Tag: Travel Planner

Editor’s note: This post was updated with new information.

On-the-go churros or chicken fingers may work as meals for some Disneyland Resort guests. However, when you’re spending as much as a trip to a Disney theme park costs these days, you might want to be sure you’re enjoying the best restaurant meals, concessions and experiences that the park has to offer.

While Disney World’s restaurants are often more talked about, Disneyland’s dining options have also transformed. With increased crowds and quickly booked-up restaurants, it’s a good idea to map out your eating plan in advance — at least for a few meals.

What makes a Disney restaurant great is not necessarily the food. It may be a character experience, a fun theme or a good spot right near the rides that makes the restaurant special.

Does it get better than actually eating inside an attraction at the Blue Bayou and watching the Pirates of the Caribbean boats go by? We think not.

We’ve dined at dozens of Disneyland restaurants over the years on both family and adult-only vacations, from the smallest of snack carts to the fanciest white-tablecloth eateries. Here’s what you should know about dining at Disneyland and our picks for the best Disneyland restaurants — whether you’re at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park or a Disneyland hotel.

Related: Everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland

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For no-cost assistance with planning and booking your next Disney vacation, check out TPG’s Disney booking partner, Mouse Counselors.

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Best restaurants in Disneyland Resort

Here are some of the best Disneyland restaurants to enjoy.

Plaza Inn

Where it is: Main Street, U.S.A.

What’s on the menu: Mickey waffles and fried chicken

Home to the only Disneyland character meal within either of the two parks, Plaza Inn is a favorite for families or anyone who wants some character face time. During morning hours, Plaza Inn hosts Minnie & Friends — Breakfast in the Park. The breakfast is buffet style, with kid-friendly favorites like Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles available alongside eggs, biscuits and gravy, and other morning comfort foods.

Visitors are always guaranteed a photo opportunity with Minnie Mouse. Other regular characters include Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Chip ‘n Dale, Pluto and Daisy Duck.

Reservations go quickly for this meal, so make your plans as soon as the 60-day advance reservation window opens. A reminder: Early morning is the best time for short ride lines, so you may not want to waste these first few hours sitting down for breakfast. Reserve a time that’s a few hours after the park opens. (I have always found that 10:30 a.m. is ideal on days with an 8 a.m. park opening.)

For lunch and dinner, the characters call it a day, and the restaurant becomes a regular fast-casual restaurant. Even without characters, Plaza Inn is a restaurant with a lot of value. Prices are reasonable, and portions are hearty. Don’t miss the restaurant’s signature dish, fried chicken.

Bengal Barbecue

Where it is: Adventureland

What’s on the menu: Chieftain chicken skewer, Bengal beef skewer

For a very quick bite, Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland has always been one of my family’s favorites.

The menu offers a lot of lean meats and a few veggies — a welcome change from all the churros and Mickey ice cream bars that often make up a Disneyland diet. Many of the food items are on skewers, so you can take them to go as you race off to your next Lightning Lane reservation time. If you have more time, sit and take a break in the adjacent shaded and themed seating area.

Red Rose Taverne

Where it is: Fantasyland

What’s on the menu: Burgers, chopped salads, pizza flatbreads

If you have little ones, chances are good that you’ll spend a lot of time in Fantasyland. The quick-service restaurant there works well for families with babies, toddlers and younger children. It was rebranded a few years ago as Red Rose Taverne from “Beauty and the Beast,” but many guests still know it as Village Haus.

You can count on Red Rose Taverne for the staples many picky children eat, including chicken tenders, hamburgers and flatbread cheese pizza. There’s ample indoor and outdoor seating, and there’s even enough room to maneuver a stroller up to many of the tables. The food for adults is nothing particularly memorable, but park-weary parents will be grateful for the easy logistics.

Tiana’s Palace

Where it is: New Orleans Square

What’s on the menu: 7 greens gumbo with chicken and andouille sausage, Gulf shrimp and grits

More than a year after its debut, Tiana’s Palace restaurant in New Orleans Square is holding strong as one of the best quick-service restaurants at the Disneyland Resort.

Tiana’s Palace replaced longtime favorite French Market as part of bringing the beloved “The Princess and the Frog” story to Disneyland. It will soon be joined by a new attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, on Nov. 15, 2024.

Like its French Market predecessor, Tiana’s Palace is a higher-end counter service restaurant. This makes it a smart choice for guests who want a nicer dining experience without quite as much expense or time invested as a true sit-down meal.

The menu is Creole- and Cajun-inspired, with several gumbo dishes, a beef po’boy sandwich, cheesy shrimp and grits, and sides like buttermilk cornbread. Less adventurous options (toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese) are on the kids’ menu if you have picky eaters in the family.

Tables are outside on a mostly shaded veranda overlooking Rivers of America and the Mark Twain Riverboat. Stop by the nearby Mint Julep Bar, where you can grab a (nonalcoholic) mint julep to accompany your meal or a Mickey beignet for dessert.

Blue Bayou

Where it is: New Orleans Square

What’s on the menu: Chicken gumbo and filet mignon

For the quintessential Disneyland date night, head straight for New Orleans Square.

My husband and I have made dinner at Blue Bayou our date-night tradition, starting when we first visited the park together more than 20 years ago. It’s fair to say the food quality and menu variety have both dropped a bit in the last several years. However, it’s still hard to top Blue Bayou’s location and ambience.

The restaurant is entirely indoors but is lit to give the illusion of alfresco nighttime dining overlooking the bayou.

Boats from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride float by while fireflies dance overhead. Lunch is less expensive than dinner, but it is still one of the most expensive meals at Disneyland. The restaurant has shifted somewhat from its Cajun and Creole roots to offer more standard American fine dining fare, but there is still some spice in a few dishes. Reservations are an absolute must.

While this is a fancier restaurant and is priced accordingly, families shouldn’t necessarily rule it out. Blue Bayou can be a very special higher-end Disney dining experience with older children or teens for dinner, and it’s usually filled with quite a few families at lunch.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

Where it is: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

What’s on the menu: Endorian fried chicken tip-yip

The opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in 2019 brought several new restaurants. The food options on Batuu were not without some controversy and mixed reviews — at least initially.

Related: The essential guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland

Disneyland constantly tweaks menus in response to customer feedback, and Docking Bay 7 has now stood the test of time as one of the more reliable counter service restaurants in the park. With ample, air-conditioned indoor seating, it’s also an easy place to take a break and (usually) find a table. There’s a small, partially shaded outdoor terrace that offers fresh air and quality views for Star Wars people-watching, too.

Lunch and dinner menu items include fried chicken (“tip-yip”), a few adventurous seasonal entrees and several vegetarian options. The pickiest eaters won’t find many choices here, however, so check the menu carefully if you have young kids.

Also, don’t rule out the idea of a wrap from Ronto’s Roasters next door; it’s arguably an even tastier option and is also open for breakfast. The traditional morning wrap with egg and pork sausage is our favorite; there are also plant-based garden wraps and a wrap with sausage and slaw available for lunch or dinner. And if you’re in the mood for a fun, sweet coffee-style drink, grab the cold brew black caf (cold brew topped with sweet cream cheese and chocolate puffs).

Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree

Where it is: Critter Country (soon to be re-named Bayou Country)

What’s on the menu: Barbecue platters and sandwiches, burgers and ribs

While it’s too soon to give this restaurant an official place on the “best Disneyland restaurants” list, Hungry Bear is at least one to watch closely in the coming weeks and months.

In a quiet corner along the Rivers of America in Critter Country, Hungry Bear Restaurant was a longtime counter service favorite for families with young kids. The restaurant had lots of shaded outdoor seating, so it was always an ideal place to take a much-needed break for lunch midday.

Unfortunately, the food quality declined, and the menu became pretty ho-hum, so we deleted this restaurant from our list several years ago. Thankfully, Disney responded to the lackluster reviews. It’s in the process of completing an overhaul of the restaurant and its menu in anticipation of the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure next door.

Related: Disney World vs. Disneyland — which is the better park?

The new menu is expected to bring back some of the flavors from the beloved and never-forgotten Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue restaurant, which closed nearly a decade ago to make way for the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The recently revealed food lineup includes barbecue, brisket and ribs, along with the usual burgers and chicken tenders that work well for picky eaters.

Best restaurants in Disney California Adventure

Here are the best Disney California Adventure restaurants.

Flo’s V8 Cafe

Where it is: Cars Land

What’s on the menu: Burgers and turkey club sandwich

Flo’s V8 Cafe is Disney’s take on the classic American diner, just like you might find along Route 66.

The theming and setting in Cars Land are immersive and just so much fun. By quick-service restaurant standards, the food is downright delicious. The menu isn’t quite as extensive and varied as it used to be a few years ago. However, it still has more choices than your average counter-service restaurant at Disneyland Resort.

Lunch and dinner include items like burgers, a Cobb salad, fried chicken and a turkey club sandwich. Shakes are also available as a sweet treat. Kids can find plenty of variety, from macaroni and cheese to chicken strips.

Lamplight Lounge

Where it is: Pixar Pier

What’s on the menu: Lobster nachos, potato skins and doughnuts

Lamplight Lounge remains one of the hottest dining tickets at Disneyland Resort, so it’s a must to make a reservation well in advance if you want to dine here. Weekend brunch (Friday through Sunday) is especially popular.

Instagrammable food and cocktails abound. The decor is Pixar-themed, with tons of memorabilia and details to explore. Like Blue Bayou in Disneyland Park, Lamplight Lounge is probably better suited to families with older children and teens due to its atmosphere and price. Still, younger kids who love Pixar movies will feel right at home here, too.

