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TPG reader Mia asked:“Can 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points get a roundtrip ticket from Philadelphia to Europe, specifically to Prague? I am having a very tough time finding the answer!“The easy answer is yes, you can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to All Nippon Airways and have 7,000 left over. That’s right, it is only 43,000 points to go from Philadelphia to Prague via Frankfurt on Star Alliance carriers....

Everyone knows that the US lags far behind most other countries in terms of rail travel offerings, and for many decades, the answer to increased travel demand has been to widen highways or increase flight frequencies. However, a privately funded rail company now aims to grab a piece of the pie when it comes to intra-Texas travel, which could affect the three US airlines that have a huge presence in the state....

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....

Delta Air Lines is hiring more than 1,000 flight attendants. But, before you prep your résumé and send out your application, there are a couple caveats. First, it’s incredibly selective — last year, fewer than 1% of applicants were chosen — and second, the pay is pretty abysmal, starting around $25,000 per year.For 2017’s round of hiring, the company received 150,000 applications for around 1,200 positions. Of the 150,000 applicants, 35,000 were chosen to complete video interviews, and from there only 6,000 people got in-person interviews....

The Emirates A380 is one of the most luxurious products in the sky, with a much sought-after first-class suite, a shower spa and an iconic bar. Now, the airline is doing something completely different with its flagship aircraft: transforming it into a giant flower pot.In partnership with the Dubai Miracle Garden, Emirates is presenting the world’s largest flower installation with a life-size version of its A380. When in full bloom, the installation will be covered in 5 million flowers and will weigh more than 100 tons....

The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday season for many Asian cultures. Tradition dictates that children return to their parents’ homes, wives be allowed to visit their families of origin, and extended relatives gather together to ring in the new year across generations.But this year, an escalating dispute over airspace in the Taiwan Strait may leave many thousands of Taiwanese expats based in China unable to make the important pilgrimage home....

One more US city is getting a new option to Africa. Ethiopian Airlines is launching nonstop (one stop on the westbound leg) service between Chicago (ORD) and Addis Ababa (ADD), beginning later this year.As reported by Routes Online, the carrier will launch a new route between ORD and ADD with a stop in Dublin (DUB) beginning June 2, 2018. The 3x weekly service will be operated with one of the carrier’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on the following schedule:ET510 Addis Ababa (ADD) 10:15pm Departure ⇒ Dublin (DUB) 4:25am (+1) ArrivalET510 Dublin (DUB) 5:25am Departure ⇒ Chicago (ORD) 7:55am ArrivalET511 Chicago (ORD) 9:55am Departure ⇒ Addis Ababa (ADD) 7:40 (+1) ArrivalNote that like Ethiopian’s route between Washington, DC (IAD) and ADD, there is only a stop in Dublin on the westbound leg from ADD to IAD....

After arriving in Milan last week on Delta’s 767-400, my friend and I took the train from Malpensa Airport to Milano Centrale railway station so we could then connect to the high-speed train to Florence. Our plan there was to spend two nights there before returning to Milan.The airport train to Milano Centrale airport made a number of stops and ended up taking about an hour. While it was a little exhausting after a transatlantic flight, paying 11 euros sure beat paying a taxi 90 euros - and with morning rush hour traffic, the taxi may have taken almost as much time....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Earn double miles on flights to Brazil on US Airways.Double Miles When Flying US Airways to Brazil: US Airways recently launched nonstop service between Charlotte and Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is offering all customers double miles when flying to Brazil this summer. To partake in the offer, you must register prior to travel. Once you register, you must then book and fly by July 31, 2013....

Madrid is one of my favorite cities in the world - definitely within the top three. I love the culture, food, lifestyle, history, art and people. Even though my Spanish isn’t perfect, people have always been extremely welcoming and aren’t afraid to open up and show me a good time. In fact, I firmly believe the nightlife in Madrid is some of the best in the world. Whenever I’m out in Madrid, I always seem to stay out until the sun rises - something I never do in NYC....

