I’ve never been to Seoul - what should I do there?As I mentioned in this post, I have a one-way JFK to Hong Kong first class ticket on Cathay Pacific that I booked with 75,000 pre-Avios British Airways miles; and now that I’m adept at booking Korean Air awards using Ultimate Rewards, I figured I’d have TPG editor Eric meet me in Seoul for some Gangnam-style fun the first week in November....
My general rule of thumb with miles is to accrue them by flying coach fares domestically (so that I earn elite status) and then redeem them for international business/first class awards. Kind of like the age old investing advice “Buy low, sell high.“As a points “expert” who has redeemed millions of miles, I pride myself on juicing out the absolute best value when it’s time to redeem my own awards. Whether it’s adding in extra cities through stopovers and open jaws or forcing a way to get low-level/Saver awards, I like a good deal when I use my hard earned miles....
JetBlue could once again expand its destination network and add more Mint routes, according to The Motley Fool. The publication came to these conclusions by analyzing the airline’s new fleet plan for 2017 and 2018.After deferring the delivery of aircraft two years ago, JetBlue is once again ready to add new Airbus A321s, with the first ones arriving later in 2017. The carrier is expected to accept 15 new A321 aircraft this year, with 11 A321s coming in 2018....
Ahhhh, Las Vegas. Bright Light City. The city where anything is feels possible. The city where parking, even valet parking, is was free. The city where the free drinks flow used to flow. The city where virtually free food and rooms are available for those who gamble even a little. The city where resort fees of up to $39 per night can cost now more than a nightly room charge.A couple of years ago when I wrote a break-up note of sorts to Las Vegas I blamed myself for changing and growing apart from the city I once really, really liked, if not loved....
The Starwood and Marriott merger was a massive project that included billions of data sets that had to work together, but while understandably complex on many levels, let’s just say it hasn’t been a smooth ride for customers. That is hardly breaking news, but the sad fact is that we are approaching a couple of months post-integration and a couple of years since the initial acquisition announcement, and things are still not good....
I’ve been noticing a lot of pretty good package deals on liquidator websites like Rue La La and Gilt lately. However, not all of them are great deals once you factor in hidden taxes/fees/surcharges - plus you generally don’t earn points/elite status when you book these packages. However, if a package is cheap enough, it can be worth it to book even if you don’t get the points.Today Ruelala.com (invite only, if you need access feel free to use my referral link) is featuring the Marriott Wailea for 4 nights in an Ocean View room, with daily breakfast, a full-size rental car and all taxes included for $1,429 or a total of $357....
The Nigerian government announced ambitious plans to reboot its national airline at the Farnbourough Air Show this summer but has now suspended the project “in the interim” according to a tweet on Wednesday from Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika.Sirika gave no reason for the suspension of the project and now opposition party leaders are accusing the minister of using the airline to defraud the nation of 1.2 billion Nigerian dollars ($3,380,400 USD)....
Once upon a time, air travel was pretty much synonymous with seaplanes. That glamorous era hit its peak just after World War II, for a brief shining moment — 26 seconds, to be exact. That’s how long the Spruce Goose, the enormous wooden seaplane buillt and flown by tycoon Howard Hughes, stayed in the air on its first and only flight in 1947.Hughes’ eight-engined amphibious monster remains, to this day, the largest aircraft by wingspan to have ever flown....
Southwest Airlines previously challenged engine maker CFM and federal regulators over proposed engine inspections after a fan blade separated from the engine and caused it to fail in 2016, public documents obtained by Reuters show.The incident in 2016 was similar to what occurred to the engine on Southwest Flight 1380 in which a fan blade broke off from the engine, causing it to explode, killing one passenger and injuring seven others on board Tuesday....
Just four days after denying boarding to a peacock at Newark International Airport (EWR), United Airlines has announced tighter policies regarding emotional support animals, effective March 1, 2018.United saw a 75% increase in travelers with emotional support animals in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to the Chicago Business Journal.The carrier isn’t the only airline formulating stricter policies: Delta also tightened its policies on January 19, after seeing an 84% spike in passengers traveling with emotional support animals....
