Tag: Travel Planner

One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions is visiting Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. With its magnificent glass atriums, lush landscaping that magically brings the outdoors in and endless activities and restaurants, it’s beautiful any time of year, but especially so during the holidays.

But it’s not just a Nashville thing. There are four other Gaylord resorts across the country in Kissimmee, Florida; Aurora, Colorado; Grapevine, Texas; and National Harbor, Maryland. Together, they collectively light up the holiday season with more than 7 million Christmas lights (that’s 295 miles of lights if you stretch them out end-to-end), 110,000 feet of garland, 600 Christmas trees and 30,000 poinsettias.

Related: 10 holiday destinations for festive family fun

That’s a whole lot of Christmas, but that’s not even the main attraction. The hotels also display life-size, walk-through winter wonderlands using 36,000 blocks of ice (that’s 12 million pounds), hence the name of Gaylord’s flagship holiday event — Ice!

If you plan to add Gaylord Hotels’ Ice! to your lineup of holiday traditions, here’s everything you need to know before you ho, ho, go, including how to find discounts for 2024.

Each property’s Ice! event is unique

This year, Gaylord Ice! is coming to six properties across the U.S. — all five Gaylord Resorts, plus, for the first time, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Each property invites guests to experience immersive (and cold!) walk-through displays centered around various popular Christmas movies. While each display is different, they all have one thing in common — they are made from thousands of blocks of ice colored and carved by world-renowned experts into holiday masterpieces that will delight guests of all ages.

Across all six properties, expert ice carvers from Harbin, China (which is home to the largest ice and snow festival in the world), travel to the U.S. to transform those 12 million pounds of ice into whimsical and surprisingly realistic holiday displays that are sometimes upward of 30 feet tall. The highlight of the event for kids — and kids at heart, like myself — is sailing down a frosty slide made of ice. There’s also a shorter slide designed for kids too small or frightened for the full-size slides.

This year’s Ice! themes are:

• Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center: “The Polar Express,” Nov. 22, 2024, through Jan. 1, 2025
• Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center: “Frosty the Snowman,” Nov. 8, 2024, through Jan. 4, 2025
• Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center: “Elf,” Nov. 15, 2024, through Jan. 4, 2025
• Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Nov. 15, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025
• Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center: “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Nov. 15, 2024, through Dec. 28, 2024
• JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Nov. 23, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025

Book early and look for discounts

Some Ice! activities, like character breakfasts and visits to the carved ice displays, have timed entry reservations. The earlier you purchase your tickets, the better chance you’ll have of getting the exact date and time you are hoping for. This is especially important to do if you plan to visit on or around a holiday or on weekends when the event is even busier than normal.

Booking early also opens up more opportunities for discounts on Ice! and the other activities at Gaylord properties. For a limited time, you can save on tickets and vacation packages as Gaylord Resorts celebrates the launch of Ice! tickets for 2024, but you can expect additional discounts around Black Friday. Be sure to follow Gaylord Hotels on social media to stay current on available discounts.

Gaylord Rockies — Aurora, Colorado

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “The Polar Express,” the Mistletoe Scavenger Hunt and the Elf Training Academy.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus access to the Gingerbread Decorating Corner and Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus Tier 2 seating at Cirque: Frost.

See all Gaylord Rockies offers

Gaylord Opryland — Nashville, Tennessee

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “Frosty the Snowman,” Snowman Scramble Scavenger Hunt and ice tubing.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus ice skating, the Gingerbread Decorating Corner and hot cocoa.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus the Snowball Build & Blast.

See all Gaylord Opryland offers

Gaylord Palms — Kissimmee, Florida

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “Elf,” TwElf Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt and Snow Flow Mountain ice tubing.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus Snowball Build & Blast and the Gingerbread Decorating Corner.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus Elf Training Academy, Mrs. Claus’ Christmas traditions and Cirque: Spirit of Christmas.

See all Gaylord Palms offers

Gaylord Texan — Grapevine, Texas

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Reindeer Games Scavenger Hunt featuring Rudolph and the Misfit Toys and Snow Flow Mountain tubing.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus the Gingerbread Decorating Corner and Snowball Build & Blast.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus ice-skating and the Christmas Carousel.

See all Gaylord Texan offers

Gaylord National — National Harbor, Maryland

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Merry Snoopy Christmas Scavenger Hunt and Snow Flow Mountain tubing.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus access to the Gingerbread Decorating Corner and Mrs. Claus’ Christmas traditions.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus Snowball Build & Blast and fountain-level seating at Cirque: Spirit of Christmas.

See all Gaylord National offers

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country — San Antonio, Texas

• Save up to 20% with the Festive Favorites Pack. You can get access to Ice! featuring “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” ice tubing and The Grinch’s Wonderful Awful Idea Scavenger Hunt.
• Save up to 30% with the Holiday Deluxe Pack. Includes everything in the Festive Favorites Pack, plus Snowball Build & Blast and Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions.
• Save up to 50% with the Ultimate HoliDAY Pass. Includes everything in the Holiday Deluxe Pack, plus access to the Gingerbread Decorating Corner.

See all JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country offers

There are a lot of festive activities

The splendor of Ice! may be what gets you through Gaylord’s door, but the walk-through displays are hardly the only thing you can do when you visit a Gaylord Resort during the holiday season; there are enough activities to keep your family entertained for a full day or an entire weekend.

The offerings vary slightly from property to property, but you’ll find experiences like snow tubing, holiday-themed scavenger hunts, gingerbread decorating, ice skating, ice bumper cars, family-friendly escape rooms, horse-drawn sleigh rides, photos with Santa, holiday character breakfasts and more.

After several years of visiting, our favorite activities are the Ice! walk-through, ice skating (they have pushchairs that you can use to balance and help young kids), the scavenger hunt and the ice bumper cars.

Most activities require an advance ticket purchase, but during my family’s last visit to Gaylord Opryland, we spent as much time strolling through the atriums and marveling at the dazzling decor and dozens of Christmas trees (which you can do for free) as we did building snowballs and sliding down the tubing hill.

Dress appropriately

Spoiler alert: Ice! is cold. Very cold. Nine degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact. The kind folks at Gaylord will provide you with one of the lovely blue parkas pictured above, but you’ll also want to make sure you are wearing closed-toe shoes, pants and gloves so you can comfortably enjoy the experience.

The jackets have hoods, but you may also want to bring a hat to retain some much-needed body heat. If you have them, bring touchscreen-friendly gloves, because there are photo opportunities around every corner, and frozen fingers don’t take the best pictures.

If you are also planning on tubing or ice skating during your visit, you’ll be happy you packed your cold-weather gear, even if the temperatures outside are warmer than they are inside. If you happen to forget a hat and gloves, you can purchase them at the resort.

Build in some downtime

After several holiday visits to Gaylord Ice!, we’ve learned a few things that influence how we plan our itinerary.

There is so much to do that we packed almost every available second of our first visit with the above-mentioned activities. When our youngest son was too exhausted to swim at the indoor water park and fell asleep in his stroller, I knew we should probably cut back on activities or add another night to our stay.

Related: The best hotels to book in Nashville for the full Music City experience

It’s also worth mentioning that the sheer size of most Gaylord resorts means lots of travel time between your room and whatever fun activity you are headed to, so it can start to feel like you never stop to rest unless you intentionally build in some downtime.

On our next visit, we scheduled only two to three daily activities. We left time in between to return to our hotel room for a snack or, after visiting the Ice! walk-through, for snuggling in our beds to warm up.

Even if you aren’t staying overnight and are only visiting for the day, I would recommend choosing only a few activities instead of trying to do it all. Part of the fun of being at a Gaylord resort is exploring the shops, eateries and gardens that span the gorgeous glass atriums — you want to leave plenty of time for spontaneous wandering while you are there.

If you are staying on-site, I recommend taking an hour or so after you check in to do a lap around the resort and get the lay of the land. It’ll help ease the stress of trying to make it to any activities with scheduled tickets at the correct time.

Hotel guests receive extra perks

Other than the obvious perk of earning and redeeming your Marriott Bonvoy points and enjoying free night certificates at all Gaylord properties, overnight guests also receive Ice!-specific perks. All overnight guests can utilize the “Chill Pass” for front-of-line access and shorter wait times when visiting Ice! This complimentary perk is included with your stay, so you don’t need to do anything additional to utilize it, but you do still need to purchase a ticket for Ice!

