If you want to redeem Choice points for your Preferred Hotels & Resorts stay, unfortunately, award rates are have increased again for many properties within the portfolio. In May 2024, you could redeem 25,000 to 55,000 Choice points per night for participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts stays. In June, award rates at many properties increased…

For Southwest loyalists, a cobranded Southwest credit card is a great way to earn points toward travel. There are elevated offers on the carrier’s two business cards — Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. You can earn up to 120,000 bonus points by hitting the tiered…

Ah, scenic Juneau, Alaska — where the allure of lush forests, cascading waterfalls and majestic glaciers draws as many as 16,000 cruise passengers a day. The downside? The constant influx of visitors is putting a strain on local infrastructure. Royal Caribbean Group — which operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — has…

Entering New Zealand is about to get more expensive. Starting next month, the country is set to nearly triple its tourism tax amid surging tourism, the government announced Tuesday. Beginning Oct. 1, tourists entering New Zealand from most countries, including the U.S., will have to pay a hiked International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of…

Southwest’s Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a friend for nearly free (you have to pay the taxes and fees) on unlimited flights, is one of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. It typically takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to nab one of these…

Americans and other tourists visiting Sri Lanka will no longer need to apply for a visa beginning Tuesday, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Today, the Cabinet authorized the President to implement visa-free access for 38 nationalities with immediate effect, adopting Singapore’s streamlined ‘one-chop’ approach,” Ali Sabry, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on…

More than 70,000 people traveled over the holiday weekend to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, about 100 miles from Reno, to occupy Black Rock City, the temporary town created to host Burning Man, the annual eccentric and offbeat camping event filled with art, music, creative endeavors and all manner of curious activities. This year’s Burning Man…

There are few places in the world as mesmerizing and magical as the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto, home to thousands of temples, shrines and monuments. Visiting the city that served as the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years feels like stepping back in time, though Japan’s present-day, ultramodern lifestyle is still very…

Even if you travel on many different airlines, it makes sense to focus on just one loyalty program in each of the Big Three airline alliances: OneWorld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. By focusing on one program per alliance, you can earn rewards faster by funneling everything into one program, as your points and miles won’t be…

As a loyal Clear user for the past three years, I will continue paying for it for as long as it exists. It saves me time and stress when passing through Transportation Security Administration security. Though I’ve never doubted the expedited security program’s worth, the implementation of random ID checks undoubtedly questions its core tenet….