News

 · 2 min read

Google AI Mode Now Searches Award Flights

Travelers who rely on loyalty points and miles for flights have long navigated complex award charts and availability searches on their own. Google’s AI Mode now handles part of that work directly in a chat interface, displaying award prices from select programs and tracking cash fares in the same conversation. The update arrives as a

 · 7 min read

Glass-Bottom Boat Captains Reveal the Hour Marine Life Is Most Active

Somewhere between the early hum of a marina and the first slant of morning light on the water, captains of glass-bottom boats already know what most tourists are still guessing. Timing matters far more than luck when it comes to what you’ll see through those panels of clear hull. Science backs up what seasoned guides

Chantel Brink

Chantel Brink

Freelance Writer

 · 7 min read

Why "Nothing to Do" Towns Are Becoming Travelers' Favorite Kind of Trip

There’s a particular kind of town that doesn’t show up on most bucket lists. No famous museum, no landmark skyline, no rooftop bar that once went viral. Just a main street, maybe a good bakery, some decent hiking nearby, and the kind of quiet that feels almost foreign to people who’ve spent years rushing between

Leah Berenson

Leah Berenson

Freelance Writer

 · 10 min read

Do You Remember These 5 Road Trip Games?

Road trips are having a genuine moment right now. Travel on U.S. roads in 2024 increased to 3.28 trillion miles, setting a new yearly record and topping pre-COVID levels for the first time. With millions of families piling into cars every summer, the question of how to actually survive the hours between exits is as

Chantel Brink

Chantel Brink

Freelance Writer

 · 7 min read

The Airport Curbside Habit That Saves Travelers From Long Check-In Lines

Most travelers walk straight through the terminal doors, drag their bags to the check-in counter, and join whatever queue they find. It works, but it’s rarely quick or comfortable. There’s a smarter path that starts before you even enter the building. Curbside check-in has been quietly available at American airports for decades, yet a surprisingly

Sean Cate

Sean Cate

Freelance Writer

 · 8 min read

The Sleep-Focused Travel Trend Turning Hotel Stays Into Wellness Resets

There’s a quiet shift happening in how people think about hotel stays. Rather than treating sleep as the functional gap between sightseeing and dinner reservations, a growing number of travelers are booking trips specifically to get better rest. It sounds almost too simple, until you look at the data and realize how deeply sleep deprivation

Leah Berenson

Leah Berenson

Freelance Writer

 · 3 min read

United Airlines' Airbus A321XLR Brings Long-Haul Comfort to Domestic California Routes This Fall

Travelers flying between Washington Dulles and California this autumn will have the chance to experience United Airlines’ newest aircraft on shorter domestic segments before it shifts to its intended long-haul role. The Airbus A321XLR, built for extended international journeys, is scheduled to enter domestic service on select routes starting in September, offering passengers an early

 · 9 min read

Winery Tasting Room Staff Reveal the Question That Unlocks the Library Vintages

There’s a version of a winery visit that most people never get. They sip through the standard flight, buy a couple of bottles, and head home perfectly satisfied. Nothing wrong with that. What they don’t know is that a single, well-placed question at the right moment could have opened a door to something entirely different:

Sean Cate

Sean Cate

Freelance Writer

 · 8 min read

The Cruise Embarkation Trick That Skips the Longest Line

Picture this: you’ve counted down the days, packed your bags, and finally arrived at the cruise terminal – only to find yourself standing in a slow-moving queue that stretches around the building. It’s a surprisingly common experience, even for people who’ve cruised before. The good news is that most of that wait is entirely avoidable,

Leah Berenson

Leah Berenson

Freelance Writer

 · 9 min read

5 Countries Where a Long Layover Is Worth Turning Into a Day Trip

Most travelers treat a long layover as something to survive. You find a charging port, maybe a passable sandwich, and you wait. What rarely gets considered is that some of the world’s most thoughtfully designed transit hubs are sitting just outside those terminal doors, actively inviting you in. Adding a long layover, also called a

Leah Berenson

Leah Berenson

Freelance Writer

 · 7 min read

6 Countries Rolling Out New Digital Nomad Visa Programs This Year

Remote work has quietly restructured how governments think about attracting people. Countries that once had little reason to care where a foreign professional chose to set up their laptop have begun rolling out formal legal pathways to welcome them, charge them rent in the form of local spending, and benefit from their economic presence without

Julie Hambleton

Julie Hambleton

Freelance Writer