Posts

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.Singapore Air has received delivery of the world’s first ultra long-range (ULR) A350, registered MSN220 (9V-SGA). The new plane wears the same registration as the airline’s A340-500s, and has the longest range of any current aircraft, capable of traveling up to 9,700 nautical miles, or more than 20 hours nonstop....

Shark Week is about to take flight…with the help of Southwest Airlines. The popular week of shark-filled programming — which is set to air on Discovery Channel from July 23 through July 30 — is making an appearance at 35,000 feet on one of Southwest’s Boeing 737-700 planes. The airline, known for its signature blue paint scheme, is featuring shark-themed livery “swimming” along its fuselage now until August 31.According to Southwest’s Director of Communications, Brandy King, ”[The] partnership with Discovery connects Southwest with the millions of fans around the world who tune in each year for the week-long phenomena that is Shark Week....

Back in April I wrote about Starwood’s forthcoming “Nice Choice” promotion, which starts today and runs through September 30, 2012, I posted about leaked details, but now they’ve been officially announced now, so here’s what you can expect (and earn) this time around. Also, if you haven’t done so already, register your SPG number for the promotion at this SPG page by June 30, 2012.You must choose an earning period from the following (you can only choose one):Period 1: May 1-July 31Period 2: June 1-August 31Period 3: July 1-September 30Next, you choose the type of bonus you want to earn from the following and which option within each of those categories, and again, you can only choose one of each:Starpoints-Earn double Starpoints beginning with your second stay, no limits....

If you’re looking to book first or business class to Europe for a family of four, you’ll probably have a hard time finding the flights you want. But according to a recent IdeaWorks study, availability has improved overall. Join TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen for a closer look.IdeaWorks is a company that regularly releases studies on the airline industry, including its annual Switchfly Rewards Seat Availability Survey. In this year’s study, which you can read here, the company claims that airlines are releasing more award seats to flyers....

When it comes to keeping passengers healthy, all planes aren’t created equal — at least according to the aviation experts we spoke to.“We have a better understanding of what humans need to compensate for the fact that they’re flying at 30,000 feet above the surface of the Earth now,” said James Park, founder and principal partner of JPA Design, the London-based firm responsible for cabin redesigns for airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian and Singapore....

It seems like 2018 has been plagued by costly ground collision between aircraft or between ground vehicles and aircraft. That trend continued Thursday with two aircraft being damaged in a collision that thankfully left no one hurt.At Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport (IST), a taxiing Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787-8 (registration CN-RGT) struck a stationary Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (registration TC-JJZ), slicing through the Turkish aircraft’s tail cone.Closed-circuit video caught the incident on film:According to early reports, the 2-year-old Royal Air Maroc 787 pushed back around 5:37pm local time and was heading down taxiway Alpha toward the runway when it hit the stationary Turkish Airlines aircraft....

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.Nothing can bring out your inner AvGeek quite like the thrust of the Antonov An-225’s six — yes, six — engines ripping down a runway and slowly taking flight.For the first time, the Antonov Company is offering a fresh perspective on the largest operating aircraft in the world....

On Friday, a toddler was eaten by a leopard in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.According a local report from The Kampala Post, the boy (two-and-a-half-year-old Elisha Nabugyere) was the son of a park ranger. He was pulled from his seat near the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s staff quarters and dragged into the bush.Attempts to rescue Nabugyere were unsuccessful. His remains were located the following day.The Uganda Wildlife Authority’s communications manager, Bashir Hangi told The Kampala Post that the incident was unfortunate, and that they were working to track down the leopard....

Your AvGeek dreams are about to come true: you’ve booked — or are about to book — the United Airlines Island Hopper. Now, you’re left wondering which seat to select to be able to fully enjoy the experience of the flight from Guam to Majuro, or the other way round. Either flight is a bucket list item for AvGeeks worldwide, attracted to the unusual sight of a US carrier flying a single-aisle jet in the Pacific, 6,000 miles from the US mainland....

