Frequent flyers say the right book can turn a 12-hour trip into a surprisingly fast ride. From page-turning thrillers to immersive memoirs, these 11 titles are the ones seasoned travelers say kept them absorbed at 35,000 feet.

A wave of hotel openings across the United States is reshaping city stays in 2026, from luxury towers in major downtowns to smaller design-driven properties. Industry watchers, local tourism officials, and early guest reviews are already placing several of these newcomers among the best hotels in their markets.

U.S. border officers do not use a banned-word list, but former agents and customs lawyers say certain answers consistently lead to more questions and secondary inspection. The issue matters as summer travel ramps up and more Americans face close questioning at airports and land crossings.

New travel data for 2026 shows solo travelers are increasingly skipping several major US cities, with safety concerns, high costs, and weak value driving the shift. Industry rankings, crime figures, and hotel pricing trends all point in the same direction.

Airlines have long blamed bad weather, tight connections and passenger mistakes for missing bags. But recent reporting and industry data show airport staffing gaps, aging baggage systems and handoff failures are often the real reason luggage disappears.

Hotel workers and travel advisers say the most reliable way to score a better room is simple: ask politely, at the right time, and accept that availability matters more than status. The advice is gaining traction as travelers look for low-cost ways to improve summer stays.