The sentimental favorite menu item is the lobster nachos, which were also available at the predecessor restaurant in this space, Cove Bar. The menu is definitely more varied and interesting for foodie parents than at many Disneyland restaurants, and the drink menu (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) is full of whimsical selections.

Carthay Circle Restaurant

Where it is: Buena Vista Street

What’s on the menu: Rib eye, pork chops and mushroom ravioli

For a signature dining experience in California Adventure, Carthay Circle Restaurant is the top choice. It’s also priced accordingly, so save this for a special adults’ night out or budget accordingly.

Set within a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater, where Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” debuted in 1937, this restaurant teems with Disney and Old Hollywood history and lore.

Menu items include pork chops, rib eye, fresh fish and pasta. Carthay Circle Restaurant’s menu is most extensive at dinner, but it has just added a less expensive pre-fixe menu for lunch.

If you don’t have the budget or the time for a fancier meal, the Carthay Circle Lounge downstairs in the same building offers lighter bites and delicious cocktails. Eating in the lounge’s outdoor seating section provides the added perk of five-star people-watching — you’ll probably even spot a character or two strolling by on the way to their next appearance.

 

Pym Test Kitchen

Where it is: Avengers Campus

What’s on the menu: Quantum pretzel, not-so-little chicken sandwich

The food at Pym Test Kitchen is not the best on a Disney property, but it is pretty fun. It made the cut based on sheer originality.

The concept of this counter-service restaurant in Avenger’s Campus is that Ant-Man and the Wasp’s Pym particles are being used to experiment with making food teeny-tiny or enormous.

On the menu, you’ll find an enormous pretzel, a not-so-little chicken sandwich with a tiny bun but a huge chicken patty, pasta with tiny noodles and oversized Impossible plant-based “meatballs.” Kids usually get a kick out of the pretzel, which is larger than their heads.

Pym Test Kitchen is one of the few breakfast options open in California Adventure Park, and its offerings are also quite solid in the morning. The “Calculated Breakfast = E x 2 + (B+P)/T” is served with two eggs that are different sizes and prepared in different ways.

Lucky Fortune Cookery

Where it is: San Fransokyo Square (formerly Pacific Wharf)

What’s on the menu: Yaki udon with Karaage-inspired crispy chicken and pork wonton nachos

When Disney recently transformed Pacific Wharf into the city of San Fransokyo from the film Big Hero 6, the area’s restaurants definitely benefited from the refresh. This section of the park is now a dining destination with multiple cuisine choices, all sharing a single large outdoor seating area.

There are now several restaurant standouts worth trying anew, but my personal favorite so far is Lucky Fortune Cookery.

The restaurant has always been a go-to place for a reliable teriyaki rice bowl and some veggies for anyone looking for a healthier bite. It now also offers a mixture of pan-Asian cuisine featuring Korean, Chinese and Japanese flavors. I tried several menu items during a recent trip. The beef bulgogi burrito with rice and coleslaw was the best thing I ate all day, combining flavor profiles from multiple different cuisine traditions.

For dessert, the restaurant serves an adorable and very tasty Baymax macaron with buttercream and chocolate hazelnut filling. Boba fans can also get their fix with Thai tea.

Food festival marketplaces

Where it is: Grizzly Peak, Paradise Gardens

What’s on the menu: Changes seasonally

Disney California Adventure is home to multiple food festivals throughout the year. When these take place, food “marketplaces” pop up along the pathways of the park — usually at least from Grizzly Peak to the end of Paradise Gardens.

The food options at these festivals are fun and unique, and they offer a great opportunity for visitors to try new flavors. The always reliable Paradise Garden Grill restaurant usually serves festival food items as well, often in larger portions.

The largest of these festivals is the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival in the spring.

Look also for the Festival of Holidays during the November and December holiday season and the Lunar New Year marketplaces during the annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Families and groups can get a lot of value out of sharing a Sip ‘n’ Savor pass, which gives you tickets to redeem for a number of dishes for a single set price.

Best restaurants in the Disneyland hotels

Here are the best restaurants at Disneyland’s on-property hotels.

Related: Where to stay at Disneyland

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar

Where it is: Disneyland Hotel

What’s on the menu: HippopotoMai-Tai, zombie, pu pu platter, Hawaiian platter

Near the pool at the Disneyland Hotel, you’ll find one of the liveliest places to eat or drink on Disneyland property: Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. It’s a place where volcanoes explode, servers shout, and it’s easy to have a good time.

The poke bowl and Hawaiian platter are fun options here, but you can’t go wrong just coming in for a snack and a drink. Order the right one, and you may be a part of a shipwreck, explosion or other fun disaster.

Napa Rose

Where it is: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

What’s on the menu: Steak and fish

You won’t find any shipwrecks or screaming servers at Napa Rose within Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel. However, you will find a sophisticated (but not stuffy) menu of duck breast, steak and sustainably sourced fish, to name a few items.

This is a special occasion meal and one you don’t want to rush through, so don’t try to cram it in before catching that next ride on Radiator Springs Racers.

 

The restaurant also serves a premium character breakfast —  Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures — Thursday through Monday. It’s quite expensive at $142 per person plus tax. However, it is routinely one of the better-reviewed meals and experiences at the resort because of the restaurant’s meticulous service.

Guests with a serious princess fan in the family should certainly consider it if the budget allows, particularly for a special celebration like a birthday or anniversary.

Additional tips for restaurants and dining at Disneyland

As with all things at Disneyland, guests who are prepared will have a less stressful and more enjoyable experience. Here are a few final tips you need to know before you make your Disneyland dining plans and restaurant reservations.

Make use of mobile ordering

Over the past couple of years, Disneyland has rolled out mobile ordering to the vast majority of counter-service restaurants in both parks. You no longer need to wait in a physical queue just to place an order.

These days, mobile ordering is pretty much essential. Make sure you download the official Disneyland app and that you place your order in advance of the mealtime rush.

It’s not a bad idea to place your order an hour or two ahead in some cases if you know when and what you would like to eat. At popular spots and on the busiest days, available time slots begin to fill up, and guests are unable to order for immediate pickup on the mobile order system. Don’t wait until your stomach is growling to place an order, or you may be left hungry for a while.

Once you place your order, wait until the time you have selected to eat. Then click in the app again to indicate your arrival as you approach the restaurant. Your food is usually ready in a few minutes at a pick-up window. Look for the push notification to alert you in the app.

Make Disneyland restaurant reservations 60 days in advance

If you plan to visit a table service restaurant or a popular character meal buffet during your Disneyland vacation, reservations are a must. We recommend booking right at Disneyland’s 60-day reservation window before your trip if you can. Reservations open at 6 a.m. (Pacific time) daily and the top restaurants can book up close to instantly.

If you miss the chance 60 days out, a service like MouseDining can be handy in alerting you when an opening becomes available. Just act quickly, as choices disappear as fast as they appear.

Don’t forget about dining packages

Disneyland has a number of popular shows and parades that many visitors want to see. Finding a good seat for them may require camping out an hour or more in advance.

One solution is to secure reserved seating or standing areas for these shows by booking an associated dining package. These packages do come at a premium price, but they save substantial time in addition to providing a meal that guests would be paying for anyway. Check the Disneyland website or app for availability, as there are often changes to the offerings.

Related: How to use points for Disney tickets

Think beyond the parks

There are so many amazing restaurants within Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, but don’t forget to look beyond park borders for other excellent restaurants.

We’ve already highlighted some of the best options at a few of the Disneyland on-property hotels, but there are still more worthy restaurant choices at those properties. Scheduling a hotel character meal on your arrival or departure day at one of these hotel restaurants can be a smart choice, as it gives you a Disney experience without the cost of a park ticket on that day.

The Downtown Disney district adjacent to the two parks also features many quality restaurants and dining experiences. These restaurants are all just a very short walk or monorail ride from the parks. Options include a brewery, a restaurant specializing in over-the-top milkshakes, a bowling alley with excellent sushi, and restaurants specializing in Cajun, Italian and Mexican dishes.

The recently opened dim sum restaurant Din Tai Fung is already proving to be one of the toughest reservations to get at the Disneyland Resort. Even more new restaurants are expected in 2025 as construction in Downtown Disney continues.

Bottom line

No matter who’s in your party or what your budget is, Disneyland has a wide variety of restaurants to enjoy on your next vacation.

If you are paying by card for these meals, use a card that rewards you with extra miles for dining, like the Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar), American Express® Gold Card (4 points per dollar at restaurants on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (7 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (3 points per dollar). (Learn more about the best credit cards for dining.)

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

Alternatively, you can also pick up some discounted Disney gift cards before your trip to save on meals at the best restaurants in Disneyland.

If you’re planning a family vacation to Disneyland, here are additional articles to help you craft the perfect trip:

• Everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland
• Where to stay at Disneyland: The best on- and off-property hotels
• Skip the lines at Disneyland: 9 line-busting tips for less waiting and more playing
• These are the best rides at Disneyland

Destination dupes are far from a novel concept. Travelers have always sought ways to avoid crowds and be the first among their friends to “discover” a new place. But recently, social media platforms have breathed new life into travelers’ efforts to find budget-friendly alternatives to expensive hot spots. Posts highlighting the similar vibes between lesser-known destinations and popular ones have become commonplace on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Madeira, a Portuguese island in the Atlantic, has gone viral in the past few years on TikTok and other social media platforms, with travel influencers describing it as “the Hawaii of Europe.” The Portuguese island is a relatively popular holiday spot for other Europeans, but Madeira has seen a recent uptick in American travelers. The island saw a 30.8% increase in U.S. visitors in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023, according to the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira, partially thanks to social media’s claim that it’s a dupe for the Hawaiian Islands.

