The excursions, tours, performances, and other activities you experience on your travels can make or break a trip. No one wants to be disappointed when an activity booking doesn’t work out or turns out not to be what you though it was—so you’ll want to be able to search offerings, and preferably to compare ratings of them. Plus, it’s essential to make sure you’re booking with reputable ticket websites offering reasonable prices. 

The Best Excursion Ticket Websites for Travelers

Here are seven ticket websites and providers that won’t let you down. Click to read more.

Viator
GetYourGuide
Tripadvisor
StubHub
Airbnb Experiences
Atlas Obscura
Tiqets
Groupon

Viator

Owned by TripAdvisor, Viator is a vast activity and excursion ticket website; one of the largest out there. Travelers can book anything from airport shuttle service, to guided tours, to skip-the-line admission at attractions all over the world. And because it’s similar to TripAdvisor, travelers can also browse reviews of the activity they’re eyeing. Most listings include comprehensive details about the tour and a generous cancellation policy (usually 24-hours prior to the activity with no penalty).

Viator does not operate the tours it sells. Rather, it’s a search engine of things to do. As such, its offerings tend to focus on cities and better-known travel destinations, although that includes excursions out of those places into the surrounding areas; like tours from Boston to New Hampshire’s White Mountains, tours of the Dutch countryside from a departure point in Amsterdam, etc. This makes Viator a great option for travelers who want to headquarter themselves in one hotspot but still experience the broader region. 

GetYourGuide

Another day-tour-heavy option, GetYourGuide overlaps somewhat with Viator, but is focused more solely on experiences and tours (Viator includes services such as airport and in-town transportation services). Functionally, the sites aren’t very different; both offer an opportunity to compare tours and prices. And on that last note, it can be worth checking both: I found the exact same Niagara Falls day tour from Toronto on both sites. GetYourGuide allowed guests to book the base tour without the optional lunch and boat cruise for just $79, while Viator required guests to book the entire package for $138.

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor leverages its massive inventory of user generated content to roll the research and booking process into one. Users can access all the standard tour information—such as age range, duration, start time, and language—while also browsing reviews and real-life photos from travelers who have actually booked the activity. The experience pages also feature what percentage of travelers would recommend a given activity, based on the “percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher.” The authenticity of the one-to-one style recommendations and opinions of fellow travelers can help give users the confidence to book.

Travelers without a specific landmark or tour in mind can also search for activities organized into top destinations like Las Vegas, Miami, and Washington D.C.

StubHub

For more event-focused resale ticket website StubHub is a useful last-minute option for verified tickets to everything from sports and concerts to comedy shows and theater seats. For the uninitiated, StubHub is a resale marketplace for ticket holders (and, let’s be honest, scalpers) to unload tickets they can’t use. This means shopping on StubHub is a double-edged sword: You’ll likely pay well above face value for high-demand or sold out events, but you can also find great deals at the last minute if the opposite is true. In the former case, StubHub (or similar initial-sale and resale option Ticketmaster) may be your only viable option. And in the latter case, StubHub can be a savvy way to save or even make some money; keep that in mind if you’ve ever bought some event tickets and then couldn’t attend.

Airbnb Experiences

Airbnb is all about living like a local, and Airbnb Experiences is no different. The emphasis here is on small or even private tours led by locals rather than tour companies, with an eye toward unique experiences rather than traditional sightseeing. Sometimes these experiences can be tailored to your interests: I booked a private bicycle tour of Berlin through Airbnb Experiences a few years back, and the guide all but ditched his preset itinerary and improvised based on my interests. As a result I got to see parts of the city I might never have found on my own. 

One important consideration to remember: These are often regular folks, not full-time professional guides or tour operators, so it’s a good idea to bring a go-with-the-flow attitude on your excursion. Your experience may not be as polished or precise as a traditional tour, even if the host has been doing this for a while. Of course, the point of these experiences is to forgo those cookie cutter tours in favor of something different. AirBnB includes reviews and makes it easy to communicate with the experience host beforehand, so don’t hesitate to ask questions prior to booking.

