American Express Business Gold Card overview The American Express® Business Gold Card is an excellent choice for business owners looking to maximize their earnings with a single card. This card features elevated bonus categories that automatically reflect your highest spending categories each billing cycle, and it earns transferable Membership Rewards points. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½ *Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. The American Express Business Gold Card offers valuable benefits and business-friendly bonus categories. However, it also comes with a $375 (see rates and fees) annual fee. We recommend

A once-in-a-century total solar eclipse will sweep across 10 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East on Aug. 2, 2027. Already being hailed as the “Eclipse of the Century,” next year’s eclipse is especially notable for what’s being touted as an exceptionally long duration, offering up to six minutes and 23 seconds of totality, significantly longer than recent total solar eclipses, including the 2024 Great North American Eclipse. While there is a total solar eclipse somewhere in the world roughly every 18 months, the maximum duration of totality is often two to four minutes in areas near the

When I think about the travel benefits from my rewards cards, one favorite stands out: the Capital One Travel credit. If you aren’t familiar, it’s a $300 travel credit included on the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business card each cardholder year. Both of these cards charge a $395 annual fee, and this credit offsets most of it. A similar benefit is also currently available through the limited-time welcome offer on the mid-tier Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. With the Venture Rewards, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending

If Chicago is home to the airline industry’s testiest turf war, this major East Coast hub is shaping up to be the main arena in America’s airport lounge battle. This past week, American Express announced Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) will soon become the second location for its bougie, food-focused “Sidecar” lounge concept in 2027. The lounge should be a great alternative option for travelers passing through CLT looking for a quick bite to eat — and it should alleviate crowding in the airport’s existing, full-scale Centurion Lounge. SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY But this Sidecar outpost is hardly the only

The Hilton Honors cards from American Express offer multiple benefits for travelers seeking additional perks with Hilton. These cards also come with generous welcome bonuses that can include large sums of Hilton Honors points or even free nights. Since welcome offers can vary, the timing of your application matters. Lucky for you, we’ve collected a history of welcome bonuses on the Hilton American Express cards. This guide will review the best welcome offers we’ve seen on Hilton Amex cards and when we think it’s best to apply to earn a bonus that exceeds the standard offer. Note: We will only

The World of Hyatt award chart is about to get much more complicated. This May, Hyatt’s three-tier award pricing system of Off-peak, Standard and Peak pricing is retiring. We’ll see a five-level model roll out in its place, with the following redemption zones: Lowest Low Moderate Upper Top While Hyatt is maintaining its eight hotel categories and separate award charts for all-inclusive and Miraval resorts, these five new tiers have raised the ceiling for many redemptions at top-tier properties. To put it frankly, the upcoming changes will likely make some of our favorite points sweet spots a little less sweet

From bonus points on your next hotel stay to sales on award tickets, we’re always looking for travel deals that help you earn more points and miles and redeem them for maximum value. In other words, we want to help you book the vacation of your dreams. This week, we found business-class flights to Germany starting at 60,000 points and bonus points on glamping stays for World of Hyatt Credit Card holders (see rates and fees). Plus, beloved shopping portal Rakuten has extended its best-ever $50 bonus for new members. In case you missed it, Southwest Airlines cards now earn

An annual free night certificate is one of the best perks frequently offered by hotel credit cards. This anniversary night can often justify the card’s annual fee before you even consider any of the card’s other perks. As such, I typically don’t hesitate to open a new hotel credit card that offers an annual award night. And I’ve never closed a credit card that provides one. After all, I always get more value from the annual free night and other perks than I pay for the annual fee. So, let’s review some of the best hotel credit cards that offer

I’ve had the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express in my wallet for four years. It’s been a cornerstone in my travel rewards strategy, thanks to perks like airport lounge access. The Amex Business Platinum is one of the best business rewards cards available, which is why it’s a mainstay in my wallet. The benefits of membership are substantial, with savings of hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ *Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Amex Business Platinum: The basics The Amex Business Platinum is

Flight delays may be the norm at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) this summer. The Federal Aviation Administration has slashed arrivals by a third to 36 flights per hour due to construction work on SFO’s north-south runways and safety concerns over parallel flight approaches, the regulator told TPG. The cap will rise to 45 flights per hour in October after the runways reopen, but that is still below the 54 flights per hour that were previously allowed. Travelers should expect that a quarter of all flights to SFO this summer will experience a delay of 30 minutes or longer, an

At first glance, it’s obvious the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card is positioned as the premium card for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines loyalists. Look beneath the surface, however, and there’s a trove of rewards for multiple types of travelers to enjoy with this card and the Atmos Rewards program — especially if you frequently fly with Oneworld alliance members such as American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas. Take it from me: I live in the southeastern U.S. (about as far from the Pacific Northwest as you can get), but I highly value Atmos Rewards points because I

If you love points and miles as much as we do at The Points Guy, you definitely need to know about one of our brand-new secret weapons — Substack! We’ve launched our very own Substack called Talking Points, where we can spill insider tips and tricks to help you travel better and cheaper. We’re even going to be hosting some “office hours” for subscribers to answer your burning points and miles questions. At Talking Points, you’ll hear us tell stories like how we booked Etihad Airways’ The Apartment on its magnificent Airbus A380 for just 62,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

How would you feel if you paid $2,000 or more for a business-class ticket only to be charged an extra fee if you wanted a seat assignment in advance? Some travelers on United Airlines will soon find out after the carrier announced on Friday a “new tiered fare structure” for its swankiest seats. In other words, the basic economy concept has now come to the business-class cabin. It’s part of United’s move to layer three fare types — Base, Standard and Flexible — across its existing Polaris and Premium Plus tickets. The latter two types largely mimic the premium fares

If Chase’s Pay Yourself Back hasn’t been on your radar in a while, it may be worth brushing up on it. Not only does this potentially lucrative option expand to a broad list of Chase cards, but some redemption rates are eye-catching. Chase offers its Pay Yourself Back benefit on some cobranded credit cards, including Southwest Airlines cards, United Airlines cards, the Aeroplan® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees). Many of these current offers are valid now through June 30. Here’s everything you need to know about using Chase

For travelers who want a laid-back cruise experience without the scale (or price tag) of today’s biggest ships, Margaritaville at Sea is worth a closer look. Founded in 2022 with a single ship, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, the line began with short Bahamas cruises from West Palm Beach, Florida, and quickly reimagined the ship with its signature laid-back, Jimmy Buffett–inspired aesthetic that Parrotheads have come to know and love. In summer 2024, Margaritaville at Sea added a second ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, and in early 2027, it will debut its third vessel: Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber. When Beachcomber debuts,

Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, the state’s Gulf Coast beaches were a distant dream. And I mean that literally — they were at least an eight-hour drive from where I lived. So, when I heard that a beachlike, human-made lagoon measuring 2.2 acres was opening at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Villas in San Antonio while I’d be on the dusty plains visiting family, I knew I had to make a trek down to the property to see it for myself. The opening of the lagoon marked the end of the resort’s $100 million renovation, which included

Most travel is extractive and passive. You show up somewhere, take photos of the same landmarks everyone else takes photos of, eat at a restaurant the guidebook recommended, and hit up some bars. You take some tours to learn about the place and, if you’re lucky, get to meet some locals on your trip. You don’t really go deep.  Even long-term travelers who talk about how they “aren’t tourists” do the same – just at a slower pace and while trying to spend less money.  And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s just the nature of travel. While we all