Month: May 2024

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.  

For many, the $500-plus annual fees that come with ultra-premium travel cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express aren’t justifiable. If you aren’t traveling regularly and utilizing the full lineup of perks and credits, it may not be worth adding those cards to your wallet.

However, both Chase and Amex have excellent travel cards that fall under their premium versions — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the American Express® Gold Card.

While both of these cards act as sister cards to their luxury counterparts, there are many differences between them. Today, we’re walking through a side-by-side comparison of these cards to help you determine which is right for you — or whether both deserve spots in your wallet.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold comparison

Here’s a quick overview that compares the key perks on the two cards (note that enrollment is required for select benefits):

Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred Card	American Express Gold Card
Welcome bonus	Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee	$95	$250 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates	5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025) 3 points per dollar on dining 3 points per dollar on select streaming services 3 points per dollar on online groceries (excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 2 points per dollar on travel 1 point per dollar on everything else	4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. 4 points per dollar on U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or amextravel.com 1 point per dollar on everything else
Point valuation	2.05 cents	2 cents
Perks	$50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel Cardmember anniversary bonus — earn 10% of your points back each year	Up to $120 annual dining statement credit (up to $10 monthly) Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 monthly credits) $100 hotel experience credit with a two-night minimum stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
Travel protections	Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Primary car rental insurance Baggage insurance Trip delay reimbursement Travel and emergency assistance services	Baggage insurance* Trip delay reimbursement** Rental car insurance^

Point valuations are calculated by TPG, not the issuer.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

^Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold welcome offer

The Sapphire Preferred offers a compelling limited-time sign-up bonus for first-time applicants. You’ll earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,538.

The Amex Gold Card currently has a welcome offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of account opening. TPG values Membership Rewards at a flat 2 cents each, so this offer is worth a slightly lower $1,200, according to our valuation. However, you have three more months to earn the Amex Gold’s offer than with the Sapphire Preferred.

Plus, you could be targeted for a higher welcome offer on the Amex Gold through the CardMatch tool or through a referral link (offers subject to change at any time).

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Sapphire Preferred bonus offers 15,000 more points, and Ultimate Rewards points are valued slightly higher than Membership Rewards points.

Related: The best time to apply for these popular travel cards based on offer history

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold benefits

In exchange for a $95 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred offers many travel perks, including a $50 annual hotel credit for bookings through Chase Travel and a 10% points bonus on your cardmember anniversary.

Other benefits include protections like rental car insurance, trip delay and cancellation insurance and baggage loss and delay insurance. These are a great safety net while you travel, but they don’t do much to enhance your day-to-day life when everything goes according to plan.

For more than double the Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee ($250 vs. $95), the Amex Gold offers several excellent perks (enrollment is required for select benefits):

• Up to $120 annual dining statement credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: Get up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S. You must add the card to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit. This perk is a monthly credit similar to the Uber Cash on the Amex Platinum.
• Up to $100 in hotel credits: Cardmembers who use their card to book a stay of two nights or more through Amex’s The Hotel Collection receive up to $100 on-site experience credit for qualifying activities. Depending on the property, this could include dining, spa treatments or other activities.

Amex Gold cardmembers also receive travel and purchase protections.

Winner: Tie. The Sapphire Preferred is a good value for the price, but the Amex Gold Card costs less out of pocket if you can maximize its Uber and dining credits.

Related: Why you’ll want to pay the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee 

Earning points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

The Sapphire Preferred offers useful bonus categories, but the real highlight isn’t just the categories themselves but how broadly they’re defined. With it, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on a few notable categories:

• Dining, including not just restaurants but many bars, breweries, food trucks and even meal delivery services
• Select streaming services, including Apple+, Disney+, Max, Netflix, SiriusXM, Spotify, and YouTube TV
• Online grocery stores, which include Instacart and many meal delivery services but exclude Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs

You’ll also receive 2 points per dollar on purchases Chase categorizes as travel, which includes hotels, airfare and rental cars, as well as things like Uber, parking meters and limousine rentals. This jumps to 5 points per dollar for travel when you book through Chase Travel (excluding hotel reservations that qualify for the $50 credit).

Additionally, the Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025).

These are solid rates on a wide range of purchases.

Still, the Amex Gold may shine brighter when it comes to its earning structure:

• 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.)
• 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in spending per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel
• Terms apply.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its higher earning rates on dining and at U.S. supermarkets, as well as on flights booked directly with an airline, give it the upper hand.

Related: Why the Amex Gold is the perfect ‘in-between’ credit card

Redeeming points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Both of these cards are similar in that they earn some of the most valuable transferable points currencies around.

The Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for travel through the Chase Travel portal or for other items such as gift cards and even as a statement credit. You’ll get a 25% bonus when redeeming points for travel through the Chase travel portal. But you’ll get the most value by transferring your points to one of  Chase’s 14 valuable hotel and airline transfer partners, including United, Southwest, Hyatt and British Airways.

The Amex Gold earns similarly valuable Membership Rewards points, which you can redeem for travel directly through AmexTravel.com or for gift cards and statement credits. Again, you’ll get the best value from your points by transferring them to one of 21 hotel and airline partners. This includes some that overlap with Chase — like Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways. However, some are different, including Delta SkyMiles, Avianca LifeMiles and ANA Mileage Club.

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn transferable rewards and give you a wide range of valuable redemption options.

Transferring points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards at 2.05 cents and Amex Membership points at 2 cents, but your travel habits might make one currency better than the other for you.

For example, if you live in a Delta hub, you might get more value out of transferring your Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles, while those who have a coveted Southwest Companion Pass can get some incredible value by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards.

Managing editor for credit cards Matt Moffitt utilizes his Sapphire Preferred often by transferring points to British Airways Executive Club to take advantage of sweet spots on American Airlines flights.

Winner: Tie. Both cards transfer to various partners, all with their respective redemption options and sweet spots.

Related: Why transferable points are worth more than other rewards

Should I get the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold?

If you spend most of your budget on groceries or dining and can utilize its monthly credits, the Amex Gold is likely your winner. However, the Sapphire Preferred is a better fit if you prefer Ultimate Rewards points and want to earn bonus points on general travel expenses. Still, remember that it doesn’t have to be a “this or that” decision; there’s room for both of these cards in a well-developed points strategy.

Bottom line

The Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold are two of the most valuable mid-tier cards on the market. Both can provide excellent value, and the question of one card versus another largely depends on how you derive value from your credit cards. However, they’re one of our top card pairings, so it might be worth having both in your wallet.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Apply here: American Express Gold

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For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.

Southwest Airlines is celebrating five years of service in Hawaii with a special promotion: Rapid Rewards members can now earn a valuable Companion Pass by taking just one round-trip flight to Hawaii this summer.

To qualify, you must:

• Be a Rapid Rewards member (you can create an account for free).
• Register for the promotion and purchase qualifying revenue travel (one round-trip or two one-way qualifying flights between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii) by Friday. You can pay for your flight(s) using cash or Southwest’s new Cash + Points option, but flights booked solely with points will not qualify.
• Fly between June 1 and July 3. To qualify, flights must be flown by the same member.