The US Airways Mastercard has had a number of different sign-up bonuses within the last year- usually in the 30,000 to 40,000 range, but often the full bonus required a balance transfer, which negated much of the value of the miles received since balance transfers come with a $10/3% transfer fee.There will likely come a time when Barclaycard no longer offers this product, because US Airways will cease to exist as an airline when they completely merge with American Airlines and the Dividend Miles program is folded into the American Airlines AAdvantage program....

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.Today I’m going to “walk with lions” in Southern Mauritius, so in case I don’t make it back, here are a couple pictures of my stay so far. Expect a detailed trip report when I’m (hopefully) back, but just know this place is pretty incredible....

A British cancer survivor has discovered the hard way that “America is completely unforgiving” when it comes to travel errors involving the word “terrorist.“Mandie Stevenson, 29, was given a devastating life sentence in 2015 when she was diagnosed as one of the world’s youngest terminal breast cancer patients at the age of 25. Trying to make the best of an unthinkable situation, Stevenson drew up a bucket list of once-in-a-lifetime adventures she wanted to experience before passing, which included sailing under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, dining at Michelin-star restaurants and buying a red Mini Cooper with racing stripes....

Virgin America just announced the opening of their new Virgin America Loft lounge at LAX (they already have lounges at JFK, Washington Dulles and SFO), which is meant to “extend the airline’s signature cabin experience into the airport space with amenities like a cocktail and dining experience with a Virgin twist – including a ‘Lofty Libations’ artisanal cocktail selection.”Virgin’s new Loft at LAX has runway views.Sounds (and looks) pretty swank for a domestic lounge, especially considering that, as opposed to many other (sub)standard lounges that charge $50 for a day pass, this one only costs $40 – so it could be a good place to hang out if you find yourself with a lot of extra time at LAX’s Terminal 3....

It’s been a very difficult year for Patton Oswalt — the comic-actor’s wife, Michelle McNamara passed away in April and he’s raising their seven-year-old daughter alone. Here, Oswalt, who co-starred in “The King of Queens” and is the narrator of “The Goldbergs,” reminisces about his favorite vacation and why it was important to move up alongside funny friends on the LA comedy scene.What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken?I went to Prague a few years ago....

You might have seen Paravel bags swimming around your Instagram. The direct-to-consumer company was founded in 2016 and one of their latest releases is the redesigned Stowaway, Paravel’s take on a classic suitcase. Four stiff sides fold like magic into a convenient pouch. The idea is save space at home, as anyone who’s tried shoving an empty suitcase under their bed can understand.Living in an era of hard-shelled polycarbonate carryons, it’s not hard to long for the vintage glamour of the glory days of travel....

A man was arrested at Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) on Monday after crashing a through a security barrier, through two glass doors of the terminal and driving on to the runway.According to airport officials, the man drove the opposite direction down a nearby highway before crashing through a barrier at the airport. He then drove the car through two glass doors of Terminal 1 at the French airport, before driving on to the runway....

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.Here’s something you probably didn’t expect to hear: Norwegian (a low-cost carrier) will be the first to offer passengers complimentary Wi-Fi on its transatlantic routes. A Norwegian spokesperson confirmed that the carrier plans to offer free connection for all passengers, regardless of class of service, within one year on both its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and MAX 8 aircraft....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: The Miles & More Premier World MasterCardHere’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Get up to 50% bonus points when you buy TrueBlue points.Get Up to 50% More When Buying Jet Blue Points: When you buy or gift TrueBlue points, you or your recipient will receive a percentage of bonus points based on the amount purchased, now through December 31, 2013....

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.Ski season officially kicks off for many resorts on November 17th, which means it’s finally time to hit the slopes, carve through fresh snow and show off your skiing (or snowboarding) skills. This also means you only have a few days left to purchase your Epic Pass for the 2017-2018 season....

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 Ketan asks:“I got a United Explorer Card and a flyer came in the mail offering 5,000 bonus miles if I add an authorized user. If I do that, if in the future that person wants to have their own card, will they still qualify for getting a sign-up bonus for the Explorer Card?...