Travel

Your phone can translate a conversation in real time

Live translation quietly arrived in phones, earbuds and glasses. Talk to almost anyone, in almost any language. Here’s how to set it up before your next trip.

5 Google Flights tricks to score a summer deal (Even if you booked late)

More than a third of summer travelers still haven’t bought their tickets. Good news: Google Flights’ hidden features can land you a deal. Here’s how to use them.

Regular people are flying to Europe for a few hundred bucks. Here’s the free trick.

Airfare’s climbing, but Europe is quietly the cheap seat right now. Here’s the 10-minute setup that lets the deals come to you.

Stop packing outfit soup

Show ChatGPT photos of your clothes and let it build trip outfits before your suitcase becomes a fabric crime scene. You’ll get mix-and-match looks, smart cuts, weather checks and fewer “why did I bring this?” moments.

Your face just became the boarding pass at 65 airports. Almost nobody knows they can say no.

TSA’s facial recognition rollout hit 65 airports nationwide, and 99% of travelers have no idea they can refuse. Here are the three words that get you through security with your biometrics intact.

Your car has an emergency SOS button. Most drivers have never used it, set it up or checked if it even works.

There’s a red button on the ceiling of your car. Right up there, between the sun visors, probably under a little cover so you don’t hit it by accident. That button can call 911, send your GPS coordinates to emergency services and keep the line open even if you’re unconscious or unable to speak. But […]

U.S. Customs searched 55,318 devices last year. No warrant needed. Here’s the one thing that protects you.

You land at JFK after a fabulous two-week trip seeing all of the crowned heads of Europe. You’re tired, jet-lagged and happy to be home. A customs officer pulls you aside, asks for your phone and starts scrolling through your photos, your texts, your emails. No warrant. No stated reason. No suspicion of any crime. […]

Google Maps accidentally photographed the world’s strangest secrets

From a village with 400 dolls to a desert landing pad for space travelers, here’s what Google’s cameras found when nobody was watching.

The same hotel room costs different people different prices. Here’s how to pay less.

Hotel booking sites charge you based on where you live, what device you’re using and how many times you’ve searched. Here’s the 60-second trick that levels the playing field.

Spring break scammers are booking faster than you are. Here’s how to outsmart them.

A woman paid $3,556 through Zelle for a family cruise. Five years later, banned for life. The “consultant” used a stolen credit card. Right now is the cheapest window to book spring break flights, but scammers are circling. I’ll show you when to book, how to save and what to never, ever do.

How to skip the TSA line for free

It’s not your imagination, airports are packed. AAA says 122.4 million Americans are expected to travel this holiday season. That’s an all-time record, and it means longer lines, bigger crowds and more frustration at security. Let’s start at the airport. ⏰ Reserve a TSA time Some major airports let you book a time slot for […]

Your tech smart Thanksgiving travel survival guide

You need to know these pro travel tips, especially the one about how to see if your plane is on time.

Travel costs change depending on your IP

Last month, my friend Anna was getting ready for a dream trip to Italy. Flights were booked, hotels lined up, but when she went to rent a car in Milan, the price came back at nearly $1,400 for the week. She texted me: “Kim, this is ridiculous.” I texted right back: “Open your VPN, set […]

Fly the unfriendly skies

Flying soon? Listen up. At 40 of the country’s busiest airports, flights coming and going will be reduced by 10% this week.  That means thousands of flights canceled, or in other words, 200,000 fewer seats and butts in the air per day. Blame it on a record‑long government shutdown. Major hubs will be the hardest hit: […]

When robots start flying us

Imagine boarding a plane, looking toward the cockpit … and no one’s there. No captain, no copilot. Just empty seats and a glowing dashboard. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Nope, it’s real, and it’s already flying. A company called Reliable Robotics (paywall link) just pulled it off with a Cessna 208B Caravan. This is a rugged, […]

Say goodbye to your passport stamps (and hello to fingerprint checkpoints)

I love looking through the stamps in my passport. It’s proof that yes, I really did spend three hours at Charles de Gaulle waiting for my lost luggage.  Sad news. Europe’s pulling the plug on those little inked-up souvenirs and going high-tech.  Starting Oct. 12, 2025, when you enter the Schengen Area, you’ll face the […]

Tech that makes long flights not feel like a prison sentence

When I was a kid, my kindergarten teacher called my mom and said, “We think Kim might have a problem. She’s convinced she went to Paris last weekend.” My mom laughed and said, “Oh no, we did go to Paris.”  See, my dad worked for United Airlines, so I grew up in the air. Flying […]

TSA’s new travel warning: Don’t fall for ‘Free Airport Wi-Fi’

You know the drill: You hit the airport, find a seat near your gate, and your first thought is, Where’s the free Wi-Fi? You see a network called “Free Airport Wi-Fi” or “Airport_Guest” and think, Perfect. The TSA says: Stop right there. Their latest warning is the digital equivalent of “Don’t take candy from strangers.” […]

Why rich people swap homes (and how you can, too)

Want to globe-trot like a baller but on a budget? Enter home swapping: the Airbnb alternative that doesn’t cost a mortgage payment per night. It’s just what it sounds like. You stay in someone’s house, they stay in yours, like Freaky Friday with better Wi-Fi. There are entire Facebook groups dedicated to this, from “Women […]

Change of plans? Sell your trip instead

You planned the dream getaway. Flights? Booked. Hotel suite? Paid for. Maybe you even splurged on a poolside drink package because hey, you earned it.  Then bam, life throws a wrench in it. A surprise meeting. A fever. The worst part? That pricey reservation is nonrefundable. Here’s the twist: You don’t have to kiss that […]