Amaziful

American Adds the Ability for Some of Its Highest Elites to Gift Executive Platinum Status

2017-12-08T09:03:00.001-08:00

American Airlines’ Concierge Key is the somewhat mysterious, invitation-only level of elite status that’s the carrier’s top option. And while you can’t actively seek out Concierge Key status by attaining a certain number of Elite Qualifying Miles or Elite Qualifying Dollars, the status comes with top-level perks such as meet and greet at the tarmac, free Admirals Club membership, priority boarding, top upgrade priority, exclusive event invites and more. For 2018, AA is adding one more benefit for select Concierge Key members: the ability to gift Executive Platinum status.

Some AAdvantage members who qualified for Concierge Key in 2018 have reported receiving word of the new benefit in their welcome email. According to the wording of the email, some Concierge Key members are being allowed to gift the airline’s highest attainable level of status to another AAdvantage member.

http://pic.twitter.com/GwMGGMYddF

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) December 7, 2017

With the benefit for some Concierge Key members to gift Executive Platinum status to other AAdvantage members comes the possible devaluation of Executive Platinum status as a whole. Presumably, there will now be more top-tier AA elites, meaning that securing upgrades with increased competition for the space will become more difficult. On the other hand, it makes sense for AA to allow its most valuable members the opportunity to gift the highest level of attainable status.

It’s not clear how AA is targeting which CK members are allowed to gift status. As a reminder, Executive Platinum status comes with complimentary upgrades on all all short- and medium-haul flights, systemwide upgrades, priority check-in, security and boarding and more. In TPG’s 2017 analysis, Executive Platinum status is valued at $7,420.

Featured image by Robert Alexander / Getty Images.

from The Points Guy

Expedia May Soon Show You Pictures Next Time You Book a Flight

2017-12-08T08:53:00.001-08:00

Online travel search giant Expedia is launching exciting new features that will allow displaying more details, including photos and videos, when searching for a flight.

Routehappy already provided Expedia with the ability to see if a flight has Wi-Fi, if there’s in-flight entertainment and if you’ll be able to plug your electronics into a power outlet.

Expedia is expanding this partnership, which will integrate the company’s Universal Product Attributes (UPA) and Universal Ticket Attributes (UTAs) into Expedia plus its other websites, Orbitz and Travelocity.

For those who don’t speak online travel agency (OTA) jargon, a UPA holds data like photos and videos of an aircraft’s cabin and seats, while a UTA contains information regarding an airline’s fare class including its restrictions and benefits — so you’ll know if you’re buying a basic economy fare, for example.

For consumers this means Expedia’s search features will include more information at first sight. It also could lead to a similar experience to that of booking a hotel through an OTA — meaning you can see pictures of a property’s room, lobby and pool. It’s possible we’ll see pictures of an airline’s cabin or seat.

A senior director at Expedia, David Krieger, told APEX that the new changes “might include photos, videos, and at-a-glance views of what’s included in the fare.” Krieger added that Expedia plans “to roll out this enhanced capability across our brands in the near future.”

This move could help Expedia differentiate itself from Google Flights, which the company has seen increased competition from. Google Flights does not have any photo or video integration on its platform, and usually you have to click through to an airline’s website or another OTA to book a ticket.

from The Points Guy

TPG Readers Share How They Maintain Top-Tier Airline Elite Status, and How You Can Too

2017-12-08T08:03:00.001-08:00

British Airways Is Canceling a Lot of Flights Because of 787 Engine Trouble

2017-12-08T06:18:00.001-08:00

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is known for having had its fair share of problems. In its first year of service, at least four aircraft suffered from electrical problems stemming from its lithium-ion batteries, which led to a months-long grounding of all 787s. Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive instructing airlines to carry out an urgent fix on 176 Dreamliners because of an engine icing problem. Those problems have been solved, and now 787s operate worldwide with a dispatch reliability — essentially, the percentage of aircraft departing on time — second only to Boeing’s long-haul workhorse, the 777.

However, some 787s are now experiencing new engine troubles, which will cause some disruption to passengers in the midst of the busy holiday season.

European safety regulator EASA, along with other worldwide aviation safety agencies, has proposed immediate measures to address possible cracks to the fan blades of the Rolls Royce engines installed on hundreds of Dreamliners, including those flying for British Airways, ANA and Air New Zealand. (American Airlines, Air Canada and United, the only operators of the 787 in North America, as well as Aeromexico, all use General Electric GEnx engines, which are unaffected.) The cracks in the intermediate pressure compressor on Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines can potentially lead to the release of blades during flight, EASA said, resulting in an uncontained engine failure. That’s the kind of engine failure that can spew out engine fragments at high speed, with consequences that can be disastrous.

New Zealand’s aviation safety board confirmed this week that it was investigating “engine abnormalities” on Air New Zealand’s 787-9 jets, which led to the planes being grounded. Singaporean investigators have recommended that Rolls-Royce review the design of intermediate pressure compressor blades in the Trent 1000 engine, after an incident in which a Scoot Boeing 787-9 suffered an engine failure in November last year.

Latest: A @Boeing 787 Rolls Royce engine issue (blades in turbine corroding earlier than expected) means some disruption to @British_Airways schedule for the next month. http://pic.twitter.com/ZrTIyQqlnP

— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) December 7, 2017

British Airways fleet of Rolls-Royce engined 787s — which serves several US destinations — is also affected, and the airline is canceling a large number of flights due to an aircraft shortage since its 787s must undergo urgent maintenance.