You can choose from five airports in Hawaii that Southwest serves:

• Hilo International Airport (ITO), island of Hawaii
• Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), island of Hawaii
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Oahu
• Kahului Airport (OGG), Maui
• Lihue Airport (LIH), Kauai

After meeting the criteria — and unwinding on a Hawaiian beach — you’ll receive a promotional Companion Pass valid from Oct. 5 to Nov. 15.

Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest’s Companion Pass is popular among travelers because it lets you bring one person on every trip for next to nothing — you just have to pay taxes and fees (starting at $5.60 one-way). This applies to both paid and award tickets to anywhere Southwest services, including the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. You can bring your companion along on as many trips as you want for the life of the pass.

To take advantage of your Companion Pass, first designate a companion in your Rapid Rewards account. Then, after booking your own flight using cash, points or both, go to the My Trips section of your account and follow the steps to book your companion’s ticket.

Note that you can only change your designated Southwest companion up to three times per calendar year.

Normally, you must fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year to earn a Companion Pass. The pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you earned it, plus the following full calendar year.

But there are ways to snag a Companion Pass faster. Southwest occasionally runs promotions like this one, allowing even the most casual Southwest flyers to earn a Companion Pass that’s valid for a shorter length of time. We’ve also seen cobranded Southwest credit cards offer limited-time Companion Passes.

With the current Hawaii promotion, now is a great time to plan a getaway to the Aloha State — and earn a Companion Pass to save on travel this fall.

Related reading:

• Southwest baggage fees and how to avoid paying them
• Airlines that offer you a credit if the price of airfare drops
• Comparing the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier and Plus credit cards
• How to snag the best seats on Southwest Airlines

As we head toward what’s expected to be another record-breaking summer travel season, the White House is intensifying its war on so-called junk fees.

In an interview with TPG, White House Council of Economic Advisers chair Jared Bernstein said the Biden administration has made some important progress on behalf of working families, but there is more work to be done.

That progress includes cracking down on junk fees, getting airlines to agree to more passenger protections, increasing price transparency and holding companies accountable for things like resort or destination fees.

“We’re not going to stop until every junk fee we know about is either repealed or at least elevated into the light,” Bernstein said.

The White House also took some time to discuss the progress they believe they’ve made on infrastructure projects, from new airport terminals to a rapidly expanding nationwide electric charging network.

Here are some of the highlights.

Price transparency

One of the biggest issues the White House has focused on is drip pricing. That term describes when the price you see when you go to buy something doesn’t turn out to be the final price of goods and services.

Take airline tickets, for example. I was shopping for a one-way flight from Rome to Dubrovnik this summer, and I found an attractive price on Google Flights. This led me to the booking page for Vueling, where I found a reasonable price of 99 euros (about $108) for a one-way flight.

However, when I went to book the ticket, all kinds of add-on fees brought the final ticket price to 215 euros (more than $265). That’s the kind of pricing problem the White House is eager to tackle.

“I’m an economist, and I’ll tell you one thing that we know is that price transparency matters,” Bernstein said. “If people can’t see what the real prices of things are, that screws up the whole competitive nature of economies, and it leads to higher costs, higher inflation. Everything we’re working against.”

Bernstein gave an example from his own recent experience when he and his wife went to a comedy club. Tickets cost $30, but upon receiving the bill, he saw they were charged $35 each; the price included a $5 “entrance” fee. They were able to get the additional $5 fee taken off the bill, but many Americans aren’t having such luck.

“One of the things that any economist, I don’t care what side of the aisle you on you’re on, will agree is that price signals are really important, and these junk fees jam price signals,” he said. “That is bad for the economy. It’s bad for consumers, and President Biden isn’t going to stand for it.”

In fact, the Department of Transportation recently finalized a rule requiring airlines to display the full cost of a flight upfront, including bag and seat assignment fees.

Airlines would have to display that pricing information “clearly, conspicuously, and accurately” the first time the fare and schedule information is provided.

The airlines are not happy and have teamed up (with the notable exception of Southwest) in a lawsuit against the DOT, calling the rule unfair and “arbitrary.”

The White House said it couldn’t comment on pending legislation.

“The final rule is part of the president’s broader agenda to lower costs and protect consumers. We view that as completely consistent with his elevation of these junk fee issues — something [the president has] been hitting hard on now for quite a number of months.”

Indeed, the Biden administration has also targeted big banks, finalizing a rule recently to cap credit card late fees. The administration is targeting many other fees as well, including things like title insurance.

“That may sound kind of obscure,” Bernstein said, “but that’s another area where people end up spending hundreds of dollars in ways that often have junky characteristics. We are so not done with this.”

He also pointed out how major airlines are voluntarily changing policies to provide free meals and hotels to travelers affected by preventable flight delays and cancellations. He attributed that, in part, to pressure from the White House.

Related: Here are your rights as a passenger when things go wrong

A crackdown on resort fees

It’s not just airlines and banks being held to higher standards. The administration is also targeting hotel and resort fees. These extra costs are called “destination,” “resort,” or even “urban” fees, and they can add quite a bit of mandatory cost to your hotel stay. These charges get tacked on to your bill and even get their own taxes and fees assessed.

For example, here’s the booking page for Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa in the Maldives, which shows a rate of $862 a night. However, when you get to the final booking page, you see each night will actually cost you $1,107.14 once you include the taxes and the mandatory fees.

The White House wants this kind of situation to stop.

There has been progress, though. Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott will now display resort fees in the booking window … at least for hotels and resorts in the U.S. The screenshot below shows the price with the resort fees included (though not the taxes and fees on those resort fees).

They are still not as transparent on international bookings.

The major hotel chains have gotten better at posting resort fees due to pressure from consumers, thanks to lawsuits filed against hotel groups in some states. For example, Marriott settled with the state of Pennsylvania, which had sued the hotel chain over how it was displaying (or not displaying) resort fees. Marriott agreed to show the fees in future bookings, and now the major hotel chains have all followed suit. (Again, this applies to hotels in the U.S.)

Related: Here’s how to avoid paying resort fees

But the White House says its pressure campaign against big corporations is also paying dividends when it comes to things like resort fees.

Bernstein pointed to how Biden called on hotels to stop surprise fees in his 2023 State of the Union address. Bernstein said those fees were costing Americans more than $3 billion a year. At the time, Biden himself called them “junk fees.”

“The one thing I’ll say here more broadly is that sometimes people say, ‘Oh, the bully pulpit doesn’t do that much.’ Well, in fact, when the president stands up and talks about this, we’ve gotten a lot of voluntary compliance by companies who either kind of know they’re not doing the right thing or by companies who realize they’ve been called out, and they better start doing the right thing,” Bernstein said.

He reminded me of the phrase, “Sunshine is the best antiseptic.”

Bernstein said he believes Biden is helping to shed light on these issues and put such fees in the past.

Infrastructure spending

The White House also told TPG that infrastructure dollars were flooding into America thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law in 2022; it included some $25 billion for airport improvements alone.

