Latest Travel News tips

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

As it has been doing with some regularity, Southwest has upped the sign-up bonus for its Rapid Rewards Premier credit card to 50,000 points.

Until yesterday, American Airlines customers dismayed at the airline’s August 1 pivot to a spend-based mileage program had a fallback option: Earn miles for their American flights in Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program, which still awards miles the old-fashioned way, according to the distance flown.

A world where everyone could sleep on command—or, simply one with more comfortable airplane seats—would be a beautiful one. But until that fantasy becomes reality, some of us will have to rely on sleep aids and accessories to help us catch some Zs.

We scoured the globe in search of destinations offering that dazzling combo of great value and serious vacation appeal in 2017.

No cash, no tip, no hassle… When you arrive at your destination, just hop out—we’ll automatically charge the credit card on file. And there’s no need to tip.

Bidding for upgrades decreases the value of elite status for frequent flyers, but it also presents opportunities for non-elites to snag an upgrade on the cheap.

Been on a full flight lately? Then you may have heard an announcement or seen an appeal posted on the monitor at the gate asking for passenger volunteers to check their bags at the gate for free.

You probably use Instagram to dream about travel, but did you know you can use it to make those whimsical images your reality? One of the best travel planning tools you’re not using is probably already on your phone.

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

Could Spirit, the airline everybody loves to hate, become a bit less hateful? If the company’s new CEO has his way, it will do just that.

In its latest effort to capture the hearts, minds, and expense accounts of the travel universe’s most privileged 1 percent, American is raising the bar for airport lounges.

Enter the United Airlines “Billion Mile Giveaway” sweepstakes by September 30, 2016, for a chance to win one of 100 grand prizes of 1 million United MileagePlus miles, plus $750 to cover taxes, each. Runner-up prizes include smaller numbers of miles. In total, 1 billion miles will be given away.

Tickets go on sale today from a brand-new airline.

Update, September 18: The FAA has issued updated guidance regarding usage of Samsung Galaxy 7 phones in flight, stating “passengers may not turn on or charge the devices when they carry them on board a plane. Passengers must also protect the devices from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and must not pack them in checked luggage.” The statement does not mention if any penalties are associated with failure to comply with this guidance. Read the full statement here.

If asked to name my favorite U.S. airport, most days I’d say it was Smith Reynolds, more commonly known as the Winston-Salem airport in North Carolina. What I’m thinking of is not Smith Reynolds as it exists today, but as it was in the latter years of the 20th century, when I had business reasons to visit Winston-Salem on several occasions.

Seasoned American travelers often look to the Department of State for advisories about everything from natural disasters to labor strikes in unfamiliar places. But what hazards are foreign governments warning their own travelers about when it comes to visiting the States?

Ever since Delta began ramping up operations in Seattle, Alaska Airlines’ hometown and main flight hub, the relationship between the two airlines has been disintegrating. And there was plenty to disintegrate. The carriers were long-time partners in each other’s frequent-flyer programs, and they code-shared on a host of flights. They were, in the industry vernacular, preferred marketing partners.

“Boutique-style flying experience for those who want to enjoy business class at a smart price.” That’s the basic value proposition of La Compagnie, a French airline that operates all-business-class flights from Newark to London/Luton and Paris/DeGaulle. Although at least four lines have flopped with an all-business-class product, La Compagnie seems to be making a go of it.

Enter the Liberty Richter “Kitchens of India” sweepstakes by June 15, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a six-day trip for two to New Delhi, India, including air, transfers, and hotel.

For most of us, premium economy is just the scenery we walk past on the way to our coach seat. But of all the upper class seating options, premium economy is the most accessible and perhaps the easiest to justify purchasing, especially on long-haul transoceanic flights.