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The crew of Southwest Flight 1380 spoke out in its first joint television interview on CBS Thursday.Heroic Captain Tammie Jo Shults and First Officer Darren Ellisor, along with flight attendants Rachel Fernheimer, Seanique Mallory and Kathryn Sandoval appeared for the first time together since the flight’s engine exploded and sent shrapnel crashing through a window on the plane, killing 43-year-old passenger Jennifer Riordan.First Officer Darren Ellisor described how when the engine exploded, he heard a loud bang from the cockpit, then felt the aircraft suddenly yaw 40 degrees to the left....

Using Twitter can be one of the best ways to interact with airlines on a busy travel day. Major carriers often have a team of representatives monitoring social feeds and direct messages to ensure that customer needs are being met, and countless travelers take advantage of this service each day. The customer service representatives manning social accounts are typically better equipped to help, whether that means rebooking you on a new flight or moving you to a quieter hotel room when other reps seem unable or unwilling to assist....

As you may already be aware, United recently launched a refreshed in-flight premium-cabin product called “Polaris,” including new and improved food and beverage options, redesigned amenity kits and some fantastic Saks Fifth Avenue bedding.I reviewed the new first class and business class “soft” products back in December, and now UA is gearing up to launch a brand new seat on its 777-300ER later this month — first on the Newark-San Francisco route on February 16 and followed shortly by San Francisco-Hong Kong on March 25....

On the heels of American’s announcement of a handful of new flights to Europe, United’s sharing plans to introduce three new routes of its own — all beginning in 2019.First up is daily, year-round 787-9 Dreamliner service between San Francisco (SFO) and Amsterdam (AMS), joining existing UA options from Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR) and Washington, D.C. (IAD). The new flight will launch on March 30, 2019, with the following schedule:UA968 San Francisco (SFO) 2:55pm Departure → Amsterdam (AMS) 10:20am (+1) ArrivalUA969 Amsterdam (AMS) 2:50pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 4:50pm ArrivalNext are two new routes from Newark, starting with a daily seasonal Boeing 767-300 flight to Naples, Italy (NAP), operating from May 22, 2019 through October 4, 2019 with the following schedule:UA964 Newark (EWR) 5:25pm Departure → Naples (NAP) 8:05am (+1) ArrivalUA965 Naples (NAP) 10:10am Departure → Newark (EWR) 2:05pm ArrivalFinally, beginning June 6, 2019 through October 4, 2019, United will fly daily from Newark to Prague (PRG), also with a 767-300:UA188 Newark (EWR) 6:05pm Departure → Prague (PRG) 8:25am (+1) ArrivalUA187 Prague (PRG) 10:10am Departure → Newark (EWR) 1:30pm ArrivalAll three routes will likely be popular with different groups of United loyalists, but I’m perhaps most excited by the new flight to Naples — I’ve always wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast, and NAP offers direct access....

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 at Team TPG like to keep things interesting, so we wanted to add a bit of action to kick off everyone’s weekend. From time to time, we’ll be posting a video of a crazy takeoff, landing or anything aviation related that we think is worthy of a few minutes of your time....

Though most of us (I hope) are lounging around this Labor Day, hitting the beach, firing up the barbecue or just hanging out with friends and family, the hard-working people in the travel industry don’t get a day off. So on this holiday that’s meant to recognize the workers of America, take some time to thank the people that get you where you need to go safely and on time.There are plenty of ways to show your appreciation....

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.Delta just announced the routes for the its 747 farewell tour that will begin on December 18. These flights are definitely not going to be your ordinary Delta trips — there will be a special hangar tour and a whole lot of parties in each hub that the aircraft is visiting before it’s retired....

Last weekend, I flew round-trip from Newark to London Heathrow to review United’s retrofitted 767-300ER, which just entered service with the new Polaris business class. As a result of the last-minute international booking, I received the dreaded SSSS at the top of my boarding pass, designating me for Secondary Security Screening Selection. For more on my experience, see My SSSSpecial Day With the TSA at Newark Airport.At the end of that post, I suggested that readers share their own experiences....

