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Spring has sprung, and that means wedding season is here! If you have weddings to attend, points and miles make great gift options for those wanting to contribute to the honeymoon. We asked TPG reader Lori Zaino to show us how it’s done.Giving the gift of travel to newlyweds has become much more popular recently. Websites like Honeyfund make it easy for you to give the “gift” of a honeymoon via travel ( or as straight up cash with a pretty bow on it)....

In response to multiple Freedom of Information Act requests, the FAA has released several tower exchanges between actor Harrison Ford and controllers at the Air Traffic Control tower at John Wayne Airport (SNA) both during and shortly after Ford landed his single-engine Aviat Husky on a taxiway instead of the runway last month. Also included in the recordings is a call between the tower and the captain of the nearby American Airlines Boeing 737, which was holding short of the runway and which Ford flew over at a very low altitude as he landed....

As I mentioned yesterday in my review of the Kauai Grand Hyatt, I changed my trip plans once I got there and decided to spend the third and fourth nights of my stay on the island at the St. Regis Princeville instead.I enjoyed the Grand Hyatt, but it was purely a points decision since my suite upgrade was only confirmed for my first two nights, and I would have had to use 54,000 Gold Passport points to stay in a club room for the second two nights, whereas I found award night redemption availability at the St....

This morning United released its operational performance for May. While this report is typically a snooze-fest for travelers, two stats jumped out: Involuntary denied boardings have plummeted 79% and United’s passenger count continues to grow.First, about the drop in involuntary bookings, the president of United (Scott Kirby) notes:We’re seeing initial progress following our customer-focused policy changes, with involuntary denied boardings down 79 percent year-over-year in May. We will continue to build on this momentum as we head into the busy summer travel season....

Congrats to Tom A. who won the British Airways goody bag and 13,000 Avios points! His BA redemption tip was: “Los Angeles to Honolulu: Avios: 12,500 points and $10.70.” I’ll be in touch to arrange prize delivery shortly.I already shared some of the more lighthearted moments from our day at DFW on the Oneworld Megado, but I thought I’d also give you a rundown of the full roster of the day’s activities since there was a lot to see, do and learn while we were at American Airlines’ Dallas headquarters....

Ryanair, the low-cost Irish carrier, accidentally sent nearly 200 delayed passengers unsigned compensation checks that bounced when they tried to deposit them.The airline has been plagued by pilot strikes across Europe this summer that have affected tens of thousands of Ryanair passengers. On August 10, the airline experienced the worst one-day strike in its 30-year history when pilots in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland walked off the job and left almost 400 flights grounded....

Budget European carrier Ryanair has announced the approval by its board of a 5 year strategic business plan to expand into the US market. Transatlantic fares would reportedly begin at just £10 each way, although each flight would have a minimal number of seats available at that cost. Known for perfecting the low-cost carrier (LCC) model in Europe, as well as for its irreverent CEO Michael O’Leary, Ryanair has overcome its notoriety for hidden fees and developed a tremendous following and fan base....

A South African airline has just been ordered to ground its entire fleet of 21 planes after an aviation audit revealed a number of non-compliant issues that compromise aircraft safety.South African Express, also known as SA Express, is a government-owned regional airline that operates smaller routes on behalf of the national carrier, South African Airways. A brief notice posted on the South African Express website Thursday stated that “SA Express confirms that the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has suspended the airline’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) as well as the certification for an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO)....

Starwood Preferred Guest is losing two properties that have been part of its portfolio since 2008 — Le Parker Méridien New York and Le Parker Méridien Palm Springs. Effective January 3, 2018, the two Category 6 properties will no longer be valid for points earning or redeeming, stays won’t qualify for elite status and elites won’t get SPG benefits.As Points, Miles and Martinis points out, it’s unclear why these two properties — both Le Parker Méridiens — are leaving SPG....

