Month: July 2024

The potential for unexpected and disruptive mishaps during your cruise is not something to ignore. Flight delays can lead to missed embarkations. A sudden medical emergency can result in passengers getting abandoned during port stops. Cruise lines can go bankrupt and strand travelers abroad.

As a consumer advocate, I receive hundreds of help requests each year from distraught cruisers whose trips didn’t go as planned. Each time, I’m struck by how different their situation might have been if they’d only purchased an insurance policy. Cruise travel insurance can often save the day if you get hit by a surprise calamity before or during your cruise.

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Of course, though, that’s only true if you have a policy with the correct type of insurance coverage. Travel insurance mistakes and misunderstandings are common among cruise ship passengers and can lead to travelers finding themselves uninsured or under-insured when they encounter a problem on their trip.

That’s something TPG wants to help you avoid. Here are the most common cruise travel insurance mistakes I’ve encountered so you will know how to make better choices for your next vacation at sea.

Not buying travel insurance because you expect to take the cruise

Not even considering travel insurance is by far the top mistake I see made by cruise ship passengers. I’m always surprised when a cruiser tells me they didn’t buy travel insurance because they didn’t expect to cancel their trip.

This is a common defense offered by travelers caught in expensive situations that travel insurance would have easily covered.

The idea that you don’t need travel insurance because you don’t expect to cancel your cruise is flawed at its most basic level. The fact is, travel insurance is meant to protect you from unexpected events that cause you to cancel or interrupt your cruise.

Before you reject the idea of travel insurance to protect your next cruise, consider what will happen if:

• You get sick or injured before or during the trip.
• You lose your job and can’t afford to go.
• You or a family member is hospitalized or dies.
• Your flight is canceled or delayed and you miss embarkation.
• The airline loses your bags on the way to the cruise ship.

That’s just a sampling of surprise events that comprehensive travel insurance could cover (depending on the policy). However, if you don’t have a policy protecting you and you’re in your cruise contract’s penalty zone, you will miss your vacation and won’t get your money back.

Related: Is travel insurance worth it?

Not budgeting for travel insurance

Another frequent excuse I hear from cruise ship passengers about why they didn’t purchase travel insurance is the cost. That can be a short-sighted decision, though; if something goes wrong, an uninsured traveler can end up owing far more than the price of a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Consider what would happen if you had an accident during a shore excursion and needed to be medically evacuated. Those emergency services can easily cost $50,000 or more, depending on your location. During a recent cruise to Antarctica, I was required by Aurora Expeditions to have $250,000 of medical evacuation insurance. Traveling to remote locations — or even not-so-remote locations — without medical evacuation coverage could be life-altering if you end up in a catastrophic emergency.

If you intend to spend thousands of dollars to take a cruise, it’s always a good idea to budget some of your vacation funds for a travel insurance policy that minimally covers medical care and evacuation home. If you don’t, you leave yourself wide open to medical bills, cancellation penalties and more.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Buying travel ‘protection’ from your tour operator

A handful of tour operators and cruise lines sell something called “Travel Protection” or “Travel Waiver,” which a sales rep will offer to you when you purchase your cruise. If you’re booking online, a pop-up will appear before you complete your reservation. It will say something like “Warning! Protect your investment with our Travel Protection Plan” or “Get peace of mind with Travel Protection.”

This product isn’t called travel insurance because it isn’t travel insurance — it’s a hybrid product.

The travel insurance industry is highly regulated. If you buy a policy through an actual travel insurance company, you will be protected by specific laws and regulations. If you have a complaint about your travel insurance policy or claim, you can escalate your problem to your state’s insurance board.

Most importantly, travel insurance companies have underwriters, so consumers have a safety net if something goes catastrophically wrong with the travel insurance company.

If you purchase travel protection instead, many safety protocols meant to protect consumers who buy travel insurance will not apply to you.

Before buying one of these policies, it’s critical to understand what you’re purchasing. Travel Protection has two parts:

Part A: This is predeparture cancellation protection (the passenger’s cancellation) and is a self-insured product provided entirely by the cruise line or tour operator. There is no underwriter. This is often advertised as a “cancel for any reason” policy, but that moniker is often misunderstood by the travelers who buy this product. I’ll explain further below.

Part B: This is post-departure protection and will be an actual travel insurance policy provided by a third-party insurance company. That part of the plan will provide medical coverage, emergency evacuation protection, trip interruption and more.

Because Part A is not a travel insurance product, passengers are putting their “investment” in a precarious situation should the cruise line or tour operator go out of business or become insolvent. If the operator has no money to pay the claims, there is no safety net without an underwriter. Thus, the customers will be left empty-handed.

That’s the unfortunate situation that many Vantage Deluxe World Travel customers found themselves in last June. When the tour operator canceled all future tours and filed for bankruptcy, it owed $108 million to roughly 10,000 customers. Many of those would-be travelers had approved Part A (predeparture) Vantage Travel Protection claims and were waiting for payment when the company went belly-up.

Other Vantage customers erroneously believed that Part B of the pricey travel protection plan would protect them under all circumstances — including bankruptcy.

Far too late, these stunned travelers read through their policies and discovered the truth about that expensive protection: It was worthless if the company had no money to pay its bills, and neither part of the plan had an insolvency or bankruptcy clause.

Of course, that is an extreme case. A typical cruise ship passenger is much more likely to encounter a less dramatic issue with this type of travel protection, usually regarding “cancel for any reason” coverage.

Travel protection policies are often advertised as having “cancel for any reason” coverage, but the fine print reveals that only a few specific circumstances allow a traveler to cancel and receive a cash refund. For anything not listed as a legitimate reason to cancel for a monetary payment, the cruiser will receive a future travel voucher.

If you choose to buy a travel protection product instead of a travel insurance policy, make absolutely certain you read through the entire document and understand what you’re buying.

Related: The 5 best cruise travel insurance plans

Assuming your health insurance will cover you on the ship

Hopefully, you’ll never discover through experience that shipboard medical care can come at an astronomical cost. Many cruise passengers have learned this lesson only after falling ill during their trip. But the worst news comes after the bill arrives: Most domestic health insurance plans — including basic Medicare — do not provide international coverage.

That means as soon as your cruise ship sails into international waters, you’re medically uninsured. Any healthcare bills you accrue during your trip will be your responsibility.

It’s not hard to imagine just how expensive and devastating it could be for an uninsured cruiser who becomes sick or injured on vacation. To make matters worse, cruise lines and foreign hospitals expect payment at the time services are rendered. No matter the circumstances, you’ll be expected to pay immediately.

And I do mean no matter what the circumstances. A widow once contacted me soon after her husband had suddenly died aboard Holland America‘s Eurodam.

The shock of losing her spouse was made even worse by what she viewed as the callous attitude of the crew member who handed her a bill for her husband’s failed treatment — and expected her to pay before she was disembarked at the next port of call.

Unfortunately, that couple had assumed their Medicare plan was protecting them during their Caribbean cruise. It wasn’t. (Note: There are supplementary Medigap plans that can provide international health care benefits for Medicare beneficiaries. These policies come at an additional cost and have coverage limitations and caps. Before using one, travelers should review all the details of the plan.)

While this woman’s situation was extreme, accidents and illnesses happen all the time on fun-filled cruises. You don’t want a lack of insurance to make those events more catastrophic than they are.

A comprehensive travel insurance policy can provide not only healthcare coverage abroad but also medical evacuation and repatriation — services that can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Related: What happens if you get sick on a cruise?

Not reading and understanding the travel insurance policy

Travel insurance policies are many pages long and often contain confusing terms. Many travelers buy policies that seem acceptable, and they gloss over the details. However, if you don’t review and understand the travel insurance policy you’ve purchased, that mistake can have giant repercussions.

A one-size-fits-all travel insurance policy does not exist. The choices of travel insurance products available for cruise ship passengers are extensive, with options from basic to full coverage.

To know exactly which protections you’ve purchased, you must thoroughly read all the details of your plan. Each policy will have a list of named perils. If something on that list causes the cancellation or interruption of your trip, you can claim coverage. If the circumstances you’re facing are not on that list, you’re out of luck.

Not only should you pay attention to the named covered events, but equally important are the exclusions — conditions that can invalidate your policy. For instance, if you’re planning on zip lining, bungee jumping, rock climbing or participating in any other extreme adventure, you’ll want to make sure your policy doesn’t exclude risky activities.

The travel insurance industry provides a generous lookover period, usually 10 to 15 days after purchase. Always use that two-week window to carefully review your policy. Do not skim over details you don’t understand and hope for the best. If you need help understanding the fine print, contact the travel insurance company for clarification.

If you determine during that time that the policy doesn’t provide the coverage you want and need, you can request a refund and continue your search. After that lookover period, your travel insurance policy is neither refundable nor changeable.

Related: The best travel insurance policies and providers

Waiting too long to purchase travel insurance for the cruise

A common mistake some cruise ship passengers make is waiting too long to buy travel insurance.

The general rule of thumb is that if you intend to insure your trip, you should purchase that protection at the same time you start to make prepaid, nonrefundable reservations. That includes airfare, excursions, pre- or post-cruise hotels and anything else for which you will not receive a refund if you need to cancel the trip.

Travel insurance coverage typically begins to protect you the day after you purchase the policy. So, at any time after that, if a covered event happens to you and causes you to cancel your trip, you’ll be protected from financial penalties. Of course, if you wait too long to purchase your travel insurance for your cruise and an unexpected event occurs, you won’t be able to buy a retroactive policy.

If you enter the cancellation penalty phase of your cruise contract, you’ve waited too long to buy travel insurance. In fact, some companies won’t allow you to purchase travel insurance after that date.

Not disclosing a preexisting condition

Not disclosing a preexisting condition is a travel insurance mistake that can have devastating consequences. Although buying a policy that covers a preexisting condition is possible, it’s a bit more complicated.

Cruise ship passengers with preexisting conditions should be aware that their window to purchase travel insurance is abbreviated. Most travel insurance companies require travelers with preexisting conditions to purchase travel insurance within 14 to 21 days after making their initial trip deposit.

