Increased again: Preferred Hotels & Resorts now cost even more Choice points

If you want to redeem Choice points for your Preferred Hotels & Resorts stay, unfortunately, award rates are have increased again for many properties within the portfolio. In May 2024, you could redeem 25,000 to 55,000 Choice points per night for participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts stays. In June, award rates at many properties increased…

Current Southwest credit card sign-up offers with Chase

For Southwest loyalists, a cobranded Southwest credit card is a great way to earn points toward travel. There are elevated offers on the carrier’s two business cards — Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. You can earn up to 120,000 bonus points by hitting the tiered…

Royal Caribbean to fix Alaska cruise infrastructure issue

Ah, scenic Juneau, Alaska — where the allure of lush forests, cascading waterfalls and majestic glaciers draws as many as 16,000 cruise passengers a day. The downside? The constant influx of visitors is putting a strain on local infrastructure. Royal Caribbean Group — which operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — has…

New Zealand to hike tourism tax starting Oct. 1

Entering New Zealand is about to get more expensive. Starting next month, the country is set to nearly triple its tourism tax amid surging tourism, the government announced Tuesday. Beginning Oct. 1, tourists entering New Zealand from most countries, including the U.S., will have to pay a hiked International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of…

Act fast: Earn the Southwest Companion Pass by booking just 1 round-trip flight

Southwest’s Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a friend for nearly free (you have to pay the taxes and fees) on unlimited flights, is one of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. It typically takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to nab one of these…

You can now visit Sri Lanka without a visa

Americans and other tourists visiting Sri Lanka will no longer need to apply for a visa beginning Tuesday, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Today, the Cabinet authorized the President to implement visa-free access for 38 nationalities with immediate effect, adopting Singapore’s streamlined ‘one-chop’ approach,” Ali Sabry, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on…

Burning Man exodus: ‘Burners’ fuel Reno airport’s busiest days of the year

More than 70,000 people traveled over the holiday weekend to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, about 100 miles from Reno, to occupy Black Rock City, the temporary town created to host Burning Man, the annual eccentric and offbeat camping event filled with art, music, creative endeavors and all manner of curious activities. This year’s Burning Man…

Move over, Delta: Why Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program has become my favorite SkyTeam loyalty program

Even if you travel on many different airlines, it makes sense to focus on just one loyalty program in each of the Big Three airline alliances: OneWorld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. By focusing on one program per alliance, you can earn rewards faster by funneling everything into one program, as your points and miles won’t be…