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:Check out December’s top travel rewards credit card offers.Top 10 Travel Rewards Credit Card Offers for December 2016If you’re considering signing up for a travel rewards card this month, look no further than this list of top travel rewards offers for December 2016.United’s Polaris first class seat on board its Boeing 747-400.Flight Review: United (747) Polaris First From Chicago to TokyoUnited recently rolled out the soft-product component of its new Polaris product, which represents a big step forward for the airline in terms of service, amenities and food offerings. Read TPG Editor-In-Chief Zach Honig’s full review of Polaris first class between Chicago (ORD) and Tokyo (NRT).Carnival Cruise Line faced a massive fine after dumping toxic waste into the ocean.Carnival Cruise Line Fined $40 Million for Dumping Feces Into the OceanIt’s been discovered that Carnival Cruise Line had been illegally dumping toxic waste into the ocean for about 10 years, and thus the cruise operator was hit with a hefty $40 million fine and has since made changes to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.Use sites like SeatGuru or Routehappy so that you can avoid undesirable seats.The Exit Row Seat No One Wanted — Reader Mistake StoryOne reader’s unfortunate experience in coach serves as a reminder to all that not all seats are created equal, and to do your research before selecting your seat — especially on long-haul flights.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.President-elect Donald Trump expressed his desire to cancel the existing order for future presidential 747-8s.Trump Slams ‘$4 Billion’ Air Force One ContractPresident-elect Donald Trump said this week that he wants to cancel the Defense Department’s contract with Boeing to update Air Force One from a Boeing 747-200 to a brand-new, more fuel-efficient 747-8.In Other News…Most Fën Hotels are located in Latin America. Image courtesy of the Dazzler Recoleta in Buenos Aires.Wyndham Acquires Latin America-Based Fën HotelsWyndham this week shared that it had acquired a hotel chain called Fën Hotels. The chain predominantly operates in Argentina, but has several other properties spread throughout Latin America as well two properties in the US (Brooklyn and Fort Lauderdale). You should be able to book rooms at Fën properties through Wyndham Rewards by the end of 2017.American Airlines has made some changes to baggage fees on certain flights.American Airlines Makes Minor Changes to Baggage Fees on Select FlightsAmerican Airlines added a $25 seasonal bag fee for flights to SAP (La Lima, Honduras) and TGU (Tegucigalpa, Honduras), and reduced fees on second checked bags to CLO (Valle del Cauca, Colombia) to $40 (originally $55). Changes apply to trips booked on or after July 26, 2016. You can find full details on the airline’s baggage fees here.Booking partner awards to Australia and New Zealand using Alaska miles won’t come cheap.You Can Now Use Alaska Miles for Partner Awards to Australia and New ZealandWhen American first launched service between the US and Australia and New Zealand, you weren’t able to use Alaska miles for award flights to those destinations. Now, following the addition of using Alaska miles for JAL flights, you can use them on both American’s and Emirates’ service to Australia and New Zealand. However, the awards are pretty expensive and availability might be tough to come by.Google’s Project Fi allows you to stay connected while you’re abroad.Free $10 Google Play Credit for Project Fi SubscribersIf you’re a Google Project Fi subscriber, you’re eligible to receive a free $10 credit to the Google Play store. Simply follow the instructions on this page to claim your $10.Routehappy is a great resource to help you make better-informed decisions about aircraft type, seats etc.Qantas Becomes First Australian Airline to Partner with RoutehappyAustralia’s Qantas becomes that nation’s first airline to provide information on aircraft, cabins, routes and fare types through Routehappy.