Bernstein points to the tens of millions of dollars already allocated for projects like the modernization of Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Bernstein said $9 billion has been allocated so far. “That’s pretty fast money out the door for this sort of thing. These are modernization projects. They include terminal expansions and baggage system upgrades,” he said.

He also pointed to airport infrastructure grants for air traffic control facilities.

“We have a very broad agenda. All of this is trying to make the transportation experience for people safer, less expensive and less interrupted by cancellations and other sorts of disruptions,” he said.

The administration also wanted to draw attention to the flood of money heading to rail projects from coast to coast, including $8.2 billion in new funding for 10 major passenger rail projects and other rail infrastructure.

Bernstein was especially excited about the $6 billion from the government for high-speed rail in California and Nevada.

Related: Brightline to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas

Finally, the administration pointed to the huge push to get a nationwide electric vehicle charging network in place ahead of schedule. He compared it to building a new network of gas stations.

“The national public EV charging network is now at 175,000, and we’re ahead of schedule to meet our goal of 500,000 EV charging stations,” Bernstein said. “Since Biden took office, we have about 1,000 new charges coming online every week.”

Bernstein explained that the pace is increasing, and the program is ahead of its target, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Bottom line

If Biden wins a second term, you can bet that junk fees and infrastructure will remain key issues for the federal government.

Bernstein said that Biden’s measures will have a lasting impact even after he leaves office, which “makes a tremendous difference for the long-term health of our economy, for jobs, for the environment and for the productivity of the nation.”

He explained that Biden is passionate about fixing such price issues because the president heard his family discuss them in everyday conversation growing up.

“Tens of millions of consumers will benefit from voluntary efforts by online ticket sellers, apartment rental sites, short-term rental food sites and delivery sites to provide all-in pricing,” Bernstein said. “We’ve actively been seeking these junk fees, and we have a long list to go.”

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Finnair has now adopted Avios as its loyalty currency per the airline’s website — replacing the Finnair Plus points system.

Avios is the same loyalty currency used by British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Qatar Airways.

Exciting news for Avios collectors: Starting May 22, you can transfer Avios between the British Airways Executive Club program and the Finnair Plus program.

To do this, log in to your Finnair Plus account on finnair.com and link your British Airways Executive Club account; you will be able to transfer Avios in either direction at a 1:1 rate. While Finnair Plus is not a transfer partner of major credit card programs, British Airways is.

If moving Avios from Finnair to BA, read our guide on moving Avios to and from the other programs that use the currency.

Finnair operates flights from a handful of Oneworld hubs in the U.S., including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), to its Nordic hub at Helsinki Airport (HEL), as well as destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Finnair Plus points are now Avios

Finnair Plus award points have been converted to Avios at a 3:2 ratio. Avios prices have also been updated with the same 3:2 ratio, and the value of current Finnair Plus points will not change.

Following the changeover, a haul of 120,000 Finnair Plus points, for example, would now be worth 80,000 Avios. TPG currently values Avios at 1.5 cents each.

Related: A review of Finnair’s business class on the A350-900 from Helsinki to Singapore

How to collect Finnair tier points

Finnair hasn’t just changed its loyalty currency. The overhaul has seen the Finnair Plus program shift to a revenue-based earning platform.

Finnair now awards Avios and elite status based on the amount spent rather than the distance flown — echoing similar moves from British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus.

You now collect tier points and Avios from travel extras for new bookings (as well as bookings made before the changeover but flown after March 9) at the following rates for Finnair-operated flights:

Ticket type	Tier points for flights within Northern Europe	Tier points for flights within the rest of Europe	Tier points for flights between Europe and Asia, North America, Doha or Dubai
Business Flex	1,670	3,340	13,340
Business Classic	1,340	2,670	10,670
Business Light	1,000	2,000	8,000
Premium Economy Flex	N/A	N/A	10,670
Premium Economy Classic	N/A	N/A	8,000
Premium Economy Light	N/A	N/A	5,340
Economy Flex	1,000	2,000	8,000
Economy Classic	670	1,340	5,340
Economy Light/Superlight	340	670	2,670

You can no longer reach tiers with flights only. Your existing Finnair Plus tier points have now switched to tier points under the new system at a 3:2 ratio.

While the status levels will remain the same, the following tier points are needed to reach each membership level under the new system:

Membership tier	Tier points needed
Finnair Plus Basic	0
Finnair Plus Silver	15,000
Finnair Plus Gold	45,000
Finnair Plus Platinum	80,000
Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo	300,000 (with 250,000 collected from Finnair)

New limits for Finnair Plus Lifetime tiers under the new system are as follows:

Finnair Plus Lifetime tier	Lifetime tier points needed
Lifetime Gold	2 million
Lifetime Platinum	3.3 million

If your membership year ended as of January or February, revised tier limits apply. This means you will maintain your current tier or move up to a higher tier with the following tier limits:

Membership tier	Tier points needed
Finnair Plus Silver	22,500
Finnair Plus Gold	67,500
Finnair Plus Platinum	120,000
Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo	450,000 (350,000 must be from Finnair flights)

If your tracking period ended in January and you met the tier requirements by Jan. 31, or if it ended in February and you reached the tier requirements before Feb. 29, you will automatically maintain your current tier.

The same applies to moving up to a higher tier.

Many Finnair frequent flyers may not welcome this spending-based shift, but overall, the Avios adoption will hopefully open up much better redemption opportunities across partner airlines.

New Finnair award pricing

Following the changeover to Avios, award pricing for Finnair flights will be as follows:

Zone	Economy class	Premium economy	Business class
Finland and Northern Europe	6,500 Avios (+10 euros or $10.96)	—	10,000 Avios (+10 euros or $10.96)
Central Europe	12,000 Avios (+15 euros or $16.45)	—	18,000 Avios (+15 euros or $16.45)
Western and Southern Europe	13,000 Avios (+15 euros or $16.45)	—	20,000 Avios (+15 euros or $16.45)
Canary Islands, Madeira, Eilat and Tel Aviv	15,000 Avios (+30 euros or $32.89)	—	25,000 Avios (+30 euros or $32.89)
Doha, Dubai and India	28,000 Avios (+30 euros or $32.89)	42,000 Avios (+35 euros or $38.38)	55,000 Avios (+60 euros or $65.79)
Most of Asia and North America	30,000 Avios (+45 euros or $49.34)	43,500 Avios (+65 euros or $71.27)	62,500 Avios (+100 euros or $109.65)
Japan, Singapore and Los Angeles	30,000 Avios (+45 euros or $49.34)	43,500 Avios (+65 euros or $71.27)	62,500 Avios (+120 euros or $131.58)

Other Finnair Plus changes

With the overhaul, Finnair has also increased the number of award seats available on flights, guaranteeing at least four award seats on flights within Europe. Finnair’s long-haul flights now see at least eight award seats loaded at the start of the schedule — good news for those looking for more redemption opportunities.

