Virgin Atlantic Airways has spent billions of dollars to completely transform its fleet.
01.08.2024 - 21:55 / thepointsguy.com
New York City hotels are notoriously expensive, but that doesn't mean there aren't good deals out there if you're willing to be flexible.
For a little last-minute overnight in the Big Apple or a staycation for locals, The New York Edition, one of the chicest hotels in town, has a few weekend nights in August bookable for less than 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, plus a handful of other nights in August requiring less than 60,000 points. This is a steal considering that for the rest of the year, there isn't an award night for less than 70,000 points, with most nights well over 80,000 points.
As you can see on the booking calendar above, the nights of Aug. 11 and 18 are both priced at 46,400 Marriott Bonvoy points. On Aug. 11, the lowest cash rate (with taxes and fees) is $591.02. If you book with points, you'll be earning 1.27 cents per point, well above TPG's August 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point.
While that Sunday night is the best deal, the nightly rates from Aug. 8 through Aug. 11 are all below 55,000 points, meaning you can spend multiple days at one of the best hotels in New York City and save a significant sum.
For folks who have Chase Ultimate Rewards points (earned through cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, among others), know that there's currently a 70% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy. Since Chase points transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, you can book those 46,400 Marriott Bonvoy award nights by simply transferring 28,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Just note that TPG's August 2024 valuation of Chase Ultimate Rewards points is 2.05 cents per point, so 28,000 Chase points are worth about $574, which is about $17 less than the price of the Sunday stay at $591.02.
Say you want to book an entire weekend stay from Friday, Aug. 16, through Monday, Aug. 19. That'll set you back 152,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, while the cash rate (plus taxes and fees) for the same three nights total $2,475.34. By booking with points, you'll earn about 1.63 cents per point, which is significantly above our August 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point.
This is where that Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus really comes in handy. To get 152,000 Marriott points with the 70% Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus, you'd need to transfer 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. With TPG's current August 2024 valuation of 2.05 cents per Chase point, 90,000 points are equivalent to $1,845, meaning you'd save over $630 for this mid-August weekend stay at The New York Edition compared to the $2,475.34 it would take to book with cash.
Located right off Madison Square Park in Manhattan, The New York
Virgin Atlantic Airways has spent billions of dollars to completely transform its fleet.
The only constant in New York City is — and has always been — change. From its early days as a breadbasket colony to the technologically advanced Roaring '20s, each decade has given the city a unique identity.
JetBlue is looking ahead to cooler temperatures and putting fall fares on sale with one-way tickets starting at less than $40.
As the very last town on the eastern tip of Long Island, connected by only a small stretch of land, Montauk feels worlds away from the bustle of New York City and the doldrums of suburban Long Island.
Charlie Moss, the visionary advertising executive credited with producing the stunningly successful “I ♥ NY” tourism campaign in the mid-1970s — a time when garbage, graffiti, crime, racial strife and a serial killer made America’s cultural capital anything but lovable — died on Aug. 5 at his home in Wainscott, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 85.
I recently took a one-day trip to Disney World. To save as much money as possible, I flew from New York to Orlando and back in one day so I wouldn't have to pay for hotels — and I chose to fly Spirit Airlines.
American Airlines has just released new flight deals to Japan, and round-trip tickets can be booked for less than $1,000 round-trip.
Exactly one decade after Etihad Airways rolled out its most luxurious offering on board—called The Residence, a three-room apartment in the sky complete with butler service, a private en suite shower, and other luxe amenities—the product remains one of the most exclusive offerings available on a commercial flight. Of course, it had a price tag to match: between $20,000 and $30,000 one way, depending on the route, when it first launched.
I love all things Disney, but I haven't been able to justify spending the money visiting Disney World as an adult. The last time I went was in 2013 on a high school trip, and admittedly, I didn't pay for that.
In 2022, a new startup airline called Norse Atlantic Airways launched cheap flights between Europe and the US, operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners equipped only with economy and premium economy seats.
The passenger experience at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is about to get a major improvement.
The Paris Summer Olympic Games are coming to an end this weekend, but there are still plenty of disciplines to go, including a new sport at the Games this year: breaking.