Overnight guests can also take advantage of “Extra Cool Hour,” a benefit that allows hotel guests to enter Ice! one hour before it opens to day guests. Fewer people means shorter lines and more trips down the ice slide.

The easiest way to gain access to the event during Extra Cool Hour is to make your room reservation before you purchase your Ice! tickets.

When you purchase your Ice! tickets, filter the ticket type to “Overnight Guests Only” and choose your preferred date and time. You should receive a code in your prearrival confirmation email that you can enter during the purchase process if you choose a time during the first hour of the day. Alternatively, you can purchase a room and Ice! ticket package and you will receive email instructions on reserving a day and time to visit the attraction.

Because entry to Ice! is timed, it didn’t feel overly crowded when we visited during normal operating hours, but as we near the holidays or if you visit during the weekend, the Chill Pass and Extra Cool Hour may come in handy.

Book an atrium-view room

The unique glass atrium design is what makes staying in a Gaylord resort so special.

My family loves to wake up in the morning and throw open the balcony doors to listen to the rushing waterfalls and see the decor. We usually eat breakfast out there, as well. When the sun sets in the evening and the atrium darkens, the twinkling lights and glittering decor take on an entirely different — and magical — appearance.

Staying in an atrium-view room can cost anywhere from around $70 to $100 more per night than staying in a standard exterior-view room, but I got it for no additional cost — and you can, too.

As a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite member, I am eligible for a complimentary room upgrade when I stay at a Marriott Bonvoy property, based on availability. You can earn Gold Elite status with 25 eligible stays per year, but you can earn it much faster with a travel card that automatically grants you Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (you will have to enroll online or by calling your card’s customer service and giving them your Marriott Bonvoy number), such as The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Related: Guide to Marriott and Hilton elite status with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

I decided to roll the dice and booked an exterior-view room with the hopes of being upgraded to an atrium-view room. The upgrade typically can’t be guaranteed until check-in, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to call prior to our arrival and have them make a note on the reservation. I spoke with a friendly customer service agent who made a note on my account. I expected to have to wait until I checked in for the upgrade to be confirmed, but the next time I opened the Marriott app, my room type showed as an atrium-view room.

I’m not a huge gambler, but this one paid off, and I saved some cash.

Bottom line

With five resorts across the country, there’s a good chance you aren’t too far from a Gaylord resort.

During the holiday season, each one offers festive activities, decor, treats and drinks (scientifically, a hot toddy can help you warm up after you’ve been in the cold) to help your family make lasting memories and traditions that will keep you coming back to Gaylord year after year.

France’s rail network has been thrown into chaos today following a series of arson attacks, just hours before the nation officially opens the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Travelers have been advised to postpone their trips where possible following the incidents, which France’s transport minister Patrice Vergrete has described as “coordinated malicious acts.” 

The arson attacks that occurred between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. local time have affected several TGV lines in the country.  Paris’s prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation.

According to France’s state-owned railway operator SNCF, its services are expected to be severely affected throughout the weekend after fires were set at various points along lines connecting Paris to the west, north and east. The fires appear to have targeted electrical or signaling boxes, according to reports. 

An SNCF statement said: “Last night, SNCF was the victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines.”

Jean-Pierre Farandou, the CEO of the SNCF told French news network BFM TV” “I am thinking of all the French who won’t be able to go on holiday today or those who will leave in worse conditions.” Adding that the disruption will not be a quick solve. “It will certainly last the whole weekend, because it will take a long time to fix….it’s a day of sadness today.”

Eurostar faces significant disruption along the high-speed line connecting Paris and Lille. Delays are expected to extend the usual journey time by up to an hour and a half and have already forced a slew of cancellations. 

Thus far, the Eurostar website shows extensive delays across all its services throughout today and at least 11 cancellations. The worst affected services currently appear to be connections between Brussels and Paris. 

A Eurostar spokesperson said: “Due to coordinated malicious acts in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday 26 July.”

“Eurostars teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

The major European rail operator is encouraging its passengers to postpone their trips where they can and allowing its customers to cancel their trips free of charge and receive a full refund. Passengers are also informed that they can modify their journeys free of charge.

A Eurostar confirmed with TPG that the train operator expects to cancel around 25% of its planned schedule over the weekend, with disruption stretching into Monday morning.

French-located flight hub EuroAirport Basel-Muhouse-Freiburg, jointly operated by France and Switzerland, temporarily grounded flights this morning following the evacuation and closure of its terminal due to “safety reasons” following a reported bomb alert, according to Reuters. It is unclear whether this is related to the earlier rail arson attacks, and the airport has now been reopened. 

“For safety reasons, the terminal had to be evacuated and is currently closed. Flight operations have been temporarily suspended.” The airport said on X. “Passengers are requested to contact their airline for information about their flight.”

 

Amélie Oudéa-Castera, the sports minister, said authorities are working to “evaluate the impact on travellers, athletes, and ensure the transport of all delegations to the competition sites”.

It is unclear just how long it will take to get rail services fully operational again, and there is no indication of who may have been responsible for the attacks. This is a developing story, which we will update as we find out more.

Bottom line

Today was due to be one of celebration in France with the opening of the Paris Olympics 2024, one of the most anticipated events of the year. The event has, however, been marred by a series of arson attacks that have severely affected French rail operations. The disruptions are expected to continue into the weekend and passengers due to travel are advised to postpone their trips, wherever possible. 

There is excellent awards availability to Japan on Air France-KLM Flying Blue right now, with round-trip economy travel available for as low as 53,000 points.

There is availability from U.S. departure cities Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Seattle for flights to Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo from now through June of next year. The widest range of available awards space is in January and February, but be sure to check the the entire travel window to see what works best for you. There are good options in April from several cities, which is right on time to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Tokyo.

Related: The 11 best hotels in Tokyo

Once you determine your departure date, you can book it as a one-way ticket or you can complete your itinerary by pairing it with your preferred return flight.

It’s important to note that this award space is operated by Delta, but you’ll get a better return on your points by using Air France to book the flight. By using Citi’s 25% transfer bonus, you can reduce the cost of points needed for each flight to as low as 26,400 each way, plus fees. Air France’s points booking interface can be challenging, so if you need some help, check out this helpful trick for navigating the Flying Blue calendar search tool.

Deal basics

Airlines: Air France, Delta

Routes: From Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), and Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (HND)

How to book: Browse Air France-KLM Flying Blue for available dates and pricing

Travel dates: Now through June 2025; availability varies based on route, but mostly

Book by: As soon as possible

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

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

Sample flights

We saw one-way flights from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Haneda Airport available from 35,000 points and about $33 in fees. As we mentioned above, January is a great time to jump on this deal.

There are one-way flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo in January for just 35,000 points and $200.10 in taxes/fees.

There are one-way flights out of Detroit Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Tokyo in November for 35,000 miles and $190.10 in taxes and fees.

 

If you don’t have enough Flying Blue miles, you can transfer points and miles from the following programs :

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases to cover your taxes and fees, such as:

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

Bottom line

We always say to be as flexible as possible with your travel dates to get maximum value, and it’s especially true for this deal.

Related reading:

• How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles
• Flying Blue expands free stopovers on award tickets to all partner airlines
• Save big on fees: Why Flying Blue is the new best way to book Virgin Atlantic award tickets
• Flying Blue standardizes prices of saver-level redemptions to Europe

 

One of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships is about to sail 23,000 miles in the wrong direction to avoid violence in the Middle East.

Luxury line Seabourn on Wednesday announced that one of its seven ships, Seabourn Encore, will reposition from Asia to Europe in early 2025 on an unusual easterly course that will take it across the Pacific to the Panama Canal and then on to Europe.

That’s a switch from the line’s original plan to have the vessel reposition from Asia to Europe on a more traditional westerly course that would have taken it across the Indian Ocean and through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to Europe.

For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.

The change will result in the ship sailing nearly 20,000 nautical miles — roughly 23,000 standard miles — in the opposite direction of its long-scheduled original routing for the repositioning.

“Changes were made to the original planned itineraries to prioritize the safety of guests and to avoid the Red Sea,” the line said in a statement sent to media late Wednesday.

Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea over the past nine months have prompted cruise lines to cancel a growing number of voyages through the waterway. But reroutings on a scale of the one announced Wednesday by Seabourn have been rare.

The change is forcing the last-minute cancellation of nearly three months of 2025 voyages on the ship, which is one of the most upscale cruise vessels in the world. Fares for Seabourn Encore sailings typically start at around $1,000 per person, per day.

