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For many travelers in First Class, sipping a glass of premium Champagne is one of the best ways to enjoy the comforts of the cabin up front. What better way to unwind above the clouds than with a tall cool flute of superior-grade bubbly?Not surprisingly, in the hypercompetitive world of onboard food and beverage provisioning, airlines try to outdo one another in the wine and spirits department. In this day and age you can snap up a case of perfectly serviceable Veuve Clicquot at Costco, but at 30,000 feet it’s a different story....

We’re seeing some pretty disturbing scenes emerging out of New Orleans today. NOLA.com reports that the Hard Rock Hotel, which is under construction, has partially collapsed; one person is dead, three are missing and 18 are injured.In a news conference Saturday morning, New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent Tim McConnell said the upper six to eight floors of the structure collapsed around 9:12 a.m. local time, as per The New York Times....

Update 6/10/20: As detailed here, The Maldives has reversed course entirely, announcing plans to welcome tourists from all countries beginning in July, without any testing, quarantine or visa requirements or fees, though a date has not yet been confirmed.Update 6/2/20: A representative of The Maldives’ tourism ministry has reached out to clarify that the country won’t be moving forward with the plan outlined below. Instead, The Maldives plans to welcome tourists from all countries, without a visa requirement or 14-night minimum, beginning July 1....

Peak Northern Lights season may be coming to an end, but it’s definitely not too late to see auroras this year. And on Wednesday evening, the phenomenon will even be visible over parts of North America, which means you could check that item off your bucket list sooner than you thought.While an aurora viewing in the US is rare, there are a handful of nights each year when you can catch them right in your own backyard....

View this post on Instagram A American Eagle CRJ700 #n732sk taxies to runway 33 for takeoff to DFW! #aviation #aviationlovers #aviationlife #aircraft #airline #planespotting #planespotter #airplanespotting #airplanespotter #jet #jetplane #skywestairlines #american #americanairlines #americaneagle #bombardier #crj #crj700 #aspen #aspenairport #airport #photography #edits #runway #crj700lovers #airportoutfit #lifestyle #canonphotography A post shared by Oliver???? (@asespotter) on Feb 28, 2020 at 4:50pm PST View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram...

Back in August, United Airlines made waves with the news that it would permanently eliminate change fees, giving customers the flexibility to book flights now and change their origin, destination and dates without the usual $200 fee.Since then, American Airlines and Delta have relaxed their own change fee policies. American has permanently eliminated change fees for all international flights purchased in North and South America, while Delta’s expanded policy covers all travel originating in North America....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update: Austrian has since confirmed that it will launch nonstop service from LAX to Vienna on its 777-200, and availability is fantastic in both economy and business class. Award seats are available nearly every day beginning April 10, 2017, with at least six seats open in both cabins.United MileagePlus members generally have some pretty decent award options to Europe, even in peak season (thanks to generous availability on Lufthansa and now Turkish), but it’s very rare that we see anything quite like this....

Bleisure — a combination of business and leisure travel — has become a monumentally popular travel trend that allows travelers to enjoy a vacation without having to get behind on work. According to Project: Time Off, a study on the state of American vacation habits, the top reasons behind this trend are that people fear: looking replaceable at their workplace (61 percent), a heavy workload (56 percent) and lack of coverage by co-workers (56 percent)....

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 few weeks ago, we told you about how McDonald’s is bringing some of its most popular international foods stateside. Well, it doesn’t stop there — and you’re going to want to bring your stretchy pants for this one....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Earlier this month Priority Pass added five restaurants to the network at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD). For each restaurant, you receive a $36 AUD ($26.50 USD) credit and simply swipe your Priority Pass card at the register for payment instead of using a credit card or cash. I saw the announcement last week shortly before my flight down to Sydney and was very excited to try out the new benefit during my domestic hop from SYD to Melbourne....

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on May 17, 2017. It was updated with details from a recent trip taken by TPG Credit Cards Editor Benét J. Wilson.A trip to Morocco had been at the top of my travel bucket list for years. As I explored Tangier, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Fes, the Dadès Gorges, Merzouga, and finally, Marrakech, I was most impressed by the diversity of this fascinating country, especially its varied geography and dynamic people....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Offer expired October 24, 2012.Today only, American Express is offering a 75,000-point bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply for the Amex Business Gold charge card, and spend $10,000 within 4 months. Every few months, they seem to offer this, so if you haven’t gotten in on it in the past, now’s your chance. I got in on a similar offer back in May, and think it’s a great deal, especially if you leverage it with Membership Rewards transfer partner bonuses like the 50% British Airways one that happened in May as well....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit CardEach 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:Find out how to get the coveted Southwest Companion Pass quicker thanks to a 50k sign-up bonus....

The New Year often brings resolutions for self-improvement – things like going to the gym more or giving up carbs.Some hotel brands, like Booking.com, have cheered on resolution-ists, but Hotels.com has been firmly anti-resolution – so much so that they created a one-of-a-kind, carb-loaded hotel room complete with a $100 room-service credit.Naturally, we had to book it to see just how carb-loaded this “bread and breakfast” truly was.Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!...

Reader Questions are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.Traveling with a pet can be an incredibly stressful experience for both you and the animal. While you’re worried about getting them from point A to point B in a safe and cheap manner, they’re likely overwhelmed by a plethora of new sights, sounds and smells. TPG reader Joe wants to know what ticket types are allowed to travel with pets …[pullquote source=“TPG READER JOE”]My wife and I are picking up our new puppy in Charlotte and bringing him back to New Jersey....

The first federal act of land protection, signed by President Lincoln in 1864, ceded the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the state of California, “to be held for public use, resort and recreation.” Yellowstone National Park became the world’s first national park in 1872, and on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson’s signature on a Congressional bill established the National Park Service (NPS).In celebration of its centennial, all 412 NPS sites within the National Park system will be fee-free between August 25 and 28 — and not just the 59 national parks, but all monuments, memorials, historical parks and sites, scenic rivers and trails, lake and seashores, military parks and battlefields as well....

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 German Air Force Airbus A340 carrying Chancellor Angela Merkel made an emergency landing on Thursday in Cologne, after experiencing unspecified “electrical problems” on the way to Argentina. Merkel will miss the opening ceremony of the G-20 summit of the 20 most industrialized nations as a consequence....

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 from Addis Ababa (ADD) to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday, killing all 157 passengers and crew on board. This was the second crash involving a 737 MAX aircraft in the last few months, and it bears a striking resemblance to the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people in October. Not only were both flights operated by relatively new 737 MAX aircraft, but both crashes occurred shortly after takeoff after the pilots failed to maintain a steady climb....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.On Friday, J.P. Morgan Chase revealed that credit card customers who redeemed the bank’s points “faster than anticipated” cost it $330 million in the second quarter of 2018.“This is maybe larger than we have seen over the course of the last several years,” Chase CFO Marianne Lake told reporters. “We do pretty regularly review our rewards liability in light of evolving consumer behavior....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to travel....