Posts

When Citibank sent out 1099’s last month to customers who had received 25,000-point sign-up bonuses for opening checking and savings accounts, the whole points community was up in arms. The tension ahs somewhat subsided a bit thanks to the IRS basically saying it plans to take no major actions on this topic for the time being, but I know many people, myself included, are uneasy with the whole situation. Things are ratcheting up again this week since people have been receiving 1099-MISC forms like the one below from American Express for bonuses and gifts earned through the Amex Gift Chain back in December....

I’ve written about a bunch of good deal fares to Hawaii recently and it seems that Delta has loaded a ton of really competitive fares to all of the islands they serve - including Honolulu, Lihue, Maui and Kona.The easiest way to play around with dates is go to Delta.com -> Planning Tools -> Book a flight.Enter your home airport (note: for NYC flyers, Newark seems to bring up cheaper fares by about $100, but you have to connect more) and then select, “My dates are flexible” and select the flexible weekend search date or +/- three days....

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.The details are out for the first Megabonus 2011. While it isn’t as lucrative as past Megabonuses, it gives members the ability to earn a free night for every 2 stays, similar to Hyatt’s Faster Free nights. The key difference is that the free nights can only be redeemed at low-mid level properties and you can only earn up to two free nights vs unlimited with Hyatt....

This is just a friendly reminder that you only have until 4:00pm EST on Sunday October 14, 2012, to enter my great seatmate giveaway for Star Mega Do 4, coming up this November. There haven’t been a lot of entries yet, so if you’re passionate about flying and you are interested in coming along for the ride, your chances are good!Check out my original post from Monday to find out the details of the Megado and what you need to do to enter, but here’s a synopsis of what you need to do to put your hat in the ring....

TPG reader Mary Lynn writes:“What’s the best value for Marriott Reward miles? If you try to exchange them into airline miles the exchange ratio is so bad I’m wondering if I’m completely misunderstanding things.“In my opinion, transferring Marriott points to airlines at a ratio of 10,000 points to 2,000 miles is not a great deal. In general, redeeming hotel points for hotel stays is going to get you the most bang for your point, but as with all redemptions- it depends on what you personally value the most....

A time honored vacation tradition, even well before that advent of a smart-phone-camera in every pocket, was to ask a kind stranger nearby to snap a family picture for you as you posed in front of a castle, monument, beach, or wherever. The alternative, unless you travel with a tripod and an automatic camera setting (which iPhones have), was that at least one person was always missing from the photo. That’s fine most of the time, but in at least one photo, it is nice to have everyone present and accounted for....

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restricted heavily drones from flying in controlled airspace, which includes areas within five miles of airports. That rule has negatively effected many drone professionals and hobbyists, due to the sweeping areas that were defined as off-limits. Now, the FAA has cleared nine companies, including prominent drone maker DJI to fly their drones in areas near airports. The other companies include Aeronyde, Airbus, AiRXOS, Altitude Angel, Converge, KittyHawk, UASidekick and Unifly....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – Citi Hilton Honors Reserve CardFor this week’s Thursday Giveaway, we are giving away a $500 Hilton Gift Card in celebration of the limited offer on the Citi Hilton Reserve card offering two free weekend nights plus a $100 statement credit.Hilton Gift Cards are valid at more than 4,200 hotels and resorts worldwide for room charges, including purchases at on-property restaurants, retail shops, golf courses and spas....

The United States formally withdrew its membership in UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — the Paris-based group best known to tourists for designating and promoting UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world. There are 23 sites in the US and its territories, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Everglades, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and the Statue of Liberty.“This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U....

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.Ever worry that the massive hunk of metal flying you through the air could act as a good conductor of electricity? Well your fears have been confirmed, as you can see in this week’s crazy aviation video. While it’s not uncommon for planes to get hit by lightning, a strike can certainly seem shocking to passengers — and, in this case, to people on the ground....

