Site Search
Social

Advertisement

Travel Sweepstakes Roundup: Win A California Escape, A Beer Trip to Belgium, 24 Hours In Vancouver & More

On April 23, 2014 · 0 comments

in Contests

Win $5000 to spend on a trip to England and Wales.

There are a few fun travel contests and sweepstakes going on around the web this week. Here are some of our the TPG top picks to win some great travel prizes.

Win a $2,500 Trip From Expedia: You could win a $2,500 vacation from Expedia to the destination of your choice for pinning your travel… Read More

The State of Lie-Flat Business Class on American Carriers

On April 23, 2014 · 4 comments

in American, Delta, United

Delta's lie-flat BusinessElite seats aboard its 777s

Seems like there’s a sense of change in the proverbial air over at Delta: in advance of the airline’s introduction on July 1, 2014 of new BusinessElite and Economy seats aboard its 757-200s for JFK-LAX routes, the airline announced today that they’ve just completed updates to the BusinessElite… Read More

Top Summer Travel Destinations

On April 23, 2014 · 1 comment

in Kayak, Travel Industry

The beautiful Rio de Janeiro.

The good people of Kayak.com have been watching ticket sales, search trends and airline news to come up with the hottest summer destinations for 2014. Here were their findings and the key takeaways.

Memorial Day
According to Kayak, not only are more Americans planning to travel this Memorial Day, but… Read More

Tips for Traveling With Pets: Airline and Hotel Policy Roundup

On April 22, 2014 · 18 comments

in Pet Travel

Miles the Stowaway

My life changed back in January 2013 when I added a new member to my family – my French bulldog Miles (get it?). Since then, the little guy has traveled all over the US and to Canada with me, and I can’t imagine life without him. However, traveling with a pet is a whole different experience, and… Read More

Double Alaska Miles And 10% Discount on Emirates Through November

April 22, 2014

One of the more interesting airline partnerships is that between Alaska Airlines and Emirates. Neither is in one of the three major alliances, and Alaska is the only US carrier whose miles you can earn and redeem on Emirates. In fact, it was by redeeming Alaska miles that I flew Emirates’ famous first class suites […]

2 comments Read the full article →

Orbitz Launches New Credit Card – Is It Worth It?

April 22, 2014

Last fall, Orbitz launched a loyalty program called Orbitz Rewards to compete with incumbents like Hotels.com’s Welcome Rewards and Expedia Rewards, and it has about 2 million members to date, so it was only a matter of time before the site launched its own co-branded credit card. Available starting today, Orbitz has partnered with Alliance […]

7 comments Read the full article →

The Best Hotel Credit Cards For Earning Elite Status

April 22, 2014

Yesterday I posted about the best credit cards that help you earn miles toward airline elite status, and I thought it would be helpful write up a companion piece exploring hotel credit cards that either earn you automatic elite status or allow you to spend your way to elite status. While some hotel co-branded credit […]

17 comments Read the full article →

Join A Dining Rewards Program for Bonus Miles + Current Sign-Up Bonuses

April 22, 2014

Dining rewards programs are a great way to double dip on earning miles and points by using a points-earning credit card to pay for meals while also linking it to your airline or hotel program of choice and earn multiple points or miles per dollar on top of that. When you sign-up a new card […]

11 comments Read the full article →

Reminder: Book Delta Awards For Pre-June 1 Travel Before Redemption Rates Go Up

April 21, 2014

Last August, Delta announced some major changes to its award chart (read: devaluation) that would go into effect for travel on or after June 1. Then in November, the airline actually announced several more devaluations that went into effect in February. The thing to keep in mind here is that, unlike other devaluations where you […]

5 comments Read the full article →

Hilton HHonors Summer 2014 Promo Double Points or Miles on Stays May – July

April 21, 2014

Last week, Starwood announced its summer promo where you can earn 2-3x bonus points on stays this summer, and now it’s Hilton’s turn. The company announced its summer promo running May 1 – July 31 called Double Your Points. You can earn either double points or double miles on eligible (paid) stays at participating properties. […]

5 comments Read the full article →

The Best Credit Cards For Earning Airline Elite Status Qualifying Miles

April 21, 2014

Readers often ask me which credit cards help you earn miles toward airline elite status, and after recently exploring  the best airline credit card offers and the top credit card spending bonuses for 2014, it seemed like a great time to specifically address this question. While most airline co-branded credit cards simply offer award/redeemable miles that have no […]

5 comments Read the full article →

Confirmed: I Got A Second Sign-Up Bonus On The Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard

April 21, 2014

Back in March, I applied for four new credit cards – and a 230,000 points/miles bonus haul – including the current offer on the Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard of 100,000 American Airlines miles when you spend $10,000 in 3 months. I actually had already signed up for this card back in October 2013 when […]

22 comments Read the full article →

What is the Best Frequent Flyer Program for Transcontinental Travel?

