Consumers favor bank travel reward cards over airline cards

If you want a rewards credit card to accumulate points and redeem them for flights, which are best: airline-branded cards or bank-issued travel reward cards?That's the question addressed in a report released this week by IdeaWorksCompany, which conceded that comparing the two types of cards was difficult, leaving researchers "dazed and often confused by asterisks and small print."The short answer is that airline co-branded cards, such as the United MileagePlus Explorer Visa Signature or American Airlines Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa Signature, offer advantages for consumers who want longer-haul, premium-class rewards. However, domestic travel represents the bulk of reward activity, and bank travel reward cards, such as American Express Blue Sky Preferred and Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard, tend to be favored because of their simple and effective promise to consumers of "travel anytime on any airline."
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways co-branded cards essentially deliver two round-trip tickets after annual spending of $18,000 when a generous sign-up bonus is considered.Among the four bank travel reward cards reviewed, the average return per dollar spent is about 2 cents. The Barclaycard Arrival card topped the list with a 2.2 percent reward return.The Chase Sapphire Preferred card delivers "an amazing" travel reward value of nearly $800 within the first year after spending $18,000, including a sign-up bonus of 40,000 points.For travelers who usually buy $200 round-trip tickets, a bank travel reward card or the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier card probably provides the best value.
Counter to conventional wisdom that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to purchase airline tickets, a new study found that weekends are better for booking. Airlines are more likely to discount fares on Saturday and Sunday, say Steven Puller, associate professor of economics at Texas A&M, and co-author Lisa Taylor, a former Texas A&M graduate student. In the study "Price Discrimination By Day-Of-Week Of Purchase: Evidence From The U.S. Airline Industry," published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, the researchers found that tickets purchased on the weekend were, on average, 5 percent cheaper than similar tickets purchased on weekdays. The study finds the weekend purchase discount is greatest on routes with a mix of business and leisure customers.

US lawmakers travel to Cuba amid standoff over jailed American

A delegation of American lawmakers led by Sen. Patrick Leahy arrived in Cuba on Monday to gauge the island's economic changes and stress the importance of freeing a jailed American whose detention has chilled relations between the two countries.The trip, which included five senators, was the first to the Communist-run island by high-level U.S. politicians since President Barack Obama's re-election in November.It comes a year after another group of legislators led by Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, came to Cuba and met with President Raul Castro. Last year's delegation also visited Alan Gross, an American jailed since 2009 for illegally distributing communications equipment on the island while on a U.S.-funded democracy-building program.In their meetings, the lawmakers will stress that freeing Gross, who is serving a 15-year sentence, is a crucial prerequisite for improved ties, a State Department official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, lacking authorization to comment publicly.
"Nothing would make me happier if, when we leave in a couple of days, for Alan Gross to be on the plane with us," Leahy said following the group's arrival, before adding: "I don't think that is likely to happen."Leahy said the aim of the trip is to work toward better relations between the two countries, and that both sides would have to give ground. He said many Americans agree U.S. policy in place for decades has become anachronistic."There is a growing sense by many in the U.S. who do not have a Cold War attitude that they would like to see a change," he said. The United States has maintained an economic embargo on the island for 51 years, since shortly after Fidel Castro came to power.
Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the lawmakers would "like to see relations improve," adding that he hoped to see the day when all U.S. citizens could travel to Cuba freely. Washington bars American tourism to the island, though the number of U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba on licensed cultural, religious or educational exchanges has soared under new guidelines enacted by the Obama administration.The lawmakers also hope to get a firsthand look at economic changes on the island instituted by Castro in recent years, including the legalization of limited private enterprise, the creation of a real estate market and the elimination of travel restrictions for most islanders.The delegation also includes Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan; and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, along with McGovern and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Gross's home state.

