I’ve been in love with France ever since my first trip to Bordeaux in 2010. Friends I had met back in Thailand showed me around the area and introduced me to French culture. It was my first time in France and I loved the food, the wine, and the people. But that love became an…

After Mikel Wilham finished chemotherapy last spring, he and his wife decided to celebrate with a trip to Las Vegas. But their respite was ruined when their hotel, The Strat, charged them a $396 smoking fee at checkout. The Wilhams found this particularly strange since they are both lifelong nonsmokers. Despite that fact, the general…

Whether you’re looking for your first business credit card or your fifth, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is a great option. The $95 annual fee is a bargain, especially when compared to the popular American Express® Business Gold Card, which costs $375 annually (see rates and fees), and The Business…

There’s a new way to celebrate the spirit of travel the next time you fly Spirit Airlines. Spirit just launched a brand-new line of trading cards, which passengers can collect every time they travel with the ultra-low-cost carrier. The complete set features six cards, celebrating various aircraft from Spirit’s past and current fleet: the Airbus…

The ski-in, ski-out points-friendly hotel I just can’t quit — because it’s so good — is the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa. Sure, some years I choose other ski-friendly hotels or Airbnbs or stretch the ski budget by heading to a more affordable, smaller mountain. There’s value in mixing it up, but every…

Well, here we go again. Travelers heading to the airport this weekend face plenty of uncertainty after part of the federal government shut down overnight. The good news: Air travel disruptions shouldn’t be anywhere near as bad as we saw last fall during the longest government shutdown in history. But if this latest stalemate continues,…

The date is set: Right as this summer’s travel rush begins, Delta Air Lines will debut a plane sporting one of its most unusual cabins yet. On June 7, the carrier will begin flying seven Airbus A321neos featuring a whopping 44 first-class seats. That’s 11 rows of the premium recliners! For comparison, most of Delta’s…

Australia and the Pacific islands are some of the most difficult destinations to score premium award seats at reasonable rates due to their enduring popularity as a bucket-list item for many travelers, as I discovered when looking to redeem points and miles to fly from Australia to the U.S. With many popular programs now using…