Believe it or not, a recent study conducted by Research Now on behalf of Discover shows that young people are more in touch with their credit score than any other generation in the United States.While more than half of the population of consumers in the US — 61%, to be exact — reported that they are actively trying to improve their credit score, that percentage is concentrated in the younger generations....
Update 3/20/2017 4:20pm: When reached by TPG, a State Department official referred us to the Department of Homeland Security for any comment or information. DHS responded to our inquiry with the following statement: “We’re not able to provide more details at this time. We have no comment on potential security precautions, but will provide an update when appropriate.“Update 3/20/2017: It appears that more Middle Eastern and African airlines will be affected by these regulations, but details are extremely limited at this point:In a tweet this afternoon, Oneworld carrier Royal Jordanian dropped some big news — passengers flying on any of the carrier’s flights to/from the US (including the carrier’s Detroit [DTW] - Montreal [YUL] - Amman [AMM] flight) will be required to check most electronic devices, including laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and gaming devices....
A mother of four who left her children home alone with a gun as she embarked on an 11-day Eurotrip has managed to avoid jail time.Erin Lee Macke, 31, faced two years in prison for each count of child endangerment but was sentenced to probation instead.Macke left her four children, ages six through 12, at home alone in Iowa, where there was a firearm and ammunition in the house, while she took a trip to Germany last 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.As a loyalty program junkie, I often think about how each program could be enhanced. While no perfect program exists in my opinion, here are my 20 wishes that, if granted, would make me a very, very happy frequent traveler....
On your next trip to Paris, in addition to seeing familiar sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, you might see a few giant, red flower pots being used as urinals.If you’re grossed out by that, you’re not alone. Parisians are questioning city officials’ attempts to combat public urination with the installation of “open-air” urinals or “uritrottoirs” in and around the city’s historic neighborhoods.In Paris officials’ latest efforts to alleviate the smells, damage, and public indecency that come along with public urination, the uritrottoirs are anything but subtle....
A pair of Qantas pilots had a harrowing experience after their aircraft suddenly depressurized mid-flight, causing a pilot to become incapacitated, forcing an emergency landing.A Qantas Boeing 737-300 freighter was flying from Brisbane (BNE) to Melbourne (MEL) on Wednesday when the pilots received a “wing body overheat warning,” resulting in a sudden depressurization of the aircraft.“The crew donned oxygen and descended to 20,000 ft,” the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) wrote in its report of the incident....
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.Believe it or not, this promotion’s been around since February, but it’s been extended to run through the end of the year. With time running out, it’s worth revisiting American’s offer of 650 bonus Business Extra points, enough for a confirmed segment upgrade on a flight within North America or from the continental US to/from Hawaii or the Caribbean....
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.Southwest is experimenting with its beloved Companion Pass. The carrier is sending out emails to some Companion Pass holders that for a limited time, their designated companion can board with them.TPG reader Chris O. sent us the email he received regarding this limited-time test....
Every week, the Transportation Security Administration blogs about items (mostly weapons) that agents have confiscated at airports around the country, and the agency posts some of the crazier ones on its Instagram page. To help inform travelers, TSA has created an “Ask TSA” Twitter account where curious travelers can ask if they’re allowed to carry on certain items. Below are the five most ridiculous questions asked this month — at least according to us at Team TPG....
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.Last year, Hyatt and MGM Resorts formed a strategic partnership in Las Vegas between their two in-house loyalty programs. Hyatt Gold Passport members are able to earn and redeem points at 12 M life destinations in Vegas, and members are also be able to earn credit toward tier status for eligible stays and eligible nights at participating M life destinations....
College football fans, rejoice. United Airlines wants to make it easier to travel to college cities across the country in order to see the biggest college games. This fall, the Chicago-based airline is adding frequencies to a number of existing destinations that it also qualifies as top college football markets, as well as adding larger planes to operate some of its routes.Between September and November, United is adding more than 204,000 total seats to the popular college football destinations, amounting to 2,200 additional daily seats....
Starting in December, American Airlines is significantly upgrading its bedding options. Teaming up with mattress company Casper, the airline will roll out new bedding products in the premium cabins of many of its international and transcontinental US routes.These won’t be limited to first and business class. Premium economy passengers will also get the chance to try out some of the new Casper products.https://player.vimeo.com/video/235608239Available on lie-flat international business and first class seats, the full product includes a mattress pad, duvet, pillow, day blanket, lumbar pillow, pajamas and slippers....
The holiday travel season is one of the most stressful and rewarding times to be a pilot. You are essentially the one in charge of taking families “home for the holidays” or to some incredible destination for their long-awaited vacation, suddenly giving you a very small but important role in making their trip all the more special — I enjoy announcing updates on the whereabouts of Santa’s sleigh from air traffic control to passengers on Christmas Eve, for instance....
Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week.Flight Review: United (787-9) Economy Plus From San Francisco to SingaporeOne TPG contributor recently flew United’s nonstop flight between San Francisco (SFO) and Singapore (SIN)… in Economy Plus....
On December 1, Emirates launched its incredible new first-class suite on the 777-300ER, and this week Singapore Airlines followed with a gigantic launch of its own. I had a chance to check out the airline’s A380 on a 12-hour delivery flight from Toulouse, France (TLS) to Changi Airport (SIN), and TPG reader Kelly D. managed to snag a suite on one of the inaugural flights, giving us a chance to experience the product both on an empty plane and one filled with passengers on the first revenue flight from Sydney (SYD)....
Travelers generally pick one airline over another based on cost and the in-flight experience, but in this post, TPG Senior Points & Miles Correspondent Jason Steele looks at why you should also consider the costs of not flying at all.Right now my family and I are supposed to be in Key West — one of my top 7 Spring Break Destinations for Families. We had the flights, hotels, and rental car reserved, and then life happened....
Malaysia Airlines is changing over to a new reservation system on June 10 to “enable Malaysia Airlines to meet passengers’ changing travel needs.” Whatever that means. While Malaysia’s reason for making the change is unclear, one thing is clear: the airline is taking this opportunity to devalue its miles.Here’s what’s changing and what you might want to use your Malaysia Enrich miles — or Citi ThankYou Points, if you can ever get them to transfer — to book before the change....
If you’ve been frustrated in the last few days about being unable to book Cathay Pacific awards with partner miles, there’s good news to report. Following last week’s online glitch, Cathay partner award booking capabilities appear to be back on track.After the most recent devaluation of Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles went into effect on Friday, a technical blackout left Cathay’s OneWorld partner airlines unable to access the carrier’s inventory. Travelers around the world widely reported the same issues, including TPG readers who confirmed that American Airlines booking agents also said they could not find any Cathay award space....
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.If you thought getting through TSA security checkpoints was a pain before, it might get even more intrusive. A passenger going through security at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) recently was asked by security officers to remove all paper products from his bag....
File this under one of the weirdest things you’ll ever read on a plane — or anywhere else.EgyptAir, the Egyptian flag-carrier airline, suddenly found itself in hot water for publishing in its inflight magazine an interview with actress Drew Barrymore that is, uh, really something. It became an internet sensation when a political analyst, Adam Baron, tweeted about it Tuesday.Celebrities appearing in in-flight magazines is nothing new — I mean, you need something to entertain yourself on long flights — but this one takes the cake for being completely offensive and bizarre....