While the changes to the BA flight schedule aren’t final, here are the latest updates to flights affected so far:

All flights are cancelled from London Heathrow (LHR) to Doha (DOH), Qatar, from December 14 until January 7 at the earliest. While the Doha route is not operated by a 787 Dreamliner, the 777 that does operate this route is needed to cover other 787 routes elsewhere on the BA network.
Some flights between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi (AUH) are so far cancelled in early November.
Some flights between London Heathrow and San Jose (SJC) and Washington Dulles (IAD) are cancelled in early January.

On other BA routes, many 787 have been substituted by other aircraft in the fleet, with most 787 flights from London Heathrow to Los Angeles (LAX) and Newark (EWR) swapped to a 777. Passengers have started to tweet seat-map changes, showing the aircraft switch. The following tweet is from a passenger flying from London to Jeddah (JED) next week, ordinarily a 787 service:

Yup my flight has been affected. From a 787-9 to a 777-200ER http://pic.twitter.com/ERBiCHcZak

— Zuzu (@ZuhairFarouk) December 7, 2017

Thursday afternoon, FlightRadar24 showed 17 oout of a total 25 BA Dreamliners in the air, with some flying across to / from the US…

… and the remainder over the Middle East and Asia.

But the urgent maintenance checks are set to ramp up next week, and take place over the course of holiday period, hence the changes in the flying schedule.

“Like several airlines around the world, we are carrying out detailed precautionary inspections on Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines which are fitted to our Boeing 787s, as part of the engine manufacturer’s long term maintenance and service program,” British Airways said in a statement. “To facilitate the engine inspections we have had to make schedule adjustments and are rebooking customers onto alternative services or offering them a refund. The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so”

Rolls Royce says t is “working together [with British Airways] to minimize this impact and restore full flight operations as soon as possible.”

For passengers booked on BA flights already affected by the cancellations, there are plans in place to re-accommodate all passengers on partner airlines, or the BA flight closest to the original time/date booking. For those booked to fly BA on the London Heathrow to Doha route (which has been suspended for almost one month as from next week), British is rebooking passengers onto Qatar Airways services. (British and QR are fellow members of the oneworld alliance, and Qatar has helped British in the past.) For some this might actually be a boon, as BA Club World passengers could now fly on Qatar Airways’ QSuite, arguably one of the best business class cabins flying in the skies today, and a definite upgrade from BA’s eight-across Business Class cabin.

For now, BA passengers should ensure that all their contact details are updated in flight bookings, especially on flights operated by a 787 Dreamliner. Flight cancellations and changes are still taking place, and the situation is ongoing. If you’re affected, it’s worth calling your local BA office and ask them to help you, given the nature of the disruption.

from The Points Guy

5 Lesser-Known Perks of the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express

2017-12-08T05:08:00.001-08:00

5 Things to Know About Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

2017-12-08T04:08:00.001-08:00

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is different than most other US carriers’ programs, with unique features like having airline partners across multiple alliances and separate award charts for each partner. These differences happen to make the program extremely valuable. As Mileage Plan continues to add earning and redemption partners, as well as devalue some partnerships, it’s important to stay up to date with all the developments. Knowing the latest news as well as the program’s intricacies will allow you to get maximum value out of your miles. Today, let’s look at five things you need to know about Mileage Plan

1. Stopovers Are Allowed on One-Way Award Tickets

There are only two loyalty programs I’m aware of that allow stopovers on one-way awards: Alaska Mileage Plan and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. This is an incredibly generous benefit that gives you the ability to see two destinations for the price of one. As a quick example, here’s what you can do:

Traveling from the contiguous US and Alaska to Asia costs 35,000 miles one-way in economy on partner Japan Airlines. That means a typical Chicago to Tokyo economy flight would cost 35,000 miles:

If you add a stopover to spend 4 days in Tokyo, you can then fly to Seoul for no additional miles and $23.20:

Here are a few things to keep in mind when booking one-way awards with a stopover:

One-way awards cost the same amount of miles as round-trip tickets on Korean Air — ergo, don’t book one-way awards with Korean.
You cannot combine multiple partners on a one-way Alaska ticket, but you can combine an Alaska-operated flight with one partner.
You can only complete the free stopovers in a partner airline’s hub city.

Here are some examples of the best stopovers using Alaska partners:

A. Dallas – Sydney (stopover) – Perth for 55,000 miles in Qantas business class
B. New York – Hong Kong (stopover) – Manila for 50,000 miles in Cathay Pacific business class
C. Los Angeles – Dubai (stopover) – Delhi for 82,500 miles in Emirates business class

If you think a bit more outside the box, you can use the stopover of a one-way ticket to put you back in your home airport, and then get a free one-way for another trip months in the future. If I live in New York and I’m taking a European vacation, I can spend 20,000 miles to book an American flight from Frankfurt to New York, stop over, and 6 months later have a free one-way flight to the destination of my next trip — say, Las Vegas.

If you’re booking a round-trip Mileage Plan ticket, you can have a stopover on both the outbound and inbound direction, and you can use different partners for both the inbound and outbound directions, making for the possibility of fantastic award tickets with two stopovers and a destination.

