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Even the best travel plans can be derailed by nasty flight delays — and though you’re unlikely to contend with ice or snow storms, peak summer travel can still result in major backups on the tarmac.To help you plan accordingly, TPG looked at historical on-time departure data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics from major airports across the United States during June, July and August.By looking at the data from the summers of 2016 and 2017, we found a number of serial offenders — so we can guess which airports are most likely to delay your summer fun this year....

It’s probably no surprise that here at TPG, we are huge AvGeeks. We browse through aviation videos on YouTube in our free time, we know to grab a meal at the In-N-Out Burger just outside Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to watch the planes take off and land and we love flying as much as (or sometimes more than) the actual destination. You get the idea.Nor are we alone: There’s also a decent number of AvGeeks on Instagram that we love to track....

Airbnb’s “Night At” giveaway series has gained a lot of traction over the past few years, offering winners one-of-a-kind sleepovers at some of the most iconic attractions on earth, such as the London Eye, the Guinness Brewery in Dublin and a floating home on the Great Barrier Reef. But now it’s taking the giveaway to even greater heights — quite literally.The vacation rental company has partnered with the Beijing Tourism Development Committee and will be flying four lucky winners (and their chosen companions) to spend a night on one of the seven wonders of the world: the Great Wall of China....

If your list of New Year’s resolutions includes getting back to the gym, then I wanted to share a valuable little credit card perk that can help get you back into fighting shape for less money.In addition to the other valuable perks of the Amex Platinum card that I’ve talked about before, I found a little-discussed one in partnership with Equinox gyms.When you sign up for a new membership with Equinox and pay with your Platinum Amex you get four free training sessions and a free 50-minute signature massage or facial in the first year....

South Korean airline Asiana is now selling passes that give travelers unlimited complimentary upgrades to first class. Called Asiana First Membership, this product is valid on select revenue business-class tickets between Seoul and Frankfurt (FRA), Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK).You can choose between a one-time pass (good for one round-trip flight) or an annual membership, which gets you an unlimited number of upgrades on eligible flights during your membership year....

Check out the week in travel contests and sweepstakes for your chance to win a GoPro camera, a trip to the Virgin Islands to see the Necker Cup, a cycling trip through New Zealand, a beach vacation in Barbados, or $10,000 towards your next getaway.Win a trip to Necker Island to see a tennis tournamentWin a Trip to the Necker Cup 2014 in the Virgin Islands from BUCKiTDREAMWin a luxury trip for two to the Virgin Islands to attend the final day of a Pro-Am Tennis Event, The Necker Cup 2014, hosted by Sir Richard Branson on November 19th-23rd 2014....

Hampton Inn is running an easy promotion on Facebook where you can earn 500 Hilton Hhonors points just for watching their new video now through September 25, 2012. To be eligle, you must first “like” Hampton and then you are suppose to watch the Hamptonality video. Points can take 6-8 weeks to post to your account.Earn a quick and easy 500 Hilton Hhonors points.Instructions to receive the points are:1. Watch the Hamptonality Moments video....

With more than 400 parks, monuments, preserves, scenic trails and other sites in the US National Park system, there are plenty of choices if you’re looking for something to do over Veterans Day weekend. Not to mention, the price is right: On both November 11 and 12, the National Park Service (NPS) is offering free admission to all parks in its system, from Yellowstone to the Indiana Dunes.These are the final two days this year that you’ll be able to get free access to all national parks....

One in four Boeing 787s flying all over the world today has a problem — one that might mean your flight gets canceled, or you fly on another, less comfortable airplane. That’s because some of the Rolls Royce engines installed on the Dreamliners are experiencing mechanical problems, and airlines are coping with increased requests for maintenance, or sometimes even need to ground at least some of their 787s.The problem comes from the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines that equip about a quarter of the global Boeing 787 fleet....

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’ve ever flown a major international carrier, especially when departing from an overseas hub, you’ve probably seen how much more efficiently they manage to get passengers on board. I’ve witnessed international airlines board a Boeing 747 more quickly than US carriers can get folks on a 737 — it’s excruciating to watch how poorly it’s done here....

Dining programs are free, easy ways to earn miles. Every single one of your debit and credit cards should be registered to a participating program–if not, take a couple minutes and sign-up for some. Once your credit cards are linked to a program, you’ll automatically earn miles every time you visit a participating restaurant. I often get random deposits of miles for eating at restaurants I didn’t realize were participating dining-for-miles establishments....

Virgin Atlantic is thanking its employees in a quite a special way. On Tuesday, the airline unveiled a special new “Thank You” honoring its 9,000 people.The Airbus A340-600, registered G-VNAP, is now decked out with “a big Virgin Atlantic thank you” painted on the side of its fuselage.“The people of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays have made our business and our brand what it is today. They’re both our magic ingredient and our greatest strength," said Craig Kreeger, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, in a statement....

TPG reader Kane emailed me to ask:“I’m considering a switch from Delta to American, and came across your blog post from two years ago about your dilemma making the change. I was wondering what your thoughts are now that US Airways is merging with American, and considering all the recent changes Delta has made. Also, as a Diamond Medallion (140,000 MQMs and $30,000 in MQDs this year), how do you think I would stack up in the AAdvantage program after the merger with US Airways?...

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.Buy discounted Disney tickets here through MickeyVisit.comVisiting one of Disney’s Parks just got a little more accessible — and cheaper. Eleven of the renowned parks from California to Florida are now available on Google Street View.As of right now, Google Street View only covers Disney parks in the United States from Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as some of their offshoots like Pandora, The World of Avatar, waterparks and dining and retail locations....

Update 9/26/16: Following a discussion with the Justice Department, Alaska has confirmed that it won’t merge with Virgin America prior to October 17, 2016.On the heels of the huge Marriott-Starwood news from earlier, it seems that the theme for today is mergers. In April, Alaska Airlines made news when it announced its deal to acquire Virgin America. Just a few months later now and it looks like the merger is on track to close around the same time the airline was expecting....

If I could live, sleep, and breathe Vegas I would. Well, at least for four days - after that I need a little Vegas respite before I am ready to go again. I used to vacation there as a child in the 90’s when it was “family friendly”, I went there for my 21st birthday (and hit a Royal Flush on video poker that night), and I even got married there a few years ago....

Today I spent $325 on a Daily Getaways package that I have previously never remotely considered purchasing for my family, despite it being on the list of offers year after year. While the deal is now sold out, so this story won’t help anyone in this exact scenario right away, I think the purchase is a perfect example of how as family travel goals and priorities shift, you should always be prepared to act on deals you had previously ignored....

Thanksgiving commemorates a 1621 feast that brought together the native Wampanoag people and newly arrived Pilgrims, who gathered to give thanks for a successful autumn harvest. Today, nearly 400 years later, U.S. residents associate the national holiday with turkey and a table full of carbs and hours’ worth of televised football. Yet we’re not the only ones in the world who show gratitude as fall gives way to winter; below, six other countries that also celebrate Thanksgiving....

Australia’s Transport Workers Union (TWU) reported Monday that 65% of all Australian flight crew members had experienced sexual harassment on the job from both coworkers as well as passengers, with 20% reporting more than 10 separate instances.The statistics come from a recent survey of around 400 respondents, representing 5% of Australia’s 8,000 cabin crew members. The survey further stated that, out of the crew members who had experienced sexual assault, 80% were attacked by coworkers, while 60% experienced assault from customers....

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.Whether you travel frequently or just a few times per year, you likely have hotel brands and groups that you know and trust. I I find a lot of value in Choice, Wyndham and IHG. So, when IHG added its Avid brand, I was there shortly after it opened to review the hotel....