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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.A Beverly Hills SWAT team responded to an early morning hostage claim at the five-star Peninsula Beverly Hills Thursday. According to police, the call was received around 6:30 a.m. from a man who claimed “there were men with guns in his hotel room, and they weren’t letting him leave,” Beverly Hills Police Captain Lincoln Hoshino said....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit CardToday, Chase announced updates to the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card, including an improved sign-up bonus in addition to new perks.Here’s a rundown of the card’s latest benefits, including the new sign-up bonus:You can earn three complimentary nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening The card also offers a $300 annual travel credit to use for qualifying airline purchases such as seat upgrades, baggage fees and preferred lounge memberships or passes....

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 way we see it, there are three types of people in this world:People that plan a vacation to sightsee/do outdoors-y thingsPeople that plan a vacation to do nothing but sit on the beach and relaxPeople that plan a vacation to eat and drink their weight in food and alcoholWell, if you’re of the later, we have some suggestions for your next trip....

Security can be one of the worst parts at the airport for everyone. Standing in long lines, being subjected to random searches with the TSA, getting stuck behind travelers who seem like they’ve never been in an airport before — it can be an exhausting task, especially if your name is flagged with an SSSS tag for enhanced security every time you fly — like TPG had last year. But, imagine if you were flagged as a security risk since birth....

If you’re considering an experiential gap year from college or a break from work in the form of a sabbatical — or just a really long vacation — you’ve likely considered the various responsibilities you’ll leave behind. Figuring out logistical details like who will watch your stuff can lead to a major headache. Luckily, travelers based in the San Francisco Bay Area can use an app to make the storing process easier....

It’s earnings season for the US airlines, and this week each of the top 5 US airlines shared their profits for the July-September Q3 financial period. And there’s a lot to share.Despite hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes and low-cost carrier competition, the US airlines are still raking in cash. The top 5 airlines combined for over $5 billion in pre-tax profits across the three month period and have earned almost $13 billion in profits so far this year:AirlineQ3 Profit2017 YTD ProfitDelta$1,805$4,611American$1,004$2,659United$980$2,399Southwest$791$2,513Alaska$427$661TOTAL$5,007$12,843Un-audited pre-tax GAAP profits in the millions of US dollars....

United announced last week that the airline is raising its qualification requirements for its highest tier of elite status, United 1K. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, United 1K travelers will now have to spend $15,000 Premier Qualifying Dollars (PQDs), up from the current $12,000 PQD requirement. Furthermore, business or first-class tickets booked in “P” class will only earn 150% Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs), a 25% decrease from the 200% PQMs that P-class ticket holders currently earn....

A United Airlines jet popped one of its tires upon takeoff at Newark International Airport (EWR) on Sunday evening. Fortunately, United Flight 1551 landed in Portland (PDX) safely after the six-and-a-half hour journey from Newark.The Boeing 737-900 took off from Newark at 7:18pm EST, and during takeoff at least one of the aircraft’s tires popped, Port of Portland said. KOIN 6 reported that it was a “tire on the front end of the plane” that popped....

Thursday morning, I joined United’s very first 737 MAX 9 flight, from Houston (IAH) to Orlando (MCO). I had a comfortable Economy Plus seat with plenty of legroom, the plane was fresh and the Wi-Fi was the best I’ve ever experienced at 30,000 feet — but man, United really missed the mark when it comes to the lavs.I’m talking specifically about the economy bathrooms — there are a total of four lavs on the MAX, including one up front for first class, one at the front of the Economy Plus section and two in the rear of the plane....

Love the Virgin America brand? We have some good news for you: Alaska Airlines might retain the Virgin America name after the merger. Love the Alaska Airlines brand? Don’t worry, it would be kept as well.During a speech to The Wings Club yesterday, Alaska Airlines’ CEO Brad Tilden discussed the possibility of keeping both brands post-merger. In the months since the merger was announced, the two airlines have heard fears from customers “that the combination would kill off what they love about their own airline....

This morning I fired up my phone while it was still dark to catch up on what happened in the few hours since we went to sleep last night. I expected the usual barrage of cute photos of friends on Facebook, fun messages on Instagram, witty or perhaps controversial tweets from people I follow on Twitter, and a round-up of early morning headlines. I didn’t expect one of those headlines to be “Anthony Bourdain, Travel Host and Author, is Dead at 61”....

American Express Membership Rewards now offers 1:1 transfers to Cathay Pacific’s frequent flyer program Asia Miles. It’s great to hear of new additions to the Membership Rewards program, especially since the primary Oneworld transfer partner is British Airways, whose Avios program has major strengths and weaknesses. Now with Asia Miles, you have another option when redeeming for Oneworld (American, British Airways, Cathay, Qantas, etc.) and other partners like Aer Lingus, Air China (Star Alliance), Alaska, China Eastern (SkyTeam) and Jet Airways....

Want to travel somewhere that averages 72 degrees in September? It used to be that you’d have to search travel guidebooks to find the perfect location, but then you’d be left to figure out how to get there. Then, the internet came along and it became as simple as Googling “destination that’s 72 degrees in September.” But, even that’s not a perfect way to find your Goldilocks destination, as you’ll still have to figure out how to get there cheaply....

The wildfires scorching the West Coast have yet to give up. In Colorado, the blazes have already burned down more than 175,000 acres this season, according to the Denver Post, and the heavy rains have washed down barren landscapes, uprooted fire debris, and created mudslides and flash floods. The wildfire in California has reached across more than 44,500 acres since Saturday, and state officials mandated evacuations on Sunday in Yolo County....

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.It’s no secret that I am a fan of Delta SkyMiles - in fact, next month I’m even debating fellow blogger Gary Leff on the value of SkyMiles. My position has long been “Yes, SkyMiles can be difficult to use, but that doesn’t negate the fact that huge value can be extracted from them if you know how to use them....

United launched their new Small Business Network, where small businesses can earn bonus United miles when shopping at the program’s network partners. Small business members can now earn award miles for day-to-day spending, like paying utilities, buying office supplies or for shipping packages etc.This program is separate from United’s PerksPlus business frequent flyer program, and is intended for small business owners or those who work in small businesses. However to join it’s a pretty informal process since they do not ask for a tax ID number, so anyone can join this as long as you consider yourself a sole proprietor....

Before a recent first-class flight on American Airlines from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG), I got a chance to experience both the Qantas International First Class Lounge and the American Airlines International First Class Lounge, which will be revamped later this year as a Flagship Lounge. I figured I’d visit both and compare them since AA first-class passengers get access to both of these when traveling internationally. And as you’ll see, there is a world of difference between these two lounges....

Just got off a fun filled JFK-CPH flight with a bunch of Thepointsguy.com readers! It was great getting to meet so many of you in person - I get a lot of messages, but it’s a rare treat to put a face with an email address. Leigh, Lauren, Kevin and the others whose names I didn’t get - I look forward to many more mistake fare trips :-)The flight was fine - we ended up in the exit row with a seat between us; aka poor man’s business class....

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card offers several great benefits, including three Club level upgrades per year and an annual $300 travel credit. One lesser-known perk is access to the Ritz-Carlton Exclusive Events — below, TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Richard Kerr introduces the program and explores the options available through the end of 2016.Chase recently announced an update to the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card that actually added benefits rather than taking them away....

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.“How was your flight?” “Where are you coming from?” Anyone who has ever hitched a ride to or from the airport in a taxi or other car service has likely endured a barrage of questions like these. And while they’re meant to be pleasantries in the truest sense of the word, some people (okay, many people) would sometimes rather ride along in silence....