As someone who has now spent time in both Hawaii and Madeira, I’m here to set the record straight: TikTok, it’s time to stop calling Madeira a dupe for Hawaii.

Why Madeira is called ‘the Hawaii of Europe’

I will admit there are some similarities between the two destinations.

Madeira and the Hawaiian Islands were created by volcanic activity millions of years ago, resulting in similar landscapes. If you look at video footage of Madeira and Hawaii, you’ll see commonalities: crystal-blue waves that crash into imposing cliff sides, colorful greenery and flowers, and cityscapes that fade into untouched nature as you look toward the mountains that rise out of the center of the islands. Based on photos and video footage, I can understand why TikTok dubbed Madeira the “Hawaii of Europe.”

Each is part of a larger country (Madeira is a Portuguese island; Hawaii is a U.S. state), and comes with all the associated benefits and drawbacks. Travelers benefit from using a more versatile currency (euros in Madeira, U.S. dollars in Hawaii) and infrastructure that a larger economy can fund.

Both offer a wide range of activities for outdoor and adventure enthusiasts: whale- and dolphin-watching tours, surfing, dozens of beautiful hikes for all activity levels, snorkeling and scuba diving, off-roading tours, and more.

Both are similar distances from their respective closest U.S. coast: Madeira is a six-hour flight from the East Coast of the U.S. Hawaii is around the same distance from the West Coast of the U.S. Hawaii is undoubtedly more accessible from the U.S., with direct flights offered on multiple airlines from a variety of U.S. mainland airports, but you can also get to Madeira directly from the East Coast on Azores Airlines.

However, despite these cosmetic similarities, Madeira is not a great alternative if you’re dreaming of a Hawaiian vacation.

Why I don’t think Madeira is a Hawaiian destination dupe

I do want to preface this by saying I adored Madeira.

Funchal, the largest city on the island, is walkable and charming. There’s something for everyone, including opportunities to learn about Madeiran history and culture, popular hiking and surf spots, resorts where you can chill out poolside, and plenty of water activities from scuba diving to dolphin watching to stand-up paddleboarding. The people I met — both locals and fellow tourists — were kind and welcoming. I had an incredible time, and I’m already planning to return.

That said, I maintain that it’s not a dupe for the Hawaiian Islands.

They have differing climates

When I looked up the projected temperatures for my trip to Madeira, I was shocked to see the highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. It turns out that while the temperatures may not be as high as you might expect for a subtropical destination, the humidity in Madeira more than makes up for it.

The combination of the sunshine and humidity was a little stifling, especially for someone who foolishly packed for what I expected a 70-degree New York City day to feel like. Let me tell you, 70 degrees in New York City is not the same as 70 degrees in Madeira.

It gets cooler up in the mountains when you’re hiking or visiting some smaller villages nestled between the peaks, but you don’t escape the humidity. Even when it’s chilly, the air has a dewy quality.

Hawaii, on the other hand, is a bit warmer but with a lower humidity level. Hawaii climates do change a bit, depending on which island you’re on (the Big Island and Oahu tend to be slightly warmer than Maui and Kauai, with Lanai and Molokai falling somewhere in between), but even December temperatures on Maui were warmer than the hottest days during my September visit to Madeira. Still, with the lower humidity in Hawaii, I probably sweat more while I was out and about in Madeira.

Related: The best time to visit Hawaii for good weather, smaller crowds, deals and more

The different climates also contribute to different water temperatures. Even in December, Hawaiian waters were comfortable to swim in. I wore a rash guard while surfing for protection from the sun (and reefs, since I knew I would fall a lot my first time on a surfboard), but the water was warm enough to forgo the added layers.

By contrast, the water that surrounds Madeira was a bit chilly. I was able to enjoy swimming in the ocean off the southern coast and in the lava pools at Seixal along the northern coast, but it took a few minutes after the first shock of jumping in for my body to acclimate to the water, and I wasn’t able to stay in for longer than 20 minutes without getting rather cold. Even swimming in the pools at the two resorts I visited in Madeira was only enjoyable for a short time.

Madeira has warm summers and mild winters — August typically has the hottest days, and September generally has the warmest ocean temperatures. During sunny summer days, I’d describe the water as refreshingly cool, but on overcast days (we had more than one during my mid-September trip), you might not want to be in the water for very long.

Hawaii has more accessible beaches

Perhaps contrary to expectation, Madeira’s coastline isn’t dotted with dozens of sand beaches. That isn’t to say that Madeira doesn’t have any beaches at all — there are some beautiful beaches like Ribeira Brava or the black sand beach in Seixal. But many of Madeira’s beaches — especially near Funchal, where most tourists stay — are rocky. I saw plenty of people who laid out towels on the rocks and waded into the water, but it was far from the stereotypical beachside vacation scene with umbrellas propped in the sand and lounge chairs for comfortable sunbathing.

Hawaii also certainly has areas where the shore is rocky and waves crash against volcanic cliffs, but sand beaches are very common, too. Oahu alone has over 130 beaches along its shoreline.

If your vacation plans include laying out by the beach and digging your toes in the sand, it’ll be harder (though possible) to accommodate that wish in Madeira than in Hawaii.

Madeira is more affordable

One of the more surprising aspects of my trip to Madeira was how affordable things were, especially given that I am used to New York City prices. Compared to the sometimes astronomical prices in Hawaii, Madeira can definitely be a more budget-friendly option (especially for those traveling from the East Coast, who have more expensive flight prices to Hawaii than West Coasters).

Even the most expensive hotels and resorts in Madeira, such as Reid’s Palace and Savoy Palace, generally won’t cost more than $850 per night even during peak travel periods. In fact, I stayed two nights at Savoy Palace in September for under $450 per night booking through Capital One. Most of the resorts on the island fall closer to the $200-$300 per night range. Hawaii does offer a wide range of hotel and resort options, depending on your budget and which island you’re visiting, but the more popular resorts can easily top $1,000 per night on peak travel dates.

Beyond the cost of accommodations, general expenses are also more affordable in Madeira. A beachside meal for two people at a local restaurant in Madeira that included two ponchas (a traditional Madeiran cocktail) and two entrees cost less than 40 euros ($44). Even our most expensive meal at Savoy Palace — which included two cocktails, an appetizer, two entrees and two side dishes — was only around 100 euros ($110) in total. A meal in Hawaii can easily run $40 per person even at casual dining spots, especially in popular tourist areas.

Tours were also relatively inexpensive. We took an all-day small-group tour of the northwestern region of Madeira for less than $90 per person and a three-hour dolphin-watching tour on a luxury catamaran for only $70 per person; similar tours in Hawaii can easily run $150-$200 (or more) per person.

Even my trip to a local pharmacy in Madeira for some allergy medication was only 8 euros ($9), something that would likely have cost closer to $18 in the U.S.

Hawaii has more points hotel options

While Hawaii might be more expensive than Madeira, there are more options to save money by using points on your hotel stay. Hawaii has no shortage of great hotel options for those looking to use points to save money or leverage elite status for additional benefits, from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island to the Andaz Maui.

The opposite is true of Madeira. As of September, Madeira had zero points hotels. Marriott has Homes & Villas properties you can book with points, but when I planned my trip, no hotels were associated with the major loyalty programs (Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Accor, Hyatt).

The Portuguese hotel chain Pestana is headquartered in Funchal and has many properties in Madeira. However, most Americans likely don’t have a stash of Pestana points on hand, given its limited footprint in the U.S. and the fact that it’s not a transfer partner of any U.S. card issuer.

There is good news for Hyatt loyalists: Dreams Madeira Resort, Spa & Marina, an all-inclusive Hyatt property, is expected to open later in October. But the property is situated at the island’s eastern tip, making it a bit out of the way for travelers hoping to spend time in Funchal or western Madeira (especially for those who aren’t renting a car).

The lack of points hotels is a double-edged sword. Points are harder to use in Madeira, which is a bummer. However, it does mean Madeira has many smaller boutique hotels. As much as I love a good points hotel, locally owned boutique hotels offer a great way to support local business owners while getting a more intimate experience than a global chain can provide.

Plus, if you have a card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you can always redeem Capital One miles for 1 cent apiece to book any property.

Differing levels of cultural expression

Every destination has its unique culture, so this is an argument you could make about almost any destination the internet claims is a dupe of another. (And a fair critique of the entire concept of a destination dupe.)

However, some connections exist between modern Hawaiian and Madeiran cultures due to immigrants moving from Madeira to Hawaii in the 1800s to work on sugar cane plantations. The iconic Hawaiian ukulele, for example, was inspired by the Portuguese braguinha brought over during this period. But there are also many differences, particularly in how that culture shows up in the tourism industry.

I found that Hawaii’s culture was more integrated into the tourism experience than Portuguese culture was in Madeira. Native Hawaiian culture is everywhere you look: hula, luaus, leis, a sacred connection to and protection of the land and surrounding waters. And it’s a privilege for tourists to experience those pieces of Hawaiian culture. The Hawaii tourism board even has the Malama volunteer program, which encourages visitors to give back to the land and the local communities through volunteer opportunities with local organizations.

Both before and after the U.S. annexed the once-independent Hawaiian Islands in 1893, there was a forced decline in the observance of many of the cultural traditions that are now revered parts of any Hawaiian vacation, and the Hawaiian language was almost lost. Hawaii still struggles with the consequences of annexation and dependence on tourism, but Hawaiians have fought hard to bring Native Hawaiian culture back into everyday life — something that is clear to anyone who visits the Hawaiian Islands.