Atlas Obscura

Speaking of forgoing the cookie cutter experience, Atlas Obscura focuses, as its name implies, on all things obscure: The bizarre, forgotten, and hard-to-reach corners of a given city or destination that you wouldn’t normally find on excursion ticket websites. While nowhere near as robust as the other entries on this list, Atlas Obscura also offers a curated selection of tours and experiences. It’s currently in a half dozen U.S. cities, with more to come. Think: A guided wine-and-bug (yes, insects) pairing experience in Los Angeles, or a trip inside a holographer (maker of holograms) laboratory in New York. The tours are offered through Atlas Obscura, but AirBnB handles the booking. After all, anyone can visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame, right? So why not be different and check out a … Sewage Garden? 

Tiqets

Launched in 2014, Amsterdam-based company Tiqets is a comparatively newer ticketing platform that emphasizes flexibility and convenience. Optional free cancellation polices are available on all bookings, allowing travelers to cancel tickets up to 11:59PM the night before the event. Tiqets also offers last minute deals on activities and events like palace tours, broadway shows, and city sightseeing tours. Browse by location or get inspired by their list of Most Popular Places to Visit. Tickets can be managed through their app (iOS | Android).

Groupon

With a broader focus than the other sites on this list, Groupon can find great deals on everything from guided tours to restaurants at your destination. To search specifically for event tickets and travel activities, enter your destination in the search bar and browse their Things to Do category, which includes subcategories like Kids’ Activities, Nightlife, and Sports & Outdoors. From there, travelers can filter by price range, distance from the main destination, rating, and season.

Users can also browse via their Hotels & Travel section to book an entire trip via Groupon Getaways.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.

The post The 8 Best Ticket Websites for Booking Day Tours and Travel Activities appeared first on SmarterTravel.

In addition to the option of booking directly with your airline, there are dozens of flight booking websites, also known as online travel agencies (OTAs), to choose from. The uncomfortable truth is that no one flight search engine can guarantee the best price 100 percent of the time, but using a mix of the right resources can help ensure you’re not overpaying.

The Best Flight Booking Sites

The Best Flight Booking Sites

One important thing to remember about booking sites/OTAs is that Southwest fares are not sold on them. Some other airlines have also pulled their fares from some booking sites, but most airlines do make their fares available.

Here’s why these 14 are the best flight booking sites and metasearch options out there, and the best defining feature of each. Since it’s impossible to know which site will provide the best price for your particular trip, you should always compare fares from a few sources before you book.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparing Flight Types – Travelocity

It should be noted that Expedia owns Travelocity, so this flight booking site basically gives you Expedia price results with a different color scheme and organizational preferences. Travelocity’s homepage is streamlined but doesn’t offer a flexible-dates search. On the results page, bag fees are revealed by clicking a drop-down for each fare, which makes it a little difficult to compare fees (you will likely have to scroll a bit). Travelocity rates each flight itinerary with a score on a scale of 10, which takes into account the duration, type of aircraft, and “quality of amenities” available onboard from “Very Good” to “Satisfactory” to “Fair.” Travelocity charges booking fees for some but not all flights.

Best Feature: The out-of-10 flight rating assigns each itinerary a clear score, so you’re a lot less likely to mistakenly book a long layover or miss out on a better itinerary with Travelocity.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparison Shopping- BookingBuddy

Editor’s note: BookingBuddy is owned by SmarterTravel Media, SmarterTravel.com’s parent company.

Compare multiple airfare sites with one click to find the best flight deals on BookingBuddy. This metasearch site lets you easily compare prices from other sites (like Priceline) without having to do a bunch of different searches. You can choose which flight search sites you want to compare, and BookingBuddy opens up a new tab with your selected flight dates and destinations already filled in.

Looking for a flight and hotel? BookingBuddy offers a combination flight and hotel search that can save you some decent money by bundling.

Best Feature: Sign up for a price drop alert, and BookingBuddy will email you when costs drop on your route.

Best Flight Search Site for Transparency- Expedia

As previously mentioned, Expedia is nearly identical to Travelocity, but fares did vary between the two sites on some of my searches. As with Travelocity (and to be fair, a number of other OTAs), Expedia will try to up-sell you on adding a hotel to your itinerary. This can save you money, but be sure to compare prices before you book. On the results page is a “Show flexible dates” option so you can see whether cheaper flights are available if you shift your trip a day or two. Expedia charges variable booking fees (and they are not always the same fees that Travelocity charges). When you select your fare from the list of options, there’s an interstitial step that displays what is and isn’t covered in the fare, including seat selection, cancellations, changes, and baggage rules.