Additionally, Finnair Plus members can now receive extra rewards, such as upgrade benefits, upon reaching specific point limits, depending on their elite status.

Finally, Finnair Plus members now receive complimentary internet access for messaging on short-haul European flights operated by the airline’s narrow-body Airbus fleet. This perk will be available regardless of elite status.

In 2024, the airline will create a new Finnair lounge with a dedicated space for top-tier members on the Schengen side of Helsinki Airport. The current Schengen lounge will remain in operation until the new lounge opens.

Related reading:

• British Airways Executive Club: Guide to Avios, elite status and transfer partners
  
• 5 reasons why you should care about British Airways Avios
• 8 cool design elements in Finnair’s AirLounge business class (and 3 things I didn’t like)
• Comparing the Finnair premium economy flight experience on the A330 vs. the A350
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations

United Airlines and Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC are bringing the action directly to Polaris and Premium Plus seats this summer.

The Chicago-based carrier and the global phenomenon, fan-favorite soccer club — which is currently working its way up the tiers of the English football league system — are teaming up to offer flyers new limited-edition amenity kits and pajamas in a unique Wrexham design.

The new amenity kits debut on June 1, and they’ll be available across the airline’s long-haul network.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter.

Travelers seated in Polaris business class will take home a new Wrexham AFC amenity case that’s sure to be a hit with the team’s fans. The reusable toiletry case features the Wrexham crest and is available in red, black or white.

Inside, flyers will find all the usual amenities, such as Therabody hand cream, lip balm, eye serum, face spray and cleansing towelettes, as well as travel essentials, like a bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, ear plugs, tissues, a pen and socks. (United isn’t removing any amenities from the pouch as part of this reveal).

SkyTeam alliance guide: Member airlines, lounges and elite status 

For those traveling in Premium Plus, the airline will offer a new so-called amenity pouch, which also features the Wrexham crest and is available in red, black or white.

The Premium Plus kits will contain all the standard amenities that United has historically offered in this cabin.

In addition to new amenity kits, the airline will debut limited-edition unisex pajamas on flights scheduled for longer than 14 hours. (Until this year, pajamas used to be available on United flights longer than 12 hours.) These pajamas resemble the team’s jerseys, with a red, long-sleeve shirt bearing both the Wrexham AFC and United logos on the front and gray pants with a United logo near the hip.

These new premium products come just seven months after United unveiled an overhauled new Polaris experience that includes revamped Saks Fifth Avenue bedding (in reusable bags), Therabody amenity kits and more.

The partnership with Saks and Therabody remains intact – it’s just the exterior of the amenity kits that’s changing. (Separately, United said it will replace the limited-edition Claude Kameni day blanket with a standard-issue Saks day blanket in the coming weeks.)

The Wrexham tie-in may seem a bit out of left field if you haven’t been following the team’s story. But if you have, chances are you’ll be clamoring to score one of these kits.

United first partnered with Wrexham in 2023 as the club’s shirt sponsor, meaning that the airline’s logo appears on the front of Wrexham’s jerseys.

Map watching: The award for ‘sexiest new route’ of the year goes to … 

The team has surged in popularity, not to mention name recognition, across both sides of the pond after it was purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as a passion project in 2020. The club, which was recently promoted to League One — the third of four tiers of the English Football League, but the third-highest tier in the overall English league system (yes, this is confusing) — is the subject of the Emmy award-winning FX documentary “Welcome to Wrexham,” which has chronicled the team’s transformation from a small-time club to a major player.

In fact, when Wrexham AFC launched new jerseys at the beginning of the season last June, they sold out in minutes, prompting a lucrative second-hand market for those who initially bought a jersey.

“We always want to keep things fresh, especially for our summer travelers who may not have flown United in the past,” said Peter Wolkowski, United’s director of onboard product design, in an interview with TPG.

“This is one of the better ideas that we had, especially since Wrexham has become a hot TV show, a hot property, and they themselves can’t keep merchandise on their shelves,” Wolkowski added.

United is the latest U.S. airline to unveil enhancements to its “soft product,” the part of the travel experience that’s not physically bolted onto the plane.

Earlier this year, American Airlines announced brand-new amenity kits and pajamas in partnership with Los Angeles-based beauty retailer Thirteen Lune, and so did JetBlue Airways.

With premium travel demand soaring, airlines are doing whatever they can to convince flyers to travel with them.

Related reading:

• 6 things you need to know about United Airlines MileagePlus
• The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers
• What is United Airlines elite status worth?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• How to survive basic economy on United Airlines

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Dining rewards programs are among the easiest ways to earn miles, and one popular program is Alaska Mileage Plan Dining. You can earn Alaska miles when you dine with a linked card at participating restaurants.

All you have to do is join and register at least one debit or credit card to watch the miles stack up as you dine at participating restaurants. You’ll even qualify for bonus miles on your first purchase and increase your earning rate when you dine out frequently. Here’s everything you need to know about the Alaska Mileage Plan Dining program.

Related: Best dining credit cards

How to join Alaska Mileage Plan Dining

It’s easy to join Mileage Plan Dining. To sign up, you’ll need to provide your name, ZIP code, email address and Mileage Plan number.

While promotional emails are often pesky, we recommend agreeing to email communications. Doing so means you’ll earn 3 miles for every $1 spent instead of the standard 1 mile for every $2 spent.

Related: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: How to earn and redeem miles

How to earn miles with Alaska’s dining program

Earning miles with Alaska’s dining program is as simple as signing up, registering a credit or debit card to your account and paying for meals at participating restaurants with an enrolled card.

Once you enroll a card in a dining rewards program, the program tracks your purchases with that card at participating restaurants. So, if you enroll multiple cards in Alaska Mileage Plan Dining, you’ll earn Alaska miles when you make a qualifying purchase using any of your enrolled cards. You can search for participating restaurants by name, cuisine type or location.

After you dine at a Mileage Plan Dining restaurant and pay with a linked card, you’ll usually get an email notification from Mileage Plan Dining. This email lets you know your purchase has earned miles and includes an invitation to submit a review.

Related: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping portal: Earn miles on your online purchases

Mileage Plan Dining tiers

Alaska Mileage Plan Dining has three membership tiers, earning between 0.5 and 5 Alaska miles per dollar spent:

• Basic member: 1 mile per $2 spent
• Select member: 3 miles per $1 spent
• VIP member: 5 miles per $1 spent

As mentioned, you can upgrade from the Basic membership to the Select membership by opting in to email notifications. You can do this during the sign-up process or at any other time. As a Select member, you’ll not only earn more Alaska miles but also receive opportunities to earn bonus miles and get advance notice of promotions.

Becoming a VIP member requires opting in to receive email notifications and completing 11 qualified dines in a calendar year. On your 12th dine, you’ll begin earning 5 miles per dollar spent and qualify for bonus opportunities until the end of the next calendar year.

It’s also worth noting that you can join every airline- and hotel-affiliated dining reward program. However, they’re all part of the same network, so you cannot register the same card with more than one program.