The cancellations are for nearly every voyage scheduled to take place between March 2025 and May 2025.

Instead of its original itineraries during that period, the ship will operate six new voyages starting March 2, 2025, through May 25, 2025, that will range from seven to 25 days and can be combined into one long 53-day sailing.

Related: The best luxury cruises for elegance and exclusivity

The new sailings will bring calls across Southeast Asia, Japan, Hawaii, the Panama Canal and the Mediterranean. They will include 36 port stops in 18 countries, including many destinations Seabourn Encore has never visited since it debuted in 2016.

The ship’s passage through the Panama Canal will be a first for the ship. The vessel will also make its first stops at U.S. ports as part of the new routing. There will be U.S. calls in Hawaii, California and Florida.

Seabourn Encore will also visit two ports in Japan that no Seabourn ship has ever visited before: Tokushima, known for its serene landscapes, and Wakayama, celebrated for its temples and coastal scenery.

Other highlights of the new trips include overnight calls in Honolulu, Hawaii; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Kobe, Japan.

The new 2025 voyages, in order by departure date, are:

• March 2 to March 16: A 14-day Southeast Asia and Japan sailing from Singapore to Kobe
• March 16 to April 9: A 25-day Japan and Hawaiian Islands sailing from Kobe to Long Beach, California
• April 9 to April 28: A 19-day Panama Canal sailing from Long Beach to Miami 
• April 28 to May 10: A 12-day Atlantic crossing from Miami to Lisbon 
• May 10 to May 18: An eight-day Western Mediterranean sailing from Lisbon to Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome) 
• May 18 to May 25: A seven-day Amalfi Coast and Adriatic sailing from Civitavecchia to Dubrovnik, Croatia 

As part of the announcement, Seabourn said passengers who book by Nov. 19, 2024, will get a 10% discount on the new voyages.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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

JetBlue is pausing or cutting service on two dozen routes and pulling seven cities off its route map entirely as part of its latest network shakeup.

The New York-based carrier, which has its sights set on returning to profitability, announced a slew of changes Wednesday.

JetBlue is adding seven new routes, mostly from airports in New England. And it’s bringing its Mint cabin to more domestic routes.

But the route eliminations are the real headline.

Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

JetBlue will seasonally suspend or outright eliminate service on 24 routes. It will completely end service to more than a half-dozen cities, including a few major U.S. airports — from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

It’s also making the latest trim to its winter transatlantic schedule, eliminating flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Amsterdam between late October and late March.

It’s not all schedule trims and cutbacks, though.

JetBlue is adding a handful of new routes, with a heavy emphasis on flying between the Northeast and Florida.

The additions include the airline’s first-ever service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire. It’s all part of a broader effort to beef up service across New England, with new routes also being added in Providence and Portland, Maine, and additional flights from Hartford, Connecticut.

Previous network shakeup: JetBlue adds Caribbean and Mint service, but cuts slew of routes

Route additions

Starting with the good news, here’s the rundown of JetBlue’s route additions.

Route	Launches
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)	Oct. 26, winter seasonal
Providence’s T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers	Oct. 27, winter seasonal
PVD to Tampa International Airport (TPA)	Oct. 27, winter seasonal
Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine to Orlando International Airport (MCO)	Oct. 28, winter seasonal
MHT-MCO	Jan. 23, 2025
MHT-RSW	Jan. 23, 2025
MHT to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)	Jan. 24, 2025

These “strategic changes,” JetBlue said, are designed to help the carrier “invest and grow across New England.” It’s planning for 20% seat growth in the region this winter versus last year.

JetBlue has long had a strong presence at the region’s largest airport, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), but has gotten far stiffer competition in recent years as Delta Air Lines has bolstered its presence in Boston with its hub.

“Our commitment to Boston and our loyal customers across New England is unwavering as we continue to innovate and enhance our product,” JetBlue president Marty St. George said in a statement announcing the news.

Another warm-weather Mint route

 As part of the network adjustments, JetBlue is bolstering frequency on some existing routes out of Boston and other New England. airports.

Among the changes, JetBlue plans to add a second daily nonstop flight from Boston to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and bring a Mint-equipped jet to the route. As St. George explained in an exclusive interview with TPG last month, the carrier is sending far more of its Mint seats to warm-weather destinations this winter.

All of JetBlue’s flights between Boston and Phoenix this winter will offer the premium Mint cabin, the airline said Wednesday.

Providence, Hartford growth

JetBlue is also tripling its seat growth in Providence this winter, over last, while upping its frequency out of Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL) as well — both airports where newcomer Breeze Airways has focused a lot of attention.

JetBlue’s route cuts

As mentioned, JetBlue is making dozens of additional network adjustments. These changes involve pulling out of cities entirely, ending some routes, suspending other seasonal routes and — in some cases — simply not resuming service on some seasonal service.

City eliminations

 JetBlue is completely ending service to the following airports:

• Charlotte
• Minneapolis/St. Paul
• San Antonio
• Burbank International Airport (BUR) in California
• Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) in Florida
• Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) in California
• Pointe-a-Pitre International Airport (PTP) in Guadeloupe

Route cuts

Including the above city eliminations, here’s the full list of the 18 routes JetBlue is ending — or not resuming when winter rolls around.

Route	End date
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Nassau (NAS) in the Bahamas	Sept. 7
BOS-CLT	Oct. 26
BOS-MSP	Oct. 26
BOS-SAT	Oct. 26
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)	Oct. 26
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to BUR	Oct. 26
JFK-SAT	Oct. 26
LAX to San Jose del Cabo (SJD) in Mexico	Oct. 26
LAX to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)	Oct. 26
Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) to Cancun International Airport (CUN)	Oct. 26
RDU-MCO	Oct. 26
FLL-Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) in Florida	Oct. 27
EWR to Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo, D.R.	Jan. 6, 2025
FLL to Jose Joaquin del Olmedo International Airport (GYE) in Guayaquil, Ecuador	Jan. 6, 2025
FLL to San Diego International Airport (SAN)	Jan. 6, 2025
JFK-PSP	Won’t resume seasonal service
JFK-PTP	Won’t resume seasonal service
BDL-MIA	Won’t resume seasonal service

Seasonal suspensions

JetBlue announced a half-dozen routes currently operated as year-round will now be suspended for the winter season, resuming in 2025.

Route	Suspension effective	Resumes
BOS to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)	Oct. 26	March 29, 2025
BOS to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)	Oct. 26	April 30, 2025
BOS-SLC	Oct. 27	June 12, 2025 – but will still fly during peak winter periods
BUF-LAX	Oct. 27	April 29, 2025 – but will still fly during peak winter periods
JFK to Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS	Oct. 27	April 30, 2025
JFK to Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Oct. 27	April 30, 2025

The seasonal pause in Amsterdam is JetBlue’s latest wintertime pullback of its transatlantic schedule announced.

In another network adjustment earlier this year, the carrier announced it would trim its winter flying to Paris and eliminate all winter service to London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

Speaking with TPG last month, St. George noted the success of JetBlue’s three-year-old transatlantic foray, but said the airline sees better opportunities for some of its Mint-equipped Airbus A321 aircraft in short-haul warm-weather destinations during the cold winter months.

“Every airplane we fly has to sort of live by the best and highest use of the airplane,” he said. “Looking at the level of services we’ve had in Europe in the wintertime, when the seasonality is pretty extreme, and then looking at the opportunities in the domestic North America market, it seemed like a no-brainer to be trying to make these shifts.”

JetBlue first launched Amsterdam service in August 2023.

Profitability push

There’s a financial backdrop to all of these changes. JetBlue hasn’t been profitable since the pandemic, and CEO Joanna Geraghty, who assumed her post this past winter, has embarked on a mission to cut unprofitable flying and otherwise boost the company’s financial performance.

In recent months, numerous airlines have bemoaned stiff competition that’s driven fares down and hurt profitability — prompting a slew of network changes.

Though the trends have been most stark among budget airlines, even Delta Air Lines’ profits came in below Wall Street expectations earlier this month — and United Airlines executives tempered expectations about the late-summer months last week.

Related reading:

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

United Airlines will have one less pin on its route map later this year.

The Chicago-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to drop service to Fukuoka, Japan, effective Oct. 26, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. United currently offers daily flights from its Micronesia hub at Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) to Fukuoka Airport (FUK).