If you’ve been diagnosed with any medical problems in the 12 months preceding your trip or have a persistent condition, you must be certain to:

• Buy a policy that specifically names coverage for preexisting conditions.
• Make your travel insurance purchase within the first 14 to 21 days after putting a deposit down on your trip.

Cruisers who file a travel insurance claim for a medical problem related to a preexisting condition will be at great risk of having that claim rejected.

Underinsuring the cost of the entire cruise package

Travel insurance can significantly increase the cost of your cruise vacation. Prices vary based on the level of protection you choose, the age of all travelers on the policy, the length of the trip and the state where you live. If you wish to be fully protected, it’s critical not to undervalue your trip.

If you lowball the cost of your cruise and something goes wrong, your claim will only be paid based on the value of what you insured. Passengers who have purchased an annual insurance plan should pay careful attention to the limits on their policy. It can be easy to accidentally underinsure your cruise if you’re relying on an annual travel insurance policy with a per-trip or per-year cap.

Cruise ship passengers should always insure every nonrefundable, prepaid part of their itinerary. That includes the cruise, airfare, hotels and third-party excursions.

Bottom line

Cruise travel insurance can provide peace of mind and protection from the repercussions of unexpected events that could ruin your vacation and wreck your wallet.

Purchasing travel insurance does not have to be a chore. Follow these easy steps for success:

• Use a website like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth to compare various policies and cruise travel insurance providers.
• Read your policy and ensure you understand what’s covered and how to file a claim if needed.
• Carry a copy of your travel insurance card during your cruise, which will have a toll-free number if you need help.
• Enjoy your cruise.

If you have a problem with a travel insurance company, cruise line, airline, car rental agency or hotel, send your request for help to ombudsman@thepointsguy.com, and I’ll be happy to investigate.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

 

With beautiful beaches, a delightful culinary scene and vibrant nightlife, the Bahamas is always a hot ticket item for travelers.

Now, there’s a new fare sale offering great prices on flights from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to Nassau, Bahamas, that’ll get you to paradise on the cheap — some itineraries are even available for half of their usual cost. Even better, the window for this sale encompasses travel from now through February, which means you can book an escape from the chilly Northeast winter weather at a steep discount.

The fares in this sale are for basic economy tickets. You will get a free carry-on bag on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue (provided that you travel after Sept. 6; prior to that date, a gate-checked carry-on will cost $65), but not on United Airlines. You can only bring a personal item if you purchase a basic economy ticket with United Airlines, and checked bags start at $40 each way (there’s an extra $25 fee if you gate-check).

Some of the lowest fares spotlighted in this deal come from booking through an online travel agency.

Deal basics

Airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and United Airlines

Routes: From Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to Nassau, Bahamas

How to book: By browsing Google Flights, then booking directly with the airline

Travel dates: From now through February 2025, with select routes available in April and May 2025

This deal was originally sent out by the deal alert company Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year to access all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.

You can also sign up for a free trial through this link.

Sample flights

Let’s start with the nonstop options in this deal. We saw the best prices for flights out of Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C. This nonstop itinerary from Dulles to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in August is just $258 round-trip.

We found flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C., to Nassau in November priced at $268 round-trip.

If it’s more convenient for you to travel in the spring, you can snag the same itinerary for the same price in April.

During the Christmas travel season, you can fly United out of Dulles to the Bahamas for $263 round-trip. This itinerary has a layover in Newark on the departure flight, but the return is nonstop.

United has flights from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Nassau in December for $273. This route involves a layover each way.

The same itinerary is available in April at the same knockout price.

 Related: Bahamas bliss: What it’s like staying at the Rosewood Baha Mar

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on travel
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel

Bottom line

If at first you can’t find a great deal for your preferred travel dates, keep checking. The prices fluctuated quite a bit during our search. But, of course, remember that being flexible is a sure way to score the best prices.

Related reading:

• Here are the best credit card welcome offers
• 7 things to understand about credit before applying for a new card
• How to apply for a credit card
• What is APR on a credit card?
• How to check your credit score for free

Flight cancellations are piling up Hurricane Beryl menaces the Texas Gulf Coast. Airlines have canceled more than 1,300 flights Monday amid concerns over the storm’s heavy rains and high winds, which are expected to produce dangerous storm surge conditions and hamper travel in parts of the country.

Coastal cities in Texas are expected to feel the brunt of the storm through Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center, after Beryl made landfall overnight as a Category 1 hurricane.

4AM CDT July 8: #Beryl makes landfall near Matagorda, Texas with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Life-threatening storm surge and strong winds are occurring with considerable flash and urban flooding expected. For more information visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/UP7pRftxum

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 8, 2024

Monday’s flight disruptions are most heavily concentrated at Houston’s two major airports.

Nearly 80% of departures have been scrapped for Monday at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), with 519 cancellations and counting as of 7:30 a.m. ET, according to data from flight-tracking site FlightAware.

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

Overnight, the airport took to social media to warn travelers of the impending disruptions. The airport said it’s working to “streamline operations” in the midst of the storm. United Airlines flights are operating out of the airport’s Terminal C Monday, with Terminal B temporarily closed. The TSA checkpoint at Terminal D is operating at reduced capacity, too, the airport said.

4AM CDT July 8: #Beryl makes landfall near Matagorda, Texas with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Life-threatening storm surge and strong winds are occurring with considerable flash and urban flooding expected. For more information visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/UP7pRftxum

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 8, 2024

United Airlines, which operates a major hub out of Houston’s Intercontinental, leads all U.S. airlines with more than 400 cancellations for Monday, about 14% of its operation, FlightAware data shows.

Southwest Airlines is second with 268 cancellations, network-wide — about 5% of its Monday schedule. Southwest is the top carrier at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), where around 60% of departures have been canceled for Monday.

Help! Here’s what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed 

Several airlines have issued travel alerts amid the storm. These advisories typically allow customers flying to, from or between certain affected cities, even when flying on ordinarily restrictive tickets. Notably, both United and Southwest have issued alerts for key airports in Texas, including Houston’s two major airports as well as Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

Beryl’s flight disruptions in the U.S. come after the storm left a trail of destruction in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America. The storm caused significant damage in Jamaica, before hitting Mexico, causing major flight cancellations over the weekend at Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the new Tulum International Airport (TQO) — but the region was spared from more catastrophic impacts, according to reports there.

Monday’s disruptions in the U.S. follow more than 600 cancellations Sunday, on what was poised to be one of the busiest air travel days of all time, with travelers returning from Fourth of July getaways.

If you have travel plans for Monday, be sure to heed the warnings from the National Weather Service and local authorities, first and foremost, when deciding whether to head to an airport or travel to a potentially affected area.

Download your airline’s app and monitor it closely for potential signs of trouble, and options for re-booking in the event your itinerary is affected.

Read up on your rights as a flyer, too. Keep in mind, under U.S. Department of Transportation policy, you’re entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your trip if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed for any reason — though that only applies if you ultimately choose not to fly, and don’t accept re-booking from the airline.

If you do run into travel disruptions due to the storm, consider whether you have a travel insurance plan or trip insurance protections through a credit card that might help you recoup any incurred costs. Typically, any insurance plans must have been purchased prior to the storm being named in order to be claim-eligible. And, most often, if you have travel insurance through a credit card, you’ll need to have booked the trip with that card in order to be eligible for the protections.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The 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
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations

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

Whether you frequently use the Choice Privileges program or are only an occasional guest, it’s worth keeping track of the current Choice Privileges promotions.

One promotion worth knowing about, even if you don’t frequently stay at Choice Hotels, is Personalized Weeknight Benefits. (This promotion was formally called Your Extras, and the Your Extras terminology is still used on some parts of the Choice Hotels website.)

Enrolling in this promotion takes less than a minute, but you can get personalized benefits on each weeknight stay with Choice Hotels once you enroll. These benefits should provide at least a few dollars of extra value on each weeknight stay, so here’s what you need to know.

What are Personalized Weeknight Benefits?

Personalized Weeknight Benefits give you something extra when you check in on a points-eligible stay that includes a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night. To earn benefits on eligible stays, you must opt into this program (directions included below) and select your reward preference on the Choice Hotels app or website.

You can only earn a Personalized Weeknight Benefit on one reservation per day, and you can only earn one Personalized Weeknight Benefit per qualifying points-eligible stay, regardless of the number of rooms, nights, check-ins and checkouts. In particular, checking out of a hotel only to check back into the same hotel later that day won’t net you an additional benefit.

Related: How to earn points with the Choice Privileges Eat & Earn dining rewards program

What Personalized Weeknight Benefits can I choose?

Your Personalized Weeknight Benefits options depend on your country of residence. If you’re a U.S. resident, you can choose one of the following:

• 400 Choice Privileges points
• 100 miles with one of six airline loyalty programs (including Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and United Airlines MileagePlus)
• $2.50 Amazon credit
• $5 Starbucks coffee card
• $3 Uber trip discount

If you’re a Canadian resident, you can choose one of the following:

• 400 Choice Privileges points
• 100 miles with a participating airline loyalty program
• CA$2.50 Amazon.ca gift certificate
• CA$5 Tim Hortons gift card
• CA$5 coffee gift card

If you’re not a U.S. or Canadian resident, you can choose one of the following:

• 400 Choice Privileges points
• 100 miles with a participating airline loyalty program

You can change your earning preference at any point. However, you’ll earn a benefit for each eligible stay based on your account selection before check-in. You will receive most benefits during your stay or shortly after the end of your stay, although airline miles may take up to six weeks from the end of your stay to post.

Related: Choice Privileges award nights no longer top out at 35,000 points per night

How do I register for Personalized Weeknight Benefits?

Even if you don’t have any weeknight Choice stays planned, register for Personalized Weeknight Benefits now so you don’t miss out if a stay comes up in the future. Here’s how to do it:

• Log into your Choice account, click your name in the upper right-hand corner and click “My Profile.”
• Scroll to the “Your Extras Preferences” section and follow the prompts.

This is also the area of your account to visit if you want to change your selection.

