Business Briefing: On-Time Flight Performance Improved in August From July

The Transportation Department said on Thursday that flights on the nation’s largest airlines arrived on time 77.7 percent of the time.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f4d89dd/sc/1/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C10A0Cbusiness0Con0Etime0Eflight0Eperformance0Eimproved0Ein0Eaugust0Efrom0Ejuly0E0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Swimming with humpback whales

It's a perfect example of how humans and animals can coexist in their natural habitats.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/australian-couple-got-casually-swim-humpback-whales/

Hotels Loyalty Programs that Offer Fifth Night Free Redemptions

A while back, Rick mentioned that he was short on hotel points. I’m sure he’s not alone. Hotel points can be tough to accrue in some programs, like Starwood Preferred Guest, which has just two credit cards offering one-time sign-up bonuses. With programs that offer limited earning potential, it becomes even more important to stretch […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/10/hotels-loyalty-programs-that-offer-fifth-night-free-redemptions.html

Delta Increasing Spending Requirement for Elite Status By 20%

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, […]

The post Delta Increasing Spending Requirement for Elite Status By 20% appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/09/delta-increasing-spending-requirement-elite-status-20/

Last Chance: Chase Ink Plus 70K Sign-Up Offer

For a bit over a week now, the Chase Ink Plus has been offering a publicly available sign-up bonus of 70,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months.

This is an incredible offer, as the highest sign-up bonus Chase has offered to the general public has been 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points. The offer was made available earlier this summer, but you could only get it by going in to a Chase branch, so this is much more convenient for many of us.

The catch with this bonus is that the $95 annual fee isn’t waived, which it otherwise has been for the first year. With an extra 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points, I would say that it is definitely worth paying the $95 annual fee.

As a refresher, the Ink Plus comes with great benefits that include the following:

The post Last Chance: Chase Ink Plus 70K Sign-Up Offer appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/09/last-chance-chase-ink-plus-70k-sign-offer/

Noah’s Ark Park: Atheists Need Not Apply

Kentucky tourism officials threatened to deny tax breaks to Ark Encounter over a job listing requiring a “Statement of Faith.”



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/ark-encounter-job-listing-requiring-statement-faith-lands-ken-hams-noahs-ark-hot-water-1702489

British Columbia, Two Ways

On a family road trip through British Columbia this summer, I had no regrets about seeing it with the whole brood first, but I also made notes about how my husband and I will do it again when we come back, one day, sans kids. Here's B.C., two ways, so you can choose your own adventure.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/09/british-columbia-two-ways/

Interview With the Congressman Who Wants to Regulate Frequent Flyer Programs

The Department of Transportation is auditing frequent flyer programs. Now, DOT doesn’t actually regulate frequent flyer programs, but the audit is at the request of Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL) and will look at things they believe they can claim jurisdiction over — disclosure of fees associated with the programs and redemptions, and whether there’s proper […]

The post Interview With the Congressman Who Wants to Regulate Frequent Flyer Programs appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/09/interview-congressman-wants-regulate-frequent-flyer-programs/

Review: American Business Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Dallas

Boarding was through door 2L, and I turned left into the business class mini-cabin and settled into my "usual" seat, 4J.

As I mentioned on the outbound, I love American's new business class hard product, and especially love the mini-cabin.

Most of the goodies for the flight were already waiting at my seat, including a pillow and blanket, bottled water, amenity kit, and Bose headphones.

Boarding was completed within about 10 minutes of me settling in. While we were offered pre-departure beverages, I passed. I did change into my pajamas before takeoff, though.

The post Review: American Business Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Dallas appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/09/review-american-business-class-777-300er-hong-kong-to-dallas/

What To Do When A Bank Gets Hacked

When retail stores’ security systems are hacked, we shouldn’t rely on them for identity protection. Last month, I wrote an article urging us, as consumers, to be responsible for guarding our data. While we should trust the institutions we work with to do their best at protecting that information, nothing is perfect. Not only are […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/10/what-to-do-when-a-bank-gets-hacked.html

T Magazine: 10 Transportive Travel Stories From T’s First 10 Years

T turns 10 this month. In honor of the anniversary and the T@10 Issue, out Oct. 19, this series looks back at some of the most memorable features from the magazine’s first decade.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f4c12dc/sc/36/l/0Ltmagazine0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A90Ct0Emagazine0Eten0Eyears0Etravel0Estories0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Dear locals laughing at my tour

Look, just because it's your hometown doesn't mean you can't still experience that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you uncover a new place.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/open-letter-locals-laughing-tour-group/

In Transit Blog: Cruise Lines to Avoid West African Coast

Ebola concerns have led several cruise lines to change itineraries and avoid the West African coast.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f4bc64d/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A90Ccruise0Elines0Eto0Eavoid0Ewest0Eafrican0Ecoast0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

$40 Towards Uber Car Service Plus 2x Points

As much as I love terrible taxi experiences, given that they're fun to share with you all, there is something to be said for having boringly efficient transportation.

Uber is one of those companies that definitely makes life better, particularly when dealing with airport transfers in foreign countries. I already think Uber is a good value for the convenience, but it's even better when there's a way to cut the cost down.

American Express is currently offering a $10 statement credit after your next Uber ride. This is valid for both new and existing Uber accounts through December 31, 2014, so everyone can take advantage of this.

The post $40 Towards Uber Car Service Plus 2x Points appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/09/40-towards-uber-car-service-plus-2x-points/

The Getaway: The Art of Slowing Down in a Museum

Instead of hunting masterpieces at a fevered clip, spending more time with fewer works just might make for a better visit.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f4b5494/sc/36/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C120Ctravel0Cthe0Eart0Eof0Eslowing0Edown0Ein0Ea0Emuseum0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm