Americans no longer need a visa to visit China for up to 10 days

If you have China on your travel Bingo card for 2025, I have good news for you. Effective immediately, Americans will be able to visit the country for up to 10 days without a visa. This is a significant positive development for everything from last-minute trips to long-planned vacations, eliminating the paperwork, cost and stress…

New FTC rule requires hotels to disclose all fees upfront

On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission finalized a broad rule requiring various industries, including hotels, to disclose all fees in advertised prices upfront. The final rule will prohibit hotels from excluding resort fees, also known as “junk fees,” in advertised rates for short-term lodging. In addition to hotels, the rule will also apply to vacation…

Targeted offer to buy IHG status via elite qualifying points

Typically, offers to buy elite status aren’t compelling. For example, American Airlines AAdvantage’s offers to buy elite status are usually laughably bad. However, IHG One Rewards is giving select members an offer — first reported by LoyaltyLobby — that is compelling. If IHG targeted you for this offer to buy status, you likely received an…

The top 5 credit cards for maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards earnings

Chase Ultimate Rewards points have long boasted one of our highest valuations, as you can redeem this transferable currency with 14 valuable travel partners, including Hyatt, Southwest and United. According to TPG’s December 2024 valuations, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve’s® sign-up bonuses currently provide $1,230 in value, so there’s good reason…

Part 1 of my SAS EuroBonus challenge: Flying to South Korea and Bali

Last week, I wrote about how I was taking on the SAS EuroBonus million-mile challenge. Now that my trip has kicked off, I’ll be checking in with periodic reports on how it’s going. I’m flying around the world in 25 days on 18 flights with 15 airlines, visiting 15 countries, and journaling every step along…

These were the busiest airline routes of 2024, according to OAG

It’s been a banner year for air travel, with the busiest-ever Thanksgiving in the United States and an upcoming holiday travel season that’s expected to shatter records globally. With traffic expected to continue climbing next year, OAG, a data platform for the aviation and broader travel industries, released an analysis outlining the busiest routes around…

Earn 4,000 bonus Virgin points by linking your Virgin Red and Flying Club accounts

Check your email for a holiday gift: You can easily earn 4,000 Virgin points for just a few minutes of work by linking your Virgin Red account to your Flying Club account. Targeted Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members (who may not have yet linked their account to Virgin Red) have received emails with a unique…

Best Western Rewards: How to earn and redeem points, elite status and more

Best Western Rewards remains relatively unknown in the world of points and miles. The program doesn’t have any major credit card transfer partners, and its cobranded credit cards aren’t on most travelers’ radar. But if you find yourself staying at Best Western properties frequently for work or pleasure, there’s plenty of value to be had…