It’s official: Bonvoy is the name of Marriott’s new loyalty program, combining the SPG, Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs under the world’s largest hotel chain roof. The name was first leaked back in November 2018, to much groaning and face-palming from TPG readers and beyond. But despite the public outcry, Marriott executives moved forward …
Read MoreAuthor: Katherine Fan
Woman Tries to Bring Her ‘Emotional Support Squirrel’ on Frontier Flight
Tuesday night’s Frontier Airlines Flight 1612 from Orlando to Cleveland nearly had an unauthorized passenger on board. So im flying back to cleveland and everyone got on the plane then was asked to exit the plane. Only to later find out a woman brought a squirrel in her carry on and labeled it as her …
Read MoreAfter Just 2 Weeks, New DFW Centurion Lounge Is Reaching Capacity
Rumor has it that just a scant two weeks after opening, the new American Express Centurion Lounge at Dallas Fort-Worth is already hitting capacity. Last Saturday, traveler Nathan Totusek tweeted a photo of a sign outside the Amex Lounge that stated, “Due to high traffic in our lounge at this time, we can only welcome …
Read MoreEngine Issues May Spell Doom for Future of the A380 Program
Emirates has been credited with saving the Airbus A380 program by placing a massive 11th-hour deal earlier this year. But progress on the $16 billion order has ground to a halt due to stalled negotiations with Rolls-Royce, the official engine provider for Emirates. The issue has to do with the price and fuel burn on the engine, a design that …
Read MoreUnited 1K Members Speak up About 2019 Policy Changes
United announced last week that the airline is raising its qualification requirements for its highest tier of elite status, United 1K. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, United 1K travelers will now have to spend $15,000 Premier Qualifying Dollars (PQDs), up from the current $12,000 PQD requirement. Furthermore, business or first-class tickets booked in “P” class will …
Read More‘Furious’ Travelers Shun Ryanair Amidst ‘Flurry’ of Strikes
Infuriated customers are rallying forces to boycott beleaguered budget carrier Ryanair after the latest employee strike led to 190 flight cancellations, representing 8% of the airline’s total operations and stranding more than 35,000 of travelers across Europe. The Daily Star reports that some customers say that Ryanair has “ruined [their] lives” after nearly a dozen total strikes in …
Read MoreApparel Retailer CEO Sues Delta For Failing to Detain Alleged Sexual Assault Perpetrator
Apparel retailer CEO Delany Luh has sued Delta Air Lines for failing to detain a passenger who allegedly sexually assaulted her mid-flight on June 16 of this year. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages, and another $5 million in punitive damages. Delany Luh, the founder of fashion brand I Am Plenty, filed her complaint earlier this week …
Read MoreAA’s Main Cabin Menu Gets a Fresh, Healthy Makeover
Bored of the boxed fare currently available on planes? American Airlines is sprucing up its menu game with new, healthy options through its partnership with fast casual restaurant chain Zoës Kitchen. The new menu is the brainchild of Zoës Head Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation Antonio Iocchi, and includes some of Zoës signature dishes, …
Read MoreThe Polite Way to Deal With In-Flight Flatulence
Welcome to Travel Etiquette, a new TPG column that explores the fragile social contracts and the delicate dos and don’ts of travel. Have an opinion or suggestion for a future subject? Sound off in the comments below. The nightmare and pet peeve of travelers alike, feeling flatulent on flights is a very valid and very common occurrence. …
Read MoreWoman Wins $70,000 Lawsuit After Air Canada Booted Her Family From Flight
An Indian court has ordered Air Canada to pay a woman and her family nearly $70,000 in damages for violating their passengers’ rights last year. On September 3, 2017, Minali Mittal, along with her 3-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, was traveling from Chandigarh, India (IXC), home to Toronto (YYZ). During a stopover in Delhi (DEL), Mittal’s …
Read MorePilfering Pebbles From This Greek Beach Could Cost You $1,170
Like collecting rocks? Lalaria Beach on the Greek island of Skiathos is not the place to acquire your next find. Described by Travel+Leisure as “one of the most idyllic beaches in the world” in part for its clear waters, this special beach is also renowned for the distinctive smooth, white pebbles that comprise its shoreline. The …
Read MoreGoing to Beijing? You’ll Find the City’s Cleanest Skies in a Decade
Beijing’s notoriously smoggy atmosphere is the bluest it’s been in a decade, following a decisive push by the government to combat air pollution. 📷 @cingy5984 Peaceful. #TempleOfHeaven #Sky #History A post shared by Beijing Insta (@beijing_insta) on Aug 18, 2018 at 6:43pm PDT Data from July 2018 showed that pollution levels averaged 44 micrograms of …
Read MoreChile Traveler Fakes Bomb Threats, Disrupts Nine Flights Over Lost Luggage
Nine commercial flights ground to a halt Thursday, including several that were forced to make emergency landings, after a Chilean traveler made anonymous bomb threats in frustration over lost luggage. Franco Sepulveda Robles placed a series of anonymous phone calls to a ticket counter, a LATAM operations center in Colombia and to civil aviation authorities, according to …
Read MoreQuelle Surprise: French Unions Boo Air France’s Choice of Non-French Boss
As of Thursday, the flag carrier of France has a new, non-French CEO – a situation French trade unions find “inconceivable.” The Air France board of directors appointed Canadian Benjamin Smith, the current COO of Air Canada, as the beleaguered airline’s latest CEO Thursday with the full support of the French State, which owns a …
Read More‘Raw Sewage Overflowed Into Our Family’s Hotel Room’: TPG Reader Nightmare Experience
TPG reader and business road warrior George Cacilhas planned a three-day getaway to spend some time with his family last week, hoping to take advantage of the final days of summer before his children went back to school, and before Cacilhas left on a two-week business trip overseas. Cacilhas and his wife hoped to spend …
Read MoreThe US Supreme Court Handed Amex an Anti-Steering Victory
American Express scored a win Monday when the US Supreme Court ruled that the credit card processor did not violate antitrust laws in its merchant contracts. In a 5-4 ruling, the conservative majority of the Court stated that the “specialized nature of credit-card transactions justified what in other circumstances might have been anti-competitive conduct.” All credit card processors …
Read MoreAccording to a New Report, Heathrow’s Runway Expansion Only Benefits the Rich
Heathrow’s third runway primarily benefits wealthy travelers headed out on holiday, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an independent corporation that regulates aviation. Aviation tax reform campaign group Fellow Travellers analyzed two decades of CAA passenger data to discover that wealthy international leisure tourists were the primary source of pressure behind Heathrow’s recent expansion. The …
Read MoreNo Love at Love Field: DAL Airlines Hate Gate-Allocation Plan
Despite a longstanding dispute over gate space at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have found common ground: Neither carrier likes the April 30 resolution proposed by the City of Dallas. The proposed terms would allow Atlanta-based Delta to continue operating five flights out of DAL for an additional three …
Read MoreUnited Reaches Settlement With Family of Puppy That Died in Overhead Bin
The family whose dog died in a United Airlines overhead bin has reached a settlement with the airline. “We are deeply sorry for this tragic accident, and have worked with the Robledo family to reach a resolution,” said Charles Hobart, a spokesperson for United. Both the airline and the owners of Kokito, the 10-month-old French bulldog …
Read MoreMandarin Oriental Leaves Vegas, Waldorf Astoria Takes Over
Starting this September, you’ll no longer be able to stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. The iconic hotel received a notice terminating its management agreement this past week, following the property’s sale to an undisclosed buyer for $214 million. Vital Vegas suggests that the buyer may be California-based investor Man Ho “Ronnie” Lam, owner of …
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