A Texas woman took to Facebook after her 9-year-old left his stuffed gorilla at a California hotel. A stranger saw the post, went an hour out of her way to pick it up, then documented the gorilla’s journey home. Absolutely watch this if you need a smile!
How to land the best flight deals
Spring break is around the corner, and Sundays are the best day to book trips, so let’s talk travel hacks. My dad worked for United Airlines, so I grew up on airplanes. I’ve explored 38 countries (and counting!) with plenty more on my bucket list. Let’s get you the best deals!
How to land the best flight deals
✈️ Check for 24-hour price drops: Booked a flight? Some airlines let you cancel within 24 hours for free. If you find a lower price, cancel and rebook. Easy savings.
🔔 Set up price alerts: Google Flights and Kayak will email you when prices drop. The best time to book? One to three months ahead for domestic flights and four to six months out for international. (Note to self: This means next week.)
📅 Fly on the cheap days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are usually the cheapest. Red-eyes and early morning flights also cost less and are less likely to be delayed or canceled.
🛫 Be flexible: Try Google’s Explore feature to spot budget-friendly dates. Skyscanner’s Cheapest Month tool is neat. Instead of choosing a date, click Flexible Dates and watch the prices fluctuate.
🛑 Hidden-city ticketing (use with caution): Skiplagged finds flights where your destination is a layover, which can save you cash. Just don’t check a bag. It won’t follow you.
VIP experience secrets
If “budget” is not in your lexicon, you can bypass many airport hassles.
PS (Private Suite) at LAX and ATL
- Get private TSA screening and a terminal with no lines. Think velvet couches and chilled champagne. Board via a private car on the tarmac and have a similar arrival service.
- PS costs about $4,000 for the first passenger. It’s an Amex Centurion cardholder perk, and that’s how I get to use it. I saw Kanye West and his wife about a month ago on my way back from Paris. Fortunately, she was clothed. I couldn’t bare it.
Airport Butler/Royal Airport Concierge fast-track service
Keep calm and carry-on (luggage)
✈️ Your trip just got a first-class upgrade.
- 🪫 Phone dying? No biggie, grab a portable fast charger ($28.88) with built-in cords. No more digging through your bag.
- 💊 Chill pills, organized: This pocket-size organizer (30% off) holds all your meds. 4.3 stars and 25,000+ reviews.
- 🧳 Bye-bye, bulk: Fit everything in your suitcase with these vacuum storage bags (25% off). More room = more outfits.
- 💨 Steamer on standby: Skip the sketchy hotel iron. This handheld steamer (8% off) is ready in just 30 seconds.
- 💅 Your portable vanity: Grab a makeup bag ($24.99) that folds flat for your luggage and hangs tall in your hotel bathroom.
- 🧼 Soap on the go: Public restroom out of soap? Whip out one of these soap sheets (23% off). You get 300 in one pack.
😎 This is just the first stop: Explore my Amazon storefront for extra travel goodies and more.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Psychiatrist falls for $500K pig butchering scam
A doctor who lost half a million says greed got the best of him. Melinda Gates finally talks Bill, Epstein, and trust. Plus, an Uber driver drives off with a sleeping child, and my go-to tip to lock in the lowest hotel price.
🧬 Theranos 2: Elizabeth Holmes’ boyfriend wants $50M for, you guessed it, the same Theranos blood diagnostics idea that sent her to the slammer. Billy Evans, hotel heir and now aspiring blood mogul, just launched the startup. Holmes is advising from prison. Rumor has it the pitch deck just reads: “But this time, it works. Promise. Pinky swear.”
$2.25
The nightly fee Hawaii’s tacking onto a $300 hotel stay, for climate karma points. It’s barely the price of a sad airport coffee, but multiplied by millions of tourists, it adds up, with some estimates as high as $100 million annually. Hawaii just became the first U.S. state to hit tourists with a climate tax: a 0.75% hike. Mahalo.
Hotel power hack: When you’re traveling in a foreign country and don’t have a power adapter, try the TV’s USB port. It’s not fast, but at 5V/1A or 5V/2.1A, it’ll get the job done. Pro move: Pack a travel power strip with universal outlets plus USB ports.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Airbnb won't stop hidden cams
At this point, I don’t even want to risk it. There are just too many scary stories — and I once stayed in a place loaded with cameras! Luckily, I was savvy enough to spot them.
Psychiatrist falls for $500K pig butchering scam — April 26th, Hour 2
A doctor who lost half a million says greed got the best of him. Melinda Gates finally talks Bill, Epstein, and trust. Plus, an Uber driver drives off with a sleeping child, and my go-to tip to lock in the lowest hotel price.
No vacancy: Next time you book a hotel, scroll past the random sites you’ve never heard of that pop up first in your search (paywall link). They’re resellers that slap on hundreds in extra fees. Some even look like the real hotel site, so double-check the URL. If you’ve been duped, click here to file an FTC complaint.
This will keep your hotel room ice cold
If you’re the type that needs a cold hotel room, this strategy is for you.
$65 a night
What it’ll cost you to skip the hotel and stay in a convent run by sisters in Rome. Rooms come with the basics like a single bed, drawers and a sink (paywall link). Plus, there’s a simple buffet-style breakfast waiting for you every morning at 7 a.m. Blessings included, obviously. Remember to leave some Rome in your suitcase for souvenirs. (Oh, it’s a good one!)
State of inn-ertia: This is nuts. A woman found a deal on Expedia and got a message from the hotel asking her to cancel because the rate was “too low.” Expedia reassured her that as long as she didn’t cancel, the hotel had to honor it. But the hotel threatened to cancel the room unless she backed out.
3 weird things you can book online
Sure, you can get an Uber or a hotel stay, but there’s so much more you can rent. I have a list of some of the craziest ones.
Hotel thermostat hack
Is it too hot or cold in your room? Here’s how to override your hotel room’s temperature controls.
Bonus episode: The Kim Komando Show, April 20
One tech CEO thinks AI girlfriends are the next billion-dollar biz. Meanwhile, a tragedy: an 81-year-old man kills an Uber driver he mistook for a scammer. Plus, what your hotel card key reveals about you.
Hotels come back big time at VRBO & Airbnb's expense
Why are people heading back to the hotel? I have the reasons in this podcast.
How hotel hackers get your info
Are you on a legit hotel website? In just one minute, I cover the tactics criminals use to scam you.
What your hotel key holds about you
Ever wonder how your hotel key opens up your door? I have the details, in 60 seconds.
Tiny cameras are watching you
Stories about guests discovering they are being watched by cameras in Airbnbs and hotel rooms are rising around the country. Blame the increasingly tiny sizes of cameras.