Happy MDW! 🇺🇸 Greetings! I hope you're having a great holiday weekend. I never quite know how to talk about Memorial Day. It's a somber day; a time to reflect, mourn and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. At the same time, it's always been a huge party weekend (at least it was, growing up in Connecticut), unofficially kicking off the summer season with beaches opening and oftentimes, my birthday fell on that weekend. These days, it's no longer a big party weekend for me but whatever you're doing, I hope you're able to both reflect and enjoy the holiday weekend.
🔥 TSA breaks single-day record for highest number of passengers screened
If you flew Friday, then you're part of history (at least for now) as TSA set an all-time record of passengers screened. Here's the breakdown of the busiest travel days in U.S. history.
🌩️ Central U.S. severe weather
Yesterday, United Airlines issued a travel waiver for today (May 26). The severe weather is expected to impact travel so you might want take advantage of the free voluntary changes for travel to, from or through the airports listed below:
• Bentonville, AR (XNA)
• Chattanooga, TN (CHA)
• Chicago-O'Hare, IL (ORD)
• Cincinnati, OH (CVG)
• Fort Wayne, IN (FWA)
• Indianapolis, IN (IND)
• Knoxville, TN (TYS)
• Lexington, KY (LEX)
• Little Rock, AR (LIT)
• Louisville, KY (SDF)
• Memphis, TN (MEM)
• Milwaukee, WI (MKE)
• Moline, IL (MLI)
• Nashville, TN (BNA)
• Peoria, IL (PIA)
• South Bend, IN (SBN)
• Springfield, MO (SGF)
🗞️ This week's travel news
There's a lot of travel news this week, all of which you can read here.
🤕 One dead, dozens of passengers hospitalized after Singapore Airlines flight experiences severe turbulence
The biggest story of the week is arguably the sad news that one person died and many passengers were hospitalized after a Singapore Airlines flight from London experienced severe turbulence.
😡 ‘American Airlines has no shame’: Airline blames 9-year-old girl for flight attendant’s despicable criminal behavior
Another other top headline this week was this disturbing story about American Airlines blaming a 9-year-old girl for being secretly filmed in the lavatory by a despicable flight attendant. After all of the negative press, AA walked back their position with what I think was a lame statement.
🚫 Calls for boycott of Turks and Caicos after American sentenced: Are they justified?
On Friday, one of the Americans arrested in Turks and Caicos for having stray bullets in his bag was sentenced. There are calls for a boycott but are they justified?
👮♂️ Another American arrested in Turks and Caicos
Speaking of Turks and Caicos: Another American has been caught with ammunition and this time, it’s a woman from Orlando. Here's her story.
📺 Travel Videos of the Week:
There are so many great travel videos this week, that I wrote about one each day. They're listed at the bottom but here they are as well, in case you're in a hurry: 🌎 Travel Trivia Question of the Week
If you missed this week's Travel Trivia Tuesday question, here it is: What’s the only country in the world with three capital cities? Scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter to find the answer. 🏆 This Week's Travel Contests: - Wanna Get Away to AULANI? Southwest is offering you a chance to win! (May 31)
- Win a Summer of Glamping! (June 6)
- 2024 Sesame Place Getaway Sweepstakes (June 6)
- Win a 7-night "Romantic Danube" river cruise on award-winning luxury cruise line, AmaWaterways (June 2)
- Here's more and how to enter.
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💰 Limited-Time 75,000 Chase Sapphire Preferred Bonus 
NEW! For a limited time, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. The standard bonus offer is only 60,000 points with similar spending requirements. As a result, the extra points make this offer worth $938 with the Sapphire Preferred instead of $750 when using the 25% travel redemption bonus. New 75,000 Bonus Offer: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 
As of 8:35am PT, there have been 36 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,464 delayed. Here's a link to the up-to-date stats and a live look at the FAA's National Airspace System Status. Here's what to do during weather delays and flight cancellations.
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🚙 Monday 
Explore nature with Hilton AutoCamp stays
Here’s some exciting news! Hilton Honors members can now book AutoCamp stays, earn or redeem Hilton Honors points, and enjoy other on-site loyalty benefits. Guests can enjoy Airstream, cabin, and luxury tent experiences with modern amenities at locations convenient to national parks, beaches, and mountain retreats. I took a tour of one last month. Here's what it's like inside one of these plush Airstreams.
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💤 Tuesday 
My new favorite sleep mask blocks out light and noise (plus other great sleep aids for travel)
I’ve written many times before about my favorite sleep mask for travel. For years, my top choice has been this Lewis N. Clark sleep mask because it’s so soft and cozy, blocks out all the light and it’s inexpensive. But after years and years of using this mask, I think I may have found one that I like even better. Here it is along with other great sleep aids we'll be bringing on our summer travels.
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🎟️ Wednesday 
Sage advice if you're traveling to Europe this summer
Eric Stoen is a friend and a well-traveled writer who has been to over 100 countries and all seven continents. He recently took to social media to share some sage advice, especially for those who are traveling to popular European destinations this summer. Here's his advice.
