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American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts: Exclusive Perks for Platinum Cardholders

PrinceOfTravel
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American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts: Exclusive Perks for Platinum Cardholders


When you’re considering options for hotel stays, it’s always a good idea to compare the benefits of paying cash or redeeming points.

If you’re short on points, or if the redemption just doesn’t offer good value, then it’s a good idea to look at other ways to get the most out of a paid hotel stay.

One option that’s available to select American Express cardholders is the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) program, which is offered through American Express Travel, the financial institution’s in-house travel agency. Eligible cardholders who book accommodations at select luxury properties worldwide will receive a host of additional perks and benefits at no extra cost.

(It’s worth noting that the Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) designation is reserved for high-end or luxury establishments, whereas properties in the “mid-range” or “upscale” category are more likely to be part of the American Express Hotel Collection, though the two programs function similarly.)

American Express Platinum Card

What Is American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts?

The American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program is reserved only for American Express’s most premium clientele: those with The Platinum Card® from American Express, Business Platinum Card® from American Express, or Centurion Card issued in any country.

Note that while any American Express cardholder can book the hotels that are part of the FHR program through American Express Travel, only Platinum and Centurion cardholders get access to FHR benefits for their stay, which we’ll explore in detail below.

The Fine Hotels & Resorts program features over 1,600 properties across the world, including properties that belong to hotel brands and independent ones, too.

Hotel stays booked by eligible cardholders through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program offer guests a variety of elite-like benefits during their stay, all at no extra cost. Some of the benefits offered at properties include a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast for two, guaranteed 4pm late check-out, and more.

One way of thinking about Fine Hotels & Resorts is that you get many of the benefits that someone with top-tier elite status would enjoy without having to earn the status.

To search for participating properties, head to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts landing page, or you can navigate to the American Express Travel portal from the menu at the top of the Amex website.

Here, you can make searches as you would with any other booking site, indicating the location where you want to search, the dates of your stay, and the number of guests. 

Hotels participating in the Fine Hotels & Resorts program will be labelled as such, clearly indicating that there are additional benefits to be enjoyed during your stay.

The property-specific benefits will also be listed in the search results, so you know what’s included with the cost of your stay.

With American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, you can book up to three rooms under one reservation.

It’s worth noting that, unlike many of the other hotel booking channels out there, occasionally the FHR rate will be higher than the flexible rate, member rate, or discounted rate that the hotel themselves publicly advertise.

In these cases, you should think about how much you value the incremental Amex FHR benefits compared to the difference in rate in order to decide which channel to book through. Plus, if the hotel belongs to a chain or group of hotels, you can look into booking through a preferred partner program instead, with similar (and sometimes better) benefits.

The last thing to note is that when booking a non-prepaid stay via FHR, you’ll be asked to settle your bill upon checkout using an American Express card; however, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the American Express card that you had originally used to secure the reservation.

What Are the Benefits of Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts?

You’ll be offered a standard set of benefits whenever you book through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, including the following:

  • Daily breakfast for two every morning
  • Guaranteed 4pm late checkout
  • 12pm early check-in, subject to availability
  • Room upgrade, subject to availability
  • $100 (USD) unique property credit per stay

The first four benefits listed here are standard across all Amex FHR properties, whereas the $100 (USD) unique property credit can vary from hotel to hotel.

This usually takes the form of a $100 (USD) credit to be spent on any incidentals at the property, but may also sometimes be more limited in nature, like a food and beverage credit, spa credit, or an airport transfer.

Some of these benefits may sound familiar, as they’re actually quite similar to the benefits offered by  hotel elite status levels like Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, or Hyatt Globalist.

In fact, if you choose to stay at Amex FHR properties where you are also an elite member, there’s going to be quite a bit of overlap in the benefits you receive.

Some of these elite benefits can be stacked upon your Amex FHR benefits, while some may not. This depends on your specific status level and benefits.

For example, if you are staying at a luxury hotel brand which includes breakfast as an elite benefit, such as the St. Regis, the breakfast offered through FHR would neither be incremental nor useful.

Neither would the guaranteed 4pm check-out or early check-in benefits, as these are already available for all Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite or higher status members.

However, if you booked a property which does not include a free elite breakfast, such as the Ritz-Carlton or EDITION brands under the Marriott umbrella, then the Amex FHR-included breakfast benefit would certainly be something to pay attention to, and potentially a great reason to pick Amex FHR over booking directly. 

Meanwhile, a benefit such as the complimentary room upgrade might be combinable with your elite status, in the sense that a hotel may give you greater priority for upgrades as an elite member who also booked through a premium channel – potentially upgrading you twice compared to the upgrade you would’ve received purely based on elite status! 

