

Hong Kong Airlines’ ongoing financial troubles have forced the carrier to cut one of its U.S. routes. The airline said on Monday that under pressure from the Hong Kong government, it will end its route between Hong Kong and Los Angeles (LAX).As of 8 February 2020, the carrier will cancel the route to LAX. The last flights will operate between the two cities as HX068 and HX069. According to a press release, the carrier said that it will offer alternative travel arrangements for affected passengers....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.For me, the past month has caused major FOMOP (Fear of Missing Out on Points). While I’ve been happy that TPG readers have been pulling in millions — if not billions — of Ultimate Rewards points, I’ve felt like I’ve been missing out on something. I applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve the first day it came out and was finally approved last Friday....

Turbulence — or even the threat of turbulence — inarguably makes flights unpleasant. The seatbelt sign stays on, the drink and meal services may be suspended and 30-some thousand feet in the air, you’re strapped down and possibly being shaken around like a Boggle game.But in the near future, turbulence may become much easier for pilots to anticipate and avoid. The International Air Transport Association has been testing a turbulence forecasting tool with about 15 airlines and will make it available to any company that wants to participate in January....

With the United States government sliding into its third week of a partial shutdown due to a standoff between US President Donald Trump and Congress on funding a border wall, airline passengers are wondering if flying is less safe with the tens of thousands federal aviation workers either off the job or not getting a paycheck.Officers at the Transportation Security Administration aren’t getting paid, and they’re calling in sick in droves....

I’m just going to say it — United Airlines has killed frequent flyer programs as we know them.It has announced such a massive shift to its own program that when the changes kick in come January 2020 for earning elite status in the 2021 program year, I’ll barely recognize it.Yes, JetBlue and Southwest have long had revenue-based frequent flyer programs. But this is different. This is one of the big three U....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.For most of us, every day is Coffee Day; it’s not easy to get a jump on the morning without that little caffeine kickstart. But today is actually National Coffee Day — the one day of the year where we pay tribute to the sacred brown brew that gives us that much-needed extra boost of energy to get through a long day at work or a transatlantic red-eye flight....

My adventures during the past three and a half months haven’t been as exciting as they typically are. There have been great road trips, home rentals and lots of new outdoor activities.I’m grateful to be traveling again, even if it looks different that past years.But I miss flying.And I’ve used my newfound time at home to reflect on some of the amazing aviation activities I’ve been privileged enough to experience as a journalist in the past decade....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen recently flew Hainan Airlines’ new service from Los Angeles to Changsha. Here is his review of the experience.Back in December, Hainan Airlines announced that it would start service on a new route from Los Angeles (LAX) to Changsha (CSX) with one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners — the carrier also flies its Dreamliners from Beijing to Boston, Chicago and Toronto....

Per this Flyertalk thread, several Starwood Preferred Guest accounts have been hacked, with their points redeemed for gift cards. If you notice that your SPG account shows that points have been redeemed for unauthorized transactions, contact Starwood Preferred Guest, who will be able to help recover your points.It seems as Starwood is also trying to be proactive, having sent the following email to their members:It’s a good idea to closely monitor your accounts....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader Pierre asked a great question regarding the usefulness of US Airways Miles:“I have 40,000 US Airways miles, but unlike United miles I don’t see a lot of options to use them. US Airways doesn’t allow one-way award bookings, neither on their planes nor on Star Alliance partners. Do you have any suggestion? Is there any way to transfer those miles to somewhere more useful?...

Even when using your points and miles, traveling to Europe can get expensive. But one European transportation company is trying to lower that total cost by offering affordable bus service through 10 countries in Europe for as little as $3 (£2.39).BlaBlaBus is operated by carpooling service BlaBlaCar — the admittedly bizarre name is a nod to a feature that lets riders share how talkative they will be. The service connects 444 cities with 4,476 routes, according to the BlaBlaBus 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.In step with the upcoming (and ongoing) Black Friday travel deals that have been popping up throughout past week, Hurtigruten Cruise Line is offering free airfare to Iceland if you book a specific ticket from now until Nov....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.For a while, Vietnam was in the number one spot on my travel bucket list — I’d always seen photos of the country’s amazing landscapes and heard about its friendly people and delicious food. I’m also a huge AvGeek and wanted to make sure I got there in the coolest way possible. My options were to fly from London on Vietnam Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner or to fly from Paris to Hanoi on the carrier’s new Airbus A350....

The Amex US Travel Association Daily Getaways have been a little hit-or-miss this time around, so I thought I’d point out a few upcoming sales that might be of interest to readers so you can plan in advance if you want to get in (though I’ll be writing reminder post for the really good deals).Thursday, May 3: Choice RewardsTPG reader Aaron tipped us off that, though this offer is kind of unexciting in terms of Choice Rewards, it could be a good deal for Southwest flyers....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.When you think of Hawaii, you probably don’t think of hurricanes. And indeed, the tropical paradise has only experienced a handful of hurricanes since the 1950s — with most threats either fizzling out before hitting Hawaii or passing south of the 50th state. Just a couple of weeks ago, Hawaii got another scare when Hurricane Hector found Hawaii in its cone of uncertainty, but residents of the Big Island reported not even getting a drop of rain from the system....

American Airlines is suing the US Copyright Office. The world’s largest airline says its new logo should be protected by copyright laws, which the agency has repeatedly denied because, in its view, it’s too basic to qualify.Earlier this year, American was denied a copyright claim by the United States Copyright Office for its logo — the third time in three years that this happened. It was previously denied in 2016 and 2017....