Happy Father's Day from Italy!

I hope you're having a great weekend! If you're new here, this is our weekly round-up of the daily travel tips I shared throughout the week.

On Monday, TSA officers screened 2,758,305 travelers at airport checkpoints across the country — and we were four of them!

We arrived safely and smoothly in Italy and everyone did remarkably well, especially the kids ... even after a long, 22-hour travel day, door to door. The photo above is from our flight on American Airlines' 787-8. We were in row 10, which had more legroom than Premium Economy. This is the exact same type of aircraft that crashed on Thursday in India. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it and if you scroll down to the Travel Videos of the Week, there's CCTV footage that captured takeoff and landing as well as the lone survivor who managed to climb out of the exit and walk away. It's hard to believe there's a survivor as everyone else perished. All those who are impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy are in my prayers.

We're having a fantastic time in Ischia, which is a volcanic island that’s six miles (10 km) wide and four miles (7 km) long. It’s located about 19 miles (30 kilometers) off the coast of mainland Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Gulf of Gaeta and the Bay of Naples. It’s 21 miles from Capri but three times larger and half the price. Ischia is famous for its warm mineral springs and incredible vistas.

My grandparents emigrated from Ischia in the 1920s. Like in Capri, most hotels in Ischia are seasonal. They open in early April and close at the end of October. The population in Ischia is 70,000 but in the summer it rises to 150,000. The island gets a total of five million visitors a year and July and August are crazy busy. Most come just for the day but I think that's way too short.

I spoke to a hotelier this week who said there are more Americans visiting Ischia this year than last and I'm pretty sure it's because so many airlines are now flying nonstop from the USA (Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, JFK and Philadelphia) to Naples. From there, it's just a 17-minute taxi to the port and either a 50- or 90-minute ferry, depending on whether you take a hydrofoil or a slow ferry.. I've done both; this is what they are like and which one I prefer.
🛑 Middle East Unrest
Just 1,200 miles away, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport remains closed to all arrivals and departures. According to The Times of Israel: "Israel’s three major airlines moved their fleets out of the country to prevent them from being targeted in an Iranian attack. Israel was thus effectively cut off from international air travel."

In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 12:55pm ET, there have been 146 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 2,300 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.

🧭 Travel Product of the Week

✈️ Monday

Your Guide to Tipping in the 25 Most Popular Countries Around the World
To tip or not to tip: That is a question asked by many a traveler … and even by locals here at home who feel that tipping has gotten out of control in the United States. But when you’re in a foreign country, it’s wise to know the local customs. Sometimes, tipping is customary and expected whereas in other countries, it may be viewed as rude and demeaning and may even be refused. Here are some tips to help you navigate tipping in 25 countries around the world: Here's what you need to know.

💰 Tuesday

How to Outsmart Scammers Who Are Using AI to Target Travelers
Planning a vacation should be exciting, not stressful. But scammers are now using advanced AI tools to target travelers with phishing scams that look more real than ever. According to Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist at ESET, cybercriminals are getting smarter, faster and more convincing, all thanks to generative AI. Here's what you need to know.

😱 Wednesday

TSA Warns ‘Don’t Use Free Public WiFi’ and Other Airport Cybersecurity Risks
As summer travel season heats up, airports are getting busier … and so are cybercriminals. While you’re busy planning your vacation, hackers may be planning to steal your data. In today’s tech-driven world, staying cyber-safe is just as important as remembering your passport. And because of this, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently issued a timely reminder. Here's what you need to know.

🔋 Thursday

Check If Your AirTag Is Working—And How to Replace the Battery If It’s Not
The night before our big trip to Italy, my wife was going over our packing list (she’s very diligent). One of the things she checks is whether there are AirTags in each bag and backpack and she double checks that they’re actually working.
She realized the batteries were either low or dead in all of them and I really didn’t feel like going out. Natalie was adamant we weren't traveling without working AirTags. So I logged onto Amazon and found a 10-pack for only $7.24 with next-day delivery. Score!
Since I couldn’t risk it arriving in the afternoon, I paid just $2.99 more to have it delivered between 4 AM and 8 AM, which was perfect because we were leaving the house at 9:30 AM. They arrived at 5:30 AM and when I woke up an hour later, I grabbed them and spent five minutes replacing all six batteries (most of the time was spent trying to cut the plastic to get the batteries out). 😂
The moral of the story: Make sure you not only have Apple AirTags in each bag but also that the batteries aren’t low. If they are, don’t scramble at the last minute—have extras ready. Here’s a video I created on how to easily replace the batteries. BTW: AirTags currently cost $74.99 for a four-pack or a $22.98 for one.

📱 Friday

Apple’s New iOS 26 Update Brings Travel-Friendly Changes
Apple’s latest operating system update, iOS 26, was announced at WWDC2025 (June 9-13, 2025) in Cupertino, California and it’s bringing significant changes for travelers who use an iPhone. Scheduled to be released in the fall of 2025, the update introduces several enhancements, particularly in the Apple Wallet app, aimed at making travel more efficient. Here's what you need to know.

🏠 Saturday

Airbnb Recommended We Bring This Life Saving Gadget
In my Airbnb reservation for Italy, there was a warning and I immediately sprung into action. Here's what you need to know.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

🌎 Top 14 Travel Stories of the Week

1 Air India Crash Kills Over 200, One British Survivor Confirmed
2 Middle East Flights Canceled After Israel Strikes Iran
3 Airline Data Broker Sold Passenger Info to U.S. Government
4 Anker Recalls 1.15M Power Banks Over Fire Risk
5 First Boeing 787 Crash Follows $1.1B Max Settlement
6 Tourism Protests Planned in Spain, Portugal, Italy
7 Trump Warns of L.A. Chaos, City Remains Calm
8 Canadian Travel to U.S. Falls for Fifth Straight Month
9 FAA Nominee Pledges to Modernize Air Traffic Control
10 Man Gored by Bison in Yellowstone National Park
11 Qantas to Shut Down Jetstar Asia, Shift Fleet
12 Silver Airways Abruptly Shuts Down All Flights
13 Florida Man Posed as Flight Attendant for 120 Free Flights
14 Iceland’s PLAY Airlines Ends U.S. Routes, Shifts Focus
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!

✅ Currency Exchange

✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ More Featured Products

34% off Anker 5-in-1 hub
A hub like this is an essential when I travel. It streamlines my chargers and is an excellent travel companion. It's got a 4K HDMI port, USB-C and USB-A data ports and a 100W PD-IN port for pass-through charging. Regularly $34.99, it's currently 34% off for $22.99 for a limited time. Buy here.

Travel Umbrellas
Spring has most definitely sprung! I have written in the past about how a travel umbrella can make or break your trip and earlier this week, WIRED released their picks for the top travel umbrellas. After testing a range of options, they declared the Weatherman Travel Umbrella (pictured left) the overall winner and the Prostorm Windproof Vented Travel Umbrella (pictured right), the best budget umbrella.

This mini pocket umbrella is also a great, compact option and is currently just $11.99 (37% off).