Best Feature: Like its subsidiary Travelocity, Expedia basically double-checks that you understand what sort of fare you’re choosing before you click “select” again. It’s a helpful bit of transparency in today’s cluttered airfare landscape.

Best Flight Search Site for Nonstop Flights- CheapOair

Much like Travelocity and Expedia, flight search sites CheapOair and OneTravel are versions of the same product, owned by Fareportal Inc. CheapOair charges the same booking fee as OneTravel: from $0 to $35 per ticket. Though the sites are owned by the same company, the fare results are not always identical, so it’s worth checking both. CheapOair shows some “Super Saver Fares” for which you don’t find out the airline you’ll be flying until after you book—which means you also don’t find out what baggage fees apply until after you book. However, the savings might be worth it.

Best Feature: CheapOair prioritizes nonstop prices over itineraries with stops, organized in an easy-to-read chart that’s organized by airline.

Tripadvisor Flights

Tripadvisor is known for its hotel reviews, and now travelers can apply their ratings to airlines, plus search for airfare on Tripadvisor Flights. On testing this flight booking site it’s clear that Tripadvisor doesn’t always serve up the cheapest fares, but sometimes it did. It always, however, gives you the option to surface Expedia, Travelocity, and other flight booking sites’ results, so you can compare right away with one click. Tripadvisor Flights also has some helpful search options up front, like a checkbox for prioritizing nonstop flights.

Best Feature: Tripadvisor’s flight search tool is unique from others in that it offers review-based FlyScores of airlines alongside their fares, so you’re less likely to book with an obscure, poorly rated airline without realizing it.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a popular metasearch site that works with hundreds of other travel providers to find the best fares. You can specify nonstop-flights-only right from the homepage, and there’s also a handy “everywhere” option if you don’t have a particular destination in mind and want to see what’s available. Search results show the “best” option (based on a combination of price and speed) as well as the fastest and cheapest, and you can filter by airline, alliance, number of stops, and flight times. When you select a result, you’ll see a variety of places to book that particular flight. Skyscanner casts a wide net, so you’ll often see very cheap fares from booking sites you’ve never heard of; to help you figure out how trustworthy they are, Skyscanner shows user star ratings for each.

Best Feature: For flyers concerned about the environmental impact of their travel, Skyscanner has a unique “Greener flights” filter, which shows only itineraries with lower-than-average CO2 emissions based on your search. The site also highlights certain itineraries in your results as a “greener choice.”

OneTravel

OneTravel borrows its interface from Google Flights’ calendar search feature. When you enter your departure and destination airports, the dates field brings up a calendar with prices pre-populated. This is a helpful feature for immediately honing in on the travel dates with the best prices if and when your dates are flexible.

One major drawback: OneTravel charges a steep service fee of up to $35 per ticket. OneTravel also offers different (and in my opinion, sometimes worse) itineraries than most at the top of its results page. Many highlighted itineraries, upon closer inspection, include an extra stop. It’s important to make sure you’re comparing the same exact flights by looking at the flight number, or at least by keeping track of the different options.

Best Feature: The calendar organization that’s hard to find on other flight booking sites is the most ideal format if you’re flexible on travel dates.

Travelzoo

Travelzoo is quite different from the other sites listed here. Instead of booking specific itineraries, you can search broad timelines (this week, next month, this summer, etc.) for deals in your desired destination by either month or season. This makes Travelzoo a good fit for people with a budget and time frame, but no firm idea of when or even where they want to go. The downside is that if you do have specific plans in mind—for example, you need a flight to Omaha in March—Travelzoo is not likely to be helpful.

Best Feature: Travelzoo’s flexibility requirement can afford some great deals you won’t find elsewhere, like cheap business-class flights and multi-city itineraries that will make a dream trip a lot more affordable than you’d think.

Google Flights

Google Flights is a powerful, simple metasearch site that comes free of ads and distractions. After you enter your departure and arrival airports, the calendar pre-populates with prices so you can target dates with lower fares (OneTravel uses this tool). Once you have your results, you can track fares on your selected dates and receive updates by email. You can also view fares over various dates using the “Price Graph,” which shows you a bar graph that makes it easy to see when the lowest fares are available.

Best Feature: Instead of putting in a certain city as a destination, you can put in a larger region such as Europe or South Africa. You’ll then see fares to various cities within that region displayed all at once on a map. This can be helpful if you want to go to Europe in April, for example, but don’t have a particular destination in mind.

