Our recent Alaskan family adventure was absolutely amazing, and if your family is adventurous, enjoys nature, or wildlife, or awesome views, then you seriously need to plan a trip to Alaska. You probably won’t want to do your entire Alaskan adventure using miles and points since there are some pretty neat non-chain places to stay, but you can certainly do a portion of your journey using miles and points to keep costs down....
TPG reader Jake tweeted me @thepointsguy with a question a lot of readers have:“If you can’t find a Business Class award, do you book Economy and hope it opens later or just wait? I am flying IAD-JFK-JNB in March.“Jake is going to Johannesburg in March and wants to know, if he can’t get a business Class ticket should he book an economy award and then hope that a business award will open up later....
The US State Department issued a new travel warning for Mexico on Wednesday night after authorities found eight dead bodies in the popular resort town Cancun within the span of a few days.The Riveria Maya News reports that two of the bodies — an unidentified man and woman — were found in the trunk of a cab at a shopping mall in the wee hours of Monday morning. The bodies of two other unidentified men were found dismembered and placed in plastic bags on Rancho Viejo Avenue in the city, according to the AP....
Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Lufthansa is offering a 20% mileage bonus for Miles & More members.20% Mileage Bonus for Miles & More members: Now through March 31, 2013, Lufthansa is offering a 20% mileage bonus on award miles for their Miles & More members. They are offering this promotion as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Miles & More 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.Foodies, brace yourselves: it looks like Bangkok, the Thai capital known for its vibrant culture and rich street-food scene, is banning all vendors from its streets by the end of 2017. It’s a huge blow to what many travelers consider to be the perfect places to experience local culture, with the city’s Chinatown and Khao San Road being two of the most well-known foodie-friendly spots, where a mix of locals and foreigners — rich and poor — gather for cheap, authentic and undeniably mouthwatering street fare....
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 Airlines Flight SQ247 from Melbourne, Australia (MEL), to Wellington, New Zealand (WEL), was canceled Saturday after its pilot failed a sobriety test. The flight was abruptly canceled after the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) decided to conduct a random alcohol and drug test on the flight crew....
It should come as a surprise to almost no one that super-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines does not perform well in the realm of customer service. In fact, the carrier ran a promotion a couple years ago that allowed customers to sound off and voice their dissatisfaction in exchange for 8,000 frequent flyer miles — and travelers sure did let their opinions be heard. Unfortunately for the carrier, its place down near the bottom of the customer service rankings hasn’t improved much since then....
American Express merchant policies came under intense scrutiny from the United States Supreme Court on Monday as the court debated reviving an antitrust lawsuit brought against the credit card company.The case, led by Ohio as well as 16 other states and the Justice Department, focuses on the “swipe fees” retailers pay to process transactions, which currently add up to more than $50 billion a year. American Express not only charges higher processing fees compared to other networks, but also contractually forbids its merchants to suggest customers use competing credit cards that charge less — otherwise known as “anti-steering” provisions....
Shopping portals are one of the best ways to earn points and miles with your favorite airline — without even having to step on a plane. Just by making a purchase online with select retailers through a portal, you can earn valuable points and miles, which can then be used toward your next redemption. Now, with holiday shopping season upon us, shopping portals are more valuable than ever — especially with Cyber Week promotions and elevated offers....
On the heel’s of Delta’s announcement that they would be selling Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) at prices as high as 10,000 MQMs for $2,095, we decided that for this week’s Thursday Giveaway we would be giving away Silver Medallion status which will be valid for 12 months, from the time that it’s gifted.Delta just announced their new Comfort Plus product this week.As a Silver Medallion in the SkyMiles program you will be able to take advantage of additional benefits when you fly:Waived baggage fees for you and your travel companionsUnlimited Complimentary Upgrades for you and a companion on paid ticketsPriority Boarding and Preferred SeatsComplimentary or discounted upgrades to Economy Comfort seatsPer Delta, Silver Medallion status can only be gifted to non-Medallion members, so if you are already a Medallion member you’re welcome to enter, but note that the status won’t be gifted until your current status runs out at the end of January....
