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This is an installment in my Istanbul: End of Year Mileage Run with Dad series. Posts include; Cheap Istanbul Flights: From $576 Total Roundtrip on Delta from JFK, Help Plan My Long Weekend in Istanbul, Flight Review: Alitalia JFK-Rome in Coach, Hotel Review: Westin Excelsior Rome, Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Istanbul Spa Room, Istanbul Eats and Excursions.For my long weekend in Istanbul with my dad, I decided to stay at the Park Hyatt Istanbul since I had heard many good things and I just generally love Park Hyatt hotels (see my past reports at PH Paris, Buenos Aires, DC and Tokyo)....

Emirates is currently in the process of retrofitting its fleet of 10 777-200LRs, the long-range version of Boeing’s popular 772. As part of that $150 million renovation, the carrier is removing its first-class suites, and replacing the 2-3-2 angle-flat business seats with a much improved 2-2-2 lie-flat version.It’s a huge upgrade for biz travelers on some of Emirates’ longest flights, including Dubai (DXB) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Santiago, Chile (SCL)....

At some point you’ve probably flown into John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (JFK). Or Ronald Reagan National in Washington D.C. (DCA). Or even Bob Hope Airport, more commonly known as Burbank (BUR). But have you ever flown to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai?If a proposal currently under consideration in India becomes official policy, you might never make it to Shivaji, or Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi or any other airport in the country named after a person....

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 year ago, La Compagnie revealed that it would be ordering a pair of Airbus A321neo aircraft to shuttle passengers between Paris (ORY) and Newark (EWR) in comfort. Now, the all-business-class airline is shedding more light on how those planes will be outfitted....

It’s a common occurrence — you’re in an Uber or Lyft and you feel like your driver is taking an inefficient route. You may want to suggest a better way to go but you’d feel rude piping up.Well Lyft is introducing a new feature that may solve just that problem. Mashable reports that the ridesharing company is testing a feature that allows riders to give real-time feedback about your trip in the company’s app....

The Mexican company that leased the aircraft involved in one of the deadliest plane crashes in Cuba’s history is blaming the tragedy on the two deceased pilots rather than maintenance issues on the 39-year-old Boeing 737-200.Global Air, the Mexican airline that wet leased the 737 to Cuba’s national flag carrier, Cubana de Aviación, said on Monday that the crash near Havana’s Jose Marti Airport (HAV) in May happened because the pilots’ takeoff angle was too steep....

On November 1, American Airlines suspended its catering relationship with Gate Gourmet in Los Angeles (LAX) after routine testing found listeria in the catering facility. Gate Gourmet confirmed that “traces of listeria in non-food contact areas, primarily floor drains” and that “all floor drains and surrounding areas were immediately and aggressively treated.” No sicknesses have been reported from Gate Gourmet catering since this discovery.In the immediate wake of this discovery, American Airlines stood alone in suspending catering services....

Despite ongoing political strife in the region, Qatar Airways continues to make an effort to uphold its reputation as one of the world’s top carriers. It just launched its revolutionary and ultra-spacious Qsuite cabin, and has invested in premium pre-order dining service and top-notch on-board products and services.On Monday, Qatar released a new series of limited-edition kits for premium passengers. First and business-class passengers on upcoming long-haul flights can look for a new Bric limited-edition amenity bag created exclusively for the airline....

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.Last week, we shared the news of Hyatt’s upcoming bonus points promotion, called Stay More Play More. As part of this promo, which runs from April 1 (this Friday) through June 30, 2016, you can earn up to 75,000 bonus points for eligible stays, including nights at M Life partner properties....

In the new race among space tourism companies, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic seems to keep inching closer to the goal of bringing visitors to the final frontier.Earlier this year, Branson said Virgin Galactic was just “two or three more flights” away from reaching space.And on Thursday, Virgin Galactic successfully checked off another one of those test flights. During that test launch, the company’s Unity rocket reportedly went faster and higher than ever before....

Budget carrier Ryanair said it would cancel 190 flights across Europe on Friday due to more employee strikes.The airline said the canceled flights will affect 30,000 passengers, all of whom have been notified of the disruption via email or text. Friday’s cancellations represent about 8% of the airline’s total European operations.Employee unions with the Ireland-based carrier will be striking in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Since May and through the summer, Ryanair has faced extensive staff demonstrations from its pilots and cabin crews protesting working conditions across Europe....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from the week.Get 25% off economy tickets on Virgin when buying with points.25% Percent Off Economy Awards With Virgin Flying Club: Almost all routes are discounted by 25% on Virgin Atlantic when you redeem your Virgin Flying Club miles for economy travel by January 27, 2014. Blackout dates are between April 4-21,2014 and July 16-September 2, 2014. The airline is also running a 25% buy miles bonus through February 10, but remember, you can convert American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin – these transfer immediately as long as your Amex and Virgin accounts are already linked....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from the week:Save 5,000 miles on roundtrip award tickets to/from Las Vegas and Los Angeles.American Airlines Offers 2,500 Mile Discounts On Award Tickets From Los Angeles and Las Vegas: American Airlines has an economy award discount of 2,500 miles for one-way awards or 5,000 miles roundtrip awards from/to Los Angeles and Las Vegas for flights within the continental US. This promotion is valid between February 6 and April 4, 2014, but the ticket must be issued by February 27....

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.TAP Portugal is commemorating the first anniversary of its popular Portugal Stopover program with an A330-300 aircraft sporting a special livery. And, it’s making an improvement to the program by offering travelers the option of a longer stay....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite MastercardToday’s Thursday Giveaway goes out to all you music lovers out there. The good folks at Citibank have offered me two tickets to an exclusive Citi Private Pass event in January that’s sure to make any Motown fan swoon.Citi Private Pass offers cardholders exclusive access to events.Like many of the other premium Citi credit cards, the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Mastercard - which I just got myself back in October when the bonus went up to 60,000 miles when you spend $5,000 in 3 months - offers cardholders exclusive access to events such as concerts, sports games and family events, and one of the upcoming musical concerts features The Temptations and the Four Tops....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – United MileagePlus Explorer CardUnited’s currently offering a buy miles promotion that allows you to earn up to a 75% bonus when you purchase miles through October 31. Given that UA miles are now a bit more affordable, we’re offering you the chance to win 20,000 United miles in this week’s Thursday Giveaway. Your winnings can be used to purchase a one-way award ticket on the airline, or simply can boost your MileagePlus balance and bring you that much closer to your dream business-class trip....

In response to the defeat of Austin Proposition 1 on Saturday, Uber and Lyft have shut down operations in Austin.Both companies cite the Austin City Council actions in their decision. Lyft says that it “cannot operate in Austin” while Uber states “we simply cannot operate under the City’s new rules.“However, neither company is actually banned from the city. While the City Council did vote in more regulations for the companies, both are currently operating in other cities with the same regulations....

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 frequent reader of this site, chances are you’ve managed to take an international trip or two. And you probably stressed about staying connected before, during or after your overseas adventure — perhaps all three, if you came back to a hefty bill....

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.Low-cost carrier WOW Air has been steadily expanding its route network between various cities in North America and Iceland. With its low fares — starting at $99 one-way — it’s no surprise that the airline has become a popular option for US-based passengers looking to travel to Reykjavik and beyond....

If you’re a procrastinator like me, you probably haven’t done much holiday shopping. The good thing is that Christmas isn’t until next week, so there is still a little bit of time to squeeze in a few last-minute presents for the travelers in your life. Here are a couple of my personal suggestions for the uber traveler in your life, but comment with your own as well!A Tumi roller carry on is both stylish and utilitarian....