It is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is hard to reach. I am wandering through the fairytale-like Japanese mountain village of Shirakawa-go, a famed UNESCO World Heritage site, marveling at its picture-perfect, gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Built without a single nail, the centuries-old, soaring-to-the-sky thatched-roof structures, which sit amid strikingly vivid emerald-green rice paddies, are a sight…

Could this be the year to book your holiday flights extra, extra early? We think so. Sure, the calendar has only just flipped to August. A lot of us haven’t even jetted off yet on our summer vacations. And it feels a little strange to be thinking about brining turkeys, decking the halls or hitting…

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card overview The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card is valuable if you frequently stay at Wyndham hotels and resorts due to its perks, which include top-tier Wyndham Diamond status and a 20% discount on award nights. Plus, the 15,000 anniversary points and up to $115 in annual statement credits can readily…

Transfer bonuses are one of the best ways to get outsize value from your credit card points and miles. In fact, they’re often how the people you see frequently posting photos from lie-flat business-class seats booked those flights … without having millions of points and miles at their disposal. But they’re notoriously hard to predict,…

Turning 18 is often the ideal time to open a first credit card, but choosing one isn’t just about earning rewards. The right first card should be easy to qualify for, help build a positive credit history and ideally remain useful for years to come. Whether your teenager is heading to college, starting their first…

The American Express Platinum Card® is the most expensive card in my wallet, charging an annual fee of $895 (see rates and fees). It’s also one of the cards I receive the most value from, year in and year out. The Amex Platinum isn’t the kind of card you can let sit in your wallet…

TPG publishes monthly points and miles valuations. These valuations are designed to help you decide when redeeming points or miles provides good value, and when you should book a paid rate and save your rewards for another trip. Our valuations estimate the value travelers can reasonably expect when using rewards for their most valuable general…

Checked baggage fees are some of the most frustrating and confusing costs associated with flying. Navigating them can sometimes be a pain, but thankfully, Delta Air Lines baggage fees are relatively easy to understand due to the carrier’s clear policies and charts. While Delta’s checked bag fees can add up quickly, there are many ways…

The Federal Aviation Administration granted certification to Boeing’s smallest passenger jet on Monday, a major milestone for the planemaker that comes after more than four years of delays. The 737 MAX 7 is the shortest variant of Boeing’s workhorse narrow-body jet, capable of carrying between 135 and 160 passengers in a normal commercial configuration. (It…

American Airlines is making the biggest changes to its Admirals Club membership program in years, introducing a new lower-priced membership for solo travelers while dramatically increasing the cost of its traditional lounge membership. Beginning Aug. 23, the airline’s standard Admirals Club membership will cost up to $1,400 per year — up from today’s maximum of…