While Madeira has its own beautiful culture, it was harder to experience and learn about it unless you went out of your way to look for it. That’s certainly a shame given the parts of Maderian history and culture I was able to learn about — one of our tour guides was incredibly knowledgeable about Madeiran history and we made sure to try out some of Madeira’s traditional dishes like scabbardfish — were beautiful. If you travel to experience culture, this is something to consider when deciding between the two destinations.

Bottom line

No, I don’t think you can accurately claim Madeira is a “dupe” for Hawaii. However, Madeira is still certainly worth visiting. The weather is great, the people are very welcoming, and it’s relatively affordable. I loved my time there, and I’m already plotting a return trip to explore more of the island.

There’s an argument to be made that there’s no such thing as a true destination dupe. What makes up a destination is too nuanced, including the history, culture, climate, people, location and food. Every place has its unique combination that’s impossible to replicate elsewhere.

But I understand travelers have always and will continue to search for less-crowded and inexpensive alternatives to popular destinations. While I’m not sure anyone can convince me there’s an adequate dupe for Hawaii, I am certain the answer is not Madeira (sorry, TikTok).

Related reading:

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

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

If you believe cryptocurrency is a good long-term investment, you might be considering adding crypto credit cards to your wallet.

A growing number of companies are working to offer cryptocurrency rewards for crypto enthusiasts who want to participate in the digital currency economy.

Of course, this particular type of reward currency isn’t for everyone. It’s important to note your risk tolerance to potential volatility in the market. If you’re a total crypto newbie, check out our full introductory guide to earning cryptocurrency on credit cards.

Note that there is no official Bitcoin credit card or Ethereum credit card, but you may be able to earn those or other cryptocurrencies with any of the cards mentioned in this guide.

At TPG, we are certainly fans of cards that earn rewards on every purchase — be it in the form of cash-back, airline miles or transferable points to use toward travel. Cards that earn crypto may attract those who have faith in the future of the various currencies out there.

However, it is important to note that the value of any cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin or Ethereum, could frequently and rapidly rise or fall at any point. So, you’ll want to seriously consider whether or not the risk is worth it for you before deciding to apply for one of these crypto credit cards.

Keeping the above in mind, these are some of the most popular cards that earn cryptocurrency.

Related: What you need to know about earning crypto on your credit cards

Gemini Credit Card

The Gemini Credit Card* is a Mastercard-branded product with no annual fee. The card features 4% back on gas and EV charging (up to $200 per month, then 1%), 3% back on dining, 2% back on groceries and 1% back everywhere else. You can choose to redeem rewards as any of more than 50 cryptocurrencies available on Gemini.

Some of the biggest cryptocurrencies in the Gemini credit card rewards program include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Filecoin, Zcash, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Tezos, Solana and Polkadot. You can also cash in with stablecoins such as USD Coin and Gemini dollar.

This card is a popular choice for cryptocurrency rewards due to its low costs, higher reward earning rates and being beginner-friendly.

Crypto.com Visa Card

The Crypto.com Visa Card* is a no-annual-fee card from one of the best-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States. (This is partially due to a major ad campaign with Matt Damon and buying naming rights to the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.)

The Crypto.com card is a bit more complex, with five tiers and varying rewards depending on your cryptocurrency balances.

The basic Midnight Blue tier requires no crypto holdings and doesn’t offer rewards. With $400 or more in the Cronos (CRO) currency, the native currency created by Crypto.com, you can earn 1% to 5% back on regular purchases, depending on your tier.

Other perks that come with higher tiers include up to 100% back on Spotify, Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions, merchant offers with Expedia and Airbnb and complimentary airport lounge access. However, those top benefits require holding a whopping $400,000 in CRO, far beyond what most people could afford or consider.

Venmo Credit Card

The Venmo Credit Card* offers rewards in multiple forms, including cryptocurrency. Users can choose a preferred cryptocurrency for monthly rewards, which are redeemed automatically.

The Venmo card has no annual fee and offers up to 3% cash back rewards in your top category for each statement period, 2% in your second biggest spend category and 1% on everything else.

Venmo only supports a short range of currencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, as well as the PayPal stablecoin, PayPal USD. Venmo cryptocurrency transactions are made through a partnership with Paxos, which charges a fee as a difference between buying and selling prices, known as a spread.

The card is issued in partnership with Synchrony Bank.

Discontinued crypto credit cards

Since crypto credit cards began gaining traction years ago, some of the momentum has slowed as certain cards gradually shut down operations or closed their relationships with cryptocurrencies.

The BlockFi Rewards Visa Signature Card*, which earned rewards that could be transferred into multiple cryptocurrencies, is no longer available for new applicants. The Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Visa Credit Card* once offered Bitcoin rewards on every purchase, but it isn’t accepting applications either.

SoFi, meanwhile, ceased offering the option to convert SoFi Credit Card* rewards into crypto in 2023.

*The information for the Gemini Credit Card, Crypto.com Visa Card, Venmo Credit Card, BlockFi Rewards Visa Signature Card, Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Visa Credit Card and SoFi Credit Card have 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

If you’re interested in earning cryptocurrency, research the supported currencies, annual fees and earning rates associated with the cards you’re considering. Remember that cryptocurrencies carry unique risks, so there’s a chance your rewards could become worth less and less over time.

Plus, there’s evidence the momentum around cryptocurrency has slowed, so a crypto credit card may not be the best option out there for earning rewards on your purchases. If you’re not into crypto or prefer to earn reward currency like points, cash back or miles, check out our list of the best credit cards to find a card that better suits your needs.

Related: The best rewards credit cards

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 promotion, which allows 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 new-to-the-Hyatt-portfolio hotels. 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 with the other points you earned during your stay.

Related: Best Hyatt hotels in the world

Eligible new Hyatt hotels

Hyatt regularly updates a list of participating properties. Here’s a quick overview of where you can currently earn 500 extra points per night.

9 hotels in the United States

• Linthicum Heights, Maryland: Hyatt House BWI Airport / Baltimore from Aug. 29 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Palm Springs, California: Thompson Palm Springs from Sept. 5 to Dec. 31, 2024
• New Orleans: The Barnett from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024
• New Orleans: Maison Metier from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Santa Monica, California: Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Reno: Hyatt Place South Reno from Oct. 3, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Raleigh, North Carolina: Hyatt House Raleigh Downtown / Seaboard Station from Oct. 10, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Colorado Springs, Colorado: Cheyenne Mountain Resort from Oct. 10, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Lake Orion Township, Michigan: Hyatt House Auburn Hills / Detroit from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025

Related: 2 buzzworthy hotels in New Orleans are now part of World of Hyatt

14 hotels in China

• Weifang: UrCove Weifang City Center from July 12 to Oct. 31, 2024
• Kunming: Grand Hyatt Kunming from Aug. 6 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Lanzhou: UrCove Lanzhou Xiguan Cross Zhongshan Bridge from Aug. 16 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Ningbo: UrCove Ningbo International Exhibition Center from Sept. 8 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Shanghai: Alila Shanghai from Sept. 25 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Xian: UrCove Xian Great Tang All Day Mall from Sept. 29 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Suzhou: UrCove Suzhou Shantang Street from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024
• Wuhan: UrCove Wuhan Jiefang Avenue Zongguan Metro Station from Oct. 10, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Shenzhen: UrCove Shenzhen Nanshan Hi-Tech Headquarters from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Lianyungang: UrCove Lianyungang Haizhou from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Nanjing: UrCove Nanjing Zhongshan Mountain National Park from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Tianjin: The Perennial Tianjin from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Huangshan: Hyatt Regency Huangshan Hengjiangwan from Oct. 21, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Shanghai: UrCove Shanghai Pudong Lin-Gang Special Area from Oct. 30, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025

7 hotels in other regions

• Rouen, France: Hyatt Place Rouen from Aug. 27 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Mainz, Germany: Brunfels Hotel from Aug. 29 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Maharashtra, India: Hyatt Place Aurangabad Airport from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2024
• Madeira, Portugal: Dreams Madeira Resort, Spa & Marina from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024
• San Jose, Costa Rica: Hyatt Centric San Jose Escazu from Oct. 8, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Giza, Egypt: Hyatt Centric Cairo West from Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025
• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo from Oct. 24, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025

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 October 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 not everything on-site may be completely functional.

The current list includes 14 Hyatt Category 1 hotels and six Category 2 hotels. 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.

If you’re a regular Southwest Airlines customer, you may start noticing some big changes at the airline sooner than you might expect.

Late last month, executives at the Dallas-based carrier laid out a massive commercial overhaul, including more details on the airline’s plan to ditch its half-century-old open seating policy in favor of its first-ever assigned and extra-legroom seats.

As TPG reported last week, those assigned seats are set to go on sale in late 2025 for flights departing in the first half of 2026.

You won’t have to wait until 2026 to see the extra-legroom seats appearing on some planes, though. And long before the airline’s most seismic changes go live, Southwest is planning a shift in how it prices some of its current add-on boarding products.

Extra legroom seats to appear next year

Southwest won’t start selling its assigned seats — or extra-legroom seat assignments — until later next year. However, planes sporting the more spacious rows should start rolling out quietly, appearing on some of Southwest’s flights during the course of next year.

Between now and late 2025, the airline has a huge undertaking: It has to retrofit its entire fleet of around 800 jets with the new seating configurations. It’ll start with its larger Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 jets and then move on to its 737-700s.