You only need to register for Personalized Weeknight Benefits once. However, you must set your earning preference to Choice Privileges points in your online account to earn Personalized Weeknight Benefits. Here’s how to set your earning preference to Choice Privileges points:

• Log into your account, click your name in the upper right-hand corner and select “My Profile.”
• On the right-hand side of the page, in the “Loyalty Programs” tile, click “Edit.”
• Select “Choice Privileges® Reward Points” as your earning preference and click “Save Earning Preference.”

Finally, note that certain properties — WoodSpring Suites locations, some third-party (non-Choice) hotels and some MainStay Suites, Suburban Studios, Everhome Suites and Ascend Hotel Collection locations — don’t participate in the Personalized Weeknight Benefits program.

Related: The ultimate guide to redeeming Choice points

Bottom line

If you have a Choice Privileges account, you should register for Personalized Weeknight Benefits. Earning Starbucks coffee cards will provide the best monetary value for most U.S. residents. However, I prefer to earn Choice Privileges points since I believe they offer similar value, and I don’t often go to Starbucks.

The Personalized Weeknight Benefits program may not significantly change your travel habits, but it’s a good tie-breaker if you’re considering two hotels for a weeknight stay. In short, it’s certainly worth spending a minute or two to opt into the Personalized Weeknight Benefits program if you haven’t already.

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

I stayed at the Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton in South Africa shortly after it opened in 2021. When I checked my account activity after my stay, I noticed an “opening bonus” of 2,000 points. Then, I remembered that Hyatt offers 500 bonus points per night on qualifying stays at new hotels.

I unknowingly received the benefit since Hyatt doesn’t require members to register for this promotion. Perhaps you, too, have forgotten this promotion or never knew about it. In either case, here’s what you should know about World of Hyatt‘s new hotel promotions, which allow you to earn 500 bonus points per night.

How to earn 500 bonus Hyatt points per night

This promotion is simple: World of Hyatt members receive 500 bonus points per night for qualifying stays at select hotels that are new to the Hyatt portfolio. You must stay within a set time frame to earn the bonus points, typically in the first few months after the property opens. Specifically, you’ll only earn bonus points if your checkout date takes place within the offer period for your hotel.

To get the bonus points, you must provide your World of Hyatt number when you check in. You must also pay an eligible rate or redeem a Hyatt free night award (including redeeming Hyatt points). You’ll only earn bonus points for one room per night.

The terms of this promotion note that it may take three to four weeks for the bonus points to appear in your account. In practice, though, Hyatt typically posts the new hotel bonus simultaneously with the other points you earned during your stay.

Related: The 23 best Hyatt hotels in the world

Eligible new Hyatt hotels

Hyatt displays an updated list of participating properties on its website. Here’s a quick overview of where you can currently earn 500 extra points per night.

3 hotels in North America

• Munster, Indiana: Hyatt Place Munster from April 4 to July 31
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Secrets Tides Punta Cana from April 15 to July 31
• Mazatlan, Mexico: Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlan Golf & Spa Resort from May 1 to July 31

10 hotels in China

• Shanghai: Caption by Hyatt Zhongshan Park Shanghai from April 18 to July 31
• Shanghai: Hyatt Centric Zhongshan Park Shanghai from April 18 to July 31
• Yixing: Yada Xishan Hotel Yixing from May 1 to July 31
• Shenzhen: UrCove Shenzhen Bay Nanyou from May 1 to July 31
• Guangzhou: UrCove Guangzhou Canton Tower Exhibition Center from May 1 to July 31
• Nantong: Hyatt Place Nantong, Xinghu City Plaza from May 28 to Aug. 31
• Changsha: Park Hyatt Changsha from June 1 to Aug. 31
• Shenzhen: UrCove Shenzhen Nanshan Hi-Tech Headquarters from July 1 to Sept. 30
• Nanjing: UrCove Nanjing Confucius Temple from July 1 to Sept. 30
• Weifang: UrCove Weifang City Center from July 6 to Oct. 31

8 hotels in other regions

• Boltenhagen, Germany: Lindner Hotel Boltenhagen from May 1 to July 31
• Bengaluru, India: Hyatt Centric Hebbal Bengaluru from May 1 to July 31
• Taipei, Taiwan: Episode Daan Taipei from June 1 to Aug. 31
• Osaka, Japan: Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka from June 12 to Sept. 30
• Rouen, France: Hyatt Place Rouen from June 18 to Sept. 30
• Paracas, Peru: The Legend Paracas Resort from July 1 to Sept. 30
• Marrakech, Morocco: Park Hyatt Marrakech from July 1 to Sept. 30
• Nairobi, Kenya: Hyatt Place Nairobi Westlands from July 31 to Oct. 31

The 500 Hyatt points you’ll get per night when booking an eligible rate or free night are worth about $8.50, based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations. So, this promotion may be the tiebreaker when considering where to stay the next time you travel to a destination with a new Hyatt hotel.

Related: Here’s how to quickly stock up on Hyatt points for your next vacation

Bottom line

On top of earning 500 extra points per night, staying at a new Hyatt hotel can also be fun since you’ll likely get to stay in a room with new furnishings. However, new hotels may still be working through some issues, and it’s possible that not everything on-site will be completely functional.

The current list includes 11 Hyatt Category 1 hotels, three Category 2 hotels and one Category B all-inclusive resort. So, if you want to redeem World of Hyatt points for your stay, you can find many low-category options on the current list of new hotels.

Frontier Airlines continues to make big changes to its network.

This time, the Denver-based carrier slashed eight domestic routes, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. The cuts are far-reaching and touch multiple airports across the country.

You’ll find a map of the affected routes below, but highlights include two flights cut from El Paso, Texas, and two from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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

In fact, the routes to El Paso just launched a few weeks ago in May, and they’re now being cut effective immediately. After flights from Ontario, California, and San Diego to El Paso are suspended, Frontier will only serve the Texas city from Denver and Las Vegas.

Frontier’s cuts don’t represent any market exits for the airline, but the San Juan drawbacks are notable due to the fact that the airline operates a base in the Puerto Rican capital.

That said, San Juan has recently become the latest battleground for airline dominance. JetBlue Airways, which has historically operated a focus city in San Juan, recently announced that it would double down on service there, as it ceded market share in recent years to other carriers that entered the market more recently, including Frontier and its ultra-low-cost rival Spirit Airlines.

Loyalty basics: Best ways to earn airline miles 

In recent months, Frontier has been shifting from a purely leisure-focused network strategy to one that touches many more major metropolitan centers, including most notably New York. In fact, the airline added two routes from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in March, and it just followed up with a third route from JFK to Atlanta launching in August.

This focus on going head-to-head with major carriers from their megahubs comes as there’s seemingly been too much capacity added to cities such as Orlando and Las Vegas.

Earlier this year, Frontier added a whopping 54 new routes followed by 17 more just a few weeks later. It also slashed 16 in February, followed by 14 more in March.

For its part, Frontier declined to comment on the route changes, with spokesperson Jen de la Cruz saying succinctly that “they have been discontinued at least seasonally.”

 

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Some of the below offers may be targeted. Citi is a TPG advertising partner. 

From lucrative deals for bonus points on hotel stays to generous sales of airline miles, we’re finding plenty of travel deals to help you earn and redeem your points and miles so you can book the vacation of your dreams.

For July, we found deals to fly nonstop to Hawaii from $190 round-trip, earn up to 75,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points by donating to Miles4Migrants and fly nonstop to Mexico from multiple U.S. cities from $222. But that’s not all.

We help our readers each week by rounding up ongoing monthly promotions so you don’t have to scour the internet for the best reward redemptions and offers. From frequent flyer programs and hotel rewards programs to credit card offers that help maximize your spending, you can make the most of your points and miles redemptions with these lucrative offers.

Here’s our list of some noteworthy new points and miles promotions for July.

Airline loyalty program promotions (July 2024)

Airline loyalty programs can offer trip discounts on certain dates, the chance to earn more miles for future travel and deals to rack up points toward elite status. Below are some of the offers we found for July.

Discounted award flights on Air France-KLM Flying Blue

If you’re looking to book European flights to take from now through the end of the year, you could get more for your miles by redeeming this month’s Air France-KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards.

• Get up to 25% off Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles redemptions with the monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards.
• Discounted reward tickets are available on long-haul flights to and from Europe operated by Air France and KLM.
• Long-haul economy tickets from Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Raleigh-Durham to Europe start at just 15,000 miles.
• Book by July 31 to travel to Europe through Dec. 31 for just 15,000 miles.

Related: Best airline credit cards

Hotel loyalty program promotions (July 2024)

Hotel loyalty programs occasionally offer discounted stays, ways to earn extra points and deals at various properties. We collected some of this month’s active deals below.

Triple Marriott Bonvoy points on select Homes & Villas rentals in the Caribbean

Ready to book a Caribbean getaway? Marriott Bonvoy is running a deal to earn triple the number of base points you’d earn on a Homes & Villas stay in the Caribbean. You’ll have to act fast since this offer ends July 7.

• Earn triple points on a stay of at least four nights with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy properties in the Caribbean after you register for the deal.
• You must book by July 7 and stay by March 31, 2025, to redeem this promotion.

Hilton Honors bonus points when flying Delta Air Lines premium cabins

Hilton loyalists who enjoy flying with Delta could find some value in the loyalty programs’ latest joint promotion, offering up to 6,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when booking and flying with Delta in the airline’s premium cabins.

• Earn 1,000 Hilton Honors bonus points for each one-way Delta Air Lines flight booked and flown in Delta Comfort+, first class, Delta Premium Select or Delta One, up to 6,000 total Hilton Honors bonus points (see terms).
• You must book your flights by July 19 and fly with Delta by Sept. 19 to earn these bonus points.

Marriott Bonvoy bonus points at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna

Planning a luxurious stay in Vienna, Austria, this summer could earn you up to 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points — along with daily complimentary breakfast during your stay.

• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points when you book a two-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, using the deal’s promotional code, “M11.”
• Your bonus-earning is dependent on the room type in which you stay. Get 15,000 bonus points when you stay in a Premium Deluxe Suite; get 30,000 bonus points when you stay in a Junior Suite; get 40,000 bonus points when you stay in a Premium Suite.
• You must book by Aug. 31 for stays through Sept. 13 to redeem this offer.

