Last month, I reviewed the most powerful smartphone I’ve ever come across: Samsung’s Galaxy Note10+. While that device does almost everything I need it to — I especially love the ultra-wide camera — I haven’t been able to give up my iPhone entirely. The biggest reason? Messages support — I’m just not ready to “go …
Read MoreAuthor: Zach Honig
Thompson Playa del Carmen, Joie de Vivre Hotels Join World of Hyatt
Hyatt added eight Thompson Hotels to its World of Hyatt loyalty program back in March, but two properties were notably absent: Thompson Playa del Carmen and the oceanfront Thompson Beach House just around the corner. As of Wednesday, May 15, both hotels will be part of the program as well, available for points accrual, redemption, …
Read MoreMiles Away: Start Planning Your 2020 Ski Trips Now
The 2019 ski season has only just begun, but if you’re hoping to travel during peak periods when the kids are out of school next year — think Presidents Day in February or spring break in March — now’s the time to begin planning travel for early 2020 as well. TPG Family editor Summer Hull (of …
Read MoreWhy Air Tahiti Nui’s Brand-New Dreamliner Made a Pit Stop in Oklahoma City
Up until this week, Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers Airport had never seen a Boeing Dreamliner. In fact, widebody passenger aircraft are an especially unusual sight here — OKC is a much more common destination for regional jets than large international planes. Air Tahiti Nui decided to shake things up on Tuesday, though, making the Sooner …
Read MoreVisiting the Newark United Polaris Lounge When Flying Star Alliance
After United finally announced the grand opening of its Newark (EWR) Polaris Lounge, following several delays, New Yorkers and transit passengers alike quickly began filling the 27,099-square-foot space ahead of their long-haul premium-cabin flights. But unlike the airline’s other locations, in Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH) and San Francisco (SFO), the Newark lounge isn’t easily accessible to premium …
Read MoreUnited Launching 787-10 Dreamliner on Newark-LAX and SFO
Later this year, United will take delivery of its first extended-length Dreamliner, the Boeing 787-10. With a maximum range of 7,400 miles, the larger -10 isn’t capable of operating the airline’s longest international flights, so it’s a better pick for hops to Europe, and even some premium routes within the US. On Monday, United shared …
Read MoreAir New Zealand’s Gifting an Allbird Accessory to Business-Class Passengers
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. Wake up feeling fresher, and …
Read MoreCHS Evacuation Gives Us an Early Look at the First United 787-10
Boeing is currently working to evacuate some of its Dreamliners from Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) ahead of Hurricane Florence, which is expected to make landfall later this week. One consequence, however, is that several of these aircraft are flying when they were intended to spend some time on the ground. United’s first 787-10 is one …
Read MoreRiding an Electric Citi Bike Across the Brooklyn Bridge
Some of us laud the bicycle’s dual purpose, as both a transportation and fitness tool. Others don’t. Or they simply don’t want to work up a sweat on the way to the office — and who can blame them for that. Whatever your reason for wanting to cut back on the effort required to ride …
Read MoreAmex’s New DFW Centurion Lounge Will Open In October
First some bad news — Amex’s current DFW Centurion Lounge location, which was closed for repairs and expected to re-open next week, is now permanently closed. This is surely a disappointing development for Dallas-Fort Worth regulars — especially those planning to visit on the lounge’s scheduled re-opening date of August 14. The silver lining is …
Read MoreReview: Flying Business Class Backwards on American’s 777-200
While American’s 777-200 business is a huge improvement overall, you might want to avoid the plane with rear-facing seats. Pros: entree pre-orders, friendly flight attendants, Bose headphones, decent award availability at times. Cons: limited entrees boarded, awful Wi-Fi, headphones collected too soon, limited storage, narrow seat and footwell.
Read MoreRegister to Get 10% Back on Hyatt Cardholder Redemptions
For the past few years, Hyatt’s offered co-branded cardholders the opportunity to score a 10% rebate on all award redemptions. Now, we just got word that the promo’s back for 2018! As with past years, this particular offer is only available to World of Hyatt members who also have an active World Of Hyatt Credit Card account. …
Read MoreStowaway Boards United 787 in London, Flies to Los Angeles
Stowaway travel hit the mainstream when two celebrities ended up going on an ANA “flight to nowhere” at the end of 2017, and now a United boarding pass is to blame for yet another LAX-related incident. On Sunday, July 1, an unidentified male traveler from Romania passed through a security checkpoint at London Heathrow Airport …
Read MoreCheck the Status of Any Star Alliance Flight in United’s App
United’s smartphone app just became a lot more powerful, for flyers and flight-tracking enthusiasts alike. Now, in addition to checking the status of United flights — both those operated by UA and those flown as partner-operated codeshares — you can now look up realtime flight details for all of United’s Star Alliance partners. I had no problem …
Read MoreUnited’s Still Selling International Polaris First Class
As part of its process to add the new Polaris business-class seats to older 777-200s, United’s always planned to phase out international first class. Last year, the carrier confirmed that May 1, 2018, would be the final day you could book a seat in the F cabin, though 3-cabin aircraft (the only planes that offer …
Read MoreRegister to Get 5% Cash Back at Restaurants With Discover
Chase offers perhaps the best-known cash-back credit card with rotating 5% categories — Chase Freedom — but Discover runs a similar program with two of its own cards: Discover It and Discover More. The issuer just released its Q3 bonus category — while Chase Freedom cardholders can earn 5% back (or 5x points) on Walgreens, …
Read MoreGet 5x Points on Lyft, Walgreens and Gas With Chase Freedom Q3 Bonus Categories
One of the most rewarding cash-back credit cards, Chase Freedom, offers an opportunity to earn 5% back on certain purchases each quarter. And, if you happen to have a transfer-enabled Ultimate Rewards-earning card such as Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can instantly convert your cash back to points at a rate of 1 cent per …
Read MoreHyatt Improves Elite Suite and Club Upgrade Expiration Policy
As a benefit of earning elite status, World of Hyatt issues upgrade certificates to frequent guests. Top-tier Globalist members earn four confirmed suite upgrades, called Complimentary Suite Upgrade Awards, and Explorists earn four Club Lounge access certificates once they reach that elite level. For both types of awards, each certificate will cover a stay of up to …
Read MoreShould Airlines Compensate Passengers for Broken Wi-Fi?
This week, I flew United’s 777-200 from Chicago (ORD) to Shanghai (PVG) — I wanted to get in one more Polaris first flight and review before the airline’s long-haul first class is scrapped entirely on June 20. It was a pleasant journey overall — the crew was friendly, the food was decent and there were …
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