Birthdays are all big deals, but I suppose some are slightly bigger deals than others. In the family travel world I’m not sure there is a bigger birthday than the infamous second birthday. As you probably know, this is the firm line in the sand where you go from having a little one that can fly for free in your lap, to one that absolutely requires their own seat and ticket....
The Las Vegas heat appears to be too much for Norwegian Air Shuttle. Citing multiple delays this past summer due to the heat, the carrier is canceling all of its LAS flights for summer 2017.Currently, Norwegian Air operates nonstop flights between Las Vegas (LAS) and four European cities: London’s Gatwick (LGW), Oslo (OSL), Stockholm (ARN) and Copenhagen (CPH). All four routes are now scheduled to end by March 25, and “seasonal service” isn’t expected to return until November 2017....
Samsonite has warned retailers it intends to increase wholesale luggage prices by 10% in the wake of this week’s latest round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on products imported from China, according to a Bloomberg report.That will likely result in higher retail prices on luggage — and not just on Samsonite brands.“We pass it on to the consumer,” Samsonite International SA chief executive Ramesh Tainwala told reporters in March after President Donald Trump announced a first round of $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, according to a Bloomberg account at the time....
Social media is increasingly becoming the method airlines, hotels, credit cards and consumers get in touch with one another about the latest news, deals and promotions. Every week, Team TPG and I comb through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on. Here’s a look at the latest interesting contests, trending topics and more on social media from the week, but if I miss something you’d like to discuss feel free to:-Post on my Facebook wall-Tweet me @thepointsguy-Instagram me @thepointsguyAmerican Airlines AirTime Challenge: American Airlines @AmericanAir is launching their #AirTime Challenge which is a fun competition for Dallas Cowboys fans....
After Southwest’s first passenger fatality, which occurred after a piece of engine shrapnel pierced a passenger’s window on flight 1380 from New York LaGuardia (LGA) to Dallas Love Field (DAL) back in April, the carrier has been bracing for revenue drops.Originally it predicted a 1% to 3% drop in revenue for each seat it flies per mile. Now, Southwest is estimating the decreased revenue to register on the higher end of the spectrum, at about 3% decrease per available seat mile, the low-cost carrier said Monday....
10/9/2018 UPDATE: Southwest reached out to TPG to state that the targeted offer is only for travelers employed by select companies that have partnerships with the airline. Eligible employees received the offer directly to their corporate email addresses.Southwest is offering free A-List status to targeted customers through November 30, 2018.The web page states: “Register now to experience A-List status on every flight you take through November 30, 2018. We know you’re going to love A-List....
The government is spending a lot of money to make Air Force Two look as sleek as Air Force One — for its passengers.Boeing just got a contract for $16 million to renovate one of the jets typically used by the vice president to make it more like the president’s on the inside. “The C-32A interior requirements are for an appearance more commensurate with presidential section of the VC-25A,” the contract announcement on the Department of Defense’s site said....
Following our latest TPG report on “The Best Hotel Loyalty Programs in the World,” we asked readers to vote for their own favorite hotel rewards programs. It’s always interesting to see how our data-based approach matches up with the experiences of actual hotel customers, especially frequent travelers like many of our readers.We got plenty of feedback, with well over 1,500 votes and even some specifics about why you voted the way you did....
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 should come as no surprise that some cities are more expensive than others. From cost of living to accommodation prices, and whether you live there or you’re just visiting, you should be prepared to fork over a little more cash in some parts of the world....
London Luton Airport (LTN) was ranked as the worst UK airport for the third year in a row. A survey conducted by Which? in April and May asked 11,265 passengers to rate their satisfaction while traveling through UK airports within the past year. The participants were asked about everything from the wait times to the cleanliness of toilets.Luton Airport received a low customer service satisfaction score of 35% — Which? attributed this score to the airport’s “disastrous customer service, queues at passport control and poor facilities....
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.On a recent trip to Australia I found myself booked on an insane routing home that took a total of more than 58 hours. I was booked on two separate tickets on two airlines that I had thought had no relationship at all....
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 Walt Disney World Resort may indeed be the most magical place on earth, but it might also be the place where the most mental breakdowns happen per square mile…and the kids get tired and cranky, too. Any parent that has been to Disney World can probably relate to the various stages of shock and exhaustion that can accompany planning and experiencing every second of your family’s magical day....
A small town in southern Cambodia best known for its sleepy riverside atmosphere is quickly transforming into a lively tourist destination. Here, you’ll find plenty of restaurants and bars with accompanying live music as you relax along the slow-moving waters. Travelers often pass through Kampot to pick up top shelf pepper or visit the natural beauty of Bokor National Park, but this quaint little town has a lot more to offer, whether you’re looking for a full day of adventure or a relaxed afternoon of riverside lounging....
TPG Contributor Lane Nieset explores Sarajevo’s up-and-coming local wine scene and booming beer halls on par with those in Prague — as well as the movers and shakers who are chasing their dreams to kickstart their own communities in town.A flourishing merchant city in the 16th century, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital city of Sarajevo was one of the largest and wealthiest in the Ottoman Empire. Fast-forward a few centuries and the city surrounded by the towering Dinaric Alps has morphed into a capital where Eastern and Western cultures meet, a mini mix of Istanbul and Vienna thanks to its years under both Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule....
What if an airline got its most loyal customers to commit in advance to buying a certain number of trips, in exchange for an advantageous price? That’s what Air France’s Le Pass is trying to do, by offering all passengers — not just the most frequent flyers — the option of buying bundles of flights on the Air France and Hop! networks. It’s also a good way for legacy airlines to try and compete with the low-fare carriers that have changed the face of air transport in Europe....
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.Six months ago, I was hardly familiar with Allbirds, maker of the unbeatably travel-friendly slip-on shoe. Today, I’m a true believer — I simply can’t live without my shoes. And I’m clearly in good company — Air New Zealand’s also on board, with plans to give flyers the ‘bird, too....
Two more airlines have given in to China’s bullish demands on describing Taiwan as its province instead of a self-ruled island.Japan’s two major airlines — ANA and Japan Airlines — both changed their websites from listing “Taipei, Taiwan,” for example, to read “Taiwan, China,” as China’s aviation authority has been demanding airlines around the world refer to the island since April.However, the two Japanese airlines have found a middle ground that other airlines haven’t — they only changed the Chinese language version of their sites to comply with the demand, Business Insider reports....
A large fire broke out next to a Los Angeles (LAX)-bound American Airlines flight originating in Hong Kong (HKG) while cargo was being loaded on to the aircraft. The fire damaged the aircraft and resulted in the flight getting canceled and reportedly caused an injury to a worker escaping the fire.The fire was caught on video by those in the terminal:Twitter user JACDEC posted a compilation of photos from the incident:Daniel Chan also caught stills of the fire and the firefighting response....
Update 11/2/16: BA’s new FLL nonstop is currently available for just $519 round-trip:On July 6, 2017, British Airways will launch a new route between London’s Gatwick airport (LGW) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). The 4x weekly flight will be operated by a 283-seat Boeing 777-200 with three classes: World Traveller (219 seats), World Traveller Plus (24 seats) and Club World (40 seats).Currently, only Norwegian Airlines offers nonstop options between Fort Lauderdale and Europe, with flights to Copenhagen (CPH), Stockholm (ARN), Oslo (OSL), and London’s Gatwick (LGW)....
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 exploring Mexico’s ancient Mayan ruins, playing golf, swimming with whale sharks and sleeping in one luxury hotel after another sounds like the perfect way to spend half a year of your life, have we got a dream job for you: Cancun....