World of Hyatt bonus points for stays in Latin America and the Caribbean

If you’re a World of Hyatt loyalist looking to stack up more points, this one’s for you. You could earn a heap of bonus points for every three qualifying nights at participating hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean if you register for this promotion.

• Earn 5,000 bonus points every three qualifying nights stayed from July 15 to Oct. 14 at participating Hyatt properties in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• You can earn up to 20,000 bonus points with this offer.
• Register for the deal before booking your stay. You have until Sept. 30 to register.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

Credit card promotions (July 2024)

Card issuers sometimes offer deals and discounts for certain cardholders on everything from airfare to restaurant dining. Here are some of the offers we’ve rounded up this week.

Targeted American Express Offer with Hilton brands

If you’re planning to book a hotel soon, check your American Express Offers to see if you’ve been targeted for this solid cash-back offer on stays at most Hilton brands this summer. (We found this deal on The Platinum Card® from American Express, as it appears to be in celebration of the card’s 40th anniversary.)

• Get a one-time $40 statement credit when you spend at least $180 in one or more purchases (including room rate and room charges) at most Hilton brands.
• This deal excludes Hilton Grand Vacations.
• You must enroll your eligible card in this offer before making your purchase to earn the statement credit.
• The offer expires July 31.

Targeted American Express Offer for JetBlue flights

Summertime travel can get a bit sweeter if you’re targeted for this Amex Offer on JetBlue flights. (We found this deal on the Amex Plat.)

• Get a one-time $50 statement credit when you spend at least $200 in one or more transactions directly with JetBlue. You must use your enrolled eligible card.
• You must enroll your eligible card in this offer before making your purchase to earn a statement credit.
• The flight must originate in the U.S., and the purchase must be made in dollars.
• The offer expires Aug. 6.

Targeted American Express Offers on Amazon purchases

Amazon Prime Day is on the horizon. Check your Amex Offers to see if you can make the deals even more rewarding. We found two examples of this offer on the American Express® Gold Card.

• Earn 1,500 additional Membership Rewards points when you spend at least $400 in one or more purchases with Amazon, with a limit of 4,500 additional Membership Rewards points; earn 1,000 additional Membership Rewards points when you spend at least $250 in one or more purchases with Amazon, with a limit of 3,000 additional Membership Rewards points.
• You must enroll in the offer you’re targeted for and use your eligible card on your Amazon purchases to earn extra points.
• The offer expires Aug. 30.

Targeted American Express Offer with The Langham Hotels and Resorts in North America

If you’re targeted for this promotion, you could get more back on a stay at a participating North American location of The Langham Hotels this summer. We found this offer on the Amex Gold.

• Earn $150 as a one-time statement credit when you spend $750 or more on purchases (including room rate and room charges) at participating Langham Hotels and Resorts properties in North America.
• You must enroll in the offer and use your eligible card to earn the statement credit.
• The offer expires Sept. 2.

Targeted American Express Offer for Hilton stays in the US

If you weren’t targeted for the $40 cash-back Amex Offer with Hilton, you could still be eligible for another Hilton-Amex promo to earn cash back on an upcoming stay. This offer is only available for Hilton stays in the U.S.

• Get 5% cash back as a statement credit when you use your enrolled eligible card on purchases (including room rate and room charges) at participating Hilton properties.
• You must enroll in the offer and use your eligible card to earn the statement credit.
• You can earn up to $100 back with this deal.
• The offer expires Sept. 30.

Targeted American Express Offer on AKA properties in the US

Lastly, if you’re looking to earn some cash back on a stay at a U.S. AKA property, check to see if you’ve been targeted for this Amex Offer.

• Earn $150 as a one-time statement credit when you spend at least $750 in one or more purchases on room rate and room charges at a participating AKA property in the U.S.
• The offer is not valid for AVE properties or AKA Marylebone. The offer also excludes Access AKA membership fees and purchases from apresaka.com.
• You must book on stayaka.com to redeem this offer.
• The offer is only valid on purchases made in U.S. dollars.
• The offer expires Nov. 22.

Ongoing travel deals

In addition to these new offers, there are many others from previous weeks that are still available:

• Enroll in a Sixt rental car status match with multiple airline and hotel program partners.
• Enroll in an Air France-KLM Flying Blue status match opportunity if you’re a resident of an eligible country (including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and Spain; others can be found here). Successful enrollment in the status match is contingent upon submitting an application, proving equivalent elite status in one of 18 eligible airline loyalty programs and paying a fee determined by your status match level. There is no publicly available end date for this promotion.
• Earn bonus World of Hyatt points for attending a virtual timeshare presentation. You must reside in an eligible U.S. state and meet an annual income requirement, among other requirements. You must request information to learn more about this promotion. There is no publicly available end date for this offer.
• Buy Avianca LifeMiles with up to a 155% bonus through July 11.
• Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points with up to a 50% discount through July 21.
• Buy Hilton Honors points with a 100% bonus through July 23.
• Earn bonus miles in the Lufthansa Miles & More program by registering for a Best Western deal and staying at participating properties in Europe. The deal expires July 31.
• Those who have a Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) can get 10% off a single hotel stay booked through the Citi travel portal. You must book your stay by July 31.
• Earn four times the reward points on your next Accor Live Limitless stay using this registration link. Book by Aug. 4 for a stay by Sept. 22.
• Earn bonus Hilton Honors points for each AutoCamp stay completed by Aug. 12.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points on select stays in the Middle East, Africa and participating European cities. Register for the deal and use promotional code “MR5.” Book by Aug. 22 for stays through Sept. 1.
• Earn triple All Nippon Airways miles (9 miles per dollar) when you stay at an IHG property through Aug. 31. Register for the promotion and set ANA miles as your point-earning preference.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points when you stay at The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Use “M11,” the deal’s promotional code, at checkout. Book and stay by Aug. 31.
• Receive a discount on an IHG One Rewards redemption when booking at a select new or renovated property this summer. Book and stay by Aug. 31.
• Earn bonus Wyndham Rewards points for staying with the brand. Your bonus is determined by how many consecutive nights you stay. Register for the deal by Aug. 31 for stays completed by Sept. 3.
• Earn bonus Best Western Rewards points when you register before your stay and book at least three nights (separate or consecutive). Complete your eligible nights by Sept. 2.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points for stays in the Caribbean and Latin America. Register with “MRP,” the deal’s promotional code, and book by Sept. 3. Stay by Sept. 9.
• Earn bonus points for joining IHG One Rewards and staying at an IHG property within 21 days of joining. The promotion ends Sept. 13.
• Get a discount at participating Fairmont properties when you book directly with the brand. Book by Sept. 15. Stay by Dec. 30.
• Earn 250 miles in the Lufthansa Miles & More program by registering for the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program using this link. The offer expires Nov. 30.
• If you book hotels, car rentals and attractions through the Citi travel portal, as a Citi Double Cash cardmember, you will also earn an additional 3 bonus Citi ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent. This gets you a total of 5 ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible bookings through the Citi travel portal. The offer expires Dec. 31.
• If you aren’t a member of Qatar Airways Privilege Club, you can earn bonus Avios if you join by Dec. 31. Register with “PCAMER24,” the deal’s promo code, and book a flight by June 30, 2025, to earn bonus Avios.
• Earn bonus Spirit Airlines Free Spirit points for completing an eligible round-trip flight at any time in 2024. Register with your Free Spirit number to redeem this offer. Travel must be completed by Dec. 31.
• If you haven’t set up a Free Spirit account yet, you can get bonus points by registering as a new member through this promotional link. You must register by Dec. 31.
• Those who hold Citi rewards credit cards, including the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees), the Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees) and the Citi Double Cash, can earn both Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Select Guest points through Omni’s loyalty program if you book a stay at one of 50 Omni Hotels & Resorts through the Citi travel portal. This offer is also available to those with the Citi Simplicity® Card and the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).

The information for the Citi Simplicity has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Additionally, there are many stand-alone Amex Offers and Chase Offers still available across a variety of credit cards.

Targeted Amex Offers

• Earn a one-time statement credit on charges at participating Secrets Resorts & Spas and Impression by Secrets resorts. Book at the Hyatt Inclusive Collection website by July 14.
• Earn cash back when you spend with Frontier Airlines. The offer expires July 15.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on purchases with select WorldHotels properties in the U.S. and internationally. The offer expires July 19.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on purchases at The Global Ambassador hotel in Phoenix. The offer expires July 29.
• Earn cash back on a stay at a participating Hilton hotel in Nevada. The offer expires July 31.
• Earn cash back on stays with Minor Hotels Group. The offer expires July 31.
• Earn bonus Membership Rewards points for opening a business checking account. If you’re targeted, you must apply by July 31 to receive the offer.
• Earn cash back in the form of a statement credit on transactions with Carnival Cruise Line. The offer expires Aug. 1.
• Earn bonus Membership Rewards points on a stay at a Canyon Ranch resort. The offer expires Aug. 12.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you spend at Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards. The offer expires Aug. 16.
• Earn bonus Membership Rewards points after purchasing Delta Air Lines gift cards. The offer expires Aug. 25.
• Get a one-time statement credit on purchases across multiple Boyne Golf resorts in Michigan. The offer expires Sept. 1.
• Earn 5 Membership Rewards points (up to 50,000) for each dollar spent on purchases made directly with AmaWaterways. The deal expires Sept. 1.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you use your enrolled eligible card on purchases with Avis Car Rental. The offer expires Sept. 9.
• Earn cash back or extra Membership Rewards points on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, gas stations and spa and personal care centers. These deals expire Sept. 13.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you spend at The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The offer expires Sept. 15.
• Earn a one-time statement credit on Hilton all-inclusive resorts and vacation hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America. The offer expires Sept. 30.
• Earn a one-time statement credit on stays with Omni Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and Canada. The offer expires Sept. 30.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on a stay at select Opal Collection properties, PGA National Resort or Margaritaville Beach House Key West. These offers expire Sept. 30.
• Earn cash back on online purchases with ResortPass. The offer expires Sept. 30.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on stays at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The offer expires Oct. 4.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on a stay at Lotte Hotel Seattle. The offer expires Oct. 29.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you use your card to spend with Micato Safaris. The offer expires Nov. 15.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you use your card to pay for a stay at Lotte New York Palace. The offer expires Nov. 22.

