The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. American Express has been tied to travel and experiences since launching a travel division more than 100 years ago. The company has built on its years of experience and its knowledge of …
Tag Archives: tourism news
A city in China hosts an elaborate winter festival with giant ice castles, mass weddings, and a frigid swimming contest — take a look
Harbin, China hosts an International Ice and Snow Festival each year that draws millions of visitors. The festival kicked off its 35th year on January 5. The festival’s winter attractions include life-size ice sculptures, ice replicas of the Colosseum and Milan Cathedral, and massive snowmen. There’s also an ice-swimming tournament in which swimmers brave the …
I’ve had the Southwest Companion Pass, and it’s a game changer for family vacations — you can get one now easier than ever before
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. In the past, the only way to earn the Southwest Companion Pass was to fly 100 one-way flights on the airline, or earn 110,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points …
Southwest just announced an unheard-of deal for its credit cards — you’ll get the coveted Companion Pass simply by opening one
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. When you open a new personal Southwest credit card, you can earn the best-ever sign-up bonus offered for the cards: 30,000 points and an unlimited Companion Pass, which is valid for travel …
I visited the world’s largest film studio, where Moroccan locals are cast as everyone from Osama Bin Laden to Jesus and the desert is littered with the wreckage of ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Gladiator’
Atlas Film Studios is a 322,000 square-foot studio in southwestern Morocco that is considered to be the largest film studio in the world. More than 200 major films and television shows have filmed there, including “Gladiator,” “Ben Hur,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “The Mummy,” “The Passion of the Christ,” and, most recently, “Game of Thrones” and …
Air-traffic controllers working unpaid during the government shutdown are posting their $0 pay stubs on Twitter
Air-traffic controllers, along with many other federal employees in the US, have been working unpaid during the government shutdown, which began on December 22. On Thursday, several air-traffic controllers who missed their first paycheck posted photos of their $0 pay stubs on Twitter. Aviation-industry workers, along with some political leaders, are rallying in Washington, DC, …
United, Alaska, and Spirit flight attendants are warning Trump, Pelosi, and McConnell that the government shutdown is doing real damage to the airline industry
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) circulated a letter on Thursday asking President Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to end the government shutdown. The AFA-CWA is a union representing 50,000 flight attendants from airlines such as United, Alaska, Spirit, and Hawaiian. The flight attendants were joined by more …
Check out these robot suitcases that automatically follow you through airports
Two of the most practical robots at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) came in the form of luggage made by the startups ForwardX and Rover Speed. Each uses cameras (and in Rover Speed’s case, radar) which can recognize and follow their owners. The Rover Speed costs $480.99, and while the Ovis does not …
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The best neckband Bluetooth headphones you can buy
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. A great pair of neckband headphones should look good, be relatively comfortable, and sound great — which is exactly why we’ve chosen the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones …
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TSA employees working unpaid because of the government shutdown are quitting — and this could create a ‘massive security risk’ for travelers
Employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have been working unpaid since the US federal government shutdown began on December 22. TSA workers’ union head Hydrick Thomas said in a post on the organization’s website that some workers have already quit, while many others are considering quitting. The union says this could create a “massive …
There’s an easy way to earn tons of extra points and miles on dining out — here’s how
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. Dining programs are a great way to earn extra airline miles and hotel points for your everyday spend. Pairing credit cards like the American Express® Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve with …
Europe’s busiest airport has reopened after it was shut down due to a drone sighting
London’s Heathrow Airport has reopened after suspending all flight departures due to a drone sighting Tuesday evening. The airport suspended departures for roughly one hour. Last month, drones shut down London’s Gatwick Aiport for 32 hours. A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport is working with London’s Metropolitan Police Service “to prevent any threat to operational …
JetBlue’s $44 ticket sale is back, and it will last for only 2 days (JBLU)
JetBlue launched a two-day ticket sale on Tuesday. The sale includes flights for as low as $44 one way and $88 round trip. In some cases, we were able to find flights for less than the posted sale fare. The best deals look to be near the airline’s bases in Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and …
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AmEx’s Fine Hotels and Resorts program offers exclusive benefits to cardholders at luxury hotels around the world — here’s how it works
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. If you have the Platinum Card® from American Express, you have access to an exclusive hotel-booking program run by AmEx: the Fine Hotels and Resorts program. Fine Hotels and Resorts is a …