This 1,651-mile route has historically been served by a Boeing 737-800. United inherited this route from Continental Airlines during the merger. Continental used to have a wholly owned Continental Micronesia subsidiary that was folded into the larger United operation following the combination of the two carriers.

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

United inherited the Guam hub during the merger, and it continues to offer unique services to destinations throughout the region. Most notably, travelers may have heard of the island hopper route, which connects Guam and Honolulu via several small islands in Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. This route is a lifeline for many of these tiny islands that otherwise don’t have any scheduled airline service.

United didn’t have much to share about the Fukuoka cut beyond the following boilerplate statement:

“We regularly evaluate our Guam schedule and make adjustments based on demand and the broader needs of our network – our Fukuoka, Japan-Guam service is suspended effective October 26 and we are working to reaccommodate impacted customers. United will continue to fly from Guam to Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo-Narita and Tokyo-Haneda.”

United’s service to Fukuoka was among the last remaining nonstops from U.S. soil to the sixth-largest Japanese city. Hawaiian Airlines will continue to fly between Honolulu and Fukuoka on a three times weekly basis. Delta Air Lines ended its Honolulu-to-Fukuoka route in 2019, and now United is exiting this market.

Related: These are the best times to buy an international flight

Fukuoka is known for its rich culture and history, culinary scene and natural landscapes, and its beaches are popular with locals and tourists.

The timing of United’s cut is interesting. On Oct. 27 — one day after this cut — United will add service from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) to Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) in the Philippines. This route will be operated by a Boeing 737-800 that flies from Guam to Tokyo to Cebu and back.

It’s entirely possible that the airline will use the aircraft originally assigned to its Fukuoka route for the new Cebu flight, but the airline didn’t have any further comment to share.

Going forward, Guam-based travelers heading to Fukuoka will need to connect at a different Japanese gateway. United will offer plenty of one-stop services in partnership with Japanese Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways.

Related reading:

• United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
• Best United Airlines credit cards
• United Premier status: What it is and how to earn it
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• How to survive basic economy on United Airlines

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

Hertz is one of the largest rental car companies in the world, with locations in over 150 countries on six continents.

Over the years, I’ve learned the ins and outs of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program and found ways to maximize it — though that’s gotten more difficult with devaluations over the years. Here, I’ll share the best ways to earn and redeem Hertz points and give an overview of earning and using Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status.

 

How to earn Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

Unfortunately, renting cars is the only real way to earn Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points. Basic members earn one Hertz point per dollar spent on rentals, while those with Hertz elite status earn bonus points based on their status level:

• Five Star: 25% bonus for a total of 1.25 points per dollar
• President’s Circle: 50% bonus for a total of 1.5 points per dollar

It is worth noting that Hertz points expire after 12 months without earning or redemption activity (this has decreased from 18 months). Even if you keep your points from expiring after 12 months, any points that stay in your account for over five years without being redeemed will be forfeited.

How to redeem Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

Things get tricky when it comes to redeeming Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points. Hertz has two redemption levels: Standard and AnyDay. Standard awards are significantly lower priced but are restricted to specific dates. On the other hand, AnyDay rewards can be redeemed without blackout dates but cost twice the number of points.

With that in mind, I recommend redeeming points for Standard rewards. AnyDay rentals are generally a bad value unless your rental is extremely expensive.

Here’s a quick overview of the Hertz award chart and how you can maximize redemptions.

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

Maximizing Hertz Standard redemptions

In August 2022, Hertz introduced a new reward chart. Now, Standard rentals are half the cost of AnyDay rentals and start at 950 points per day for a round-trip rental within the U.S. Here’s a look at pricing for round-trip compact through premium rentals within the U.S.

Further, you can rent Specialty, Adrenaline and Prestige cars for more points. The Specialty tier includes higher-end vehicles and can be found at most Hertz locations. The Adrenaline collection has performance vehicles like Corvettes and high-end Mustangs, while Prestige has ultrahigh-end luxury vehicles like Cadillac Escalades, Jaguars, Land Rovers and BMWs.

Specialty round-trip rentals within the U.S. start at 1,900 points, Adrenaline vehicles start at 2,787 points and Prestige vehicle rentals start at 3,167 points. You can view the award chart for these redemptions by heading to this page and scrolling down.

Hertz also offers discounts on one-week rentals booked with points. Weekly round-trip standard rentals within the U.S. start at 4,750 points, which comes out to roughly 675 points per day — a significant discount over booking seven one-day rentals.

Finally, one-way rentals — where you return your vehicle to a different Hertz location — are twice the cost of a round-trip rental. This means a one-day, one-way Standard rental within the U.S. will set you back 1,900 points.

How to book Standard awards with Hertz

So, when can you book Standard awards? Good question — and there’s no easy answer. Unfortunately, each Hertz location has a different set of Standard award dates; some offer more than others.

You can view the list of peak dates by heading to this page and entering your pickup location. You can only book peak dates with AnyDay rewards; you can book any date period not listed here at the Standard rate.

Peak dates vary widely — they may cover a holiday weekend or span an entire season. Unfortunately, Hertz has steadily expanded its peak dates so that they now account for more than half of the year at most locations, as you’ll notice in the example above. This makes it harder to take advantage of Standard award redemptions.

In cities where Hertz has more than one location, it’s best to check multiple locations to see which off-peak dates work best with your travel schedule. 

Maximizing your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points by renting high-end cars

Your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points can go a long way. Since Hertz charges a flat rate for Standard awards, I recommend booking premium rentals with these awards to maximize your value. You can use these awards for anything from a compact car to a high-end premium rental, so you might as well rent a cool ride if you’re already using your points.

For example, the total cost of a one-day large SUV rental at Denver International Airport (DEN) in mid-January is $305 after tax, while a large sedan or economy car costs less than half that — but all three cost the same 950 points. 

So if you can, rent a bigger or higher-end car with your points. You’ll have more fun and get more value from your hard-earned Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points — not a bad combination.

Other things to know about Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points

In its latest update to its loyalty program, Hertz decided to eliminate cancellation fees on award rentals. That means if you book a car with points after Sept. 1, 2024, and cancel your reservation before pick-up time, the points will be refunded to your account without any penalty.

Hertz also recently updated its points transfer feature. Previously, Gold Plus Rewards members could transfer points to their spouse or domestic partner’s account, with no limit to the number of points or the number of transfers. Now, you can transfer points to any family member’s account — but only once per calendar year.

Related: Quick points: Book award travel faster by pooling your points

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status

Hertz offers three status tiers, with two being elite: Five Star and President’s Circle. You earn status based on how often you rent cars with Hertz or how much you spend with Hertz.

Hertz Five Star elite status

Five Star is the lower of the two elite status tiers. To achieve it, you must complete 10 Hertz rentals or spend $2,000 on rental cars in a given calendar year. Hertz Five Star elite members receive several benefits with limited usefulness for most renters. The most notable of these benefits include:

• Space-available upgrades: You’re eligible for a one-class car upgrade if the Hertz location you’re renting from has cars in stock.
• Bonus points: You’ll earn 25% more points on all rentals, totaling 1.25 points per dollar spent.
• Wider Ultimate Choice availability: When renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, Hertz Five Star members have access to a wider range of cars.

Unfortunately, I don’t think these benefits are very useful — while a one-class upgrade is nice, it isn’t guaranteed. The most valuable benefit is the 25% point bonus, which is guaranteed.

Hertz President’s Circle elite status

Things start to get more interesting when it comes to President’s Circle status. This is Hertz’s top-tier status level and includes an upgraded set of perks:

• Guaranteed upgrades: You’re eligible for a guaranteed one-class car upgrade. In practice, the upgrade depends on whether the Hertz location you’re renting from has an upgraded car in stock.
• Bonus points: You’ll earn 50% more points on all rentals, for 1.5 points per dollar spent.
• Widest Ultimate Choice availability: If renting from a Hertz location with an Ultimate Choice lot, you’ll have access to a wider range of cars than a standard or Five Star member.
• Dedicated Hertz Rewards phone line: You can access a dedicated Hertz phone number for President’s Circle members.

You’ll earn President’s Circle status after completing 15 Hertz rentals or spending $3,000 on rental cars in a single calendar year. These benefits are significantly more valuable than Five Star, but I still wouldn’t go out of my way to rent with Hertz solely to earn status when cheaper options are available.

Related: Everything you need to know about rental car elite status

A look at Hertz’s various partnerships

Hertz has partnerships with several travel companies, the most popular being status matches from Capital One and Delta. Additionally, you can save on Hertz rentals and take advantage of other perks if you’re a AAA member or have The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Free Hertz status with Capital One

If you are a Capital One cardholder, you may be in luck. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders qualify for complimentary Five Star status, while those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card receive complimentary top-tier President’s Circle status*. Best of all, authorized users and account managers who are at least 21 years old are eligible — this perk isn’t limited to just the primary cardholder. You can learn more on Capital One’s partner page for Hertz.

Unfortunately, Capital One is discontinuing this benefit at the end of this year.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g., at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Stacking rental car perks with Hertz and the Venture X

Free Hertz status for Delta Medallion elites

If you have Delta elite status, you may be eligible for a free status match to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Medallion Gold members can match to Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond members can match to top-tier President’s Circle status.

Head to the Hertz page on Delta’s website to take advantage of this status match. Through this partnership, even Medallion Silver members can earn bonus SkyMiles by crediting rentals to Delta instead of Hertz.

Related: The complete guide to car rental elite status matches

Free Hertz status for Amex Platinum cardholders

One of the many perks of the Amex Platinum is that it provides cardholders with Hertz President’s Circle status. Cardmembers must enroll in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards in order to receive this benefit.

Related: How to get a free 4-hour grace period on your next Hertz car rental

Take advantage of Hertz perks with a AAA membership

I keep an annual AAA membership solely for the included Hertz perks. Members have access to a corporate code that gives up to 20% off rentals, waives the fee for young renters aged 20 to 24 and offers a discount on prepaid fuel, among other minor benefits.

Related: Hertz waives young-driver fees for new graduates — here’s how to enroll

Save money on rental car insurance with credit cards

Like most rental car companies, Hertz offers a primary damage waiver for its rentals. These waivers protect you against theft and damage incurred to the vehicle, ranging from a simple fender-bender to a total loss. We always recommend having one of these waivers when renting a car. It can save you a ton of money if you end up in a wreck and protect your car insurance rates from going up, as you can claim the damage waiver coverage before your personal insurance.

Primary damage waivers come at a cost, though. You’ll generally pay between $14 and $20 per day, which can add up quickly if you rent cars often. Thankfully, you can get one of these damage waivers for free if you pay for your rental with a card that provides car rental coverage.

Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals

Bottom line

Hertz points have the potential to be valuable, especially during off-peak rental dates, and elite status can be useful, too, if you rent frequently. That said, you’re usually best off renting from the company that gives you the best price.

American Airlines is growing its domestic operation with the addition of a new destination.

The carrier will add service to McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD) in Carlsbad, California, beginning on Feb. 13, 2025. American’s regional affiliate Envoy Air will operate twice-daily flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), marketed as American Eagle service.

The regional affiliate will deploy a 76-seat Embraer 175 on the route, equipped with 12 first-class recliners, 20 Main Cabin Extra extra-legroom seats and 44 standard economy seats.

Loyalty basics: Best ways to earn airline miles 

Carlsbad is home to the Legoland California theme park and sits about 35 miles north of the San Diego International Airport (SAN), which already sees plenty of American Airlines service. The new route will provide travelers based in the northern San Diego suburbs with new travel options without driving to SAN or the far larger Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In a statement confirming the move, the airline said that “American looks forward to connecting Carlsbad to our comprehensive global network starting next February. This new service will provide convenient one-stop connections to destinations across the United States and Mexico while bringing travelers from around the world to see all that Carlsbad has to offer.”

American operates a hub in Phoenix, and from there, travelers can enjoy one-stop service to most major cities in the U.S. and Mexico.

For much of the past decade, Carlsbad hasn’t had any scheduled commercial airline service. The airport is served by regional air carrier JSX, which operates 30-seat Embraer regional jets in the public charter model. JSX flies from Carlsbad to Las Vegas and Scottsdale.

But the last time that Carlsbad had commercial service was in April 2015, when United Express’ affiliate SkyWest Airlines flew from the city to Los Angeles — a short 86-mile flight operated by the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft, Cirium schedules show.

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

To support the new American flights, the Palomar airport will contract with the TSA to provide security services for departing passengers.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this new service to the traveling public and look forward to working with American Airlines as one of our newest stakeholders,” said Palomar airport director Jamie Abbott, in a statement.

For its part, American’s recent network strategy has been focused on boosting domestic and short-haul connectivity. The airline dominates in many domestic markets and continues to grow across the country with new routes and destinations. Last week, American announced new service to South Caicos, Turks and Caicos, and it added two more domestic routes from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

American has long said that it wants to offer the most comprehensive schedule for domestic travelers looking to connect to a broad network via its hubs — and that’s what the airline seems to be doing here in Carlsbad with the new service to Phoenix.

Related reading:

• Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
• Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
• What is American Airlines elite status worth?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• Everything you need to know about flying basic economy on American Airlines

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

Capital One’s Travel portal, launched in 2021, has significantly improved since its beta release. It now allows Capital One cardholders, including those with cash-back cards, to directly use their rewards for travel purchases. The portal also features updated flight search capabilities and the issuer’s hotel programs: the Premier Collection and the Lifestyle Collection.

In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about the Capital One Travel portal.

Related: Why Capital One Travel should be your only stop for booking (and enjoying) your next trip

What is the Capital One Travel portal?

Many credit card issuers offer travel portals where cardholders can book travel with points and earn bonus rewards on paid bookings. The Capital One portal is similar, offering bonus miles on hotels, rental cars and sometimes flights — though the earning rate varies depending on which card you hold. Or you can pay for travel through the portal with your Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

The Capital One portal differentiates itself by integrating technology from Hopper, a trusted app for predicting the lowest prices for flights and hotels. The portal offers several free customer-friendly features like price alerts, price matching and price drop protection, as well as paid add-on features like price freeze protection, flight disruption assistance and cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage (more on these in a bit).

Here’s a list of some top Capital One cards that offer access to Capital One Travel:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business

You can access the portal through this link.

Related: What I’ve learned from multiple car rentals with the Capital One Travel portal

How to book flights through the Capital One Travel portal

To book airfare using the Capital One Travel portal, log into your account and click the “Flights” tab.

If your dates are flexible, you can take advantage of Capital One’s handy calendar feature. It brings in Hopper’s familiar color-coded interface, allowing you to see which dates offer the lowest prices in economy class.

Once you choose your dates, you’ll see Capital One’s booking recommendation and flight options on the next screen. You can then narrow the parameters by:

• Fare class (cabin)
• Number of stops
• Airline
• Departure or arrival time
• Price
• Flight duration

And you can sort your results by:

• Recommended
• Price (low to high)
• Stops (least to most)
• Duration (shortest to longest)
• Arrival time (earliest to latest)
• Departure time (earliest to latest)

There are a few other interesting features worth mentioning. Above all the flight options, you can see the price prediction tool come into effect with clear messaging on whether or not it’s a good time to book. You can click “View price prediction” to see when and by how much prices are predicted to fluctuate.

If the site’s algorithms advise you to book, that will trigger free price drop protection. If you book now and the price drops within the next 10 days, you’ll be refunded up to $50 of the difference as a future travel credit. Or, if you find a better price elsewhere within 24 hours of booking, you can take advantage of Capital One’s price match guarantee to get the difference in the form of a travel credit.

If you’re not ready to book, you can press “Watch this trip” to be notified by email when a better price becomes available. Unfortunately, this feature applies to the route and dates you’ve selected, not a specific flight, airline or fare class — though you can choose to exclude basic economy and connecting flights.

Or, if the price is attractive but you need a little more time, you have the option to freeze it for a small fee. When you click “Freeze price,” you’ll be able to choose the specific flight you want to freeze. You can also freeze the price for anywhere from 12 hours to 14 days. If the price increases in that timeframe, CapitalOne will cover the difference up to $500. If the price decreases, you’ll get to book at the new, lower price.

Pay attention to the fare class when booking flights, as amenities vary greatly between airlines. For example, United Airlines does not allow full-size carry-on bags on basic economy fares, but Delta Air Lines does. Additionally, cancellation policies vary across fare classes.

Capital One has tried to standardize fare classes across all airlines on its platform, making it easier for users. When searching through Capital One Travel, you’ll see the following labels:

• Basic: The best-priced options with restrictive policies and few amenities.
• Standard: Typically main and economy fares that include amenities like carry-on bags and seat selection.
• Enhanced: Seats with extra legroom, priority boarding and free beverages and snacks.
• Premium: Cradled or reclining seats that come with priority boarding and premium snacks and beverages.
• Luxury: Typically business or first-class fares featuring reclining seats, personalized services, premium meals and priority boarding.

When you click on a particular fare class, a drop-down provides an extensive overview of what to expect during your journey. This includes detailed information on seat measurements, aircraft layout and onboard amenities like power outlets, fresh food options and whether lounge access is included. These comprehensive details surpass what you typically find on other travel portals or even when booking directly with airlines.

The payment side is quick and easy, too. When entering traveler information, be sure to include your frequent flyer number (so you’ll earn miles with the airline) and, if applicable, your Known Traveler Number (for instance, your TSA PreCheck number).

As a holder of the Venture Rewards card (which is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit in the first cardholder year), I can apply my miles at a rate of 1 cent each toward my flight. If you’d rather save your miles for later, press “Do not apply my rewards.” You can use your Capital One credit card to pay for your reservation instead.

Note that while most Capital One cards only earn bonus points on hotels and rental cars booked through the portal, the Venture X card earns 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through the portal as well.

When you check out, you can choose to add flight disruption assistance (which includes a rapid rebooking feature) or cancel-for-any-reason protection for an additional cost. The cost of these features varies, and you’ll have the option to pay in cash or miles.

Related: Battle of the credit card travel portals: Which is the best for booking flights?

How to book hotels through the Capital One Travel portal

There are fewer distinctive features when booking your hotels through the Capital One Travel portal, but the process is similar to the one for flights detailed above. To find a hotel, head to the “Hotels” tab and enter your destination, dates and number of travelers.

You can use the color-coded calendar to see which dates are cheapest. Some dates may not show a color, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t available — you can still click them.

After choosing your dates, you’ll see a list and map view of hotel options. You can filter your search by rating, certain amenities or cancellation policy, or click “All Filters” to set a maximum price per night or enter a specific property name. You can also sort the listings by recommended, price (low to high) or star rating (high to low).

The listing for each hotel shows the nightly price, as well as the total for your stay (including taxes and fees) in both cash and miles. However, this price may change when you click on the hotel. For instance, the price at the Warwick went down by over $100 when I clicked it. If you’re interested in a hotel, always click it to double-check the price. You’ll also be able to see more information on the hotel and recent customer reviews.

Then scroll down to the “Choose Room” section to see which room types are available. You can see a room’s dimensions and amenities by clicking “View Details and Amenities.” Often, each room will have multiple rates available with different cancellation policies.

The payment process for booking hotels is the same as for flights. You can redeem your Capital One miles for the trip or pay in cash with your Capital One card. The latter may be the better option here, as multiple cards offer bonus rewards on hotels booked through Capital One Travel:

• Venture X and Venture X Business: 10 miles per dollar spent
• Venture, VentureOne and Spark Miles: 5 miles per dollar spent
• SavorOne, Quicksilver and Spark Cash Plus: 5% cash back

However, keep in mind that if you book a hotel in a major loyalty program — like Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors — through Capital One Travel, you likely won’t receive hotel points or enjoy any elite status perks. That’s because Capital One Travel is essentially an online travel agency.

Some cardholders have access to Capital One Travel’s boutique hotel collections. The Premier Collection, which is available to Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders, includes benefits like an on-property experience credit of up to $100, daily breakfast for two people and complimentary Wi-Fi. The Lifestyle Collection is available to a broader group, including members with the Venture X, Venture X Business, Venture Rewards or Spark Miles cards.

Now that Capital One has added vacation rentals to both collections, cardholders will have even more options for earning and redeeming miles.

Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi

How to book rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal

The process for booking rental cars is straightforward. Start by clicking “Rental Cars” at the top and entering your search criteria.

You’ll receive a list of options that can be filtered by car type, price per day, rental car company and other specifications. Unlike with hotels and flights, there’s no option to sort the results — but they will automatically be shown from lowest to highest price.

You can then reserve the car after a few clicks using either cash or miles. Before booking, scroll down to see more information on the pickup and drop-off location, the cancellation policy and other details.

With some agencies — Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar — you can add your rental car rewards number to the booking and likely enjoy the associated benefits. The option to add your loyalty number generally won’t appear for other companies.

This is particularly appealing for Venture X cardholders, as you can earn 10 miles per dollar spent on rental car bookings and still enjoy the complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status* that’s included on the card — although this perk is slated to be discontinued at the end of this year.

Note that these car rentals earn rewards at the same rate as hotels booked through Capital One Travel:

• Venture X and Venture X Business: 10 miles per dollar spent
• Venture, VentureOne and Spark Miles: 5 miles per dollar spent
• SavorOne, Quicksilver and Spark Cash Plus: 5% cash back

*Upon enrollment eligible cardholders will maintain Hertz President’s Circle status through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note that enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g., at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program, and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Stacking rental car perks with Hertz and the Venture X

Further things to consider about the Capital One Travel portal

Capital One Travel packs a punch for cardholders, but there are a few additional things to remember.

First, consider checking alternative platforms like Google Flights for better prices or alternate routings before booking through Capital One. Credit card portals sometimes have higher prices and don’t always show all available flight options, so make sure you’re not paying more for the same itinerary. And if you need to change your flight, booking your ticket directly with the airline is often easier.

If you’re planning to use your Venture miles or Spark miles at a rate of 1 cent apiece, you should always book directly with the travel provider (whether it’s an airline, hotel or car rental company) and use the miles to cover that purchase. Remember, you can offset the cash price of travel purchases by redeeming your Capital One miles at a fixed value. This ensures you get all the benefits of booking directly while using your rewards at exactly the same redemption value.

Also, with over 15 transfer partners, Capital One offers a range of options for transferring your miles at a 1:1 ratio. Before booking through the portal, compare prices against the award rates of Capital One’s transfer partners. For instance, a $150 United Airlines flight will cost 15,000 Capital One miles through the portal, or you might be able to get the same flight for just 7,500 Avianca LifeMiles (plus minimal taxes and fees). In this instance, it makes more sense to transfer your Capital One miles to LifeMiles and book through Avianca.

As noted, hotel and car rental reservations through Capital One Travel likely won’t be eligible for perks in a given loyalty program. If elite status is important to you, it’s advisable to book directly with major chain hotels and most car rentals. However, if you’re booking independently owned hotels or elite status isn’t a concern, the Capital One Travel portal may be a better option.

Finally, remember that Venture X cardholders enjoy $300 in annual credits for bookings made via Capital One Travel. Unlike the $300 credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the credit only applies to purchases made through Capital One’s travel portal. As a result, even if you’d rather book flights, hotels or car rentals directly with travel providers, you should still spend at least $300 on your Venture X through Capital One Travel each year. And for a limited time, the Venture Rewards card is offering a $250 Capital One Travel credit in the first year as part of its elevated welcome bonus.

Related: The top 11 credit cards with annual travel statement credits

Bottom line

Capital One has made significant advancements in the travel space, including improved transfer partners, the introduction of a premium card and the opening of multiple airport lounges.

Capital One Travel offers a user-friendly interface for booking flights, hotels and rental cars, with helpful features like a color-coded fare calendar to help it stand out. With its detailed pricing and fare class information and additional features like price freeze and price drop protection, it’s especially useful for booking flights. You can also earn bonus rewards for many Capital One Travel purchases across most of the issuer’s card portfolio, making it a great option as you plan upcoming trips.

Quick take: TAP Air Portugal offers all the trappings of business class, such as multicourse meals on real china and lie-flat seats, but does not feel especially luxurious.

Pros

• Throne seats offer extra personal space.
• Multiple lounge options are available in both Lisbon and Washington, D.C.
• Portuguese touches from amenity kits to wines lend the experience a regional flair.

Cons

• The lie-flat seats aren’t the most comfortable.
• Meals are good but not extraordinary.
• Service feels perfunctory.

I don’t fly business class for luxury. I choose it for legroom. I’m 6 feet tall and don’t sleep well on planes, even lying down, so TAP Air Portugal’s business-class seats satisfied my basic requirements of having a comfortable place to stretch out my long legs and enough entertainment to get me through a flight.

If you’re looking for course-by-course dining, closed-door suites and doting service, TAP does not offer what you seek, at least not on its Airbus A321LR on the short overnight flight between Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Lisbon Airport (LIS). But if you want a more affordable front-of-the-plane experience, with fun cultural touches like an all-Portuguese wine list and Portuguese language lessons on your seatback monitor, you might want to give TAP a try.

How much does business class cost to book on TAP Air Portugal?

The cost to book TAP business class will depend on your origin and destination, as well as whether you’re flying one-way or round-trip, though the airline is known for posting some incredible deals from the U.S. to Europe in both economy and business class.

On the route I flew, from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Lisbon Airport (LIS), round-trip business-class tickets start at $3,550 now through the end of 2024, but are often closer to $5,500.

Alternatively, you might be able to book award tickets using United MileagePlus miles or Air Canada Aeroplan points.

United is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and will require 176,000 miles plus about $65 in taxes and fees round-trip.

Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Capital One, and requires 120,000 miles plus around $140 in taxes and fees.

Here’s a snapshot of how much round-trip TAP tickets from Washington, D.C., to Lisbon will cost over the next several months in terms of money and miles.

Class	Business class	Economy
Airfare	$3,550-$8,660	$611-$1,690
United MileagePlus	176,000 miles + $65	88,000 miles + $65
Air Canada Aeroplan	70,000 miles + $140	120,000 miles + $140

 

Business-class passengers can select seats for free and bring one full-sized carry-on bag (22 inches by 16 inches by 10 inches) plus one personal item (16 inches by 12 inches by 5 inches), as well as two checked bags of up to 70 pounds each.

Checking in to and boarding TAP Air Portugal business class

Here are the special services TAP business-class passengers enjoy at the airport.

Priority boarding	Yes
Lounge available?	Yes, two TAP Premium Lounges and Star Alliance partner lounges.
Does the airline participate in TSA PreCheck?	Yes
Boarding group	A (first of three)

I arrived at Dulles extra early only to discover the check-in desk opened two hours before boarding time. Though I was first in the Premium line, I had to wait for the agents to arrive.

When they did, the friendly one I checked in with pointed me toward the quickest way to a TSA PreCheck (which I can access with my Global Entry) checkpoint, explained that I would have premium boarding and told me I had a choice of the Lufthansa Lounge or the Turkish Airways Lounge, both at Dulles’ international terminal B, near the departure gate.

At the gate, a clearly marked Premium line was available for business-class flyers to board first.

At Lisbon Airport for my return flight, I followed signs for TAP Air Portugal’s Premium check-in area, which is accessible via Door 1 at Terminal 1. I started to turn toward the kiosks to my left before I saw a sign pointing out Premium gates to keep walking toward in the back of the hall. Just past the kiosks, I found the gated-off area for Premium check-in, where I was swiftly checked in and pointed in the right direction for boarding.

Premium passengers can access the Fast Track security lines in Lisbon. I found the signage a bit confusing because there were lines in multiple directions, but the same security guard who yelled at me for taking photos did helpfully point me toward the correct entrance. Only one or two passengers were ahead of me in line, and the security was quick. I had to remove my bag of liquids and take off my sweater, but I did not need to take out my laptop.

U.S.-bound passengers need to go through a passport control line between the main terminal area and the non-Schengen gate areas. Make sure you account for this extra time when deciding when to leave the lounge or shopping area to head to your gate. Four lanes at passport control had all the tourists confused, and many were sent from the digital gates into another line.

Once at the gate, Premium travelers have a priority boarding line (A) and board first. In our case, it meant boarding the first of two buses for a ride across the tarmac to our waiting plane. We business-class passengers got a bus all to ourselves, rather than cramming in with crowds of economy passengers on a packed bus. We did have to wait on the bus for a while as the flight crew readied our plane.

Airport lounge options for TAP Air Portugal business class

With enough time, I could have visited at least four, if not five, lounges between the two airports I flew into and out of on my trip. I managed to hit three.

If you’re flying business class on TAP Air Portugal between Washington, D.C., and Lisbon, be prepared for lounge choices.

At IAD, the friendly gate agent asked me with a sly grin what kind of food I liked, saying that was the proper criterion for deciding which of the two available Terminal B lounges I should visit. He hinted that because the Lufthansa Lounge only served cold food, I would be better off choosing the Turkish Airways Lounge. He wasn’t wrong; I enjoyed the Mediterranean fare, such as kofta, lentil soup, hummus and pita, and cinnamon rice pudding. The Lufthansa Lounge was slightly closer to my gate, but not enough to be a deciding factor.

Technically, you could also access the airport’s United Polaris Lounge with your TAP Air Portugal business-class ticket, and it’s certainly a much more upscale lounge than the Turkish or Lufthansa ones. However, it’s in a different terminal and traversing IAD via moving lounges and trains can be slow. You’ll only want to aim for the Polaris Lounge if you have a considerable wait time before your flight.

In Lisbon, TAP fields two Premium lounges, one immediately after the duty-free shops and above the main concourse (look for the escalators with “Premium Lounges” written on the side) and one after passport control for non-Schengen travel. The check-in agent recommended the first one as it’s larger, with more food and seating options, and told me how much time to leave to get through passport control to my gate.

The TAP Premium Lounge Tejo in the main concourse is large (with 320 seats) but not fancy, with plenty of food and drink options. Don’t miss the Portuguese specialty pastel de nata, a sweet egg custard tart; I was pleasantly surprised by how crispy and warm mine was, given it was sitting on a buffet.

If extensive food and drink menus aren’t your priority, I’d recommend going straight to the second, smaller TAP Premium Lounge, Atlantico, on your left as you exit passport control.

When I visited, it was much less crowded than the Tejo lounge, but still offered separate seating areas for work, dining and relaxation, as well as a pared-down buffet and self-serve bar.

How comfortable was TAP Air Portugal business class?

On the Airbus A321LR I flew in both directions, here’s the layout of the business-class cabin and the dimensions of the seats.

Number of seats	16
Cabin layout	2-2 and 1-1 in alternating rows
Seat recline	Fully flat
Seat width	27 1/2 inches (the chair itself is around 22 inches)
Screen size	16 inches

The A321LR is unusual because it’s a one-aisle long-haul airplane. All passengers must walk through business class on their way back to economy, so settle in quickly.

Business class has five rows of seats, alternating between rows with two seats on each of the aisle and rows with only one seat on each side. The individual seats in rows 2 and 4 are dubbed the “thrones,” and they are the prime places to snag if you’re flying solo, as you won’t have a seatmate. Couples might prefer to be seated together.

I was able to select my seat online for free when I was ticketed, so I chose the throne seat for my overnight flight on the outbound. It wasn’t available on the day flight back, so I chose an aisle seat in the center Row 3. I lucked out and didn’t have anyone sitting next to me.

Business class doesn’t really have a bad row, though Row 1 by the galley and bathroom might be more trafficked and noisy, depending on your flight crew and fellow passengers. However, after trying out both seat types, I understand why those throne seats get snapped up quickly. It’s not just the privacy — they offer much more space for stowing your things.

Best seats for solo travelers	2B, 2E, 4B, 4E
Best seats for couples	The best are pairs in Row 3, but 1 and 5 also work
Seats to avoid	None, but rows 1 and 5 are near the galley/lavatory

The primary part of each seat is the same, with a recliner that turns into a lie-flat bed facing a seatback monitor with a mesh pull-down pocket below and a pop-out coat hook.

The tray table pulls out from a console that also contains a reading light, TV remote, USB-A port, headphone jack, water bottle holster and a pair of noise-canceling headphones attached by a strap.

Power outlets are in the seat divider/armrest facing the seat in front of you, so you have to contort your body to see where they are to insert your power cord. (My cellphone flashlight came in handy here.)

It’s the sides where the two seat types differ. True to its name, the throne seat has wide armrests with drink pads on either side. On the aisle side, you even have a cubby with a door where you could stow a water bottle, tablet or other items you wish to have accessible. In the double-seat rows, the aisle-side armrests are narrow and not that comfortable; the center has a small drink pad you’ll have to share with your seatmate.

In the throne seat, I could tuck my backpack in front of the armrest on the window side rather than stowing it on the ledge under the seat in front of me as I had to in the twin configuration. This was a perfect situation when the chair was reclined into a fully flat position because I could still have my bag nearby; I’m not sure how I could have kept my pack with me while sleeping in the two-seater row.

Both seat types have pockets with safety cards and air sickness bags (cleverly labeled “hope you won’t need this bag”), but they’re located between the two TVs in the row of two and above the window-side armrest in the single row.

The two-person rows are so different from the one-person thrones that I almost feel TAP should sell them at different prices.

