Forget to Check Your Stamp

Border agents are human too, and they can make mistakes. Before you step away from the counter, quickly check your passport to make sure that they have given you the correct arrival (or departure) stamp with the current date. If something was done incorrectly, it will be much more difficult to fix later on. 

Lie

Afraid a past arrest or criminal conviction will prevent you from entering the country? Lying about it certainly isn’t going to help. Border agents generally have access to records and databases from other countries, so they will quickly be able to see if you aren’t telling the truth in response to a question.

Falsifying information can get you banned from the country entirely, either for a designated period of time or even for life.

Be Rude

Going through a round of seemingly endless questions at the border can be very frustrating. However, being rude or angry definitely won’t help matters. Remain patient and be exceedingly polite in all your interactions with border agents in order to make the entry process go more smoothly.

Take Photos

As you pass through border control in most countries, you’re likely to see big signs warning against taking photos or videos. Follow this direction, as snapping a picture (even if it’s just of yourself entering the country) can land you in trouble. 

Border control is considered a high-security area and taking pictures/videos can make you look suspicious and bring unwarranted attention to your traveling party. 

Joke Around

Jokes about smuggling drugs or never leaving the country might be funny among your friends, but if border agents overhear these comments, you’ll definitely be in trouble. Just like when going through airport security, staff at borders have to take all comments completely seriously, no matter how obvious you think it is that you’re joking. 

Be Unprepared

Always do your research before you leave the country as to what you’ll need to enter your destination. Some countries only accept payments for visas or other fees in cash (in the local currency), so you should make sure you’ll have the correct amount on hand.

Consult the embassy website for the country you’re visiting to determine if you’ll need a visa in advance, proof of vaccinations, or any other requirements for entry. You certainly don’t want to be put back on a plane home right after getting off a long flight just because you didn’t have the right documents. 

The post 6 Things You Should Never Do When Crossing a Border appeared first on SmarterTravel.

That doesn’t mean you can’t step off the plane looking beautiful rather than bedraggled—there are still some discreet and fragrance-free inflight beauty treatments you can do. Here’s how to create your own seatback spa in a way that won’t draw the attention (or ire) of everyone in your row.

Dissolving Teeth Whitening Strips

Emerge from the plane with whiter teeth to show off in your vacation snapshots. Snow’s unique teeth-whitening strips dissolve in your mouth as you use them, so you don’t have to worry about taking them off and disposing of them. 

Plus, the strips feature a lavender and mint flavor that will leave your breath fresh once you deplane.

A Discreet Face Mask

Doing a sheet mask inflight will definitely get you some weird looks, but no one will be the wiser if you opt for Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask instead. This fragrance-free (for the sake of your seatmates) mask comes in a creamy lotion form that you don’t have to rinse off after applying—just rub it in and relax. 

The Jet Lag mask is designed to combat typical skin issues that can occur after flying, such as dehydration and dullness.

Curl Your Hair

Have a full day ahead of you before you can check in to your hotel and shower? At least your hair can look good if you wear it in the RobeCurls Heatless Hair Curler set while on the plane. 

Designed to look like a normal headband, this accessory unobtrusively curls your hair—no heat required.

Lip Mask

Lips can get so chapped and dehydrated on long flights. Take preventative measures by applying Sephora’s Lip Sleeping Mask, a heavy-duty moisturizer that melts into your lips (and doesn’t need to be rinsed off).

The tube applicator means you can apply this mask without actually touching your lips, which is what you want in the germy airplane environment.

Hydrate

Does hydrating count as a beauty treatment? Considering that dry airplane air can contribute to dry and dull skin, chapped lips, and other unfortunate effects on your appearance, we say yes. 

Pack some electrolyte packets and a refillable water bottle (we love this purifying one) to make your own ultra-hydrating drink to sip on throughout the flight.

Self Heating Eye Mask

Skip the eye mask included in your inflight amenity kit in favor of one that does double duty as a beauty treatment. The Starry Eyes Eye Mask will not only block out light to help you sleep but is self-heating to help reduce eye puffiness. 

Once opened, the mask will warm up within 30 seconds and last for around 20 minutes.

The post 6 Inflight Beauty Treatments You Can Do Without Looking Too Weird appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Travel booking site Kayak aims to take the guesswork out of buying a plane ticket with its new Best Time to Travel tool. The site uses data from billions of travel queries to predict future flight prices and help travelers decide when the best time to go is—and when to buy for the best deal. 

How it Works

On the Best Time to Travel homepage, enter your destination and choose one of the preselected lengths of trip options (four days, seven days, or 14 days). There’s no way to filter down by airport here, only by city.

