Marriott PointSavers: What it is and how to use it to book less expensive award stays

If the summer travel seasons of 2022 and 2023 left you thinking airports couldn't possibly get any busier, think again.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julie Williams, 60, a semi-retired woman living in Devon, England, who has used HomeExchange more than 100 times over the last decade to travel the world. The website helps facilitate accommodation exchanges between 150,000 users in 145 countries. Williams estimates she's done about 140 exchanges since joining the site.

It’s almost summertime, and those family vacations aren’t going to plan themselves. If you are hoping to earn points and miles for upcoming trips to sunnier (or cooler) climes, there are some travel promotions that can double or triple those loyalty program earnings. And for the jetsetters who want to redeem those hard-earned points and miles, now is the time to start looking to find the best deal.

ARoman holiday is glamorous enough—but wouldn’t taking a spin in a luxury supercar make the Eternal City even more memorable? At Palazzo Manfredi, a luxury hotel located in a 17th century home that’s steps from the Colosseum, guests can book the Lamborghini Experience and tool around Rome in a Huracán EVO. Think of it as the coolest way to make your time go faster.

Some unionized hotel workers will participate in May Day rallies across the U.S. and Canada on Wednesday, pushing for more employee fairness and wage increases, especially as the hotel industry bounces back from the pandemic. 

Cowboys are so often depicted like John Wayne—meaning, as a white man on a horse. For a long time, this representation has overshadowed the existence, and importance, of Black cowboys, but in the 19th century, an estimated one in four cowboys was Black. They were often barred from competing against white riders, and went on to form their own rodeos—yet to this day, Black rodeos continue to thrive.

Amtrak is bringing back — and expanding — its seasonal service between New York City and the Berkshires this summer, and has started selling tickets for the picturesque ride.

Last Christmas, my youngest son got me a "Wonder Mom" coffee mug from his school's holiday fair. It's red and blue with yellow stars and makes me smile whenever I see it in the cupboard. While I appreciate the sweet gesture, the gift didn't come with any superpowers. If it did, they would come in handy on school days. Allow me to explain.

Experience Turks and Caicos is thrilled to announce a significant surge in air arrivals from the United Kingdom to the Turks and Caicos Islands, marking a positive turn in our tourism landscape. While the United States remains our primary tourism source, the rise in visitors from the UK during the initial months of this year is truly encouraging. From January to March 2024, we welcomed 3,946 arrivals from the UK and Europe, representing a remarkable 105.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This surge can largely be attributed to the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s non-stop flight from Heathrow, London to Providenciales on November 4th, 2023.

A proposed Oklahoma City skyscraper is now slated to go even higher in its push to become the new tallest building in the U.S.

As a TPG staffer, I have a pretty solid credit card portfolio. I love using The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn bonus points on flights, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for bonus cash-back on grocery and transit purchases and American Express® Gold Card to earn bonus points when I dine out.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman , a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived and traveled all over the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity.