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.TPG reader Tim recently flew on United and had the pleasure of sitting near this quite relaxed gentleman who was clearly enjoying his time in first class. Apparently he was in this position for most of the 8 hour flight....
Happy new year all! Last night I rang in the new year amongst millions of revelers on Copacabana beach. While it was insanely packed, I luckily have Brazilian friends who own an apartment off the beach in Copacabana, so we did drinks there and then walked to the beach around 11:30 with no issues.The city was electrifying and people were in amazing spirits (I’m sure the caipirinhas, cervezas and champagne helped!...
TPG reader Jonathan tweeted me to ask:@thepointsguy — “Would you advise redeeming Delta SkyMiles ASAP given the uncertainty/possibility of additional 2015 program changes/devaluations?“Delta always keeps me on my toes. I feel like there are constantly new announcements coming from the SkyMiles program, and they’re almost always negative. I don’t see Delta miraculously turning it around and adding tons of value or new partners. I think the most recent change of pulling all award charts is just a way to pull the wool over the eyes of valued 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.A Spirit Airlines flight was diverted and met by a hazmat team on Thursday night after a strange odor developed in one section of the plane.Spirit Flight 779, traveling from New York (LGA) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), was diverted to Myrtle Beach (MYR) after an odor, described by passengers as being reminiscent of “dirty socks,” developed in a section of the aircraft....
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration for the handling of massive weather-related delays and cancellations at New York’s JFK airport earlier this month. Early January’s huge blizzard resulted in hundreds of flights delayed or canceled, with tens of thousands of travelers stranded in the airport.The FAA is taking a deeper look into the circumstances that led to the meltdown at JFK in the wake of a multi-day snowstorm, culminating in a water main break at Terminal 4 that further snarled travel for several additional days....
United just began flying its latest and greatest, the 777-300ER (77W), and who better to take you on a tour than the CEO? We happened to catch Oscar Munoz on his first visit to the aircraft, just before UA’s preview flight from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco today.Before we get to that, though, let’s let TPG take you on a tour of the plane via Facebook Live:While the 777-300ER has been flying with other carriers for years, UA is the latest airline to take delivery of this plane — and it’s a huge step up from United’s existing 777s (which will eventually be retrofitted with the airline’s latest interior)....
As we kick off another year, Team TPG has gotten together to muse over the epic trips various team members have taken in 2015, and to look forward to what the new year has to offer. Special Contributor Eric Rosen has rounded up the list of destinations (in no particular order) that we’re all hoping to travel to in 2016 and beyond.1. Hokkaido, JapanVisitors flock to Hokkaido’s Niseko region to ski in the shadow of Mt....
Pit 1 (out of 3) at the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum–the largest and most awe-inspiring.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....
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.All I want for Christmas is… an airplane-seat-sized Saks Fifth Avenue duvet, Polaris gel pillow and business-class amenity kit? You too can make these items yours — and you don’t even have to steal them from the plane!...
I’m very happy a lot of Points Guy followers got to take advantage of the generous Expedia.ca promotion that ran this weekend. I helped 10 hardworking coworkers use this coupon to take a well deserved trip to Vegas and have a ton of friends who are beyond excited to make their first trip to Vegas. This coupon provided real value and I hope people return the favor to Expedia and book some future trips through them to throw them a bone....
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.An MSC cruise visiting the Honduran island of Roatan on Tuesday failed to slow to a stop while approaching the dock. A video posted by maritime news website gCaptain captures the 65,000-ton vessel swiftly approaching the Port Coxen Hole dock and hitting the pier right before stopping aground on the beach shore....
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.From Etihad’s A380 Apartment to Singapore Suites, frequent flyers get to travel on some pretty incredible planes. But, while there are no shortage of opportunities to burn lots of miles for a fantastic long-haul journey, some experiences are a bit out of reach of even the most miles-rich consumers....
UPDATE: Travelers to and near Bali still have no reason to fear for their physical well-being, but the Indonesian government has temporarily shut down Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) outside Denpasar, grounding hundreds of scheduled flights.Benjamin Andrews, director of the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program, said in a phone interview that, as he said before, the vast majority of visitors to the island (including TPG) have nothing to fear, at least as far as their lives are concerned, from the Mount Agung eruption, which is at least 30 miles from the major tourist enclaves....
There are some fun travel contests and sweepstakes around the web at the moment. Here are my top picks to win some great travel prizes:Marriott has partnered with American Airlines and Smart Destinations to give away a three-night NYC trip.Marriott’s #WIN3NYC sweeps gives you a chance to experience the “Best of NYC”: Courtesy of Marriott, you could win a three-night trip for two to New York City, including three nights at the participating hotel of your choice, 200,000 American AAdvantage miles, and two Smart Destinations Explorer Passes to visit your choice of three out of 59+ city attractions....
For today’s #WineWednesday, TPG contributor Kristine Hansen takes us to one of the USA’s under-the-radar wine regions, the Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin to try some wines you might not have heard of, all served with signature Texas hospitality.Think of Texas and wineries might not immediately come to mind. Instead, you’re envisioning country music, cowboy boots and miles of tumbleweed. Maybe even a platter of Tex-Mex fajitas. But everything is bigger in Texas, including wine consumption and the state is one that distributors and importers clamor to grab a piece of, year after year, so what better region to engage in wine production?...
The ninth largest city in the US, Dallas is known more for business travel and its massive airport — everyone’s been through DFW at least once — than it is for tourism. But don’t be fooled: it’s teeming with enough culture, art, music, food and nature to keep even the most discerning of visitors occupied. Follow these 10 tips and you’ll be primed to explore the city like a local.1. It’s a Driving City, but You Don’t Need a CarLet’s not mince words here: the traffic can be soul-crushing at times, but plan around rush hour and you can usually zip around town without too much effort....
Halfway through a business-class mileage run from Norway to Texas and back, TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig chimes in about his flight on a very unique plane: a 737 that can fly for 5,000 miles without refueling, which will operate its final long-haul from Houston to Stavanger, Norway tonight.Tuesday I was in New York, Wednesday I was in Norway and Thursday I was in Houston. Now, by the time you’re reading this, I’m back in Norway again, before flying on to Copenhagen and then finally home to Newark on SAS’ inaugural 737 flight from CPH-EWR this Sunday....
We just spent most of our spring break on the beautiful island of Maui, which hopefully explains my spotty posting here both while we were gone, and also since we have returned home and are recovering from the time change. Back to normal next week, I promise!Earning 15,000 Free Hyatt Points from a Hyatt Residence Club Maui TourWhile we were in Hawaii spending some of our Hyatt points at both the Hyatt Regency Maui and the Andaz Maui at Wailea (more on both soon), we also actually earned some relatively easy points....
With brilliant blue waters, some of the most famous diving spots in the world and top-notch cuisine, it’s no surprise that Okinawa is often referred to as the Japanese Hawaii. While many travelers are familiar with larger mainland cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, these eight tips will help you make the most of your time in this often overlooked island paradise.1. Okinawa Wasn’t Always JapaneseThe hundreds of islands that today make up Okinawa Prefecture — with Okinawa island being the largest of them — didn’t come under Japanese rule until the 19th century....
Score one for Boeing against Airbus on day one of the Dubai Air Show, with hometown airline Emirates announcing a large order for Boeing 787s but none for Airbus jets.Emirates ordered 40 787-10, said Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, at a press conference at the Dubai Air Show, which began Sunday. The order is worth $15 billion at list prices, and the 300-seater twinjets will be “delivered from 2022 onwards,” al Maktoum said....
