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United Airlines is giving Premier members some more time to redeem an upgrade.The Chicago-based airline announced Wednesday that elite members would receive an additional six-month extension on expiring PlusPoints (United’s upgrade currency), per an email to all affected MileagePlus members that was shared with TPG by a carrier spokesperson.Until now, PlusPoints earned (or extended) during the pandemic have had two distinct expiration dates.The earliest, July 31, 2022, was for those who received a complimentary elite status extension late last year....

SkyWest Airlines wants to end most of its Essential Air Service flying by June 10.The nation’s largest regional airline said in a filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday that staffing pressures due to pilot shortages were too great for it to continue to operate service to 29 communities. Of the 29 communities, 28 could lose service completely. The St. George, Utah-based airline currently operates 49 EAS routes and is already in the process of ending service to two of them....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.The Etihad Guest frequent flyer program offers some great redemption options, especially for some smaller and lesser-known partner carriers. However, booking these awards takes patience and skill — TPG Contributor Michael Spelfogel walks you through the process, complete with examples, below.Update 8/6/16: Brussels Airlines is currently offering phenomenal award availability between JFK and Brussels, and you can book round-trip business class for just 36,620 Etihad Guest miles + $92, which is exceptional....

Tosca is an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini (composer of Edgar, La Bohème, and Turandot) that premiered on January 14, 1990 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. The opera takes place in Rome in 1800, during the month of June. Synopsis Tosca, ACT I Inside the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, an escaped Roman prisoner, Cesare Angelotti, bursts through the doors seeking refuge. After he finds a place to hide within the private Attavanti chapel, an old sacristan appears followed by the painter, Mario Cavaradossi....

It ended like it began: with chaos, confusion and uncertainty.Airline mask rules came to an unceremonious end Monday, falling away with a whimper after a federal judge blocked the mandate and the White House stepped back to evaluate the situation.In the immediate aftermath, it was unclear what that meant for each individual airline. But the ambiguity wasn’t long-lived. Airline industry CEOs had already been outspoken about their desire for the mask mandate to end, so — once they saw the apparent opening — they seemed eager to take it....

The Japanese word for grandmother is obaasan, sometimes shortened to baasan or baa-baa. Since the Japanese language uses a different alphabet from English, these terms are transliterated and may exist in many different spellings. Variant spellings include obaachan, oba-chan, obachan and baachan. One’s own grandmother is called sobo or soba. Some Japanese children call their grandparents by the nicknames Jiji (from ojiisan) and Baba (from obaasan). Unlike grandparents in many other Asian cultures, the Japanese do not have different names for maternal and paternal grandparents....

Traditionally, mecha was used to described anything mechanical in Japan, from cars, toasters, and radios to computers and yes, even robots. The term has since been adapted (mostly in the West) to mean “robot anime” and is used to describe anime and manga series that center around robotic elements. The word mecha itself comes from the Japanese “meka,” which is an abbreviated version of the English word “mechanical.” Although the term has since evolved, the same central themes of its origin still apply: robots, gears and machines....

One of the quickest ways to add a dash of personality to any outfit is to mix in a pair of leopard print shoes. But, as popular and fun as they are, leopard prints don’t really work with everything. In fact, I can probably name more colors and outfits that leopard print shoes don’t work with than I can items they will.The good news is, when you get the right combination, it’s a tough one to beat for drama, glamour and sex appeal....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.TPG reader John tweeted me to ask:@thepointsguy – “My employees and I have at least 100 flights and hotel stays annually with various airlines and hotel chains. What credit card should I use?“Back when I was traveling a lot with Morgan Stanley, I luckily had my choice of airlines (most of the time). However, when it comes to work travel, you don’t always have that flexibility....

Exhale — a spa and fitness brand previously owned by Hyatt — will stop participating in the World of Hyatt loyalty program effective Jan. 1, 2022. That means World of Hyatt members will no longer be able to earn bonus Hyatt points or redeem them for rewards at Exhale. So if you’ve been waiting to book that spa treatment, now is the time.Get the latest points, miles and travel news by signing up for TPG’s free daily newsletter....