Kayak

Often imitated and frequently duplicated, Kayak was a game-changer when it launched back in the mid-2000s. And it’s still one of the most powerful metasearch tools available. You can also set up fares alerts to track prices over time. The interface is noisier than Google Flights thanks to a preponderance of ads, but still easy to use. Like Google, it has a flexible search feature that lets you search for good deals to a region like Europe or even simply put in “anywhere.” Another handy feature available on many itineraries: an “Our Advice” box that lets you know whether you should buy now or wait, depending on whether Kayak thinks fares will go up or down over the next seven days.

Best Feature: Its Hacker Fares claim to piece together separate one-way tickets, potentially saving you money compared to similar itineraries, and its wide range of filters, sorting options, and predictive technologies put a lot of tools at travelers’ disposal.

Momondo

Like Kayak, Momondo is a metasearch site that takes you to other sites to make your purchase. One plus: Momondo surfaces results from Southwest, including flight times and other details from the carrier … but no prices. Only by clicking through to Southwest could I see the fare. Still, it’s nice to have a reminder that Southwest is an unlisted option. Another plus: Momondo searches for fares from a ton of smaller OTAs, which could lead to a deal that other metasearch tools miss.

Best Feature: The mention of Southwest is unique to Momondo. It gets kudos for flagging a reminder to check a competitor for something it doesn’t offer.

Nomad from Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com is an OTA like many others; you book directly on the site (as you would on Expedia) rather than being linked off to a different site (as you would on Kayak or Momondo). But what sets it apart is its Nomad search engine, which lets you find cheap itineraries for multi-destination trips. You enter the starting and ending places of your journey as well as the cities where you want to stop along the way, including how many nights you want to spend in each place. Hit “find routes,” and the site will put together an itinerary that mixes and matches airlines and routes for the lowest possible price. (For example, I was quoted a route involving four flights—New York City to Rome to Moscow to Tokyo and back to New York—for a measly $1,031 round-trip.) You can filter your results to weed out routes with multiple layovers or flights that don’t include checked baggage.

Best Feature: This is by far the easiest tool I’ve used to research around-the-world and multi-stop itineraries.

airfarewatchdog

Full disclosure, airfarewatchdog is a sister site to SmarterTravel, so we are slightly biased with this one, but promise it is worth your while. Airfarewatchdog is the best for flexible travelers who are just looking for a great deal on airfare. Search fares from a city, to a city, or you can “choose an adventure,” which will show you fares from your city to various hotspots depending on what you are looking for – castles, caves, coffee, you name it, airfarewatchdog will point you in the right direction. Their blog features great travel tips, and one of the best features is the fare alerts you can sign up for. If you know you want to travel somewhere, but all you want is a cheap price, sign up for an alert, and you’ll find out as soon as the price dips so you can book it right away.

Best Feature: The fare alert- it allows you to stop searching daily for that perfect price! Let airfarewatchdog do the work for you.

Hopper

Hopper is actually an app for your phone, not a website, but it is worth putting on here just the same. Have you ever been scared to book a flight because it might go down, or afraid to not book it in case it goes up? One of the features of Hopper that makes it shine is its price predictor, which means you never have to worry about making the wrong booking decision. Another bonus is it shows you the price with all of the fees and taxes included, so there is no sticker shock when you finally go to book. After you search, if you aren’t ready to book, you can set up an alert to watch that trip, dates and all. 

Best Feature: Hands down the price predictor. 

Which Flight Booking Site is Best for Me?

In determining which of these sites are the best ones for you to compare prices with, it’s helpful to determine which sites meet your trip-booking needs. Do you want to clearly see bag fees up front? Do you want an easy “flexible dates” function, or are your dates firm? If your travel plans are loose, do you want to see prices for multiple destinations? Different flight booking sites have different capabilities.

Once you determine which site is worth your time depending on the trip, compare prices with a few to make sure you’re getting the best deal. And always check the airline’s own site: OTAs are good at displaying fees associated with an individual flight, but it’s trickier to compare fare options (classes like basic economy vs. economy) on that flight.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that this list can be separated into two main types: booking sites (also called OTAs) that you book directly with as a third party, and aggregators otherwise known as metasearch sites that’ll send you to a booking site to make your transaction. The latter are better if you want to use any frequent flyer programs you might belong to and acquire points.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Sarah Schlichter and Megan Johnson  contributed to this story.