Business Platinum Card from American Express

How to Maximize Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts

Now that you know all about American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, let’s talk about some strategies around when to use the program and how to maximize its offerings.

Stack with Travel Credits

Other than the additional benefits offered at the hotels, one of the main reasons why it’s worth looking at Fine Hotels & Resorts is that the Canadian-issued Platinum Card® from American Express and Business Platinum Card® from American Express offer a $200 (CAD) annual travel credit per membership year as a perk of holding the cards, while the US-issued American Express Platinum Card also offers an annual $200 (USD) hotel credit per calendar year.

The US Platinum Card’s annual credit, in particular, is eligible only for bookings made directly with American Express Travel for hotels participating in the FHR or Hotel Collection programs, so if you’d like to maximize your benefits from the card, you’ll want to book this way at least once annually. 

Earn 5x Points on the Amex US Platinum Cards

Most Amex FHR bookings have flexible cancellation terms and you can choose to pay upon checkout when making the initial booking. Recall that you’ll need to present an Amex card for payment on-site.

However, there’s also a good reason why you might choose to prepay in advance: both the Amex US Platinum Card and the Amex US Business Platinum Card offer 5x Amex US Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel, which is the best way to maximize points earned on any Fine Hotels & Resorts stay.

Earn Elite Nights & Points

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings are eligible to earn elite qualifying nights and points with major hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and more.

Unlike third-party online travel agencies like Expedia or Hotels.com, hotel staff and management treat members who book via Amex FHR the same as any guest who books direct (and sometimes even better!)

To take advantage of your elite benefits or if you want to earn elite nights and points, simply include your membership number in the appropriate field during your Amex FHR booking process, and the reservation should be automatically attached to your hotel loyalty account.

Doing so will also enable you to access the hotel’s live chat feature through the app, which is one way to “suite-talk” and make a request for an upgrade before your arrival. Reiterating this request upon check-in can result in an upgrade that wouldn’t have been possible if you had simply booked direct. 

Westin Perth – Westin Suite living area
Get room upgrades with Amex FHR or with elite status

Try a New Hotel Brand with Elite-Like Benefits

If you’re accustomed to enjoying elite status perks with a major loyalty program like Marriott Bonvoy on your hotel stays, then the Amex FHR program can help you unlock elite-like benefits when trying out an independent hotel or a luxury brand with a typically inaccessible loyalty program.

For example, Fairmont, Four Seasons, and Shangri-La are known as some of the world’s top-tier hotel brands, though neither of their loyalty programs make it easy to earn and redeem points for free stays or earn meaningful benefits without significant loyalty to the brand.

By booking through Amex FHR, you’ll at least be treated to benefits that are on par with top-tier elite status treatment while sampling a new experience with a different chain.

The same idea applies if you happen to hold no status with a hotel chains that does have a loyalty offering, like Hilton or Hyatt.

Property-Specific Promotions

Each hotel booking channel can offer its own unique promotions to incentivize travellers to book through their channel, and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is no exception.

You’ll often see limited-time discounts or property credit offers floating around for various hotels, which can significantly elevate the value proposition if you were considering a stay at this property.

In particular, you should keep an eye out for promotions with extra property credits, and especially offers for complimentary nights if you stay for a specified minimum amount of time.

For this reason, it’s always worth checking the Amex FHR rate and comparing against your other options as you’re deciding how to book.

Conclusion

As a perk of the global American Express Platinum cards, the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program allows travellers to elevate their luxury hotel stays through a series of perks and benefits at a wide range of the world’s best properties – all while continuing to earn elite qualifying nights and points in your hotel loyalty program of choice.

If you’re staying somewhere without an ideal points redemption, looking to use up your annual Platinum travel credit, or simply feeling keen to splurge on a luxury hotel while retaining elite-like benefits, consider booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts for your next high-end stay.



This story originally appeared on princeoftravel

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav loving the ‘energy’ among bidders for his media empire

NYPost
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Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav loving the ‘energy’ among bidders for his media empire


Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav believes there’s “a lot of big [male] energy” among potential bidders for his media empire – enough that he still believes he can sell it for as much as $70 billion, or around $30 a share, On The Money has learned.

We are, of course, a family newspaper, hence the parenthetical on the quote. Plus this could be just wishful thinking. Keep in mind, any number with a “3” in front of it would be a stiff premium to the $23.50 a share offer by Paramount Skydance’s David Ellison. Paramount, meanwhile, is worth just $56 billion, or around $23 a share.

