11 unexpected winter vacation ideas for a warm getaway

Are you craving the sensation of winter sun on your skin amid the slowly dropping temperatures in the United States? A few obvious holiday destinations may spring to mind. Mexico, Florida, the Maldives and Dubai are all classics for a reason, delivering scorching temperatures throughout the shivering depths of December and January. But that also…

MSC World Europa cruise ship review: A top pick for megaresort lovers

Call it the most spectacular megaship that most Americans don’t know exists. Unveiled just two years ago, MSC World Europa is massive on a scale rarely seen in the cruise world. At 215,863 gross tons, it’s only a tad smaller than the ships in Royal Caribbean’s iconic Oasis Class series, which for years have dominated…

Over $4,000 in value: Why I made the Amex Platinum my first-ever premium card

Confession: I work at The Points Guy and know almost nothing about points and miles. Sure, I’ve flown with just about every well-known airline and stayed with nearly every mainstream hotel chain you can think of, but for the most part, I was a bargain traveler hunting for the lowest price, brand loyalty be darned….

How to use Virgin Atlantic’s reward seat checker to find cheap Saver seats

The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program recently switched from fixed-rate to dynamically priced redemptions, including new Saver fares, which offer excellent rates on off-peak dates. But as with many loyalty programs, finding the lowest award prices can be tricky. Luckily, Virgin Atlantic offers a handy tool called “Reward seat checker” to simplify the process. Here’s…

This person thought she lost nearly 900,000 Capital One miles when her husband died

Thomas Barone squirreled away his rewards points for years so he could take his entire family on a luxurious Italian vacation in 2024 using Capital One miles earned with his Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Sadly, he unexpectedly died before he could fulfill that dream, leaving behind 878,000 Capital One miles. His wife,…

From upgrade ‘hack’ to IT fixes, Amtrak loyalty chief dishes on Guest Rewards’ big growth

There’s big news on the rails this week: Amtrak just reached 20 million members of its Guest Rewards program. Launched in 2000, the Guest Rewards program was originally introduced to coincide with the launch of the Acela trainset that travels along the I-95 corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. And what might’ve once been a…

Norwegian Viva review: What to expect on Norwegian Cruise Line’s second Prima Class ship

Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Viva takes the best of everything about NCL and wraps it up in a stylish package that offers great food, friendly service, compelling entertainment and modern, classy design. The ship, part of Norwegian’s Prima Class, is interesting in that, while some aspects of the ship experience have shrunk, others have expanded….