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.There’s going to be a ton of content coming out this week as I continue to expand on my Maximizing Amex series, so I’m taking a bit of a break today. However, I did think it would be fun to do a little virtual Easter egg hunt....
One of the most talked about airliners of the 2018 Farnborough Air Show isn’t even new. Last week, at a surprise event at Airbus’ facility in Toulouse, the manufacturer unveiled its new name for the Bombardier C Series — immediately rebranding it as the Airbus A220.Following the announcement, we not only had a chance to tour the new plane, but with more time on board at Farnborough this week, we were able to capture a video tour of this not-actually-brand-new jet....
Traveling can be stressful, especially when you’ve got young children along for the ride — screaming babies and extra baggage fees can easily turn what might have been an enjoyable travel experience into a nightmare.Thankfully, airlines want to help and many tend to have family-specific policies where little things, like early boarding for families with young kids, can seriously reduce the stress of family travel. Below, we’ve put together a list of the best domestic airlines for families based on variety of factors, among them free seating assignments, free checked bags, kid-friendly food options, early boarding for families, in-flight entertainment just for kids, free stroller and car-seat check and the ability to make changes to an itinerary for free....
Update: United shared the seat map for its new domestic 777-200 configuration, which consists of 336 economy seats in a 3-4-3 configuration and 28 first-class seats in a cramped 2-4-2 configuration, rather than the 2-2-2 previously expected. Here’s a screenshot of the seat map, courtesy of @AirlineFlyer.United currently operates a 747 on a domestic route and plans to add an internationally configured 777 flying EWR-LAX soon as well, but the carrier also flies 777s within the US in a special domestic configuration, that’s about to get a bit more… special....
The European Union warned Airbnb on Monday that its business practices must comply with the EU’s regulations, after a review of the home-sharing company’s terms and conditions reportedly found several violations.Specifically, Airbnb is under fire for the way it presents its rental prices, and some of the San Francisco-based startup’s other terms were found to be in violation of the EU’s unfair commercial practices directive, the unfair contract terms directive and the regulation on jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters, an EU executive told Reuters....
India’s skies are filling up quickly with airplanes. Its domestic air market grew at a jaw-dropping 17.4% rate from 2016 to 2017. Currently it’s a market of around 120 million flyers, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects that number to grow to 278 million by 2026. The world’s best performing airline stock is SpiceJet, a domestic Indian airline, currently up over 570% since the beginning of 2015.The trouble is, India’s airport infrastructure is struggling to keep up....
Alaska Airlines’ announced on Monday it has a new summer menu for its main cabin.Beginning July 16 and running through November 15, Alaska passengers will be able to order off of the summer menu that focuses on ingredients from nearby the airline’s Seattle headquarters. Main cabin customers will also see new craft beers and an “elevated wine program” in later in the fall.Flyers can expect to see popular West Coast produce incorporated into the menu, including artichokes, tomatoes, asparagus, berries and avocados....
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.It’s not just Starwood and Marriott/Anbang making big acquisition news this week — Virgin America is also on the market, and according to a Bloomberg story posted today, two major US carriers (Alaska Airlines and JetBlue) have both expressed serious interest in acquiring the carrier....
Today, TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig digs into two amenity kits he picked up on a recent Lufthansa flight from Munich to New York.On a recent Lufthansa first-class flight, I was able to spend some time in the (fairly empty) business-class cabin. I’ll cover the seats and cabins in an upcoming post, but for now I want to dig into the amenity kits, since there’s always a lot of interest in premium-cabin schwag....
On Wednesday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian committed to never dropping below 31 inches of pitch as long as he is CEO of Delta. Thursday was American Airlines Media and Investor Day, so the question was obvious: Would American CEO Doug Parker commit to never dropping below 30 inches of pitch, the airline’s current lowest?Why not 31 inches? On Thursday, American Airlines took delivery of its first 737 MAX 8 aircraft. This is the one that the airline originally planned to outfit with 29 inches of pitch in some rows before backing off in the face of a public outcry....
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.The travel industry is getting smaller and smaller. Today, Amtrak announced that its CEO Wick Moorman is stepping down at the end of the year. Who’ll be replacing him? None other than former Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson....
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.Been craving a loaded burrito lately? So much so that you went to Chipotle and used a credit card to make your purchase. (Of course you did — for the points!) Well, Chipotle is now informing customers that there was a potential credit card breach in its systems....
