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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.Now that the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro have officially ended, it’s time to look ahead to Tokyo 2020 — Japan is a nation known for its technological innovations, and the city’s Olympic games are sure to uphold that reputation....

I’ve always been a Starwood fan and have spent many years staying in properties from its different brands – I’m even a Lifetime Platinum member. The St. Regis is luxury (almost) perfected, and I always enjoy a solid Westin or Le Meridien stay. Even Sheraton has surprised me recently — Starwood seems to be upgrading the chain by refreshing its clubs and improving service. I’ve also stayed many times at W properties, enjoying the trendiness and youthful vibe of the hotels....

Okay, so hate may be a strong word, but in the spirit of balanced reporting, I wanted to do a counter post to my “5 Things I Love About Domestic First Class” post. While it was much easier to come up with things I loved, these negative points do represent the things I dislike most:1) The sense of entitlement. Many people feel that the sole act of sitting in a first class seat makes it okay to be a jerk....

One of the nice perks of top-tier American Airlines Executive Platinum status is the ability to change your flight for free via American Airlines’ Same Day Flight Change benefit. Starting February 1, 2018, that same benefit will be extended to AA’s Platinum Pro elites.For those unfamiliar, Platinum Pro is American Airlines’ newest elite level and requires members to have earned 9,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars and either fly 75,000 Elite Qualifying Miles or 90 Elite Qualifying Segments....

One of the world’s largest credit card issuers is doing away with what was once a hallmark of the credit card experience. Monday, American Express announced that it would be eliminating signature requirements from its cards globally. Starting April 2018, whenever an Amex customer swipes their card, they will no longer need to sign a receipt for the merchant.Amex says signatures, originally a way to fight fraud, have become irrelevant to credit card security....

In an email sent out to American Express cardholders this morning, the issuer has announced a series of customer friendly improvements including the option to freeze your card.This new tool will come in handy if you’ve temporarily misplaced your card — maybe you left if behind at a restaurant or are positive it’s in your apartment, but you just can’t seem to find it. Now you can freeze your card until you find it instead of calling the bank, canceling your card and waiting a few days for a new one to come in the mail....

TPG reader Michelle sent me a message on Facebook to ask:“Do balance transfers between credit cards give you points, and if yes, which do you recommend?“Carrying credit card balances can be precarious, because any amount you pay in fees or interest can negate the value of the points and miles you earn, and it can damage your credit store as well. One of the biggest factors in your FICO score is the ratio of how much debt you carry each month to your total available credit....

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.Have you ever had to send a restaurant entree back to the kitchen? Cathay Pacific has you beat. The Hong Kong-based carrier recently had to send back an entire plane for a livery update after an unknown culprit prominently missed a letter in the airline’s name....

It’s been nearly 20 years since Joy Behar was part of the debut of the morning talk show “The View.” Here, the veteran comedian discusses how American travelers will be received overseas during the Trump era, reveals her favorite weekend getaway and shares why she avoids red-eye flights. As always, we should note that the views of celebrities do not represent those of The Points Guy.What was your favorite trip?Years ago, we went to Germany for Oktoberfest....

The Senate voted on Tuesday night to overturn a rule that would allow consumers to sue banks in large groups. The 51-50 vote, with the deciding one tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Mike Pence, overturns a rule set by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The vote is considered to be the most significant legislative victory for the financial industry so far in the Trump era.The CFPB rule was announced in July and was expected to take effect in March 2018....

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.Delta has announced that facial recognition technology is making its way to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer. The airline will be introducing four self-service bag drop machines, one of which will include technology that confirms the traveler’s identity by matching a picture of their face with their passport photo....

This week, thousands of tech and electronic aficionados kicked off the annual Consumer Electronics Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The four-day event, which began Tuesday, January 9, introduces new and upcoming electronics to the public. Companies like Google, Mercedes-Benz, LG and Intel are a few of the big-names to feature products at this year’s event.While the daily events typically wrap up around 6pm, some of the exhibitors took to the Las Vegas Strip to show off some of their coolest and most innovate products after hours....

Good news for those of you looking to boost your British Airways Executive Club account or to book short-haul flights on American Airlines. Now through December 15, you’ll get 300 Iberia Avios for every 250 Membership Rewards points transferred.The offer terms and conditions note that “Transfers should be complete in 4 to 7 days.” But, don’t fret if you’re in a hurry to book. American Express Membership Rewards points typically transfer instantaneously to Iberia mileage accounts....

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 posted about the 1,000 point Delta/Fedex offer in January: 1,000 free SkyMiles just for signing up for their service (no purchase necessary). There was some confusion about having to send shipments, but I can confirm it does not require any shipments or purchases....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Earn up to 20,000 miles to Sydney or Tokyo-Narita.Corporate Travelers Earn Up To 20,000 Miles To Sydney Or Tokyo-Narita: Delta launched a promotion that awards flyers with bonus miles when traveling in BusinesElite between New York (JFK) and Tokyo-Narita (NRT) or between Los Angeles (LAX) and Sydney (SYD). SkyMiles members will earn 5,000 bonus miles for each segment flown (up to 20,000 miles) for flights booked now though May 26, 2013 for travel by June 26, 2013....

A new wild video posted to social media reveals a near miss between an American Airlines aircraft and van on the runway in Branson, Missouri.On June 27, 2018, American Airlines flight 3360, operated by Envoy Air, was scheduled to depart from Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) en route to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) at 12:41pm.During its takeoff roll, the Embraer 145, which was carrying 50 passengers and three crew members, nearly hit an airport operations vehicle while it crossed a runway....

Until July 31, 2011, you can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards Points to British Airways for a 50% bonus (see my original post for more details). Delta also has a 50% bonus for first time transferees that includes a 25,000 elite mile bonus when you transfer 100,000 or more miles, which is valid until September 30, 2011 (See that post here). Since many of you are rolling in Membership Rewards points due to bumping your Platinum card sign-up bonuses to 100,000, I’ve been getting a lot of queries on which transfer bonus is better....

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’m a big fan of the Flying Blue frequent flyer program. As an Amex 1:1 transfer partner, I find that having the option of the Flying Blue airlines to be extremely useful at times, even though they do have relatively high fees on awards (often $250+)....

Welcome to Caribbean Comeback, in which TPG shines a post-hurricane, pre-season spotlight on the region. Stay tuned for more stories throughout the week, and be sure to share tips in the comments if you’re planning an upcoming trip.Within the past two months, hurricanes have clobbered the Caribbean, causing widespread devastation to destinations popular with American travelers, just ahead of high season. It might seem superficial to be thinking about how holiday travel might be affected while residents are still struggling without water, power and mainland leadership, but tourism is a massive economic engine for the Caribbean, and the act of traveling there this winter will be one way vacationers can help fuel relief efforts — especially as so many islands continue to rebuild....

Similar to big holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, Halloween is becoming a season for travel in and of itself. In a New York Times article, George Aguel, president and chief executive of Visit Orlando, agreed, noting: “Halloween’s almost looking more and more like one of the most significant holidays of the year.“Cities across the country celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with everything from extravagant festivals to haunted tours. Whether your family is looking for a new trick-or-treat destination or a fun-filled costume parade, these seven Halloween celebrations deliver endless entertainment for kids and parents alike....