Mileage Plan first-dine and reservation bonuses

New members can earn up to 500 bonus miles after spending $30 at any participating restaurant and submitting an online review within 30 days of joining Mileage Plan Dining.

You can also take advantage of the program’s reservation bonus by booking a dining reservation through Mileage Plan Dining. Not all participating restaurants offer reservations, but for those that do, you can earn an extra 50 miles every time you make a reservation, dine and pay with a linked card.

Note that this bonus is limited to one completed reservation per day, with a maximum of eight completed reservations per calendar month.

Related: Can you earn rewards with a dining rewards program and a credit card at the same time?

Is Alaska Mileage Plan dining worth it?

Although Alaska miles can be hard to earn compared to other loyalty programs, we value Alaska miles at 1.6 cents each — one of the highest frequent flyer program valuations. So, signing up for Alaska’s dining rewards program is worth it if you like redeeming Alaska miles. Otherwise, another dining rewards program might serve you better.

Remember, points and miles from dining rewards programs like Mileage Plan Dining come in addition to the rewards you’ll earn from your credit card.

Related: Maximizing redemptions with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

The best credit cards for dining

To maximize your earnings when you dine out, we recommend linking your Mileage Plan Dining account to a card that earns bonus points on dining. Some great credit cards to use at restaurants include:

• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus on takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services.
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 7 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants.
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Expert stacking: How I earned $80 in cash back and rewards from 1 dinner

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines’ dining rewards program is a great way to earn Alaska miles. With Alaska Mileage Plan Dining, you can earn up to 5 miles per dollar spent at participating restaurants. Remember to pay the restaurant directly, as ordering through a delivery service like DoorDash won’t count toward Mileage Plan Dining.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

I often rent a car when I visit a destination that isn’t walkable and doesn’t offer public transit options that fit my needs. Unfortunately, rental car rates can be high, and sifting through all the potential discounts to find the lowest rate can be overwhelming. Luckily, this is where AutoSlash comes in.

In this guide, I’ll discuss how I use AutoSlash and share everything you need to know about it to help you save money on your next car rental.

What is AutoSlash?

AutoSlash is a website that provides three primary services free of charge:

• Quotes for car rentals
• Tracking to find less expensive car rentals
• Coupons you can use

AutoSlash distinguishes itself from other car rental websites by finding lower rates through features such as coupons, discount codes and membership-related discounts. You can also use AutoSlash to track rates if you already have a car rental reservation.

Related: The 1-minute video you should take every time you rent a car

How does AutoSlash find lower rates?

When aggregating car rental options, AutoSlash factors in coupons and discounts many major car rental companies offer. You can find some discounts on AutoSlash’s coupon page, which I discuss below. AutoSlash also finds other discounts, including those related to the following memberships, affiliations, loyalty programs and credit cards:

• Memberships and affiliations: AAA, Canadian Automobile Association, AARP, military members, military veterans, Union Plus and United Services Automobile Association
• Frequent flyer programs: Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Frontier Miles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards and United Airlines MileagePlus
• Warehouse clubs: BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club
• Credit cards: American Express, American Express Platinum, Discover, Mastercard, Mastercard World Elite, Visa, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite

When you request a new quote or track a current reservation through AutoSlash, you provide information about your memberships, affiliations, loyalty programs and credit cards. Based on this information, AutoSlash shows you the cheapest rental car rates.

You may need to show your credit card at the rental car counter to take advantage of a discount related to a particular credit card. However, there is usually no requirement to pay with that card, so you may still be able to use one of the best credit cards for rental car insurance.

Related: 11 common rental car mistakes — and how to avoid them

How to use AutoSlash to get a discounted car rental quote

If you’re looking to rent a car, AutoSlash is an excellent place to start. Start by going to the AutoSlash website and filling out the form to get a quote for a car rental. The first time I used AutoSlash, it took me less than two minutes to submit my request.

How to get a new AutoSlash quote

The first step is to choose whether you want to pick up your rental at an airport or near an address.

Then, input whether you’d like to return the car to the same location. If not, state the return airport or address near which you’d like to return your rental.

Next, input the pick-up and drop-off dates and times.

Then, select the vehicle type needed from a drop-down list. The options will vary depending on your pick-up location. If you don’t have a preference, you can choose the “least expensive option.”

For international markets, AutoSlash also includes a drop-down for choosing the transmission type: automatic only or manual OK.

Next, you must check the box next to your credit cards.

Then, you should check the box next to any memberships you currently have, loyalty programs you belong to and warehouse club memberships you carry.

Finally, AutoSlash asks for your name, the country where your driver’s license is issued and the email address to which you’d like a quote.

After submitting the form, you can edit any information you entered incorrectly.

Due to the depth of AutoSlash’s search, the quote isn’t available instantly, but you’ll usually receive it in just a few minutes.

How to book a deal using AutoSlash

After submitting a request, I always get a quote by email in under 15 minutes. The subject line for the above request was “Discounted Rates for Your 3/13 Car Rental in Denver.”

Clicking on the link in the email takes you to a page displaying all your options.

You’ll usually see options that let you pay later with Priceline or AutoSlash or pay now with AutoSlash. Your credit card will be charged for the pay-now option, but you can usually cancel until 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up. Meanwhile, you won’t need to enter a credit card for the pay later option.

In my experience, you’ll usually get loyalty perks and earnings with your rental company if you choose to pay later and enter your loyalty information when booking. But don’t expect loyalty benefits and earnings when opting to pay now with AutoSlash.

Rental rates change frequently, so you’ll need to book quickly after getting the emailed quote if you want the price to be accurate. If you wait too long, AutoSlash will offer to generate a new quote when you click through the email.

Related: Check your receipt — 5 hidden rental car fees to look out for

How to use AutoSlash to track a rental for price drops

After you’ve made a reservation with free cancellation, go to AutoSlash and fill out the form to track your rental for price drops. If you have your current reservation in front of you, filling out the form should take less than a minute.

The form for tracking price drops requires information about the booking, including the rental company, your confirmation number, the pick-up date and the price you reserved. You will also need to provide information about which memberships you hold and which credit cards you carry.

After submitting the form, you’ll receive an AutoSlash tracking confirmation email. You can click on a link in the email to set your preferences for the tracking service; for example, you can opt to only receive notifications if select car rental companies offer less expensive rates.

If you receive an email saying AutoSlash has found a lower rate, the booking process is similar to what is described above for a new quote. Once you book a lower-priced option, be sure to do all of the following:

• Cancel the higher-priced reservation
• Cancel your current tracker (otherwise, AutoSlash will continue to send quotes when it finds lower prices)
• Go to AutoSlash and fill out the form to track your new booking for price drops

There’s no downside to using the tracking functionality. If your originally booked reservation remains the cheapest, you can rest easy knowing you got a great deal. And if AutoSlash finds you a lower rate, the few minutes of your time will be well worth it.

Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals

Car rental coupons

If you need or prefer to book directly with car rental companies, AutoSlash may still be useful for you due to its coupons page. These coupons are specific to particular car rental companies and can be applied when booking directly.

