Last month on my Mother’s Day excursion to Easter Island, my mom and I made pit stops in Santiago on the first night and the final night of our trip before returning back to the States. I’ve been wanting to check out the W Santiago for a while now since I’d heard such great things about the property and I wanted to experience it for myself.The “W” right outside the hotel’s main entrance....
Earning points and miles is the surprisingly easy part of award travel; it’s learning how to maximize value when redeeming that takes practice. In this post, TPG Senior Points & Miles Correspondent Jason Steele explains how to use Virgin America Elevate miles to book the flights you want.It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight years since Virgin America began operations in the United States. But after some initial setbacks, the carrier is going strong, with a compelling frequent flyer program called Elevate....
As you may have read, I’ve had a bit of trouble using my American Airlines AAdvantage miles recently at the saver level. From the extensive discussion in the comments on that post, I know I’m not alone. With four kids, budgets are tight and I am now booking trips beyond when my youngest daughter turns two, so that means that the days of booking her as a free lap baby are over....
Update 3/24/2017: The PointBreaks hotels are now bookable.Today, IHG released the new list of PointBreaks hotels for stays from April 24 through July 31, 2017. The discounted rates will be bookable beginning on Monday.If you’re unfamiliar, IHG PointBreaks are reduced-rate award redemptions at IHG hotels (InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn) that require just 5,000 Rewards Club points per award night. However, only a limited number of nights can be booked at this rate for each hotel, and the best options are scooped up quickly....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – JetBlue Plus CardUpdate (April 8, 2016): JetBlue emailed Mosaic members about the new 24-hour change policy, which will work as follows:If your departure city has multiple flights per day:You must contact JetBlue prior to the departure of your original flight.You can make your confirmed same day changes via the Mosaic Customer Service Line at 1-877-JET-TRUE or at the airport beginning 24 hours prior to your original scheduled flight (in the time zone of the departing flight)....
Our “Layover Lowdown” series feature airports and destinations around the world where you’re likely to be stuck between flights, offering tips on navigating and spending time in the airport, as well as some things to do if you find yourself with time to explore the nearby city. TPG Contributor Katie Hammel (writer of our popular WOW Air $99 Fare Guide to Iceland) guides us through Reykjavik’s award-winning Keflavik International Airport.Keflavik Airport (photo courtesy of Jonathan Percy via Flickr)A three-time winner of the Airports Council International (ACI) Best Airport in Europe award (most recently for 2014), Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport (KEF) is modern, compact, and easy to navigate....
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, 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.Back in August, Delta cut the ribbon on an advanced engine repair shop at its Atlanta headquarters. As expected, its first engine induction – a Trent 1000 engine operated by Delta’s joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic – occurred this week....
Danielle returns to recap the fourth episode of Pan Am…Week 4 on Pan Am (titled “Eastern Exposure”) finds the crew ferrying from New York to Burma to Indonesia to Hong Kong, then home again. This is the first time we’ve seen the concept of multiple stopovers explored on the show, and the itinerary certainly seems to be one out of The Points Guy’s playbook! The constantly changing, exotic changing atmosphere makes for an exciting episode, as we watch tempers flare as high as the temperatures in the “Orient....
Aviation startup Boom Technology is developing a supersonic passenger plane that will seat 45 to 55 passengers. The Denver-based aircraft company gained a new investor on Wednesday: Chinese travel conglomerate Ctrip.The new investor is a major step toward Boom’s goal of having the supersonic jet on the market by 2023. Industry insiders have compared the jet to the now-defunct Concorde, which was known for completing its iconic transatlantic route in less than half the time of traditional aircraft....
This weekend, I flew Lufthansa’s A350 from Munich (MUC) to Boston (BOS). It was a great experience, overall, as I’ll detail soon in a full review, but my Munich departure also gave me an opportunity to experience the new “stricter passenger screening requirements” for US-bound flights.I had actually forgotten entirely about the new screening process until I came upon a checkpoint just before the US gates. Now, I’ve passed through that same checkpoint several times before, at which point my passport was checked against my boarding pass and I’d always been quickly sent on my way....
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.From waived change fees to complimentary upgrades to a VIP customer service line, we’ve shared our thoughts on maximizing the many perks of elite status with Delta Air Lines. In our tier-by-tier evaluation of Delta’s Medallion status program, it’s clear that the top two levels — Platinum and Diamond — are in a class of their own.For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter....
The competition between the world’s two biggest commercial airplane manufacturers continues in earnest this year, with the US-headquartered Boeing and Europe’s Airbus planning to test and launch a large swath of new models over the next 12 months. Add to that new aircraft offerings from South American-based Embraer — one of which is expected to fly for the first time this year — and it’s shaping up to be a busy 2017 in the world of new passenger jets....
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 grew up fording rivers, hunting for game and traversing the Western US in a covered wagon – all from behind a computer screen – then this might be the ultimate glamping package for you.Yosemite Pines RV Resort and Family Lodging in Groveland, California, is offering a unique glamping experience in classic covered Conestoga Wagons....
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.For this week’s Thursday Giveaway, we are giving away a $500 Visa Gift Card that can be used anywhere that accepts Visa meaning you could use to purchase airfare, hotel stays, or even a shopping spree, it’s your choice!...
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 following TPG readers as they work toward a variety of travel goals in 2018, running the gamut from important first steps in the points & miles hobby to more advanced plans such as an around-the-world award trip....
There are a few fun travel contests and sweepstakes going on around the web this week. Here are some of our the TPG top picks to win some great travel prizes.Win one of 52 trips to Australia.Win One Of 52 Trips To Australia: Virgin Australia, Delta and Tourism Australia are teaming up on promotion called “52 Somedays” where flyers can win one of 52 week-long trips to Australia. In order to participate, you must visit the 52 Somedays site where you can click through any of the 52 experiences – including photos and videos that are clues as to where each particular experience is taking place....
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is reportedly investigating Uber for gender inequality after complaints about the matter, people familiar with the investigation told the Wall Street Journal.The probe has been active since August 2017, but has only recently been reported. It’s one of several open federal investigations into Uber.Investigators with the EEOC have been looking into the ride-sharing behemoth’s hiring procedures, gathering information on potential gender-based pay gaps and other gender-related issues, the Journal reported....
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.Southwest has been one of the only US carriers to stay mostly out of the drama that’s been plaguing other US carriers over the past few weeks. In fact, we even saw a heartwarming video from one of its pilots....
“Wider seats, please!” According to a recent poll in the TPG Lounge, travelers overwhelmingly value increased space in economy class. We asked more than 1,300 TPG readers to weigh in on the travel experience — everything from seat pitch and airport security to the often mob-like boarding process — to find out what frequent travelers value most. Overwhelmingly, the dreaded economy class seat is the thing travelers most want to change....
