Travel News: 3 expert tips for a better flying experience

Greetings, and if you had to fly Delta in the last week, our sympathies. Somehow no-frills carriers are back in the air now but Delta is lagging because their crew scheduling was affected. What a nightmare!

Travel and Leisure Editor in Chief Jacqui Gifford had to rebook her family several times after the Crowdstrike software update. She went on TikTok while she was stuck at Newark airport waiting for a new flight.

Here are 3 tips she offered in her quick post:

1. If you’re traveling with your family, make sure you’re all on the same record in case you have to change your flight due to delays.

2. Book non-stop flights.

3. Buy trip insurance.

Trip insurance covers the cost of your trip, including expenses like hotels, prepaid activities, and tours. Airlines usually offer their own version that only covers airfare, but for comprehensive coverage, you'll need separate trip insurance.

NextTribe partners with Allianz and Wanderwell.

Travel insurance covers you, the traveler. If you step off a curb and break your ankle, you'll be glad you bought travel insurance. Now, when you talk to an insurance company, you'll understand their lingo better.

Jeannie Ralston has friends in Asheville who missed their flight to Alaska for a cruise to celebrate their anniversary, and unfortunately that ship has sailed…without them. Literally! They’re heartbroken but at least they had trip insurance!

What she said…

Just in case you were wondering what the NextTribe Cuba trip is all about, here’s this heartfelt description by Peggy Miller below AND a Cuba Info Session tomorrow evening.

Are you a traveler who also loves Wordle?

There’s a new wordle-style game that tests your knowledge of the world. It’s called GeoGrid and the lower the score, the better! Try doing it without looking at a map. It’s hard. There are no prizes! So why do it? We all need ways to keep our minds sharp, and a little more knowledge of geography is a good thing.

Want an even bigger challenge? Try Travle. It challenges you to plan the shortest route between two (sometimes obscure) destinations.

I don’t know about you, but I rely on Google Maps so much I feel I’m losing my ability to navigate on my own. Thank goodness it works internationally. Now I just have to always remember to bring my portable charger whenever I leave the hotel. :)

Olympic Fever!

We can’t wait to start watching the Olympics from one of our favorite cities! It’s so exciting and edifying and watching all these athletes at peak performance, especially the women!

It’s the perfect antidote to what all of us are feeling as we count down the 100 days to the U.S. presidential election, which in many ways feels like this:

Call us crazy, but in our experience, travel provides the perfect escape from the noise of our everyday lives.

We joined the Transformational Travel Council last year and the spirit and principles of this organization inform the experiences we design for our travelers.

The TTC founder explains our type of travel better than we can!

Enjoy your journey, wherever you are this summer!

Jeannie Edmunds
Chief Operating Officer

P.S. ONE WEEK LEFT: Prices for the Cuba trip are going up by $400 on August 1. If you want to know more, sign up for the info session tomorrow, 7/24 at 6:30PM ET/5:30PM CT/4:30PM MT/3:30PM PT

Don’t Hesitate: Upcoming Trips with Limited Openings

Last chance for our Fall trip to Jeannie Ralston’s new home town!

• 2 spots for Asheville, NC

Plan ahead and you can make monthly payments on the following trips in 2025:

• The Heart and Soul of Cuba

• Idyllic Beach Retreat in Troncones, Mexico

• Perfect Charleston Girls’ Trip

• Creativity Retreat in an Italian Hilltop Villa

• Insider Tour Through Paris Neighborhoods