You can select a specific company from the drop-down menu at the top of the page to only see the coupons related to that particular car rental company.

Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals

Is AutoSlash legit?

I’ve used AutoSlash for dozens of rentals over more than seven years. The site is legit and has saved me hundreds of dollars on domestic and international rental cars.

Whenever I need to rent a car, I open four sites: AutoSlash, Avis, Budget and Enterprise. For years, I used AutoSlash as a one-stop shop. But my current employer has corporate codes with Avis, Budget and Enterprise that employees can use for personal rentals.

I’ve found these corporate codes are competitive in many U.S. cities. I’ve also found the discount codes for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to be good (and not currently supported by AutoSlash). So, although I search on all four sites when renting a car, AutoSlash usually doesn’t provide the best quote for rentals in the U.S.

AutoSlash is still useful for tracking my rentals, though. It has also remained the most competitive when renting abroad. For example, AutoSlash provided the best rates I could find for several rentals in South Africa.

Related: Best car rental sites to book your next road trip

Bottom line

There are many ways to save when booking rental cars. The best method will depend on your memberships and travel style, but I recommend adding AutoSlash to your search process if you don’t already use the site. AutoSlash has helped me find competitive car rental rates worldwide, so I suspect it may also help you save money.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

We often say the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best first credit card for those learning about the points and miles hobby. That’s not because the card is a “beginner” card — quite the opposite. Many of us at TPG still have the Sapphire Preferred because it’s integral to our travel rewards strategy.

We highlight it for a few reasons:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points are versatile and easy to use. Anyone getting started in credit card rewards will have no trouble saving a lot of money with them.
• The card has solid ongoing benefits that are not points-related.
• The card typically comes with a generous sign-up bonus.

In fact, right now, new applicants for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card can earn a limited-time bonus of 75,000 Ultimate Reward points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The card comes with a $95 annual fee, but it’s relatively easy to cover it (and then some).

Let’s look at how you can maximize the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits to ensure you’re saving the most money — and earning the most points — as organically possible. It’ll help you gauge whether the card is worth keeping year after year.

Overview of the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits

Here are the notable benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred:

• $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 10% points bonus each year based on your card spending (e.g., if you spend $10,000, you’ll receive 1,000 bonus points)
• 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025) and travel booked through the Chase travel portal
• 5 points per dollar on each Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more — with a limit of 25,000 points (through March 2025)

• At least 12 months of complimentary DashPass for use with both DoorDash and Caviar (when you activate by Dec. 31)
• 3 points per dollar on dining. select streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal
• 1 point per dollar on everything else
• Primary rental car insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Extended warranty protection
• No foreign transaction fees

You don’t have to be a points and miles enthusiast to appreciate the card. These perks make the Chase Sapphire Preferred a very practical card for anyone who vacations even just once or twice per year.

With a $95 annual fee, the travel protections alone make this card worth the price tag. And because the card quickly racks up rewards, you’ll have a small fortune in Chase points by the time you’re confident enough to use them.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred review

Strategies for maximizing the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s current limited-time bonus is 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values that bonus at $1,538 — though you can get significantly more than that if you learn the Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots.

But once you’ve used the bonus, what’s the best way to maximize this card?

Use your Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for airfare

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on airfare booked through the Chase travel portal and 2 points per dollar when booked through an online travel agency or directly with the airline. However, amassing points is not the primary motivator for using the card.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred will automatically give you two significant benefits (among others) when booking air travel:

• Trip delay insurance: You are covered for up to $500 per ticket when your flight is delayed 12 hours or more (or if your delay/cancellation results in an unexpected overnight).
• Baggage delay insurance: You and your immediate family are entitled to up to $100 per day in reimbursement (for up to five days) to cover the purchase of necessary expenses like clothes, toiletries, etc. This benefit kicks in when your bags are delayed six hours or more.

These perks alone are enough for many to keep the card year after year.

Use your Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for hotels via the Chase travel portal

Each anniversary year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with a $50 statement credit for a hotel stay booked via the Chase travel portal. You’ll also receive 5 points per dollar for booking travel through the Chase travel portal (though the $50 credit won’t earn points). That’s a great pair of benefits capable of wooing anyone who normally books hotels via an online travel agency like Expedia or Priceline.

Just note that this may not be the best option if you’re booking a major chain that’s part of a hotel loyalty program like Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. Chase is considered a third-party platform for these reservations, which means you likely won’t earn points on the stay (and you may not be able to enjoy any elite status perks either).

You could always call the individual property after booking (or try to add your loyalty number at check-in), but it may not work. Your best bet is to use this perk for non-chain hotels or boutique properties.

Use your Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for rental cars

Here’s another stand-alone benefit that may justify the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee for many travelers: when you pay for a rental car with the card, you can waive the in-house rental agency’s pricey Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance — which can cost upward of $15 per day — and you’ll still receive primary rental car insurance, courtesy of Chase.

Note that this covers damage and theft to the card without going through your personal insurance company. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar if you book your rental through the Chase Travel Portal. However, this doesn’t include liability insurance (damage to the car you crashed into, for example).

Use your Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay at restaurants

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants — whether you’re ordering takeout or dining in. That’s a great benefit to stack with the fact that the card offers one complimentary year (at least) of DashPass membership with DoorDash (when you activate by Dec. 31, 2024). You’ll get free deliveries on orders totaling more than $12 and earn 3 points per dollar on your purchase. That equates to 6% back on your meal.

Related: Just got the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Do these 6 things next

When not to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Sometimes, your Chase Sapphire Preferred is best left in its holster.

Don’t use your Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for non-bonus purchases

The card earns 1 point per dollar on all expenses that don’t fall into a bonus category. That’s not a reasonable return rate. There are plenty of cards (some with $0 annual fees) that will better serve you for these transactions. If you want to stay focused on collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards, swipe your Chase Freedom Unlimited® to earn a minimum of 1.5% cash-back (1.5 points per dollar) on all purchases.

Don’t forfeit other card benefits by using your Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you’ve got other credit cards that provide valuable benefits for specific purchases, don’t use the Chase Sapphire Preferred out of loyalty.

D3SIGN/GETTY IMAGES

For example, you can receive a free checked bag with United Airlines when you use your qualifying United Airlines credit card to pay for your flight. That could save you $60 round-trip and is worth using your United card.

Or if you book the same hotel brand often and elite status is important to you, use the hotel’s cobranded credit card to pay for your stays instead of the Sapphire Preferred. You’ll earn more points that way. For instance:

• The World of Hyatt Credit Card earns 4 points per dollar at Hyatt hotels (6.8% return based on TPG valuations).
• The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card earns 12 points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases (7.2% return based on TPG valuations).

Bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is well worth the $95 annual fee each year if you know how to maximize the card. The card packs a punch between its annual $50 hotel credit, the myriad travel insurances and its generous earning rates. And considering the solid welcome bonus, applying right now is a no-brainer.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred with limited time 75,000 bonus point offer after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

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The federal government is urging worldwide caution and alertness in popular tourist spots amid what it says are potential threats of violence against LGBTQI+ travelers.

