Happy Mother's Day!

My son, Jack, is obsessed with dinosaurs and his favorite is the Maiasaura, which means “Good Mother.” It’s a reminder that even 76 million years ago, moms were showing up, protecting their babies and leading the way. Some things never change, and in my life, I saw that in my incredible mom and now see it in my amazing wife, who does the same for our children, each and every day. Wishing all the moms a very Happy Mother's Day today! BTW: Natalie wrote our annual Mother's Day Gift Guide so if you're looking for some really last minute gift ideas, you can check them out here.
🧹 Housekeeping
I hope you had a great week! For all of our new subscribers, this is a weekly round-up of the daily travel tips I shared throughout the week. Welcome!
❌ Newark Construction/ATC Shortage
There was a lot of travel news this week and leading the way was the complete mess at Newark Airport (EWR). So much so that an air traffic controller warned travelers to avoid Newark Airport at all costs and we learned why United has extended their travel waiver through May 23 for the airport, which is scary.
🪪 Real ID deadline
The other major story was the Real ID deadline, which really turned out to be a non-story. I went to LAX on Wednesday to see how things were going and you can see my video with a TSA spokesperson and my tips under Wednesday's tip below.
📰 In addition to reading 12 Things to Know in Travel, below are some stories that we wrote about:

✈️ American Airlines Launches Flagship Suite Seats Set to Debut This Summer
If you're an American Airlines frequent flyer, then you will be excited to read this news.
-Las Vegas Tragedy: Hotel Guest Falls After Breaking Window and Climbing Onto Ledge
-Child Damages $56 Million Piece of Art and Museum Offers Family a Return Visit
-Air Canada Offers Free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan Members on Select Flights Starting May 2025

In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 8:03am PT, there have been 110 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,554 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

'Avoid Newark Airport at All Costs': Air Traffic Controller Issues Warning Over Safety Concerns
This is a headline you don't want to read when you're planning your summer travels, especially if your travels involve traveling to, from or through Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). But one air traffic controller is sounding the alarm about safety at this airport. Read the story.

🛟Tuesday

U.S. Army Veteran Drowns While Saving 6-Year-Old Son and Niece from Rip Current in Florida — How to Spot a Rip Current
This tragic story will break your heart and the father involved is a hero. It serves as a reminder to everyone to be careful in the ocean, especially with summer around the corner. Here's how to spot a rip current so you can avoid it and what to do if you get caught in one.

🪪Wednesday

No REAL ID? No Problem ... At Least For Now
I just returned from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Together, the airport and TSA held a press conference to discuss today’s REAL ID deadline. It was eye-opening because there’s been so much talk about what would happen when enforcement day finally came. Here's what you need to know.

👏 Thursday

Behind the Scenes at Jeopardy! A Day as a Live Studio Audience Member
My mother-in-law is in town from Toronto and since she’s a big fan of the hit game show Jeopardy!, I decided to look into tickets for a taping and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were not only available, but they are free. Here's what you need to know.

⚠️ Friday

Don’t Fall For REAL ID Scams: Here’s How to Spot and Avoid Fraud
The REAL ID deadline arrived on May 7, 2025 and there were no problems ... at least for now. However, travelers are going to eventually need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of ID (like a passport) to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities. As millions of Americans scramble to update their documents, scammers are ready to take advantage of the confusion. Here's how to spot and avoid REAL ID fraud.

💺Saturday

The One Rule You Must Follow Before Reclining Your Seat on a Plane
There’s long been a debate about whether or not airline passengers should recline their seat. I will give you my opinion and that of a flight attendant shortly, but common sense tells you that if there’s a recline button, then there’s no problem. However, if you recline, you should always look back to either make sure the passenger behind you isn’t working on their laptop, eating or drinking a hot beverage. If they are, either wait or just kindly give them a heads up that you’re about to recline so their laptop doesn’t get crushed or their beverages spill. For basic common courtesy, never just forcibly recline your seat without warning. This just happened yesterday on a United flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Orlando (MCO). Here's what you need to know.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

🌎 Top 14 Travel Stories of the Week

1 Don’t Expect the Problems at Newark Airport to End Anytime Soon, Experts Say
2 San Francisco's Commuter Trains Stopped for Four Hours by Computer Outage
3 Newark Airport Suffers Another Tech Outage, FAA Says
4 Global Airlines Promised Luxurious Flights on a Fleet of A380 Superjumbos. The Launch Is Somewhat Different
5 Disney announces a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, its first new resort in a generation
6 You'll have to pay a new fee for Mexico cruises starting this summer
7 Asian airlines re-route, cancel flights due to India-Pakistan fighting
8 Controllers lost contact with Newark airplanes for 30 seconds last week, USDOT says
9 American climber dies on world's fifth-highest peak in Nepal
10 Spain opens probe after cable theft halts high-speed trains
11 Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz prison
12 United cutting 35 flights per day from Newark Airport as problems persist
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).