April 20, 2014

Major airlines battle each other for customers on the US’s most popular transcontinental routes. With this in mind, TPG reader Marco tweeted me to ask: “@thepointsguy: What’s the best frequent flyer program for coast-to-coast travel?” That’s a good question, and one common among business travelers as the transcontinental US routes are some of the busiest and most […]

8 comments Read the full article →

What Is the Best Credit Card for a First Time Applicant?

April 20, 2014

TPG reader Kashif tweeted me to ask: “@thepointsguy I’m turning 18 this week and I’m thinking of signing up for a credit card that I could pay off. What’s your suggestion for the best points card for a first-timer?” Happy 18th birthday, Kashif! Before you choose any card, I’d suggest checking your credit score for free […]

8 comments Read the full article →

A Reminder on Passport and Visa Requirements for International Travel

April 20, 2014

TPG reader Adam wants to make sure I – and you all, as well – know something important about passports: “@thepointsguy: Are you aware that if your passport is set to expire within three months of your return date from a trip, you won’t be allowed entry to EU countries? The answer is yes, absolutely! And […]

10 comments Read the full article →

Can I Book Cathay Pacific Award Tickets Using Both Chase and Amex Points?

April 20, 2014

It’s easy to rack up points in a bunch of different programs but when it comes time to use them, it can be tricky, especially when trying to book one type of ticket from one account and another ticket from another points program. TPG reader Louis actually messaged me on Facebook asking: “I haves a […]

4 comments Read the full article →

When Does It Make Sense to Use Miles Over Paying For a Flight?

April 20, 2014

What with credit card sign-up bonuses, promotions, buy miles promotions, and more, there are a lot of ways to build up your points wealth, but knowing when to use your points and miles definitely takes some skill! One of my best friends sent me a text over the weekend asking: Does it makes sense to use […]

5 comments Read the full article →

Saturday Recap: American Bonus Miles Between the US and Tokyo, 500 Free Virgin Atlantic Miles, 1,000 Bonus Miles for Stays in the Caribbean and More

April 19, 2014

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from the week: Delta SkyClub Policy Change For Alaska Board Room Members: Alaska’s Board Room member page  announced that, effective May 1, 2014, Delta SkyClubs will no longer offer guest privileges to Board Room members. Instead, Board Room members may now purchase discounted $29 day passes […]

3 comments Read the full article →

Traveling With Children: Planning Activities for All Ages

April 19, 2014

Planning the perfect vacation with children means picking the most family-friendly airlines (both domestic and international) and packing the best gear (for infants and young children), but the most important part might be choosing activities that are fun for the kids, and their parents, so I asked TPG contributor Jason Steele to write up his […]

5 comments Read the full article →

Dining at Ze Maria in Fernando De Noronha, Brazil

April 18, 2014

I recently returned from a short trip to Fernando De Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands about 220 miles off the coast of mainland Brazil, with my Brazilian-born friend Sergio. He and I found this remote natural paradise a perfect spot for scuba diving and quiet relaxation. I’ve so far shared the adventures of my American Airlines flight […]

5 comments Read the full article →

50% Off IHG Awards in Mexico, Caribbean, Central America – Book By May 3

April 18, 2014

This Sunday, IHG Rewards – the loyalty program of Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, etc. – is launching a 50% off award night sale at participating properties in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. You must book between Sunday, April 20 – May 3, 2014 for stays May 1 – June 12, 2014. […]

0 comments Read the full article →

My Starwood Ambassador Experience Has Ended and I Don’t Really Care

April 18, 2014

At the beginning of 2012, Starwood updated their Starwood Preferred Guest program to include multiple perks for those frequent guests who stay for 50, 75 or 100 nights at their properties. Some of the perks which I have written about in the past were pretty cool, including updated amenity benefits, higher point valuation and more. Here […]

22 comments Read the full article →

10 Strategies For Organizing A Budget Trip To Rome

April 18, 2014

You might notice a change in the title of our destination series. While for the past two years we’ve been featuring a Destination of the Week with information on using miles to get there and points to stay at various hotels, we’re branching out and trying something new we’re calling Destination Edition. Posts in our […]

19 comments Read the full article →

The Ins and Outs of Reinstating Forfeited American Express Points

April 18, 2014

One of the greatest features of American Express Membership Rewards is obviously the point transfer feature. Of the 17 airline partners, nearly all (save the exception of Virgin America and Jet Blue) have a 1:1 transfer ratio, and on top of those there are dozens of other travel other partners in addition to hundreds of […]

6 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Print This Page