As airports and airlines attempt to innovate, one feature is becoming more widely available for travelers: the ability to check bags remotely before even stepping foot inside an airport. During the bag check process, passengers can check in for their flights and receive boarding passes while dropping off their luggage at a mobile kiosk. Bags,…

Accommodation will always be one of your biggest travel expenses…but what if it wasn’t? What if you could reduce the cost of your accommodation to zero while still enjoying the comforts of home? That’s what house swaps promise. House swaps have been around for decades. It was the entire premise of the movie The Holiday…

Last year, TPG conducted a taste test of the free snacks on board the major U.S. airlines, and TPG staffers and social media followers weighed in. Though the inflight snack options have changed since then, one thing has stayed the same: All snacks are not created equal, and some airlines are better at snacks than…

There are many ways to upgrade your American Airlines flight. For example, you can redeem American miles for an upgrade or accept a paid upgrade offer. And when traveling on eligible flights in North America, American Airlines AAdvantage elite members can hope for a complimentary upgrade. But travelers with high-tier American Airlines elite status and…

To tip or not to tip? Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or only have one or two cruises under your belt, you’ve likely asked this question at some point during your sailing. The cruise lines have taken some of the uncertainty out of this equation with the introduction of automatic gratuities. Most of the bigger…

Chase credit cards are often top of mind when travelers are booking trips because of their superior protections. Chase is one of very few major U.S. credit card issuers that offers a full suite of travel protections across its premium credit cards, including trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Trip delay reimbursement covers reasonable…

Within the American Airlines AAdvantage program, travelers often look for ways to earn American miles to redeem for award flights. But many travelers are also seeking ways to earn Loyalty Points toward a specific American Airlines elite status tier or Loyalty Point Rewards milestone. Luckily, U.S. residents with a Mastercard can earn American miles and…

Choosing a Carnival cruise ship is no simple task, especially if you’re new to cruising. As one of the world’s largest cruise brands, Carnival Cruise Line has more than two dozen vessels in its fleet, offering everything from megaship adventures to smaller-ship experiences. Many variables — price, embarkation dates, travel companions, ship size and amenities,…

American Airlines is making several big changes to its network. The Fort Worth-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to launch five new routes, three of which are from its hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA). The updates were first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. American is also…

United Airlines is making two noteworthy changes to its network. It starts with an interesting new international flight from its hub in Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) in Guam to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) beginning on April 2, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. United…