June 30, 2024  •   View this email in your browser

Greetings from Canada! 🇨🇦

It's been another busy week of travel news and it's been even busier for airports as Americans prepare for the big Fourth of July holiday and Canadians for Canada Day (July 1). I predicted that Friday was going to break the TSA's all-time single day record of screened passengers, but it fell short. Actually, last Sunday is now the all-time highest with 2,996,193 people passing through TSA security checkpoints across the country. The TSA's best chance to hit the elusive 3 million mark, I think, is next Sunday but I'm not putting money on it. 

🌩️ East Coast thunderstorms
There are a lot of flight cancelations thanks to WestJet's strike. Now I know why five of Canada's airports were in the top 10 for most cancelations in the world yesterday and today. It's also not looking like a great day for Northeast airports either. United Airlines sent out a travel waiver for today (June 30) that allows for voluntary changes for travel to, from or through the airports listed thanks to thunderstorms.

•    Baltimore, MD (BWI)
•    Hartford, CT (BDL)
•    New York/Newark, NJ (EWR)
•    New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK)
•    New York-LaGuardia, NY (LGA)
•    Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
•    Providence, RI (PVD)
•    Washington, DC - Dulles (IAD)
•    Washington-National, DC (DCA)

🚗 Renting a car at LGA and from Alamo
We just escaped the thunderstorms because after I sent Tuesday's daily travel tip from Connecticut, I packed up the car and my family and we drove to New York's LGA. It was my first time renting a car at LGA and the first time in a long time renting a car from Alamo. I have to say, the whole experience was two big thumbs up. Alamo was $150 cheaper than Avis, I didn't have to wait more than a minute for the shuttle (each way), the driver helped us with our bags, there was no line at the counter, they walked us to the car, gave us a free upgrade (from a full-size car to a KIA Sorrento SUV) and sent an email with all of their managers copied. They didn't know what I did for a living so it's not like I was given any preferential treatment and I don't have elite status with them. 

🎙️ WGN Radio Interview
It's great being on the east coast, especially when calling into Bob Sirott's Morning Drive radio show on WGN. Normally I'm in L.A. and drag myself out of bed to Skype in at 6:30am. But thanks to the time difference, a 9:30am interview is so much better. My voice sounds better and I can think straight. Here's the interview and some of the things we talked about:
-Pack like a pro: Your smart summer packing guide
-10 airport security hacks every traveler needs to know
-Southwest Airlines now on Google Flights. We also discussed how you can use Google's Explore function to find cheap flights from Chicago to anywhere. 
-Going to Europe or somewhere hot this summer? Pack a wearable or portable fan to beat the sweltering heat

💕 Awesome! Southwest Airlines (SWA) pilots share first flight as father-daughter duo
SWA recently shared a great story on social media with the caption: “Like father, like daughter 🥰” If you like heartwarming stories, you will like this one. You will also love this week's travel videos of the day so scroll down to see them all. 

🌎 Travel Trivia Question of the Week
If you subscribe to my Daily Travel Tip newsletter, then you already know this week's trivia question: What is the only sea without any coastlines? Scroll down to find the answer at the bottom. 

In this issue:

• Today's Travel Outlook ✈️
• Travel Tips This Week ✅
• Travel Quote of the Day 💬
• Travel Thread of the Day 
• 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 🌎
• Travel Video of the Day 📺
• and more… 

🧭 Cool Travel Gadgets

Yes, it is possible to sleep comfortably in coach
This travel pillow isn't really a pillow at all but a soft, lightweight, easy-to-carry and machine-washable neck and shoulder support that will make your in-flight snooze so much better. Check it out here.

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 

As of 11:10am ET, there have been 298 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,832 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.

🥰 Monday

Dream honeymoon destinations and tips for an unforgettable experience
Honeymoons are so exciting, not just to take but to plan as well and years later, bring back so many incredible memories. If you or someone you know is planning a honeymoon, check out today's tip for honeymoon destination ideas and tips for making it unforgettable. My own honeymoon (pictured above) feels like another lifetime and it was only 12 years ago. Can you guess the airline we flew and where we went? Check it all out here.

🚢 Tuesday

12 cruise secrets that will make your journey so much better
I wrote a post a couple of days ago about how we had to cancel our epic European trip at the very last minute. We were supposed to go on the new Sun Princess from Athens to Barcelona. We booked it after last summer's and New Year's Eve cruises on the Enchanted Princess. I've been on over 30 cruises so I have some experience and some valuable tips which you can find here.  

⚠️ Wednesday

Rip current deaths surge: How to spot and survive dangerous currents
Now that summer is here, people across the country and around the world are enjoying beach days. But if you’ve been reading the top headlines over the last few weeks, you’ve likely seen that there have been a disturbing number of drownings due to rip currents. This valuable information will help you and your loved ones spot and survive a rip current. Read this life-saving information here and share it with anyone who will be at the beach this summer, especially with little ones.

👕 Thursday

Airline passenger puts on layers of clothes to save $50 so his carry-on fits in luggage sizer
Tired of being nickeled and dimed by the airlines? So is a Ryanair passenger who put on multiple layers of clothes to avoid paying extra baggage fees. Watch the video and read some tips here.

🚗 Friday

Avoid the traffic nightmare: Best and worst times to travel by car for Independence Day road trips
Taking a road trip this Fourth of July long weekend? These tips will help you identify the best and worst times to hit the road. Read the story here.

🧳 Saturday

What’s inside my carry-on bag? The essential items I never travel without
I’ve received multiple emails from readers asking what’s in my carry-on bag so I thought it would be interesting to actually open up all of the pockets and find out exactly what’s inside. I do this every few months to clean out receipts, old hotel key cards, medicine, snacks and boarding passes … so it’s a good excuse to do it again. What inside my carry-on bag is far more important to me than anything that’s in my checked luggage so here’s what I’ve got. Read the story here.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

Delta Air Lines flight attendant tells passenger she’s ‘overreacting’ about tape holding airplane window together

WHAT A CATCH! Dodgers’ batboy saves Shohei Ohtani from rogue foul ball

My stunning views flying into Nantucket

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 WestJet cancels flights after mechanics strike, ignoring labor minister’s order
2 California Governor signs new law: Restaurants and bars can continue to charge service fees, if posted
3 Spanish police end search for British teenager in Tenerife
4 NY Times: The best pizza in America right now
5 Finding parking at Hartsfield-Jackson like finding gold ahead of busy July 4 travel week
6 TikTok video claims to catch man having affair, raising questions about privacy
7 Why the US is the top country for tourism in 2024
8 NYC Airbnb listings drop 80% after crackdown — but effort did not help hotels, housing: report
9 Man critically injured in latest shark attack in Florida
10 Hotel check-in and check-out times are changing, here's why
11 I was the first Black female pilot in the US Air Force, and captained a commercial jet for 30 years. Some people still questioned if I was qualified to fly.
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers 
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!

✅ Currency Exchange

✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points

💳 Our favorite credit card rewards to earn in 2024

💳 5 reasons why the Bilt Card is worth it
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard continues to be the best way to pay rent with a card as you can earn 1 point per dollar in rent payments without fees. However, if you have a high monthly payment, you can reach the previous $50,000 annual earning cap before year-end. Thankfully, the annual Bilt points cap is being lifted so you can earn more points on rent. Here are 5 of the best reasons the Bilt Card is worth it.

✈️ Travel Trivia Tuesday Answer

Question: ? What is the only sea without any coastlines?  
Answer: The Sargasso Sea! According to Wikipedia, "The Sargasso Sea is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it has no land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum seaweed and often calm blue water."