Awards tips

In a world without posted award charts, it's hard to say when a program devalues its rewards currency. But, based on online reports and our own searches, Marriott Bonvoy appears to have increased its award costs across a slew of properties. This marks a serious devaluation for its members who save up points to take hard-earned vacations.

Booking some partner awards using Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty program is about to get a lot less predictable — and that includes redemptions on United Airlines.

The day has finally come — The Points Guy's founder Brian Kelly has published his first book, "How to Win at Travel," and it's now available in bookstores and for online orders.

Extra nights in cushy hotel suites, free premium air travel and even stays on private islands. Loyalty points and frequent flier miles, when strategically collected, can fund trips well beyond a traveler’s usual expectations and budget.

The 67th Grammy Awards are coming and it’s a particularly competitive year.

Taking photos is a popular travel pastime, as we seek to capture moments and scenes so we can enjoy them long after the holiday is over. The collective enthusiasm for travel photography is breeding a wealth of talent, creating mesmerising images that highlight the beauty and diversity of our planet.

Now is the perfecttime to use up those unused Delta SkyMiles for record-low flight deals to Europe. 

Welcome back to our Saturday edition! One luxury travel planner, who crafts itineraries for her clients, forgot her own golden rules when booking her family's 12-day trip through Europe. Here are her must-dos to avoid travel snafus.

Australian airline Qantas has announced a mixed bag of changes to its loyalty program. Some award rates and carrier-imposed surcharges will increase later this year, but the airline will also add additional award availability and new partner award tickets. Thankfully, these Qantas Frequent Flyer changes won't take effect until Aug. 5.

In March 2019, I rode the rails from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago in an Amtrak Roomette. I earned some Amtrak Guest Rewards points on this journey but haven't traveled with Amtrak since then. So, I wasn't surprised when I recently received a notification from AwardWallet that my Amtrak points were set to expire April 6.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue has increased the cost of saver-level redemptions to Europe and beyond by approximately 20% on average, but it promises 30% more seats at the lowest saver pricing to compensate. Travel on Points first reported this devaluation.

Back in October 2024, Choice Privileges announced three award-booking changes it planned to implement in early 2025:

Emirates will soon become the world’s first commercial Autism Certified Airline. The Dubai-based carrier’s 30,000 cabin crew and ground staff will complete training designed to allow passengers with autism and sensory sensitivities to experience a personalized service, and to make the process of flying more accessible. The milestone will follow JSX's designation as the world’s first air carrier to be certified “Autism Aware” by Autism Double-Checked in 2023.

Last year, Hyatt teased a new partnership in Las Vegas that would see The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (made up of The Venetian and The Palazzo) join World of Hyatt. As of now, that partnership is live, and World of Hyatt members can now earn and burn at the only all-suite resort on the Strip.

Imagine: You’ve just arrived in Wilmington and checked into the houseboat you’ll be calling home for a few days. You’re reluctant to leave your cozy digs, but you’re hungry, and tales of the monumental seafood tower at Seabird energize you.

It's always hard seeing most of my elite status levels reset to zero come Jan. 1. It's a tough reminder that if you want to keep your status in the coming year, you'll need to get back on the hamster wheel.

British Airways is the latest carrier to make sweeping changes to its loyalty program, following a similar move from United Airlines this fall. Travelers who have earned elite status with the airline in the past—or are considering crediting flights in the future—may be in for a rude awakening with the new spend-based system.

Airline meltdowns were one of the unfortunate travel trends of 2024, with technical issues and winter storms causing hundreds of flight delays and cancellations across the US. That's why this year, it's more important than ever to book flights with carriers that have a track record of on-time departures and arrivals.

The countdown is on to score a great deal when purchasing miles with United Airlines. 

Amex Membership Rewards is offering a lucrative 40 percent transfer bonus for cardholders who move their points over to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, unlocking dozens of flight redemptions on the airline and its SkyTeam partners.  

As 2024 winds down, we're looking ahead to changes coming to the travel world in 2025. From new hotels and airline routes to premium credit cards and swanky airport lounges, here are 11 things we're looking forward to next year.