The U.S. State Department issued a security alert Friday warning of the possibility of terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against American citizens. Specifically, the State Department is warning that Pride celebrations and venues frequented by LGBTQI+ persons could be at risk.

“The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events,” the State Department said in the alert shared to its social media platforms.

Due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. We are aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist… pic.twitter.com/6aXW4CAJoa

— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) May 17, 2024

The warning comes just a week before the traditional start of the summer travel season, and just before the start of widespread Pride Month celebrations in June.

It also comes just a week after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a joint public service announcement, which similarly warned of the potential for foreign terrorist organizations to target Pride events and venues in June.

Should travelers be concerned?

Though it shared serious concerns in Friday’s alert, it is important to note that the State Department did not detail specific threats or circumstances that triggered this advisory.

At the same time, the department told TPG, it’s aware of “long-standing messaging by foreign terrorist organizations encouraging attacks against LGBTQI+ persons,” including Pride celebrations.

The agency keeps an ongoing and robust assortment of travel advisories covering, essentially, the entire world. And it often issues safety alerts and reminders ahead of major travel seasons, and in the midst of situations involving emerging unrest.

For instance, before each of the past two spring travel seasons, the department reminded travelers headed to Mexico of common-sense safety measures to avoid becoming a potential victim of crime.

It also issued a global safety alert in October amid violence in Israel and Gaza.

Additionally, the department maintains travel advisories for each country around the world, rating potential risk levels based on factors like the possibility of kidnapping, crime, unlawful detention and — for some regions of the world — specific dangers to LGBTQI+ travelers.

Notably, Friday’s alert for this June seems to cover travel around the entire world.

The state department has a guide full of advice and considerations for LGBTQI+ travelers heading abroad.

Here are some additional pieces of advice for your summer 2024 travels, including trips taking place during Pride month.

Stay alert

The State Department urges travelers visiting popular tourist locations, including Pride celebrations, to stay alert and aware of their surroundings.

This is always a good practice when traveling or venturing out into busy areas for any reason.

Enroll in ‘STEP’ program

The agency also suggests travelers enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. STEP allows travelers to receive information and alerts from the nearest consulate, wherever they are. It’s a highly helpful tool to have if you’re experiencing an emergency overseas — it can also help travelers be easily located, if necessary. More on that in our guide, here.

Travel in groups

Just like at home, whenever possible, traveling with a buddy or a group can be safer than going alone.

Research your country

As mentioned above, the State Department issues travel advisories for individual countries and shares specific safety concerns for each destination.

In some nations, advisory notices do specify the potential for violence against LGBTQI+ travelers.

You can search for your destination at this link.

Plan ahead

If you’re headed to a busy event in a crowded metropolitan area, it’s typically a good idea to have a primary plan for how you’ll get back to your hotel or rental property — and a backup plan, too. For instance, Uber or Lyft might be your “Plan A” — but what would be your backup plan if your phone died or cell phone service was spotty?

Though smartphones have made it easy to pull up walking directions on the spot, it’s not a bad idea to study the map of your destination so you at least have a general sense of the geography.

Visit a highly vetted hotel

Do your homework when booking a hotel to ensure it’s a fit for your trip — both in terms of amenities and safety. TPG has a vast library of hotel reviews and guides from properties spanning the globe, featuring firsthand testimonials and photos of what a particular property is like — including location and safety factors.

Share your itinerary with someone back home

As always when traveling abroad, it’s a good idea to share your itinerary — and any subsequent deviations from it — with a trusted friend or family member back home. This includes hotels or rental property addresses where you’re staying, flight numbers and a scan of your passport information page.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

Most theme parks endeavor to pull you out of reality and into a world of fantasy. However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World seeks to do exactly the opposite.

Not only were several of Animal Kingdom’s lands and attractions built to resemble real-life African and Asian destinations. The park was also designed to educate guests on their relationship to nature and inspire them to leave a lasting impact on the environment.

That’s a tall order, considering most people visit a theme park for rides and character meet-and-greets. A dedicated team of specialists works closely with the animals who call Disney World “home.” This allows guests to engage with animals in meaningful ways that will stick with them long after they return to the real world.

TPG recently spoke with Disney’s Dr. Scott Terrell and Dr. Zak Gezon, two such animal care experts, to learn how they tackle the extraordinary task of caring for animals at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

Related: Tips for visiting Disney World: 19 ways to save money and have more fun

By the numbers

Open since April 22, 1998, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Disney World’s newest and largest theme park. The park spans 500 acres, with 110 acres alone — the equivalent of 83 football fields — dedicated to one of its most popular attractions: Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Disney is currently home to more than 5,000 animals from 300 unique species. Most of those animals reside at Animal Kingdom, but some live in other parts of the resort, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion at Epcot and Tri-Circle-D Ranch at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Of those, about 45 animals have lived at the park since before its opening on Earth Day in 1998.

Some — like the bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators Disney supports through its conservation efforts — are simply too numerous to count.

Care and feeding

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, but caring for several thousand animals that live in a theme park presents unique challenges.

“At Disney, we are surrounded by entertainment and attractions, but every cast member in the park understands that animal care comes first,” Terrell told TPG.

Like other accredited zoos and aquariums, Disney has scientists who specialize in animal behavior, health and nutrition. They also understand how things like light, sound and temperature affect the animals.

“We use real data to make sure the animals are happy, healthy and comfortable so they have the ability to thrive in our care,” Terrell said.

Related: More rides and fewer crowds: What to expect at Disney After Hours

Animal Kingdom’s hours of operation provide the most obvious example of how Disney prioritizes animal care. While most Disney parks remain open until 9 or 10 p.m. (and sometimes later), Animal Kingdom typically closes by 7 p.m. so cast members have time to care for the animals properly. This also means animals can have a quiet, restful evening without being disrupted by guests.

There are also no fireworks at Animal Kingdom for the animals’ sake. If you have ever been around a skittish animal during Fourth of July fireworks, you know just how important this is.

Disney utilizes the latest technology to provide the best care for its animals. Two years ago, Disney shared that some of the rhinos on Kilimanjaro Safaris wear fitness trackers around their legs, but they aren’t trying to get their 10,000 steps in. Disney’s animal care specialists use the data from the fitness trackers to study how far and fast the animals move each day, as well as their napping and sleeping schedules. The trackers are also GPS-enabled, so Disney can see exactly where they like to hang out on the savanna.

This year, Disney revealed how the Animal Kingdom staff monitors the breeding and feeding behavior of the park’s more than 100 Northern carmine bee-eater birds. Scientists use small radio frequency identification tracking devices to keep tabs on how often the birds enter their feeding area in search of tasty insects so they can properly supplement their diets.

Of course, the park’s sheer size is also a factor. Millions of guests visit Disney World every year — far more than any other zoo or aquarium.

“Providing world-class care for these animals is our number one priority, but we also have the opportunity to inspire millions of people, which is pretty awesome,” Terrell said.

