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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.Facebook is an amazing tool to connect with friends, share travel experiences, news, stories and more. We are able to stay in touch with our friends and loved ones across the world and virtually stay in each others lives, even from thousands of miles away!...

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....

France is used to seeing heavy tourism during the summer months – and the numbers are only expected to increase in 2018. The influx of travelers often means a greater target for crimes in common tourist locations, so the country is bracing itself by deploying 5,000 extra police officers to protect tourists coming into the country.France has been sending the officers to the capital city since June 11 and will continue the effort until September 30....

The eruption of Mount Agung is wreaking havoc on the resort island of Bali, with as many as 100,000 people in an area that according to the Indonesian government should be evacuated because it is at high risk if the eruption worsens. Until Wednesday morning, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) was closed but now flights are slowly starting to trickle back in and out.It’s estimated that between 120,000 and 150,000 tourists are currently trapped on the island, and it’s possible that another, even larger, eruption is coming....

To describe the facade of Marriott’s current headquarters as “nondescript” would be generous — this building’s as boring as they come. In fact, it’s so ordinary-looking that it didn’t even occur to me to snap a picture when TPG and I visited earlier this week.Inside, it’s a different story — well, sort of. You’ll find row upon row of open-office workstations, but there’s also a funky treadmill-desk meeting room and an impressive test kitchen where chefs prep multi-course meals for the chain’s top bigwigs....

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.Boston is taking the brunt of the latest winter storm to hit the Northeast, with more than 1,000 flights out of Boston Logan (BOS) canceled for tomorrow and Wednesday, March 13 and 14.USA Today’s Ben Mutzabaugh reported that both American Airlines and Southwest have grounded all Tuesday flights in Boston, with Southwest extending the range to flights out of Bradley International Airport in Connecticut (BDL); T....

My recent trip to Budapest was a blast - I did the Gellert baths, took a short Danube river cruise, strolled around the city taking in the stunning views, and partied until the wee hours of the morning.One of the other things I did, which was a first for me, was take a Segway tour of the city. Let me just preface this by saying that I’ve always been one of the people who’ve made fun of people on Segways, but I had a slight change of heart when I saw a small tour whizzing by one day in Budapest and it just hit me that I had to do it....

This past week I went on a last minute trip to Vieques Island, Puerto Rico with friends and stayed at the W Resort and Spa for free on my Starwood Free Resort Nights.For those of you not familiar, Vieques is a small island 8 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico. The US government purchased part of Vieques during World War II and planned to use it to house the British Navy if Britain fell to Germany....

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.Just a friendly reminder that as of June 15, 2011 - you can now book one way awards at Continental.com. If you have United miles, I recommend transferring them to Continental and booking awards there, since their search engine is much smarter than united....

With more and more airlines flying to China, and award tickets to New Zealand still hard to find, TPG Special Correspondent John Walton reveals one of his favorite uses of redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles: Flying Air New Zealand from Shanghai to Auckland. (All photos are by the author).It’s common knowledge among the points-and-miles crowd that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles aren’t particularly valuable. How about if I told you that you could fly for twelve hours in one of the world’s best business-class products to bucket list hotspot New Zealand for just 40,000 miles each way?...

If lingering over a bottle of Brunello in Rome’s Piazza di Trevi and living la dolce vita was on your summer to do list, you’d better start making other plans. Less than a month after the city’s mayor, Virginia Raggi, instituted a ban on eating and drinking around the city’s famous fountains for the summer (it officially lifts on October 31, 2017), she has now put the kibosh on the consumption of alcohol on the city’s streets and piazzas — at least at nighttime....

Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA) has attracted more and more flyers in recent years. Unfortunately, the airport also has attracted unprecedented numbers of unwanted visitors: rats.SEA is facing a rat infestation thanks both to a host of construction projects, which are pushing rats into the terminal, and its uptick in passengers, who leave more garbage behind for the rats to feast on.Reportedly, the airport is currently undergoing 120 construction projects. Airport officials are working with restaurant owners to help devise a solution to the rampant rodent problem....

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 atthe latest interesting contests, trending topics and more on social media from the week.I’ll be combing through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on during any given week, but if I 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 hottest news stories that everyone has been tweeting about this week....

Now’s a great time to be earning Starpoints. Although the future of the company and its beloved SPG program is up in the air as Marriott and Anbang continue their bidding war, Starpoints are still an extremely valuable currency. Earlier this month, SPG also announced the brand was launching a refer-a-friend promotion in which members could earn 1,000 bonus Starpoints if they referred a friend who then completes a stay within 60 days....

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.With news breaking today of St. Maarten’s plans to put the kibosh on fence surfing at Princess Juliana Airport (SXM), we decided to take a look back at the potentially deadly activity of standing in the path of jet blasts from departing aircraft, which has become legendary in the world of AvGeeks and plane spotters....

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 Fourth of July is right around the corner, so as you head to the airport for your beach trips, lake houses and other getaways, the Transportation Security Administration wants to remind you of one thing: Leave your fireworks at home....

After American Airlines announced changes to the AAdvantage program last year, TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen covered the basics of crediting American Airlines flights to Alaska Airlines instead. But with Alaska instituting new mileage-earning rates for American flights in August, it’s time for an update. Here are the factors you need to consider.It was no surprise that the American Airlines AAdvantage program was going revenue-based in 2016. The airline announced it late last year, though the exact date that flyers would begin earning AAdvantage award miles based on airfare instead of mileage flown was yet to be determined....

This is a guest post from my dad, Grandpa Points. He and my mom are in their late-60’s, are (mostly) retired,and are ticking off “bucket list” destinations quicker than they ever thought possible thanks to miles, points, and travel deals. They have an intense love of this country, of its National Parks and treasures, and have no problem with a clean budget hotel room and an economy airline seat on a low-cost airline as long as it gets them where they want to be....

TPG reader Joseph tweeted me with a more personal question:"@ThePointsGuy — “What’s your favorite aircraft and why?“I love this Boeing 747-8.I’ve been a Boeing 747 guy my whole life. I think they’re majestic, and the whole upper deck aspect is very visually appealing to me. I flew the new 747-8 on Lufthansa in the very nose of the plane in first class this past summer and it was wonderful. Lufthansa has a gorgeous product and it was a great experience....

Welcome to March, the month when AA’s AAdvantage program is scheduled to undergo a major devaluation when it comes to award redemptions. Today, TPG Contributor JT Genter digs into these changes and what they’ll mean for you.It’s just three weeks away now: The dreaded American Airlines devaluation. Effective March 22, the current, generous American Airlines award chart will be no more.Whether you’ve had March 21 circled on your calendar for months or are just hearing about this now, here’s what you need to know....