TPG standards and ethical guidelines
What is The Points Guy?
The Points Guy was started in 2010 by Brian Kelly as a way to help travelers leverage frequent flyer miles, hotel points and the credit cards attached to those loyalty programs. It has since grown into one of the leading travel sites, providing news, advice and tips for millions of people each month. Our team of more than 120 full-time staff members works every day to try and make travel easier and more affordable for you.
Why we do what we do
The Points Guy's mission is to help readers travel more for less money. At this site, you'll find stories about credit card rewards, frequent flyer miles, hotel points, aviation and hotel news, travel industry trends and detailed guides to various destinations and types of travel (family, luxury, budget and more).
Who we are
TPG has a full-time editorial staff of more than 40 experts from fields as diverse as personal finance, points and miles, cruise, aviation, hotels, family travel, luxury travel and more. These journalists and content creators have previously worked at or contributed to Travel + Leisure, USA Today, The Associated Press, ABC News, Fox News, MSNBC, Business Insider, U.S. News & World Report, Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler and National Geographic Traveler, among other publications and outlets.
Our staff has spent their careers — more than 375 years of combined experience — building relationships with travel companies so they get the information you need first. They take dozens of flights and spend an average of 53 nights a year at various hotels, adding their first-person experience to their stories. They are routinely quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Yahoo News, CNN, NBC News, Sky News, the BBC, the Weather Channel and more. Learn more about our editorial staff on our About Us page.
How we decide what to write about
TPG covers topics that help our community members travel better, spend smarter and explore further.
Our editorial team of more than 40 writers, editors and multimedia storytellers is ultimately responsible for determining which topics are covered. We maintain editorial independence that allows us to provide readers our honest appraisal of services, products and experiences to help them make better decisions. We often choose stories around those topics based on our staff and contributors' travels and experiences, readers' questions, search trends and conversations with experts and sources within the travel, hotel, credit card, cruise and airline industries.
Trust and transparency
TPG provides honest and forthright advice from our lived experience. The team has spent years building contacts throughout the industry, most of which serve as sources for us. Their information is then combined with firsthand reporting and the staff's decades of experience in the travel, loyalty and credit card industries. We make every reasonable attempt to contact sources and provide them a reasonable amount of time to respond for comments to be included in our reporting.
We adhere to the highest journalistic standards, which includes interviewing newsmakers, gathering data and our personal observations. We take and use our own photos when possible and disclose any items or access that were provided for free or at a reduced cost. We also disclose any known potential conflicts of interest.
Every story is written and edited by a person and has an attributable byline. There are guides and stories that are updated and republished but will include a date when the story was last updated and fact-checked.
Sourcing, fact-checking and editing
TPG's experts source information from firsthand experience, industry sources, conferences and seminars, and government documents. Information gathered is fact-checked by the reporter and vetted by multiple editors for its veracity. Every story goes through a rigorous editorial process with at least two editors reviewing the text for accuracy, organization and grammar. Breaking news is verified by multiple sources whenever possible before publication.
All our reporters and editors must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest, such as financial or personal relationships, with sources that might compromise their ability to produce impartial, factual information.
Every reporter and editor examines the mix of sources quoted in each story, considering race, gender and age to ensure that we are providing our audience with as many viewpoints and backgrounds as possible.
Similar considerations are made for the photos and videos that appear on TPG's various platforms, including the site, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
Corrections
TPG corrects mistakes in our content as soon as possible after they are brought to our attention. For simple mistakes, such as incorrect dates or misspelled names, we will simply update a story. For more complicated mistakes, such as a mischaracterization of events, we not only correct the story but also note that it has been updated to reflect the change so our readers have a better understanding of the change.
To notify TPG of a potential error, readers can email correction requests to corrections@thepointsguy.com.
How we make money
TPG earns commissions on certain credit card, hotel, cruise and product referrals. Any affiliate relationship is clearly disclosed at the top of each editorial page. If we are aware of an offer or deal that is available to the public and is better than our affiliate link, we will make note of it.
TPG also runs paid sponsorships — which are always disclosed at the top of the page — with various destinations, travel brands and financial service providers. We carefully vet each brand with which we collaborate and only recommend products that our team believes provide value to the traveler and consumer. Our foremost interest is to make sure the consumer finds the best financial and travel products for their individual needs.
Travel policy, press trips and product reviews
TPG's audience benefits from our expertise and firsthand knowledge about travel, including airlines, hotels, cruises, destinations and rewards programs, as well as related products. Although we typically pay for these experiences and products, under certain carefully outlined situations, TPG's editors and contributors will work with entities to support our coverage. In these instances, we will disclose exactly what has been provided.
TPG only accepts such support when we can guarantee the complete editorial independence of our coverage, and under no circumstances do we submit our editorial content for approval to any other entities. We only promote airlines, hotels, destinations, restaurants, tours, cruises or other experiences that we believe, as a brand, best serve travelers.
Although we run clearly disclosed advertising campaigns with partners, we do not accept monetary compensation in return for editorial coverage. We also do not solicit special favors like free upgrades, waived fees, lounge access or other perks not available to general members of the public. This policy allows TPG to create industry-leading, thoroughly researched and vetted content that better serves our audience.
Any content that includes a component about free or discounted travel has a disclosure stating that TPG has worked with a travel provider on a special rate or received a complimentary experience. It will provide an explanation about why TPG has accepted such support.
Anonymous sources
We only use anonymous or unnamed sources if the details are not available from other public sources. The anonymous source must be reliable and in a position to have accurate information. The information provided is not opinion or speculation. A senior editor must be told of the source's identity and sign off on their use. Whenever possible, we try to confirm information from multiple sources.
Quotations
We do not alter quotes, even to correct grammatical errors or word usage. If a quotation is flawed, we must instead paraphrase in a way that is completely true to the original quote.
When relevant, stories should provide details about where the quote was obtained, such as on board a plane, at the gate, during a press conference, via email or during a phone interview. Details about the source's body language — such as if a source smiles after making a statement — should only be added when relevant for something that was said.
Diversity and inclusion
TPG, along with our parent company, Red Ventures, is strongly committed to being an ally in the fight against racism in the travel industry and beyond.
We aim to create content that reflects the diversity of our audience as well as our team. We showcase destinations, companies and brands owned or operated by minority groups and individuals whenever possible.
TPG Awards
TPG gives awards solely on editorial judgments. There are no payments tied to the selection of the awards. Our TPG Awards are a badge of honor that winning banks, hotel groups, destinations, cruises, tour operators and airlines all wear proudly. Our dedication to producing honest reviews and helpful content for our readers is what allows readers and companies alike to place their trust in us.