Articles

Health, Insurance, Security

Article / Air Travel

TSA Tips for Getting Through Airport Security This Summer

Summer is upon us once again and you know what that means: way more people at the airport and all of them in front of you in the TSA line. The agency says it's "ready for the…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Airlines Becomes the First U.S. Carrier to Ban a Common Electronic Device from Overhead Bins

If Southwest Airlines had a theme song for 2025, it would have to be Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'."Not only has the carrier ditched its much-beloved/much-maligned…

Article / Air Travel

Make Sure This Common Electronic Device Isn't in Your Checked Bag—Now TSA Rules Forbid It

Amid all the brouhaha over the long-awaited launch of the Transportation Security Administration's REAL ID requirement at U.S. airports, you might have missed news of another important…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Flyers without REAL ID Asked to Arrive 3 Hours Early (Or Just Bring This Instead)

REAL ID is a case study of how constantly shifting politics in the United States makes it nearly impossible to get constructive long-term projects done. First developed in 2001 after a…

Article / Air Travel

Newark Airport is a Mess. Has it Become Less Safe to Fly in the U.S.?

Even people who live nowhere near New Jersey have been shaken by reports of chronic flight delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) due to ATC. There's…

Article / Cruise

How to Stay Safe on Cruises Now That the CDC Has Fired Health Inspectors

A new virus emerges. It has a high infection rate, sickening dozens almost immediately after its discovery. The Trump administration underplays the threat.Sound familiar?History is…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Don't Have a REAL ID? You Can Use These Forms of Identification Instead

Update, December 1, 2025: As of February 2026, the United States government will charge its citizens a $45 fee to fly if they go to the airport without a REAL ID. Read more about the…

Article / Money and Fees

New Crackdown Over Euro Notes in Europe Could Rip Off the Unaware Traveler

New rules will require tourists to inspect their cash carefully—or else lose money.

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Hurricane Season 2025: What Forecasters Say Is in Store for Florida and the Caribbean

Looks like we're in for another "above average" Atlantic hurricane season, according to weather experts. Researchers at Colorado State University's Tropical Cyclones, Radar,…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Lose Your Phone on a Flight! They Might Turn the Plane Around

Misplace your phone during a flight and the pilot might turn the plane around. That's what happened on a recent Air France flight from Paris to the Caribbean. When a passenger and crew…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How to Spot Fake Reviews Written By AI, According to an AI Professional

Fake reviews of hotels, restaurants, and tours have been a problem for travelers since the earliest days of the internet. But now that sketchy businesses can use artificial…

Article / Air Travel

America's Air Traffic Control Needs Fixing—Here's What to Do (and Not to Do)

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Can You Really Get Water Past TSA by Claiming It's "Medical"? Fact-Checking Social Media

An Instagrammer says he figured out how to get full-size bottles of water past Transportation Security Administration checkpoints."Here's the greatest travel hack of all time,"…

Article / Cruise

5 Things Cruise Passengers Must Remember to Do—or Else Get Soaked for Thousands of Dollars

Put your smartphone in airplane mode.As TheStreet warns: "It’s not uncommon to hear horror stories of first-time cruisers who neglected to put their phones in airplane mode, only to…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Amid Measles Outbreak, Is a Vaccine Booster a Good Idea for Travelers?

An alarming outbreak of measles in West Texas and New Mexico continues to spread, and public health officials say the rise in cases could continue for several more months. As of this…

Article / Packing & Luggage

A Simple, Low-Cost Way to Get Lost Luggage (or Anything Else) Back—No AirTag Required

When it comes to preventing the loss of items on the road, most travelers know of just one tool: Apple's AirTag. The chubby, coin-sized device has become so ubiquitous that a number of…

Article / LGBTQ

"They’re Shrinking Our World": Trans Travel Freedoms Are Under Threat. Can Anything Be Done?

What’s it like to be a transgender American right now? “We’re scared, quite frankly,” Dr. Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer with Advocates for Trans Equality, tells…

Article / Hotels

Leaving Airbnb: How to Find a Safe, High-Quality Vacation Rental on Your Own

Even giants can fall if they grow too big. The problems with Airbnb are legion, and not getting much better.Many travelers want to find a new method for finding vacation rentals.…

Article / National Parks

Which National Park Facilities Are Closed Because of Trump's Actions? How to Find Out

As you prepare to pay your federal income tax again this year, take special note of how much less you're getting from your government for your money now.The National Park Service (NPS)…

Article / Air Travel

U.S. Aviation Safety is Under Fire

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Packing & Luggage

When Stuff Gets Left Behind at the TSA, the U.S. Government Sells It on This Site

Every travel blog and morning TV show seems to have unpacked every last detail about Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama. The store where your luggage might wind up for sale if…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Could This TikTok User Really Get Fined $500 for Bringing a Banana Into the U.S.?

The banana is indisputably the funniest fruit, owing to its shape, color, and connections to pratfalls and monkeys (the funniest primate). But a banana-related misadventure recounted…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Scam Warning! This "Unpaid" Tolls Con Targets Road Trippers

Have you gotten any urgent text messages on your phone lately letting you know that you owe money for unpaid highway tolls? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good: You…

Article / Hotels

Florence Bans Key Lockboxes in Its Effort to Drive Out Vacation Rentals

As vacation rental properties continue to hollow out traditional neighborhoods, European cities have found themselves in a battle for their futures.One European destination determined…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

What Documents Do I Need for REAL ID?

Update: Since publication of this post, REAL ID requirements went into place.The oft-postponed REAL ID deadline is almost here—only 17 years or so behind schedule. Passed by Congress…