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I learn something new every time we travel, often times the hard way, but it is good to learn none the less. On our most recent trip to two lovely resorts in Hawaii (more to come on that soon), I became astutely aware of a hidden danger to staying in full service resorts in amazing destinations. I’m certain some of you will be able to relate to this danger.The danger is that some, or all, of your party won’t want to leave the resort and do other things to get a true taste of your selected destination....

My first ever trip to Grand Cayman was one of my most memorable trips — it’s where my points and miles hobby first started a little more than 20 years ago. The island holds a place close to my heart. So when I had the opportunity to go to the Cayman Cookout event as a Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card holder with special access, I had to go — and I was blown away....

Minneapolis is the 16th busiest airport in the US, but Monday it seemed much closer to number one. Post-Super Bowl crowds are flooding the airport to get back home.Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is expected to have its busiest day in its history, with 70,000 passengers expected to fly out of the facility. And Tuesday is expected to be the airport’s second-busiest day of all time.“It’s our Super Bowl,” Phil Burke, director of MSP Airport Operations, told The Minneapolis Star Tribune....

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 recently had the chance to fly Xiamen Air’s business class between Seattle (SEA) and Shenzhen (SZX), and I really enjoyed my flight. However, since it was my first experience on board a Mainland Chinese carrier, I wasn’t fully aware of some of the quirky policies that many of the Mainland Chinese carriers have....

Update: With the introduction of a revamped loyalty program, Aeroplan is no longer imposing fuel surcharges on award tickets.One of the biggest surprises people face when redeeming their points and miles for the first time is that those “free” flights we keep talking about aren’t actually 100% free. Experienced award travelers know exactly what I’m talking about: those pesky little taxes, fees and surcharges that accompany nearly every award redemption. These can range from the trivial, like the $5....

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.Americans are notoriously bad about taking advantage of their hard-earned vacation time. While the situation seems to be improving a bit, the majority of Americans continue to allow vacation time to go to waste — to the tune of 700,000,000 unused days — opting to put in extra time at work instead, according to a survey by Project: Time Off....

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.We’re very familiar with the Airbus A350-900, which is now flying with a handful of carriers, including Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Singapore and Vietnam. But the -900 is not the only variant that Airbus has planned — there’s also a shorter A350-800 version, and the extended-length A350-1000, which took to the skies for the very first time earlier today....

Since we now know what flight attendants eat while flying, how about pilots? How do they refuel while in the cockpit? Curious, I queried six pilots, both men and women, who fly a mix of domestic and international routes. Below, their in-air meals of choice, along with food-related pro-flying tips to stave off the hangries.Turkish Airlines: Hakkı Burçin Tekes, Istanbul-basedA Typical Meal: As a pilot who has to live a healthy life, I always take care of myself and have an adequate and balanced diet....

One of the things I love most about being The Points Guy is getting to hear stories from readers about all the positive ways award travel has affected their lives. That being said, while I love hearing about your successes, I think there’s also a lot we can learn by sharing our mistakes, and I’m calling on readers to send in your most egregious and woeful travel failures.From time to time I’ll pick one that catches my eye and post it for everybody to enjoy (and commiserate with)....

Hurricane Leslie has lurked off the coast of the Atlantic for several weeks now, acquiring its “zombie” moniker for surviving on warm waters and moisture from regional weather since Sept. 23. Despite being bounced around by numerous weather systems, the tropical storm has hovered well away from land up until this past week. Now, all of that may change as a shift in weather has finally sent Leslie eastward, bound for the western shores of Portugal and the Iberian peninsula....

Star Alliance carrier bmi (British Midland International) has a pretty good frequent flyer program with a generous award chart. Specifically, I like the 45,000 mile coach awards from the US to Europe (see full award chart here), as well as the option to use cash and miles, which can be a great value. For example US to Europe in business class is only 37,500 miles and $341- thats cheaper in miles and taxes than a Flying Blue 50,000 mile economy ticket from the US to Europe!...

Within the United States, it is pretty much unheard of for airlines to give children much of anything extra beyond some plastic airplane wings while onboard the flight. However, that is not the case in other countries where some airlines cater much more to flying families. Air France has been up to some pretty family-friendly (and adorable) enhancements that include Teddy Bear Tags so your child’s favorite stuffy won’t end up lost and forgotten, a new “comfort kit” for babies, and the ability to track your children in real time when they fly as unaccompanied minors....

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.@Hathaway78! The readers have spoken and your entry topped the online poll, Facebook likes and did pretty well in the Twittersphere as well! Congrats- we will be in touch to get your information and get you registered on the Star Mega Do 4....

It is 2016, and there is no longer any debate about whether breastfeeding or formula feeding is better for babies (and actually mothers, too). While of course I know that there are individual situations where that isn’t possible or best for a variety of reasons, so please don’t feel offended if nursing didn’t work for your family.In the United States, the 2013 CDC stats, which are the most recent available, show that 76....

We love the rewards perks we get from loyalty programs, but we also know that some of the best travel experiences are off the beaten path where nary a points hotel can be found. Contributor Adee Braun takes us to France’s bucolic Brittany region, shows us the sights and offers us affordable accommodations.Brittany is a rustic, seafaring corner of France where crepes, oysters and cider reign supreme. Bretagne, as it’s called in French, or Breizh, in the local Breton language, is a region of northwest France that is somewhat overshadowed by its cousin to the east, Normandy with its D-Day beaches and slightly closer proximity to Paris....

Alaska has been really aggressive with double miles promos lately thanks to Delta’s incursion into the Pacific Northwest, and when the airline announced three new destinations this week, it also said it would be offering flyers on these new routes double miles.The new routes and dates of service are:Seattle to New Orleans starting June 12, 2014Seattle to Tampa starting June 20, 2014Seattle to Detroit starting September 4, 2014Here are the schedules:Flyers on the routes to New Orleans and Tampa will earn double miles through August 15, 2014, while flyers between Seattle and Detroit will earn double miles and double elite-qualifying miles through October 31, 2014....

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 took 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 AUGUST 2018New Domestic and International Flights on Southwest Airlines (launched August 7)Fly nonstop from LA to Tampa, Florida, thanks to a new Southwest route....

If you’re ok with making the move to Finland, there are a bunch of jobs looking to outfit you with what would certainly fall into the “Dream Job” category. According to Forbes, there are companies looking to hire people to play with sled dogs, hunt down the Northern Lights, and cook delicious outdoor meals for travelers.Forbes pulled together five of their favorite Finnish dream jobs (which you can see in full here), but the one that really stood out to us was the Photography Guide position with tour company Beyond Arctic....

Today TPG Contributor Nick Ewen continues his series The Weekly Wish, looking at flaws, shortcomings, and room for improvement in the world of travel and loyalty programs. Today’s wish: offer choice benefits to top tier hotel elites.The first class I ever attended as a college freshman was Economics, and on the board, the professor wrote, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The same can be said of travel providers and the loyalty programs they offer....

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 Cayman Cookout is one of my favorite events to go to, and it’s not just for the food. Purchasing a package at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman as a Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card holder is one way to make sure your time at the Cookout is a complete gastronomic and luxurious experience....