The post The 14 Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare appeared first on SmarterTravel.

You get to the airport early, your luggage is checked, you have your boarding pass in hand—and you find out that your flight is overbooked. While airlines can usually find passengers willing to take a different flight in exchange for compensation, it’s the unfortunate truth that the act of involuntarily bumping passengers is pretty commonplace. Most people go calmly, if not happily. But legally if the airline tells you to go, you have to go.

Fortunately, you have rights when you are involuntarily bumped. The Department of Transportation takes this issue seriously and has several rules in place designed to protect and compensate affected passengers. The DOT’s website has the full rules, but here are the highlights:

• First, the DOT requires airlines to give passengers “a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn’t.”
• If the airline re-accomodates you on a flight that gets you to your final destination within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.
• If the alternative flight gets you there between one and two hours later (or between one and four hours on international flights), you should receive an amount equal to “200% of your one-way fare to your final destination that day, or $775, whichever amount is lower.”
• Finally, if you’re more than two hours late (four hours internationally), or if the airline doesn’t re-accomodate you at all, you should get “400% of your one-way fare, or $1,550, whichever amount is lower.”

The airline must also refund any optional services you paid for (like seat selection) if you don’t receive them on the alternative flight.

Your carefully scheduled travel plans can be significantly disrupted by an involuntary bumping. While bumping remains relatively rare, the DOT has noted an increased rate of bumping since the start of the pandemic, with July through September of 2022 seeing a bumping rate of 0.22 per 10,000 passengers as compared to 0.19 per 10,000 passengers for the same period in 2019.

So it probably won’t happen to you, which is good. But it’s still important to know your rights. Decrease your chances of getting bumped even further by booking on the airlines that are least likely to bump passengers.

The post What Are Your Rights When You’re Involuntarily Bumped? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Booking a tropical Caribbean or seaside vacation during hurricane season is always something of a gamble. The statistical chances of a hurricane impacting your trip are rather slim, but certainly not zero. And while some years are quiet, with only a handful of named storms threatening tourism areas, overall the trend appears to be heading toward an increase in hurricane intensity.

Understandably, this might have you considering hurricane travel insurance for your next trip to a hurricane-vulnerable area. But there are a few things you should know before buying coverage.

You Have to Buy Well in Advance

As with all forms of insurance, hurricane travel insurance typically protects you against hurricanes that could happen. If you wait to buy coverage until a hurricane appears imminent, has formed, or has been named, insurance companies can claim the storm in question was a “foreseeable event,” which is ineligible for coverage. Every insurance policy is different—some stipulate that you must purchase coverage 24 hours prior to the storm being named, while some require you to purchase even sooner.

Bottom line: Don’t wait until the storm is barreling toward your destination. If you’re traveling to a potential strike area during peak hurricane season, buy insurance well in advance.

A Flood of Fine Print

It’s no secret that insurance companies load their policies with fine print. Hurricane travel insurance is no different. Travel insurance providers have very particular parameters for what “counts” as a hurricane, at least in terms of covering customers. The threat of a hurricane usually isn’t enough to qualify—the hurricane has to directly impact your travel.

Insurance provider Travel Guard explains that if the hurricane “prevents your travel or directly affects your accommodations, you may be entitled to Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption benefits.” However, making an independent choice to cancel in anticipation of inclement weather is not covered. For example, unforeseen storm damage to your accommodations prior to departure may be covered by your plan (“subject to the terms of the insurance policy”), but a choice to cancel your reservation in anticipation of potential damage would not qualify.

Cancellation vs. Interruption vs. Delay

Hurricane travel insurance plans (and most travel insurance plans) typically cover three primary scenarios, with different levels of coverage: Advance cancellation, trip interruption, and delay. Each is fairly self-explanatory, but cancellation covers the full cancelling of your trip prior to departure. Trip interruption covers your losses for the unused portions of a trip cut short by a hurricane, plus transportation expenses to get you home. Trip delay coverage takes care of meals, lodging, and other expenses incurred when a trip is delayed by weather.

The bar for cancellation coverage is fairly high. In most cases, your provider, such as an airline or tour company, must completely cease services for at least 24 hours as a result of the hurricane. This can include a resort shutting down due to damage from a hurricane prior to your trip. The point is, you can’t typically elect to cancel your trip due to a hurricane (except for those who purchased one specific type of insurance; more on that below). Your trip has to be cancelled by your providers for the insurance to take effect.