2. Watch Out for Mixed-Cabin Itineraries

Despite the multiple warnings Alaska now has on the website when booking award tickets, many travelers continue to unknowingly booking mixed-cabin award tickets. If you book a multi-segment award ticket and at least one of the segments is in a premium class, the entire itinerary will price at the higher-cabin mileage rate and appear in the premium cabin column of the search results. Here’s an example of Newark to Beijing showing first-class space:

You’ll notice a recliner seat icon next to the $19 in taxes and fees, denoting this is a mixed-cabin itinerary with the actual following classes of service:

In this case, you’re paying a 20,000-mile premium to have first class only on the 1.5-hour flight from Newark to Chicago. When doing your initial searches for award space and then again when completing the booking, Alaska makes it clear which classes of service you’re booking, so please pay attention.

3. Utilize the Wide Array of Mileage Plan Partners

Essentially anywhere you want to fly, Alaska has a partner or its own service that has you covered. Make sure you become familiar with all the Mileage Plan partners, their award charts based on the route you want to fly and stopover potentials in the carrier’s hub.

You probably know you can use Alaska miles on American and Emirates, but how much do you know about Condor, Hainan Airlines and Fiji Airways? Here are a couple tips to know when utilizing Mileage Plan partner airlines:

Cathay Pacific and LAN (LATAM) award space and tickets cannot be found or booked on Alaskaair.com. Call 1-800-252-7522 to find space and book tickets. Typically anything you see as available to Oneworld partners on BA.com or Qantas.com can be booked with Alaska miles, but not always. Also be wary of phantom space with Cathay Pacific; I always recommend searching segment by segment to find award space.
Just because a partner airline flies a route doesn’t mean you can book with Alaska miles. Only the flights listed between designated regions as outlined in the interactive award chart tool on Alaskaair.com can be booked with miles. As an example, Qantas flies from Australia to the Middle East, but you cannot book that flight with Alaska miles.
There are blackout dates for travel on Korean Air and between certain zones. Make sure you read the fine print at the bottom of the award charts for all terms and conditions — including lap child travel restrictions and rules.

4. Book Award Flights on Lesser-Known Routes to Hawaii

Hawaii continues to be, and in my opinion always will be, the most popular destination for Americans to use their miles. The majority of people search for award space from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Honolulu. Availability is always tight on these routes, so instead I recommend searching Alaska’s lesser-known routes to the Hawaiian islands — you may be surprised at the availability you find.

If you want to escape the cold of January for Hawaii, here’s the low-level availability on the nonstop from San Jose to Honolulu. A seat is available almost every single day of the month:

Here is Oakland to Kona in April (spring break!), also with almost every day available:

A summer trip from Portland to Maui for two adults in July is available for all but nine days:

If you want to get to Hawaii for 35,000 miles round-trip, even during peak travel times, look to Alaska’s often-forgotten Hawaii routes.

5. Five Ways to Get Alaska Miles

Because Alaska isn’t a transfer partner of American Express, Chase or Citi, I often hear complaints that it’s too hard to earn miles. While it’s definitely not as easy as earning United or Delta miles, I’d argue there are still enough avenues that allow you to quickly build your stockpile. Here are five ways to earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles:

Transfer Starwood Starpoints to your Alaska account. Remember that you’ll get 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 points you transfer.
Buy Alaska miles during the program’s routine sales. We often see bonuses up to 50%, dropping the cost of miles to 1.97 cents apiece. I don’t recommend buying miles outright for a redemption, but if you’re just a few shy for an award it can make sense.
You can credit paid partner flights to your Alaska account and see what I’d argue to be larger returns than you’ll get crediting to other programs. Each partner has its own earn chart based on the fare class you’re flying, so be sure you know what percentage of flown miles you’re going to earn. Paid business and first-class Emirates flights earn up to 350% of the miles flown — big-time value compared to crediting the flights to the Skywards program.
Use the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card from Bank of America for your everyday spend. The card currently offers a 30,000-mile bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening. I also routinely get targeted bonus miles for extra spend throughout the year with my card.
Use the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping portal to double-dip on your normal purchases and receive bonus miles for spend promotions throughout the year. There are typically holiday promotions on the portal, awarding a few thousand miles for hitting a certain spend threshold. There’s also now in-store shopping, where you link your credit card to the portal and earn a bonus any time you shop at a participating merchant, just as if you went through an online portal.

Bottom Line

If you become familiar with the above tips, you’ll quickly realize the potential value of Mileage Plan and should strongly consider crediting paid partner flights to your Alaska account. Once you have enough miles for an award ticket, always look to utilize a stopover on a partner carrier. With the continued devaluations of the three legacy carrier loyalty programs, I continue to focus more and more on the wonderful Alaska Mileage Plan program.

from The Points Guy

Were You Targeted for United’s New Bonus Miles Promotion?

2017-12-07T15:58:00.001-08:00

This week, United launched a new promotion to targeted MileagePlus members, offering bonus miles for flights through mid-January. To see your “Mile Play” offer, click here and enter your MileagePlus number.

Even if you made the cut to be targeted for this promotion, offers are all over the place. TPG Points and Miles Editor Sarah Silbert got a decent offer of 18,000 bonus miles for booking and taking two trips in United Economy between now and January 12, 2018:

On the other end of the spectrum, TPG Assistant Editor Nick Ellis got a measly offer of 700 bonus miles for booking Economy Plus once between now at January 12, 2018:

In the middle, TPG Assistant Editor Brendan Dorsey got an offer of 7,400 bonus miles for booking and taking two trips in United Economy by January 12, 2018.