It can be a challenge to stay connected and productive while you’re on the road. Sure, it’s easier than ever to work remotely thanks to laptops, smartphones and reliable Wi-Fi, but if you actually want to be productive, you still need to find somewhere you can actually work — preferably someplace with the right resources and an environment.Hotel business centers are still an option, but they tend not the most comfortable spaces — if your hotel has one at all....

Oktoberfest runs from September 16 to October 3 this year and while that might seem like it’s still a ways off, booking a hotel in Munich early is seriously important — many are already completely sold out or have no award availability to speak of. Luckily, there are a handful of points-hotels that do still have rooms available for at least some dates during Oktoberfest. Here’s a look at seven of our favorites....

The once quiet Ear Spring hot water pool, in Yellowstone’s Geyser Hill area, erupted for the first time in over 10 years last weekend. The thermal spring shot boiling water between 20 and 30 feet into the air, as well as rubble and rubbish, according to a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).“The eruption ejected not only rocks, but also materials that had fallen or been thrown into the geyser in years past, like coins, old cans and other human debris,” said the report....

Banksy — the famed graffiti artist and political activist known for painting murals around the world — has unveiled a new art installation and it’s not just a scandalous image in London, New York or LA. This time, the artist, whose identity remains a mystery, has opened a hotel in the West Bank. Specifically, he’s launched Walled Off Hotel in the town of Bethlehem in the middle of disputed territory.The fully functioning property was primarily designed and financed by Banksy himself....

This is a guest post from my dad, Grandpa Points. He and my mom are in their 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....

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.Hey Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton — you might want to keep an eye on your omelette stations, especially if you have properties near Dalton, Georgia.Police are currently searching for a man who’s been bopping into hotels and stealing from their breakfast spreads....

As I said in a previous post earlier this month, I’ll be speaking at three upcoming events about maximizing miles and points, and on the nominations committee of The Freddies, so I wanted to personally invite TPG readers to each. I really enjoy meeting readers in person, and I could use your support, so please consider attending any or all of these events. There are a few updates about times and registration, so please read carefully to make sure you can attend any/all that you are interested in....

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 came to light this week that Delta is now picking up some lucky passengers in Atlanta in luxury Porsche sedans and SUVs. Details are still scarce, but a Delta rep on Flyertalk did confirm:“Porsche ScoopI see that you’ve noticed a few of the spanking new vehicles trolling around ATL....

Through 12/31/11 American Express is discounting many of their Membership Rewards points redemptions. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to airline transfers, which are generally the most lucrative way to maximize the value of Amex points. However, there may be some options that make sense for your specific situation.I have tons of airline miles as it is, so I always like to try and figure out lucrative ways to use points to pay for luxury hotels, since most don’t have their own points programs and thus the only way to stay is to pay....

This one applies to families as well as coaches, chaperones, or any other adult in charge of getting a minor that isn’t a part of their family overseas and back: Make sure you bring proper documentation.Given the responsibility that immigration desks and airlines globally have to detect and stop human trafficking, there’s an increasing amount of documentation required to travel with minors who aren’t your own children – specifically notarized parental consent forms....

Update 08/31/2017: Alaska responded to our request for comment with this statement:The ad is part of a 30 min program called “Lifestyle 365” that compromises of 10-15 commercials in varying length from 30-90 seconds. This is not an ad shown to all people on board Virgin America flights, a guest must actively choose to watch this 30 min ad reel. It had 1,963 views out of 1.7M on RED this month....

Citi’s Private Pass program — a somewhat underutilized perk available to all Citi credit card or Citibank debit card holders — grants Citi customers access to advance ticket sales and VIP packages that can include lounges, backstage passes or meet-and-greets at concerts, sports events or dining experiences.On Friday night, Citi offered a VIP package at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On The Run II tour stop in New Jersey. The event is an example of a hospitality perk cardholders are granted when they purchase tickets through Private Pass — it included access to a lounge in MetLife Stadium along with close-up floor seats to the show....