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Unfortunately, basic economy is becoming the new normal in the airline industry. The three major US carriers have been rolling it out on more and more routes this year, much to our dismay.Billed as a way for customers to save money, it lets people buy cheaper fares and forego things like seat selection, priority boarding and the ability to bring a full-size carry-on bag. Our United and American basic economy reviews show that basic economy should usually be avoided, though Delta’s was a bit more tolerable....

Standing in Tiananmen Square–you get a real sense of the country’s Communist past here, and the events of recent history.This is an installment in my series on my January 2012 trip to China. Posts include: Help Me Plan My Trip To China, Flight Review: American Airlines 777 International Business Class to Beijing, Hotel Review: St. Regis Beijing, Beijing Overview: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Peking Deck, A Great Day at the Great Wall of China, Flight Review: Air China 777 Domestic Business Class, Hotel Review: Andaz Shanghai, Trip Report: Terra Cotta Warriors and a Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, Hotel Review: Sheraton Xian, and My China Trip Wrap Up: China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and the Westin Beijing....

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.British Airways is still dealing with the aftermath of its disaster last weekend in which the airline had to effectively shut down its London operations for an entire day due to an IT failure. The meltdown occurred during a busy Memorial Day weekend, which is also celebrated as a bank holiday in the United Kingdom....

Check out the week in travel contests and sweepstakes for your chance to win an American Express getaway, ski trips to Chile and Vail, a seven night cruise, and trips to Rome and Ireland.Win A Getaway for Two From American Express TravelWin a getaway for two from Amex TravelTake a travel quiz and win a trip to your choice of the following destinations: Scottsdale, AZ; Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; Mexico City, Mexico; or Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo....

I know many TPG readers have amassed nice sums of AA miles through the many Citi deals and I suspect many more will be accrued as we approach December 1, which is the last day to accrue miles from non-flying methods for Million Miler qualification.That said, this week AA announced that you can now use your AA miles for flights on Etihad Airways. If you aren’t aware, Etihad is a United Arab Emirates carrier that is known for 5 star service - especially in first class....

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 noticed a flyer in my Diamond Medallion credentials touting the opportunity to get free Hertz Gold status. I qualify for Hertz Five Star status anyway through renting at least 10 times a year so this wasn’t of much interest to me, but I thought some of you might be able to take advantage of it....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here - British Airways Visa Signature CardI’ve been getting tons of, “Will I get approved?” emails about the Chase British Airways 100,000 mile bonus. I’m not employed by Chase, so I can’t tell anyone whether you will or will not get approved for the card, but I will relay some information and anecdotal experiences so you can get a sense of whether you should apply....

It was the viral video that horrified the nation: a bloodied passenger on a United flight dragged shrieking from his seat by airport security, because he refused to give up his paid seat to airline employees boarding at the last minute.But even though Dr. David Dao, then 69, was left with a broken nose, two missing teeth and a concussion from his ordeal on United Express 3411, it was arguably the reputation of the airline industry in general that came out more battered and bruised....

Although you can’t earn frequent flyer miles on it, TPG editor Eric couldn’t resist the chance to attend a media preview of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center last night. Here are his photos from the event and info on the exhibit itself.The Endeavour inside its temporary home in the Oschin Pavilion.On September 21, it seemed like all the eyes in California were glued to the skies and to television screens watching the Space Shuttle Endeavour take a dramatic flight piggybacked aboard a 747 as it made a grand tour up and down the state, while just a few weeks ago, thousands of Angelenos crowded the streets of LA to watch the majestic Shuttle make its final journey from the airport to the California Science Center at Exposition Park downtown where it is now the centerpiece of a new exhibit....

Our family of four recently kicked off the summer with a trip to the Andaz Costa Rica. This was a return trip to the resort for Josh and me, but the first trip to Costa Rica for our two girls. You can get a sneak preview of our time on the ground in Costa Rica in this post, but now it’s time to dive into some of the specifics of our stay and the property The Andaz Costa Rica is one of the absolute best World of Hyatt redemption values in the world at just 15,000 points per night for a stay in a top-notch resort....

New to our Insider Series is TPG Contributor “Patrick Down,” presently employed as a TSA officer at a US airport. In this installment, he takes a look at the technology used by TSA to screen you and your baggage, and offers his commentary on whether it’s effective … or not.TSA airport security screening is a huge operation with a ton of high-tech equipment — but is it effective? Photo by Dan Paluska / Flickr....

It’s been over 40 years since the Federal Aviation Administration banned supersonic travel over the United States, but that could change if some members of Congress have their way.Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the incoming chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has assembled a list of regulations his group would like to see repealed by the new White House administration. On the list is the FAA’s supersonic ban, with the simple explanation “Make Sonic Boom Again....

If you’ve ever flown over 100,000 miles in a single year, you’re in elite company. Over 200,000 miles and you’re definitely a top-tier road warrior. But how many people have flown over one million miles in a single year?Tom Stuker has. Twice. And he’s on pace to do it again in 2017.United’s number-one flyer recently passed a major milestone when he reached over 18 million total miles — all on United 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.Use code YTOCHD to receive a la carte, pay-as-you-fly trial access with JetSmarter.FoundersCard is one of the most popular membership-based cards out there, offering perks ranging from elite status and free hotel stays to discounts at clothing stores....

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 generally don’t watch much TV, mostly because I travel all the time and my DVR queue gets so backlogged I don’t know where I left off. However, this is a show I may actually watch: A new pilot about the golden days of flying on Pan Am - back when air travel was sexy....

Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) had a much longer night than expected. Mechanical issues caused two diversions for passengers aboard the flight that was supposed to arrive in Spain after a seven-hour journey.The first flight departed JFK at 7:31pm and flew for three hours and 22 minutes, reaching the tip of Nova Scotia before it had to turn around due to a mechanical issue....

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.Tomorrow is Sunday, and you know what that means: time for me to answer some reader questions!I’ve gotten a few good ones in this week, but I’m always looking for more. If you have a question about airline miles, hotel points and/or credit cards – the fastest way to earn points, the best ways to redeem them, and everything in between, I want to hear it....

It’s that time of the year again, when Starwood announces its SPG category changes. This rarely means good news for SPG members since most of the adjustments in category are upwards. Here’s where you’ll see some of the biggest changes in terms of properties being upped a category. Here is the new list of category breakdowns.For comparison purposes, you can find the current chart of SPG free night redemption requirements here, and the Cash & Points options by category here....

The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration, who oversaw the safest period in the history of commercial flight in the United States, will step down at midnight Saturday, but the White House has not indicated that it has a permanent replacement for him in mind.Michael Huerta’s retirement comes as no surprise: An Obama appointee, he had long said he would step down at the end of his five-year term. He was named the FAA boss when his predecessor, Randy Babbitt, resigned in 2011 after being charged with DUI (the charges were later dismissed)....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit CardOffer expired March 9, 2014.The first weekend in March, I will be making my third appearance speaking at the New York Times Travel Show at the Javits Center in NYC. As with last year, I have some amazing topics to discuss, from maximizing points to showing how anyone can travel in luxury while on a not-so-luxury budget....