The same goes for trip interruption and trip delay coverage. If you choose to leave because you’re worried about an actual hurricane heading roughly in your direction, your policy will likely not take effect. Your provider must postpone all services for a short period of time for coverage to apply.

Bottom line: You don’t get to decide when your insurance kicks in, so you need to understand exactly how your policy defines your coverage threshold.

Cancel for Any Reason

One way to avoid all these rules and stipulations is a policy that lets you cancel for any reason (CFAR). These policies are exactly what they sound like: They let you cancel for any reason, including if you’re worried about a hurricane that could affect your trip, but they cover only cancellation; interruption coverage remains separate. CFAR coverage is usually pricey, and comes as an optional add-on to regular insurance. It doesn’t always offer the same level of reimbursement, but it generally provides the most reassurance that you’ll get something if and when you’re worried about a hurricane.

Where to Compare

There are dozens of sites that let you shop for hurricane travel insurance. The best place to start is a comparison site that lists options from multiple insurance providers, such as SquareMouth, InsureMyTrip, QuoteWright, or TravelInsurance.com. From there, make sure you evaluate your policy closely on the actual insurance provider’s site. NerdWallet also maintains a very comprehensive list of insurance providers and comparison sites if you’d like a longer list of options.

The post How to Buy Hurricane Travel Insurance appeared first on SmarterTravel.

AccuWeather predicts a mild autumn, with the warmer temperatures likely to delay foliage displays in popular leaf-peeping destinations. When they do arrive, however, they predict a riot of color in the Northeast, Great Lakes and the mid-Mississippi Valley regions.

NewEngland.com shares a similar outlook, citing the drought experienced this past summer by areas of the Northeast as a contributing factor to the later foliage in the area. Similarly, higher temperatures in the Southeast may cause a slight delay. 

SmokyMountains.com offers an interactive foliage map of the United States, showing when fall colors are predicted to peak in your region. Peak time across the country overall seems to be set firmly in mid-October for 2022, depending on the area you’re looking to visit.

Carol McPherson contributed to this article.

The post Here’s When Fall Foliage Colors Are Predicted to Peak in Your State appeared first on SmarterTravel.

But if you still don’t have REAL ID-compliant form of identification (more on that in a moment), good news: DHS will now allow you to submit your documentation electronically beforehand. Your state’s DMV website should have more information when you go online to complete the process.

This should save time when you visit the DMV (or AAA office) to complete your application. That’s good news, since Chad Wolf, the acting DHS secretary, has said two-thirds of Americans still don’t have a REAL ID-compliant license.

“Ensuring every state is REAL ID compliant by October is one of the department’s top priorities,” Wolf said. “While progress has been made, the real work is still ahead.” 

If you do submit electronically, you’ll still need to bring hard copies of your documents with you, but submitting them online will save time at the DMV and mitigate the risk of showing up with invalid or incorrect documents and having to start over. I saw this happen to someone when I got my own REAL ID at the RMV, and rest assured, the only thing worse than spending time at the DMV is having to go home and do it over.

What Is REAL ID, Again?

The REAL ID Act of 2005 essentially established nationwide standards for the issuance of identification. Why? Because up until now, Americans have carried a hodgepodge of IDs, mostly issued by states, each their own differing standards. Each state sets its own criteria for acquiring an ID as well as its own rules for what information is included on the ID itself.

Post-9/11, the government decided this was less than ideal, passed a law fixing the situation, and gave states what turned out to be about 15 years to comply. (The original, actual deadline was in 2016, but non-compliant states received extensions.) And so, here we are.

The primary implication of the law concerns travel. Starting October 1, 2021, all domestic travelers must bring a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or other form of identification when they fly. This includes passports, but few people use their passport when traveling domestically, so the government has been working to raise awareness of the change and the deadline.

Readers, are you ready for the REAL ID reality?

Our Favorite Products for Staying Travel-Ready:

More from SmarterTravel:

• How to Renew a Passport, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck
• 6 Passport Rules for Faster Renewal
• What the New York Global Entry Ban Means for Travelers

The post REAL ID Documents Can Be Submitted Online appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Canada Passport Requirements for U.S. Citizens

U.S. citizens will want to use a valid passport with at least one blank page for an entry stamp to go to Canada. Though you can also use a passport card or NEXUS to enter Canada, you will need a passport book to reenter the U.S. The simplest thing is to just bring your passport, since it’s the only document that works in every scenario.

