A massive transformation is underway at Hyatt, and it’s boosting the company — which is behind brands like Alila and Park Hyatt — into major profitability. The company reported this week a hefty $522 million profit, riding high on recent real estate sales and strength across leisure, group and business travel. It’s more than just Wall Street success keeping things busy at the Chicago-based hotel giant, though. Hyatt leaders this week touted various successes like growth of the newly integrated partial — and growing — portfolio of Mr & Mrs Smith luxury and boutique hotels. Further ..read more

If you’re like me and think there’s nothing that screams “vacation” more than a stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World, then I have some great news. The new Island Tower being built at Disney’s Polynesian on the side of the resort nearest Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is now projected to open to guests in December 2024. Along with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the new cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort coming this summer, this is one of the biggest additions to Walt Disney World this year. As part of Disney Vacation Club, reservations will be available ..read more

It’s official: Oakland, California’s airport has changed its name. The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners, which oversees Oakland International Airport (OAK), voted unanimously Thursday to change the airport’s name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport in an effort to better reflect the airport’s location as part of an effort to attract more passengers and to prompt airlines to add more routes. Want more aviation news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter. The vote comes despite opposition from San Francisco officials, including a lawsuit filed by the city in ..read more

Editor’s note: Disney hosted the writer for a Fantasy Springs preview visit, including round-trip flights to Japan and a three-night stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. The opinions expressed in this story are entirely the author’s and weren’t subject to review by Disney or any other external entity. Disney’s biggest expansion this year is happening at its Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, and TPG just got a sneak peek inside. You’ll find two parks at Tokyo Disney Resort: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. While Tokyo Disneyland features many classic lands and attractions you can find in other ..read more

Want to experience la dolce vita this summer? Thanks to a new sale, you can now book a trip to Milan, Rome or Venice, Italy, at a steep discount. Departure cities in this deal include Charlotte, Dallas and Los Angeles. Some routes are as low as $550 round-trip — a fantastic price for a ticket to Europe, even considering that most routes have layovers. The travel window for this sale primarily involves flights slated for the offseason (i.e., in the fall and winter). It’s an underrated time to visit Italy; the weather won’t be as hot, and the crowds will be much smaller. Unless otherwise specifi ..read more

With lounge access, built-in credits and many travel perks, The Platinum Card® from American Express is ideal for frequent travelers. It also has various lifestyle benefits that increase its worth and offset the sting of the annual fee. For instance, you can get up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits awarded every calendar year — up to $50 of which is awarded from January to June and another up to $50 of which is issued in the year’s second half. (Enrollment is required.) This is a use-it-or-lose-it credit, which will reset at the end of next month and start fresh July 1 for the sec ..read more

Hidden cameras have been a hot topic in the headlines. In May 2023, a Royal Caribbean passenger was arrested for installing a hidden camera in a public bathroom, according to CNN. A few months later, in July, Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., ran a story on a Texas couple who sued the man they rented an Airbnb from after finding hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors. In December 2023, NBC10 in Boston reported that a teenage girl found a hidden camera on an American Airlines flight she had taken in September. These articles represent only a handful of reports about hidden cameras found in vacati ..read more

With lush rainforests, beautiful beaches and, of course, world-class surfing and fishing, Costa Rica is a dream destination for adventure travelers. We even included it on our list of the best places to visit in 2024. Luckily, United Airlines has an excellent sale on flights to Costa Rica this summer. Some routes are more than 50% off the usual prices. It’s a great time to book an inexpensive getaway and enjoy the environmentally diverse Central American nation. Rainforest waterfall in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. LAYNE KENNEDY/GETTY IMAGES Departure cities for this sale inc ..read more

Many airlines allow dogs onboard, with a lot of restrictions, while other airlines take large dogs as cargo. Soon, though, dogs of all sizes will be able to fly between New York and Los Angeles or between New York and London in high style. Bark Air’s scheduled charter flights are just for pooches and their people. JOE GALL/BARK AIRWhat is Bark Air? Bark — the canine-centric company known for its treat-filled BarkBox subscriptions — is offering this experience to flyers who do not want to (or cannot) squeeze their dogs into under-the-seat carriers on commercial flights. These flights are also a ..read more

Are frequent flyer programs fair to their members? That was the subject of a Thursday hearing in Washington, D.C., held jointly by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The hearing,  announced last month following reports in late December that the DOT was investigating frequent flyer programs, was positioned as a fact-finding, informational event rather than a formal investigation. Want more aviation news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter. “The joint hearing is an opportunity for DOT and CFPB to gather more information ..read more