What to know about booking with American Express Travel

The American Express Travel® portal allows you to redeem Membership Rewards points directly for travel reservations and activities rather than transferring your rewards to airline or hotel partners like Delta Air Lines and Marriott Bonvoy. You can also book discounted premium tickets, take advantage of benefits like a 35% points bonus on certain bookings and…

Emirates Skywards loyalty program: How to earn and redeem miles, elite status and more

While Emirates’ blingy first-class cabins and onboard bar and shower have caught the eye of almost every points and miles enthusiast, the carrier’s Skywards frequent flyer program has historically been an afterthought. Simply put, there have been cheaper ways to book Emirates award flights with miles that you could earn more easily. Unfortunately, many of…

Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center officially opens tomorrow

With sweeping views of the San Diego Bay, Chula Vista Marina and Coronado in the distance, California’s first-ever Gaylord resort — and one of the biggest hotel builds the West Coast has ever seen — finally opens its doors tomorrow. The $1.3 billion project, developed by RIDA Development and operated by Marriott, joins the Gaylord…

First impressions of United’s new Polaris, economy cabins

In case you missed it, United Airlines has officially debuted all-new cabins coming to new Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets. The cabin experience, dubbed United Elevated, introduces the Polaris Studio, a business-class-plus experience with more onboard space and an elevated ground experience and service flow, including a caviar appetizer. United is also introducing new Polaris pods…

Maximizing the 25% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has changed dramatically over the years … mainly for the better. While some sweet spots have gone away, new ones have appeared. For example, you can book one-way Virgin Atlantic Upper Class tickets from the U.S. to the U.K. for as little as 23,000 points plus moderate taxes and fees. Likewise,…

How to lower your chances of getting denied boarding on a flight to China

Ramon Ymalay, his wife and his daughter had ambitious plans over the holidays last December. They redeemed 487,750 frequent flyer miles for flights on multiple airlines, including Air France, for a round-the-world adventure. They aimed to visit all 12 Disney parks across the globe in just two weeks. For the first two legs of the…