Want to get a free checked bag and ensure you aren't randomly assigned a middle seat between two strangers on your way to Europe? You'll need to pay up to avoid the strictest basic economy fares – and airlines keep forcing passengers to fork over more and more to do so. What was once a flat, $120 extra roundtrip to bump up to a standard main cabin fare across the Atlantic has steadily risen as travel demand soared since the pandemic. Just in time for the summer 2024 travel season, major airlines are now charging an additional $200 (and in some cases, $220 or more) to avoid basic economy flying ..read more

It's a question that comes up for everybody who has ever opened a travel credit card: “What happens to my points and miles after I close a credit card?” The answer? It depends. Exactly what happens to your points and miles depends on the specific credit card and which airline, hotel or points program it's associated with. If you're closing a co-branded credit card – a partnership between an airline or hotel and a bank like the American Express Delta SkyMiles cards, the Citi American Airlines cards, or the Chase Marriott cards – your points are safe no matter what you do with your card. But if ..read more

We've got good news and bad news, Southwest fans.  Let's start with the good news: The airline's long-awaited “Cash + Points” redemptions are live, giving flyers with just a few thousand Rapid Rewards an avenue to put those points to use. As first noticed by Award Wallet, it began rolling out this week – though not to everyone: Just a small subset of Southwest Rapid Rewards members will see it available (including yours truly). Now for the bad news: It's a terrible deal. By using this new Cash + Points option, you're getting half as much value out of your Southwest points as you woul ..read more

The U.S. is home to some incredible natural beauty, and nowhere is that more evident than in our national parks. From the geothermal activity in Yellowstone in Wyoming to the mountains and fjords in Glacier Bay in Alaska to the dramatic coastline of Acadia in Maine, the national parks are found in nearly every corner of the U.S. and even the ocean. But if you're planning to visit a national park in 2024, you're not alone. The U.S. national parks and recreation areas are more popular than ever, with the National Park Service reporting more than 325 million visits last year. Whether you're plann ..read more

Have you ever created a spreadsheet to ensure you spent the required amount to earn that big welcome bonus on your new travel rewards card? Or, even worse, failed to spend enough in time to earn those points? Gulp. Work smarter, not harder. If you're lucky, the bank behind your credit card will have a welcome bonus tracker that makes it easy to see your progress. If not, there are plenty of ways to stay on top of your spending to see how close you are to earning that new, big welcome bonus. Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you're alr ..read more

If you're flying one of Delta's long-haul routes you'll see two booking options between Delta One Business class and economy: Delta Premium Select and Delta Comfort Plus. But what's the difference, and how do you choose?      Both are a step up from economy, but neither experience will be quite as comfortable as a lie-flat business class seat. Premium Select is Delta's version of premium economy with some of the same amenities you'll find in business class but without the privacy or seat that converts to a bed. Meanwhile, you can think of Comfort Plus as a more souped-up versio ..read more

Getting a new credit card is all about timing: Do it right and you'll end up with a massive pile of points (or miles) just for signing up and meeting your new card's minimum spending requirement. The key here is applying when that big bonus is at its absolute peak. You see, banks periodically roll out increased, limited-time welcome bonus offers on their most popular cards – and when they do, that's the time to strike. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of reasons to sign up for a new card with the standard bonus offer – but if you can get in on an elevated bonus, it's all the sweeter.  ..read more

Whether you're looking to use your points and miles to get to Europe in business class, book a Delta flight somewhere near or far, or fly all the way to Tahiti, there are few better – or cheaper – ways to get there than with Flying Blue miles.  Flying Blue is the shared frequent flyer program of French carrier Air France and Dutch airline KLM. And they're some of the easiest in the world to earn – Flying Blue is a transfer partner of all the major banks. If you're earning points with credit cards from American Express, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase, Citi, or Wells Fargo, you can t ..read more

From cheap flights within the U.S. to nonstops to Rome (FCO) in lie-flat seats to the holy grail of booking Delta One business class to Europe for 50,000 points, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points can be incredibly valuable. But the British carrier made it much harder to find the award availability to actually book those sweet spots by eliminating a handy price calendar from its site – the key to pulling up a month's worth of flights.  Nearly two years later, it's finally back. Our team is now seeing the option to click “Price Calendar” on each and every search for reward flights at Virgi ..read more

Travelers might be hitting a breaking point with their American Express cards and the never-ending cycle of raising annual fees while adding questionable, difficult-to-use benefits. But American Express's own CEO says that trend will continue … and they're not even done this year.  American Express previously promised investors that it will revamp 40 of its credit card products throughout 2024. On Friday, Amex CEO Steve Squeri reiterated that goal: Even after raising annual fees on nearly the entire suite of Delta co-branded cards and Hilton's small business card earlier this year, more m ..read more