TPG reader Amy asks:“My husband and I have tried to accumulate miles so we can head to Europe next summer. I am reading about ‘open jaw” flight and am clueless. Could you possibly explain in an entry how to maximize miles on these flights? We’re looking at booking on Delta; when I input our information for a multi-stop flight, it is twice the price/miles as a round trip flight. Color me confused....

If playing American’s Passport Challenge got you jonesing for more bonus American miles, the airline is offering airport-specific bonuses for its new flights out of LaGuardia. Even though LaGuardia can be a nightmare at times, it is scheduled to get a $3.6-billion renovation. Here’s the promo.When you book a roundtrip on American Eagle between LaGuardia and the airporst listed below from April 1 - June 30, 2014, you’ll earn 1,000 bonus miles every time you fly....

The Windy City is a domestic travelers’ dream: it’s enough of a journey from the East and West coast population centers to feel like a trip, but still retains that homey, all-American flair. Nestled along Lake Michigan and around both banks of a river that now flows backwards, Chicago combines location, history and character to create a destination like nowhere else. Whether you’re noshing on a Chicago dog, cheering on the curse-breaking Cubbies or spending more money than you should on Michigan Avenue, you won’t regret your time in this Midwestern jewel....

Cyprus is more complicated than any Mediterranean island ever was but perhaps more delightful than any could ever be. The third-largest island in the Mediterranean is an independent country, albeit a fractured one: Its top third is still controlled by Turkey, the rest by the independent Republic of Cyprus. But the island’s epic roots — Greek, Turkish, Venetian, Roman and even more — run millennia deep, making it a mosaic of cultures with dramatic landscapes studded with vineyards, castles and monasteries, some in a state of beautiful ruin....

Some of Taiwan’s best-known local foods are also its cheapest. In this guide, TPG contributor Katherine Fan shares her favorites, where to get them — most can be found at night market kiosks as well as in sit-down restaurants — and how to order. The best part: None of these tasty treats will cost you more than 10 bucks.Food is so closely intertwined with Taiwanese culture that the colloquial greeting for “How are you?...

In March American AAdvantage launched an award map that tells you where you can go with your miles. It is a nifty little tool, though I honestly haven’t used it since first taking it for a testdrive.Anywho, they are running a promotion to advertise the tool and are giving away a bunch of miles and some grand prizes. But the key thing is- everyone is a winner! Even if you don’t win a grand prize, you’ll get a voucher worth 2,500 off your next award redemption:“Unfortunately, you didn’t win the daily prize, but you have earned 2,500 miles back on your next flight redemption....

In addition to the current 50% share/transfer miles bonus that US Airways is having at the moment, the airline is also offering a 50% bonus on hotel points that you convert into US Airways Dividend miles. Before you get too excited and start transferring tons of Starwood points to US Airways miles, SPG is not participating in this bonus, which is too bad since 20,000 Starwood points would have been converted into 37,500 US Airways miles under the terms of this promo....

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.The Outback is going technicolor.Australia’s Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, a normally dry desert lake basin north of Adelaide, is experiencing a rare flood that only occurs every three to 10 years. When water rushes into the basin, the salt of the lakebed mixes with the flood water to create the perfect conditions for algae to grow, which causes a rainbow effect in the water....

My mom and dad recently took a quick summer trip to Colorado and Estes Park. Along with some of the regular stories that Grandpa Points shares about the natural beauty they experience along their journey, I begged my dad to also share this story that he offhandedly mentioned about what happened when he went to take a shower in the hotel after a long day enjoying the great outdoors. I know I have had my fair share of moments in hotel rooms where for the life of me I cannot figure out how to work something that should be simple like the TV, that air conditioner, the lights, or even the shower....

Social media plays a big role in hotels and airlines theses days. Most companies have their own Facebook and Twitter pages where they run special promos, engage directly with guests and loyalty program members, and answer questions. According to this Flyertalk thread, however, it seems that the staff of one Starwood property have taken social media to a whole new level by researching a guest who called to cancel a reservation....