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💻 Thursday 
Southwest Airlines now on Google Flights and offering incredible bring a friend for free deal
Great news for Southwest Airlines (SWA) customers: The original low-fare carrier just began allowing their flights to show up on Google Flights. Plus, they have an incredible offer that seems too good to be true until you read the fine print. Here's what you need to know.
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😫 Friday 
How to conquer jet lag … unless you’re Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was recently quoted as saying that jet lag is a state of mind and Dick Clark is known for saying jet lag is for amateurs. Easy to say when you’re flying on a private jet or in a lie-flat seat, but if you're not, here's what you need to know.
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⚠️ Saturday 
10 airport security hacks every traveler needs to know
Without a doubt, one of the most tedious parts of traveling is dealing with the airport and security, in particular. You just never know how long the line will be, which is nerve-racking and can make it difficult to plan your time. Here are 10 airport security hacks to help make your airport experience smoother.
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📺 Travel Videos of the Week 
SNL roasts Southwest Airlines in Jake Gyllenhaal skit: Comedy sketch or documentary?
If you watch Saturday Night Live (SNL), then you know that they often do comedy sketches about travel. Who could forget Adam Driver’s hilarious airplane baby skit or the Alaska Airlines skit that was full of zingers? This week’s skit starred Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Reginald Keane, who was trying to change a Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight and it snowballed from there. Here's the video.
Frontier Airlines passenger foolishly jokes about exit row responsibilities and is escorted off plane in handcuffs
Travel blogger Tia captured video of a passenger making a number of grave mistakes on a recent Frontier Airlines flight from North Carolina to Texas. Tia captioned her video: “When keeping it real goes wrong. Irate lady refused to deplane, because of her non compliance and disrespect towards the flight attendant. We all had to deplane and she was then arrested.” Here's the story and video.
‘Best thing I’ve seen all day’: United Airlines pilot surprises his mom on flight
If you're a longtime reader, then you know how much I adored my mother and father. Sadly, they’re both gone but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them or thank God for giving me incredible parents. That’s why this video of United Airlines first officer Jerome Lawrence really got me … and everyone else who saw it.
Frontier Airlines flight attendants celebrate boy's kindergarten graduation with touching in-flight ceremony
Yesterday, while watching The Today Show, I caught a clip on Hoda’s Morning Boost about “a little boy named Xavier, who had to miss his kindergarten graduation because he was traveling out of town with his family – but the Frontier flight attendants made his flight extra special by giving him his own ceremony.” Here's the video and story.
Passenger rips wheels off suitcase to avoid paying low-fare carrier's outrageous fee
In this viral video, a passenger ripped the wheels off his tiny suitcase so it would fit flush in the airline’s baggage sizer and he could save $75 USD. Here's the video and back story.
Incredible: Porcupine parents fend off hungry leopard trying to eat their babies
This incredible video footage captures two porcupines fiercely protecting their babies from the advances of a hungry leopard. Watch the video here. |
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💬 TRAVEL QUOTE OF THE DAY “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 1 Severe storms to strike the eastern half of the U.S. this Memorial Day Weekend as heat hits the south
2 Singapore Airlines changes seatbelt rules, route after fatal turbulence
3 World's longest-serving flight attendant dies at 88 years old
4 Nicki Minaj briefly arrested, fined at Amsterdam airport
5 Video: See dad reunite with children after being detained in Turks and Caicos
6 5 killed in Acapulco grocery store days after 10 bodies found in city
7 Hailstorm covers Mexican city with thick ice amid heat wave
8 Sammy Hagar debuts ‘island’ at Vegas casino resort
9 JetBlue lands in Edinburgh
10 Whistleblower's family says Boeing is responsible for his death
11 The world’s best countries for tourism
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week! |
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🧵 TRAVEL THREAD OF THE DAY @audreylovesparis: Dear parents who let their kids play with tablets in restaurants, airports, airplanes etc. Give them earbuds. Thank you, Everyone |
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✅ Currency Exchange 🇪🇺 €1 Euro = $1.08 USD
🇬🇧 £1 GBP = $1.27 USD
🇨🇦 $1 CAD = $0.73 USD
🇦🇺 $1 AUD = $0.66 USD
🇲🇽 $1 MXN = $.059 USD
✅ Calendar Countdown ☀️ 1 day until Memorial Day
🎆 39 days until 4th of July
🛠 99 days until Labor Day
🎃 158 days until Halloween
🦃 186 days until Thanksgiving |
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✈️ Travel Trivia Tuesday Answer |
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What’s the only country in the world with three capital cities?
Answer: South Africa is the only country in the world to have three capital cities: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. According to CNN, “this is the only country to have three capital cities, a unique arrangement designed to share power across regions. With a spectacular location between the shoreline and Table Mountain, Cape Town was the capital of Britain’s Cape Colony and remains the legislative capital of South Africa. By dividing the remaining branches of government between Pretoria and Bloemfontein, the emerging Republic of South Africa helped distribute power across the new country. Each one has its charms: Pretoria is known for the exuberant jacaranda blooms that appear each September, while Bloemfontein exudes laid-back hospitality.”
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