I almost chickened out of trying Norwegian Aqua’s new Slidecoaster. I’m so glad I didn’t. Everyone on my five-night preview sailing of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship has been eager to try this first-in-industry attraction. After all, the two giant multicolor tubes that encircle Norwegian Aqua’s top decks are the dominant feature of the ship. There’s…

You’ve no doubt seen the headlines: The Federal Reserve continues to raise concerns about the health of the economy, and we keep seeing steep declines on Wall Street. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have all warned that revenue in the first few months of the year was weaker than expected. We’d also…

If you’re looking to enter the United Club, you might want to pay attention to this news. The Chicago-based airline announced major changes to United Club access policies on Monday. The updates include new membership options, guest policies and timing restrictions. The changes aren’t as sweeping as what Delta Air Line announced for its (often…

A select group of airline credit cards tout companion certificate benefits. Generally speaking, these perks allow you to bring a friend or family member along at a steep discount (or, in some cases, nearly free) when you book a qualifying ticket. They are often issued annually for renewing the applicable card. But are these perks…

When it comes to taking care of your credit card, the first things that come to mind are probably paying your bills on time, managing your budget and monitoring your credit score. What you might not think about is taking care of your cards’ physical condition. Should we wipe our cards with a microfiber towel?…

As the saying goes, “Everyone makes mistakes.” This applies to many aspects of life, including using your hotel points. Even the most seasoned award traveler can slip up, resulting in a less comfortable room, extra costs or even the inability to travel. Fortunately, the most common mistakes when booking hotel award stays are easy to…

With so many business credit cards on the market, it can be difficult to determine which is best for your company’s needs. Cutting through it all, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of our favorites. In the same family, the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is a cash-back option offering a simple earning…

There are lots of codes in cruise culture – “alpha” codes to signal onboard emergencies, numerical codes printed on your keycard to represent your cabin number and even codes for the names of the vessels themselves. But, perhaps no code is met with as much side-eye as the pineapple and what it stands for, particularly…

Even if you’re only casually involved with the World of Hyatt program, you may have had opportunities to earn and use Hyatt free night awards. Hyatt issues three types of awards: Category 1-4 free night awards, Category 1-7 free night awards and Ultimate free night awards. Although how you can earn these awards varies, the…

Chase’s array of personal credit card products ranges from the ultra-premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® to the cash-back cards, which don’t charge annual fees. With so many options, picking the right card can be difficult if you aren’t sure what you want. Thanks to Chase’s 5/24 rule (which means that you could automatically be rejected for…