Traveling to Europe during shoulder season is a great idea for many reasons. Crowds are smaller, the weather is cooler and you have a better chance of scoring a deal on flights or hotels. In fact, some of the best places to visit in Europe are even better in the fall — shhh! Since Europeans…

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most valuable on the market, thanks to their flexible redemption options. Chase has a handful of cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees). The Sapphire Reserve is Chase’s top…

In what we now often refer to as “the good old days of air travel,” it was common for friends and family members to be waiting at the gate when you stepped off the plane to give you a big hug. It was also normal for them to go with you to the airport, hang…

Spirit Airlines will keep flying after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring on Friday, just five months after exiting its last restructuring. The Dania Beach, Florida-based budget airline said in a letter to flyers that it will continue flying, and that they can continue to use all “tickets, credits and loyalty points.” All other passenger…

There’s nothing like heading to a beautiful destination in the Caribbean, Florida or the Gulf Coast in the summer or fall. Vacation can be wonderful — that is, until a seasonal hurricane hits your destination and turns your trip into a huge headache or something even worse. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting…

I’ve followed TPG’s 10 credit card commandments, but there’s an exception to one of them: “Thou shalt pay thy balance in full.” That’s a rule to live by. Otherwise, carrying a balance month to month accrues interest charges, which can become burdensome. It also negates any rewards earned, as the interest charges are substantially more…

Our preliminary report on holiday airfare trends is a good news, bad news situation. The bad news for travelers is that prices for both Thanksgiving and Christmas trips are higher this year than last year … so far. But the good news is that prices are likely to drop as we enter what are traditionally…

Airline credit cards offer a variety of flashy perks, including welcome bonuses of tens of thousands of miles, companion tickets worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, access to airport lounges and free checked bags. One of their most fundamental perks, though, is about saving time rather than money: priority boarding. This benefit, included with…

Atmos Rewards, the new joint loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, rolled out just over a week ago, but the airlines are wasting no time in launching new promotions. Atmos Rewards is offering a fast track to elite status and double points on flights into and out of San Diego. Let’s get into…

For most of my 20s, I swore off credit cards. I used my debit card for everything and thought I was being smart. Credit cards seemed risky: What if I missed a payment? What if I got stuck with sky-high interest? What if I picked the wrong card and regretted it forever? It felt safer…