But Zas, as he is known in media circles, is boasting of the interest he’s getting for WBD, with its top ranked studio, No. 3 streaming service, HBO and CNN, not to mention the IP that a buyer would own of shows like “Harry Potter” and “The Sopranos” that can be retrofitted in the age of AI. 

WBD CEO David Zaslavwas honored by the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation as he seeks to sell his media empire. Steven Spielberg, left, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Oprah Winfery and David Geffen. Jack Forbes / NY Post Design

The “energy” was on full display last Thursday when Zaslav was honored by the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation, receiving its humanitarian award for his work combating antisemitism. Attendees included Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oprah to name a few. 

Also spotted were players eying a bid for WBD. Among them: David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance along with Makan Delrahim, his top lawyer and former Trump DOJ antitrust chief who will be navigating the DC regulatory shoals. 

Likewise in attendance: Ted Sarandos of Netflix, which as we first reported, is interested in WBD’s streaming service and its studio as a way not to have to build one of its own.

Zas gave an impassioned speech about his family (he met his future wife at shul) and how many of them perished during the holocaust in Poland, just around the time of the Warsaw uprising. He then gave a tribute to CNN reporters for telling “stories” that matter.


Steven Spielberg, David Zaslav, and Jeffrey Katzenberg stand smiling at the Simon Wiesenthal Center event.
Steven Spielberg, Zaslav and Jeffrey Katzenberg at last week’s event at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Beverly Hills. Getty Images for Simon Wiesenthal Center

The sale of WBD infused much of the table chatter before and after the tributes, and the way Zas is talking, the “male energy” is still going strong. As we first reported, Brian Roberts of Comcast is interested, seemingly unfazed, at least for now, by the animus he faces from the Trump White House for operating the MAGA-hating cable channel MSNBC.

Roberts is trying to cozy up to Trump; he is taking heat from his left-wing viewers for a multi-million-dollar donation to fund Trump’s new White House ballroom. As his people are quick to point out, Comcast is now spinning MSNBC and the rest of its cable properties into a new company.

Zas also thinks Apple and Amazon could buy parts of WBD.

That brings us to David Ellison, the movie producer son of mega billionaire and Trump pal, Larry Ellison. David, just 42 years old, is looking to build maybe the biggest media empire in the world. Since his takeover of Paramount, he has been squeezing the lefty-bias out of the company, particularly at CBS. Journalist Bari Weiss is now in charge and exit visas are being issued to talent who don’t want to get with the new program.

Yes, The Donald would prefer Paramount Skydance buying every media company in existence. But Zas believes there are people at DOJ antitrust – non-political staffers who have a big say in regulatory approval – who might well greenlight even Comcast winning a bidding war because without the cable properties it’s difficult to make a sound antitrust case that can withstand a court challenge. 

All of which Zas hopes will pressure Ellison — who is best suited to buy WBD given the bank of his old man and the relationship with Trump — to increase his bid substantially. Or as one media executive put it: Zas “still thinks the final bid will have a ‘3’ in it. He loves the certain type of energy in the room.”



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Affordability is an urgent and burning issue, Mr President — Americans want action

NYPost
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Affordability is an urgent and burning issue, Mr President — Americans want action

Asked why people are worried about the economy and an affordability crisis, the president first said it was fake news.

“The polling data has been wrong all along,” he said.

Then he bragged that the GDP numbers looked good, and the Dow was hitting record highs. “We have the strongest economy in the world . . . Look at the response of the markets. Overwhelmingly positive.”

In short, “No president’s had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation.” The real problem, he said, is that Democrats haven’t done proper messaging to get the word out about his accomplishments.

That was Joe Biden talking to CNN in May of 2024.

Sounding like Joe

But you’d be forgiven for thinking it was President Trump, who has repeated many of the same talking points these past few days.

On “60 Minutes,” Trump said, “We are building jobs at a level that nobody’s ever seen before. . . . By the way, the stock market just hit — perfect timing for your show — just hit an all-time high.”

The interviewer noted that not everyone is invested in the stock market, and said “they’ve seen their grocery prices go up, ­inflation . . .”

Trump bristled. “No, you’re wrong. They went up under Biden. Right now they’re going down.”

Speaking later to Bret Baier on Fox News, Trump again dismissed the struggles of regular Americans.

“We’ve got prices way down . . . I think they are coming down, but they are down already. I think the biggest problem is Republicans don’t talk about it. They don’t talk about the word affordability and the Democrats lie about it.”

Biden is absolutely to blame for the world we live in now. His profligate spending fueled record inflation that still hurts American consumers.