Personally, I didn’t get an offer:

Whether you were targeted for this promotion or not, you can still stock up on bonus United miles by opening a new Chase credit card. Currently, the United MileagePlus Explorer Card is offering a 40,000 United miles sign-up offer for spending $2,000 in the first three months after opening the card. Plus, you’ll get perks like a free checked bag, priority boarding (even when booking Basic Economy) and two club passes per year. And there’s no annual fee the first year.

The United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card offers many of the same perks with a 50,000-mile signup bonus for spending $3,000 in the first three months. And forget paying for a United Club membership; you can get a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus plus a United Club membership with the United MileagePlus Club Card.

Were you targeted and — if so — what’s your offer?

from The Points Guy

Register Now to Earn Up to 30,000 Points With IHG’s New Accelerate Promo

2017-12-07T15:33:00.001-08:00

A few times a year, IHG offers its Rewards Club members an individualized slate of “Accelerate” challenges. Challenges include staying a certain number of nights, at a certain number of brands or using a certain type of rate plan (i.e., Points and Cash). Each member’s offer seems to be based on past IHG activity. And, depending on how you work the promotion, you can score a bunch of points from just a few stays, like I’ve done on the current version:

Boom. 39,000 bonus points from 4 nights and 3 stays. With 10k Cat 1 hotels and base earnings from the stays, that's enough for four free nights from paying for four nights. http://pic.twitter.com/69QoR17ZjV

— JT Genter (@JTGenter) December 5, 2017

We are coming up on the end of the current Acceleration promo on December 31. And now the new 2018 Accelerate promotion registration is live. Click here to register to see your new Accelerate offer for stays from January 1 to April 30, 2018.

While each member gets an individualized offer, the terms and conditions state that every member will earn at least 30,000 points. Based on current TPG valuations, that means each offer should net at least $210 in value. But, it seems many offers provide an opportunity to earn much more than that.

After meeting most of the requirements of the current Accelerate promo, I was expecting IHG to up the ante. It did, but I still ended up with an achievable set of offers. For reference, I have 18 qualifying stays — not including non-qualifying stays (i.e. award nights, Points and Cash stays) — so far in 2017. I can earn 60,600 bonus points from completing the following tasks:

2,000 Stay Once Get 2,000
12,000 Stay More, Earn More — 6 nights
5,600 Stay at Holiday Inn Express — Stay at 2 Holiday Inn hotels
4,000 A Bonus Weekend Stay — Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday stay
2,500 Corporate Account Bonus — Stay 2 times using a corporate rate
12,000 Explore With Confidence — Stay in any country in Europe, Greater China (China Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa
1,500 Spend on your IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card — pay for one stay with your IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card
14,000 Your Achievement Bonus — Complete 6 of the 7 offers [above]
5,000 Refer a Friend and Earn — One referral, but the new member “must complete their first stay by April 30th”
2,000 January Bonus Offer — Stay once in January

Thankfully, I’m a fan of Holiday Inn Express hotels and travel overseas a lot, so most of these are very achievable for me. Staying six nights across two stays at Holiday Inn Express — at least one overseas — using my IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card including a Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday will score me 51,100 points. At current TPG valuations, that’s $358 worth of value from just six nights at a Holiday Inn Express.

A few tips for planning how to tackle your Accelerate promotion:

Points and Cash stays don’t qualify as qualifying stays.
Each member will have the opportunity to earn at least 30,000 points
Each offer must be completed between January 1, 2018 and April 30, 2018 (both dates inclusive)
A stay is defined as one night or consecutive nights at the same hotel, regardless of frequency of check-in/out. So, you can’t rack up multiple stays at the same hotel just by checking out and checking back in.
The following don’t count as qualifying stays: any stay at a Kimpton Hotel, net wholesale individual and group rate, certain package rates, employee discount rate, friends and family rate, crew rate, special discounted contract rates, seasonal worker/crew rate, 50% travel club discount rate, travel industry discount rate, distressed passenger rate, IHG Rewards Club Reward Nights/Airline Hotel Reward rate, rates booked through third-party websites, complimentary hotel stays and any other rates not defined as a Qualifying Room Rate at IHG’s sole discretion.

Featured image courtesy of InterContinental Hong Kong.

from The Points Guy

Deal Alert: US to Russia From $460 Round-Trip

2017-12-07T15:03:00.001-08:00

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using the American Express Platinum Card, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, is offering low fares between the US and Russia. We’re seeing round-trip tickets between Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK) Los Angeles (LAX) Miami (MIA), Washington (IAD) and Moscow (SVO) and Saint Petersburg (LED) from $460 round-trip in economy. The cheapest fares are originating in New York and most flights are nonstop. TPG staff have enjoyed their time flying Aeroflot and Russia has some great hotels.

To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Then, scroll through Google Flights’ calendar function to find dates that work best for you. Finally, click through to book with the airline itself or Expedia.

Airlines: Aeroflot
Routes: IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, ORD to LED, SVO
Cost: $460+ round-trip in economy
Dates: January – March 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz or Expedia
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

New York (JFK) to Moscow (SVO) for $460 round-trip with Aeroflot via Expedia:

New York (JFK) to Saint Petersburg (LED) for $484 round-trip with Aeroflot via Expedia:

Miami (MIA) to Moscow (SVO) for $518 round-trip with Aeroflot via Expedia:

Washington (IAD) to Moscow (SVO) for $546 round-trip with Aeroflot via Expedia:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Moscow (SVO) for $565 round-trip with Aeroflot via Expedia:

Maximize Your Purchase

Be sure to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: Scott’s Cheap Flights

Featured image by Getty Images.

from The Points Guy

What TPG Readers Do With Their Leftover Amenity Kits

2017-12-07T14:08:00.001-08:00

Delta Introduces Baggage Fees on Transatlantic Basic Economy Tickets

2017-12-07T13:08:00.001-08:00

The transatlantic market has seen lower fares in recent years with the rise of low-cost carriers like Norwegian and WOW Air, which has forced legacy carriers to respond by dropping their fares on international flights. In an effort to compete better with those budget airlines, Delta has quietly changed its baggage policy and will now start charging BE passengers for checking bags on several international routes.

