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Hyatt’s Gold Passport program has been a favorite of many award travelers thanks to relatively affordable award nights and valuable perks like Diamond Suite Upgrades. Well, for better or worse, the hotel chain’s shaking things up — today it was announced that a new World of Hyatt program will replace Gold Passport on March 1, 2017, and it will bring several changes that favor big spenders and top-tier elites.We have the full scoop on the new World of Hyatt program in this post, but here’s the Cliffs Notes version:The new program will do away with the option to qualify based on stays; now you’ll qualify for Hyatt elite status based on number of nights or — and this is the new part — number of points (with points earned at a rate of 5 per dollar, plus any elite bonus for which you’re eligible based on your status)....

Expo is shorthand for “World’s Exposition,” the more recent incarnation of the World’s Fair. TPG Contributor Leigh Rowan recently visited this year’s Expo, held in Milan, Italy, and here are his top tips for what to see in one day, how to get there, what to eat and more.If your travel plans will bring you through Milan, Italy now through October 31, 2015, consider making the Milan Expo 2015 part of your itinerary....

Washington DC is full of iconic monuments, memorials, museums, and buildings. I strongly encourage every American family to try and visit, at least once. Of course the White House is one of the most iconic buildings in the nation, but most just view it from the street behind the gates on Pennsylvania Avenue. That’s a decent view, but did you know you can go inside the White House?You can get a better view than this!...

Editor’s Note: The original version of this story incorrectly referred to the changes to the Hyatt Place breakfast policy as a positive. In fact, breakfast is being removed as a benefit for general Hyatt Place customers and will only be available to World of Hyatt members who book direct, which is a significant devaluation for travelers who prefer to book hotel rooms through online travel agencies and other third party booking options....

Airline callsigns seem to fall into two categories. There are the ones that are simply the airline’s name — “Lufthansa 732 Heavy” or “American 1094.”And there are the more elegant callsigns, like “Speedbird” for British Airways flights, Aer Lingus’ “Shamrock,” or “Dynasty” for China Airlines.Then there’s “Janet.”It’s a callsign shrouded in mystery, for an airline that really isn’t an airline, with a fleet that bears no logos, based in plain sight of everyone flying into, driving by, or sitting in a hotel room overlooking Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport....

TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen recently flew Cathay Pacific’s acclaimed business class from Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angeles (LAX) aboard a Boeing 777-300ER — here’s his review of the experience.Cathay Pacific has one of the best reputations in the airline business, thanks to stellar service, a fairly young fleet and great premium cabins. It’s also been in the news lately thanks to the roll-out of new livery and announcements about a business-class refresh on its new A350s and 777-300ERs....

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.Star Alliance member Copa Airlines announced it would be offering up to 25% off flights when paying with a Visa card. The deal is good for flights booked through November 25, 2015 for travel between October 23, 2015, and February 16, 2016....

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.I’ve really enjoyed watching my site grow over the past 6 months. What started as a small project on the side has taken a life of its own and I find myself looking forward to the comments and emails I get every day....

This February, Qatar Airways took delivery of the world’s first Airbus A350-1000 — the extended-length version of the A350-900, which also launched with Qatar, back in 2015.TPG and I had an opportunity to join the first -1000’s delivery flight to Doha (DOH), where we tried out the plane’s fantastic Qsuite business class. (See Inside the First Airbus A350-1000, With Qatar’s Qsuite Business Class for a closer look at the cabin.)This month, the airline took delivery of its second A350-1000 and flew it out to the Farnborough Air Show to show off the plane to aviation enthusiasts from around the world....

A few years ago, it was revealed that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed to detect over 95% of potential threats, leading to the ousting of TSA Director Melvin Carraway. Well, you can rest easy now as the TSA has improved that number to… 94.4%. At least at one airport.In a recent test of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), the TSA reportedly failed to detect threats such as “explosive materials, fake weapons or drugs” in 17 of 18 cases....

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.If you’re a fan of waiting in hour-long first-class security lines, Delta’s JFK checkpoints probably rank near the top of your “bucket list” — excruciating waits are the norm there, even for premium-cabin passengers and elites.But as GodSaveThePoints notes in a recent blog post, savvy travelers have an interesting trick up their sleeves when it comes to avoiding Terminal 4’s absurdly long queues....

Aircraft lightning strikes are a fascinating and terrifying sight. That said, they’re common enough that aircraft are designed to suffer minimal to no damage from the surge of electricity passing over the skin of the aircraft. However, catching strikes on video is much rarer.But one aviation videographer got incredibly lucky to get one on film last week in Amsterdam. According to the YouTube video description, the electrified aircraft was KLM flight 743 taking off from Amsterdam (AMS), beginning a 6,532-mile journey to Lima, Peru (LIM)....

Our “Your Layover Guide” series features airports and destinations around the world where you’re likely to be stuck between flights, offering tips on navigating and spending time in the airport, as well as some things to do if you find yourself with time to explore the nearby city. Today, TPG Contributor Nicholas du Pont guides us through Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport.Alitalia aircraft lined up at Fiumicino. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock....

TPG Contributor Amber Gibson is a Chicago native and still calls The Windy City home. Here, she shares why it’s a good idea to visit this summer — you know, when it’s not frigid and snowing. Follow along with Amber’s adventures on Instagram.It’s always a good time to visit the Windy City — well, maybe not in the dead of winter, but you know what I mean. There’s a lot going on lately, like the opening of a new and improved Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, and as always this time of year, a ton of free concerts in Millennium Park....

Just like an airplane, music has the ability to transport you to a totally different time and place: Shut your eyes. Take a breath. And off you go.This year, TPG is celebrating the confluence of travel and music with the release of The 2018 Points Guy Sound Tracks, focused on artists from global destinations where TPG hopes to make a difference with charitable works and content programming this year.We’re launching our new initiative with a private party in New York on January 23, the week of the Grammy Awards....

When Apple launched the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch and latest iPad back in September, the company also announced that it would launch a mobile payment system called Apple Pay in October. Well, it’s October, and Apple Pay has launched, so I asked TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen to look into the benefits and drawbacks of this new payment option, and help readers learn how to use it.Apple Pay is here!...

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – IHG Rewards Club Select Credit CardTPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig discusses his experience earning IHG Spire Elite status without completing a single hotel stay.This morning, I woke up to find a surprise email from IHG welcoming me to the program’s new top tier, Spire Elite. Naturally, I was a bit puzzled by the promotion — I’ve never credited a stay to this account, though the welcome email said “You’ve chosen IHG many times along the way, and we appreciate that more than you know....

Officials in Honolulu passed legislation on Wednesday that would put a cap on the amount ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft can charge during so-called “surge pricing,” or high-demand periods with increased prices.The lawmakers say this pricing limitation is the first of its kind in the US.The legislation would not allow the ride-sharing startups to charge surge prices that are higher than the maximum fare set by the city. Within that limit, the companies will still be able to charge surge pricing....

My recent trip to visit Airbus in Toulouse, France got off to a very bad start when I accidentally started a fire in my hotel room. But let’s back up a bit…A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to join Singapore Airlines for a A350 delivery flight from Toulouse, France to Singapore. It wasn’t Singapore’s first A350 — it was its sixth — but this just so happened to be the 10,000th airplane Airbus has ever delivered, so naturally it was a very big deal....

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.Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – The Hyatt Credit CardHyatt is offering cardholders of the Hyatt Credit Card the opportunity to earn a $50 statement credit after spending more than $500 at US Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts with the card....