Congressional staffers often travel on tabs of governments

About a dozen congressional staffers flew business class on a trip to China last summer and stayed at luxury hotels while touring the Great Wall and the Forbidden City and receiving a "briefing on ancient artifacts and dynasties" at the Shanghai Museum.The all-expenses-paid visit came courtesy of China. The Chinese government hosted a day of meetings with officials in Beijing followed by eight days packed with outings to destinations often frequented by tourists along with a stop at a missile frigate and two others related to national security — the official theme of the trip.
More and more foreign governments are sponsoring such excursions for lawmakers and their staffs, though an overhaul of ethics rules adopted by Congress five years ago banned them from going on most other types of free trips. This overseas travel is often arranged by lobbyists for foreign governments, though lobbyists were barred from organizing other types of congressional trips out of concern that the trips could be used to buy favor.The overseas travel is covered by an exemption Congress granted itself for trips deemed to be cultural exchanges.
A Washington Post examination of congressional disclosures revealed the extent of this congressional travel for the first time, finding that Hill staffers had reported taking 803 such trips in the six years ending in 2011. Lawmakers themselves are increasingly participating, disclosing 21 trips in 2011, more than double the figure in prior years.Ravens travel through Super Bowl parade in military style.The number of congressional trips could be far higher, because only lawmakers and senior congressional staff members are required to disclose the travel. A former senior aide on a congressional committee said that junior staffers were usually sent on the trips because they rarely had the chance to take official trips paid for by the U.S. government.
Some Hill employees have gone on repeated trips to the same country, and others chain them together, traveling directly from one expenses-paid visit to another.China is by far the biggest sponsor of these trips, with senior staffers reporting more than 200 trips there over the six-year period, according to The Post's review of 130,000 pages of disclosures collected by the Web site Legi-Storm. Taiwan accounts for an additional 100 trips.On a trip to Jordan, for instance, congressional staffers stayed at the Four Seasons in Amman, where they received an audience with the king. The group also visited the Dead Sea and the famed mosaics in Madaba and spent two days at the ancient cities of Petra and Jerash, according to an itinerary for the trip.

Ravens travel through Super Bowl parade in military style

Teams celebrating championships have used all sorts of transportation for their victory parades. The New England Patriots traveled via duck boat after winning Super Bowls. The San Francisco Giants used trolleys after winning the World Series in 2010, then switched to convertibles for the parade after their 2012 title.On Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens traveled to M&T Bank stadium via Humvee like they did after their Super Bowl win 12 years ago. That's certainly a different look and it's hard to think of another team riding along in such fashion. (An Internet search only shows that the 2000 Michigan State basketball team rode in Hummer H1s during their celebration.)
There might be some who feel uneasy that professional football players are riding in military vehicles while having glory showered down upon them. The football-military comparisons are overdone and inappropriate. More importantly, the real heroes are the men and women who drive those vehicles for military operations in the Middle East and around the world.Those views are valid but there's also another side. There is a tie-in as Baltimore has been a proud host of the Army-Navy football game in the past and will host it again in 2014 and 2016. Also, there are military members driving those vehicles and what a cool treat it must have been for them to participate in a Super Bowl parade. That alone is enough for us to give the plan a thumbs-up. (If they didn't have a problem with it, can any of the rest of us who didn't serve take issue?)
This year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue promises to be as sexy and as exotic as ever.And before the magazine arrives (on Feb. 12), the Travel Channel is joining with SI for a one-hour special, Sports Illustrated: The Making of Swimsuit 13 – 7 Continents, 17 Wonders. The show premieres Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will offer exclusive behind-the-scenes peeks into what went into the globe-trotting shoots.This year's swimsuit issue includes the first fashion shoot to take place on the ice-covered terrain in Antarctica. (That couldn't have been too fun!)The special also follows the bikini-clad models and photographers as they battle sandstorms in the African dunes and traverse treacherous cliffs in Asia."Hands down, this is the most fantastic armchair adventure you can take this winter," promises Laureen Ong, president of the Travel Channel, in the announcement.

How to travel to North Korea

Despite tense relations between the United States and North Korea, and increased rheotric from Pyongyang, the isolated state remains open to U.S. citizens, among other travelers.But what do you do if you want to know how to travel to North Korea?Tourism is highly restricted, so booking a guided tour with one of the dozen or so companies endorsed by the state-run Korea International Travel Company is the only way in -- even if you're flying solo.In January of 2010, North Korea changed its policy to allow U.S. travelers to visit on official guided tours any time of the year. Previously, U.S. citizens were only allowed into North Korea during the famed Mass Games, which usually take place in late summer to early fall.
Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which has been specializing in North Korean travel since 1992, says the revised rules on how to travel to North Korea have indeed led to an increase in visits from U.S. citizens."I wouldn't say a surge, but we do have a lot more interest," says Koryo tour organizer Hannah Barraclough. "Around a third of our 2,000-plus annual tourists are Americans."Despite the change in policy, U.S. citizens still face restrictions that don't apply to other travelers. For instance, they can only enter the country via airplane, unlike travelers of other nationalities who can enter from China by train.Barraclough says that with the exception of journalists, most North Korea visa applications -- U.S. citizens included -- are approved with no problems.Silk Scarves Lengthen Silk Road.Here's some more information on how to travel to North Korea.
Regardless of whether you're on your own or in a group, two Korean guides employed by the state-run Korea International Travel Company and a driver will accompany you at all times. This means you aren't able to get out and explore at will.Although U.S. citizens can legally travel to North Korea, the U.S. State Department warns that travelers need to make sure their paperwork is pristine."The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens about travel to North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK)," says the State Department website."The North Korean government will detain, prosecute and sentence anyone who enters the DPRK without first having received explicit, official permission and an entry visa from its government."In January of this year, North Korean authorities announced that travelers no longer need to surrender their mobile phones before entering the country.