This famous aria is sung near the end of the third act of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s well-known opera, Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). The Countess believes her husband has been unfaithful or is at least attempting to meet other women in secret. She devises a plan with her maid, Susanna, (the woman to whom the Count once offered money in exchange for sleeping with him - which she refused because she is in love with and engaged to Figaro)....

When traveling to distant cities, one of the best ways to squeeze in some culture is to take a trip to the local art museum. At museums, you can really get a sense of history, not to mention gaining an appreciation for how far we’ve come as a society. It’s always interesting to see artwork depicting the everyday lives of our ancestors, and one thing that always stands out is how little people have really changed over the centuries....

Recent reports have highlighted the occurrence of “fume events” in aircraft. In the most extreme cases, pilots became disorientated and had to don emergency oxygen masks. Cabin crew and passengers reported feeling nauseous and dizzy.Between January 2018 and December 2019, 362 fume events were reported to NASA, with 400 crew and passengers requiring post-flight medical attention, according to reporting by the LA Times. Of these flights, pilots on 73 of them used emergency oxygen....

UPDATE: American Airlines has created a list of which AAdvantage miles count toward Loyalty Points:Portal sites: American Airlines Vacations, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, SimplyMilesHotels: bookaahotels.com, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, Marriott Vacations, RocketMilesCar rentals: aa.com/car, Avis, Budget, Payless, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo, National, SixtCruises: bookaacruises.comRetail: Shell, WeWork, Vinesse, FTD, Vivid Seats, NRG Energy, Reliant Energy, Xoom, Miles for OpinionORIGINAL: If you’re planning on earning American Airlines AAdvantage elite status next year, there’s now a list of partners where you can earn those coveted Loyalty Points....

Happy 40th anniversary to American Airlines’ AAdvantage!First launched in 1981, AAdvantage was one of the first airline loyalty programs. Forty years and one pandemic later, American is gearing up for a (virtual) celebration.On Monday, the carrier is launching a month-long instant-win promotion, filled with prizes and special offers designed to inspire travel. AAdvantage members can check out the promotion microsite at AAdvantage40th.com to play the game and learn more about the program....

American Airlines is making some flyer-friendly changes to the inflight experience.The first is an inflight Wi-Fi trial that’ll offer a complimentary time-based internet package on most Viasat-equipped flights. In exchange for watching a short advertisement, you’ll receive 15 or 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi, depending on the length of your flight. The trial is being launched in partnership with Viasat, which outfits the majority of American’s domestic fleet with high-speed Wi-Fi....

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Traveling on Amtrak this spring? Well it’s about to get a lot more rewarding.The train operator is relaunching its Double Days points promotion where Amtrak Guest Rewards members can earn twice the points they’d normally get on train travel.Normally members receive two points for every dollar spent on Amtrak, but they’ll see that doubled to 4x points per dollar during the promotion....

Jump to Recipe This apple crisp recipe is chock full of fresh apples with just enough sweetness and an irresistible crumbly oatmeal streusel topping! It’s an easy dessert that features all your favorite fall flavors, but it’s worth making any time of the year! Top your apple oatmeal crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’ll be in pure dessert heaven! Apple Oatmeal Crisp One of my favorite things to make with fresh apples is this easy apple crisp with oats....

Jump to Recipe This Asian roasted pork belly has a crisp outside while the inside is so tender it almost melts in your mouth! With some rice or veggies, it makes a quick and easy 30-minute dinner for any day of the week. It’s sweet, salty, sticky, and finger-licking good! Easy Asian Roasted Pork Belly Recipe This Asian roasted pork belly recipe is so easy and quick! The pork is nice and tender on the inside with a crisp outer layer that’s covered in a tasty sweet and salty coating....

These are the best store bought brownie mixes to buy so that you can make the easiest and tastiest brownies possible! Believe it or not, the mix you choose really does make a difference! From Ghirardelli to Pillsbury, these mixes are the best of the best! Best Boxed Brownie Mix Brands There are plenty of times when we just need to convenience and ease of using a box of brownie mix instead of making them from scratch....