Many people seem to enjoy the excitement of going into places where they’re generally or usually not allowed to go. They may be abandoned sites, like Discovery Island and River Country at Walt Disney World. Maybe it’s the old City Hall station of the NYC subway system.  Perhaps it’s “forbidden” countries like Cuba (we went to Cuba for my last birthday that “ended with a zero” simply “because I could.” Granted, at the time we could go there legally and relatively easily, but it was right after 50+ years of being unable to).

With Christmas quickly approaching, you may have missed the chance to buy the perfect gift for your loved ones. However, if you’re part of a Secret Santa (or you just remembered you still need a present), you can still pull off a solid last-minute gift for the frequent flyer in your life. One quick warning: airline merch sells out fast this time of year, and shipping cutoffs can sneak up on you.

As has been said many times before, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  doesn’t have the best reputation. Of course, they try their best to communicate things, such as the procedures for bringing medications through security, what they’ve done to help those with Autism Spectrum Disorder feel more at ease in airports, and even updates to the TSA app…

When you first step into an airport lounge, it feels like a whole new world. Free snacks and drinks? Wi-Fi that doesn’t cut out? Comfy chairs with plugs for all your devices? Sign me up. But it doesn’t take long to realize the thrill fades. You can eat only so many snack mixes, crudités, and mini-sandwiches before they all blur together.

When you live in the United States, it becomes something of a way of life that on Christmas Day, some things are open and some are closed. After all, the United States is, happily, a nation of multiple nationalities and religions—a melting pot. And while Christmas is a Really Big Deal (caps for emphasis) for some people, it’s Not My Holiday and just a regular day for others.

We’ve reached that time of year again—the annual tradition of panicked realizations. Many AMEX Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders are scrambling because the $200 Airline Fee Credit resets at the end of the year, and they haven’t used a cent. If you’re in this boat, don’t worry. There’s still time, but you’ll need to get creative since AMEX doesn’t make it easy to use these credits…

For years, a popular saying was “cash is king.” You didn’t have to have a credit or debit card. You didn’t even have to have a checking account. As long as you could pay for something with cash, you were good to go. Nowadays, not so much. Sure, you can still easily pay for some things with cash. Groceries (if you go to the store yourself to buy them).

When booking a connecting flight, airlines will provide options, often with varying connection times. But how do they decide which connections are feasible? The answer lies in a concept known as Minimum Connection Time (MCT)—the shortest amount of time deemed reasonable for transferring between flights. The MCT is built into the system when you book a single ticket. If a connection doesn’t meet the MCT, it won’t appear as an option during booking.

Stop chasing partner awards. I know — ten years ago, that sentence would’ve sounded like I’d lost the plot. Because in the “old days” of points and miles, booking through partners wasn’t just a clever trick. It was the whole strategy. You didn’t use Airline A’s miles to fly Airline A. You used Airline B’s miles to fly Airline A. Pricing was often better, rules were usually friendlier, and the value could be ridiculous.

You’re on your way home from a great overseas trip. You're at airport security and doing what pretty much everyone else does, either consciously or subconsciously - checking your pockets for everything you're probably soon going to need to get through the checkpoint. Cell phone? Check ✅ Boarding pass? Well, it might be on your phone, but maybe you like to have a hard copy too, just in case.

One of the most pressworthy things about the last government shutdown wasn’t some obscure agency slowing down paperwork. It was travel. Specifically, air travel — the kind of thing millions of people feel immediately when it starts to crack. That’s why a move in Congress this week matters to travelers: a House committee just voted unanimously to advance a bill that would keep…

Airport hotels have their place. They're certainly convenient for those who want somewhere to sleep in between flights that are a day apart. Some airport hotels, such as the TWA Hotel can be a destination unto themselves. Others may not be "all that," but have amenities that make them special. For example, two hotels in the U.S. have TSA security checkpoints right onsite in the hotel lobby.