Targeted Chase Offers

• Earn cash back when you spend with Turo, a car-sharing marketplace. The offer expires July 30.
• Earn cash back on purchases at Great Wolf Lodge. The offer expires July 31.
• Earn cash back when you stay at Hyatt House or Hyatt Place properties. Both offers expire July 31.

Remember that these are targeted, and you must activate the offers before making eligible purchases to enjoy the cash back or bonus points.

 Related reading:

• Best travel credit cards
• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• 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
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s current monthly valuations

[circuit type=review circuit_id=”20420181899″]

If you’ve been to Las Vegas, you probably associate the sound of slot machines with hotels — like the famous Caesars Palace — on the Las Vegas Strip. You likely also know that you might need a compass and a map to find your way out of the maze that’s designed to keep you inside gambling at most Las Vegas hotels. 

So, you better believe I was curious when Caesars announced it was opening its first nongaming hotel in the U.S. near me in Scottsdale, Arizona. Here are the details from my recent visit.

How to book

Travelers can book directly through the hotel’s website, and Caesars Rewards members can book exclusive rates at this property (and up to 50 other U.S. properties). Summer rates start from $189 per night.

The property is also in the American Express Travel portal, meaning guests can earn 5 points per dollar spent on bookings when using The Platinum Card® from American Express. Travelers can book using Amex Membership Rewards points as well, with rates starting at 25,000 points per night.

Chase Travel℠ lists the property, too, with bookings starting at $189 per night in summer. Depending on which Chase card you hold, you could apply your annual $50 hotel credit from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or your annual $300 travel credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

For my stay, I chose to go the Amex Travel route and book through the portal. However, since the hotel is not a member of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection, my annual $200 hotel benefit did not apply.

How to get there

The hotel is in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, just north of Macy’s at Scottsdale Fashion Square off Goldwater Boulevard. It is 8 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and 9 miles south of Scottsdale Airport (SCF).

Ride-hailing options in the area include Uber, Lyft, taxis and Waymo autonomous vehicles. The hotel can also arrange a car service to bring you to the hotel. If renting a car, the PHX Sky Train now connects the airport terminals to the 24th Street rental car facility.

Overnight valet parking is available at the hotel for $40, and self-parking in the Scottsdale Fashion Square parking garage next door is available for $28 per night. Electric vehicle charging stations are also available.

The spacious, modern lobby is decorated with neutral tones and modern photography. When you walk inside, you’ll be greeted by water features, multiple seating areas for drinks or chatting, a fireplace feature and floor-to-ceiling windows, making the space bright and inviting.

The front desk staff warmly greeted me and then provided a quick and efficient check-in experience while relaying information about the hotel.

As I walked to the elevator after checking in, I noticed a hologram following me on the wood floor. It was a wolf walking alongside me, followed by footprints after the elusive hologram vanished. I had to get the story behind that.

Modern and slightly edgy guest rooms

It’s not often you get to be one of the first guests to stay in a hotel room, but I’m pretty sure I was in this case. Have you ever smelled that new hotel smell? It’s the best. Upon walking into Room 532, I was immediately struck by that brand-new scent and the eclectic mix of modern, edgy and luxurious furnishings. 

The first things I noticed (after the spacious bathroom with a glass shower) were the bronze serpent handles on the wardrobe. Talk about funky and fun. The wardrobe held a brand-new wrapped cushy robe, slippers and a steamer (so much better than an iron, in my opinion). 

Flanking the black granite-topped work area is an open-concept, fully lit minibar etagere displaying full bottles of some of the best (and most expensive) liquors. I found Colonel EH Taylor small-batch bourbon for $550, Clase Azul reposado tequila for $450 and Chopin Family Reserve vodka for $300.

Other minibar items sit atop the high-gloss dresser and include the expected snacks such as pretzels, chips and M&Ms. The space also had one of the most intriguing items I have ever seen on a minibar list: a “walk of shame kit” for $100. What does one get for $100? A cab home? A change of clothes? It piqued my curiosity, so I inquired about it later. The hotel manager told me it includes a change of clothes — a pair of sandals, sweatpants, a hat and a shirt — all branded.

My room offered views of modern condos and greenery-draped patios to the north and iconic Camelback Mountain to the west.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window was a loveseat upholstered in a navy fabric with a zebra print back. A coffee table and a side laptop table made it a great spot for working. (There was also a dedicated workspace built in under the 55-inch flat-screen TV.)

Next to the loveseat was a wingback chair upholstered in the same navy fabric. Above the bedside table, I found a blackout shade I could activate with a touch of a button.

The king-size bed with a leather headboard was comfortable thanks to feather pillows and a down comforter. Charging ports are built into the headboard (indicated with a card that says “unleash the charge”) and can accommodate wall plugs and USB-A and USB-C smartphone plugs.

The signature wolf icon was featured on the throw pillows on the bed and loveseat. Apparently, the wolf is a symbol from the ancient Roman myth of twin brothers Remus and Romulus, who were saved from the Tiber River and raised by a she-wolf. The brothers would go on to found the city of Rome.

The bathroom featured a single sink, allowing for ample counter space for travel and toiletry bags; an open shelf below the counter held the hair dryer.

The shower was the real feature here — it was large enough to fit up to six people with glass directly into the bedroom. A button on the wall next to the shower door activated a shade for privacy and would block the bathroom light from the bedroom. The showerhead allowed for four different water settings. Refillable pump bottles on the wall held Acca Kappa brand shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. 

The only thing missing from the room during my stay was a coffee maker or water kettle (but I am told it’s coming). As someone who prefers coffee before conversation in the mornings, I didn’t love changing out of my pajamas and trekking downstairs for coffee.

Caesars was offering black coffee for no charge in Pronto by Giada (which serves breakfast and lunch) starting at 5 a.m. The Pronto cafe opens at 6 a.m. if you prefer a barista.

Spacious suites

Caesars Republic Scottsdale features 256 guest rooms, including 28 suites and five luxury suites.

I was able to tour the largest penthouse suite, which measures 2,300 square feet and sits on the 11th floor. Dubbed the Camelback Suite, the space offers unobstructed views of the mountain and epic Arizona sunsets.

The suites are all similar in size. Each features two bedrooms, large walk-in closets, two bathrooms, a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops, a living and dining room, and a balcony. The Caesars Suite offers similar square footage but also includes a billiards table. (Rates start at $3,999 per night.)

For guests looking to stay active while on the road, request a Boynton Canyon Suite. This option offers personal Peloton bikes in the room upon request, based on availability. (Summer rates start at $279 per night.)

Dining options

Like the Las Vegas property, Caesars Republic Scottsdale features two signature restaurants by award-winning celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. Pronto serves fast-casual coffee, breakfast and lunch, while Luna by Giada serves Italian cuisine in a gorgeous indoor-outdoor dining space off the main lobby. 

Grab-and-go at Pronto

Pronto is on the ground floor next to the Cleopatra’s Pool. From the main lobby, you can walk down the meeting space hallway to reach it or enter from the outside walkway that wraps from the front drive to the back of the hotel. Serving fast-casual breakfast and lunch in a modern space, this cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating.

The menu includes fresh pastries, granola parfaits, breakfast wraps, sandwiches and salads. Plus, the service is friendly and prompt. I opted to take my delicious breakfast wrap and eat outside on the pool patio to enjoy the morning sun.

Dining in Luna by Giada

Luna by Giada is only open for dinner and serves some of Giada’s famous dishes and Italian comfort food. An impressive open bar and wall-to-wall wine cellar draw guests into the space. An open kitchen and a Ferrari red pizza oven complete the upscale modern design.  

The menu offers a selection of starters, pizzas, pasta and entrees, such as a Mediterranean branzino and pork chop saltimbocca. The signature dish is Giada’s famous lemon spaghetti — I knew we had to order it. 

Everything sounded delicious, so we let our server, Amanda, send out her favorite starters. She didn’t steer us wrong. We ate fresh-baked Sicilian focaccia accompanied by lemon mascarpone butter, basil pesto and olive oil ($14); crab arancini with a spicy pomodoro dipping sauce ($24); and bacon-wrapped Medjool dates filled with spicy Italian sausage and a gorgonzola crema ($21). 

While sipping refreshing prosecco cocktails named Vaguely Virgil (made with Fiorente elderflower, carpano bianco, lemon juice and club soda for $21), we perused the menu, trying to decide on entrees.

Lemon really is the workhorse of the kitchen, and the chefs use it in everything from marinades and dressings to entrees and desserts. The theme shines through in dishes like the lemon pizza with garlic creme sauce.

For our entrees, we decided to dine family style. We ordered the famous lemon spaghetti with gigantic U-10 shrimp, mascarpone cheese, basil and crispy capers for $39, and it was amazing. The mezzi rigatoni with porcini mushroom and vegetable Bolognese ($38) was both savory and filling.

We also tried a special that wasn’t on the printed menu: a 22-ounce ribeye perfectly seasoned and presliced for $64. A side of lemon smashed potatoes ($17) paired well with the entrees and balanced out the citrus and savory flavors of the meal. 

Dessert gave us a chance to try a few different options. The limoncello souffle ($16) was hot from the oven with a blueberry anglaise and candid lemon biscotti. We also tried a mascarpone brownie cheesecake ($19) and freshly baked cookies — lemon ricotta and caramel chocolate chunk with sea salt ($16). Each dessert had its own amazing qualities, and it was difficult to choose a favorite. For me, lemon wins over chocolate, but the cheesecake was amazing.

The meal was fantastic, from the atmosphere to the service and food. I would recommend this restaurant to friends and family, whether they are locals or visitors. It’s perfect for an upscale night out.

