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The Maldives government declared a state of emergency for 15 days on February 3, amidst a political crisis in the island nation, a frequent destination for high-end travel. Azima Shakoor, the Minister of Legal Affairs, made the announcement via state television.The Foreign Affairs ministry site posted a statement from the office of President Abdulla Yameen: “The government of Maldives wishes to also assure all Maldivians and the international community that the safety of all Maldivians and foreigners living in and visiting the Maldives will be ensured....

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.Chicago now has a total of 25 Michelin Guide stars thanks to its two three-star restaurants, four two-star establishments and 19 one-star eateries. There were no additional three-stars added to the 2018 city guide when it was introduced Friday afternoon, so the biggest news was the elevation of Smyth, located in Chicago’s West Loop district, to the two-star category....

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.Many people don’t realize how quickly you can rack up miles with car rentals- especially if you are traveling for 3+ days a week. If you are a consultant and only one person in your group rents a car, try to become that person!...

On our first trip to the Bahamas a few years ago, we had some serious mealtime sticker shock. I know that most things cost more on an island and that in a tourist zone that is doubly true, but even factoring in both of those things, we still were astonished at both the cost of our meals at and around Atlantis, as well as the primarily mediocre quality of what we ate....

Panasonic demoed its incredible new business-class seat at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany this week. Join TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig for a test drive.This week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, Panasonic showed off its brand-new Waterfront business-class seat. (Don’t ask me why it’s called “Waterfront” … the Panasonic reps I chatted with didn’t have a clue.) Despite the (probably) silly name, Waterfront means business (class). It feels like it’s pretty much ready to go, but Panasonic expects it to start flying in 2019, timed to coincide with the next-gen Boeing 777X launch....

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’m always asked about buying airfares and to be honest, I really don’t have a clue. Trying to make sense of airfare fluctuations and fare rules is a game I don’t have time to play.However, the geniuses over at Kayak....

On Tuesday, TripAdvisor released its list of the top museums in the world as a part of its 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards. The winners were determined based on the ranking and reviews of museums worldwide by TripAdvisor’s users over a year-long period.“As a traveler, exploring a famous museum or discovering a new one can be the highlight of a trip,” said Brooke Ferencsik, TripAdvisor’s senior director of communications.From Paris to Chicago and beyond, some of the greatest destination points have been ranked by millions of visitors from around the world; below are the top 10 in the world, as ranked by TripAdvisor....

The dark web is flooded with stolen airline miles pilfered following data breaches or through phishing operations — and the thieves are willing to sell the miles for about half their value.In a study published Wednesday, technology and research firm Comparitech examined black markets on the web in search of miles for sale. It found rewards points available on the dark web from more than one dozen different frequent flyer programs....

Airline websites are notoriously horrible for award searches - especially when it comes to partner availability. Even ANA’s site, which is revered as possibly the most accurate search engine for Star Alliance availability, has a frustrating and time-consuming interface that only searches simple routes day-by-day.While not perfect, I religiously use Expertflyer.com to identify accurate award space, which is a paid service that costs either $4.99 or $9.99 a month (and comes with a free 5 day trial)....

Tourists in Europe seem to be bugging city officials everywhere. From breaking donkeys’ backs and cruise ships overloading Santorini’s shores to eating paninis near the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, European authorities have had enough with tourists disrupting their historic cities. As of now, the Mayor of Venice wants to ban people from sitting down basically anywhere in the city.Mayor Luigi Brugnaro is submitting a proposal to the city council this October, and if he gets his way, those caught sitting in undesignated areas could face a €50-€500 fine, the Telegraph reports....

My name is Summer and I’m a travel addict.Okay, maybe addict is a bit strong of a word, but it is safe to say that I’m a travel junkie. I love travel. It’s my #1 hobby, my biggest passion outside of my family, and I’m so lucky to have found the world of miles and points to help fund this otherwise potentially pricey hobby.Since you are spending some of your time on this site, I’m betting many of you could write similar sentences about yourselves....

Travel to Iceland has been increasing year over year for quite some time, and in 2017 the number of US visitors is expected to surpass the Icelandic population. With WOW Air having announced yet another flight from the US to Keflavík International Airport (KEF), you may even find yourself scoring a great deal on tickets soon. Consider this your to-do list once you get there.1. Soak in Geothermal PoolsIceland is a country fueled by geothermal energy....

A few weeks ago we learned that Alaska was devaluing some of its benefits that allowed itinerary changes for free up to 60 days before departure, and the airline also confirmed it would be rolling out basic economy fares.We now know the details of these changes, which Alaska outlined in an update on its website. Additionally, we found out that the carrier is making some changes to its award chart. Fortunately, it’s just for flights on Alaska metal — it won’t be devaluing some of the best redemptions in the points and miles game like 50,000 miles for Cathay Pacific business between the US and Asia....

The world’s largest airline is continuing to go at it alone. Already in 2017, we’ve seen American Airlines slash partnerships with a number of airlines. So far, six of AA’s 24 active airline partnerships are ending or being scaled back in 2018 — with all of these announcements coming in just the last six months.In July, AA announced it’s dropping reciprocal elite benefits and methods of earning miles on Alaska Airlines flights effective January 1, 2018....

Last week, I posted a contest where one lucky reader could win 50,000 Marriott Rewards points by playing Marriott’s “What’s Your Travel Type” Facebook game where members to choose one of six grand prizes tailored to their personal travel tastes and preferences and then commenting on my blog post.Well, I got nearly 1,000 responses over the course of three days, so thanks to everyone who participated, but now it’s time to announce the lucky reader:Congratulations to Jane Chu who was chosen at random using random....

As an annual rite of spring, gourmet food and drink stakes out an al fresco reposition. In more exotic parts of the world — the Southern Hemisphere or, say, Miami — outdoor dining is a way of life throughout the calendar year. We should all be so lucky. But wherever you find yourself this March, you ought to start seeing fun, lighter fare emerging on high-minded menus. Just because it’s playful, though, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it seriously....

On Friday I wrote about an insanely lucrative online shopping deal with Nordstrom: 36 Avios points per dollar spent. The details were a little bit murky, but basically the current earn ratio is 12 Avios per dollar and it said triple points on your first order of $50 or more when you enter promo code NORDx3.Well, Nordstrom has an amazing, iron-clad return policy and free shipping, so I figured I’d go crazy in hopes that it all worked out....

At 30,000 feet up, the safety and service flyers experience is all thanks to the efforts of flight attendants. Today, the faithful members of cabin crews across the world will be recognized by passengers and airlines alike International Flight Attendant Appreciation Day.“This year we encourage airline management to not only serve cupcakes and say they are celebrating the efforts of Flight Attendants – they need to take action that shows they mean it,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, told TPG....

Emirates is launching its new first class suites on the Boeing 777-300ER on December 1, in what Emirates president Sir Tim Clark calls “a major rethink of how we deliver first class service.” Sir Tim introduced the new suites Sunday, on the first day of the Dubai Air Show, selling the new product as a “game changer” days after direct competitor Singapore Airlines unveiled its own new first class suite for the A380....

Hilton announced today that it has introduced a new fitness inspired concept room at two of its US hotels. The room, dubbed ‘Five Feet to Fitness’ is just that — Hilton has placed exercise equipment inside your hotel room just feet away from your bed.The new space features a variety of equipment and options for you to get your sweat on. The workout equipment is centered around a touch-screen display where you can choose from over 200 guided workouts with classes from yoga to strength training....