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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.American Express operates seven Centurion lounges in the US, and most have gotten rave reviews. Could the American Express international lounge at Sydney Airport keep up? The verdict is: Not exactly, but it’s still worth a visit.IntroductionThe lounge is easy to find, with signs throughout the terminal, an icon on the digital map kiosks and a huge billboard perched over the security lines....

Qantas Frequent Flyer has been in the points and miles news a lot recently. On May 31, Qantas became the 19th airline partner of American Express Membership Rewards. A few days later, the partnership kicked off in style with a 20% transfer bonus now through June 30.And now, there’s yet another bit of good news for those looking to book Qantas awards. Qantas just launched a 30% discount flash sale for economy awards....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers hereTPG reader Ben sent me a message on Facebook for help deciding between rewards credit cards:“I just recently got the Sapphire Preferred card, but now I’m interested in applying for the new Sapphire Reserve card. If I’m approved, does it make sense to keep both?“Since it was formally announced just a few weeks ago, the new Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has been making waves in the travel rewards universe....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Citi is TPG advertising partner.The Citi Double Cash Card is now offering a sign-up bonus. The card is back with a public sign-up bonus offer of $100 cash back after you spend $500 in the first three months of account opening.According to the terms and conditions of this particular offer, you’re not eligible for the $100 sign-up bonus if you’ve opened or closed the card within the past 24 months....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Earlier this year, my wife and I were craving sunshine. So we booked a long weekend trip to Miami with our kids and two friends and their infant daughter. The goal was to find somewhere close to the beach at a reasonable price but not too close to the busiest part of South Beach. After lots of searching, we settled on the Confidante, a property previously known as the Thompson Miami Beach until Hyatt acquired it in March 2016....

We’re partnering with Capital One on our Purposeful Travel Hub. If you have unique ways you like to pay it forward when you travel or just love exploring new places with family and friends, we want to hear about it. Share your most treasured travel moments and purposeful travel tips with us using #MeaningfulMoments.TPG staff members travel for any number of reasons: to review flights and hotels, to report travel features, to reap the benefits of our hard-earned points and miles....

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.While United Airlines usually leads the industry with its mobile app, this time the carrier’s playing catch-up. As of this week, the United app sports a handy new elite-credit tracker, making it easy to see how far you’ve come (and have yet to go) towards qualifying for status — either for the first time, or yet again....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.United is back with a new award sale, this time to Hawaii. You can fly the carrier from as little as 36,000 United miles round-trip from the mainland US to the Hawaiian Islands.Right now, the sale is only open to United premier members and United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card holders. It opens to everyone else Wednesday (March 14)....

For travelers, the effects of melting glaciers may seem incremental. But for the people who live in the region, the consequences could be devastating.If trekking in the Himalayas is on your bucket list, you might want to go sooner rather than later. The effects of climate change in the Arctic and Antarctica have been well documented by organizations like the National Snow & Ice Data Center, but a new report released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development — an intergovernmental research organization based in Nepal — has brought to light the detrimental effects climate change is having on the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Today I want to share a story from TPG reader Lauren, who used points to save a bundle on hotels. Here’s what she had to say:Like millions of other Americans, the first weekend in May I turn on the TV, fix myself a drink and watch the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby. Since my birthday is in late May, going to the Derby has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Starwood Preferred Guest® Preferred Credit Card from American Express, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Chase Sapphire Preferred CardThere have been many great posts on different blogs in recent weeks about 2012 miles and points credit card strategies. I think it is awesome to learn how others are maximizing what is in their wallet, as I know it helps me evaluate if I am maximizing what is in my wallet (or in my safe, in most cases)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Update 5/8/18 1:00pm ET: As One Mile at a Time reports, you can find more Lufthansa First availability on additional routes through LifeMiles and KrisFlyer. LifeMiles is showing availability on Lufthansa’s Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA) route, as well as between Washington Dulles (IAD) and FRA and finally between New York (JFK) and Munich (MUC).Last month, Lufthansa opened more of its first class award space to some of its partners, allowing travelers to book more than 15 days in advance of travel....

Though the world lost Anthony Bourdain on June 8, 2018, he left behind a lasting legacy.The chef, writer and television personality was working on a new book with his longtime assistant and friend, Laurie Woolever, when he died, People Magazine reported this week. Woolever shepherded the book through to completion, though much of the book was written by Bourdain.Called “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide,” the book will include essays from Bourdain’s friends and family, as well as “essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid,” according to the publisher....

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.TPG reader Kar Min sent me a message on Facebook to ask about earning Starpoints:“Can I book rooms at two different Starwood hotels at the same time and earn points for both stays? Does it matter if I’m the one checking in/out, or if my card is used to pay for each room?”While you generally can’t accrue frequent flyer miles on another person’s fare, some hotel programs offer extra rewards when you book more than one room....

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 that 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....

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.Most legacy carriers have moved to revenue-based mileage-earning programs, significantly devaluing each program in the process. In a way, Spirit Airlines has followed suit for the month of August — although this promotion works a bit differently than the rest of the carriers....

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.Google has updated its Maps app in such a way that allows users to use the service as a discovery tool in addition to relying on it for directions. Available now on desktop, as well as Android and iOS devices, the maps now show “Areas of Interest,” which aim to make it easier for people to find restaurants, bars and cultural attractions that are in close proximity....