Additional dining options

Aside from Giada’s two dining concepts, the hotel has a seventh-floor pool bar and lounge dubbed Seven. It is open for lunch, dinner and late-night cocktails. Seven is an indoor-outdoor concept that allows the cool evening breeze to waft through the bar area. The indoor area offers a sports-viewing experience with 20 flat-screen TVs and access to Caesars Sportsbook.

Tables on the outdoor patio surround a fire pit, and the pool (where you can reserve cabanas and order food) is just beyond a glass wall, offering views of Camelback Mountain. 

Fitness center and pools

The fitness center is on the seventh floor across the hall from Seven’s pool bar and the rooftop pool. It offers ample space for a hotel of this size, and it provides two Pelotons, one StairMaster, three treadmills and weight machines. A selection of free weights, yoga mats and kettlebells complete the setup.

Rooftop yoga on the Camelback veranda on the eighth floor is complimentary for guests and is regularly scheduled for Saturday mornings.

The summer pool series at Cleopatra’s Pool on the ground level is just heating up. On Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., guests can expect DJ-spun tunes and cabana service. VIP reservations are required, and resort passes are available on the hotel’s website.

There is no on-site spa, but there are nearby options to choose from. Squeeze Massage (a chain started by Drybar) is across the street, and The Phoenician, a member of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, is within a five-minute drive.

Meeting and event space

The property features 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art event space that can accommodate groups of up to 900 attendees just in the main Romulus Ballroom. It’s a 7,000-square-foot ballroom on the ground floor that opens onto Cleopatra’s Pool & Bar.  

The eighth-floor Camelback Veranda — which stretches across 3,000 square feet and features unobstructed views of Camelback Mountain, making it a favorite for weddings and parties — provides another outdoor space for up to 200 attendees. Guests can enjoy the nearly year-round amazing weather that makes Arizona such a magnet for meetings and events.

Bottom line

Caesars Republic is a fantastic new addition to the Scottsdale hotel scene with plentiful dining options, multiple pools and easy access to all the shopping, dining and nightlife Old Town Scottsdale offers. Midweek summer rates start at $189 per night, and high season (January to May) rates start from $499 per night.

While the real Caesar doesn’t live here, I bet he would if he could.

Related reading:

• Best hotel credit cards
• Best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
• The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
• Castle Hot Springs: What it’s like staying at one of the most exclusive luxury resorts in Arizona

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

Universal Orlando Resort is in sunny Central Florida, an area of the Sunshine State often referred to as the theme park capital of the world. Universal Orlando is not only one of the most popular amusement parks in the city, but it’s also beloved across the country. It has two parks (with a third on the way), a water park, eight hotels and a 30-acre shopping, dining and entertainment complex.

Before you even arrive at Universal Orlando, you’ll need to figure out where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Whether you are visiting for one day or several, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Universal Orlando Resort.

How to start planning your trip to Universal Orlando

There are a few questions you will want to answer before you dig into the details of planning your Universal Orlando vacation:

• What is your budget? The amount of cash you have to burn will determine most other factors of your vacation, including where you stay, how many days you visit, where you dine and whether you will visit one or multiple parks per day.
• When will you go? The best times to visit Universal Orlando are similar to the best times to visit Disney World. It is busier on weekends and when school is out during spring break, the long summer break and the winter holiday season. You’ll see fewer crowds if you visit on a weekday when school is in session.
• Where will you stay? Universal Orlando has eight hotels; they range from as little as $100 per night for Value hotels and climb as high as $800 per night for Premier hotels. You can base your choice on theming — you could enjoy the retro beach motel vibes at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort or the Italian-inspired luxury and convenient location of the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.
• Which parks will you visit on which days? This will help you choose between purchasing one-park-per-day tickets or “Park-to-Park” tickets that grant access to both of Universal’s parks in the same day. You can also add access to Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Park.
• Where will you dine? If you are planning on one of Universal’s specialty dining experiences — like a Marvel character dinner, the Wantilan Luau at Loews Royal Pacific Resort or Sapphire Falls’ five-course dinner with rum pairings — you need to make reservations early. Reservations for most other table service meals are easy to get within a couple of weeks before your vacation.

What type of Universal Orlando ticket should I buy?

Universal ticket types

There are various ticket types at Universal Orlando, and some will get you into one, two or three theme parks (such as Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay water park) per day.

You can also purchase tickets for one, two, three, four or five days. The cheapest tickets allow access to one park per day. So, if you start your day at Universal Studios Florida, you can’t use the same ticket to get into Islands of Adventure in the afternoon. You’re limited to one park per day.

This may sound like a good deal, but it might not be the best choice, especially if you hope to ride the Hogwarts Express train in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You’ll need a Park-to-Park ticket to travel between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Related: From butterbeer to magic wands: Everything you need to know about Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter

While it is pricier, a Park-to-Park ticket allows you to bop between the different areas as you wish. These tickets may be more expensive, but they give you the most freedom to visit more than one park on the same day. The parks are close enough together that it is easy to walk or take the Hogwarts Express between the two, making a Park-to-Park ticket even more valuable.

If you visit for more than a couple of days or potentially twice in 12 months, consider a Universal annual pass.

Buying direct from Universal

Universal Orlando almost always has special offers on its website. Read the options carefully to see if any promotions make sense for you. You may get free park days, a discount on hotel and theme park ticket packages or other special offers.

Buying tickets from other vendors

You can also buy tickets from reputable vendors like Undercover Tourist. One of my favorite things about Undercover Tourist is that the website often still has older tickets available, so when prices increase, it will be cheaper to buy there rather on the official Universal website.

It’s worth bookmarking the site to comparison shop. Purchases from Undercover Tourist code as travel, so we recommend using a travel credit card to earn extra points.

Related: The best credit cards to use for Universal Studios

Although you can’t typically purchase stand-alone Universal tickets at Costco, Costco Travel does sell Universal vacation packages, which often include tickets and on-site hotel nights. Check out pricing for your dates to see if it represents a better deal versus booking through other methods.

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FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT UNIVERSAL VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG’S THEME PARK BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS.

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Using points to buy Universal tickets

You can use Citi ThankYou Rewards or Bilt Rewards to purchase admission to Universal Orlando. You may also be able to find and book some Universal Orlando hotel rooms through these platforms for additional savings.

What are the parks at Universal Orlando?

Universal Orlando offers so many activities that it could easily keep your family occupied for several days. There are two theme parks, a water park and an entertainment, dining and shopping complex.

Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk are all situated around a small lake. If you’d like to visit Universal’s Volcano Bay, you should catch the bus from the parking garage since it’s a bit of a walk from the rest of the park.

Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida has eight sections. You’ll enter through an impressive arch, and if you keep walking straight, you’ll find yourself in Minion Land. There, you can enjoy attractions such as Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Villain-Con Minion Blast. You’ll find some of the park’s most thrilling rides in the nearby New York section, like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Transformers: The Ride-3D and Revenge of the Mummy.

Related: These are the 10 best rides at Universal Orlando

If you instead take a right after you enter the park, you can explore the Hollywood Character Zone, where you’ll find Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show, the Bourne Stuntacular and several character meet-and-greet spots.

It’s not a bad idea to save most of the attractions in this area of the park for the hotter parts of the day. Minion Mayhem, the Bourne Stuntacular and the Horror Make-Up Show are all blissfully air-conditioned; most of the aforementioned rides are either completely indoors or have indoor queue areas.

If you have little kids, consider taking that right at the entrance and walking through Hollywood. This route will take you to DreamWorks Land. From there, you can watch one of Universal’s longest-running shows, Animal Actors on Location! or enjoy Springfield, U.S.A.: Home of the Simpsons.

If your children are older, bypass those kid-centric areas and make Men in Black Alien Attack in World Expo your first ride of the day. If you go to Men in Black in the morning, you are perfectly positioned to enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. You can start queuing for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts before the line gets too long.

While there, explore Knockturn Alley, see a few shows or grab a meal at the Leaky Cauldron, where breakfast comes with a free butterbeer. You can also get unique ice cream treats at Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour and perform magic spells with interactive wands available for purchase.

If you have a Park-to-Park ticket, you can take the Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross Station (next to Leicester Square) to Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure. If you have a one-park ticket, you won’t be able to ride the Hogwarts Express and will have to instead continue your exploration of Universal Studios.

In the evening, don’t miss Universal Studios Florida’s nighttime extravaganza, CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular at the lagoon. The show combines music, drones, fireworks and projections to depict scenes from some of your favorite films.

Islands of Adventure

The second Universal theme park is Islands of Adventure. Your best bet is to arrive before the gates open. (If you are staying at one of Universal’s on-site hotels, you can get into one of Universal’s parks up to one hour before official opening.) Then, quickly walk to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure before the line gets too long. It’s one of Universal’s most popular rides and wait times often clock in at 90 and 120 minutes during peak hours.

If you are a thrill seeker, head for Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Both Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure are at the opposite end of the park from the entry gates, so it will be a walk. However, getting to enjoy the park’s most popular rides without the crushing crowds is worth it.

If roller coasters aren’t your thing (and you’re not prone to motion sickness), get in line instead for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This attraction lets you ride a broomstick through familiar film scenes; if you’re prone to motion sickness, it’s still worth walking through this ride’s queue just to see the inside of the castle. Simply let a team member know you want to tour the castle and don’t plan to ride.

While there, explore Hogsmeade itself and see shows like the Frog Choir and the Triwizard Spirit Rally, and practice more spells with your interactive wand. Grab a butterbeer (or another specialty brew) at Hog’s Head Inn and then continue on to the other lands of Islands of Adventure.

After you walk through Jurassic Park’s iconic gates, you’ll find the Camp Jurassic play areas, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure as well as the Raptor Encounter, where you can meet a “real” dinosaur.

Next up, you can ride Skull Island: Reign of Kong before hitting Toon Lagoon, where your kids can cool off in some sprinklers. Alternatively, the family can ride Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls flume (warning: you will get very wet).

As you dry off from that heart-pounding experience, head to Marvel Super Hero Island. There, you can meet Marvel characters and ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk Coaster (it’s an intense one).