Southwest hopes to win Federal Aviation Administration approval for the new cabin configurations by early next year, executives said; the airline is already working to secure the necessary permissions.

“We expect the engineering work to be complete and certification in hand so that we can begin our retrofit on our larger aircraft in the first quarter of 2025,” Ryan Green, executive vice president of commercial transformation, told investors last week.

Once it gets started, Southwest hopes to retrofit between 50 and 100 jets per month, slowing the pace during the summer months so fewer planes are out of service during a peak travel period.

Once crews finish reconfiguring a plane, it won’t just sit parked until assigned seating begins. Instead, it’ll rejoin the fleet and return to Southwest’s flight schedule. After all, planes don’t help the airline generate money while they’re out of service.

That means some lucky passengers should get a sneak peek at Southwest’s extra-legroom seats before the airline’s open-seating era technically winds down.

Big change: Here are the 20 Southwest Airlines routes that will get red-eye flights

Passengers will likely be surprised

Until Southwest’s assigned seating setup fully launches in early 2026, there likely won’t be an easy way to know whether your Southwest plane has already been updated with the extra-legroom seats.

However, it’s possible you’ll get an inkling at the gate: Southwest tells TPG gate agents might, in some cases, alert customers about the more spacious offerings just prior to departure.

The seats, which Southwest says will represent about a third of the cabin (closer to 40% on some jets), are likely to be in hot demand on those flights during the final months of open seating.

In fact, the airline expects the seats to drive renewed interest in its existing EarlyBird and Upgraded Boarding products; those products help passengers secure an earlier spot in the boarding line and, by extension, an earlier seat pick in its current first come, first served seating model.

“Certainly, as you get to kind of a critical mass of the fleet, and you have a flight that’s going to Hawaii that has been retrofit, and you have extended legroom on that plane … the demand for Upgraded Boarding at the gate should go up,” Green said, as an example.

Dynamic pricing planned for current boarding products

To that end, Southwest executives teased another change that’s just around the corner for its present add-on service. “We’re going to be dynamically pricing these ancillaries as well. That’s not something we do today with EarlyBird or Upgraded Boarding,” Green said, noting those changes will go live sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.

What is dynamic pricing?

Dynamic pricing essentially means the pricing structure is fluid and can fluctuate up or down based on a variety of algorithm-dictated factors. Supply and demand are chief among those factors. It’s an increasingly common pricing model throughout the industry.

Notably, a growing number of airlines now dynamically price award flights instead of using the award charts that once made points and miles redemptions more predictable.

For instance, it’s conceivable that the airline might find customers willing to pay a premium for Upgraded Boarding on a longer flight to, say, Hawaii in hopes of securing one of the more spacious seats.

Still, it’s not yet clear how such a dynamic pricing model could ultimately affect the cost of Southwest’s current add-on services before the carrier switches over to assigned seating. Executives seemed confident the products should make more money as extra-legroom-equipped jets begin to enter service next year.

“It’s going take us some time to get the model trained on that, but I think there’s probably some upside in current boarding product ancillary revenue when we get that done,” Green said.

It’s worth noting that Southwest already uses a fairly fluid pricing model for EarlyBird and Upgraded Boarding. Earlier this year, it hiked the top-level fees on both amid a wave of airlines raising ancillary fees.

EarlyBird — which automatically reserves passengers’ place in line 36 hours before departure — costs $15 to $99 one-way, per traveler.

Upgraded Boarding — which guarantees passengers an A1-15 boarding position — costs between $30 and $149 per segment, per traveler.

Again, all of this may be temporary: EarlyBird and Upgraded Boarding are products unique to Southwest’s open seating concept, and they could be tweaked (or disappear altogether) as Southwest’s switch to assigned seating takes hold.

For now, Southwest customers will have lots of changes to digest in the next year.

Related reading:

• Your complete guide to maximizing Southwest Rapid Rewards
• The best Southwest Airlines credit cards
• How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
• What is Southwest Airlines elite status worth?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight

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

When you book a stay at a hotel, you may notice a large hold on your credit card account as a pending charge. While the charge is only temporary, it can lower your purchasing power for the duration of your trip.

Hotels aren’t the only kind of merchant to use pre-authorization holds to ensure funds for a potential charge, but they typically hang around for the longest time. Let’s discuss what these holds are used for and why they can take so long to clear from your account.

What is a credit card hold?

A credit card hold is a request from the merchant to pre-authorize funds on your credit or debit card pending a final transaction. Car rental companies, gas stations and hotels are three of the more common merchant types that will put a hold on your account.

The precise process for hotel credit card holds can be confusing to understand since multiple parties are involved with their own role and rules in the transaction. When you check in to a hotel, you’ve probably noticed that you are asked to provide a credit card for incidentals and any room service and/or minibar charges. This credit card is what the hotel will charge in the case of any damage to your hotel room.

Each hotel will have its own specific hold amount, generally $50-$200, on top of your room rate (including taxes and fees). While the hotel won’t officially charge you until after you check out, the issuer will put aside the hold amount in the interim to ensure you can cover a potential charge.

That pending charge takes up part of your credit card’s spending power, which can be limiting when you are on a trip and need that additional spending power to pay for dining and other activities.

Related: 5 things you need to know about debit and credit card holds 

Why do hotels use holds?

Payment networks such as Visa or Mastercard are actually the ones that require a hold because of how hotel payment processes work. Any time a merchant processes a card before the final charge amount is known, your card network will likely require a hold to ensure that you have enough buying power in your account to pay off a reasonable charge.

This limits the payment network’s risk that a charge will be met with insufficient funds and possibly a chargeback.

Why can hotel holds take so long to resolve?

The amount of time a hotel hold may stay on your account varies from hotel to hotel. Generally speaking, a hold will be released within 24 hours of checking out. But sometimes, it can take up to a week for the charge to disappear.

Why does this happen? You might be tempted to blame the hotel, but it actually comes down to the card issuer.

Payment networks set rules for how long an issuer can set aside a hold. For example, Visa cards can only have a hold last for up to 30 days, while Amex cards only allow holds for up to seven days. But while payment networks set limits, the issuers each have their own standards in place for how long a pre-authorized charge may stay pending on your account.

So even after a hotel notifies a card issuer that a hold is no longer required pending an official charge, an issuer may still take a few days to remove the original pending charge.

Bottom line

Credit card holds are, unfortunately, just a part of using a debit or credit card with certain merchants like hotels. The only way to avoid a hold altogether is to use cash, but then you lose out on credit card points and other potential benefits that come with swiping your card.

However, one way to help ensure your hold is released as soon as possible is to use the same credit card for the hold as you do for the room charge. Conversely, when you use two separate payment methods, it can take longer for the pending hold charge to be removed.

Spirit Airlines is considering filing for bankruptcy protection amid mounting financial losses following its failed merger with JetBlue, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The airline is in discussions with creditors about restructuring the company, the Journal reported, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Spirit has been exploring multiple options, including an out-of-court sale or transaction, as well as a possible chapter 11 filing. Agreeing with bondholders and other creditors on a restructuring could support the airline’s bankruptcy case, which has been the focus of the most recent discussions.

Notably, nothing is happening right away. While the timing of a potential bankruptcy filing was not clear, it is not imminent, according to the Journal’s sources.

The report specified that the bankruptcy would focus on restructuring the airline through a possible chapter 11 process, suggesting that liquidation — a possibility that some industry analysts noted earlier this year — was not under consideration.

“We recognize this sounds alarmist and harsh, but the reality is we believe there are limited scenarios that enable Spirit to restructure,” TD Cowen Helane Becker wrote in a research note in January after the airline’s merger with JetBlue was blocked.

When reached for comment on Thursday, a Spirit spokesperson pointed to remarks from CEO Ted Christie during the airline’s second-quarter earnings call in August.

“Before we get into the results, I want to note that we are engaged in productive conversations with the advisors of our bondholders to address the upcoming debt maturities. Because those conversations are ongoing, we are not going to go into detail or take any questions on this topic or speculate on potential outcomes. Needless to say, it is a priority, and we are focused on securing the best outcome for the business as quickly as possible, while staying focused on driving performance and implementing our new travel options and elevated guest experience.”

Spirit has found itself unable to become profitable since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, and has racked up $3.3 billion in debt, some of which comes due soon, including $1.1 billion in bonds.

U.S. airlines have become more reliant on premium revenue since the pandemic began, while traditional carriers also have learned to master the “basic economy” concept, somewhat neutralizing the competitive advantage that ultra-low-cost airlines like Spirit previously enjoyed.

Spirit has also been hit particularly hard by an issue with certain Pratt & Whitney engines, which has forced it to ground parts of its fleet throughout the past year.

The airline has tried to stem the losses by shrinking its operational footprint, as well as changing its fare product structure and introducing several tiers of premium seating options.

An acquisition seemed to be the airline’s best path forward, and possibly its only option to avoid a restructuring. During a month-long antitrust trial in Boston that closed in December of last year, Spirit CEO Ted Christie and others testified that due to the changing market, Spirit could not continue operating in its current form as an ultra-low-cost carrier.

JetBlue, meanwhile, argued that by absorbing Spirit, it could double its size and compete more effectively with the four major U.S. airlines — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — that together control about 80% of the U.S. air travel market.

The merger, which would have seen JetBlue acquire Spirit and absorb its assets under its own brand, was ultimately blocked.

On a call with investors in late-February, however, Christie rejected the possibility of a bankruptcy or dissolution.

