July 7, 2024  •   View this email in your browser

Greetings from Toronto!

🎆 I hope you had a great 4th of July! I had a mellow one here in Canada. Next year, I'm going to make sure we're home in L.A. or at least in the USA. One thing I don't miss are all the rogue fireworks going off all night long. In Canada, they shot fireworks off on July 1 in celebration of Canada Day and that was it. I haven't heard an illegal one since. It's the opposite in L.A., which you can see in this video. 
 
🌀 Hurricane Beryl
There was a lot of travel news this week: First up: Airlines have issued travel waivers for today through Tuesday (July 7 - 9) for South Texas fliers because of Hurricane Beryl (here's a great storm tracker).

United Airlines' travel waiver covers these airports: Austin, TX (AUS); Brownsville, TX (BRO); Corpus Christi, TX (CRP); Harlingen, TX (HRL); Houston, TX (IAH); McAllen, TX (MFE) and Victoria, TX (VCT). This travel waiver allows for voluntary changes for travel to, from or through the airports listed. Here’s a list of some airline policies for those of you who may be impacted: Air Canada | Alaska | American | Delta | Frontier | Hawaiian | JetBlue | Southwest | United | WestJet 

RELATED: This is the hurricane app that Floridians use and travelers should too.

🛂 Will today be the busiest travel day ever in the U.S.?
Last week, the TSA came close to breaking the three million mark for the first time. Will their single-day record be broken today? I think so, meaning today could very well be the busiest travel day ever! Here's one of my airport survival guides to help you navigate the crowds.

🔫 TSA catches House member and others with guns in carry-on luggage at DC airports
Speaking of the TSA: The number of guns detected at U.S. airports has jumped considerably and on Monday, the TSA released that one of the many they confiscated last week at a security checkpoint belonged to a member of Congress. Here's that story.

☠️ Delta Air Lines flight to Amsterdam diverted to JFK due to coach passengers being served contaminated food
The big travel story this week was about the Delta Air Lines flight to Amsterdam that was diverted to JFK due to coach passengers being served contaminated food. Turns out it was moldy chicken and you can see photos here. 

🛻 Outrage at JFK Airport: Tow truck attempts to remove car with kids inside
There are some airports that don’t mess around when it comes to cars parking out front. LAX used to be one of them but I don’t see as many cops or tow trucks as I used to. The same can’t be said about New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Here's the story.

🌎 Travel Trivia Question of the Week
Here's our Travel Trivia Tuesday question:Which European city is divided into 14 islands connected by more than 50 bridges? Scroll down to the bottom to find the answer!

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… 

🧭 Travel Gadget of the Week

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 9:30am ET, there have been 74 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,064 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

How to get your picture on a Times Square billboard for $40
My buddy and tech reporter Rich DeMuro just wrote in his newsletter about what he calls the coolest souvenir ever. I think he might be right. Rich says he and his family got their picture on a billboard in Times Square for just $40. “You can, too,” he says. “All you have to do is upload a photo to an app, pay $40, and wait for your allotted time. It makes a great souvenir.” Read the story here.

💤 Tuesday

The ultimate sleep mask: Why I’ll never go back to my old one
I recently wrote a post about the best sleep mask ever and included the Total Sleep Mask System by Dandelion Dreams. Last year, I wrote a similar post about the sleep mask that has, for years, been my go-to: The Lewis N. Clark sleep mask. Well, after I tried the one my mother-in-law just gave me, I felt terrible for writing the last two posts because this one is so amazing, there’s really no comparison. Here's what makes it so good.

💰 Wednesday

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts
If you see that the price you paid for a plane ticket has dropped, it's possible to get a partial refund from the airline. Here's how.

💸 Thursday

Discover the best travel deals: Early bird specials for Amazon Prime Day 2024 are here
Amazon Prime Day 2024 is set for July 16-17 and as usual, shoppers can expect to find significant discounts across various categories, from beauty and sports to home, tech and travel. While this year’s Prime Day is still days away, Amazon has dropped some early bird deals so if you want to beat the rush and score some deals before items sell out, now’s your chance. You can check out all the Early Bird Amazon Prime Day deals here and along with some of our top picks for travelers.

🥐 Friday

Navigating a busy Paris: Essential tips for travelers during the 2024 summer Olympics
The highly anticipated 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are almost here, taking place from Friday, July 26, 2024, to Sunday, August 11, 2024. With the world’s attention on the City of Lights, Paris will be busier than usual during the popular, tourist-heavy summer months. One of our writers was there last month and has these 10 tips for Paris travelers.

🏔️ Saturday

10 Things to know about visiting Alaska
I’ve been fortunate to visit Alaska multiple times. It’s a truly different and unique place, and according to their tourism board, they have more mountains, glaciers and wildlife than just about anywhere else in the world. The majority of travelers visit in the summer so I asked Mr. Alaska himself, my good buddy Scott McMurren, to provide some helpful tips for anyone who is visiting our 49th state. In today's tip, he counts down his top 10 Alaska travel tips and things to know before you go.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

Passenger stuck in ceiling after severe turbulence rocks aircraft, injuring dozens

Video of illegal fireworks lighting up all over Los Angeles County

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 Missing American teen who left cruise ship at German port has been found safe
2 Amtrak service from New York City to Boston suspended for the day
3 An Alaska tourist spot will vote whether to ban cruise ships on Saturdays to give locals a break
4 Fourth of July gas prices in California and nationwide reach lowest levels in three years
5 Hundreds go ‘missing’ in California’s national parks: Here’s what usually happens to them
6 28-year-old left the U.S., relocated to Thailand, and pays $544/month for his 1-bedroom apartment—take a look inside
7 American exposes huge problem: 'Why living in Australia is impossible'
8 Air travel is getting worse. That's what passengers are telling the US government
9 Americans going into debt to travel, remote working partly to blame
10 Here are the 20+ states exploring support for Apple's digital IDs in Wallet feature
11 More flights coming in and out of Erie? 
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

Which European city is divided into 14 islands connected by more than 50 bridges?
Answer: Stockholm, Sweden. According to EuroCities.eu: "Built on 14 islands around one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved medieval city centres, Stockholm is a city of contrasts. It is simultaneously urban and close to nature, with green areas and lakes around every corner."