Latest Travel News tips

Starwood’s systemwide “Triple Up” bonus-points offer ends on July 31, and to date there’s been no word of a successor campaign for late summer and early fall stays.

When Muslim Advocates and the NAACP issue a joint letter accusing the U.S. airline industry of racism, it’s big news. And when the NAACP, the “nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization,” follows that up with an advisory specifically questioning the racial policies of the nation’s largest airline, American, it’s nothing less than a media firestorm. Indeed, all the major news media covered the story exhaustively. And “American Airlines” has been a trending Twitter topic for several days.

New airline passenger protections have passed for our neighbor to the north, offering increased Canadian air rights for travelers impacted by delays and other air travel inconveniences. But advocates on both sides—the airlines and some consumer groups—are not happy with the new rules.

At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, cruise giant Carnival Corporation introduced “the world’s first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service for millions of guests.”

There are many things to do in Colombo because of its diversity, nice beaches, and its history. In the past, it was ruled by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and then the British who all left their mark on the city, which now combines with the vibrant independence of the Sri Lankan people. Beaches Mount Lav

“Hey Siri, I’m going to bed. Turn up the air conditioning, close the blinds, and turn off the lights.”

Best Western isn’t known for its generous loyalty-program promotions. The rewards tend to be low value, and the offers have been hobbled by niggling restrictions.

That 10 percent AARP discount for Hyatt stays? Per Hyatt’s website: “Act now. Offer Expires January 31, 2016.”

Since the rideshare service’s beginning, Uber has featured its drivers as a key element in its self-promotion. From the company’s website:

Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian has a bold idea: Perhaps the future of his airline’s success lies less in low fares and more in steadily improving service, amenities, and reliability. Delta has made inroads with high-paying business travelers through improved business-class service, but the AP’s Scott Mayerowitz reports that Bastian has no plans to hang the main cabin out to dry.

Likely in response to JetBlue’s systemwide double-points promotion, in effect through February 29, Virgin America is also offering double points, but only on select routes.

With the high probability of Virgin America’s being folded into Alaska Airlines within the next two years, Virgin loyalists are in the market for an alternative. And JetBlue wants to be that alternative.

If you want to upgrade your cruise cabin, the best time to do it is when you’re buying. Look at any of the big online cruise agencies, and you’ll see a notice that says “upgrades available” or such on some of the listings. That means you can pay for a certain category but will be assigned a higher-classed cabin immediately, effectively giving you a free cruise cabin upgrade.

American Airlines today announced its financial-performance numbers for the fourth quarter and the full year.

Enter the Jarlsberg “Perfect Pairing” sweepstakes by September 12, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a four-night trip for two people to Oslo, Norway, including air and hotel.

Welcome to the first episode of The Boarding Pass Podcast, brought to you by SmarterTravel. In this episode, we’ll bring you expert tips on avoiding traffic at the airport, debate the controversy of reclining seats on planes, and travel far away to the islands of Sao Tome and Principe with Matt Phillips, the Lonely Planet Destination Editor to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Travelers heading to or from Washington, D.C., through Reagan/National Airport can expect major ground travel disruptions and delays through July 18. Trains on both the Blue and Yellow lines will suspend operations on two track segments:

Enter the American Airlines “Your Vacation Spot” sweepstakes by April 1, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a $10,000 American Airlines Vacations travel voucher.

Given the choice, which reward would you choose for your next hotel stay: loyalty points or cash back?

Uber’s policy on tipping is simple and clear: “You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file – there’s no need to tip.”