“This misguided narrative has been advanced by an assortment of pundits,” Christie said at the top of the airline’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Feb. 8, during which Spirit reported a loss of $184 million for the period. “However, back in the real world, we are focused on facts.”

“You can rest assured that the Spirit team is 100% clear and focused on the adjustments we are currently deploying and will continue to make throughout 2024 to drive us back to cash flow generation and profitability,” Christie added.

 

The holidays are an expensive time of year — especially if you’re hoping to travel to visit loved ones or head out on a peak-season vacation. 

As you’ve probably noticed, airlines often raise their airfare prices during periods of peak demand, including around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Thankfully, as savvy travelers know, you can leverage credit card rewards and airline loyalty programs to help offset these higher costs even during the pricey holiday travel season.

However, being able to use your miles for these peak-season holiday flights doesn’t mean it’s always when you’ll get the best value for those miles.

Most U.S. frequent flyer programs no longer use fixed award charts to price flights and instead price their award flights more dynamically (meaning the price varies). This means you probably can use your miles for virtually any flight they have for sale with cash — but it may cost you more miles than you wish sometimes.

Since we are The Points Guy, we don’t just want to tell you how much it’ll cost you to buy your ticket with cash during the holidays, but also how far your points and miles are going to take you this year.

For the first time ever, we enlisted the help of our friends at Points Path to collaborate on a special holiday airfare report that examines both cash and award prices.

Points Path, which launched to the public in Jan. 2024, is a free browser extension that runs on top of Google Flights and adds the prices of flights in frequent flyer miles next to the cash prices produced by Google’s search results. The extension then indicates whether a user should use miles or cash on any particular flight to get the best deal, and it’s currently available for Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines — though we focused on the five domestic carriers in this analysis.

You can download the Points Path browser extension by clicking here.

Are any airline loyalty programs playing on the “nice list” and offering better mileage award options than others when booking holiday trips? And can you get even more value for your miles by traveling on certain dates?

With over 7.2 million pieces of real-world data at the ready, here’s what we found.

How far will your points and miles go this holiday season?

We’re not going to bury the lede here — when you look at the number of miles you’ll need for flights over Thanksgiving and Christmas, the amounts aren’t pretty.

Based on Points Path data, the average economy ticket across all five domestic carriers is 38,473 miles on nonholiday dates. During Thanksgiving week, that average climbs to 49,680 miles — an increase of 29.13%. And over Christmas, it jumps to 60,518 miles, a 57.3% jump.

The trend held true across all five airlines, too. Each one had higher average prices for economy award tickets over both holiday periods compared to nonholiday searches.

Now, this doesn’t account for differences in search criteria across time periods, so it’s worth considering how valuable your rewards are compared to paid rates.

As TPG highlights in our monthly airline mile valuations, the value of an airline mile varies greatly by program, so it’s normal for some types of miles to be worth more than others.

With that said, when you look at the average all-in value of airline miles for the nonholiday portion of the year based on the data used here from Points Path, the average value per mile is 1.39 cents.

Unfortunately, that overall value drops on flights operated during the holidays. Here’s how we defined these travel periods — and what happened to the redemption rates:

Holiday	Dates	Average redemption	Difference from the rest of 2024
Thanksgiving	Nov. 22 through Dec. 1	1.3 cents per point/mile	-6.47%
Christmas/New Years	Dec. 20 through Jan. 5	1.34 cents per point/mile	-3.6%

In other words, using your points or miles during Thanksgiving sacrifices 6.47% of their value compared to the rest of the year’s average. It’s slightly better (but still lower) over Christmas, as you’ll get 3.6% less value then.

But averages are just that, and the trends point to some common types of tickets actually trending at an even lower return for your miles, while some are better — significantly so, in some cases.

Additionally, there’s one airline where your miles are actually worth more on average during these holiday weeks than during normal travel weeks.

Which airline programs offer the best mileage redemptions for holiday travel?

On average, the most valuable type of miles to use during the 2024 holiday season is the same type as the other months of the year: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. Points Path’s data shows that they are worth an average of 1.68 cents each during 2024 as a whole, 1.52 cents apiece over Thanksgiving week and 1.57 cents apiece during Christmas week.

Unfortunately, that Christmas redemption value is still 6.55% lower than Alaska’s overall valuation, and during Thanksgiving, it’s 9.52% lower.

Interestingly, the data shows that JetBlue TrueBlue points are, on average, worth a little bit more during the busy holiday travel weeks than they are throughout the year.

Overall 2024 data pegs JetBlue points at 1.36 cents apiece — but they climb to 1.38 cents per point over both holiday periods. While that’s only a 1.47% increase, it nevertheless bucks the trend of every other program out there.

Which airline programs offer the worst mileage redemptions for holiday travel?

Most airline loyalty programs’ rewards don’t go as far during the holidays as they do on other dates. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers for the big three domestic carriers:

Airline	2024 redemption value (nonholiday)	Thanksgiving value (difference)	Christmas value (difference)
American Airlines	1.55 cents per mile	1.39 (-10.32%)	1.4 (-9.68%)
Delta Air Lines	1.12 cents per mile	1.09 (-2.68%)	1.12 (no change)
United Airlines	1.39 cents per mile	1.26 (-9.35%)	1.36 (-2.16%)

As you can see, Thanksgiving is mathematically an even worse time to use your miles in these programs than Christmas. In some cases, your rewards are worth more than 10% less compared to the overall average. And while Delta’s redemption values over the holidays aren’t too far off 2024 numbers, SkyMiles are worth the least of all five currencies both during the holidays and on nonholiday dates, too.

However, the data isn’t all doom and gloom for those looking to travel more for less using their points and miles. There are still some ways to stretch the value of your rewards this holiday season, so keep reading for that.

Get more value for your miles by flying first class during the holidays

Flying economy usually requires the fewest number of miles, but booking premium economy, business class or first class typically offers greater value on a cents-per-point or cents-per-mile basis — and that’s true even during the holidays.

In fact, since traditional business travel drops off during those holiday weeks, we’ve even seen rare situations where the mileage cost to fly in domestic first class is actually less than economy. That is unusual, but what is common across almost every airline with premium cabins is that you get more bang for your (mileage) buck there compared to economy.

For example, Points Path data shows that miles used to book business- and first-class awards during the Thanksgiving travel week are worth 1.54 cents each, as compared to 1.26 cents each for booking economy. That’s 22.22% more value from your miles by splurging for the front of the plane.

There’s a gap (albeit a smaller one) over Christmas as well, with premium-cabin awards clocking in at a value of 1.53 cents apiece, compared to 1.31 cents in economy — an increase of 16.79%.

In fact, four of the five airlines offer better redemption values for premium-cabin flights than economy ones.

The sole holdout? JetBlue, where redemptions for its well regarded Mint business class fall to 1.17 cents per point over Thanksgiving and 1.11 cents per point over Christmas (economy redemptions on the carrier during both holiday periods average out at 1.4 cents apiece).

Unfortunately, these numbers are still down from nonholiday 2024 averages in almost all cases.

Airline	Premium cabin redemption value in 2024 (nonholiday)	Premium cabin over Thanksgiving (difference)	Premium cabin over Christmas (difference)
Alaska Airlines	2.29 cents per mile	1.92 (-16.16%)	2.05 (-10.48%)
American Airlines	1.82 cents per mile	1.57 (-13.74%)	1.53 (-15.93%)
Delta Air Lines	1.21 cents per mile	1.19 (-1.65%)	1.19 (-1.65%)
JetBlue Airways	1.14 cents per point	1.17 (+2.63%)	1.11 (-2.63%)
United Airlines	1.83 cents per mile	1.7 (-7.1%)	1.69 (-7.65%)

Just a single holiday dataset — JetBlue flights over Thanksgiving week — offers marginally more value in premium cabins compared to the rest of 2024. Every other one falls lower.

Related: How to get started using points and miles to travel

Are specific travel dates better for using miles during the holidays?

Just like there are some more or less expensive days around the holidays to fly when paying with cash, the same is true with miles.

When looking at the Thanksgiving travel week across all airlines, your rewards are currently, on average, worth the least on Sunday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 26, clocking in at just 1.27 cents each. On the flip side, they are worth the most on the day after Thanksgiving (1.34 cents each). So consider eating that turkey and then turning around and flying home the next day if you want to stretch your miles (and potentially beat the rush at the airport, too).

When looking at the Christmas/New Year’s week, your miles will go the furthest if you can start your trip early or extend it a bit right up until many schools start back up. Specifically, at the front end of the holiday, your miles go the furthest on Friday, Dec. 20 (1.38 cents each). If you’re returning home after the holidays, the best redemption values are Saturday, Jan. 4, and Sunday, Jan. 5 (1.4 cents each).

At the other end of the spectrum, Dec. 23 is currently the day that miles are worth the least during that winter break time frame, at 1.29 cents each on average. That’s down 7.2% vs. the average for the rest of 2024.

Related: Best times to book a flight

Is it better to fly domestically or internationally using your miles?

For many travelers, taking to the skies over the holidays means a domestic flight (or multiple flights) to visit family across the U.S. For others, it’s an excuse to plan a vacation to far-flung destinations around the world. But is there a notable difference in mileage redemption values for domestic itineraries vs. international ones?

For starters, the same trend as above appears to hold. Both domestic redemptions and international award tickets see lower values over the holidays than they do over the rest of 2024. For all airlines included in this report, the Points Path data shows an average value of 1.33 cents per point/mile across the rest of the year for domestic redemptions — which drops to 1.25 cents (down 6%) over Thanksgiving and 1.28 cents (down 3.76%) during Christmas.

