Travel

Families are increasingly choosing smaller cities and non-urban destinations over famous tourist hotspots as crowding, hotel costs, and overtourism reshape vacation planning. New travel industry and policy data suggest the shift is becoming a structural change, not just a seasonal preference.

I measured my bag, packed carefully, and still got hit with a steep gate fee. My story is personal, but the bigger news is how strict baggage enforcement and rising add-on fees have become for U.S. travelers.