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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.So The Points Guy officially launched in April 2010 and the initial response has been amazing. Through word of mouth and referrals, I’ve helped numerous clients utilize their frequent flyer miles to realize a travel dream. In fact, just recently I helped a new client plan an amazing trip with his 90 year old father....

You may have experienced a turboprop aircraft in your travels; perhaps a Q400 or ATR72, likely flying to or from a small airport. One such aircraft recently made headlines when it was stolen and crashed. Turboprops are, in many parts of the world, a workhorse of short-haul flying. But you just don’t see them a lot in the US anymore.What, exactly, is a turboprop?A Porter Airlines Q400 Turboprop; Toronto skyline in view....

Passengers on board an Air India flight from Amritsar (ATQ) to Delhi (DEL) had a terrifying experience when severe turbulence caused one window pane on the aircraft to pop out of place.Reports say the incident occurred about 24 hours after one passenger died on Southwest Flight 1380 after shrapnel from an engine explosion broke a window and nearly sucked a passenger out of the plane.However, the Air India incident involved only the inside panel of the window; the outside panel is the one that really matters, as it’s designed to withstand the pressure differential between the cabin and the outside air....

We’re constantly being introduced to new travel apps and online tools that are designed to change our lives at the click of a button. If you want to enhance your travel experience and keep things simple on the road, consider using these apps.1. TuroThink of Turo as the Airbnb of cars — you can rent them from a rapidly growing community of local car owners or make some extra money by renting your own vehicle out to visitors....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American ExpressThe Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express is currently offering an increased sign-up bonus of up to 125,000 points. It requires spending $3,000 on the card in the first three months of account opening to earn 100,000 points, and spending another $1,000 within the first six months to earn an additional 25,000 points....

Update 11/5/16: AA has reached out to clarify the procedure for systemwide upgrades, explaining “For now, when Premium Economy goes into service, our customers will continue to upgrade from main cabin to business class. When we do have more to share, we will definitely reach out to you.” With five months to go until the launch of the premium economy class of service, we’ll have to see if this policy will still apply then....

United Flight 971 was diverted to Ireland on Monday afternoon after a bomb threat was found scrawled in the plane’s bathroom, according to reports.The message discovered on the bathroom mirror included an anti-American slogan and mentioned a bomb.The Boeing 767-300ER, bound for Chicago from Rome with 207 passengers and 11 crew, was forced to turn back about 125 miles west of Ireland, landing at Shannon Airport (SNN) at 1:42pm local. After everyone disembarked at 2:15pm, police searched the plane, which was kept on the tarmac at distance from the terminal and other aircraft, according to a Garda spokesman....

Even the most experienced travelers get fed up with delays, long layovers and spending too much time in airports. If you’re constantly on the go, sometimes there’s nothing better than a couple of hours to recuperate in a luxurious (or any) hotel room.That’s where As You Stay comes in, a new app that allows users to book a hotel room for hours at a time, starting at just one and maxing out at 24 so you can take as much (or as little) time as you need to refresh....

TPG reader Justin sent me a message on Facebook to ask about the new World of Hyatt:“A lot of Hyatt elites are upset with the changes to Gold Passport. Have you ever seen a loyalty program make or delay changes based on a public outcry?”Hyatt recently announced sweeping changes to its loyalty program, including updated benefits and new (generally higher) elite qualification requirements. I have mixed feelings about the new World of Hyatt, but many Gold Passport members have been understandably ruffled by these changes, especially those who previously earned status through shorter or less expensive stays....

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 many plumbers does it take to fix an airplane bathroom at 33,000 feet? No, that’s not the start of a bad joke (or maybe it is?). It’s a real-life situation that a Norwegian Air flight faced Saturday when a flight from Oslo (OSL) to Munich (MUC) with at least 60 plumbers on board experienced a problem seemingly well-suited for those passengers....

Last week, Iberia’s surprise premium economy inaugural flight from New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) had left me in Europe needing to book a last-minute flight to get back home. Thankfully, Russian carrier Aeroflot, an airline I’ve been hoping to test out, had an appealing price point — and my experience was surprisingly good. Here’s a review of the economy flight experience from Moscow (SVO) to New York (JFK).BookingWhen I say I booked this trip last-minute, I mean it....

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.I’m currently on a LAS-JFK flight and while enjoying my red wine and meal, I noticed a pain in my thigh. It feels like a bug bite, but I know I don’t have one, so I started to think “Oh crap, do I have a blood clot in my leg?...

My parents have shared some of their budget traveling stories here before, and thankfully were willing to do so again. As you may or may not know, their travel style is a little bit different than mine. They prefer domestic trips, and are totally okay with modest airline and hotel accommodations. They are children of the “Greatest Generation”, are proud of this country (well, for the most part), and enjoy experiencing various National Parks and the great outdoors....

All Nippon Airways is typically considered one of the better carriers to fly economy with. But, for one passenger, a gluten-free meal turned out to be something less than appetizing.Martin Pavelka was on an ANA flight in economy from Tokyo (HND) to Sydney (SYD) when he received his gluten-free meal: a single banana. Not only was it a dismal offering, but to make matters worse, it was accompanied by a condiment pouch that included a napkin, salt and silverware....

For the past few weeks, Mars has been growing brighter and brighter, and starting this weekend, you can see our planetary neighbor the closest its been to Earth since 2003 as it approaches opposition.Opposition means Mars and the sun are on directly opposite sides of Earth.The Earth, Sun and Mars align in opposition about once every two years, but Mars is only as bright as it will be this weekend about every 15 to 17 years when its position is closest to the sun, Rich Zurek, project scientist for NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter told the New York Times....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Ink Business Cash Credit CardThese days big credit card sign-up points bonuses seem to be sticking around, but scoring 50,000, 75,000 and even 100,000 points can often mean having to meet large minimum spending requirements. The good news is that some of the most lucrative cards out there are giving new cardholders more of a fighting chance by lowering the intro APR on purchases and balance transfers to 0%....

According to a study published by MIT, a majority of drivers for Uber and Lyft in the United States make less than minimum wage — some drivers even lose money as they work for the ride-hailing companies.For the study, MIT researchers surveyed more than 1,100 drivers at either company and found that the median profit was $3.37 per hour before taxes, less than half the federal minimum wage set at $7....

Almost 15 years after Nigeria Airways collapsed, the country looks like it will be getting a new airline.Nigeria announced at the Farnborough airshow that it would be relaunching a new airline, known as Nigeria Air. The most populated country in Africa has been without a national carrier since 2003.The future branding and livery was unveiled by Nigerian Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika at the airshow. Sirika says it will be operating by December 2018, an aggressive date since the carrier doesn’t have a single aircraft or investor....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Get 50% more miles on Points Hound.PointsHound Is Offering A 50% Bonus On All Miles Earned For Bookings Made By January 1st: Get a 50% bonus on all miles earned when you book before January 1, 2014. The additional miles are included in the amount shown when you search for hotels. Simply create an account, search for a hotel and earn points for your preferred frequent flyer mile 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.Let’s say you’re flying with luggage that will fit in the overhead bin. There’s always the option to check it instead of carrying it on, but there are concerns with doing either.Travelers tend to have a tried and true philosophy on which they prefer, and it’s normally based on their experience: having luggage damaged or stolen when it’s checked, the ease at which they can travel when they have a small suitcase to drag, etc....