But Trump campaigned on making life more affordable. ­Inflation may have been tamed to 2%-3%, which is positive, yet prices aren’t going down as he says — and probably never will.

So how does Trump fulfill his promises? With the growth-friendly policies he’s already pursued, by deregulation and tax cuts. Making sure wages rise, and people have more money in their pockets.

Don’t double down

What Trump shouldn’t do is double down on his obsession with tariffs.

Tariffs can be a tool for fairer trade, when targeted at particular industries and particular countries. But by introducing across-the-board tariffs, Trump increased the cost of almost ­everything.

He knows this. That’s why when Walmart said it was going to raise its prices in the spring, Trump insisted they should “EAT THE TARIFFS.”

Retailers have not eaten the tariffs, at least not all of them.

Companies don’t like to advertise how much prices have jumped, but a new study from analyst firm DataWeave finds that Amazon prices are up 13.8% this year, Target’s are up 5.5% and Walmart’s are up 5.3%.

By denying that reality, Trump is making the same mistake as his archnemesis, Lyin’ Biden.

Trump’s Truth Social post on Thursday suggested that higher costs are all in our heads, that “the Democrats ‘affordability’ issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!”

Americans didn’t appreciate being lied to by Biden and Democrats, and the party paid for it at the ballot box. But Americans also won’t appreciate being called liars for what their own eyes — and their own wallets — are telling them.

Don’t deny things are tough, Mr. President. Take another look at some of your economic policies and help make things better.



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Stripe-backed blockchain startup Tempo leads $25 million raise for crypto infrastructure firm Commonware

Fortune
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Stripe-backed blockchain startup Tempo leads million raise for crypto infrastructure firm Commonware

A high-profile project launched by fintech giant Stripe and crypto VC firm Paradigm has just made its first venture bet. On Friday, Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain, announced it’s led a $25 million fundraise for the crypto infrastructure company Commonware. As part of the arrangement, the Stripe-backed project will work with Commonware to develop methods to process blockchain payments more quickly, Paradigm general partner and CTO Georgios Konstantopoulos said in a blog post.

Patrick O’Grady, founder of Commonware, declined to name other participants in the fundraise for his startup, which develops open-source code to allow others to launch their own blockchains. O’Grady also declined to disclose the valuation for his firm following the Tempo-led raise, but said it was a “significant increase” over the valuation in Commonware’s seed round, which Pitchbook reports as $63 million.

“Usage and distribution is way more important than money as a startup,” he told Fortune. “If we can short circuit that process and have a deep relationship, multi-year relationship, with a great team, instead of raising maybe a traditional round from a venture fund, that was the opportunity that Tempo presented.”

High-speed payments

Tempo’s investment into Commonware isn’t its first splashy move since Stripe and Paradigm officially unveiled the project in September. The payments-focused blockchain company has acquired the crypto startup Ithaca and hired Dankrad Feist, a high-profile researcher who contributed to the development of the Ethereum blockchain. Tempo has also increased its headcount from around five employees in August to now between 40 and 50, according to a person familiar with the company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private business information. 

It’s rare for a startup to make an acquisition, a big hire, and significant investment so early on since it launched, but Tempo has the backing of some of the biggest names in tech and crypto. Stripe is a payments goliath that’s worth more than $100 billion. Paradigm is one of the top venture capital firms in crypto. And Tempo’s design partners include heavyweights like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Shopify.

The Stripe-linked startup also has a hefty war chest. It’s raised $500 million at a $5 billion valuation from some of the top VCs in Silicon Valley, including Thrive Capital, Greenoaks, Sequoia, and Ribbit Capital, Fortune first reported. 

“We think that they’re going to do just as good of a job, or better, showing off what Commonware can do than what we can do,” said O’Grady, the founder of Commonware, in reference to Tempo.

Founded in 2024, Commonware has only seven employees (including O’Grady) and four customers, but it’s already profitable, he said. It makes money through helping companies deploy as well as interface with its open-source software, and each customer on average generates more than $1 million in annual revenue. “We have now a bit of a backlog of people that want to work with us,” O’Grady added.



This story originally appeared on Fortune

Ellen DeGeneres Gives Kris Jenner A Hilarious Birthday Wake-Up Call

CelebrityInsider
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Ellen DeGeneres Gives Kris Jenner A Hilarious Birthday Wake-Up Call


Instagram/@krisjenner

In a humorous video, Ellen DeGeneres showed how she tried to wake up Kris Jenner for her birthday which attracted the comments of the audience as well as the stars in a hilarious way. The video that got published on DeGeneres’s social account revealed the talk show host in a very enthusiastic and dynamic style attempting to rouse the very sleepy-looking Jenner who was napping. The naughty birthday honoring of Kris soon became a source of online merriment and jokes as a good number of people noticed Jenner’s surprisingly calm but totally unconscious condition.

