 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY 01/17/2019 IN TODAY'S NEWS Now that we've had 24 hours to baffled by Bonvoy, Marriott's new loyalty program name hasn't grown on us much. We thought digging into some other branding failures might help ease the pain of saying farewell to SPG. United's fleet plans distracted a bit, too, as did a big Airbus event I managed to visit in the southern US. I also highly recommend checking out this week's Talking Points podcast. On this episode, Brian interviews United's Linda Jojo and yours truly about all things United. You'll learn how to maximize Expert Mode, the Excursionist Perk and why I think 1K is the best top-tier status. Click here to listen now. -Zach Honig, Editor-at-Large Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
 TPG readers have had plenty to say about Marriott's new program name — and the feedback's not great. Bonvoy may be the latest big branding snafu, but the hotel chain's in good company — Coca-Cola ("New Coke"), Tropicana and even Hyatt have suffered through some pretty major missteps of their own.
 Hate flying in economy on a narrow-body jet? You probably won't on this plane. Airbus has racked up 500+ orders for its comfy A220, and it's ramping up production to meet demand. We dig into the company's plans, including a rare link between Alabama and our neighbors to the north.
 We've all heard the expression, "there's no such thing as a free lunch" — until today, a $20,000 mid-day meal seemed just as unlikely. Turns out, it really is a thing. And it sounds pretty spectacular, too.
 United may prefer that you focus your attention on its fancy new Polaris biz-class seat, but if you're booked on two of the airline's most advanced long-haul planes, that's definitely not what you'll get. Not yet, at least. UA's 787-8s and 787-9s are finally slated to get the Polaris boost, bringing a much-needed upgrade to some of the airline's most profitable routes.
 Plenty of islands still don't have an airport — for decades, one notable outpost's only connection to the mainland was a five-day ocean trek. Armed with a new Embraer connection to the rest of the world, intrepid traveler Lee Abbamonte was one of the first to take St. Helena's new flight. We dive right in on Miles Away this week. ON THE HORIZON You only have a couple more days to save on a trip to paradise with Fiji Airways' pretty fantastic 2-for-1 fare sale. NEWS YOU CAN USE • At JFK Airport, TSA Workers Fear an Unknown Future • Do Southwest ‘Companions’ Receive Priority Boarding On Business Select Tickets? • You Can Now Redeem Your OpenTable Points for Hotel Stays • The Best Ways to Redeem Marriott Points on SkyTeam Airlines • Celebrate Betty White’s Birthday With a ‘Golden Girls’ Inspired Getaway • Best Ways to Redeem Points and Miles on Hawaiian Airlines • My Christmas Miracle: El Al (787-9) in Economy From New York to Tel Aviv • Christmas in January? 3 Award Trips Families Should Book Now. • Top Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2019 • Qantas Biz and Elite Flyers Now Have Access to Cathay Pacific’s SFO Lounge       You are receiving this email because you opted in at thepointsguy.com. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities The Points Guy © All rights reserved 2019 |