Uber announced Wednesday that it would officially be shuttering its self-driving car operation in Arizona after a fatal crash in which one of the vehicles struck and killed an Arizona pedestrian in March.The ride-share company announced that it would lay off 300 of its Arizona workers, the majority of whom were vehicle operators charged with monitoring the cars while they were in self-driving mode. The state had been a major outpost for Uber’s autonomous vehicle test operations....

After traveling for a year in South America, Rebecca and Doug Greenshields, who originally hail from New Zealand and Australia, were not ready to return to their normal nine-to-fives. Instead, the adventurous pair, who had previously worked as a statistician (Rebecca) and a farmer (Doug) decided to open an eco-friendly hotel in Ecuador.The couple knew there was a lack of affordable eco-friendly accommodations in Ecuador so they decided to enter the market....

From Feb 10 - March 27, 2011 get a $100 future Marriott gift certificate and $100 off airfare for each Friday/Saturday spent at a Marriott per this promotion:“Just spend a Friday or Saturday night at participating JW Marriott® or Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, and you’ll receive a $100 Bonus Bucks® coupon good toward a future two-night weekend getaway. You’ll also get up to $100 off airfare. Book by February 11, 2011, and stay from February 10 through March 27, 2011....

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 one week after travelers swore they would “never fly Allegiant Airlines again” following a scathing “60 Minutes” report, the airline’s bookings are nearly back to normal.The 60 Minutes investigation aired on April 15, after which Allegiant’s ticket sales dropped and flight cancellations shot up....

While Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver draw much of the attention from travelers north of the border, don’t sleep on Calgary. It’s the third-largest city in Canada, and is filled with enough culture, food, art and scenery to keep you occupied for much longer than a layover. So we’ve put together 10 insider tips to help you make the most of your trip to Stampede City.1. It’s Your Gateway to the RockiesOnce you fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC), beautiful Banff is only an hour and a half away by car, and charming Lake Louise just 40 minutes more....

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.Well this is a first for me, bonus miles for drugs! Link to promo. And while you are in the store, pick up $50 in cosmetics for an additional 2,000 Aeroplan miles (promo link)“On Saturday, December 4 only, earn a welcome bonus of 15,000 Aeroplan Miles when you transfer your prescription* from any Non-Rexall/Rexall Pharma Plus pharmacy to Rexallâ„¢ or Rexallâ„¢ Pharma Plus....

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.As I wrote about last week, Alaska Airlines has a really interesting, independent frequent flyer program. They aren’t a member of any alliance, so they’ve created relationships with numerous carriers from dinky Alaskan regional airlines to British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Delta....

An immigrants-rights group said airlines were lying when they vowed not to work with the Trump administration by transporting immigrant children separated from their parents. American Airlines said that the government told it that the children were being flown to be reunited with their parents, not separated from them.“American Airlines and the airlines made an announcement that they would not be transporting immigrant children, but in fact airlines like American completely lied about their statement,” Cristina Jimenez, executive director of United We Dream, said in a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon....

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.Air Canada has announced that it will be introducing a basic economy fare class. According to Air Canada’s website, “Economy Basic” is “now available on select routes and flights within Canada.“The basic economy trend continues to build as Air Canada hops on the same train that Delta started in 2012 and that American and United joined last year....

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.Aside from a Southwest pilot surprising his one millionth passenger with a bottle of Champagne, there hasn’t been much uplifting news surrounding the airline industry recently. But one airline is attempting to reverse this negative cycle.When Patrick Sherman realized his Alaska Airlines miles were about to expire, he reached out to the carrier hoping it could assist....

The East Coast is battening the hatches as Hurricane Sandy bears down on it, and airlines have already issued travel advisories and cancellation/refund policies. The bad news is that 900 flights have been cancelled up and down the East Coast today already, and airlines expect that over 2,500 will be cancelled for Monday. The good news is that airlines are allowing customers to reschedule their travel plans and waiving customary change and cancellation fees....