Delta introduced basic economy (BE) fares several years ago and expanded it to international routes in 2015. American and United followed suit, but as of now have kept BE to domestic flights.

The Atlanta-based carrier will charge $60 for the first checked bag and $100 for the second checked bag for all travel from the US and Canada to Europe and North Africa. Delta implemented the change on Wednesday and it applies to BE fares for travel starting April 10, 2018.

If you purchase a Main Cabin or Delta Comfort+ fare your first checked bag will still be free. In some cases, it may make sense to pay more for the Main Cabin fare — in this example flight between New York (JFK) and Paris (CDG), you’d end up paying $31 extra if you booked a BE fare and then checked a bag.

Basic economy fares don’t allow travelers to select seats, disqualify them from free or paid upgrades and relegates them to the last boarding group.

Although Delta is facing increased pressure to lower its fares on these routes because of low cost carriers, it doesn’t necessarily need to tack on these hefty fees, especially after making $1.72 billion in profits in Q3 alone. Will American, United and other large carriers follow in Delta’s footsteps? If history is any indication, the answer is yes.

Fortunately if you’re a Delta Amex cardholder you’ll be able to avoid the new fees. The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express and the Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express all waive fees for your first checked bag.

H/T: One Mile at a Time

from The Points Guy

It May Snow in Atlanta and Airlines Are Allowing Free Flight Changes

2017-12-07T12:38:00.001-08:00

Flight Review: ANA Boeing 777-300ER Premium Economy, Tokyo to Singapore

2017-12-07T12:13:00.001-08:00

Bucket List for Your First Trip to Las Vegas

2017-12-07T11:49:00.001-08:00

You might be surprised to know that the “Las Vegas” most of us think of is only about 4 miles long — the Strip! But there’s so much to see in such a small area.

I’ve had some epic girlfriends’ getaways there and even rang in the New Year in the City of Lights. Every trip has made me more in love with this crazy, non-stop destination. Ready to have some crazy adventures yourself?

A trip to Las Vegas is one of those quintessential American experiences. From the bright lights of the Strip to the world-class museums, this little Nevada city is everything you’d expect it to be and so much more.

Here’s my bucket list for your first trip to Las Vegas.

Welcome to Las Vegas

Of course, your first stop has to be the Welcome to Las Vegas sign; it’s the ultimate selfie op! But you won’t be the only one with this idea. Crowds form here as the day goes on, and you’ll want get there as early as you can.

There’s usually a guy there to help take your photo, which means you can get the whole group in one shot. He does it for free too, so leave that selfie stick at home.

Once you’re ready to start exploring, order a yard of your favorite drink and wander the strip! Yard drinks are everywhere in Vegas, and you have to try to sip your way through at least one.

Where to Stay on the Strip

By far the most exciting area to stay in Las Vegas is the Strip. While there are other nice spots around town, I highly recommend that newbies stay in the heart of the action.

ARIA: With luxury suites offering an incredible view of the Strip, this casino resort is the ultimate five-star experience. Featuring a 150,000-square-foot casino, sixteen restaurants, and on-site entertainment, you could spend your entire trip checking this place out.
Cosmopolitan: This chic hotel was made for longer visits and group adventures. It has everything from one- to three-bedroom suites, and each has a kitchenette, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a hip, urban apartment vibe.
Encore at Wynn: Named the best hotel in Las Vegas by Condé Nast Traveler, the Encore at Wynn lives up to its reputations as one of the city’s finest luxe spots.

Visiting the Casinos in Las Vegas

Whether you are a high roller or you just want to toss a few nickels in the slot, you can’t go to Las Vegas with trying your odds. Wow your friends with a tale of how you won it all—and then lost it —on one magical night in the city.

You won’t usually find me at the card tables, but I love to play my odds at the slot machines. There are a million spots to throw your change, and you’ll want to sit down at least once to partake in the most Vegas of Vegas sports.

Boozy Brunch in Las Vegas

After your first wild night out in Vegas, start the day with a boozy brunch. While Vegas is often associated with less-than-enticing casino buffets, it actually has some incredible foodie hot spots.

Bellagio Buffet: Hate buffets? You won’t after you’ve tried the Bellagio Buffet. Forget about overcooked, bland dishes, and think international haute cuisine.
Giada at The Cromwell: This chic spot, owned by Giada De Laurentiis, has top-notch Italian food, and it’s one of the hottest brunch spots in town.
La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas: This place is famous for its tableside butler-style brunch and classic American dishes.
Eggslut at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas: The egg sandwiches here will knock your socks off! It doesn’t serve booze, but it’s open late night for after da club.
EAT: One of the trendiest eateries in downtown Las Vegas, EAT does all your fave comfort foods with a focus on sustainable and organic ingredients.
Bloody Marys at Yardbird: If you love bloody marys, you’ll die and go to heaven at Yardbird. It’s also the best spot for classic Southern grub.

Shopping in Las Vegas

My Vegas motto is to cheap out at the casinos and then splurge at the mall. There are some seriously amazing shops and outlets here that have it all.

