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UPDATE: American and travel agencies have resolved this issue.A couple weeks ago, I wrote about American Airlines pulling its flights from popular online travel agency Orbitz. To sum it up, American wants all of the companies selling its tickets to use a new, proprietary system and not the standard ticket pricing systems (GDS) that most travel agencies use. This move was a slap in the face to Orbitz and sent a message to the other online travel agents that they were next up....

Update: It now appears that AA flyers can check their AAdvantage account summary to see how many qualifying miles they’ve earned for each past flight. View From the Wing is reporting that presumably EQDs will be added to this list next year. This is a very welcome addition from American, now allowing members to check their EQM earning from all flights — a feature that wasn’t previously available.You can now see your earning on past flights on the AAdvantage account summary page....

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.Subway navigation is about to get much easier in hundreds of cities around the world. At the WWDC conference in San Francisco today, Apple introduced a Maps app refresh, which brings advanced Transit info to your iPhone. Transit view in Maps includes subway times and maps, bus information and ferry schedules....

A Cathay Pacific crew reportedly saw last week’s North Korean missile reenter the earth’s atmosphere. The airline said in a statement that crew on board Flight 893 from San Francisco (SFO) to Hong Kong (HKG) reportedly saw the missile and advised Japanese Air Traffic Control.On November 29, North Korea tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, one it calls its “most powerful,” capable of reaching the entire East Coast of the US....

Lufthansa is changing its colors: at a ceremony in Frankfurt on February 7, it will unveil a new livery. A week ahead of the event, though, the German carrier stole its own thunder by apparently leaking its own new color scheme. The new livery, unless Lufthansa is head-faking every AvGeek in the world, confirms what many had been fearing: The classic Lufthansa yellow is gone, in favor of a far more generic white-and-blue livery....

“There is a hole, and, uh, someone went out,” Captain Tammie Jo Shults calmly stated to Air Traffic Control as Southwest Flight 1380 had one engine blow out and its shrapnel break a window and almost suck a passenger out of the plane.That passenger, Jennifer Riordan, later died from her injuries. Seven other passengers on board Southwest Flight 1380 were also injured by the engine explosion, which could have been caused by metal fatigue....

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.British Airways is offering new members to its Executive Club frequent flyer program 5,500 Avios for joining by the end of today, September 30, 2013, and crediting either a recent British Airways or Open Skies flight or one taken by October 31, 2013, to their new account....

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:Earn double Elevate points for trips along the West Coast, and up to triple points between select cities.Double or Triple Virgin America Elevate Points: Now through June 30, 2013, Virgin America Elevate members can earn either double or even triple points on West Coast flights. Elevate members will earn double points on all qualifying flights from SFO to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle; and triple points after flying three round-trips on flights from SFO to Austin and Philadelphia....

TPG Reader Kyle tweeted me to ask:"@thepointsguy I’m a United Premier 1K based in San Francisco (SFO). There are too many 1K members in San Francisco, meaning I miss too many upgrades. Does it make sense to switch airlines?“A lot of things are happening for elite flyers this year. First off, United and Delta started implementing revenue requirements, so not only do you have to fly to earn or maintain elite status, but also you have to spend a certain amount on ticketed flights with those airlines....

TPG reader Alec sent me a message to ask about changes coming to Citi ThankYou Rewards:“Should I transfer my Citi points to Virgin America so I can transfer to Alaska Airlines later?“The partnership between Citi and Virgin America didn’t last long. The Elevate program was added as a ThankYou Rewards transfer partner only about 15 months ago, but Citi recently announced that the partnership will end in late January, reducing its roster of partner airlines and hotels to 14....

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: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit CardI just found out that there is only one more week to get in on the 50,000 point Southwest Premier Visa card offer....

There’s a certain kind of romance that goes along with flying — many of us share a love not only for the sensation of being airborne, but for the glorious aircraft that take us across the country and around the world. Whether it’s the ultra-modern Airbus A350 or the Boeing 747, the original Queen of the Skies, AvGeeks (like me) feel the planes that carry us are arguably just as important as the locations we’re visiting....

Today, TPG Contributor Mitch Berman delves into the variety of birthday benefits you can earn from airlines, hotels and more.My family goes to one of our favorite restaurants several times a year. If we let them know it’s one of our birthdays, we get a free dessert, but I cannot recall ever getting any kind of birthday celebration on a flight. Could it be that as long and often as we’ve been flying, we’ve never flown on one of our birthdays?...

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.In a rare move, Atlanta-based fast-food chain Chick-fil-A opened its doors on a Sunday. The company, known for its legendary chicken sandwiches, broke tradition and resumed operations to provide food to stranded passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)....

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 SkyMiles Marketplace (delta.com -> Skymiles -> Use miles-> SkyMiles Marketplace) is an online mall where you can use your Delta SkyMiles to buy merchandise and gift cards. Historically, if you have a Delta branded American Express card and/or are a Delta Medallion, there were some decent values like American Express gift cards that cost 11,000 miles per $100, so just about a penny a piece....

Emirates is launching a new nonstop option between Dubai (DXB) and the US. In an announcement on Thursday, the UAE carrier detailed several route adjustments. But most notably, the airline announced that it’s launching new nonstop service between DXB and Newark (EWR).Beginning June 1, 2018, Emirates will launch the new DXB-EWR daily nonstop. The new route will add to Emirates’ current operations out of EWR, currently a daily nonstop fifth-freedom route to Athens, Greece (ATH), which continues on to DXB....

With premium cabins like The Residence and The Apartment, Etihad is known for offering top-notch service and an unbelievable hard product (to business and first-class passengers, at least). Now, the airline’s adding something extra: a new first-class amenity kit in partnership with designer Christian Lacroix and Hungarian skincare brand Omorovicza.The new kits are replacing the current version, made in partnership with Le Labo. In 2016, you’ll find the new bags on A380 flights between Abu Dhabi and London, New York, Sydney, Melbourne and Mumbai; then fleet-wide in 2017....

On Monday Aug. 21, 2017, parts of the US experienced a total solar eclipse. Dubbed “Great American Eclipse,” the solar eclipse passed completely across the United States — the first eclipse to sweep coast to coast since 1918.Professional photographer Jon Carmichael was determined to experience and capture the eclipse himself. As an amateur pilot, a self-described “space nerd” and a lover of aviation, he could think of no better way to experience the eclipse than from an aircraft....

Everyone knows by now that there is going to be a total solar eclipse all the way across the United States on August 21. But if you don’t want to fight the road traffic to put yourself into its path, there are some options that will allow you to view the eclipse from cruising altitude.Alaska AirlinesAlthough Alaska was the first airline to jump on this by mentioning their eclipse flight in June, they’re only doing one flight, and it’s by invitation only....

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.Dear former owners of Slim the house cat: I hate you.As reported by TSA spokesman Mike England, unnamed people packed a live house cat in their checked luggage.While baggage compartments are typically pressurized and temperature controlled, all kinds of terrible things can happen to checked bags between the time they’re dropped at the counter and when you pick them up at the carousel....