The Museum of Ice Cream returned to New York City Wednesday with new ways to spice up your Instagram game this summer.The term “museum” might be a little bit of a stretch here…The Museum of Ice Cream’s locations in New York, LA, Miami and San Francisco have really just been a series of colorful, ice cream-themed photo ops that will put you in a summer state of mind.But New York’s pop-up version of the museum will focus on actual ice cream....

I’ll be completely honest: I haven’t been a big United Airlines fan over the years. It really started to go downhill in 2012 when I redeemed miles for an award on Swiss Airlines and something went wrong with the ticketing, which used to happen A LOT with United on partner awards. I was denied boarding and had to scramble to book on another carrier at my own expense. I was stonewalled by customer service and even senior management, and it was clear to me United didn’t really care about frequent flyers (I was United Platinum back then — from a status match, but still)....

This week, we asked TPG contributor Sarah Tomlinson to scour the nation’s airports for the finest airport dining establishments, and to our (not little) surprise, she found some fantastic options at some of the US’s busiest hubs.Many travelers plan their airport time like a highly coordinated commando mission—get in and get out as quickly as possible. But more and more cities have stepped up their game in an attempt to transform their airports into cosmopolitan gateways that offer visitors a taste of the treats offered in their ports of call....

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.US Airways is in the process of refurbishing their Airbus 330 aircraft and installing sleeper suites, which look really nice. I’ve flown their regular Envoy class on these planes and it’s always been “decent.” What’s “amazing” about US Airways is their off-peak Envoy awards....

TPG reader Moe sent me a message on Facebook to ask about earning elite status:“If I complete an airline status challenge, how many elite credits will I need to reach the next elite level? For example, if I challenge for AAdvantage Gold status, will I still have to meet the normal requirements to reach Platinum, or will I just have to make up the difference between Gold and Platinum?”Airline status matches and challenges offer a great shortcut to earning elite benefits....

Every European city has its unique charm, but a few destinations stand out as especially friendly, exhilarating (and accommodating!) to those us who travel with tiny sidekicks. Planning a European adventure this year for the whole clan? This list is a good place to start.The Algarve, PortugalImage courtesy of PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images.The sun-drenched Algarve in southern Portugal checks everything off your perfect family-beach-vacation list. Spectacular weather; wide, beautiful beaches (some of them secret locales accessible only from the water); surfing for the big kids; dolphins; the freshest seafood you can imagine; a laid-back, welcoming European vibe; and plenty of VRBOs, points hotels and all-inclusives to call home for a week....

Rumors of Atlantic City’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, the beach town that was once known as America’s playground teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, but AC is making a comeback. Turn your back on the town’s dwindling casino scene and believe me when I say that there’s plenty to enjoy. Follow these 10 tips and your next visit won’t be a gamble.1. For the Best Restaurants, Go Beyond the CasinoThere are a myriad of exceptional bistros at casinos like the Borgata, Harrah’s and the Tropicana, but Girasole Ristorante & Lounge is a below-the-radar gem that’s worth the effort to walk quickly past the Cash for Gold and the plethora of strip clubs on Pacific Avenue....

Last week, we got a concerning message from TPG reader Mike via Twitter. Unable to log into his Air Berlin TopBonus account, he contacted Air Berlin customer support and was told that the program was “being eliminated for US residents.“While it’s generally not the most rewarding program for US residents, many TPG readers took advantage of Air Berlin’s offer of four free months of Air Berlin Silver (Oneworld Ruby) status. Since we are just one month into this generous promotional period, we’d be disappointed if Air Berlin suddenly pulled the plug on the entire TopBonus program now....

On April 24, 2018, Air Seychelles will cancel its long-haul flight between Seychelles International Airport on the island of Mahe (SEZ), and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). The SEZ-CDG route makes up 30% of the airline’s passenger revenue.The small national carrier, which is partly owned by Etihad Airways, no doubt is struggling from increased international competition. British Airways is expected to launch service to Seychelles in March, while Air France subsidiary Joon begins operations in May, followed by Swiss Edelweiss Air in September....

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: As of 2:35pm ET, AA is back online!“We have resolved connectivity issues that led to a ground stop today at our Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami hubs. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to get our customers on their way as soon as possible....