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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.Qatar Airways announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire a 9.61% stake (378,188,000 shares) in Cathay Pacific Airways. The acquisition is worth HK$5.16 billion (about $662 million), and gives Qatar more access to the lucrative Chinese aviation market....

Update: A Delta representative reached out to clarify that only individuals who received this offer from their employer or Delta will be eligible for the status challenge. While anyone may be allowed to register, unqualified members will not earn status through this promotion.Note: The status challenge below may be targeted, but you’ll likely be able to register even if you don’t meet the corporate travel requirement.American launched a status challenge earlier this month, but you need to call in and pay a fee to participate....

Today TPG Contributor Nick Ewen continues his series The Weekly Wish, looking at flaws, shortcomings, and room for improvement in the world of travel and loyalty programs. Today’s wish: that savvy card issuers would release co-branded credit cards for rental car companies.The bulk of coverage here at TPG is devoted to airline and hotel loyalty programs. We want to provide you with strategies to minimize your out-of-pocket expenditures and maximize your travel experiences, and since flights and rooms are generally the two biggest expenses of a trip, they naturally get more attention....

At least four out-of-control wildfires are blazing in Southern California and forcing the evacuations of thousands. One fire is nearing LAX and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), and has already forced authorities to closed down parts of the 405 Freeway in what’s expected to be a brutal job for firefighters that will last several days.John Bain and Brandon Baker take cover from the embers as they try to help stop a fire from burning a stranger’s home on in Ventura, California....

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 Southwest flight from Chicago Midway (MDW) to Newark, New Jersey (EWR), diverted to Cleveland (CLE) after a window pane cracked during the flight.The airline says because the window has multiple layers, the cabin maintained its pressure, and the flight landed uneventfully in Cleveland after the crew decided to divert....

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.Post-Electronics Ban: What to Expect Before Boarding a Flight to the USThe status of the electronics ban has been changing at a rapid pace over the last few weeks....

Bad TeacherHighFlyer2Ethan the MagicianThe “Other” BrianPoints DadJasmine from New YorkSign 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.PHD in FunThe ‘StacheThe Points RapperTricia - All PartyA big thank you to everyone who submitted a video! My team and I had a great time watching all the entries....

An Arizona couple was killed following a tragic horse-carriage accident on Monday while on vacation in Killarney, Ireland.According to local reports, 64-year old Rosalyn Few and 62-year-old Normand Larose from Phoenix, Arizona, were on a carriage ride through Gap of Dunloe in Country Kerry when their carriage fell over a cliff. The carriage reportedly overturned and threw the couple into a rocky ravine about 20 feet deep. The couple was pronounced dead on the scene....

Despite falling oil prices, fuel remains quite expensive and a huge cost for airlines. As carriers continue making strides towards higher profits and more efficient aircraft, airlines are trying to find ways to improve the bottom line. As a result, it’s no shock that they’re exploring options to make their dollar go farther with fuel.United Airlines made news last year with the announcement of its new project to power planes with biofuels....

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.Air Canada took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 at the end of October, and since then, it’s received one more from Boeing. Now, with two of the aircraft in its fleet, Air Canada is ready to welcome the rest of its order of 61 MAX variants throughout the next couple of years....

Airline executives are predicting more air traffic in the coming year, and they say additional costs could potentially get passed along to passengers. The outlook comes from the IATA January 2017 Airline Business Confidence Index Survey, a quarterly poll of airline chief financial officers and cargo leaders.After an overall increase in passenger traffic in the fourth quarter of 2016, airline executives are looking forward to more passengers occupying cabins in the coming year....

My dad, Buddy, AKA “Grandpa Points” has a love for travel as fierce as mine, yet our travel patterns are distinctly different. He and my mom are now in their mid-60’s, are (mostly) retired,and are ticking off “bucket list” destinations quicker than they ever thought possible thanks to miles, points, and travel deals. They have an intense love of this country, of its National Parks and treasures, and have no problem with a clean budget hotel room and an economy airline seat on a budget airline as long as it gets them where they want to be....

American is celebrating Qantas’ 90th birthday by awarding double miles (not elite qualifying) for all flights down under in March/April/May, 2011.The promotion doesn’t start until November 10th, but if you are thinking about booking a trip, you should probably hold off.Promo link (not live yet, so don’t panic when it doesn’t accept your registration).“Bonus Code:QF90Y(Register by selecting the red “REGISTER” button below.)Dates:Book your trip between November 10, 2010, and January 31, 2011 (dates inclusive)....

Kris who was the only reader to choose Adour by Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis.“I’m going with Adour because it’s one of the 3 listed as ‘Top Class’… TPG strikes me as the type to enjoy ’the finer things’ in life :)“Well, I do certainly like the finer things in life, but I chose Adour primarily because I can also earn Starwood Preferred Guest points for the dine! My name is The Points Guy after-all and I love a good triple dip....

TPG reader Matt sent me a message on Facebook to ask about redeeming IHG Rewards:“Can I use IHG points to book a stay with Kimpton Hotels?”When IHG acquired Kimpton in 2014, it was announced that the two brands and their loyalty programs would not be merged — at least, not yet. That plan was reinforced in June 2015, when Kimpton CEO Mike DeFrino explained that Kimpton and IHG would “continue to explore how to best bring these two programs together....

Coming off the heels of a trip to St. Kitts where meals for two started at $50 - $100, I arrived in Vail for a weekend ski trip ready to again be assaulted by painfully expensive meals given the town’s pricey reputation, but that ended up not being my experience at all. I may have been grading on a curve after our St. Kitt’s mealtime sticker shock, but when a mountainside lunch can be had for $5, there is no denying that there are affordable eating options in and around Vail....

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.It’s official: Loyalty programs have moved well beyond airlines and hotels, and in turn, the food industry will never be the same. Starbucks, Pizza Hut and even Chick-fil-A are luring patrons back into stores with the promise of free grub after spending a certain amount, and starting this month, yet another mainstay is getting in on the action....

As of October 3, Emirates will begin charging fees for seat selection before check-in on select economy fares.The new fee structure was announced on Emirates’ “agent” website, and while it hasn’t yet been posted on the carrier’s site, it seems it will look like this (dollar values converted from AED):FlightRouteFeeShort HaulBetween Dubai and the GCC, the Middle East & Iran, West Asia and Indian Ocean~$15Medium HaulBetween Dubai and Europe, the Far East and Africa~$25Long HaulBetween Dubai and the Americas, Australia and New Zealand~$405th FreedomWhen Emirates Flies Between Two Foreign Countries, Like New York to Milan~$15-25This affects Economy Class Special and Saver fares....

As if the past month couldn’t get any worse for US airlines when it comes to passenger relations, Delta’s in the news again with another overbooking incident that sounds pretty similar to #BumpGate. A Southern California family said they were kicked off Delta Air Lines Flight 2222 from Maui (OGG) to Los Angeles (LAX) when they refused to give up their son’s seat for another passenger.According to KABC Los Angeles, the Schear family was asked to hold their two-year-old son on their lap so his seat could go to another passenger on the overbooked flight....

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.Part of Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK Airport was evacuated and shut down this afternoon after a grease fire at a restaurant inside the terminal sent smoke throughout its corridors. According to reports, the fire broke out at a Panda Express in the terminal, and since the initial reports, the airport has closed the security checkpoint and departure level....