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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.Update 7/9/2017: Kuwait Airways has also announced that its been cleared from the electronics ban, effective immediately:Royal Jordanian was the first airline to break the news of the large carry-on electronics ban back in March. Now, in both a symbolic and actual blow to the future of the electronics ban, Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) has been cleared from the list of banned airports effective today, July 9....

Any seasoned traveler knows a good snack can get you through a long day of flying. Whether you’re trying to survive a long layover, a long-haul flight or day of Nor’easter cancellations, you can’t go wrong munching on something yummy. While little can live up to the multi-course buffet in a premium airport lounge, instead of settling for a tasteless cup of coffee or airplane peanuts, we here at TPG don’t mind packing some savory treats to keep us satiated during a flight....

Update 9/7/18: Full meal service may not be available for “a week or so,” according to an updated statement from United:“Meal options on select domestic flights out of our hub in Newark will be limited due to maintenance that is being performed at our Newark kitchen facility. Our customers have come to expect high quality food on our flights. Many of our customers will not be affected, and our popular buy on board products will continue to be available....

The super-sleek A350 has been getting all the love recently, but there’s another new and improved Airbus plane that should be on your AvGeek radar: the A330neo.I got my first look at the neo’s super-slick “Airspace” cabin at 2016’s Aircraft Interiors Expo; now the plane is expected to launch with TAP Portugal later this year. TAP will take delivery of seven neos in 2018, with another 14 coming soon. The airline also has 19 A320neos, 17 A321neos and 14 A321LRs on order, which will be used for a mix of regional and longer international flights....

New Orleans is one of our favorite places on the planet, and in 2019, it’s going to get a big upgrade. The city’s Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) is undergoing a major renovation and expects the brand-new terminal to be open sometime in February. The almost $1 billion project is going to include some solid perks for travelers, but quite possibly the most exciting part to-date was just announced:There’s going to be a Café du Monde right in the center of it....

Here’s a recap of the top points and miles news from this week:US Airways Share Miles Bonus has returned.Reminder: US Airways Share Bonus Back with New Terms: US Airways has again launched a 100% Share Miles Bonus through June 30, 2014; however, the terms are slightly different this time around. Normally, the Dividend Miles member who received the miles would get the 100% bonus, but now the bonus is split: the sender will get 50% and the recipient will get 50%....

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 not sure why, but Delta.com is pricing domestic award tickets at 5,000 miles less than usual. Coach roundtrips at the lowest level are now 20,000 miles vs 25,000 and first class 40,000 vs 45,000. From time to time Delta does run reduced priced awards, like with their recent Valentine’s day promotion, so I don’t think this is a mistake....

Slowly but surely, America’s long time favorite airline is disappearing into the folds of another. Throughout the summer and into next year, Alaska Airlines is incorporating more of Virgin America’s award-winning operations into its own. Check-in counters and terminal gates are being merged, and the carrier’s only lounge at LAX is no more. Virgin America passengers should be in good hands — Alaska Airlines has finished at or near the top in customer satisfaction rankings every year since 2010 — but certainly many will and should miss that unmistakable Richard Branson flair that makes flying on a Virgin airline so different....

Flyertalk.com is the online bible for points and miles. I’ve been a member for over 5 years and learn something new every single day. As I wrote about, their Iphone app just launched so now is a great time to join if you don’t have a free membership already.But beware- the site is very addictive! There are forums for all of the major airline/hotel/credit card/ car programs as well as niche forums like Travel Technology, Women Travel, LGBT and even Trip Reports....

Anthony Bourdain was a huge fixture in the travel sphere (in addition to being a prolific author, noted chef and outspoken activist). During the course of his career he hosted numerous travel-focused television shows, including The Layover and Parts Unknown, which introduced his audience to new places and new foods and inspired people around the world to find adventures of their own.In the wake of his death in June of this year we’ve seen an outpouring of written tributes and TV show marathons....

You may not have to rely on staged photos and flattering angles to pick out your next vacation home in the near future. On December 11, Airbnb announced that it is exploring using virtual-reality headsets and smartphones to let you explore rentals before ever setting foot in them.“Capabilities like 360 photos and 3D scans allow a person to step inside a home or city and understand what to expect and how to orient themselves before they leave the comfort of their own home,” the San Francisco-based company said in a press release....

There’s something about a change of scenery that seems to bring out the sticky fingers in a lot of travelers — the American Hotel & Lodging Association once estimated that theft costs hotels a mind-boggling $100 million per year. In a 2013 UK poll, 69 percent of respondents admitted to stealing items from a hotel while on vacation. No matter where you are, or where you’re from, towels and batteries (yes, batteries) seem to be among the most irresistible items to pack away into your suitcase....

We’ve reported on the dirtiest places in the airport, but still nothing can really prepare you enough for what officials found at Kansas City International Airport (MCI): A bed bugs infestation. It’s not something you want to hear during the spring break travel period, but bed bugs were found inside MCI’s Terminal B on Thursday.The airport temporarily closed the mezzanine area of Terminal B after airport staff found bed bugs on an upholstered chair in a seating area near several restaurants said Kathleen Hefner, a spokeswoman for MCI....

British Airways cabin crew just announced a further two weeks of strikes, an extension of the four-week strike going on right now.The current strike period ends on August 15th, and the new strike by mixed fleet cabin crew – who are paid less than other BA cabin crew – will begin on August 16th at midnight, lasting until August 30th. That period includes the UK’s August bank holiday, among the busiest travel weekends of the year....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardThis offer is no longer available.Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.Earn double miles on every purchase, every day.$59 annual fee waived for the first year.No foreign transaction fees.Former offer details (again, it was limited time and is now over): Capital One just launched another 100,000 point sign-up bonus for the Venture Card....

Update 1/3/17 8:30am: The US Customs and Border Protection agency said that as of approximately 9:00pm ET Monday night, processing systems at all airports were back online. The agency said there is no indication that the disruption was malicious in nature.Update: TPG’s friend John was traveling through Miami this evening and personally experienced the chaos there. Here is what he told us about the situation:[We were] lined up several hundred yards behind several hundred (or more) people still needing to make two or three more turns to even get to customs....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – The Platinum Card from American Express, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American ExpressAmerican Express and the US Travel Association (a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting US travel) have partnered to offer discounts and deals with various travel brands and loyalty programs during the next month, including hotel packages, points/miles purchase promos, rental car discounts and 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.There has been much publicity surrounding United’s new Polaris product (especially the all-new seat design), which is now flying between San Francisco (SFO) and Hong Kong (HKG), and soon between Newark (EWR) and Tel Aviv (TLV). The first aircraft to be equipped with the new seats is the airline’s new Boeing 777-300ER (of which it has 13 on order), but it seems like the flying public will have to wait even longer to get on board these new aircraft thanks to a seat delay from Polaris’ manufacturer, Zodiac....

If you’re a Delta Diamond Medallion member, prepare for free spa treatments on your next trip through select airports. Through July 31, Diamonds are eligible to receive select complimentary spa services at the Asanda Spa Lounges in Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK) and Seattle (SEA).An update on Delta’s website details the new temporary benefit for Diamond Medallions:“Complimentary services for Diamond Medallion Members include Dream Weaver, a light and sound experience designed to help achieve the benefits of meditation instantly, or Audio Guided Relaxation Experiences, where you can listen to noise cancelling headphones while being reclined in a Living Earth Zero Gravity Chair or Wave Lounger....

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 their targeted promotion for frequent flyers with September birthdays - Register here, and buy a ticket between August 25 and September 30, 2011, and complete your travel by October 31, 2011 to receive your 1,500 birthday bonus miles....