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If you’re sitting within two seats or one row of a sick passenger on a plane, then there is more than an 80% chance that you will get sick, too.That is one of the findings of a new study tracking airborne viruses passed from passengers and crew in aircraft cabins. Researchers wrote earlier this week in the medical journal PNAS that the location of your seat – and how often you leave it – could make all the difference in whether you arrive healthy or with the sniffles — or even the flu....

Lost luggage can ruin any traveler’s vacation, but when one groom-to-be was separated from his tuxedo on his way to an Icelandic dream wedding earlier this month, he turned his nightmare into social media gold.The unidentified man posed for his wedding photo in a white t-shirt reading, “This wedding suit courtesy of Delta Airlines,” poking fun at the airliner that nearly stripped the newlywed couple of their special day. According to a Reddit user who shared the photo, Delta lost the couple’s luggage — including the groom’s formal attire — during flight delays en route to Iceland....

Editor’s note about our Insider Series: TPG Contributor Carrie A. Trey shares some of her most interesting stories and perspectives in this Insider Series article. Please remember that Ms. Trey’s opinions and statements here are her’s and her’s only, and they do not reflect the opinions of the TPG Team. Disclaimer out of the way….please enjoy this latest installment from the one and only Carrie A. Trey!Sure, it’s April Fool’s Day, but for this week’s installment of our Insider Series, TPG Contributor (and working flight attendant) Carrie A....

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’re planning to fly to, from or through the Northeast today or tomorrow, you better pack some granola bars (and maybe a sleeping bag) for the airport — even if your flight hasn’t been canceled yet, you’re likely in for some pretty unpleasant delays....

Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you might have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you might have missed this week.The NYC Helicopter Crash May Have Been Caused by a Safety StrapPreliminary reports state that one passenger’s safety tether was wrapped around the emergency fuel shutoff lever of the helicopter that crashed into New York City’s East River earlier this month....

For many hotels, a pool with a killer view can be a major selling point. But if swimming in public isn’t your style, that’s okay, too. There are dozens of luxury hotels that offer guests — especially those willing to pay top dollar — rooms complete with their own private plunge pool. And while most of these higher category rooms aren’t bookable with points, elite members might get lucky and score an upgrade....

Southern California is on fire. Hundreds of thousands of acres are burnt, with six fires raging uncontrollably. Just Thursday night, a new fire broke out in San Diego County. Dubbed the Lilac fire, it’s already killed more than two dozen horses and destroyed many structures.California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency, President Trump is offering the state federal assistance and firefighters from around the country are being brought in to combat the blazes....

Captain Tammie Jo Shults, who safely landed Southwest’s Flight 1380 that had an engine explode, killing one passenger, wasn’t originally scheduled to pilot the flight.Her husband was.But, she decided to switch with him so he could go to their son’s track meet.“I’m not trading with him anymore,” Shults quipped in a recently released clip of an ABC News interview that will air Friday night. Shults and her first officer on the flight, Darren Ellisor, spoke out for the first time to ABC’s “20/20....

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.Curio – A Collection by Hilton is the brand’s new worldwide collection of hotels that each have a unique character and personality. This week we’re offering a fantastic giveaway in partnership with Curio. Enter for the chance to win a two-night stay at any Curio property across the globe — a great opportunity for anyone looking to take a quick weekend getaway or to add on another destination on an already-planned trip....

If my predictions about changes to Delta’s SkyMiles program in 2013 come true, it’s time to start putting those miles to use on award tickets before it’s too late. Luckily, by taking advantage of some of the lesser-known redemptions (and not necessarily what Delta.com shows you), SkyMiles can be pretty valuable, and there are plenty of ways to stretch them farther on both long-hauls and little-served short routes - especially since Delta allows stopovers and open jaws on award tickets, and in the past I’ve been able to book both....

Update 12/20/16: This post originally referenced upcoming JetBlue Mint service from Boston, however the airline will only be launching flights from New York at this time.Jetsetters tend to flock to St. Barts while honeymooners hole up in luxe lodgings on Saint Lucia, but just 100 miles north of Venezuela lies another island that’s one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets come wintertime. The 120-square-mile island of Grenada, nestled between St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, has all the makings of a secluded winter retreat....

The price of a ticket on your favorite airline could be going up as a result of President Trump’s announced plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum — metals that play a huge part in airplane manufacturing.But probably not.“I don’t see the traveler seeing any impact whatsoever,” said aviation analyst Scott Hamilton of Leeham Group in Seattle. “You’re still going to have fare wars,” Hamilton said in a phone interview....

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 know you’ve been wanderlusting over Brian and Zach’s Instagrams recently — and now it’s time to build up your own.A European travel company called Busabout is looking for four “travel addicts” to assemble the “ultimate travel squad” this summer....

Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week:Airlines around the world announced dozens of new routes in August 2016.Exciting New Routes for August 2016 and BeyondIt’s hard to keep track of the dizzying array of new routes announced each month — check out our round-up of the most exciting ones announced for August 2016 and the near future....

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.Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, Aeroplan (which is actually a separate company from the airline), has some good awards, especially the 80,000 point business class from North America to most parts of central/Western Europe. They also have a competitive card sign-up bonus going on right now for their co-branded American Express Aeroplan Plus Platinum card: 50,000 points (25,000 with first purchase and 25,000 after $1,000 spend in first three months)....

Simon, a 10-month-old giant rabbit that measured nearly 3 feet long, recently died onboard a United Airlines 767 flight. As the BBC reports, he was en-route from London to a new owner in the US, via Chicago.(For the purposes of this article, due to the timing of the incident and size of this rabbit, we are going to refer to Simon as the Easter Bunny. Yes, United killed the Easter Bunny....

I have had the honor of introducing several of the travelers in my family one generation older than me to the world of business class international travel (using miles) both because it is just flat out more enjoyable than coach regardless of you are, but also because as that generation is now in their 60’s and 70’s, longer haul coach travel just can’t possibly be comfortable.It is one thing, I’m sure, to curl up overnight in a coach seat at 25, but entirely another to repeat that process at 65 or older....

As those who visit here frequently likely already know, my parents are on a quest to visit an always growing “Bucket List” of destinations and experiences. Most of their items are here in the US of A. They love National Parks, outdoor beauty, good musicals, cheap flights, cold Coca Cola, Las Vegas, and darn near anything patriotic. My dad in particular is Mr. Patriotic, and as such being in Washington DC for the 4th of July fireworks and festivities was a “must do” at least once for him....

Norwegian Air thinks its worth more than British Airways’ parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) is offering to pay. On Friday, Norwegian Air, the low-cost carrier that’s been disrupting the transatlantic market and continues to expand, said that its board has unanimously rejected two bid offers from IAG.IAG, which is the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, among others, announced last month that it acquired a 4.6% stake in Norwegian....

The now-infamous electronics ban, which went into effect earlier this year, saw hundreds of thousands of passengers having to check electronic devices (larger than a smartphone) into the hold, as the US Department of Homeland Security stated it was aware of potential threats to aviation safety that could be minimized by keeping laptops, iPads and other devices out of the passenger cabin.Since the ban was implemented, it’s been lifted for airports that meet new US Security measures — and the lift of this ban now means that passengers flying from the Middle East can once again carry and use their electronic devices in the cabin....