While not officially announced, a source at United has told me that they will indeed be allowing one-way awards on Star Alliance partners beginning October 29th. This move matches AA, who currently allows one-way awards on all partner airlines. Currently, you can only use United miles to book one-way awards on United flights, so for many this will be a huge enhancement- giving flexibility. I for example used 50,000 United and 62,5000 AA miles to book an open jaw trip to Rio and home from Buenos Aires for this New Years....
The newest passenger jet in the world has just been delivered to its first customer. At a ceremony at Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, on Wednesday morning, the aircraft manufacturer turned over the keys to the first-ever E190-E2 aircraft to Norway’s regional carrier Widerøe, the start of new chapters for both companies.Widerøe has operated so far only a fleet of turboprop aircraft. For Wideroøe, the E2 represents fleet modernization, enhancing its in-flight experience over its Bombardier Dash 8s and the opportunity to expand its presence in the Norwegian market — and beyond....
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.A company called Windspeed is making headlines today for its unique airplane seating concept. Rather than sitting in a fancy first-class suite on the passenger deck, travelers would spend the flight in a glass dome atop the fuselage called SkyDeck, giving them a very unique perspective from 35,000 feet....
TPG reader Brad writes:“I just checked into the Hyatt Regency O’Hare for my company’s annual training week. Obviously check-in was a nightmare with all of the people coming in. I have Hyatt elite status so I walked right up to the Platinum/Diamond line and waited behind the guy being checked in. Everyone else was annoyed and one guy even came up and reminded me that there was a line. I showed him my Platinum card and explained that this was the preferred desk, which was enough to defuse him....
Similar to recent promotions from British Airways and American for European and UK residents, American has launched a promo Stateside that will award AAdvantage members with thousands of bonus miles for roundtrip flights from the US or Canada to Europe on American, British Airways and Iberia.Unlike those other promos, which were limited to 180,000 bonus miles, this one has no limits. You must register here prior to travel with the promo code AAEUR....
I just received a promo code for 15% off American Airlines flights from the East Coast to the Caribbean this spring for travel April 1 - June 13, 2013. Sadly, I have a trip planned at the end of March, so I won’t be able to use my code, but I hope someone can! My promo code is BLHHS5FJ46K3 (it is good for reservations of up to 6 people) and feel free to share yours if you won’t be able to use it so other TPG readers can save some cash on a trip to defrost from winter!...
Last summer, Hyatt made (relatively small) waves when it announced that Miraval, a leading resort in Arizona, would be joining the World of Hyatt program. Now, the chain is offering a 50% rebate on stays between June 1 and August 31, 2018 — typically a slower period in Arizona, one of the hottest states during the peak summer months.Before the rebate, you’ll need to redeem points as follows:Standard room – 45,000 points per night or 22,500 points + $450 per nightSuite – 75,000 points per night20,000 points per night will be added for any room with double occupancy (10,000 points + $100 for Points + Cash stays)When using points, each guest receives a $175 resort credit per day, along with unlimited meals, snacks and more than 120 wellness activities and classes each week....
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $13 billion overhaul project for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).The ambitious construction project will build brand new terminals, include new ground transportation access points and incorporate improved passenger waiting areas and accessibility for disabled and elderly travelers, said Rick Cotton, executive director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, during a presentation of the plan Thursday....
Delta Air Lines is having a big party for its last Boeing 747, a moveable feast across the United States with a touring Jumbo Jet that’s even got its own hashtag, #Delta747Farewell. But while Delta employees partied to celebrate the last 747 commercial service in the US, flight DL158 was crossing the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday from Seoul (ICN) to Detroit (DTW) on the actual last scheduled revenue flight of a 747 by a US airline — and TPG was on it....
After lucky traveler Allison Preiss received a $10,000 United voucher for being bumped from a flight last week, we thought we’d ask our TPG readers.What’s the most compensation you’ve received from an airline? Doesn’t need to be vouchers, but anything at all. Why did you receive it and how’d you go about making it happen?We seem to have some very lucky (or very good at negotiating) TPG Lounge members! Here are our favorite responses, some lightly edited for clarity....