Meanwhile, the average international redemption across all carriers during the rest of the year gives you a value of 1.53 cents. However, it’s 1.38 cents over Thanksgiving (down nearly 10%) and 1.41 cents during Christmas (down nearly 8%).

However, international redemptions still tend to offer better redemptions during the holidays than domestic ones — 10.4% more value on average over Thanksgiving week and 10.16% more value during Christmas.

The carrier with the most notable swings is United Airlines, as your MileagePlus miles get significantly more valuable on international flights over the holidays than for a domestic trip.

Time period	Domestic redemption value	International redemption value	Difference
Thanksgiving week	1.11 cents per mile	1.47	+32.43%
Christmas/New Years	1.16 cents per mile	1.6	+37.93%

American shows a similar pattern, though not nearly to this level.

Interestingly enough, Alaska, Delta and JetBlue have little variation between domestic and international redemptions. In other words, holiday redemptions using Mileage Plan miles, SkyMiles and TrueBlue points are largely a coin toss when comparing domestic to international award ticket values.

Related: Best times to book business class award flights

Where are travelers looking to fly this holiday season?

They say there’s no place like home for the holidays — but getting away can be pretty great, too. So whether to head home or use the days off to squeeze in a vacation, there are some trends that Points Path spotted for where flyers are looking to head this holiday season.

Most popular travel destinations during Thanksgiving

• New York
• Los Angeles
• London
• Tokyo
• Miami
• San Francisco
• Cancun
• Paris
• Chicago
• Boston

Most popular travel destinations during the winter break

• New York
• Miami
• Tokyo
• London
• Los Angeles
• Cancun
• Paris
• San Francisco
• Honolulu
• Chicago

It’s noteworthy that New York City was the clear winner in both, as there were nearly 50% more travelers searching for the Big Apple than the next-highest city over both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In addition, there’s a lot of overlap here, as nine of the top 10 cities — New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Miami, San Francisco, Cancun, Paris and Chicago — are on the list for both holiday periods. Of course, many of these are large metropolitan areas, so there’s clearly a certain amount of default volume there. However, Cancun serves as a preview of some interesting, leisure-focused data points in spots 11 through 20.

Orlando just missed out on making both lists (coming in at No. 11 over Christmas and No. 12 over Thanksgiving). In addition, Lisbon was the 13th most popular search over Thanksgiving, while Singapore was 12th and Sydney was 16th over Christmas. And Bangkok was within striking distance of both top 10 lists — 18th over Thanksgiving and 15th over Christmas.

In other words, you’re not alone if you’re searching for a true vacation over the holidays!

Related: These are the best places to travel in December

Tips to get the most from your miles this holiday travel season

While the data shows that your miles aren’t worth quite as much during the peak holiday travel season as during some less busy times of the year, there are still ways to get the most out of your miles, and we’re here with some tips.

• Book your holiday soon, as airfare prices are likely to start rising soon, and especially try to do so by mid- to late-October. But even once you book your holiday airfare, keep checking fares via setting a price alert or similar. Many U.S. frequent flyer programs allow you to cancel, change or redeposit award tickets with little to no fees. If you use cash, you probably have less flexibility, but you can still potentially get a credit to use on a future flight if the price drops.
• If you aren’t getting the value that you are hoping for from your miles via the U.S. frequent flyer programs, keep in mind that multiple international programs that are transfer partners with popular rewards cards you might have in your wallet still use award charts that have more fixed redemption costs. That also means that the inventory you are after may not be available on peak dates, but it can make sense to check.
• Check the airline award prices for both economy and premium cabins. As the data shows, your miles may go further when you fly at the front of the plane and — most importantly — you’ll get to beat the holiday stress with an upgraded flying experience.

Finally, while it’s important to be aware of the value you’re getting from your miles during the holidays (and any other time) so that you can make informed booking choices, if your miles get you where you want to be when you want to be there, then it’s a great use of miles.

You can always replenish your mileage account balance with some lucrative six-figure credit card bonuses later.

Methodology

When a Points Path user does a search and gets both the cash and points results for a set of flights, Points Path stores those results for valuation analysis, analytics purposes and to assist in future user searches. Data is anonymized or deidentified, and aggregated for analysis so that no personal user information can be connected to the results.

In compiling this report, TPG utilized data from all searches conducted using the Points Path browser extension from Jan. 1, 2024, through 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. This consisted of 7,215,830 individual sets of search results — a cash price and an award price — which were then classified into one of three categories based on the date(s) of the flight(s), regardless of when the search actually took place:

• Thanksgiving: A one-way or round-trip flight departing between Friday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024
• Christmas/New Years: A one-way or round-trip flight departing between Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025
• 2024: A one-way or round-trip flight departing on any other date in 2024

We then calculated the redemption value for each data pair on a cents-per-point or cents-per-mile basis by subtracting the taxes and fees from the cash price and dividing that result by the award price.

For Alaska, American, JetBlue and United, we added a small markup of roughly 0.2 cents to each value. This accounts for the fact that award rates are shown for regular economy while paid rates are shown for basic economy; this markup was validated by Points Path across thousands of searches.

Finally, we averaged all individual data points and used specific criteria to filter the results for each of the above sections.

For the list of most-searched destinations, we based our analysis on the number of unique users who searched for flights to a given city. One traveler could do multiple searches for a destination, but that’s still just one travel party looking to go there.

However, while this data provides an interesting look at millions of data points, there are a few important limitations:

• This analysis is based on actual searches, and since it’s a sampling, it doesn’t guarantee the conclusions hold true for every individual route/date combination.
• It doesn’t include award travel discounts for elite travelers or those with select airline credit cards.
• It doesn’t include the fact that you earn miles on tickets paid in cash.

Thankfully, if you’re looking to use your points and miles for holiday travel, you can download the Points Path browser extension, which will flag for you whether a specific redemption is a good deal or not.

Related: How to use Points Path to compare airline cash and award rates

Bottom line

Using points and miles during peak travel times can be a great way to offset high flight prices and keep money in your pocket for other purchases. Unfortunately, in almost all cases, these redemptions offer lower value during Thanksgiving and Christmas than during other dates across 2024.

But you’re not totally out of luck if you want to put your rewards to use over the holidays. Based on data from our partners at Points Path, first- and business-class flights tend to offer a higher value per mile than economy award tickets, and some carriers — namely Delta and JetBlue — have relatively stable values throughout the entire year, regardless of your travel date. You can also expect to get slightly more value from your points and miles during the holidays when traveling internationally compared to domestically.

And even if you’re not happy with the points or miles you need to use for a flight, remember that the vast majority of award tickets offer free changes and cancellations, allowing you to lock in a trip now and monitor for price drops in the future.

Nevertheless, it’s disheartening to see that many major airlines are delivering worse value for redeeming miles over the holidays compared to the rest of the year. And if that’s not a recipe for coal in their stockings, we don’t know what is.

Related reading:

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

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest information.

Since 2013, TSA PreCheck has allowed users to avoid the hassle of waiting in a long airport security line, plus the annoying process of taking off their shoes and removing laptops, liquids and other items from their carry-on bags.

Thanks to the dedicated TSA PreCheck security checkpoints at many airports, you don’t have to worry about doing any of that; instead, you can simply load your luggage onto the conveyer belt and pass through the metal detector.

For just a small fee of $78-$85 for a five-year membership, TSA PreCheck allows preapproved, low-risk travelers to expedite their way through airport security at more than 250 U.S. airports — though there are several ways to get TSA PreCheck without paying out of pocket.

Certain credit cards offer statement credits that will cover the TSA PreCheck application fee. Travelers are reimbursed once they’re enrolled in the program and when they renew their memberships.

Among the popular cards that feature this benefit are:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

Currently, about 99% of TSA PreCheck users wait less than 10 minutes to get through airport security, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. Whether you can experience TSA PreCheck in all its glory depends on the airport you are departing from and the airline you are flying. Nearly 100 domestic and foreign airlines participate in the program, as outlined below.

Also, double-check this guide to verify your airport and airline both participate before entering your Known Traveler Number at the time of booking. This will ensure the green TSA PreCheck symbol appears on your boarding pass.

Which airports have TSA PreCheck?

As of October, TSA PreCheck is available at more than 250 U.S. airports. Given its scope, it’s likely that TSA PreCheck will be available at the airport you are traveling from.

Below is a full list, outlined by region and state (or country).

