Happy First Day of June!

I hope you're having a great weekend! This is our weekly round-up of the daily travel tips I shared throughout the week.
📰 Travel News
There’s a ton of travel news this week (scroll down), including details about the deal United and JetBlue just signed. It’s similar to JetBlue’s old partnership with American, which bums me out as I wish it were with AA, not UA.
🧳 Southwest Airlines Announces Baggage Fee Amounts
Southwest Airlines (SWA) announced this week how much they are going to start charging for bags. Just as I predicted a couple of months ago, the first checked bag will cost $35 and a second checked bag will be $45.

📉 Two Air Rage Incidents Raise the Question: Why Are There Still So Many Unruly Airline Passengers?
On Friday, I was interviewed on NewsNation about unruly airline passengers and here’s what I shared: While incidents peaked in 2021, the numbers have actually gone down significantly since then. So why does it feel like airplane meltdowns are happening more than ever? Viral videos, social media and a lack of real consequences may be to blame. I break down the latest FAA stats and shocking stories from Miami and Toronto that show the system is broken - and how we can fix it. Here's the story.
✈️ United Airlines’ Premium Plus Upgrade Might Be the Best $88 You’ll Spend
A traveler shared how he snagged an $88 upgrade to Premium Economy on a LAX to London flight. Here's the story.

Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay
As you may recall, my family and I spent Spring Break in Hawaii and we began our weeklong getaway at the recently renovated Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay. The views were breathtaking and our stay was top-notch, as you'll read in our review.

🎪 A Magical Night in Waikiki: Dinner on the Beach and Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Auana at Outrigger Beachcomber
If you’re heading to Waikiki and looking for a night your family will never forget, consider this perfect pairing: dinner steps from the ocean followed by an awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil performance that had our entire family on the edge of their seats. Here's the story.

In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 10:30am PT, there have been 51 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 2,265 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 Products of the Week

✈️ Monday

Passport Control Lines at JFK Are Out of Control: Here's What You Can Do
Nobody wants to wait in line after a long international flight but if you’re landing at New York’s JFK this summer, you might not have a choice. Some travelers have reported waiting more than three hours to clear passport control. Here's what you need to know.

🎓 Tuesday

You Can Take Free Courses from Harvard (Yes, That Harvard!)
Here’s a travel tip you might not have known: The next time you’re in between trips (or dreaming of your next one), you can expand your mind for free thanks to Harvard University. That’s right, Harvard, the Ivy League institution where some courses normally cost up to $10,800, is offering a growing catalog of completely free online classes and they’re available to everyone, anywhere in the world. Here's what you need to know.

💸 Wednesday

This Popular European Tourist Destination Is Now Fining Passengers Who Stand Up Too Early After Landing
If you’re the type of traveler who unbuckles and stands up the moment a plane touches down, you might want to rethink that habit. Here's what you need to know.

🌺 Thursday

Guy Kawasaki’s Local Guide to Honolulu: Where to Eat, Surf, Shop and Explore
Kawasaki is best known as a legendary Apple evangelist and bestselling author, but he’s also a Honolulu native with deep roots on Oahu. In a recent social media post, he shared his local guide to the best places to eat, shop, surf and explore in Honolulu. He wrote, “Going to Honolulu. Let me enhance your trip! Here's what you need to know.

🎤 Friday

The Apple Watch Trick Every Traveler Needs to Know
My wife's good friend just shared this tip with me. I'm almost embarrassed I didn’t know about it years ago because it's so handy. If you didn’t know about this feature either you're not alone and that's exactly why I'm sharing it here. Read the story.

😳 Saturday

'So What’s the Weirdest Thing to Happen to You on a Plane? I’ll Go First!'
A Reddit thread with this headline caught my attention, especially since I've seen my fair share of weirdness on airplanes. This thread is mostly entertaining - it's shocking what some people do in-flight. So, today's tip is ... don't be weird? Read the crazy things people have seen on planes here and share your crazy stories in the comments!

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

🌎 Top 12 Travel Stories of the Week

1 United Airlines Will Return to JFK With Several Daily Flights in a Deal With JetBlue
2 Southwest Airlines Recommits to Dallas Love Field, With Improvements on the Way
3 Newark Airport Runway to Reopen Monday After Construction
4 FAA Probing Near Collision at SFO Between United, SkyWest Jets
5 Solo Flyers May Pay More Than Pairs, Report Finds
6 United Airlines Changes Check-In Cutoff Time
7 Fewer International Tourists Are Visiting the U.S. — Economic Losses Could Be 'Staggering,' Researchers Estimate
8 Hawaii's Governor Signs New Hotel Tax Legislation To Help Cope With Climate Change
9 Los Angeles-Bound Flight Diverted After Dog Falls Ill
10 Shirtless American Airlines Passenger Tackles, Pins Crew Member As Flight To Chicago Is Thrown Off Course
11 Canadian Man’s Layover Chaos Leads To Federal Charges In Alleged Airport Attack
12 Here’s How Many Fake Reviews Tripadvisor Found on Its Website in 2024
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).