Las Vegas North Premium Outlets: Brand crazy? Make a beeline for this outlet! Armani, Bose, Coach, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and so much more are all at rock-bottom prices here.
Caesars Palace Forum Shops: Known as the Shopping Wonder of the World, this place has all of the top international brands and great restaurants. It even has the world’s largest privately-owned art gallery, which has an entire wall of Andy Warhol pieces.
Planet Hollywood Shops: Also known as the Miracle Mile Shops, Planet Hollywood Shops houses 170 stores, fifteen restaurants, and live entertainment venues.

Hit the Beach (Club) in Las Vegas

While Las Vegas may not be coastal, you’ll still want to bring your bikini! Clubbing here is all about finding the best pool parties.

Encore Beach Club: Swim, dance, and check out some of the world’s best DJs. This indoor/outdoor hot spot is perfect for lounging or partying the night away.
Tao Beach: These 60,000 square feet are basically a mini Asian town; Tao Beach has its own much-loved restaurant, lounge, club, and beach.
Wet Republic: This is another place for a poppin’ pool party. Every show is different here, and it’s always worth coming back.
Marquee Dayclub: This trendy spot, with a casino club, high-tech effects, and multiple dance floors, is a must-see.
DAYLIGHT Beach Club: Who says clubbing is for nighttime? The non-stop DAYLIGHT has an all-day pool party and all-night dance floor.

Take a Trip to Downtown Las Vegas

Now, more than ever, Las Vegas is way more than just the Strip. The hippest new spot to check out is downtown.

Neon Museum: This massive six-acre space is a beautiful and bizarre graveyard for countless vintage Vegas signs. Tons of photo ops here!
Fremont Street: For the ultimate Vegas experience, get to this five-block entertainment district. Take the famous SlotZilla Zip Line from the world’s largest slot machine to the world’s largest video screen for an epic (and free!) light show.
Mob Museum: This is not your average museum. You can get a look into the dark side of Las Vegas history at this fascinating place.
The Las Vegas Art District (Also Known as 18b): This is the local art scene, and it’s the place to come to see a whole different side of Vegas.

See Las Vegas from the Sky

My breathtaking trip with Sundance Helicopters is easily one of my best memories from Vegas! I flew to the Grand Canyon, which was indescribably beautiful.

Sundance Helicopters also does shorter trips over the Vegas Strip, which I highly recommend.

Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas

You have to get to this cool festival of music, culinary, art, and learning. It happens in late September, and it is one of America’s greatest.

See a Show in Las Vegas

Of course! You can’t go to Vegas without hitting at least one show. There’s such an incredibly diverse array of options here with so many shows that you won’t find anywhere else.

Bellagio Fountains: The sound and light show at the Bellagio is essential. It happens every fifteen or thirty minutes, depending on the day and time of year, so it’s easy to find time for it.
Absinthe at Caesars Palace: This is my all-time favorite! Absinthe is such a fun and inventive You definitely don’t want to miss this one.
The Beatles LOVE: Whether you love or meh The Beatles, this Cirque du Soleil is stunning.

Grab a Craft Cocktail

While there are some amazing clubs and bars in Vegas, you still have to watch out for not-so-great cocktails. Hang on to this list of places to get consistently good ones.

Happy Half Hour at the High Roller: See the city from above at Las Vegas’s newest attraction: the 550-foot-tall Ferris wheel with an open bar.
Chandelier Bar in The Cosmopolitan: A playground, art exhibit, and cocktail haven, this is one good-looking bar.
The Dorsey: Set inside the Venetian, this place defines swanky and has tasty drinks.
Velveteen Rabbit: The drinks here are among the best I’ve ever had, and you have to love a Velveteen Rabbit theme!

Dance the Night Away in Las Vegas

Vegas has some of the world’s best nightlife, and you have to bring your dancing shoes.

Marquee: I always love the atmosphere here, and the party never stops!
XS: This Wynn Encore club has first-class DJs and an expansive indoor/outdoor dance floor.
Encore Beach Club: As if you need another excuse to hit up this club; it has nighttime pool parties now!

Shop my favorite Vegas looks!

Here’s What Los Angeles International Airport Looks Like Covered in Smoke From the Fires

2017-12-07T11:28:00.001-08:00

It’s been a crazy week for Southern California residents, and even those of us just passing through. Wildfires not far from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have caused thousands of locals to flee their homes while wreaking havoc on large areas of the city.

Closed freeways and soot-covered lawns are minor nuisances compared to the devastation experienced by people who have lost their homes, but the situation has had everyone on edge over the past few days. On Wednesday, smoke was clearly visible from my airport hotel, where I was for a photo shoot before I make my way to London tonight.

Crazy situation with these fires in LA! From my hotel at LAX. Airport seems unaffected for now. https://t.co/khDduwMMqb http://pic.twitter.com/MsWie2ij8z

— Zach Honig (@ZachHonig) December 6, 2017

By the time my afternoon aerial photo session came around, the airport was covered in a layer of smoke.

LAX through the smoke from my helicopter shoot yesterday. Just straight from the camera. Crazy! http://pic.twitter.com/l9nkRuKXcr

— Zach Honig (@ZachHonig) December 7, 2017

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to affect flight operations. According to FlightAware, there were just four cancellations yesterday and only two so far today (Thursday.)

