Thursday, April 22, 2021

Happy Earth Day! In honor of our beautiful planet, I'm sharing a tip about something I do every time I visit a beach or park, wherever I am in the world. It's a simple and small thing we can all do to make a big difference. Read the story here.

Reusable Silicon Drinking Straws for Travelers
Speaking of Earth Day: As plastic straws continue to be phased out in cities and countries around the world, it makes sense to throw reusable straws in your bag wherever you go. These reusable silicon drinking straws are perfect and come with a cleaning brush and carrying case.

Why I Canceled My Flight This Week
On Tuesday, I was booked to fly on an American Airlines plush, lie-flat seat on a 777-300 aircraft. It was going to be a watershed flight for me since it would have been my first in over a year. Since February 21, 2020 to be exact. That was the last time I flew, on a return trip from Florida, to go see my dad. But I canceled my flight. Here's why.

‘Do Not Travel’ List:The US State Department Adds 116 Countries
The big travel news this week is that the U.S. State Department just updated the country's travel advisories and added a lot of new countries to the 'Do Not List Travel' list. I think you will be surprised like I was. Read the story here.

UPDATE: My Favorite Wipes To Travel With
Good news! I just found my favorite wipes to travel with on Amazon and they're cheap. You can get 6 boxes that each have 24 wipes inside. That's enough for a year. Buy them here. UPDATE:A reader pointed out to me that these wipes are best for cleaning your hands but to wipe down surfaces on an airplane or in a hotel room, use something like these Clorox wipes, which come in a travel-friendly package.

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
Here are the story headlines:
— Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers
— How long will masks be required on planes? Flight attendants say mandate should be extended
— WHO panel 'against vaccination proof for travel'
— World's busiest airport: The pandemic has yielded a new No. 1
— Southwest Airlines and American Airlines earnings Q1 2021
— LAX now offering COVID-19 tests with results ready in 1 hour
— Japan Airlines announces it’s retiring Boeing jets equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines following 2 mid-air failures
— Traveling to Hawaii takes careful planning during COVID-19 
— America’s first long weekend of the vaccination era is coming. Here’s where travelers are headed
— What it takes to bring planes out of storage and back in service
— A house just rented in the Hamptons for $2 million for the summer 
— LA restaurants to only give out plastic utensils by request under new ordinance
+ More (Read it all here in today's travel news round-up as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!)

A Travel Tip That Can Save You From Going To Jail
Never did I think I’d write this tip but there’s an important lesson here for travelers heading out of the USA. The news story that prompted this tip is about a Las Vegas man who traveled to Dubai and it's a shocking story. Read it here. 

Genius Way to Scan and Organize Old Photos
If you’re like me, you have either a bookcase or a box filled with old photos and albums. Most of them are probably from family vacations that you took decades ago or special holiday moments that you would love to share with your loved ones. You’ve probably also had scanning those photos, one by one, on a to-do list you stopped checking. Because who has time to hand-scan each one or peel back the cellophane and risk damaging your precious photographs? This is the solution you've been looking for.

United Adds 3 New Routes to Countries Reopening to Vaccinated Travelers
One of the biggest trends in the travel industry to emerge from the pandemic is that airlines are significantly switching up their usual flight routes and schedules. Most of the major airlines stopped flying, at least with mass frequency, to popular business cities, where they could count on big dollars from business travelers who were willing to pay the high prices of last-minute tickets and comfort. That’s because most business travel came to an abrupt halt and it’s only now just starting to slowly return. But with summer coming, you can bet things won’t go back to the way they used to be until September … and that’s only if we’re really fortunate to avoid surges caused by new variants of concern. So it’s a big “if.” But United just announced three exciting international destinations reopening to vaccinated travelers. Here are the details.

Travel-Friendly Mother's Day Gift Idea
Last Christmas, my wife recommended a hair dryer brush and reader Wayne wrote in with the following comment: “After spending a crapload on new luggage and jewelry, the Xmas gift the wife liked best was the one you suggested. Hair is a big deal to my wife so she used to take up half a suitcase with curlers, hair dryers and blowers- she says that the new blower/curler device is the best gift ever! I could’ve saved myself a couple thousand! Thanks! All the crap on the left (see photo) is now replaced by the thingy on the right.” REPLY: Haha – thanks, Wayne! Happy to hear that you and your wife are both happy with this recommendation! So, if anyone is looking for a Mother’s Day gift for the special mom in your life, or if you're looking to simplify your hair routine, consider one of these hair dryer brushes that my wife says is a game changer. You can read her full review here or buy here on Amazon. 

I Got Hacked - Here's How to Prevent It
I received an email alert from my bank stating that I had a charge of close to $300 for a cable company in New York. I knew the charge was not correct and that I’d been hacked. Here are three tips to prevent this from happening to you.

Must-Read Hawaii Travel Tips
There’s no doubt Hawaii is one of the most popular destinations for Americans and for better or worse, the 50th state is now back with a vengeance. Today’s tip is from a reader and will really make your trip much smoother if you follow his advice. I’m also including links to some of our recent Hawaii travel tips so check them all out as well. Read the story here.

The Least Safe Seats on the Airplane
The CDC and Kansas State University have released a study identifying the least safe seats on the plane. It's not rocket science and the airlines aren't happy. Read the story here.

Potty Shields: A Must-Have for Traveling with Kids
Great news! We have a sponsor for this month's newsletters and it's a travel product that Natalie and I absolutely love. They're called Potty Shields and parents and grandparents of young children should seriously consider buying them because they're a game-changer for travel, whether you're taking a flight, a road trip or even a day excursion. Read why they're such a travel essential here.

In Case You Missed It
This Airline Devalues Points Overnight
This airline sure does know how to tick off their loyal base, especially when they decided to devalue their points overnight with no notice. Here are the details.

Hands Down the Best Beach Toy for Kids
After one toss, my son was hooked. He seriously would not stop asking for one and he’s never done that before and since then, I've had countless readers email or tweet me to say how much their kids love it. Here's where to get it ... and it's inexpensive, too.

This Week’s Travel Contests