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UPDATE: Few airlines continue to offer debit cards, severely limiting choices.We can all (myself included) do more to become better points masters. Here are 10 quick tips to maximize your points in the new year.1) Open up a points-earning checking account/ debit card. Most major airlines have them, like Continental, United, US Airways, Delta and American.2) Open up a points earning credit card, preferably with a huge sign-on bonus. Like this 75,000-100,000 Citi American card, 50,000 Aeroplan Amex, or 45,000 Delta Gold American Express card....

First class seat- not bookable with Delta milesWe quickly made our way down the empty jet bridge and boarded the 777-300 aircraft. Friendly flight attendants greeted us in French and English upon boarding and directed us to our seats. We enviously walked through an empty first class cabin with big, plush leather seats. I would have redeemed for first class, except that Delta does not allow for international first class redemptions- and even Air France only lets their elites redeem for first at highly inflated levels....

Once close friends, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are taking a step back from each other in less than six months. Effective January 1, 2018, American and Alaska are cutting back their partnership, removing elite benefits and earnings on each other’s flights.AAdvantage Elite Benefits on Alaska FlightsFor flights on and after January 1, AAdvantage elite benefits will no longer apply for travel on Alaska Airlines. Currently, AAdvantage elites get priority check-in and boarding, priority security (except Gold elites), preferred seating (except Gold elites) and two free checked bags:Mileage Plan Elite Benefits on American FlightsLikewise, Mileage Plan elites will no longer get benefits on American Airlines flights....

If you’re a “non-rev” passenger on American Airlines, you can now wear leggings… or shorts, flip-flops, baseball caps or even jogging suits. No matter if you’re flying economy, business or even first class.This week, AA relaxed its non-rev (passengers who are employees or family/friends of employees) dress code. Effective immediately, AA has dropped its list of forbidden clothing. Instead, there’s just a general guideline that clothing just must be “neat and clean” and it can’t “offend or distract....

Tuesday morning, American Airlines announced nine new European routes. While some of these are incremental additions to AA’s existing routes to London, Munich and Dublin, this announcement unveils two brand new destinations in Italy and Croatia (both of which will become the only US flights to those destinations), a nonstop that many in Chicago have been longing for and the airline’s first service to the German capital of Berlin.Philadelphia (PHL) to Dubrovnik, Croatia (DBV)By far the most fascinating route addition in this announcement is a new route from AA’s transatlantic hub in Philadelphia to Dubrovnik, Croatia....

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.Update: The current sign-up bonus for the Amtrak Guest Rewards World MasterCard is 12,000 points after spending $500 in the first 3 months, 2 points per dollar spent on Amtrak, and one point per dollar on everything else....

Check out the week in travel contests and sweepstakes for your chance to win trips to Kenya, Disney Resorts, California, Honolulu or New York City.Win an Adventure for Two in Kenya From Sobek TravelWin a trip to KenyaEnter to win a free trip for two including economy airfare on Sobek’s Travel “Undiscovered Kenya” adventure plus a daypack and duffel bag from Granite Gear. The winner must be available to travel during one of the following dates:Feb 8-18, 2015Apr 12-22, 2015Jul 15-25, 2015Aug 9-19, 2015Sep 13-23, 2015Nov 8-18, 2015To enter, explain why you love traveling on the Sobek Travel Facebook page....

Ever wondered what route your plane takes to fly across the Atlantic or Pacific, or how the pilots have the route chosen for them? Chances are you’ve followed your route along on the seatback screen. Here’s how that route comes to be for the North Atlantic (with similar systems for the Pacific and Australia).Highways in the Sky: The North Atlantic Organized Track SystemMeet the North Atlantic Organized Track System, a coordinated system of efficient routes from North America to Europe (during the eastbound, evening flights) and the reverse (during westbound, daytime flights)....

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.When you think about a short flight, you probably envision hops between NYC and Philadelphia or Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But when we say this is a short flight — we mean it. In fact, this particular flight lasts only about 12 minutes....

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.Earlier in 2017, United announced its plans to launch a new ultra-long-haul route between Houston (IAH) and Sydney (SYD). The new daily service begins on January 18, 2018 and will be the only nonstop service between the two cities....

Tourists in Paris are frequently told to stay on their guard against various scams in the streets of the city — pickpockets, bag snatchers and people with fake petitions abound across the City of Light.Now, Paris police officers are also warning tourists that thieves are targeting travelers not just in the streets, but also behind the closed doors of their hotel rooms. Gangs of thieves, dubbed “hotel rats” by French authorities, slip into hotels and blend in with guests to steal their belongings....

I spent the past two weeks exploring the Baltic one fantastic city after another – Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and more. To get there and back, I had booked two one-way award tickets. The outbound was 62,500 American miles and $352 for British Airways First class from Miami to London. While fees are a little steep, I still thought it was a great deal since there weren’t many other flights available and it was the weekend before the Olympics started and their first class is always a very solid experience....

Social media is increasingly becoming the method airlines, hotels, credit cards and consumers get in touch with one another about the latest news, deals and promotions. Here’s a look at the latest interesting trending topics and more on social media from the week.I’ll be combing through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on during any given week, but if I miss something you’d like to discuss feel free to:-Post on my Facebook wall-Tweet me @thepointsguy-Instagram me @thepointsguyHere are some of the biggest news stories and promotions that everyone has been tweeting about this week....

On Tuesday, President Trump is set to meet with the crew of the fatal Southwest Airlines flight that made an emergency landing due to an engine explosion earlier this month.Crew members of Southwest Flight 1380 will head to the White House for a meeting with Trump on Tuesday. Southwest confirmed to TPG that the crew was invited to the White House. No further details were available from either the White House or Southwest Airlines....

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.This one may be targeted, but if you have at least 5 more Starwood stays to come this year, you should definitely try signing up here.Basically, you get a choice of what bonus you want for hitting 5 stays....

If you were lucky enough to nab one of those amazing Etihad mistake fares last year/month, congratulations! If your trip will take you to the opulent juggernaut of Dubai, there’s no need to spend hours researching your way around the second-largest city in the United Arab Emirates—TPG Contributor Nicholas du Pont lived there for two exciting years, and wants to help you make the most of your time in Dubai.Set beside the Arabian Gulf, Dubai is glitzy, glassy and over-the-top glamorous....

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.Why I’m Hopeful About the Future of the SPG Program With Marriott’s New Chase and Amex AgreementsThis week, Marriott announced that it had signed deals for co-branded credit cards with both Chase and American Express....

We have been hearing a lot about JetBlue recently, and most of it surrounding their new Mint premium business class experience that TPG Creative Director Adam Daniel Weiss was able to get a sneak peak of a few weeks back.JetBlue Mint Premium ExperienceYesterday, I had mentioned that there were some flights on Mint that were available for as low as $599 each way, well below the usual price of $799. The new product can be the game-changer for JetBlue, and we are interested in seeing this how it plays on in the long run....

I currently have a grand total of 15,973 followers on Twitter, so to celebrate getting to 16,000 soon, I will be giving away 16,000 Amex points today (transferred to the Membership Rewards partner of your choice) to a lucky follower to say thanks for listening to what I have to say on the social networking site. I also just sent my 10,000th Tweet today, so I’m in a good mood!Help me get to 16,000 followers today!...

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.Airsickness is not exactly a common occurrence at sea-level — its got the word “air” in it for a reason. But if you’ve been looking to put those complimentary motion sickness baggies you lifted from seat 12C to good use (and you’ve got a mythically queasy stomach) take a gander at this crazy aviation video, shot by a Delta pilot on final approach into Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport....