Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Arts and Culture

New App for Music Tourism Charts Course to Concerts, Clubs, and Music Landmarks

"Gig-tripping"—the practice of planning an entire vacation around a concert or festival in a destination where you don't live—continues to grow in popularity, according to the trackers…

Article / Trends & Hacks

Kiddo Not Quite Tall Enough for a Theme Park Ride? You Might Get to Skip the Line Next Time

You would think measuring a kid’s height would be a pretty cut-and-dried process. And yet, more often than you might imagine, theme park ride operators and attendants have to be the…

Article / Air Travel

Everybody's Least Favorite U.S. Airline Named Best U.S. Airline in New Ranking

One U.S. carrier sometimes seems less like an airline than a punchline. If you're making a joke about crummy service, outrageous fees, or uncomfortable seats in the skies, it's highly…

Article / Packing & Luggage

Checked Luggage Fees Have Gone Up Again. Here's What You'll Pay, Airline by Airline

The war in Iran has sent jet fuel prices soaring, and you can bet the airlines will pass along as big a share of those costs as possible to the consumer. That means higher airfares…

Article / Cruise

What I Wish I Knew Before Taking My First Cruise

As a long-time travel journalist, I didn’t expect much to surprise me about my first cruise.I’d spent years learning about the industry: touring ships in port, sleeping on a few…

Article / Packages

Las Vegas All-Inclusive Summer Packages Are Trending. But Which Ones Are Good Deals?

Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas has become the city's latest megaresort to announce—or re-announce, in Circa's case—a promotional summer package that bundles together rooms,…

Article / Arts and Culture

Fans Will Soon Get to Go Inside David Bowie's Childhood Home

You'd be forgiven for assuming David Bowie came from outer space, interwar Berlin, some gritty-glam dystopia, or even a creepy labyrinth filled with singing goblin puppets. But it…

Article / Air Travel

United Airlines Introduces Basic Business Class, Making Free Perks Cost Extra. Yay?

In 2026, shrinkflation spares nothing—not even United Airlines’ luxurious Polaris business class.  In a statement released last week, the airline announced a new basic fare tier…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Airlines Further Restricts Portable Chargers on Flights

Southwest Airlines is establishing one of the strictest policies on lithium portable chargers in the U.S.According to an internal message that was posted for employees this week and…

Article / Family & Kids

Did You Know This Airline Shows You Ahead of Time if You'll Be Seated Near an Infant?

In keeping with the mysterious cycle by which old news stories resurface on social media, an airline feature introduced a while back has gained some renewed interest online…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Pollen Allergies Are Getting Worse Nationwide—Here’s How to Keep Your Head Clear While Traveling

Spring is the invigorating time of year when the sneezing, coughing, and hacking of cold and flu season give way to the sunnier and more optimistic sneezing, coughing, and hacking of…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Hurricane Season Forecast for 2026: How Bad Will Storms Be This Year?

Last year's Atlantic hurricane season was relatively normal from a historical perspective, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There were, however,…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest's New Plus-Size Policy Is Arbitrary and Unfair, Say These Flyers

There’s been a lot of belt-tightening at Southwest Airlines lately.Last year, the carrier nixed its popular and longstanding perk allowing each passenger two free checked bags. The…

Article / Air Travel

Warning: American Airlines Customers Are Accidentally Booking Bus Rides Instead of Flights

Like a college freshman trying to bluff through a philosophy midterm, American Airlines seems to have gotten tripped up in a category error.The carrier has classified some bus rides as…

Article / National Parks

What's the Cheapest National Park Trip to Take This Year?

The cost of plane tickets is on the rise, thanks to spiking oil prices caused by the war in Iran. Throw in other economic woes such as stubbornly high inflation, and you've got several…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Study Finds the Germiest Thing You Travel With—and It's Seven Times Dirtier Than Your Shoes

The dirtiest travel item was recently determined by a set of microbial tests conducted by experts—and it wasn't even close. Worse, the germiest object is something you definitely must…

Article / Air Travel

In a First for the U.S., This Airline Is Bringing Lie-Flat Couch Seating to Economy Class

On Tuesday, United Airlines announced a new Relax Row seating option that will convert three economy seats into a lie-flat sofa-like situation.Aimed at families with small children,…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

7 Lesser-Known Reasons Your Passport Can Be Rejected: Check Yours Now!

Most international travelers know by now that it’s unwise to head to the airport with a passport that expires in less than 6 months. Egypt, Singapore, Thailand, and Fiji are just some…

Article / Air Travel

Some Airports Have Suspended Wait Time Reporting Online Due to Shutdown Chaos

Remember how we advised you last week to consult the website of the airport you're flying out of in order to find reliable estimates for security wait times? The Transportation…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Traveling to the Caribbean? Don’t Get Scammed Into Paying for This Free Entry Form

It’s not just the sandy jet blasts from ultra low-flying planes above Maho Beach that visitors to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten should keep an eye out for.  The government of the…

Article / Theme Park

Coming Soon: The First-Ever Minecraft Theme Park Land

One of the best-selling video games of all time is getting its first-ever theme park land. Minecraft World (eat your heart out, Tetris) will debut at the U.K.'s Chessington World of…

Article / Air Travel

The Oscars of Airports Were Handed Out, and the U.S. Did About as Well as You'd Expect

Those of you reading this on your phones while stuck in a seemingly endless TSA line will probably not be surprised to learn that the U.S. didn't do so hot on the latest ranking of the…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Credit Card Travel Insurance: Pros and Cons

A growing number of credit cards are offering travel insurance as a free perk. It’s important to remember, however, that not all insurance policies are created equal. Does the…

Article / Air Travel

The Best Way to Check TSA Wait Times in Advance (It's Not the TSA App)

As the partial government shutdown continues to drag on, many U.S. airports have reported extended wait times for passengers at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. TSA…

Article / Money and Fees

The Tourist Tax Is Becoming the Norm in Japan (and Other Places)

Bimyō (微妙) is an essential concept in Japanese culture. An embrace of ambiguity, of subtlety, of nuance, the word explains everyday conversations where nobody says exactly what they…