Travel Week in Review – March 12, 2021

If you’re daydreaming of future travels while stuck at home during the pandemic, why fantasize about the beaches of Bali or the canals of Venice when vacationing in space could be in your future? Back in 2019, the Californian company the Gateway Foundation released plans for a cruise ship-style hotel that could one day float above the Earth’s atmosphere. Then called the Von Braun Station, this futuristic concept was scheduled to be fully operational by 2027. Read More…

Before you even think about booking that bucket-list vacation, there’s one thing you need to do right now: Double-check the expiration date on your passport. It’s vital to make sure your travel documents are valid for at least six months past the dates of any planned international trips. Since passports are valid for up to 10 years, it’s understandably easy to forget when exactly it needs to be renewed (especially if you don’t use it all that often). This seemingly small detail could result in a travel disaster. Read More…

Airlines have stepped up their health and safety initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, requiring face masks, increasing the frequency and effectiveness of cleaning and hygiene measures, encouraging social distancing, increasing flexibility for customers by eliminating change fees and dropping cancellation penalties and even limiting capacity to keep seats open in some cases. Read More…

“Have you ever in your life seen a domestic flight so crazy?” one woman posted on Facebook. “Look at this! It stops five times between Boise, Idaho, and Birmingham, Alabama!” Direct means non-stop, right? Wrong. This confusion is common, as “direct” is one of the most misused terms in modern travel. Knowing its true definition, and those of related terms like “non-stop” and “connecting,” will be the saving grace you need to avoid booking flights that may be twice as long…and twice as involved. Read More…

When going through airport security, most people show up with their passport and keep it on them until the gate. But there’s one rookie mistake many travelers make while boarding the plane: putting their passports in their carry-on luggage. There’s one major reason this method is a problem: On completely booked flights, airlines may try to expedite the boarding process by asking passengers to check their bags gateside. Read More…