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The video features Ellen DeGeneres going to Kris Jenner who is lying motionless on the bed. In the post, DeGeneres voiced her wish: ‘Happy birthday, Kris. I wish I could wake you up like this every day.’ The head of the Kardashian-Jenner family appears to be in a very deep sleep, not moving at all while the loud music and merry shouting of DeGeneres should be enough to wake her, Ellen is giving her one of those ‘why me’ looks. It is then that the video hits the punchline, the moment of the slow opening of one eye by Jenner, a slo-mo reaction of pure, unspoiled confusion.

The first reaction to the comical situation came from the family of Jenner, who not only were first to react but also were very funny. Khloé Kardashian, her daughter, commented in a very humorous way that described the family’s reaction just perfectly, which would most likely be, saying, ‘I am on the floor crying 🤣🤣🤣.’ This was the feeling of many other users who found the entire scenario very entertaining. One spectator noted, ‘The response from Kris is golden!!!😂😂 exactly what tf i would say too,’ pointing to the totally human aspect of being awoken from deep sleep at night.

In contrast, quite a few comments moved on to another topic and the main one became about Kris Jenner’s appearance while sleeping. The comments about it included mention of a strong, and a little bit scary, resemblance to the late king of pop Michael Jackson. One user quite openly proclaimed, ‘i thought that was a dead Michael Jackson at first,’ and this initiated a huge thread of people agreeing. Others gave similar views, one of them saying, ‘She looks like Michael .j,’ and another teasing, ‘Thought it was a Madame Toussade MJ wax figure.’ Comparisons did not stop there as some imaginative viewers even spotted other artists. ‘Did Ellen find Elvis at last?!’ was a question from one person while another said, ‘I thought she went to see the king 😂.’

Besides the laughter and speculation about celebrity look-alikes, some comments revealed the true nature of the friendship. ‘Having great friends will change your life 🤣❤️,’ one user remarked, recognizing the real and silly atmosphere between the two. Another person confessed that they were not wholly aware, saying, ‘I didn’t realize they were friends. Interesting,’ which was like a hint at the sometimes-hidden social life of the wealthy. The video’s uncanny normality was also a topic of discussion; one viewer expressed it nicely by saying, ‘Seeing famous people in any kind of normal everyday setting like this feels so weird to me 💀.’

The video also generated some astrological jokes that were made in a light-hearted way. One person observed, ‘Waking a Scorpio you playing with 🔥🤣🤣🤣,’ which was a reference to Jenner’s zodiac sign and the possible repercussions of waking her up. Another one suggested that the individual might have been so deep in sleep as a result of having had alcohol served during the afternoon and thus, humorously, the person remarked, ‘I believe there were afternoon drinks involved before naps.😂’

Ultimately, Ellen DeGeneres’s birthday post for Kris Jenner turned out not just to be a personal message but rather a moment of fun and humorous guessing shared among a quite large online crowd. The clip managed to juxtapose the characteristic humor of a failed wake-up call universally experienced with an astonishing incident of a reality TV queen being compared to a legendary singer. It was a perfect reminder that even the most stylish people sometimes go through clumsily unrefined and comically disoriented moments that are very difficult to spot.

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This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider

Jennifer Aniston Hoping for ‘Blended Family’ With Boyfriend — Source

RealityTea
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Jennifer Aniston Hoping for ‘Blended Family’ With Boyfriend — Source


Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend Jim Curtis is shaping how insiders frame her next chapter. According to a source, the “FRIENDS” alum is open to a blended setup with Curtis, a wellness coach and hypnotist with a teenage son.

The pair soft-launched in July during a Mallorca trip, then went public with a red-carpet turn at “The Morning Show” season-four premiere. Consequently, coverage now tracks the Jennifer Aniston–Jim Curtis relationship alongside a quieter story: whether she’ll lean into a supportive step-parent role.

Jennifer Aniston ‘would love to play step-mom role’ to Jim Curtis’ son, per source

A Closer source says, “Jen’s been incredibly understanding about Jim’s situation with his son and has offered to do anything she can to help.” However, the insider adds, “he’s not pushing herself into their dynamic though, she knows how delicate it is and she’s very respectful. The last thing she wants to do is force anything so she’s leaving the ball in Jim’s court.”

The outlet further reports, “She loves that Jim is a dad and it’s no secret that she’d love to play the step-mom role.” Moreover, the same source says, “Jen is in this for the long haul with Jim.”