The tool will then tell you what month you should go for the best weather, the least amount of crowds, and the cheapest airfare. This can be helpful if you’re flexible on when you’re traveling, but if you have specific dates in mind, you’ll have to wait until the third step to get more customized data.

After you’ve completed step one, the tool allows you to narrow your trip down by month, and then will display the best dates to travel along with a price chart so you can see how fares fluctuate throughout the month. 

Once you’ve picked the dates you want to travel, scroll down to step three, where you can plug in your exact itinerary and Kayak will show you the latest date by when you should book your flight by in order to get the cheapest price.

The post This New Tool Will Tell You Exactly When to Book Your Flight for the Best Price appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Hawaii Passport Requirements

Since Hawaii is a state within the United States, citizens do not need a valid passport to travel to Hawaii from the mainland. However, starting on May 7, 2025, everyone will need a REAL ID for air travel, and not all states currently issue driver’s licenses that comply with these requirements. If yours doesn’t, you may need to carry a passport instead. For more information, see Everything Travelers Need to Know About the REAL ID Act.

How to Get a Passport for Travel to Hawaii

If you’re continuing on to a foreign country from Hawaii and need a passport or do not have a REAL ID for air travel, apply for a passport as soon as your travel is confirmed. The cost will be greater if applying for a passport within two weeks of travel time (in which case you will need an expedited application). You can learn more about passport requirements and documents needed to obtain a U.S. passport here.  Please note: processing times for new passports and renewals are currently 10 to 13 weeks. 

Other Hawaii Travel Requirements

Visa: No
Vaccinations: No

So, Do I Need a Passport to Visit Hawaii?

In summary: No, Hawaii passport requirements state that U.S. citizens don’t need a passport when traveling from the mainland to Hawaii since it is considered domestic travel, but starting on May 7, 2025, everyone will need a REAL ID for air travel. In this case, you may opt to use a passport just to be safe.

More Information When Visiting Hawaii

For information on how to apply or renew a passport, visit here.

Hawaii Tourism Authority 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 Hawaii.

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

A number of major airlines including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines, could be facing potential pilot strikes this summer.

How likely are these strikes to happen, and what happens if your flight is canceled because of one? Here’s what the pilot strikes could mean for travelers. 

What Airlines Could Be Impacted?

Pilot groups for several major airlines have indicated that strikes are on the table. Pilots at Canadian airline WestJet pilots issued a 72-hour pre-strike notice on May 15 and the carrier has already announced that it will be canceling flights due to the potential strike.

In the United States, pilots at both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have voted to authorize strikes. Although United Airlines pilots haven’t officially voted on a strike, they have been picketing at airports to demand new contracts over the last few months. 

Why Are Pilots Considering Striking?

Pilots are seeking better pay, more vacation time, and a better work-life balance. In a statement issued by United pilots, the pilots called attention to the age of their contact with the airline, saying, “United Pilots are operating under a contract with quality-of-work-life rules that we have not updated for more than 10 years.”

Earlier this year, Delta pilots successfully negotiated for significant pay increases along with more vacation and better benefits. Pilots at other major airlines are hoping to see similar changes. 

“United pilots will always be there for our customers,” said Captain Garth Thompson, United Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) Master Executive Council chair. “Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about management, who seems to think that a last-minute cancelation of a United pilot’s scheduled day off, or abrupt trip reassignments that extend into planned days off is acceptable for a United pilot’s family.” 

In addition to raises and benefits, pilots at Southwest are looking to address operational issues that have caused major cancelations and delays over the last few years. “Our pilots are tired of apologizing to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers,” said Southwest Airlines Pilots Association Casey Murray. 

What Happens if Your Flight Is Cancelled Due to a Pilot Strike?

Your rights are the same no matter if your flight was cancelled due to a pilot strike or bad weather. The airline should rebook you, free of charge. Unfortunately, if there is an ongoing pilot strike, finding a new flight to change to could be very difficult, as airlines will have a lot of stranded passengers to accommodate.

If you choose not to rebook and instead cancel your trip, you are entitled to receive a full cash refund (not a voucher). 

Many airlines also offer other benefits to stranded passengers, including hotel rooms and meals. Check what’s covered by your carrier at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airline Cancelation and Delay Dashboard. 

Will Travel Insurance Cover a Pilot Strike?

Most standard travel insurance policies will provide coverage for all prepaid and non-refundable trip expenses if a flight is significantly delayed or canceled due to a pilot strike. 

Steven Benna, Marketing Manager, Squaremouth, tells SmarterTravel “A strike can no longer be covered by travel insurance once it is considered a known event. However, the timing for when a strike is considered known can vary between plans.”

According to Benna, “Some providers consider a strike to be a known event once a formal announcement has been made. However, some providers consider it a known event as soon as the strike has been authorized.”