Northeast

• Pennsylvania: Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO), Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE), Bradford Regional Airport (BFD), DuBois Regional Airport (DUJ), Erie International Airport (ERI), Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (JST), Lancaster Airport (LNS), Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), State College Regional Airport (UNV), Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport (AVP) and Williamsport Regional Airport (IPT)
• New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)
• New York: Albany International Airport (ALB), Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Westchester County Airport (HPN)
• Connecticut: Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN)
• Massachusetts: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Vermont: Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV)
• New Hampshire: Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
• Maine: Portland International Jetport (PWM)

Mid-Atlantic and South

• Oklahoma: Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW), Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)
• Texas: Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), East Texas Regional Airport (GGG), Easterwood Airport (CLL), El Paso International Airport (ELP), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Jack Brooks Regional Airport (BPT), Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport (GRK), Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), McAllen International Airport (MFE), Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF), Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA), San Angelo Regional Airport (SJT), San Antonio International Airport (SAT), Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR), Valley International Airport (HRL), Waco Regional Airport (ACT), Wichita Falls Regional Airport (SPS) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
• Arkansas: Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM), Jonesboro Municipal Airport (JBR), Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) and Texarkana Regional Airport (TXK)
• Louisiana: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR), Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)
• Mississippi: Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR), Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (PIB), Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) and Meridian Regional Airport (MEI)
• Alabama: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) and Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL)
• Georgia: Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
• Tennessee: McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Tri-Cities Airport (TRI)
• Kentucky: Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
• South Carolina: Charleston International Airport (CHS), Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), Florence Regional Airport (FLO), Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), Hilton Head Island Airport (HXD) and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
• Florida: Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Key West International Airport (EYW), Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami Seaplane Base (MPB), Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ), Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB), Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Tallahassee International Airport (TLH), Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB)
• North Carolina: Albert J. Ellis Airport (OAJ), Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Wilmington International Airport (ILM)
• Virginia: Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO), Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH), Newport News Williamsburg Airport (PHF), Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Richmond International Airport (RIC), Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) and Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• West Virginia: Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB), Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW), North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB), Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) and West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW)
• Maryland: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

Midwest

• North Dakota: Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS), Devils Lake Regional Airport (DVL), Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK), Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Hector International Airport (FAR), Jamestown Regional Airport (JMS), Minot International Airport (MOT) and Williston Basin International Airport (XWA)
• South Dakota: Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR), Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) and Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)
• Nebraska: Eppley Airfield (OMA)
• Kansas: Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)
• Minnesota: Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI), Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD), Duluth International Airport (DLH), Falls International Airport (INL), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Rochester International Airport (RST) and Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF)
• Iowa: Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) and Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL)
• Missouri: Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
• Wisconsin: Appleton International Airport (ATW), Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU), Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) and Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (RHI)
• Illinois: Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI), Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA), MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV), Midway International Airport (MDW), O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) and University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI)
• Indiana: Evansville Regional Airport (EVV), Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA), Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and South Bend International Airport (SBN)
• Michigan: Flint Bishop Airport (FNT), Capital Region International Airport (LAN), Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) and MBS International Airport (MBS)
• Ohio: Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Dayton International Airport (DAY), John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) and Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK)

Western US

• Washington: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Spokane International Airport (GEG) and Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
• Oregon: Eugene Airport (EUG), Portland International Airport (PDX), Redmond Municipal Airport-Roberts Field (RDM) and Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (MFR)
• California: Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS), Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Humboldt County Airport (ACV), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Long Beach Airport (LGB), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), Ontario International Airport (ONT), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Redding Regional Airport (RDD), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)
• Arizona: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) and Tucson International Airport (TUS)
• Idaho: Boise Airport (BOI)
• Nevada: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
• Utah: Ogden Airport (OGD), St. George Regional Airport (SGU) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• Montana: Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), Glacier Park International Airport (GPI) and Missoula Montana Airport (MSO)
• Wyoming: Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
• Colorado: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), Denver International Airport (DEN), Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL), Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB), San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) and Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN)
• New Mexico: Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF)

Alaska and Hawaii

• Alaska: Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
• Hawaii: Hilo International Airport (ITO), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Kahului Airport (OGG), Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) and Lihue Airport (LIH)

International

• Bahamas: Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)

Which airlines have TSA PreCheck?

Although the airport you are traveling through may offer a TSA PreCheck line, you must also ensure that the airline you are traveling on participates in the program.

If you are flying with one of the carriers on the list below, don’t forget to enter your Known Traveler Number when booking your reservation to ensure the green TSA PreCheck checkmark shows up on your boarding pass.

Most major carriers, domestic and foreign, participate; some smaller airlines you may have never heard of also participate. Although some low-cost airlines, such as Breeze Airways and Spirit Airlines, offer TSA PreCheck, others, like Play Airlines, do not.

Here are the more than 100 airlines currently offering TSA PreCheck:

• Advanced Air
• Aer Lingus
• Aerolane Lineas Aereas Nacionales del Ecuador
• Aeromexico
• Air Canada
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• Air Premia
• Air Serbia
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Air Transat
• Alaska Airlines
• All Nippon Airways
• Allegiant Air
• American Airlines
• Aruba Airlines
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Avelo Airlines
• Avianca
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• Bahamasair
• BermudAir
• Boutique Airlines
• Breeze Airways
• British Airways
• Brussels Airlines
• Cape Air
• Caribbean Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Cayman Airways
• China Airlines
• Condor
• Contour Aviation
• Copa Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Eastern Airlines
• Edelweiss Air
• El Al Israel
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Eurowings Discover
• EVA Airways
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Flair Airlines
• Flycana
• French Bee
• Frontier Airlines
• Global Crossing Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• iAero Airways
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• InterCaribbean Airways
• ITA Airways
• Japan Airlines
• JetBlue
• Key Lime Air
• KLM
• Korean Air
• La Compagnie
• LAN Peru S.A.
• LATAM
• Lufthansa
• New Pacific Airlines
• Norse Atlantic Airways
• Norwegian Air
• Omni Air International
• PAL Express
• Philippine Airlines
• Porter Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Red Air
• Saudia
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Seaborne Airlines
• Silver Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Southern Airways Express
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Starlux Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• Sunwing Airlines
• Swiss
• Swoop
• TAM-Linhas Aereas S.A.
• TAP Air Portugal
• Titan Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• Ultimate Jet Charters
• United Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Viva Air Colombia
• VivaAerobus
• Volaris
• WestJet
• World Atlantic
• Zipair

Bottom line

Remember, TSA PreCheck is only helpful at airports throughout the U.S. and select overseas locations since it allows members expedited entry to TSA security checkpoints.

Even so, the $78 investment for new members every five years (and $70 for renewals thereafter) is well worth it. This is especially true because you can use TSA PreCheck at more than 250 airports when flying with any of more than 100 airlines.

Be sure to reference this guide for any updates on where you can use TSA PreCheck.

Related reading:

• Why you should get TSA PreCheck and Clear — and how you can save on both
• What to do if a boarding pass isn’t marked TSA PreCheck
• Ways to get free or discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear
• Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is more beneficial?

Even as Frontier Airlines executives say they’re seeing the budget carrier’s finances improve, the airline is making another sweeping network adjustment as the winter months approach.

The Denver-based low-cost airline announced nearly two dozen routes Tuesday, each of which will launch in mid-December.

As part of the changes, Frontier will launch a handful of new flights between New England and Florida. It’ll also double down on its fast growth in cities like Chicago, Houston, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

And it’ll begin all-new service to one of Colorado’s most popular skiing destinations: Just ahead of the holiday season, the carrier will launch three new routes from major U.S. cities to Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) near Vail.

Related: Slope-side convenience and great Globalist perks: A review of the Grand Hyatt Vail

In all, Frontier is launching 22 new routes between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20. Among those routes, the carrier has previously flown about half within the past decade. The rest are entirely new to the airline.

The biggest winner? It’s a tie between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which each get four new pins on Frontier’s route map.

The new service adds to already-fast growth for Frontier at both airports. This year, the airline’s total number of seats departing O’Hare will rise 125% over 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Meanwhile, Frontier will operate more than 4,300 flights from LAX this year after not serving the airport in 2023.

Another winner in Frontier’s latest update: California’s Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which returns to the carrier’s route map for the first time since 2021 with flights to both Denver and San Francisco.

Related: 18 best travel credit cards of October 2024

Frontier’s 22 routes added

Here’s the full rundown of Frontier’s 22 new (or resumed) routes:

Route	Launches	Frequency	Last served
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Miami International Airport (MIA)	Dec. 17	Four weekly round trips	2023
BOS to Tampa International Airport (TPA)	Dec. 17	Daily	2020-21
Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) to Orlando International Airport (MCO)	Dec. 20	Four weekly round trips	2022
BTV-TPA	Dec. 20	Three weekly round trips	New
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)	Dec. 21	Weekly	2020
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to PBI	Dec. 21	Weekly	New
Denver International Airport (DEN) to PSP	Dec. 12	Three weekly round trips	2021, and more regularly before the pandemic
DEN-EGE	Dec. 19	Twice weekly	New
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to EGE	Dec. 16	Twice weekly	New
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to EGE	Dec. 21	Weekly	New
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to LAX	Dec. 17	Daily	New
IAH-MIA	Dec. 17	Three weekly round trips	New
LAX to Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon	Dec. 17	Daily	New
LAX to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Dec. 17	Daily	New
LAX to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)	Dec. 17	Daily	New
ORD to Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)	Dec. 17	Four weekly round trips	Last regularly scheduled service in 2021
ORD-TPA	Dec. 17	Daily	Last regularly scheduled service in 2021
ORD-PBI	Dec. 18	Three weekly round trips	2017
ORD to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)	Dec. 18	Three weekly round trips	2020-21
PSP-SFO	Dec. 12	Three weekly round trips	New
Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine to TPA	Dec. 18	Three weekly round trips	2022
Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to TPA	Dec. 17	Daily	2015

Just the latest network shakeup for Frontier

Frontier kicked off 2024 by announcing 54 new routes in January, and has not let up since. The carrier has announced one major network adjustment after another as part of an effort to boost profitability; the airline has been aiming to steer clear of surging competition on domestic routes.

Related: Frontier slashes midweek flying and delays new jets but insists things are looking up

After consecutive quarters of lackluster financial performance, CEO Barry Biffle recently noted the carrier is starting to see some more promising results — which coincides with numerous U.S. carriers trimming their schedules to better meet demand from customers.

“We’re seeing, over the last six weeks, a pretty good improvement versus where we expected,” Biffle told Wall Street analysts at the Sept. 11 Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference.

To date in 2024, Frontier had announced 114 new routes as of early August — and the shakeup has continued since then.

The airline did not specify what, if any, route cuts might coincide with this latest tranche of changes by Frontier. The carrier has routinely slashed scores of routes so far this year as part of its larger network shakeup.

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