If you have young kids, don’t skip over Seuss Landing. This bright, cheery land has rides like Caro-Seuss-el, The Cat in the Hat and The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride. There’s also a Seuss character zone and plenty of other rides and attractions specifically designed for the little ones.

Volcano Bay

Volcano Bay is Universal’s water park. Though this park occasionally closes because of things like chilly weather or lightning storms, it is open year-round. Volcano Bay has everything you’d expect of an exceptional water park, like a large beach with a wave pool, a water coaster, a lazy river and a kids’ play area.

There are also some incredible waterslides and drops, including the Ko’okiri Body Plunge. It features a 70-degree fall and 125 feet of what Universal calls “white-knuckle fun.”

Thrillseekers will also love the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, which lets you glide through a waterfall, as well as the TeAwa The Fearless River, a whitewater ride that churns through rapids and waves.

CityWalk

As if two theme parks and a massive water park weren’t enough, Universal also has CityWalk.

This complex of restaurants, shops and clubs is open during the day, but it really heats up at night (as a bonus, there’s free self-parking after 6 p.m.). You don’t need tickets to enter, but you can buy tickets for shows at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Related: Surprising things you can do at Universal Orlando without a park ticket

Kick the night off at restaurants such as Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Bob Marley — A Tribute to Freedom and Pat O’Brien’s; they often have live (and recorded) music going. There’s also Universal’s Great Movie Escape escape room experience, a movie theater (free parking is included with the purchase of two movie matinee tickets), miniature golf, the Red Coconut Club dance floor and City Walk’s Rising Star karaoke club.

There are plenty of spots to dine at CityWalk, too. You can feast upon pizza, hot dogs, Voodoo Doughnuts and Panda Express Chinese food. Otherwise, you could have a more substantial meal at restaurants like The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, Bigfire, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar and more.

You can also find Universal’s boat shuttles (which can take you back to the hotels) at CityWalk. So, it’s not a bad idea to spend the day at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure then end the day shopping and eating in the area before taking a boat back to your room.

And another park on the way …

Universal Orlando is currently building a third theme park, which will open in 2025. Dubbed Epic Universe, the new park will house franchises like Fantastic Beasts, a Harry Potter spin-off; Super Nintendo World; and Universal Classic Monsters. Epic Universe will be on a massive 750-acre tract of land not far from the two existing theme parks.

Best times to visit Universal Orlando

The date for your visit to Universal Orlando may not be entirely up to you.

If you’re traveling with school-age children, you will probably have to come to Orlando during long weekends or spring or summer breaks — this is when Universal is at its busiest. That’s not the end of the world, though, since there are ways to reduce the amount of time you spend in lines (more on that in a minute).

You can check expected crowd levels at crowd calendars like Undercover Tourist, Touringplans or Orlando Informer.

Historically, Universal Orlando Resort’s slowest times are between Labor Day through the first two weeks of November (before Thanksgiving) and the first two weeks of December (before the holiday rush). Note, though, that if you visit close to Halloween, it will be busier because of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Most of January, except for the first week, is also relatively quiet, as is the first week of February. However, it quickly gets busy with spring breakers the closer you get to March. Crowds thin out a bit after Easter and through May, then ramp up again for the summertime.

June, July and August are always busy — always. As an added bonus, it’s extremely hot and prone to afternoon thunderstorms.

What’s the best way to get to Universal Orlando?

Getting to Orlando and then to Universal Orlando Resort after arriving are two completely different things. Let’s look at each.

What is the closest airport to Universal Orlando?

The closest airport to Universal Orlando is Orlando International Airport (MCO). Most major airlines fly into MCO, and you can reach Universal from the airport in about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic. If you are flying Allegiant Air or Sun Country Airlines, you’ll fly into Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). SFB is smaller than MCO and is farther from Universal. From SFB, it is about a 45-minute drive to Universal.

What is the best way to get to Universal Orlando from the airport?

Because of its size and proximity to Universal, MCO offers several options for getting between the airport and Universal.

From Orlando International Airport or Orlando Sanford International Airport, you can rent a car or use a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft. If you rent a car from MCO, you can forgo paying tolls through the car rental company (which often comes with an additional fee) and pick up a Visitor Toll Pass to save on tolls during your trip.

If you do rent a car, keep in mind that Universal’s on-site hotels do charge a parking fee; you’ll have to pay for parking if you choose to drive to Universal’s theme parks, too. With Universal’s transportation options, though, there is really no reason to drive between the parks if you stay on-site.

Your other option is the Universal SuperStar Shuttle. The shuttle can pick you up from MCO and drop you off at your Universal hotel. One-way service is $23 for adults and $18 for kids ages 3 to 9. Round-trip service is $39 for adults and $29 for kids. Advance reservations are required by calling 1-866-604-7557.

What is the best way to get around Universal Orlando?

If you are staying at one of Universal’s on-site hotels, you have several complimentary options for getting between your resort, Univeral’s parks and CityWalk.

Shuttle bus

Because Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk are close to one another, there is only one bus stop regardless of where you are going. A separate shuttle will take you to Volcano Bay unless you stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort or Aventura Hotel. These hotels are close enough to Volcano Bay that guests must use the walking path.

Water taxi

All of Universal’s Premier hotels and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort offer water taxi service to City Walk. In addition to easy access to the parks, you go through security before you board the water taxi, so you’ll get into the parks without waiting in a long security line.

Drive and park

If you’re not staying in an official Universal hotel, you must drive to the area and park in Universal’s main parking structure (6000 Universal Boulevard), which is connected to CityWalk. After you park and go through security, you can walk to CityWalk or either of Universal’s theme parks. If you plan to visit Volcano Bay, you’ll be directed to a shuttle bus that can take you directly there.

Daily parking fees are as follows:

• Regular parking: $32
• RV/bus parking: $42
• Prime parking: $50-$60

Valet parking is available for an additional fee. Free self parking is available for guests who arrive after 6 p.m.

Garden walk

If you don’t mind a few hundred extra steps, you can take a peaceful walking path from the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal’s Aventura Hotel and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

There is a separate security entrance at the end of the walking path that usually has a much shorter wait than the main security station in the parking garage. If you are staying at one of these hotels and want to arrive for early park admission, the walking path is often the best way to get there quickly and be near the front gates before they open.

What’s the best place to stay on a Universal Orlando vacation?

Once you’ve ironed out when you plan to visit Universal, you’ll want to determine where to stay. Between Universal’s on-site hotels and a handful of nearby points hotels, you have a ton of options. There are so many choices that TPG wrote an entire guide to choosing the best Universal Orlando hotel for your trip.

We’ll recap the high points below.

Benefits of Universal hotels

If you only have a few days to explore Universal and don’t mind the cost, an on-site property may be your best bet. That’s because guests of all Universal hotels receive early entry into the parks for specific attractions.

The parks that open for early admission vary by day, and only certain attractions are available. However, they tend to be the popular rides, with lines that grow once the gates open to regular parkgoers. There’s a helpful page on the Universal site to determine what’s available to on-site hotel guests. With some rides in each of the two parks available, that should also help spread out the crowds.

It’s a nice freebie, and it’s the best strategy if you have your heart set on riding Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure without spending hours in line. Currently, this ride does not participate in Universal’s Express Pass skip-the-line program.

If you stay in one of Universal’s on-site hotels, you can also use the park’s complimentary transportation options described above to get between CityWalk, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and your hotel.

The downside of staying at a Universal hotel is the price. Rates at Universal’s Value, Prime Value or Preferred hotels align with other area hotels, but if you want to stay in one of Universal’s high-end Premier hotels, you’ll pay considerably more. However, you’ll also get complimentary Universal Express skip-the-line passes for guests in your room. We’ll explain that in more detail below, but it’s a huge timesaver and may be worth the extra per-night cost of staying on-site.

Related: How to use points to save money at Universal Orlando

If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can maximize your stay at Loews Portofino Bay and book via the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program. This will not only get you Express Passes for all the guests in your party but also a full daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, late 4 p.m. checkout and more.

Staying off-site

Universal is surrounded by plenty of points hotels, so if you’d prefer to stay off-site — on points or cash — you can easily do so. Some of TPG’s favorite nearby points hotels are within walking distance of Universal.

Related: Splash into fun: The 14 best hotel pools in Orlando

Here are a few points hotels within walking distance of Universal:

• Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort (Category 2, from 6,500 World of Hyatt points per night)
• Hyatt House Across From Universal Orlando Resort (Category 3, from 9,000 World of Hyatt points per night)
• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando (around 36,0000 Hilton Honors points per night)

And some great points hotels that are just a short drive away:

• Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort (Category 4, from 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night)
• The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (from 46,000 Marriott points per night on standard dates)
• JW Marriott Grande Lakes (from 67,000 Marriott points per night on standard dates)
• Hilton Orlando (from 56,000 Hilton Honors points per night)
• Hyatt Regency Orlando (Category 4, From 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night)
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando (from 90,000 Hilton Honors points per night)

How to save time in line at Universal Orlando

Like many other theme parks, Universal has its own version of skip-the-line-pass called Universal Express. There are a few ways you can get Universal Express passes.

Related: Is Universal’s Express Pass worth it? TPG tested how much time it really saves you in line

As mentioned above, the best way is to include it in your stay. Guests staying at any of the three top-of-the-line Universal Premier hotels — Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort — get Universal Express Unlimited for free as registered guests.

This is huge because the starting cost, if purchased separately, ranges from $89.99 to $289.99 per person, per day. Getting Universal Express Unlimited with your room rate is a better deal for a family of four than buying it outright.

Another option is to simply buy an Express Pass when you need it. How much you pay depends on the type of pass you buy and when you visit Universal, as passes cost more when crowd levels are high.

Here are the three types of Express Passes you can buy:

Universal Express: This is the base version of the skip-the-line pass. It allows you to skip the regular line one time per participating ride at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. Prices start at $89.99 per person per day for one park and increase from there — sometimes as high as $289.99 per day.

Universal Express Unlimited: The unlimited pass lets you skip the regular lines at participating rides as many times as you wish at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Passes for that privilege start at $119.99 per person per day. Pricing for the unlimited passes seems to be running about $30 more per day than the normal express passes, which may make them the better value if it’s within your budget.