This means, depending on which policy you buy, a flight on Southwest Airlines or American Airlines might not be covered as their pilots have already voted to authorize strikes.

How Likely Is a Pilot Strike?

In the United States, airline workers must follow rules around striking laid out in the Railway Labor Act (RLA). Pilots won’t legally be able to strike unless federal mediators decide that negotiations between the pilots and the airlines are fruitless. Even then, the government could still block a strike from happening. 

It’s far more likely that the airlines will be able to reach an agreement with the pilots rather than resorting to strikes this summer—however, the possibility is not off the table.

The post Could Pilot Strikes Ruin Your Summer Travel Plans? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Thinking about booking? Better act fast, as the sale ends in the early morning of May 20.

Destinations on Sale

Deals will be available in 50 popular summer destinations worldwide, including:

• Santorini, Greece: $100 off flights
• Venice, Italy: $100 off flights
• Milan, Italy: $75 off flights
• Maldives: $100 off flights
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: $100 off flights
• Rome, Italy: $60 off flights
• Lisbon, Portugal: $75 off flights
• Tokyo, Japan: $60 off flights
• London, UK: $50 off flights

How to Book

The sale runs May 17 through May 20 at 3 am EST. You’ll only be able to get the discounted prices by booking directly in Hopper’s app. 

Are There Any Restrictions?

No blackout dates or restrictions apply to this sale.

How Can I Save on the Rest of My Trip?

Need a cheap hotel to go with your flight? You can find amazing discounts on hotels all over the world (without waiting for a sale) at SmarterTravel Hotels.

Book Now

The post Flash Sale Alert! Save up to $100 on Summer Flights to Europe & Other Hot Destinations appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The DOT just announced “plans to launch a new rulemaking” that will require airlines to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled because of reasons within the airline’s control (such as mechanical issues or crew staffing). Stranded passengers could receive coverage for expenses incurred due to the delay including meals, hotels, taxis, and rebooking costs. 

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This rule would, for the first time in U.S. history, propose to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking in cases where the airline has caused a cancellation or significant delay.” 

These rules would not apply when flight disruptions are due to a reason outside of the airline’s control, such as bad weather.

Most major U.S. airlines voluntarily offer these reimbursements—last year, the DOT unveiled an interactive airline customer service tool that helps flyers find out what they are entitled to if their flight is delayed or cancelled, and many airlines were pressured into increasing the compensation offered. The DOT now wants to make these voluntary reimbursements into law to give flyers more protection.

As part of the new rules proposal, the DOT is publishing a new site, FlightRights.gov, and expanding its airline customer service dashboard to show if additional compensation, such as cash, miles or vouchers are offered to passengers on delayed/cancelled flights.

Biden wants to push airlines to offer more than just a refund if a flight is cancelled, saying that if the cancellation or delay was within the airline’s control, “You deserve to be fully compensated. Your time matters. The impact on your life matters.”

Biden hopes that by holding airlines accountable for delays and cancellations, the number of disrupted flights will decrease. He pointed to a study that found that after the E.U. required airlines to compensate passengers for flight delays, the number of flight delays decreased. 

The White House did not give a firm date as to when these new rules will be proposed, only saying “later this year.”

The post Airlines May Soon Have to Pay Passengers for Delayed or Canceled Flights appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The answer to this question is a sneaky tactic that airlines use to improve their chances of having an on-time arrival. Known as “flight padding,” it’s a standard practice in the aviation industry.

Airlines will often overstate the scheduled flight time in order to give themselves a buffer against delays, allowing them to still count a flight towards its on-time statistics, even if the flight is actually slightly delayed.

According to a study conducted by FinanceBuzz, flight padding is a common practice. The study found that on average, airlines are padding their scheduled flight times by just over 10 percent, adding approximately 11 minutes on to a typical two-hour flight. 

When airlines list the flight duration time, they account for more than just the time spent in the air. FinanceBuzz reports, “Of the more than five million domestic flights scheduled in 2022, the median scheduled flight duration was exactly 120 minutes.” That flight duration time includes: 87 minutes of flight time, 22 minutes on the ground, and 11 minutes of schedule padding. 

Flight padding is more common on certain airlines. FinanceBuzz found that Southwest Airlines was the worst offender, buffering nearly 14 percent of their flights with extra time. Hawaiian Airlines adheres the closest to actual flying time, padding just 4.7 percent of flights. 

Since the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) defines a delayed flight as arriving 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time, adding 11 extra minutes on the clock can be a huge help to the airline. 