Visitors over the age of 16 entering Canada must provide proof of citizenship and proof of identity, while minors under 16 must only prove their citizenship. These distinctions are mostly academic since a passport, passport card, or NEXUS card will work in both cases.

One note regarding minors, per the State Department: “If you plan to travel to Canada with a minor who is not your own child or for whom you do not have full legal custody, [Canadian border officials] may require you to present a notarized affidavit of consent from the minor’s parents.”

Additional Requirements for Traveling to Canada

Visa: No, for stays under 180 days

Vaccinations: No

What to Do if You Lose Your Passport in Canada

Take every precaution to keep your passport secure, such as carrying it in a hidden passport holder, keeping it locked in a safe, and emailing copies to yourself or a loved one before traveling.

If you do lose your passport, report the loss immediately to the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Canada.

So, Do I Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

The answer is yes, if you are a U.S. citizen you will want to use a valid passport with at least one blank page for an entry stamp to go to Canada.

More Information When Visiting Canada

The U.S. Department of State provides detailed information, including travel advisories and passport validity requirements, to your destination.

Destination Canada is a great resource for things to do and places to stay, as well as everything you need to know before you go when planning a trip to the country.

If you happen to be traveling with a pet, keep in mind that you will need various paperwork depending on the animal.

More from SmarterTravel:

• 5 Exotic Places Where You Don’t Need a Passport
• How to Renew a Passport, Global Entry, and TSA PreCheck—The Ultimate Guide
• How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2016. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Kate H. Knapp contributed to this story.

The post Canada Passport Requirements: Do I Need a Passport to Go to Canada? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Nearly a year has passed since the Boeing 737-MAX last flew in early 2019. The fate of the beleaguered aircraft remains very much in doubt, with no true sense of when the airline might return to the skies.

For now, the airline appears grounded through at least late summer. American, United, and Southwest have all pulled the MAX from their schedules until mid-August or early September, an indication that they do not expect the plane to return to service before then. Airlines have made similar moves several times since the MAX was grounded, usually cancelling flights or shifting aircraft onto different routes to account for the lost capacity.

In January, Boeing said it doesn’t expect regulators to approve the MAX until June or July, though that target is far from certain. The company halted production on the plane around the same time.

Just this past week, however, a new problem appeared: Debris in the fuel tanks of as many as 35 completed aircraft, reportedly “tools and rags,” which can (obviously) cause major problems with an aircraft in flight. In a statement, the airline said it is “taking steps to make sure we eliminate FOD (foreign object debris) from any and all aircraft. This is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated on any Boeing aircraft when it’s delivered to the customer.”

Boeing’s CEO told NBC in Seattle: “It’s basic discipline. It’s nothing more, nothing less than production discipline. It’s every employee, every associate looking after their work, their area every moment in time, to make sure the FOD never arises again.”

Boeing said the discovery would not impact that summer timeframe for returning the MAX to service. But this isn’t the first time fresh problems have been found in the long-grounded planes: In February 2020 software issues were yet again reported, and cracks in the aircraft wings were found prior, in addition to other previous issues.

Will Passengers Trust the MAX?

The underlying question for Boeing, following an extended (and very rocky) emergency grounding, is whether or not customers feel comfortable boarding the MAX again. No matter how thoroughly the airplane is tested prior to approval, there’s a real risk that travelers simply won’t trust the aircraft, fairly or not. And there’s little reason to believe that airlines or insurance companies would permit fear of flying on one as a legitimate reason for a refund.

In addition to the crashes that led to the grounding, the perception of Boeing and the MAX specifically is colored by quality control issues (see the above fuel tank debris and prior manufacturing problems) and questions about the Boeing’s commitment to safety, as well as the current FAA’s. If anything, the tragedy of those crashes seems to have pulled back the curtain at Boeing, revealing a culture that, at times, prioritized costs and profits over safety.

These issues strike at the heart of the single most important question about the MAX: When Boeing and the FAA says they’re ready to fly, will travelers take their word for it?

More from SmarterTravel:

• Will the 737 MAX Fly Again? Where Trust in Boeing Goes Now
• Emergency Order Grounds All 737 MAX Planes
• Ethiopian Airline Crash Raises Questions About a New Plane Model

The post One Year Later, Grounded Boeing 737-MAX Planes Have New Problems appeared first on SmarterTravel.

