Air France-KLM Mastercard review: Good for Air France and KLM loyalists but no one else

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 26, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Southeastern France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is famous for some big things, from Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and the rolling landscapes that unfurl below it to the millennia-spanning architecture that defines the region’s capital city, Lyon, and beyond. Ironically, one of the best ways to experience all that grandeur is to think small — that is, to visit the small towns that reflect the best of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ endless outdoor possibilities, robust agriculture and gastronomy, and long history and cultural heritage.

Leading full-service luxury villa company Rental Escapes has added as many as 65 hand-selected villas to its impressive collection of unique stays around the world.

A full slate of labor strikes are planned throughout Europe this month, which could impact both plane and train travel.Both flights and trains could be delayed as a result of the various labor actions in the coming weeks. Here’s a breakdown of the locations where strikes are expected to take place and when.

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is planning to increase its staff presence in the North American market and will open an official MTA office in New York in 2025, according to Carlo Micallef, CEO, speaking at an event in New York for the travel industry and travel media. The eventual objective, he said,  is to have a nonstop flight to Malta from the U.S.  

If you’re planning a trip to Denmark, Italy, or the United Kingdom, the U.S. State Department urges you to exercise increased caution. In September, these popular European vacation destinations had their warning levels elevated due to the risk of potential terrorist attacks.

This week, the Vatican officially approved religious pilgrimages to a southern Bosnian village where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary. 

French locals are expressing their frustration over the recent appointment of the new French government. 

The shake-up continues at Scandinavian Airlines following its official entrance into the SkyTeam alliance.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is unveiling new offerings for 2025, including sailings aboard its new ship the S.S. Elisabeth.

Navigating the world of airline loyalty programs can be extremely challenging. Understanding mileage programs involves confusing tables and complex math for how flights, status, and other perks are accessed. It gets even more complicated when carriers suddenly change how points are earned and redeemed or devalue them. To help take some of the guesswork out of which companies offer the best value for travelers, Point.me, a points and travel reward search platform, just released its inaugural ranking of 62 global airline loyalty programs.

If I'm being honest, I would consider myself a bit of a scaredy-cat. I fear hanging my foot over the side of the bed, drinking water too quickly only for it to end up in my lungs, and, more notably, a fear of commitment.