The airport will still sell water in sustainably packaged alternatives, including recyclable aluminum or glass bottle containers. The ban applies to water sold at all restaurants, concessions, lounges, and vending machines but will not prohibit passengers from bringing their own plastic bottles into the airport. (Remember, the bottle must be empty to bring it through security.) 

Only non-carbonated, unflavored, or electrolyte-enhanced water is subject to the new policy—sparkling water, juices, sodas, and other beverages may still be sold in plastic bottles. 

“The climate crisis is a great challenge facing our city, and phasing out single-use plastic water bottles at Los Angeles World Airports facilities is an important step to reducing our environmental footprint and protecting the health and livelihood of all Angelenos,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a statement.

Los Angeles isn’t the first airport to ban plastic water bottles—San Francisco Airport no longer allows sales of any beverages (including soda, teas, and juices) in plastic or aseptic paper packaging.
No matter where you’re flying, packing a refillable water bottle is a smart way to save money. Check out our list of the best filtered water bottles for your next trip.

The post LAX Just Banned This Common Travel Necessity appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The fall and winter pass allows unlimited flights to wherever Frontier flies and is valid from September 2, 2023 through February 29, 2024. According to Frontier, the deal is available “while supplies last.”

So what’s the catch? Flyers must pay one cent in airfare per flight, along with any applicable taxes and fees. Bags (even carry-ons) are not included in the fares, so you’ll have to pay additional if you want to bring on more than a personal item. Seat selection and priority boarding will also cost extra. Passholders will not earn miles for flights booked using the pass.

The All-You-Can-Fly pass is not good for people who like to plan their trips in advance—it can only be redeemed to book flights the day before departure for domestic travel and 10 days or less before international flight departures. 

Flights are subject to blackout dates, which include the most popular travel days around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Interested in the pass? Check Frontier’s route map to see where the airline flies from your home airport before committing. 

If you buy the pass, make sure you set a reminder to cancel at the end of the period, as the pass will automatically renew otherwise. 

The post Frontier Just Discounted Its Unlimited Flight Pass to $299 appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If a flight is delayed due to weather at your departure or arrival airport, trying to get on a new flight likely won’t work, especially if a ground stop has been issued (meaning no flights are allowed to take off or land.) 

However, if a flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue with an aircraft, crew shortage, or delay of incoming aircraft, you may want to try to swap to a different flight if you can. 

The compensation rules around delayed flights hinge on the reason for the delay. If a flight is delayed or canceled due to a “controllable issue,” an airline is generally required to compensate passengers by providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, or even refunds. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), “A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling.”

Delays due to bad weather or unexpected mechanical issues are generally considered to be out of an airline’s control and, therefore, do not require reimbursement. 

To see what your airline is required to provide in the event of a controllable cancellation or delay, visit the DOT’s Airline Cancellation and Delays Dashboard.

How to Find Out the Reason for a Flight Delay

If you’re already at the airport when the delay is announced, a gate agent will usually be able to tell you why your flight is running late. Here are some other good ways to find out the reason for a flight delay.

Check Airport Alerts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has a webpage that shows “active airport events” like ground delays, ground stops, and delays in real-time.

This site will also show how long delays are likely to last along with other helpful information, including:

• The timeframe a ground stop/delay is issued for
• The probability a ground stop/delay would be extended
• What departure airports the ground stop/delay is relevant for
• The average length of delay

Track the Inbound Flight

If your flight is scheduled to take off at 3 pm and the aircraft is still on the ground in another city at 2:30 pm, it’s unlikely your flight will depart on time. Find out where your plane is by checking your flight on FlightAware. This site has an option for “track inbound plane” that will show you where your aircraft is coming from and the status of that flight. 

Check With the Airline

Although most airlines won’t show an explanation for a delayed flight on their website, some will offer the reason for the delay in their app. Calling the airline’s customer service number can also help you find out why your flight is delayed.