Aniston has also described personal acceptance around motherhood. On the Armchair Expert podcast, she said, “It’s so peaceful….there’s literally nothing I can do about it.” She later admitted, “It’s very emotional, especially in the moment when they say, ‘That’s it.’” Those lines sum up why the conversation between Jennifer Aniston and Jim Carrey’s son resonates now.

Curtis’s profile rounds out the picture. As Marie Claire notes, he’s 50, works in wellness, and walks with a cane after long-term health challenges. In an October Instagram Q&A, he offered simple advice: “First love yourself and recognise that you are the perfect age.” He added, “When you love yourself, you will magnetize more love to you.”

Publicly, the couple keeps things low-key. Still, Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend narrative has expanded since her Instagram birthday post calling Curtis “my love.”

Privately, the Closer source suggests measured steps: “In a perfect world his relationship with his son will get to a point where they can all spend time together.” For now, the Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis relationship appears steady and practical.



This story originally appeared on Realitytea

My favourite FTSE 100 value stock just plunged 7%! Should I buy more?

Motley Fool
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My favourite FTSE 100 value stock just plunged 7%! Should I buy more?


Image source: Getty Images

My favourite value stock, International Consolidated Airlines Group (LSE: IAG), has flown faster than anything else in my Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) lately, climbing 50% since I bought it six months ago.

Long-term investors have even more to smile about, with the shares up 87% over 12 months and 300% over five years.

International Consolidated Airlines Group, also known as IAG, took an absolute beating during the pandemic as global lockdowns grounded fleets and wiped out revenues. Fixed costs kept piling up which pushed its finances to the brink.

IAG shares have slipped

As the world started flying again, the shares have taken wing but still look cheap, trading on a price-to-earnings ratio of just 8.3.

Yet today (7 November), the carrier was brought down to earth by the reaction to its third-quarter results this morning . Operating profit rose from €2.01bn to €2.05bn, but analysts were hoping for €2.19bn. Pre-tax profit dipped 2.1% to €1.87bn. The IAG share price fell more than 7%.

Time to panic? Absolutely not. Making fast decisions on results day is always chancy. If a stock surges, it’s tempting to buy in as excitement builds, only to see the price slip as traders bank quick profits. If it slumps, selling can be just as dangerous because bargain hunters may appear and reverse the fall.

I couldn’t make a sudden move even if I wanted to. We have strict rules at The Motley Fool and I’m not allowed to buy or sell any stock within two full trading days of writing about it. That gives me the luxury of time but one decision is already made. I’m not selling.

I only ever buy shares with a minimum five-year view to give the investment case time to play out and allow compounding to work its quiet magic. Quickfire trading is costly and risky. The odds are rarely in the investor’s favour.

What the numbers say

The US economy’s showing signs of strain which is hitting demand for transatlantic travel. Tariffs may be adding pressure too. Yet chief executive Luis Gallego insists that demand for travel “remains strong” and IAG remains on track to deliver another year of rising revenues, profit and shareholder returns. It’s also completed a €1bn share buyback and plans to update shareholders on further returns in February.

Investors who want exposure to global travel could consider buying to take advantage of today’s dip. A word of warning though. The P/E looks modest but I’m not expecting a full return to the FTSE 100 average of 18, because airlines are risky, cyclical businesses. They will always face risks, from wars to fuel price shocks to recessions.

Anybody who does take advantage of the share price dip should keep their eyes on the distant horizon. Short-term turbulence is always likely. That comes when investing in equities but, over time, the rewards are usually well worth it.



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool

How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Nick Lachey

LATimes
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How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Nick Lachey


Through his decades-long career, Nick Lachey has done it all in Hollywood — he’s acted, he’s released solo albums, he’s led campaigns with brands (including Purina) and he’s reigned on the reality TV circuit, hosting the dating shows “The Ultimatum,” “Perfect Match” and the phenomenon that is “Love Is Blind,” which wrapped up its ninth U.S.-based season last week.

Sunday Funday infobox logo with colorful spot illustrations

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

But through it all, he keeps returning to one passion project: 98 Degrees, the swoon-eliciting boy band that catapulted him to stardom in the late ‘90s.

“I’m really blessed to be able to be a part of some incredible shows,” Lachey says. “But truly it all comes back to the band for me. I still continue to love to do that and perform with those guys, so hopefully that will continue for a long, long time.”

Earlier this year, 98 Degrees released their first non-Christmas album in more than a decade, “Full Circle.” It features reworkings of their most iconic songs — including “I Do (Cherish You)” and “The Hardest Thing” — along with five new tracks.