Of the 300-plus cast members who care for Disney’s animals daily, about 40 of them are responsible for creating, preparing and monitoring meals for both the zoo and aquarium animals at Disney’s Animal Nutrition Center. In fact, Disney’s is one of the few aquariums with a dedicated aquarium nutritionist on staff.

“We prepare about 1,200 individual meals daily,” Terrell said. “That’s more than 10,000 pounds of food every single day.”

If you are picturing the boring bowls of food you see in pet food commercials, think again.

“What many people might be surprised about is that we feed our animals the same ingredients we feed our guests,” Terrell added.

Feeding Disney’s animals the right food in the right amounts is very important. The Animal Nutrition team monitors their intake so closely that they know within 2 grams what the animals eat on a daily basis.

Related: The 21 most underrated things at Disney World: What to see, do and eat that many guests miss

The team also feeds the animals a varied diet. The staffers introduce different spices or scents regularly, but they also love celebrating the animals on special occasions. When an animal celebrates a birthday, for example, the Animal Nutrition team might prepare a special meal like a cake made of fruit and vegetables.

“We know that nutrition is important to be healthy, happy and comfortable, and celebrating our animals helps them and their caretakers thrive,” Terrell said.

Next time you visit Animal Kingdom, you can see Disney’s Animal Nutrition team in action at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Look for the Nutrition Center window inside the Conservation Station; you can watch handlers prepare healthy meals for Disney’s animals right before your eyes and see examples of the types of meals they feast on.

At Epcot, you can watch the animal care experts feed fish, sea turtles and other aquatic animals at The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion.

The doctor is in

You can’t exactly put an elephant in the car when it’s time for a checkup. Luckily, Disney’s doctors make house calls and can do everything from X-rays to ultrasounds. Disney employs almost a dozen veterinarians, including Terrell, who have training in a variety of zoological specialties.

“Here at Disney, we’re able to do just about anything that any medical professional or veterinarian could do,” Terrell said. “We have the ability to do things like PET scans, X-rays, surgery and lab work on-site.”

In December 2023, Disney welcomed a 218-pound baby African elephant named Corra into the world. Guests can now see Corra roaming the savanna when they ride Kilimanjaro Safaris. African elephants are an endangered species, and it took careful planning and monitoring to ensure Corra and her mom, Nadirah, had a healthy birth and bonding experience.

Disney’s veterinary team provided Nadirah with prenatal care that included regular ultrasounds and a few extra treats like sweet potatoes, carrots and hay to keep her happy during her checkups. They also measured the calf’s weight and checked the mom’s weight and hormones daily as the big day approached.

More recently, in March, Disney welcomed a baby addax named Julien to the herd. You may catch a glimpse of Julien roaming the grounds at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The addax is a species of antelope that is critically endangered in the wild but has the opportunity to thrive thanks to Disney’s expert care.

Disney collaborates with the AZA’s Species Survival Plan program, which helps to promote safe and healthy breeding of certain endangered and threatened species to increase populations and ensure their survival. In addition to Corra and Julien, Disney has overseen the births of other species in their care — such as Sumatran tigers, western lowland gorillas, cotton-top tamarinds and okapi — through the SSP.

Disney also performs routine veterinary services for its residents, many of which you can observe when you visit the park.

“The really unique thing about our veterinary program is that we perform most of our medical procedures right in front of our guests,” Terrell said. “We are extremely transparent with our guests about the level of care that the animals receive. To date, we’ve performed more than 26,000 medical procedures in front of our guests.”

Next time you visit Rafiki’s Planet Watch, you can peek into the window of the veterinary treatment room inside the Conservation Station building. You’ll see a screen with that day’s schedule, which could include anything from a CT scan to an injury treatment to a dental exam and cleaning.

Disney’s global impact

Disney’s commitment to conservation extends far beyond welcoming little bundles of joy into the world. It even extends beyond Walt Disney World’s gates.

“We want to be good stewards of the environment for the animals that are outside of our care, as well,” Gezon told TPG.

Over the past 20 years, Disney has documented more than 1 million sea turtle hatchlings emerging from their eggs and making the trek to the ocean.

“Endangered sea turtles are nesting right now on the beach in front of Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, and we have a dedicated team that is there every single day during the breeding season,” Gezon said.

Some of the animals Disney is trying to protect, like the purple martins, visit the parks but are free to come and go as they please. These migratory birds make the 6,000-mile journey to the Brazilian rainforest and back every year. During their time in Central Florida, Disney installs purple martin birdhouses all over the property; each has several nesting compartments where the birds can find mates, lay eggs and care for their chicks until they can fly on their own.

“We are doing all sorts of cutting-edge research, like putting solar-powered GPS tracking units on some of the birds so we can learn about their migration patterns,” Gezon said.

Disney can use this information to monitor and care for these animals better when they visit Disney and when they return to South America. Last year, more than 1,000 chicks hatched at Disney World — an all-time record for the purple martin program.

Several pollinator populations worldwide are declining due to habitat loss, and Disney is doing everything possible to protect pollinators.

“We were a founding member of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network in 2004. We’ve documented over a hundred pollinating insect species across our property. We really want to do the absolute best job we can to take care of the environment, whether that’s animals in our care or outside of our care,” Gezon said.

In fact, Gezon likes to think of Disney as one giant pollinator garden.

“It’s a whole thriving metropolis of nature, and it’s because we’ve gone in there intentionally and tried to make this space,” Gezon said.

Next time you visit Disney World, take a moment to stop and look around. The bees, butterflies, birds and other insects you see are not there by accident. Your best bets for spotting pollinators are at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and around the specially designed flower gardens at Disney parks and resort hotels.

A call to action

Guests can learn about animals and environments from across the globe at Disney, especially by participating in free activities like the Wilderness Explorers program at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or the Finding Dory’s Friends scavenger hunt at Epcot’s The Seas with Nemo & Friends. However, Gezon and Terrell hope your vacation is just the spark that ignites a lifelong passion for protecting the environment.

“I really want people to be inspired by nature and feel empowered that they can make an impact when they leave here. If people go home inspired and tell their friends about it, even small actions can add up and create a lasting impact on our entire planet,” Gezon said.

“We are a company that believes in hope and magic. If we can inspire that same belief in our guests, the collective impact can, without a doubt, change the world,” Terrell added.

That change can start in your own backyard. Gezon and Terrell gave several examples that most of us can easily integrate into our daily lives. Actions such as turning off the water when you brush your teeth, planting a pollinator garden in your yard or recycling your old cellphones are more significant than they seem; this is especially true when you spread the word to your friends and family so they can pitch in, too.

“There are so many ways to be inspired by nature and have an amazing time while you are doing it,” Gezon said.

At Disney, education feels like you are just having fun with your friends and family. However, you can take what you learn and make the world a better place for all its inhabitants, no matter how big or small. After all, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

Related reading:

• Are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?
• Save big bucks on Disney World tickets, hotel stays and dining with these discounts
• The 17 best Disney World hotels for your stay
• 12 reasons to stay at a Walt Disney World Resort property