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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.The snow in the Northeast is really wreaking havoc on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Almost all flights out of Philadelphia/ NYC/ Boston have been cancelled this afternoon, leaving thousands stranded. If you find yourself stranded, read my post on weather related cancellations,Some tips for this situation-If you are trying to fly to/from NYC- you may not be reaccomodated until Wednesday at the earliest....

Well this one really came out of left field. United Airlines just announced plans to begin nonstop service from its Dulles hub in Washington, DC (IAD) to Tel Aviv (TLV), launching May 22, 2019.The new flight will be operated by a 777-200ER with the following schedule:UA72 Washington, DC (IAD) 10:30pm Departure → Tel Aviv (TLV) 4:30pm (+1) Arrival (Wed, Fri, Sun)UA73 Tel Aviv (TLV) 12:20am Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 5:50am Arrival (Tues, Fri, Sun)IAD-TLV is now available to book, with paid economy fares starting at $875 round-trip, and business class available from $3,640....

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.Virgin America announced a limited-time “Spring Fever” fare sale of 10-20% off flights from February 25 through April 3, 2014. You have to book by 4:00am PT January 30 (that’s tomorrow!).Use the promo code SPRING20 when booking. Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday flights get 10% off and Tuesday-Wednesday departures get 20% off....

It’s been an incredible month for jaw-dropping first-class cabins. Travelers with deep pockets, or with a nice stash of points and miles, now have two outstanding options for uber-luxury travel: Emirates’ entirely redesigned suite on thhe boeing 777-300ER, which launched on December 1, and Singapore’s gigantic new first-class product, which will be available on one A380 flight to Sydney (SYD) beginning on Monday.I had an opportunity to explore Singapore’s new first class onboard the delivery flight from Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France (TLS) this week, and even got a private tour from Shanti, one of the airline’s most celebrated flight attendants....

There’s a saying that winemakers have that goes, “It takes a lot of good beer to make great wine,” and no man (or woman) can live on wine alone, so for today’s #WineWednesday, we are switching it up a bit to taste some great brews and spirits in Portland, Oregon. TPG Contributor Casey Hatfield-Chiotti takes us around some of the area’s best breweries and distilleries to knock back a few pints and shots to clear the palate before another wine tasting....

The eternal question of what to do during a long layover — or when you’re suddenly faced with a cancellation or unanticipated free time before a scheduled return flight — may just have a refreshing solution: go and spend some time at a great winery near the airport.Below, you’ll find a list of 10 such wineries, all located within an hour’s drive of several major US and international airports during. All the usual cautions should be observed — make sure you plan your trip in advance, reconfirm appointments and provide a suitable cushion for traffic delays, just in case....

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.Earn 250 Continental miles for each booking you make at continental.com when using your MasterCard credit or debit card from now until December 31, 2010. There is no limit to the amount of bonus miles you can earn....

One of the things I love most about being The Points Guy is getting to hear stories from readers about all the positive ways award travel has affected their lives. That being said, while I love hearing about your successes, I think there’s also a lot we can learn by sharing our mistakes, and I’m calling on readers to send in your most egregious and woeful travel failures.From time to time I’ll pick one that catches my eye and post it for everybody to enjoy (and commiserate with)....

An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Honolulu (HNL) on Friday after a warning indicator light turned on and the pilots idled the engine.Alaska Flight 145 from Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) was just past the halfway point of its route when the Boeing 737-800 aircraft’s oil filter bypass light came on. The pilots idled the engine, according to protocol, and continued on to Honolulu.“The captain came on the overhead speaker and just said that they were having overheating of one of the engines so they needed to idle a little bit to try to let it cool off,” passenger Carrie Mingle told KHON 2 News in Seattle....

Alaska Airlines proves yet again that it’s ahead of the curve. Starting Monday, September 24, first-class passengers on select routes can experience their very own virtual reality experience on board their flight.In collaboration with SkyLight, an American-French company that specializes in “immersive in-flight entertainment,” Alaska is now offering first-class passengers on some routes the opportunity to use new VR technology. The Allosky headset features HD resolution, bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities and a “sleek, lightweight design....