Still, with risk of fire spreading overnight, authorities even issued a rare emergency notification to everyone in the area Wednesday evening — our phones went crazy as I visiting family just north of the airport:

Well all of our phones just freaked out at the same time… http://pic.twitter.com/KmlcXakvpH

— Zach Honig (@ZachHonig) December 7, 2017

As for this morning, so far it’s just a regular day at LAX, albeit one with far less clear skies than usual above the field. Either way, we’re all hoping the situation is under control soon.

from The Points Guy

11 Extravagant Christmas Lights Displays Worth Traveling For

2017-12-07T11:08:00.001-08:00

Tip: Know How and When to Apply for Your Australia Visa

2017-12-07T10:08:00.001-08:00

US citizens enjoy visa-free access to 155 countries, but Australia isn’t one of them. However, US citizens are one of eight nationalities that can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) online using the Australian government’s website. An ETA allows multiple entries of three months or less during a one-year period.

The ETA application process takes about five minutes to complete, and you could be instantly approved. Here’s a quick overview of the process.

Step 1: Select whether you need a Tourist ETA or a Business Visitor ETA, and certify that you are currently located outside Australia.

Step 2: Enter your passport details, whether you have an alias and whether you have a criminal record. Anyone with a criminal record can’t apply for an ETA.

Step 3: Enter your address, phone number and email. Select whether you wish to receive communication by SMS and declare whether you hold any other passports.

Step 4: Confirm your information.

Step 5: Pay the online service charge of AUD $20 (about $15) using a credit card. I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve since it has no international transaction fees — but unfortunately the charge didn’t code as travel.

You can pay agencies to apply on your behalf, and some airline customer service agents will charge you to apply on your behalf at check-in, but it’s so quick and simple that it’s no hassle to do it yourself.

The Australian government’s official line is that you shouldn’t book travel before getting an approved ETA, but considering no ETAs were denied between July 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016, you’re probably safe waiting until shortly before your trip. This could allow you to use one ETA for multiple trips within a one-year period. Most ETA applications are approved immediately and those that need additional processing are usually handled within 24 hours.

Featured image by Gallo Images / Getty Images.

from The Points Guy

Lyft Is Offering Free Rides to People Affected by SoCal Wildfires

2017-12-07T08:54:00.001-08:00

With the wildfires raging throughout Southern California, residents and tourists alike are trying to escape the flames and find refuge in safer areas. While firefighters battle the blazes, companies are stepping up to help those affected by the disaster, including Lyft, which is offering free rides to wildfire evacuees.

Authorities have had to shut down entire freeways, including Highways 101 and 405, both of which connect many important cities, as flames approached Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and LAX. The highways have since been reopened.

As the Thomas Fire nearly completes its race to the ocean, it is forcing a shutdown of both directions of Highway 101 between Highway 33 in Ventura and Highway 150 on the edge of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County. https://t.co/xv9C15oT8e http://pic.twitter.com/hvU0uCgM3Q

— Ventura County Star (@vcstar) December 7, 2017

Lyft said it its offering free rides up to $40 for wildfire evacuees — taking those affected any evacuation center in the area. Riders need to enter the code: LASAFERIDES in the Lyft app to unlock the discounted trips.

#Lyft is giving free rides to everyone affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles region. Please use the code LASAFERIDES to avail it. Stay safe and spread the word! #LAFires http://pic.twitter.com/mEMWpiL2jS

— yash ganti (@yashGS) December 7, 2017

According to KABC, Lyft drivers will take residents to the following evacuation centers:

Ventura County Fairgrounds
Nordhoff High School
Oxnard College Gymnasium
Santa Paula Community Center
Fillmore Veterans Memorial
Santa Barbara Multi Activity Center
UCLA
Balboa Recreation Center
Van Nuys Recreation Center
Delano Park
Cheviot Hills Recreation Center

Evacuation centers may be added to the list as the situation evolves.

Featured image by Mark Ralston/Getty Images.

from The Points Guy

A 20-Year-Old Floridian Man Is Reportedly Behind the Massive Uber Hack

2017-12-07T08:23:00.001-08:00

The bad news keeps piling up for shamed ride-sharing giant Uber. In November, news surfaced that the personal information of roughly 57 million Uber users was hacked. Not only that, but the company confirmed that it had paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the stolen data and keep the breach quiet. Now, we know that the hacker responsible for it all was a 20-year-old Florida man.

Three sources close to the hack confirmed to Reuters that the person responsible for the hack is a 20-year-old living in Florida, however, his identity couldn’t be established. According to the Reuters report, the hacker is described as “living with his mom in a small home trying to help pay the bills.” Members of Uber’s security team reportedly paid the man to confirm his identity and sign a nondisclosure agreement. In addition, those close to the matter said that the company conducted a forensic analysis of his machine to make sure the hacked data had been removed.

The Reuters report details that the Florida hacker paid a second person to access GitHub in an effort to obtain credentials for accessing Uber’s code and data. GitHub said that the incident isn’t the result of security failures on its end.

Uber paid the 20-year-old $100,000 as part of its “bug bounty” program, which the company normally uses to reward people for identifying and reporting vulnerabilities in its software. The hack, which took place in October 2016, included the information such as email addresses and phone numbers of 57 million users, including 600,000 drivers in the US.

Uber spokesman Matt Kallman declined to comment on the identity of the hacker.