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’s massive fare sale may end tonight, but we don’t want you to miss out on the fun. Enter this week’s Thursday Giveaway for a chance to win a $500 gift card from Southwest. Use your winnings to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday (yes, it’s coming up quick), or take a vacation to one of the airline’s lesser known destinations....
In this week’s Thursday Giveaway, enter for a chance to win two VIP passes to the BottleRock music festival in Napa, CA, valued at $2,370! The festival is a great way to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer with great music from headliners such as Stevie Wonder, Florence and the Machine and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The passes will grant you access to a full VIP experience, as described below:SPG VIP Skydeck pass holders have access to the VIP Village, dedicated VIP entrance offering in-and-out privileges to the festival, complimentary parking in the VIP lot and premium restrooms....
There’s a new top contender for the title of “world’s best first class,” and it just started flying on December 1. Emirates’ much-improved 777-300ER suite is simply outstanding — I even prefer it to the larger Etihad Apartment, arguably the former first-class champ.The suite is loaded with gizmos and gadgets — some serve to elevate the experience, such as the virtual windows in center seats, but two have left me a bit puzzled, and underwhelmed....
Hilton and Delta have become close partners lately, announcing a new Q1 promo today:Stay 1 Night = Earn up to 1,000 miles (earn 200 miles for stays at Hampton and Homewood)Stay 2 Nights = Earn up to 1,500 miles (earn 300 miles for stays at Hampton and Homewood)Stay 3 Nights = Earn up to 2,000 miles (earn 600 miles for stays at Hampton and Homewood)This is per stay, so the bonus can be earned throughout the promotion period of January 3- March 31, 2011....
Earlier this week I blogged about status matching and challenging elite status and that I recently was offered a match to United Platinum, simply by emailing them my American Airlines Executive Platinum information. Here’s my email exchange - as you can see, this didn’t end up as planned and I’m not happy about it.My original email to premiermatch@united.com:“Hello-I am currently an American Airlines Executive Platinum member and would like to bring my business to United....
The US Department of Commerce announced that there might be some discrepancies in the international arrival data report for 2016 and 2017. The DOC, which oversees the National Travel & Tourism Office, acknowledged that the arrival statistics that previously stated a decrease in international arrivals might be wrong.The International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office made the announcement about a possible undercount on its website, stating that “an increasing number of non-U....
Those who have been around here for a while have probably heard what I’m going to say before, but I think it is one of those things that is worth repeating every so often. I’m a very normal mom who will be at school pick-up this afternoon and then at Mommy and Me gymnastics tonight, but who spent the previous night flying in a lie-flat business class seat to get home from Hawaii....
Check out this week’s travel contests and sweepstakes to try your hand at winning a culinary vacation in Italy, a cruise through Europe, free airline tickets, a getaway to St. Barts, or a ski & music vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.Win a culinary trip to Lucca, Italy. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.Win A Culinary Getaway to Italy From JovialYou can win a foodie vacation to Italy for two, including:Airfare and ground transportation to Lucca, ItalyEight days/seven nights in an 18th century villaHands-on cooking classes (you can eat your meals after)Daily breakfast with an assortment of freshly prepared baked goods and local delicaciesWelcome dinner & farewell dinnerThe winner will select one of the following two programs/dates:October 3-10, 2015: Gluten Free in ItalyOctober 10-17, 2015: Cooking with EinkornThe contest is open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry....
Remember Saint Helena Airport (HLE)? Maybe you know it as “The World’s Most Useless Airport.” Well, it turns out that it may not be as useless as its nickname suggests after all.In case you don’t know, Saint Helena is a remote island approximately 1,200 miles from the West African shoreline, in the middle of the South Atlantic. The British overseen territory is home to just 4,000 residents and has long only been accessible by ship....
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.Now through December 17, 2012, American is offering AAdvantage members the opportunity to earn 500 bonus Advantage miles by taking a quick survey on Facebook.Earn 500 American AAdvantage miles for sharing your thoughts.In order to be eligible, you must “like” both the American Airlines and AAdvantage fan pages then take a quick survey that takes about a minute and asks a few questions on what is your preferred airline, preferred airline loyalty program, secondary preferred airline and such....
