Awards tips

Irrespective of rain or sunshine, the Danes are always ready to embrace hygge, a concept that involves enjoying the good things in life – and that definitely includes enjoying the excellent cuisine the country has on offer. Dive into Denmark’s gastronomy at these top-notch eateries which carefully source and celebrate every ingredient.

It's been a good week for business-class deal hunters. We saw incredible Air France Flying Blue business-class award space earlier this week and then stumbled upon first-class flights to Hawaii as low as 40,000 each way.

As tourists flock to Italy this summer, it may be tough to snag a reservation at one of the 146 hotels recently recognized with “Michelin Keys.”

Half the fun of having points and miles is finding creative ways to use them and smart ways to earn them. Right now, two of the best travel rewards cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, both have sign-up bonuses of 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Of all the international travel hubs around the world, Vienna is home to the best airport lounge in the world—Vienna Lounge at Terminal 1 in Vienna Airport was voted not just the best in Europe, but the overall global winner in the inaugural Priority Pass Excellence Awards. The awards consider over 1,500 lounges and travel experiences and are judged on 379,966 Priority Pass member ratings and reviews across a wide range of criteria, including quality of facilities, customer service, food and beverage selection, and overall satisfaction.

Another day, another wave of all-inclusive resorts taking on major hotel loyalty affiliation.

Ever dreamed of spending a night in Paris’ Musée D’Orsay? Or parking yourself among the race cars in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy? Or how about drifting off to sleep among clouds in the house from Up? Those are just a few of the fantastical locations recently revealed in Airbnb’s Icons collection for summer 2024. Airbnb says it will offer more dreamy locations on a regular basis—mostly for free—and more than 4,000 “golden tickets” will be awarded to guests this year.

A cat imitating a toy, another half-stuck in a wall, a highly photogenic hamster, a headless horse and many canines just being silly are among the 30 comical images that leapt to the shortlist to win the Comedy Pet Photo Awards.

The world’s top 10 cleanest airports have been announced - and only one hub in Europe features on the list.

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.

Looking to travel to Hong Kong in 2025? Cathay Pacific — a Hong Kong-based carrier — currently has open award availability in business and first class from January through March 2025, as first flagged by @FindFlightsforMe.

As someone who has been running award programs for the last decade, it’s safe to say I have seen my fair share of award submissions – the good, the bad and the ugly. So today, I am going to share some of my insider tips to make sure that your Skift IDEA Awards submission stands out in the crowd.

Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has managed to snag the top spot as world's most cleanest airport.

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Looking to travel to Europe? Is an island vacation on your bucket list? Want to take that dream trip for fewer points than you thought you could?

Last month, the 2024 Priority Pass Excellence Awards revealed the best-rated lounges in the world. It crowned the excellent Vienna Lounge in Terminal 1 at Vienna Airport (VIE) as the overall winner.

Launched in London more than 20 years ago, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards has become one of the most important ratings in the rarefied world of top tier fine dining (though not without some criticism and controversy). But regardless what people think of the process behind selection, there’s no doubt that some of the big winners over the years have in fact been some of the world’s very best, places like Spain’s El Bulli, England’s The Fate Duck, Italy’s Osteria Francescana, Denmark’s Noma and in the U.S. notables have included Napa Valley’s French Laundry and New York City’s Eleven Madison Park.

Did you just remember you need to book a hotel for the Paris Olympics? If so, now might be a good time to settle your lodging.

In April 2020, United MileagePlus removed its partner award chart. Partner awards continued pricing at the lowest Saver level from the last-published award charts for a while. But over time, United Airlines has slowly raised its unpublished partner award rates. Last month, United devalued first-class partner redemptions, increasing award prices up to 100%. Now, the loyalty program has struck again with another devaluation.

Barr Hill Gin distillery is a happy place. The space is vast and buzzing with activity – almost literally, as the company built its reputation around protecting honey bees. Their flagship gin — and pretty much everything else they produce—is distilled from local honey and the results have elevated it to a place of honor as the most awarded gin in the United States.

A European summer vacation should always be coupled with life’s great pleasures — midday Aperol Spritzes, delicious pastries, abundant pasta dinners, and late night dancing. While treating yourself is well-deserved, sometimes the nighttime revelries and tasty indulgences can make us feel less well-rested once we return back home. That’s why it’s a great idea to commit a few days of wellness to bookend your next European vacation and SHA Wellnessin Spain makes it a breeze to reset.