The post The Sneaky Tactic Airlines Use to Claim an On-Time Flight (Even When It’s Really Delayed) appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Although peanut butter has always been considered a liquid by the TSA, the classification recently came to light after a traveler had his peanut butter confiscated by the TSA and sent out a Tweet expressing his confusion. 

The TSA responded with a punny post of its own, taking to Instagram to declare: “You may not be nuts about it, but TSA considers your PB a liquid. In carry-on, it needs to be 3.4oz or less.”

To help passengers remember what is considered a liquid, the TSA offers this advice: “If you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it,” it’s subject to the liquids rule. Crunchy, smooth, no-stir, or natural—all types of peanut butter are liquids in the eyes of airport security.

Peanut butter (and other liquids) are allowed onboard in small quantities, so if you have a premade peanut butter sandwich, you’ll be fine. If you want to bring some peanut butter for later, you can buy it in mini pouches or individual cups that adhere to the liquids rule. Or, put the peanut butter in your checked bag, where you can bring as much Jif as your heart desires. 

If you’re unsure about bringing something on a plane, the TSA has a helpful search tool on their website. Simply enter what you want to pack and the TSA will show you official rules around bringing the item in both carry-on and checked bags. 

The post Is Peanut Butter a Liquid? Here’s What the TSA Says appeared first on SmarterTravel.

From who you can bring with you through expedited screenings to who can cut you in the security line, here are some important facts about the Trusted Traveler programs.

You Can’t Bring Your Kids Through With You

Only travelers with Global Entry memberships can go through Global Entry lanes at customs—no exceptions. This means parents/guardians traveling with children cannot bring their kids through with them unless the children have their own Global Entry memberships. 

However, children 12 and under can go through TSA PreCheck lanes with an adult who has a PreCheck membership. Children aged 13-17 traveling on the same reservation with an enrolled adult can only go through the TSA PreCheck lane if they have the TSA PreCheck indicator on their boarding pass. 

Interviews Upon Arrival are Available

If you can’t find a convenient Global Entry interview appointment, save yourself a trip out to the airport by doing Enrollment on Arrival during your next international trip. 

This program allows Global Entry applicants who are conditionally approved to complete their interviews upon arrival into the United States—no appointment necessary. Simply follow the airport signage to Global Entry after you land. Just remember to bring the required documents that you’ll need for your application (proof of residency and a valid passport.)

Global Entry Only Costs $22 More Than TSA PreCheck

If you’re going to leave the country at all in the next five years, it’s an easy decision to choose a Global Entry membership over TSA PreCheck. 

Global Entry costs $100 for five years, and TSA PreCheck costs $78 for the same time period. A Global Entry membership automatically includes a TSA PreCheck membership, plus offers expedited customs screenings when reentering the United States.

Both programs have a similar application process, and each require an in-person interview that includes fingerprinting.

The extra $22 for Global Entry is definitely worth it to be able to skip the long customs line after a long international flight!

Military Members Get PreCheck for Free

Active military members can participate in TSA PreCheck for free—no application or enrollment required.

To get the benefits of TSA PreCheck, simply enter your Department of Defense ID number as your Known Traveler Number when buying an airplane ticket, and you should automatically get the TSA PreCheck symbol on your boarding pass.

Unfortunately, military members don’t get Global Entry for free. 

Global Entry Applications Take a Long Time

Want to get a Global Entry membership before your next international trip? Better plan ahead, as according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Global Entry applications are currently taking between 4-6 months to be processed. 

Additionally, appointments for application interviews are often booked up two or more months out at major airports. 

You Don’t Even Need to Show Your Passport With Global Entry

Entering the United States with Global Entry has gotten even faster lately. When the program first launched, flyers had to use a machine to scan their passports and fingerprints in order to be processed. Now, most airports feature kiosks with facial recognition technology, so all you have to do is snap a photo of your face and you’re done. 

You Might Still Get Cut in Line

One of the best parts of having a TSA PreCheck membership is getting to feel smug when you cut all of the regular flyers in line for security. Unfortunately, you might still get cut in line yourself, as CLEAR members get top priority in line.

A CLEAR membership only allows you to skip the security line—if you’re tempted to sign up, just know that you’ll also need to pay for a TSA PreCheck membership if you want screening perks like going through the metal detector instead of the body scanner.

Watch out for Scam Websites

When you’re ready to apply for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, you might just Google the name of the program and sign up through the first link you see.

There are a number of sponsored links that show up first in Google search results for both programs that are not the official application sites.

Only apply for Global Entry through the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection website and TSA PreCheck through the TSA’s website. Remember to look for a URL ending in .gov to make sure you are on a real government website, and not a spoof site pretending to be official. 

The post 8 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About TSA PreCheck & Global Entry appeared first on SmarterTravel.