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Last month at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced it would be ordering 50 Airbus A350-900s. Those aircraft will start to enter the fleet in 2023 alongside 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.The question on many TPG readers’ minds was: Would Emirates put its famed first class suite on those new aircraft?Unfortunately for ultraluxury travel fans, the airline will likely not install first class on the 80 aircraft, Emirates CEO Tim Clark told Executive Traveler....

If you were planning on having lounge access because you bought a premium seat with Norwegian, think again. The low-cost carrier made lounge access only available to PremiumFlex passengers as of Dec. 21, 2018.However, those who bought a bought a Premium ticket before Norwegian made these changes will still have lounge access.“Premium customers traveling on flexible tickets receive complimentary lounge access at selected airports in addition to all Premium bookings made before December, 21 2018, as per the original terms of their ticket,” a Norwegian spokesperson said....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.One of the most frustrating restrictions of points and miles is that many programs institute a use-or-lose expiration policy to their rewards. Although United has just announced that its miles won’t expire anymore – ever – there are still tons of people who have already lost their hard-earned miles to expiration. Though United has confirmed to us that those whose miles expired in July or August will receive all their miles back, free of charge, the rest of us aren’t so lucky....

On a freezing cold night in Apatity — a city in Murmansk Oblast, Russia — Valentin Zhiganov was photographing two women in a hot tub with the northern lights dancing in the sky above. That’s when he noticed another striking natural phenomenon, the Daily Mail reported.There were vertical light pillars, extending from the horizon into the auroras, visible above the northwestern Russian city.(Photo by Valentin Zhiganov/Caters News)Zhiganov said the sight is pretty rare — especially when the pillars reach such heights....

Airlines are flying very few passengers and near-empty aircraft these days, courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic.A captain for a large international carrier told me he recently flew a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Los Angeles. His aircraft normally seats 255 passengers, but there were only 25 on board. Separately, a first officer for a U.S. carrier said in an email there were three passengers on her most recent flight.In an era where airlines have typically 85% of their seats full with paying passengers, these numbers are unheard of....

With the final hours of 2019 about to draw in, it’s almost time to take off into a new year of travels and adventures.At TPG, we’re all about travel goals — and TPG U.K. is no different. From ticking off new countries, earning airline elite status and finding ways to travel more sustainably, there’s surely something in our goals to inspire your travel planning for the coming year.Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips!...

This week, TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig is reporting live from the Paris Air Show. During a tour of Qatar’s brand-new Airbus A350, he was able to photograph a flight attendant rest facility — read on to see what it’s like.If you’ve traveled on a long-haul flight on a twin-aisle aircraft, you may have noticed that the crew appears to thin out significantly after the first meal service. But with passengers occupying all of the seats, where in the world do they go?...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG Reader Dana tweeted me to ask about earning points for gas and grocery expenses:@thepointsguy — “Which flexible points card should I pair with the Chase Sapphire Preferred to maximize rewards in the gas & grocery categories?“For me, the clear answer is the American Express Everyday Preferred card, because you earn 3 points per dollar on groceries and 2 points per dollar on gas, plus you can get a 50% bonus if you have 30 or more transactions per month....

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.On family trips, parents want kids to be happy and entertained and kids want full-throttle fun. Is it possible to combine “sleek contemporary designs” with immersive cartoon character experiences and “Easter egg type surprises for kids”? The folks at Palace Entertainment think so as they have released plans for the world’s first Cartoon Network Hotel....

For many passengers, getting to the airport hours early just to hang out is a concept as foreign as some of their destinations. They’re eager to arrive at the terminal with just enough time to check in, pass through security and make their way to the gate — and with mediocre, overpriced food, crowded gate areas and a frequent shortage of power outlets, who could blame them? But some demand more, and are happy to pay for the privilege....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Every fall, just as the peak summer travel season is winding down, you start to hear an awful lot about holiday travel plans.Yes, even though it’s still a balmy 75 degrees outside, it’s time to start making arrangements to visit family for Thanksgiving dinner; to fly home (or as far away from home as possible) for the December holidays and to figure out exactly where on Earth you want to ring in the New Year....

If you’re hoping for that middle seat to stay empty as you fly to your spring getaway, think again.Planes will be packed during spring break vacations this year as the number of US air passengers is set to increase 4.3% this spring, an all-time high for the season, according to industry group Airlines for America.A4A predicts a recording-breaking 158.2 million passengers – about 2.59 million per day – will fly globally on US airlines between March 1 and April 30....

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident that occurred at Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport (LAS) in which an on-duty air traffic controller became incapacitated sometime during the first hour of the shift. The incapacitated person was the only air traffic controller in the cab of the airport’s tower at the time. The incident required aircraft to operate independently of the air traffic control tower instead of the control tower contacting aircraft directly....

We’ve covered elite status at various airlines and hotels, including series on American, Delta, United and US Airways, as well as hotel-program comparisons, and the ways in which airlines try to one-up each other’s elite strategies, but have you ever wondered if there’s something more elite than elite? Like the black card of hotels and mileage memberships, there are invitation-only elite statuses that give you carte blanche to a whole world of travel perks that aren’t made available to the general public - or even other elites....

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.Update: Unfortunately Air Serbia has pulled the fare, roughly 40 minutes after we published. Congrats to anyone who was able to book this deal!Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.American Express is adding to the value of its premium credit cards. The issuer announced on Thursday that it’s extending access to the Lufthansa Lounge Program, offering complimentary access when eligible cardholders are traveling through Munich (MUC) or Frankfurt (FRA).Beginning June 1, premium cardholders (those that hold the Platinum Card® from American Express, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express or the Centurion Cards) will have access to select Lufthansa lounges....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase FreedomTPG reader Suzanne tweeted me to ask:@thepointsguy – “For next quarter, is it better to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and earn 2X on dining plus the 7% dividend, or use the Chase Freedom for 5X?“To be a real points pro, you need to learn how to maximize the earning of points, not just redeeming....

When it comes to testing the limits at TSA, Chrissy Teigen (TV show host, model, cookbook author, mythic Twitter presence, frequent flier — you know her) is no stranger.Yesterday, via a series of tweets, Teigen introduced the internet to a new game (or an old, decidedly not-fun game for many of us frequent travelers) called “Will It Fly?” It’s pretty self-explanatory, however, the “it” in question this time is a Tupperware of thick, meaty gravy....

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 you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitzor Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points....

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....