Miles & Points: The Week’s Best Frequent-Flyer Deals (Week of September 20, 2013)

Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week.

If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can read all about it here, and plan your travel accordingly.

Earn Stash Rewards Points at Independent Hotels

Want to patronize independent hotels with real style, genuine character, and still earn loyalty points for your stays? There’s a loyalty program for that: Stash Hotel Rewards.

Flight Attendants Question American’s Merger Plan

The united front of unions supporting the American-US Airways merger crumbled yesterday as a flight attendant group questioned the tie-up’s benefits.

Imagine There’s No Tipping: It’s Easy if You Try

In a recent New York Times article, the paper’s restaurant critic calls tipping “irrational, outdated, ineffective, confusing, prone to abuse and sometimes discriminatory.”

Customs Wait Times Reach Record Highs

Peak wait times to clear Immigration and Customs at major airports can stretch to almost five hours. And it will probably get worse before it gets better.

Delta Bundles Perks in Smart Travel Packs

Delta’s new Smart Travel Packs bundle together five popular perks, includes priority boarding and preferred seating, for $199. Steal, or no deal?

Southwest Reprises 50,000-Point Credit Card Offer

Southwest this week bumped the sign-up bonus for its Rapid Rewards credit cards to a hefty 50,000 points.

Best Western’s Fall Offer: 1,000 Bonus Points

Between September 16 and November 24, Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points (1,500 bonus points for elite members) per stay.

The Friendly Skies … Where, When, Who, How Much?

United is resurrecting its “friendly skies” tagline in a new ad campaign, at a cost of $30 million in the fourth quarter of this year. Is it the right message for today?

Win One Million Hilton HHonors Points and a Cruise

Enter the CruisesOnly Million Bonus Points sweepstakes by December 9, for a chance to win one million Hilton HHonors points, a seven-night Norwegian cruise, and more.

Somebody has to win, right? Might as well be you.