Outside of work, what’s paramount in Lachey’s life “is being a dad and being present for my kids, and really being involved in their life,” he says. He and his wife, Vanessa Lachey, who’s also his “Love Is Blind” co-host, have three young children: Camden, Phoenix and Brooklyn.

The Cincinnati native and die-hard Bengals fan takes us along for his perfect Sunday in L.A., where he’s lived for more than 20 years. It involves football (of course), an indulgent brunch with waffles, relaxing at a Malibu beach and reading a print copy of the L.A. Times — an activity that we can absolutely get behind.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

7:30 a.m.: Coffee and the L.A. Times

I usually wake up around 7 or 7:30 a.m. I’m conditioned to get up when the kids do, so that’s typically the time even on a weekend. The first thing I’m doing on a Sunday is getting a cup of coffee. I’m kind of old-school. I still get the print paper. So I’ll walk out of my front door and go grab my L.A. Times and my cup of coffee, and hopefully have a few moments to myself to read the paper before my kids get up and harass me.

9 a.m.: Football time

Are we in football season? That’s a very important question. If it’s my dream Sunday then we’re in football season so around 8:30 or 9 a.m., I’m turning on “NFL Countdown” and we’re getting ready for the Sunday slate of games. The Cincinnati Bengals are my team. I grew up in Cincinnati so I’m kind of a fan by birth, if you will. Now, the Bengals are pretty good. For the majority of my life, they’ve been absolutely horrible and I’ve just been stuck with them, but it’s kind of fun now that they’re actually competitive [laughs].

12 p.m.: Indulge in waffles at brunch

We’re getting into the afternoon and getting ready for lunch. A place my family and I love to have lunch or maybe a late brunch is More Than Waffles, which is kind of an Encino institution, if you will. I usually get a skillet or an omelet, then combine that with a waffle. I don’t eat that great, but if you’re ever gonna eat bad, Sunday is the day to do it, so you gotta get the waffle. You gotta get the whipped cream and the strawberries. Go for broke.

2 p.m.: Hang out at the beach

A good Sunday is heading out to the beach. I’d take the kids to Zuma to see the ocean for a little bit even if it’s just a drive. It’s nice to take the drive down that way, see the water and feel the wind on your face. I’m not a big get-in-the-water guy. If I’m in the Caribbean or somewhere, maybe. [laughs] It’s a little chilly for me, so I’m more of the lay-on-the-sand, take-in-the-scenery kind of guy at the beach.

5 p.m.: Burritos and margs for dinner

Let’s get back to the house to take a shower and then we’d hit Casa Vega. That’s another one of my favorites in the Valley. My whole family loves it. I like the oven style chicken burrito smothered. You gotta get the chips and guac. You gotta get a house margarita blended, no salt, and you’re good to go.

8 p.m.: Family meeting

We always have a family meeting on Sunday nights to get ready for the week and kind of go over what’s going on. So we’d get the family back to the house, sit down with the kids, and kind of go over the expectations for the week and plan it out. Then you’re into shower and bath time because it’s a school night.

10 p.m.: Mommy and daddy time

Once the kids are down, maybe Vanessa and I will take in whatever show we’re watching at that time. That’s a good cap to a Sunday. I just finished watching “Perfect Match” on Netflix, which is a classic. I love all the Taylor Sheridan [shows]. I’ve already watched them all.



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Prince Harry apologises to Canada for wearing LA Dodgers cap at World Series | World News

SkyNews
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Prince Harry apologises to Canada for wearing LA Dodgers cap at World Series | World News

Prince Harry has apologised to Canada for wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers cap while attending a World Series game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan, were pictured at the baseball game last Tuesday, which Toronto ultimately lost to the Dodgers in a seventh-game decider on Sunday.

The prince joked to Canadian broadcaster CTV that he wore the Dodgers merchandise “under duress”.

He said it felt like “the polite thing to do” after being invited to the dugout by the team’s owner.

“Firstly, I would like to apologise to Canada for wearing it,” he said.

“Secondly, I was under duress. There wasn’t much choice.”

“When you’re missing a lot of hair on top, and you’re sitting under floodlights, you’ll take any hat that’s available,” he joked.

“Game five, game six, game seven, I was Blue Jays throughout. Now that I’ve admitted that, it’s going to be pretty hard for me to return back to Los Angeles.”

Harry, who is in Canada for Remembrance Week events, conducted the interview wearing a Toronto Blue Jays cap.

He added he was “devastated” at the Blue Jays’ defeat.