The post Why Is My Flight Delayed? How to Find Out the Reason for Your Delayed Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Japan Airlines is trialing a new program called Any Wear, Anywhere that allows passengers traveling to Japan from abroad to rent clothing for their trip. According to Japan Airlines, the aim of the program is to “create an environment where travelers can use local options for all aspects of their clothing, food, and accommodation, transforming travel and business trips into more sustainable experiences.”

Japan Airlines will monitor changes to baggage weight on flights during the trial period to determine the impact of the program on the environment. 

How to Use the Program

The Any Wear, Anywhere program will run from July 5, 2023 through August 31, 2024, and is open to all passengers on Japan Airlines flights to Japan. 

To sign up, go to the Any Wear, Anywhere website and pick out your clothing options. There are packages available for both men and women, as well as different options for spring/fall, summer, and winter. Choose from “casual” or “smart casual” style options depending on how dressy you want to look. You’ll be able to select the sizes, as well as the mix of clothing you want included (such as five tops, three bottoms, and one jacket.) Clothes are sourced from excess retail stock as well as secondhand shops.

Rental packages start at $28 and include laundry and dry cleaning. Passengers will still need to pack other essentials, such as socks, underwear, and toiletries, which are not included. 

Reserve the clothes a month in advance for a rental period of two weeks, and the items will be dropped off and picked up at your accommodation. 

The post This Airline Is Renting Clothing to Passengers Who Want to Travel Light appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Are you in agreement or are you misaligned with most of the traveling public? Travel site Kayak conducted a poll of the most hotly debated travel opinions to determine the Unspoken Rules of Air Travel.

Here’s what the survey found:

Cutting the Line Is Ok

About to miss your flight? According to Kayak’s survey, 57 percent of travelers will have sympathy for you (and will let you cut the line) if it’s the difference between making it to the gate in time or being left stranded.

Unattended Children Should Be Banned

Letting your kids run around the airport (or plane) freely in the hopes they’ll burn off some energy? 90 percent of respondents ask that you rein them in, voting that children shouldn’t be left unattended during travel.

Don’t Stand on the Moving Sidewalk

If your personal pet peeve is people who ride the moving sidewalks at the airport (rather than walking on it), you’re not alone—57 percent of travelers feel the same way. 

Just remember, moving sidewalks are a huge help to people with mobility issues—so try to extend some grace and patience when travelers aren’t walking on them. 

Clapping When the Plane Lands Is Annoying

Your fellow passengers ask you to hold your applause when the plane touches down. A close margin of 51 percent of flyers thinks this measure of appreciation is “pointless” because the pilots can’t hear you.

The Middle Seat Doesn’t Get Both Armrests

A surprising 57 percent of passengers have no sympathy for the person stuck in the middle seat, saying the armrests are up for anyone to grab. 

Reclining Your Seat is Acceptable

Go ahead and lean back (just please, do it the right way) next time you fly. A vast majority (88 percent) believe that the recline button is offered for a reason.

Leave Your Socks On

Fellow flyers don’t want to see (or smell) your bare feet. Seventy-six percent of passengers voted that people should keep their socks on during a flight.

The post The 7 Most Controversial Travel Opinions appeared first on SmarterTravel.

In honor of Independence Day, low-cost Icelandic airline PLAY is offering 35 percent off of select round-trip flights between the United States and Europe.

Fares are valid from four airports in the US: 

• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• New York Stewart International Airport (SWF)
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

What Destinations Are Included in the Sale?

The sale includes flights to Iceland, Copenhagen, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.

How to Book

The sale is valid on flights booked July 3 through July 7 at midnight Eastern Time for travel between September 1 to December 15 (for flights to Iceland, Copenhagen, London, Dublin, and Amsterdam) and September 1 to October 31 (for flights booked to Glasgow, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.)

To get the discounted fares, book on Play’s website and use promo code: PLAY4JULY.

Note that for Play’s cheapest fare category, only a small personal item that fits under a seat is included in the ticket price. Select a Play Value or Play Flex to bring a carry-on bag with you.

The post Get Cheap Flights to Europe With Play’s July 4th Sale 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.