When some hotel chains open, you barely hear about it. Another Holiday Inn Express opened in Orlando. Big deal. A Residence Inn near LAX? Meh. Frankfurt's got a Premier Inn now? Well, I suppose that's nice. But other hotels open and it seems like everyone notices. And if it's in a popular location, even more so. AND if you include the terms "all inclusive" and "adults only?" People practically get whiplash in checking the place out.

If you’ve been around Citi’s ThankYou ecosystem for a while, you probably still think of this card as “the Citi Premier.” Citi has since refreshed and renamed it the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, keeping the same general idea: solid everyday bonus categories, plus the ability to turn ThankYou Points into travel by transferring them to airline and hotel partners.

If you’re the kind of traveler who checks into a hotel, tosses your bag on the bed, and immediately plans to unwind with an episode (or six) of Stranger Things or Dark Winds, Netflix has some bad news for you. Relaxing in front of the TV away from home just became… annoyingly complicated. Travelers have recently noticed that Netflix quietly removed the…

With so many things to remember when going on a trip, it’s understandable if you leave something at home. That's why I still use a packing list. If you forget your toothbrush, toothpaste or comb, you can get those items at your hotel. However, if you forget to bring your high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid or any other prescription medication with you, it could ruin your trip.

If you’ve traveled through Orlando International Airport, you’ve undoubtedly seen scenes like this: travelers stretched out on chairs lining the walkway between the two sides of the airport. MCO isn’t usually considered a major connecting hub, but people can get stuck there for plenty of reasons. That could be a long layover before an international flight, arriving extra early to beat security lines, weather delays, or a flight cancellation.

We can all agree that flying in economy is generally not comfortable. That's why so many frequent flyers aspire to get as many airline miles as they can, so they can buy a better seat with something other than cash. As another option, some flyers try to attain status on their airline(s) of choice, so they can hopefully get upgraded.

When you’ve got a 7:40 AM flight out of Boston, the goal isn’t a “romantic weekend getaway.” The goal is simple: sleep, shower, and make it to the airport without stressing out at 4:30 in the morning. That’s why my wife, Sharon, stayed overnight during her JetBlue 25 for 25 run at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport. It’s one of those hotels that exists for a very specific purpose… and when you use it for that purpose, it mostly does exactly what you want.

Ever since commercial airports began introducing visitor pass programs in the mid- to late 2010s, there’s been some give and take. Pittsburgh International Airport was the first airport in the country to offer a Visitor Pass, called MyPitPass, in September 2017. Others soon followed: MSY in December 2019 SEA in December 2019 DTW in January 2020 FNT in January 2020…

TSA officers have never had a great reputation for friendliness. Sure, there's been the occasional diamond in the rough who's been helpful. But most are, at best, professional - but not exactly kind or nice. And more than a few are downright gruff. And sure, I get it. The customer service skills they learn in "TSA officer school" are secondary to their more important job of keeping air travel safe.

You do everything right: you click through a shopping portal, buy what you were going to buy anyway, and expect the cash back (or points) to show up later. But there’s a growing snag that’s easy to miss: Safari. Recently, a warning message started popping up via Cashback Monitor that basically says Safari may not reliably track cash back for a retailer, and suggests using another browser (like Chrome) instead.

Airbnb and other short-term home rental companies like VRBO have had their controversies, but they've also garnered their share of fans. From people who want to stay in a larger space (say, for large groups), to those looking to save money if they can, to those who just don't want to stay in "just another hotel," the short-term home rental industry has proven it's not going anywhere.

I never thought I’d be considering the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant again. We ditched this card back in 2023, right around the time the annual fee jumped to $650. Not because the card was “bad,” but because it felt like work. The value math depended on keeping up with monthly credits, and I didn’t want yet another card where I had to remember to use a benefit every single month just to do better than breaking even.

Before we start, a quick note on what this post is (and isn’t). This isn’t a full review of the Centurion Lounge in Atlanta. I’m not doing a room-by-room walkthrough, ranking every dish on the buffet, or attempting to cover every amenity. Plenty of sites have already done that (and done it well). Instead, this is about how the lounge…