On September 11, 2001, after terror attacks in the US led Federal Aviation Administration officials to shut down US airspace, dozens of US-bound commercial flights from Europe were forced to divert. In the end, 38 flights, hauling some 6,600 passengers, touched down at Gander International Airport (YQX) in Newfoundland, Canada, thanks to the airport’s long runways and on-site equipment.The diversions tested the limits of the airport and the tiny town in northeast Canada, with the 38 flights reportedly doubling its population in the span of hours....

It’s a sad day for Award Wallet users who use the handy site to track their Delta SkyMiles because as of today Delta will no longer allow Award Wallet to access the SkyMiles accounts of the 70,000 users who use the site to do so.Delta joins American Airlines and Southwest as the third major airline to deny Award Wallet access to its frequent flyers’ accounts, and though I hope this is not going to be the start of a major trend, I wouldn’t be surprised if further airlines pull out in the future....

Were you on a canceled Delta flight in September? If so, you’re one of very few passengers who were so unlucky. Ditto for most of the other airlines. The Department of Transportation reported yesterday that flight cancellations hit an all-time low in September, with just 0.3% (that’s 3 in 1,000) of flights being canceled. Delta led the way with just 10 flight cancellations all month, earning a coveted 0.0% (after rounding down) cancellation rate....

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 American Airlines AAdvantage program has had its ups and downs — most recently, its massive devaluation in March — but there’s still a lot to appreciate about the program. The carrier is now celebrating the 35 anniversary of AAdvantage by giving away 350,000 AAdvantage miles to 35 grand prize winners....

FlyDubai has announced it will be merging its loyalty program with Emirates. Up until now, the low-cost carrier operated its own OPEN rewards program, which will be integrated into Emirates Skywards on August 1.Last year the two airlines joined together to form a partnership that included codesharing, network and schedule alignments.Both carriers are owned by the United Arab Emirates government but operate independently. Emirates focuses on long-haul destinations, operating a fleet exclusively of 777s and A380s....

For cyclists, the eternal question of bringing or leaving a bicycle on a trip is a big one. On one side of the equation, you have to deal with the packing, transportation, fees and any potential mishaps that may go along with bringing a bicycle. On the other hand, there’s nothing like exploring a different part of the world on two wheels. Whether you’re traveling to an important race, looking to shred some mountain trails or exploring the world through bike tours, here are some tips for handling bicycle transportation when flying....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here - United MileagePlus Explorer CardAs a reminder, there is only one day left to take advantage of the increased 50,000-point sign-up bonus on the United MileagePlus Explorer Card, which you can earn after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. The card offers a waived annual fee the first year (then $95), plus two one-time passes for the United Club each year....

This is an installment in my Maximizing Elite Status series. Articles include; The Basics and Why People Mileage Run, Using ITA Matrix to Find Cheap Flights, How Much is Elite Status Worth?, Comparing Top Tier Status, Comparing Mid-Tier Status, Comparing Low Level Status, How to Get Elite Miles Without Flying, Understanding Elite Status Bump Thresholds, The Lowdown on Soft Landings, How to Cope with Losing Elite Status.At this point, I don’t need to tell you that elite status confers a lot of perks and privileges upon frequent flyers who reach the upper echelons of their mileage program of choice, but even flyers at the middle levels of elite status stand to gain a lot....

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.Unrest in Papua New Guinea has resulted in an unusual incident, the burning of an airplane by protesters enraged over an election result. Rioters set an Air Niugini aircraft — a Canadian-made Bombardier Dash 8 regional turboprop — on fire, destroying it and leading to the indefinite closing of the Mendi Airport (MDU) where the incident, reported by aviation site Flight Service Bureau, occurred....

New York City taxi yellow cabs now offer passengers a ride sharing option, opening the possibility for reduced fares in the city’s most recognizable transport option. Launching today, the ride-sharing program comes through a partnership between taxi-hailing app Curb and carpool route-mapping service Via. Curb uses parent company Verifone’s taxi technology — installed in about 65% of the city’s fleet — to link drivers to passengers, while Via’s mapping algorithm finds passengers traveling similar routes....