At the time of the payout to the hacker, Uber didn’t persecute him, as the company’s security team didn’t feel that he posed a further threat. Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly knew about the hack and the company’s move to pay the hacker in November 2016. Because Kalanick stepped down in June, the company’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took to firing two security officials, believing they should have informed regulators when the hack was discovered. Kalanick declined to comment.

from The Points Guy

You Can’t Smoke on Planes—But Pilots (Sometimes) Can

2017-12-07T08:13:00.001-08:00

Discover Will No Longer Require Cardholder Signatures on In-Person Purchases

2017-12-07T06:38:00.001-08:00

Discover is getting rid of the need to sign on the dotted line after making a purchase. Beginning in April 2018, Discover will no longer require cardholder signatures at the point of sale for all credit and debit transactions across its card network. The new signature-free purchase option is valid for transactions made in the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

“As the payments industry continues to evolve and introduce new methods of transacting, we’re making sure that Discover is providing customers and merchants with a smooth and more secure payments experience,” said Jasma Ghai, vice president of Global Products Innovation at Discover. “With the rise in new payment security capabilities, like chip technology and tokenization, the time is right to remove this step from the checkout experience.”

Although the signature part of the in-person transaction is being removed from the process, Discover is assuring customers that security won’t be compromised. The Discover security network already uses digital authentication technologies such as tokenization, multi-factor authentication and biometrics, which the company says are more secure than a traditional signature. Plus, not requiring a signature makes the process quicker and more seamless for the customer.

Discover isn’t the first company to have its cards move to a signature-free model. In October, Mastercard announced that as of April 2018 — the same month Discover will phase signatures out — it will also no longer require signatures from cardholders on in-person transactions in the US and Canada.

Overall, this change from Discover is a positive one, which could speed up the process for cardholders at checkout. Just this week, Discover caught some heat for removing five benefits from all of its cards as of February 28, 2018 — Extended Product Warranty, Return Guarantee, Purchase Protection, Auto Rental Insurance and Flight Accident Insurance.

Featured image by Westend61 / Getty Images.

from The Points Guy

Hilton Unveils Futuristic Room That Will Be Controlled by Your Smartphone

2017-12-07T06:28:00.001-08:00

5 Reasons to Get the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

2017-12-07T05:08:00.001-08:00

‘Your Credit Card Account Has Been Closed’ — Reader Mistake Story

2017-12-07T04:08:00.001-08:00

17 Impossible Decisions For People Who Love To Travel

2017-12-06T18:34:00.001-08:00

Warning: Major wanderlust ahead.

from BuzzFeed - Travel http://ift.tt/2ksldXn

Amaziful

American Adds the Ability for Some of Its Highest Elites to Gift Executive Platinum Status

Expedia May Soon Show You Pictures Next Time You Book a Flight

TPG Readers Share How They Maintain Top-Tier Airline Elite Status, and How You Can Too

British Airways Is Canceling a Lot of Flights Because of 787 Engine Trouble

5 Lesser-Known Perks of the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express

5 Things to Know About Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

1. Stopovers Are Allowed on One-Way Award Tickets

2. Watch Out for Mixed-Cabin Itineraries

3. Utilize the Wide Array of Mileage Plan Partners

4. Book Award Flights on Lesser-Known Routes to Hawaii

5. Five Ways to Get Alaska Miles

Bottom Line

Were You Targeted for United’s New Bonus Miles Promotion?

Register Now to Earn Up to 30,000 Points With IHG’s New Accelerate Promo

Deal Alert: US to Russia From $460 Round-Trip

What TPG Readers Do With Their Leftover Amenity Kits

Delta Introduces Baggage Fees on Transatlantic Basic Economy Tickets

It May Snow in Atlanta and Airlines Are Allowing Free Flight Changes

Flight Review: ANA Boeing 777-300ER Premium Economy, Tokyo to Singapore

Bucket List for Your First Trip to Las Vegas

Here’s my bucket list for your first trip to Las Vegas.

Welcome to Las Vegas

Where to Stay on the Strip

Visiting the Casinos in Las Vegas

Boozy Brunch in Las Vegas

Shopping in Las Vegas

Hit the Beach (Club) in Las Vegas

Take a Trip to Downtown Las Vegas

See Las Vegas from the Sky

Sundance Helicopters also does shorter trips over the Vegas Strip, which I highly recommend.

Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas

Read More: The Life is Beautiful Festival

See a Show in Las Vegas

Grab a Craft Cocktail

Dance the Night Away in Las Vegas

Shop my favorite Vegas looks!

READ NEXT: The Ultimate Girlfriend Getaway Guide to Las Vegas

Read More

Staying at ARIA on the Las Vegas Strip

Girls’ Trip Guide to Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve

The Best Girlfriend Getaways Around the World

10 Perfect Weekend Getaways for Couples

The Girl’s Guide to a California Coast Road Trip

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Southern California

The Ultimate Girlfriend Getaway Guide to North Lake Tahoe

Here’s What Los Angeles International Airport Looks Like Covered in Smoke From the Fires

11 Extravagant Christmas Lights Displays Worth Traveling For

Tip: Know How and When to Apply for Your Australia Visa

Lyft Is Offering Free Rides to People Affected by SoCal Wildfires

A 20-Year-Old Floridian Man Is Reportedly Behind the Massive Uber Hack

You Can’t Smoke on Planes—But Pilots (Sometimes) Can

Discover Will No Longer Require Cardholder Signatures on In-Person Purchases

Hilton Unveils Futuristic Room That Will Be Controlled by Your Smartphone

5 Reasons to Get the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

‘Your Credit Card Account Has Been Closed’ — Reader Mistake Story

17 Impossible Decisions For People Who Love To Travel