JetBlue founder David Neeleman is preparing to launch his fifth—yes, fifth—airline startup this year. And its name has finally been announced: Breeze Airways. The airline says it expects to begin flights by the end of 2020.

Neeleman is best known for founding ever-popular JetBlue, but has also launched: Morris Air, which flew from 1984 to 1992 before being sold to Southwest; WestJet, currently the second-largest carrier in Canada and ninth-largest in North American in terms of passengers carried; and Brazilian airline Azul, also one of the largest carriers in its home country. Morris Air is credited with developing the industry’s first e-ticketing system. So it’s safe to say that Neeleman’s is not a bad track record.

So, what’s the deal with Breeze? Details are scant at this point. In a release, the airline says its “initial markets will be mid-sized U.S. city pairs that currently have no nonstop service.” The plan is to “connect these cities with low-fare, high-quality nonstop flights, [and] with new consumer technology innovations, improving the flying experience while saving travelers both time and money.”

The aim is to fill a true need by serving alternative and underserved airports. Neeleman adds: “Breeze will fly non-stop service between places currently without meaningful or affordable service,” said Breeze’s CEO and President David Neeleman. “20 years ago, we brought humanity back to the airline industry with JetBlue.  Today, we’re excited to introduce plans for ‘the World’s Nicest Airline’.” Employees will apparently be measured by their “commitment to customer service and kindness.”

We can’t argue with any of that, but the proof will be in the service itself. USA Today reports that Breeze has leased 30 Embraer 195 airplanes from Azul, which are typically used on regional routes between small cities, and will apparently be delivered in May 2020. The airline has ordered 60 new (and larger) Airbus 220-300 planes for delivery starting in spring 2021, indicating an expansion into larger markets around that time.

Readers, are you excited for something new from the JetBlue braintrust?

More from SmarterTravel:

• 5 New Airlines to Watch for Cheap Flights
• The 10 U.S. Airlines That Charge the Most Baggage Fees, Ranked
• Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Search … and Raising Prices?

The post Get Ready for Breeze Airways, JetBlue’s Forthcoming Sister Airline appeared first on SmarterTravel.

There may not be a more disheartening experience than showing up to your destination, heading down to the baggage claim, and waiting, waiting, waiting … until the crowd thins, the barren carousel whirrs softly to a halt, and your bag is nowhere to be seen. Reality hits: The airline lost your bag. And instead of shuttling to your resort and hitting the pool, you’re off to customer service not knowing if you’ll ever see that new bathing suit again.

The truth is, lost baggage is a relatively rare occurrence. Collectively, airlines “mishandled” 4.68 bags for every 1,000 passengers in November 2019, the most recent month for which data is available. That’s not a lot. But the impact of those lost bags on travelers can be significant. Beyond a missing bathing suit, checked bags can include important medical equipment, materials for a business trip, or other valuable items. (It should be said, we generally advise against packing anything valuable in your checked bag for this exact reason.)

The Worst Airlines for Lost Luggage

All that said, some airlines are better than others at transporting your baggage from point A to point B. UpgradedPoints.com took a look at this BTS data over a year, and ranked airlines based on their lost luggage performance. The full rankings are here (along with rankings for other performance metrics) but there are some interesting highlights:

When you  look at the worst airlines for lost luggage relative to their size (the rate at which they lost luggage), four of the five worst performers were smaller regional carriers: Envoy Air, Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, and PSA Airlines. The other airline in the bottom five was American, and United came in sixth.

The airline with the most mishandled bags overall is Southwest, with a  lost luggage figure of over 40,000 during this time period. However, Southwest’s rate of mishandled bags was pretty average due to the fact that Southwest also operates more flights than anyone else on the list.

The airline with the fewest mishandled bags was Allegiant, with Frontier, Hawaiian, Alaska, and Delta rounding up the top five best performers.

Readers, has an airline ever lost your bag? Share your story in the comments below.

More from SmarterTravel:

• The Worst Airlines for Lost Luggage 2019
• What to Do If You’ve Lost Your Bag, Wallet, Everything
• Airline and Airport Lost and Found: What to Do If You Leave Your Laptop (or Anything Else) on the Plane

The post The Airline Most Likely to Lose Your Bag appeared first on SmarterTravel.