Volcano Bay Express: This pass is solely for use at Volcano Bay water park, allowing you to skip the regular line once per participating ride. The pass starts at $19.99 per person per day, but you won’t find that rate very often. With Volcano Bay’s Tapu Tapu system, which lets you tap into each attraction and get a return time, you can usually get by even without Express.

Participating rides and attractions are subject to change, so it’s best to consult Universal Orlando’s website before your visit.

Just about every ride is included in the Universal Express, except Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Hagrid’s is an incredible attraction that has seen some incredible wait times since opening. Unless you purchase a VIP tour,  expect to spend a significant amount of time waiting in line for rides — like Hagrid’s — that aren’t included in Universal Express.

Take a VIP tour

Another way to avoid the lines is to take a VIP tour. Universal offers both small group and private VIP tours, and both options can help you cut the line.

Summer Hull, a director at TPG, took her family on a private VIP experience at Universal. It included walk-on ride access during the tour, Express Passes and dining credit after the official tour.

A private tour will cost a few thousand dollars for the day for your group, but small-group VIP experiences can be much less expensive, starting at around $200 per person.

The primary difference between the two tours is the amount of access. The group tours are less private but only guarantee that you’ll experience front-of-the-line access for eight to 10 rides. A private VIP tour is charged by the hour and operates faster or slower as you prefer.

Whether you purchase an Express Pass or take a VIP tour will likely be determined by how crowded the park is during your visit and your budget.

If it’s offseason, you can get away without a skip-the-line pass. But if you’re visiting during a holiday week or school vacation, be prepared for long lines without a pass. Having an Express Pass will allow you to ride more attractions in less time on those dates.

Universal’s child-swap policy

If you travel as a family, you know that not everyone will want to go on every ride. And some of your kids may not yet be old or tall enough to ride some attractions your other kids are dying to try.

Universal’s child-swap program solves the problem of the entire family having to choose between experiencing a ride and not.

In fact, Universal’s child swap is the best in the business as there are (air-conditioned) waiting areas in some key attractions. Most even have televisions showing whichever movie the attraction is based on.

Related: More than just thrills: There’s big fun for little kids at Universal Orlando 

This allows one member of your party to watch over small children while the rest of the gang waits in line and rides. Then, you can swap places so the other members can enjoy the ride without another long wait. Just ask the attraction attendant to point you toward the designated waiting spots.

How to plan a Universal Orlando trip on a budget

All the extras like Universal Express and staying at a top-tier hotel are fun, but if they aren’t in your budget, there are ways to save money on your visit to Universal Orlando. Here are some of the most important things you can do to make your Universal vacation budget manageable:

• Stay at a Universal Value resort like Universal’s Endless Summer Dockside or Surfside resorts, or use hotel reward points to stay at one of the Hilton or Hyatt hotels mentioned above. Here are the best cards to earn Hilton points and the best cards to earn Hyatt points.
• Purchase groceries for meals and snacks, and only buy one or two meals in the parks daily.
• Don’t visit the parks every day you are at Universal and stick to one park per day. You’ll save money by skipping a Park-to-Park ticket.
• During your day off from the parks, swim at your hotel or visit CityWalk. If you stay at a resort like Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, you’ll have a lazy river and waterslide at the pool, making it almost like a water park.
• Don’t forget to periodically check Universal’s website for discounts. Even after you book, you may be able to apply a hotel or vacation package discount that can save you even more money.
• Visit during less busy times of the year. Ticket prices are the cheapest in September, with one-day tickets starting at $119.

Universal Orlando pretrip checklist

Now that you’ve determined your budget, purchased your tickets, booked your hotel and made a rough itinerary, your trip is nearly planned. You’ll need to consider a few other details to make your trip as memorable as possible. Here’s our ultimate Universal Orlando pretrip checklist:

• Pack accordingly: Depending on when you visit, you could be dealing with heat, humidity, afternoon showers, chilly temperatures or a mix of all of the above. It’s important to pack comfortable shoes and clothing no matter when you visit, but you may also want rain gear, sun protection or a warm jacket, depending on the weather.
• Download the Universal Orlando app: This app is an invaluable tool that you will use daily during your visit. You can use it to check wait times and show times; plus, you can mobile-order meals and snacks from quick-service dining locations. You can also link your ticket to the app. Or, if you save a credit card to your account, you can use the app’s Universal Pay feature to make contactless payments at shops and restaurants throughout the park.
• Check the park hours before your visit: You can view the park hours on the Universal Orlando website or the Universal Orlando app. Each park has separate opening and closing times, and parks occasionally close early for special events like Halloween Horror Nights.
• Check the height requirements for attractions: If you are traveling to Universal Orlando with young children, you can check the height requirements for attractions on the park’s website or app. There are also measuring stations at all attractions with a minimum height requirement, but it’s better to know ahead of time to avoid tears if your child isn’t quite tall enough.
• Know where to find your favorite characters: Most characters have designated meeting times and locations, which you can find in the Universal app under “shows.” You should see a filter for “character” that will bring up shows and meet-and-greets with your favorite characters.
• Decide if you want to purchase a My Universal Photos package. In addition to on-ride photos, professional photographers are available around Universal’s theme parks to help you capture your vacation memories. You can purchase one-day or three-day photo packages and save $20 by purchasing ahead of time. If you think you will want this option, it’s best to purchase it before your vacation.
•  Plan for downtime: One of the biggest mistakes people make on a theme park vacation is overscheduling their trip and leaving no time for rest and relaxation. If you are visiting for more than a few days, try and schedule a day away from the parks where you swim, explore the other resorts or just lounge around the hotel. It’ll help rejuvenate you for the rest of your trip. For shorter trips, you may want to schedule a slow morning or return to your hotel early one day instead of being at the parks from opening to closing every day of your trip.

The best credit cards to use at Universal

Now we get to a hot topic for points-and-miles travelers planning a trip to Universal Orlando. Which credit card should you use? The answer is, “It depends.”

Related: Best credit cards to use for Universal Studios

For example, how and where you purchase your theme park tickets will dictate how the charge will be coded. Historically speaking, Universal theme park tickets and VIP tours purchased directly from Universal code as “entertainment.” However, tickets purchased from a third-party seller like Undercover Tourist or at an on-site Universal hotel (make sure to charge to the hotel) code as “travel.” Depending on how you purchase your ticket, you’ll want to select either a card that rewards you for entertainment spend or travel purchases.

If you think your purchase will code as entertainment, two good credit card options are:

• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card — 4% cash back
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card — 3% cash back

If, however, you know your charge will code as travel, you’re better off using:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 3 points per dollar spent
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 2 points per dollar spent
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card — 2 points per every dollar spent

The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit 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.

Bottom line

Universal is packed with rides, attractions, character meet-and-greets and more. Yet it’s compact enough for you to cover a lot of ground in just a few days. With this guide, you can choose where to stay and what to do, as well as where to spend and where you can save. This way, you can have the best Universal Orlando vacation.

Related reading:

• ‘Let the good times roll’ – Mardi Gras isn’t over at this Central Florida theme park
• Best restaurants at Universal Orlando Resort
• Sleek and modern, yet affordable: A review of Universal’s Aventura Hotel
• Is Universal’s Express Pass worth it? TPG tested how much time it really saves you in line
• Universal’s new credit cards reward you with free theme park tickets and more

United Airlines introduced a new tool in the United app Wednesday that can help travelers stay on top of weather delays during July Fourth — the holiday is expected to be the peak of what is already a record-breaking summer travel season.

The new tool features live radar maps powered by generative AI to help passengers visualize potential delays and impacts on their flights, even if it’s bright and sunny at their current location.

United is the first domestic airline to provide radar map-based, real-time information on weather-induced flight delays, the airline said in a press release. Along with the new weather map feature, United already provides fairly detailed information explaining the causes of any delays or cancellations, which it began initially doing in 2018 as part of a pilot program before adopting and expanding it across its system.

The new feature builds on the Chicago-based airline’s effort to improve communications with passengers over the past few years, including nearly instantaneous details about a given flight, such as gate changes, boarding times, aircraft swaps, crew rescheduling and inclement weather.

Considering that the Transportation Security Administration reported screening more people June 24 than any other day in the agency’s nearly 23-year history, these features could be particularly helpful for United flyers over the July Fourth holiday travel week. According to TSA data, the upcoming holiday will likely mark eight of the 10 busiest travel days ever at TSA checkpoints since Memorial Day weekend.

June 30 saw over 1,370 flight cancellations across U.S. airports, including 120 on United — roughly 4% of its schedule. Even so, flight cancellations are down overall this summer, far below the infamous, airline-meltdown-stricken summer of 2022.

“With more people traveling this summer than ever, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to stay connected to real-time information about their flight and texting was the simplest solution,” Jason Birnbaum, United’s chief information officer, said in a statement. “We know customers appreciate transparency and by combining innovative technology-enabled tools with people power, we can give more people, even more in-the-moment details about their flight.”

As of Wednesday, the United app will provide customers with links to live weather radar maps showing conditions across flight paths that could lead to potential weather delays. Additionally, all customers can now access links to weather maps in the United app under “flight status updates” to see when a flight has been delayed due to weather.

The push for real-time communication is a joint effort between specialized customer service teams in network operations centers and flight operations teams to use AI, which reviews flight data and writes customer messages.

“These are more helpful and relevant text or email messages that give context about why a flight changed during weather-related delays — including links to live weather radars,” United said in a statement.

Much like the TSA, United expects to experience its busiest Fourth of July weekend on record — it predicts more than 5 million passengers will fly between June 28 and July 8, up more than 7% compared to last year.

Other United app features that can assist travelers during flight delays include automatic self-service rebooking assistance, which allows customers to rebook, track their bags and determine if they are eligible for meal and hotel vouchers. United also gives customers real-time access to details such as their flight number and gate, and a countdown clock to departure on their phone screen through Live Activities without opening the app. The airline also remains the only domestic airline to offer an in-app seat map feature for families wishing to book free seats for children under age 12 in their party (included in basic economy fares).

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