It worked out that I had the throne seat on the overnight flight and the two-seater on the day flight. I was mostly happy with the TAP business-class seats in the upright position. I had elbow room on each side (though much more in the throne) and tons of space for my feet and legs. The slight recline position with my feet a bit elevated was comfy for watching TV. The tray table was wide enough to support a full meal tray or my laptop with space to spare.

On the day flight, I did start getting uncomfortable after a few hours and kept experimenting with a slight recline versus sitting straight up. I couldn’t find a comfortable way to use the pillow as back support, so I ditched that idea.

With a seat pitch of 44 inches, I found I had to lean forward to use the touchscreen options on the TV. Presumably, the remote was supposed to help you with that, but it was tricky to release and return it to its rest, and I found the controls finicky. The touchscreen was easier but impossible to use with the tray table deployed.

However, once I was ready to sleep, the seat was less ideal. As I said, I’m 6 feet tall and the seat, when fully reclined, was just as long as I was. When the seat started reclining, my knees got scrunched into my body, and I had to unbuckle and slide back in order to make space for my limbs. The bed was not comfortable when lying on my back, so I curled up, but the narrow seat did not leave much space on either side. If I were as tall as The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly or had the broad shoulders of a linebacker, I would be uncomfortable trying to sleep.

The seat itself could use more padding or some kind of soft covering; the duvet was sufficient, but the pillow was too flat. I needed to prop my head up more; in hindsight, I wonder if there were a way to slightly elevate the head portion of the seat, but not reclining 100%. It was still way more comfortable than coach.

Business class has one bathroom by the galley behind the cockpit. It was a standard airplane bathroom with a changing table, but did not offer extra space or nicer amenities.

One thing that struck me as odd on the day flight was that, despite it being midafternoon in Portugal and midmorning in the U.S., the crew asked us to close our window shades and then turned off all the lights after the main meal service. I couldn’t imagine how that would help me adjust back to U.S. time and it left me as the only passenger with my light on, working. Most of the other passengers seemed to nap, and the flight attendant asked me if I wanted her to wake me for the end-of-flight snack.

Amenities in TAP Air Portugal business class

TAP provides an amenity kit by Portuguese brand Benamor in a bag made from recycled plastics. The kit has the basics with no frills: an eye mask with a cute floral design, one-size-fits-all socks, a wooden toothbrush, a tiny tube of toothpaste, earplugs and Benamor hand cream. There was no lip balm or moisturizer.

The entertainment options were quite extensive with 133 movies (such as “Aquaman,” “Wish” and “Barbie”), 83 television shows and 172 music channels, including podcasts in multiple languages. I even watched a couple of short videos on how to speak Portuguese.

The provided noise-canceling headphones were so effective that I had to remove them to speak with the flight attendants when they came by.

TAP has four levels of onboard Wi-Fi. You can access messaging apps for free, or choose full internet for one hour for 9.99 euros ($10.90), three hours for 19.99 euros ($21.80) or a full-flight pass for 29.99 euros ($32.70). I was hoping to work on my flight back to Washington, so I tried to purchase the full flight plan but after taking my credit card number, the system got stuck on “verifying” mode for a half-hour before I simply gave up. I was able to access the free messaging on my phone for a while, but that, too, dropped. At one point, neither my phone nor my laptop could see the TAP Air Portugal network at all.

The flight crew members just shrugged their shoulders when I asked and said it was likely a satellite issue.

Two hours before landing, I finally was able to purchase the one-hour plan on my laptop. My first speed test on fast.com timed out and gave no results. I tried again on Google’s speed test and got speeds of 3.69 Mbps download, 1.10 Mbps upload, latency of 116 ms and was told my connection was slow. Minutes later, the system was down once again and I couldn’t reconnect. (I’m currently working to get TAP to refund my payment.)

How was the food in TAP Air Portugal business class?

The food was perfectly fine on both my flights, but nothing remarkable.

No one offered a welcome drink, though a flight attendant did come through to hand out printed menus, with the wine list on the back. The menu listed an appetizer of mixed nuts and a beverage and said, “Please make your request to the crew.” I didn’t understand what this meant at the time, but in hindsight, it sounds like if you wanted a drink and nuts before the meal service you could ask for them.

Once airborne, it wasn’t long before the flight attendants came through to ask our entree choices. In both cases, I asked the flight attendants for recommendations. On the outbound flight, the attendant recommended the salmon as a dish the airline is known for. On the return, the crew member told me she was a vegetarian and couldn’t help me.

Before each meal service, the flight crew came around with hot towels that were thin and not that hot. Both lunch and dinner included a starter, choice of bread from a basket, three entrees (meat, fish, vegetarian) and a trio of desserts (ice cream, fresh fruit, cheese). Meals were served in two courses, with the starter, bread and entree served together, and dessert served separately.

TAP has a “Local Stars” program, which invites Portuguese chefs to choose local ingredients from their home area to incorporate into TAP’s onboard menus. The chef and ingredients change every two months. On my flight, the chef was Andre Cruz from the Setubal Peninsula, and his featured lunch ingredients included pickled onions and Moscatel sauce from Setubal.

On the outbound flight, dinner started with a veal and radish salad. Entree choices included:

• Roasted beef with green beans, carrots and potatoes
• Salmon with dill sauce, cauliflower, rice, green beans and artichoke
• Ricotta and mascarpone ravioli with pumpkin marinara

I would have preferred more vegetables in my starter salad, but it was tasty enough. I found the salmon a bit dry, but it must truly be famous because it was sold out before the attendants got to the last row.

I gobbled down the dessert trio of strawberry ice cream, mixed berries and three cheese wedges with Ritz crackers. The flight crew also came through the cabin offering a choice of chocolate (milk, dark with sea salt and chocolate with cocoa nibs), which made this chocoholic happy.

The complimentary wine and alcohol list features exclusively Portuguese brands, so I sampled a white wine from the Douro Valley with dinner and a port with dessert and enjoyed them both. Coffee and tea were also served with dessert.

On the return flight, the lunch starter was a salad with slices of seared tuna. Entree choices included:

• Veal osso bucco with a carrot puree
• Confit codfish with chickpea puree
• Chard and ricotta tortelli pasta with cheese and cauliflower sauce

The salad was delicious with silky tuna slices doused in a lot of dressing. The pasta looked and tasted more like an economy meal than anything premium. The bread choice was presented nicely in a basket. I skipped the wines on this daytime flight, but the selections were the same as on my overnight flight.

I enjoyed the dessert course with its tiny bowls of chocolate-raspberry ice cream, kiwi and pineapple fruit salad and goat cheese with crackers. Once again, the flight attendants came around with the chocolate selection.

I didn’t time the service, but I started watching a two-hour movie as we took off, and I had around a half-hour left after the meal ended.

A light snack was served on both flights before landing. On the overnight flight, it was breakfast, served about three hours after dinner. I was more groggy and confused than hungry, so I nibbled on the soggy croissant, cheese wedges and honeydew slices and ignored the deli meat and watermelon.

On the day flight, I found that between meal services I was very thirsty and also hungry, but the attendants didn’t come through with drinks or snacks. I hadn’t thought to fill up my water bottle, thinking I’d be taken care of, so I had to get up several times to ask for water and ate some of the snacks I had in my bag.

The end-of-flight meal was not overly filling: a slice of bread, three strawberries and a slice of mango, a bit of deli meat and cheese and a portion of tortilla with egg salad inside.

I appreciated eating a two-course meal served on real plates with metal cutlery and actual glasses. The spread was certainly nicer than I’d expect in economy, with upscale ingredients like veal and fresh berries, but the bread wasn’t warm or the fish especially tender. I don’t know what magic other airlines work to present restaurant-quality meals to their premium travelers, but TAP Air Portugal’s meals suffered from the time spent waiting in trays to be served.

Would you recommend TAP Air Portugal business class?

For the right price, TAP Air Portugal’s business class on the A321LR is definitely a step up from an economy or premium economy experience. The throne seats, in particular, have a ton of personal space, and the lie-flat seats are decent, even if they are narrow and not especially plush. For a shorter long-haul flight, the experience and service were perfectly adequate.

However, if you could spend a similar amount of cash or miles for a more luxurious business-class experience with a nicer lounge, I would take that route.

The airline could improve its sleeping comfort with a better pillow or mattress pad, and offer more proactive service on the daytime flights when more passengers are likely to be awake. But I was happy to have a place to put my legs, and I got that in spades with TAP Air Portugal’s business-class seats.

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