Known for its white-sand beaches and turquoise water, Aruba is one of the most popular islands to visit in the Caribbean. From the welcoming people to the delicious cuisine to the sunny weather — according to locals, it rarely rains — it’s no surprise that the island’s slogan is “One Happy Island.” But while most…

At TPG, we’re all about maximizing our credit cards. That includes maximizing all benefits provided by issuers, which include statement credits. Our monthly checklist highlights all the perks and benefits you should use every month. Whether you have one or several credit cards, having a checklist as a reminder is an excellent way to ensure…

When it’s time to plan a trip, I don’t want to get bogged down switching between tabs or bouncing around airline, hotel and car rental websites just to figure out what’s affordable. I also don’t love using online travel agencies I’ve never heard of, especially when it’s unclear what their extra fees or policies might…

Attention, Capital One cardholders: Your next Disney vacation could get a bit more rewarding. In the midst of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, Capital One unveiled a few noteworthy targeted cardholder offers, including the possibility to earn 50,000 miles after spending $1,000 on Undercover Tourist. Undercover Tourist is an online website that sells authorized…

For the third straight year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving set the record as the busiest day ever at U.S. airports. Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3.1 million passengers Nov. 30, as travelers rushed home from Turkey Day celebrations. That narrowly beat the previous record set June 22 — and the crowds seen…

If you go to the airport without a Real ID or approved alternative like a passport, you’ll soon face an even steeper fee than expected — that is, if you want to fly. The Transportation Security Administration on Monday announced it will begin charging travelers $45 to pass through checkpoints when they show up without…

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are a favorite currency among the TPG staff, partly because you can transfer them to a variety of airline and hotel partners. I often transfer my points to Southwest Rapid Rewards, where I can redeem them for award tickets to destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean — and…

Making travel purchases through online shopping portals is one of TPG’s favorite ways to stack points-earning deals on top of each other. So imagine my delight when Hyatt joined Rakuten quietly last week, offering 3% cash back on completed hotel stays in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It gets even better. On Cyber Monday,…

I have a lot of rewards credit cards — probably a couple dozen if I took the time to count. As a result, one perk I had completely forgotten about turned out to be a $200 hotel credit, hidden in plain sight. While I do a pretty good job of maximizing the major perks on…

When it’s time to plan a trip, I don’t want to get bogged down switching between tabs or bouncing around airline, hotel and car rental websites just to figure out what’s affordable. I also don’t love using online travel agencies I’ve never heard of, especially when it’s unclear what their extra fees or policies might…