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Today, I want to share a story from TPG reader Julia, who accidentally booked a ticket she wasn’t eligible to use. Here’s what she had to say:Earlier this year we found a good deal on a flight to the Galápagos Islands using Google Flights. I speak Spanish, but also had our Ecuadorian travel agent look through the booking to make sure I wasn’t missing anything in the fine print. We made it to the Galapagos without a problem, but on our return home, the LATAM ticket agent stopped us and said that we had purchased a ticket for Ecuadorian nationals instead of foreigners....

Air Force One is one of the most exclusive aircraft in the sky. With the US Air Force at the helm, this plane is not just a tricked-out aluminum tube but a symbol of American diplomacy and power. While many people have heard about the quality cuisine and plush wood and leather interior, there are also some other surprises you might not be aware of.1. There’s Not Just One Air Force OneTechnically, any plane that carries POTUS is considered to be Air Force One (AF1) — whether it’s a Gulfstream or a commercial-size aircraft....

While the rest of us chums are chained to our desks, photographer Elias Weiss Friedman is out and about, jet-setting here and there to snap photographs of the most photogenic dogs on the planet. In his wildly successful blog, The Dogist — which was inspired by other man-on-the-street projects, including The Sartorialist and Humans of New York — Friedman captures a different, rarely explored side of cities near and far, one seen through the lens of pooches....

TPG is growing! Right now, we’re looking to add writers and editors with extensive loyalty program and credit card knowledge. Note: You must have a strong knowledge of most points and miles programs, including domestic and international frequent flyer programs, hotel programs and credit card programs. You’ll be writing or editing features like this and this, with little guidance from the rest of the team. Please read this entire post before submitting....

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.Hurricane Florence tore its way through North and South Carolina this past weekend, leaving thousands to deal with flooding, lack of electricity and basic necessities and damage to property and homes. We already wrote an article about where and how you can donate points, money and goods to help, but I just became aware of another way you can help out: through Bethenny Frankel’s #Bstrong initiative....

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.What It Was Like to Sit in the Nose on United’s Final 747 FlightTPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig managed to snag the coveted seat 1A on for United’s final 747 flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)....

This past week, TPG reader Ben sent me a message via Twitter:“‪@thepointsguy if I do a status match (from AA to UA), does that mean I lose my status on the airline I’m currently with?“Airlines are very competitive these days, especially when it comes to getting top tier elite fliers. If you ever want to switch loyalty from one airline to another, they know you don’t want to start from the bottom once you’ve already earned status in one program....

This is a guest post from my dad, Grandpa Points. He and my mom are in their mid-60’s, are (mostly) retired,and are ticking off “bucket list” destinations quicker than they ever thought possible thanks to miles, points, and travel deals. They have an intense love of this country, of its National Parks and treasures, and have no problem with a clean budget hotel room and an economy airline seat on a budget airline as long as it gets them where they want to be....

Among threats of a trade war over President Trump’s recently enacted aluminum and steel tariffs for China, aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co.’s stock is taking a significant hit.The American plane maker is poised for its worst month on the market in nearly two years, Bloomberg reports. The drop in stock prices comes amid fears that demand for Boeing’s planes would sink with US-China trade tensions.The Trump Administration announced Thursday it would hit China with a $60 billion tariff on Chinese goods....

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.Just a friendly reminder that 9/30/11 is the last day to transfer American Express points to Continental. I wrote a post on this a couple weeks ago and I recently recorded a short video walking you through the basics....

It was during home-ec class at high school in St. Paul that the stitch itch got celeb designer Clare Vivier.“I loved learning to sew,” said Vivier, who nurtured that affection over the years, even listing ‘bag designer’ as her occupation on her marriage certificate long before she founded her eponymous leather goods line, Clare V. “I wasn’t [designing] yet, but I had the dream. I didn’t want to put anything else on it because it seemed like such a permanent document....

GoPro action cameras have often been the trademark sidekick of travelers and adventurers alike — TPG even used one to document a recent first-class flight on Cathay Pacific. Whether you wanna film your walk down the streets of a European city, or strap the camera to your head and go kayaking, you can shoot nearly anything with a GoPro. This week, the company announced two major new products in its lineup, the Hero 5 Black and the Hero 5 Session....

Despite a longstanding dispute over gate space at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have found common ground: Neither carrier likes the April 30 resolution proposed by the City of Dallas.The proposed terms would allow Atlanta-based Delta to continue operating five flights out of DAL for an additional three years. After that time period, the City of Dallas has the option of replacing Delta with another carrier....

Don’t forget, today is American Express’s annual Small Business Saturday, where Amex cardholders can receive statement credits on purchases made with their American Express cards at local businesses.TODAY is Small Business Saturday. Shop with your Amex and receive statement credits!The purpose of Small Business Saturday is to draw attention to the many brick and mortar businesses that frequently get overlooked by giving Amex cardholders a statement credit when they use an American Express card at a participating business....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:The American and US Airways merger was officially announced this week.American/US Airways Merger Announcement: Earlier this week, American Airlines and US Airways officially announced their merger. As a recap, not including regional fleets, the new airline will have a total of 801 narrowbody planes and 147 widebody jets totaling 948 mainline aircraft. The cost of integration is estimated at $1....

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.Flying with pets has been a hot topic in 2018. From a dog who died in an overhead bin to airlines updating their emotional support animal polices (no peacocks allowed), pet travel doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon....

If you love luxury points-friendly resorts that offer something for all members of the family, then The Phoenician, A SPG Luxury Collection Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, may fit the bill nicely. We visited the resort in May of this year using a combination SPG points and a cash upgrade to score a large suite. You can read all about how and why we selected the resort, as well as get a detailed look at our suite in this post....

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 Points Guy was a part of a panel of travel experts on global business conference destinations. Check out the article here.My choice was downtown Los Angeles. I was there for a conference recently and was really impressed with LA Live and the food scene....

American and Delta both designate some seating as “preferred” in their economy cabins, so it was only a matter of time before United made this “enhancement,” too.United’s offering, expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2018, was buried in yesterday’s Corporate Preferred program announcement — we’ve since managed to get a bit more detail, though:“Beginning later this year, at time of booking, select standard economy seats typically closer to the front of the aircraft behind Economy Plus will be available for Corporate Preferred Elite Customers and United MileagePlus Premier customers, free of charge....

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.Today at the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways finally unveiled its brand-new Qsuite business class. Long story short, it’s pretty darn incredible. What makes Qsuite so great? Let me run through some highlights…Center seats turn into a true double bedAll seats/suites include a sliding doorThe layout makes this product great for single travelers, couples and even families (quad seats!...