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.What do you do with a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 that flew its first of 76,808 hours way back in 1975? You’d yank off any salvageable parts and recycle the rest. Delta, however, has something else in mind.The airline just announced on Twitter that it’s launched an eBay auction to distribute what’s left of the DC-9 to fans — in the form of a $250 metal gift card with a unique number, between 1 and 2,500....
Airlines around the world launch and announce dozens of new flight routes and service changes every month. Today, we’ll share just a few of the latest flights that have taken to the skies this month, or will in the near future. Keep in mind that exact flight details (like schedules and aircraft, among other things) may change.NEW ROUTES LAUNCHED IN APRIL 2018American Airlines Adds More Domestic Routes (launched April 3)Flying to Philly from New York just got easier....
So far in his series about his round-the-world trip, TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen has written about his tips for visiting Myanmar and his experiences in the country’s largest city, Yangon, as well as tips for planning domestic travel within Myanmar. Today he reviews the flights he took to the other destinations he visited in the country.I spent a week total in Myanmar - three days in Yangon and then two each in Bagan and at Inle Lake....
This is an installment in my series on my January 2012 trip to China. Posts include: Help Me Plan My Trip To China, Flight Review: American Airlines 777 International Business Class to Beijing, Hotel Review: St. Regis Beijing, Beijing Overview: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Peking Deck, A Great Day at the Great Wall of China, Flight Review: Air China 777 Domestic Business Class, Hotel Review: Andaz Shanghai, Trip Report: Terra Cotta Warriors and a Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, Hotel Review: Sheraton Xian, and My China Trip Wrap Up: China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and the Westin Beijing....
“Reader Questions” are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.Nowadays airlines try to sell their premium-cabin seats as much as possible, rather than give them away to elite members. So when TPG reader Rafi was offered a chance to pay for an upgrade, it prompted a question about points and miles…[pullquote source=“TPG Reader Rafi”]About a week before my domestic Delta flight, Delta offered me a $65 upgrade to first class....
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.Pakistan International Airlines, or PIA, is rolling out a full rebranding, including a new livery. In the Pakistani flag carrier’s rebranding video, the new livery is projected on a jet that the carrier doesn’t have in its fleet....
Well, after an eventful evening of awards and fun at the Renaissance Newark, the results of the Freddies Awards were announced. There were a few guaranteed winners, a few surprise upsets, some surprising omissions (Hyatt Gold Passport!) and a lot of miles-related jokes courtesy of celebrity host, Robert Wuhl. Here’s how it came out.AIRLINESBest Customer ServiceAmericas: American Airlines AAdvantageEurope/Africa: Lufthansa Miles & MoreMiddle East/Asia/Oceania: Jet Airways JetPrivilegeBest Elite ProgramAmericas: American Airlines AAdvantageEurope/Africa: Air Baltic Baltic MilesMiddle East/Asia/Oceania: Etihad GuestBest Loyalty Credit CardAmericas: Delta SkyMiles AmexEurope/Africa: Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Garanti CardMiddle East/Asia/Oceania: Etihad Guest Above VisaProgram of the YearAmericas: American Airlines AAdvantageEurope/Africa: Turkish Airlines Miles & SmilesMiddle East/Asia/Oceania: Jet Airways Jet PrivilegeBest Promotion for RedemptionAmericas: Delta “Travel in Style for Half the Miles"Europe/Africa: Lufthansa Miles & More “Upgrade Discount"Middle East/Asia/Oceania: El Al “Upgrade Assured"Best Promotion for EarningAmericas: American Airlines AAdvantage Double EQMsEurope/Africa: Lufthansa Miles & More “Every Flight Counts"Middle East/Asia/Oceania: Jet Airways Privilege “A Trip Well Advised"Best Redemption AbilityAmericas: TAMEurope/Africa: Air Baltic Baltic MilesMiddle East/Asia/Oceania: Etihad GuestSign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions....
Social media is increasingly becoming the method airlines, hotels, credit cards and consumers get in touch with one another about the latest news, deals and promotions. Here’s a look at the latest interesting trending topics and more on social media from the week. Every week, Team TPG combs through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on during any given week, but if we miss something you’d like to discuss feel free to:-Post on my Facebook wall-Tweet me @thepointsguy-Instagram me @thepointsguyHere are some of the biggest news stories and promotions that everyone has been tweeting about this week....