I splurged on an 8-day, $3,000 trip to Nigeria for myself over the holidays, and it was worth every penny
Sometimes, the best recipient of a holiday spending splurge is yourself. Here, author Adrienne Jordan details how she spent $2,881 on an eight-day trip to Nigeria. It was Jordan’s first time away from her family over the holidays, but she says the experience was “more than worth it.” In my first time away from family …
Burned-out billionaires are taking extended multimillion-dollar ‘sabbaticals’ to recharge, from world tours on private jets to skiing expeditions in Antarctica
Burned-out billionaires are taking extended luxury vacations to recharge. These ‘sabbaticals‘ span anywhere from a month to two years and can cost millions of dollars. Some of these ultra-wealthy travelers want to learn new skills, while others want to recharge and reconnect with family. When you think of a sabbatical, you might think of a …
I took a 12-hour overnight first-class sleeper train through the heart of Egypt, and it’s an experience I won’t forget anytime soon
While visiting Egypt in December, I found that the most cost-efficient way to travel from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor, two of Egypt’s top archeological destinations, was a 12-hour overnight sleeper train. I booked a two-person compartment for about $110 a person. Ever since I was a child, I read books and watched movies where …
An e-cigarette caught on fire on an American Airlines flight in Chicago (AA)
An e-cigarette caught fire shortly after an American Airlines plane landed in Chicago on Friday. Flight attendants quickly extinguished the blaze, the airline said in a statement. It’s the latest incident in a spate of electrical fires onboard planes. The battery of an e-cigarette ignited on an American Airlines flight shortly after landing at Chicago’s …
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We flew Aer Lingus from Dublin to New York to see if it’s a hidden gem among Europe’s best airlines. Here’s the verdict
Aer Lingus is Ireland’s national airline. Since 2015, Aer Lingus has been part of International Airlines Group or IAG and is a sister company of British Airways and Iberia. We recently had the chance to fly Aer Lingus between New York and the airline’s home base in Dublin on board a new Airbus A330. We …
TSA airport screeners have been working without pay during the shutdown and now many don’t have money to get to work
Transportation Security Administration or TSA employees have been forced to work without pay during the government shutdown. Large numbers of TSA workers have called out from work at major airports around the country. The TSA union president says it’s because the workers simply can’t afford to get to work. The mean annual wage for TSA …
American Airlines put people back on the same plane after a mid-air electrical fault — and it happened again
American Airlines passengers whose flight from LAX to JFK suffered an emergency landing were put back on the same aircraft — which broke again. American says the fault, which happened Wednesday, was with a chiller on board. One passenger said it released a “sudden burst of smoke” on board. The original flight made an emergency …
Delta, United, and JetBlue pilots are warning that flying will become more dangerous as government shutdown continues
The US government shutdown is a threat to the safety, security, and efficiency of America’s airspace. The Air Line Pilots Association, International sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday urging him to end the shutdown. ALPA is a union that a represents 61,000 pilots working for a host of airlines including Delta, United, JetBlue, …
A US budget airline is asking passengers to tip flight attendants when they serve refreshments
US-based Frontier Airlines has started asking passengers to tip their cabin crew. The revelation was spotted by flight blogger JT Genter in The Points Guy. Genter said that in 350 flights on 51 different airlines he had never been asked to tip crew before. After ordering refreshments on the airline, passengers are handed a mobile …
The legendary founder of Southwest Airlines has died (LUV)
Southwest Airlines cofounder Herb Kelleher died on Thursday at the age of 87. Kelleher, along with business partner Rollin King, founded Southwest Airlines in 1967. He served as Southwest president and CEO from 1978 to 2001. Southwest Airlines cofounder Herb Kelleher died on Thursday at the age of 87. The Dallas-based airline confirmed Kelleher’s death …
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The US government is warning Americans that if they visit China they may not be able to return home
The US State Department has issued a new travel advisory urging Americans to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to the People’s Republic of China. The elevated travel advisory is out of concern that China may arbitrarily enforce local laws and detain US citizens without cause using exit bans. Under these exit bans, US citizens may …
United has issued a last-minute deal for its Explorer Card — sign up by January 8 to collect up to 65,000 bonus miles
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. There’s only a little bit of time left to get the highest-ever public sign-up bonus on the main United Airlines credit card. The United Explorer Card offers up to 65,000 miles for …
Here’s how to book a cruise through Costco (COST)
Costco members can book cruises through Costco Travel. Members can search for cruises offered by 12 cruise lines and compare the destinations, prices, and features offered by each. Cruises booked through Costco Travel include perks like credits that can be used toward onboard purchases. A Costco membership comes with advantages beyond the ability to shop …
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