One of the largest countries in the world was unsuccessful in its attempt to find a buyer to turn around its struggling state-owned airline.The Indian government has stopped the sale of Air India, the country’s flag carrier. Why? Because they received zero bids for the debt-riddled airline.In March, the Indian government put Air India up for sale — offering a 76% stake in the carrier that has $7.8 billion of debt....
Alitalia has received temporary bankruptcy protection from a US court just 24 hours before the airline was due to be ejected from Terminal 1 at New York’s JFK airport, according to a court filing by the airline.Judge Sean Lane of the US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York issued a temporary restraining order until at least June 23, allowing Alitalia to continue to operate at JFK and in the US despite its financial condition....
EasyJet, one of the largest low-cost carriers in Europe, is set to become the largest European Airbus A320neo operator — the new, efficient single-aisle aircraft is already flown by Lufthansa, SAS and Air India. In case you were wondering, the “neo” in A320neo stands for “new engine option,” which has recently been updated to mean “new environment option.” It’s a normal, modern Airbus A320 aircraft, but with new, more fuel-efficient engines that work to reduce both emissions and aircraft noise....
Back in January, a WestJet Flight 2425 evacuation was poorly executed after a collision occurred with a Sunwing jet at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Passengers reaching for their carry-on luggage held up the deplaning, and now Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is reminding passengers to evacuate without bags in case of emergency.The Sunwing aircraft was being towed when it crashed into the WestJet plane that was waiting for an arrival gate with 169 passengers and six crew on board....
In the wake of the tragic Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks, the European Union has taken steps to increase security. And now, the plan for the government to collect information on travelers flying into and out of Europe is in place — and has also ignited a heated debated about the line between security and privacy.The measure to collect and share passenger name records (PNRs) passed in the European parliament, and now EU governments have a two-year grace period to get a PNR system up and running....
Now’s a great time to be booking award travel on American Airlines in preparation of the devaluation on March 22. While it’s become difficult to find premium-cabin award space on some routes, you can currently book several award seats to a handful of destinations in South America.If you’re planning a trip to one of the countries in AA’s South America Region 2 category — including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay — there are currently quite a few opportunities to fly in a premium seat....
American Airlines is in the middle of a big remodel in Los Angeles (LAX). And, like anyone who’s tried to live in a house while it’s being remodeled knows, sometimes it’s not pretty. But, the hope is that it’ll all be worth it in the end.That’s how things have been going with American Airlines’ LAX Admirals Club lounges. After taking over the LAX Terminal 5 lounge from Delta, AA has been redoing the lounge to make it its own....
Summer is peak theme park season, and Florida — one of the world’s greatest destinations for amusement park enthusiasts — is debuting several new attractions across its suite of parks. From the world’s longest river drop to free beer, there’s plenty to look forward to at the Sunshine State’s theme parks this summer, even for the most seasoned Disney and Universal aficionado.A rendering of the new Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, open June 30, 2018....
Promo code BOSETPG has been extended until 12/30/17. Enter the promo code when booking a flight, hotel, or package through Upside to receive a pair of Bose headphones.Earlier this year, I booked a transcontinental flight and hotel package for a net of just $7 after getting $300 in gift card rebates through Upside. Sadly, the $300 gift card guarantee that I used back at the end of 2016 is no longer available....
Cyber security researchers discovered that hackers could create a “master key” to any hotel room with an electronic lock in a study published Wednesday.Finnish cyber security consultants discovered the problem last year and reported it to Assa Abloy, the lock manufacturer that creates many electronic hotel lock systems. Tomi Tuominen and Timo Hirvonen worked with the company to fix the problem and deployed a software update in February. The lock system, called Vision by VingCard, is used in more than 42,000 properties in 166 countries....
Travelers to Hawaii, take note: You might end up with a fine for looking at your phone at the wrong time. In what seems to be the first law of its kind, Honolulu just made it illegal to “cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device.“The law goes into effect October 25. After that point, if a police officer catches you glancing at a smartphone, tablet or even your “digital photographic device” while crossing the street, you may be fined between $15 and $35....
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Chase Sapphire Preferred CardUpdate: As of July 20, 2014, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card no longer offers the 7% annual points dividend.TPG reader John sent me a Facebook message asking:“How quickly after the first of the year do your Chase Sapphire Preferred dividend bonus?“The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of my all-time top travel credit cards, and is the credit card I recommend most to family and friends because it offers really lucrative category spending bonuses including 2....
When I took my two girls to Universal Studios and Walt Disney World this summer, the trip was very much all about them. I mean, I certainly enjoyed portions of the experience, but my primary duty was to meet their needs and ensure they were having a good time. That’s what parents instinctively do, so I didn’t realize exactly how much I was focused on them during the trip until I recently had the chance to go to Universal Studios for a few hours all by myself....
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.You might have noticed a new look on the site today. I haven’t changed the site in the last couple of years, so for 2013, I decided to refresh it and add some new features. There is a lot of great information on the site that is buried in the archives so we are going to be working hard to organize it so that you can find the content you’re looking for faster....
TPG reader Adam emailed me to ask about buying discounted travel:“What do you think of buying airfare from a points and miles broker?“In January, I cautioned readers against selling travel rewards to mileage brokers, but when Adam’s question showed up in the TPG inbox, I realized I hadn’t addressed the other side of the equation.The most valuable award redemptions (on a per-point basis) tend to be for premium flights and top-tier hotels....
The nuclear summit between the US and North Korea in Singapore is inching closer.Travel plans for both US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un are falling into place. We know how the two leaders will fly to Singapore — and even potentially who will pay for Kim’s hotel bill at the iconic Fullerton, where he reportedly would prefer to stay.On Tuesday, the White House confirmed another travel detail of the June 12 meeting: the hotel where the actual meeting will take place....
All throughout 2018 we’ll be checking in with a half dozen TPG readers as they work toward meeting various travel goals for the year. We’ve already met Heather P., who’s planning to open her first travel rewards credit card in 2018, and Bryan O., who’s working toward an around-the-world award on Singapore.Today, we’re introducing Kim C., who wants to use points and miles for an upcoming special occasion:My fiancé and I are planning a honeymoon to Thailand in April of 2019....
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.Out with the Oprah, in with the Oscar. United CEO Oscar Munoz is the newest resident on floor 57 of Chicago’s Water Tower Place. Coincidentally, the space he’s moving into is the same unit that used to be the home of Oprah Winfrey....
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.Some US American Express Platinum cardholders received gift packages, including a nice Tumi bag. Some high-spending Delta customers have reported receiving IPads for their loyalty.As I wrote about yesterday, Starwood gave me a 30 page customizable hard-cover visual book for my gift....
Air Berlin announced last week that it was filing for bankruptcy, joining a few other large carriers that have been in financial trouble recently. Today we’ve found out that there is even more bad news for Germany’s second-largest airline, as Airberlin’s Topbonus frequent flyer program is also declaring bankruptcy.When visiting the Topbonus website you’ll find a large note at the top of the page, translated from German:A couple of days ago Airberlin communicated that you would no longer be able to redeem or earn miles with the Topbonus program....