Read more from Sky News:
Manhunt under way for another foreign national offender
A year on from Trump’s win, an untold story emerges

The royal couple, who met in 2016 and married in 2018, moved to California in 2020 – after initially setting up home in Canada. They live in Montecito with their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

Harry’s father, the King, is the head of state of Canada – a Commonwealth nation.

Meghan has previously shown her support for the Blue Jays, a nod to her former home city.

The former actress lived in Toronto while filming the legal drama Suits. She appeared in more than 100 episodes.

She and Harry also spent time together there during the early stages of their relationship.



This story originally appeared on Skynews

Why furniture prices have climbed and how tariffs stack up : NPR

NPR
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Why furniture prices have climbed and how tariffs stack up : NPR


The price of living room, kitchen and dining room furniture rose 25% since February 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Getty Images/Emily Bogle/NPR


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Getty Images/Emily Bogle/NPR

NPR’s series Cost of Living: The Price We Pay is examining what’s driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation. How are higher prices changing the way you live? Fill out this form to share your story with NPR.

What’s the item?

Furniture

How has the price changed since before the pandemic?

The price of bedroom furniture rose 11% since February 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The price of living room, kitchen and dining room furniture rose 25%.

Why has the price gone up? 

Like all industries, furniture makers and sellers are dealing with higher expenses: utilities, insurance, wages. Big cost spikes came during the pandemic, when shoppers raced to buy desks for home offices and patio sets, and shipping costs soared.

But if you ask furniture industry insiders, the first thing they’ll reply is that the price of furniture has actually grown slower than overall inflation, which has risen nearly 26% since February 2020.

Then, the experts will note that prices are down from their peak in 2022. And then — like David Koehler did — they’ll deliver the popular adage:

“You could buy a $399 sofa in 1984, and you could still buy a $399 sofa today,” says Koehler, who runs the Delaware chain Johnny Janosik Furniture.

Of course, not everyone wants a $399 sofa, but the fact that it still exists makes furniture different from other big-ticket items, like cars or appliances.

Overseas competition has kept prices lower 

Setting aside high-end woodwork and heirloom craftsmanship, sellers of mass market furniture feel intense pressure to keep prices down.

“The barriers to entry are very, very low, and the furniture business is incredibly fragmented,” says Bill McLoughlin, editor in chief of Furniture Today, a trade publication.

Besides, furniture sellers compete not just with second-hand goods, but with any expensive plans you may have, say, for a trip or home repairs.

A collage of photos shows a woman's hands on a car's steering wheel, a mechanic working on a car that's raised up and cars driving on a busy highway.

And the race for cheapest prices has moved a lot of the industry abroad.

“Manufacturing follows low-cost labor. That has been true for 60 years,” says McLoughlin. “Because labor is such a large component of the cost of a product.”

American wages tend to be a lot higher than those overseas, on top of the bigger costs of U.S. environmental standards. So even at domestic furniture-making hubs in Mississippi or North Carolina, many components — fabrics, handles and electronics, like the power button for your recliner — still ship from abroad, mainly China.

Enter: tariffs 

During his first term, President Trump’s tariffs made it pricier to ship furniture from China, so a lot of manufacturing moved out — though not to America, but to Vietnam.

This year, Trump raised tariffs on imports from almost all countries. And he’s set new double-digit tariffs specifically for kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered furniture.

The furniture giant Ashley Furniture in June raised the price of the majority of its products as a result of tariffs. The Home Furnishings Association, an industry trade group, has warned of cumulative cost increases for both retailers and shoppers.

What are people doing about it?

As importing furniture becomes pricier, American-made furniture may start looking more attractive in comparison. But seller Koehler worries about how shoppers will react.

“The consumer, when we get feedback, they say, ‘We would love to buy American,'” he says. “But when they vote with their dollars and see, this item is $500 and that item is $1,200, they say, ‘I think I can only afford the $500.’ So they end up buying an imported item anyway, just because there is such a difference in price.”

Beef prices have increased over 50% since 2020, causing restaurants and stores to raise their prices.

Many shoppers find themselves in the same spot as Erin Cummins in Connecticut: watching their spending rise on other, more critical costs, such as health insurance, or car insurance, or groceries.

“Every time we’re having company over, I look at that furniture and I’m going, ‘I really need to replace that,'” says Cummins, whose threadbare couches have been well-loved by three dogs and three children. “I have priced it out a bit, but every time I do, I get sticker shock and walk away.”

Cummins says at this point, the cost of new furniture displeases her more than the state of what she already owns, and her couches — still standing, even if covered by a blanket — feel more stable than her budget.



This story originally appeared on NPR

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