Some lucky folks are getting a nice surprise when they check their email or log in to their airline loyalty account — they’ve been gifted status. We are getting reports that members of both Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus are being gifted elite status or having their existing status extended — even when they haven’t…

Recent years have brought us all too many reminders about the importance of knowing your air travel rights as a passenger. From winter weather to summer storms and last fall’s government shutdown, it’s clear that knowing what you should ask for when your flight is delayed or canceled is critical when you’re preparing to fly….

Regardless of who I’m traveling with, I always look for hotels that participate in major hotel loyalty programs, allowing me to earn points and enjoy elite status benefits, such as room upgrades and late checkout. Aside from that, though, the types of hotels I look for when traveling with my family can differ vastly from…

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pay an eye-watering annual fee to get a travel credit card. If you don’t travel enough to use all the benefits that come with a top-tier card — or simply don’t have room in your budget to justify these fees each year — there are still plenty…

If you haven’t stepped on an Alaska Airlines plane in awhile, chances are you’ll notice more premium seats next time you board. The Seattle-based carrier is nearing the finish line of a two-year push to retrofit its planes with more first-class and extra-legroom seats. It’s part of an effort to add 1.3 million higher-priced seats…

Wellness-focused hotel brand Six Senses is making its way to southern Utah. The brand, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, operates luxury hotels in bucket-list destinations like the Maldives and Seychelles. And soon, Americans will be able to experience this level of luxury in the desert at Six Senses Camp Korongo — just a stone’s…

Europe’s busiest airport is finally ditching one of the most cumbersome requirements at security checkpoints. London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Friday announced it officially scrapped its limits on carry-on liquids. That means you can now pass through Heathrow security with a full-size bottle of shampoo, water or sunscreen — and you don’t need to remove…

Hotel elite status can unlock valuable perks like free breakfast, room upgrades and late checkout, but earning it the traditional way often requires dozens of nights or significant spending. That’s where hotel status matches and challenges come in. These programs allow travelers to leverage existing loyalty status to fast-track elite benefits, sometimes with little to…

Anyone who has priced out a suite on a cruise ship knows they can be expensive. As TPG showed in a family cruise lines pricing comparison, you’ll often pay at least 50% more for a suite on a cruise vessel than for a standard cabin. Sometimes the premium can be much higher. At $11,000 a…

Philadelphia isn’t exactly prime Delta Air Lines territory. It’s a fortress hub for American Airlines, and Delta flies a pretty modest schedule from the airport — with flights to a handful of its own hubs. For that reason, you wouldn’t expect the airline to operate a sprawling, flagship-worthy airport lounge like the 34,000-square-foot behemoth of…