S5, E2: The Lowdown on 2026: Everything You Need to Make It Your Best Travel Year Yet

Is it okay to watch a violent movie next to a stranger’s kid on a plane? Should you abandon your airline loyalty card? And wait—is March actually the real start of the new year?

On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene is joined by Afar editorial director Billie Cohen and deputy editor Michelle Baran for a wide-ranging conversation tied to Afar’s annual Plan Your Travel Year package on afar.com. Together they break down what travelers actually need to know heading into 2026—from the shifting airline loyalty landscape and the true cost of travel credit cards to the events, destinations, and flight routes worth planning around this year.

Transcript

Aislyn Greene: I’m Aislyn Greene, and this is Unpacked by Afar, the podcast that explores the world’s most interesting destinations and unpacks the biggest issues facing travelers today. And in 2026, there is a lot to unpack. But don’t worry, because today we’re digging into what you need to know to travel well this year. I’m joined by deputy editor Michelle Baran, aka the queen of travel and cruise news here, and editorial director Billie Cohen.

These two very talented editors craft our annual Plan Your Travel Year series, which is now live on Afar.com. See the link in the show notes. And in this episode they share their many words of wisdom, like maybe airline status doesn’t matter as much as it used to. Travel credit cards aren’t a slam dunk anymore. And yes, you really, really need that Real ID in 2026. Let’s get going.

Billie and Michelle, welcome back to Unpacked.

Michelle Baran: It’s good to be here.

Billie Cohen: Always fun.

Aislyn: It’s always fun. Always fun. Well, I thought we could start with something fun this time. A lightning round just to get all of our travel creative juices flowing. So we’re looking for one-word [or] short-phrase answers, could be yes or no. I’m just going to whip through them, so as fast as we can go. You ready?

Michelle: Just one word?

Aislyn: No, it could be two or three words. That’s okay. But, you know. No soapboxing.

Michelle: All right. It’s a little tough for me. It’s tough.

Aislyn: I know, it’s really—I don’t think I could do this, but let’s see how many we can get through. So, first, is TSA PreCheck still worth it?

Billie: Yes.

Michelle: Yes.

Aislyn: I feel like you want to say so much more than that, Michelle.

Michelle: I have so much more to say. But you told me one word, so.

Aislyn: I know, it’s so cruel. Um, and you were able to really communicate so much more in your tone of voice and through your eyebrows. So next question. Um, is it okay to watch a violent or romantic movie as someone else’s kid is sitting next to you on a plane?

Billie: I want to hear from the parent.

Michelle: Yes. And I have a lot more to say on this, but I am sticking with my directive.

Billie: I also have, yes, and have a lot to say on it because myself, I also, I’m, I am scared of horror movies. So I’ve been in situations where people are watching them next to me and I haven’t liked it.

Aislyn: Oh my gosh. Well, maybe what we’ll do is at the end of this, we’ll pick one or two to revisit and you can just, you know, go off. Window or aisle?

Billie: Aisle.

Michelle: Aisle.

Aislyn: Pretty straightforward: Airport lounge or not, as in, are you into them?

Billie: It depends.

Aislyn: Michelle. Your eyebrows. They went up again.

Michelle: No.

Billie: No.

Aislyn: Listeners, Michelle’s eyebrows are doing all of the talking, so she’s doing one-word answers, but her eyebrows are saying a lot more than that. This is great. Um, how important is it to have a Real ID in 2026?

Billie: Important.

Michelle: I mean, if you have $45 bucks to spare and a lot of time, you don’t need one. But if you have a passport, that is your Real ID, so. But yes. Important. One word, important.

Billie: I have been traveling with a passport, not wanting to have to pay the fee or re-up my license, but I finally gave in. I’m in the process of getting my Real ID license right now.

Aislyn: So important-ish.

Billie: Important-ish.

Michelle: Important. I’ll say important. Okay.

Aislyn: Do you still believe in travel credit cards?

Billie: Yes. It’s a yes and for me.

Michelle: Yes.

Aislyn: What are the three biggest trends travelers should watch out for in 2026?

Michelle: Okay. Uncertainty. Road trips. That can be one word—um, ish. I hate to use this word because it’s not a word, but I still think it’s a thing, even though it’s very cold on the East Coast right now: coolcations. I do think this trend, especially in the summer, where—it’s hard to think of it now—but in the summer when the temperatures get really hot, I think we’re just going to continue people, seeing people going north and away from places like southern Europe that are seeing, having these big heat waves and overtourism issues. So I just think that that will—and also things just like bathing and, and water and, you know, just getting cold and, and wet and all these things—I think that will continue this year. Um, I think everyone’s going to get, yeah, they’re going to be looking for sort of Nordic [trip].

Billie: I will also use a terrible, um, trendy trend word, hobbycations, but meaning it’s terrible word. Terrible word. Great trend. Like, this hyper, superspecific travel, like last year was all about, I feel like, broad fandom, right? Taylor Swift. This year, it’s just you only need one small reason to get on a plane. So that’s one. I think my second one is hotels that have more, more to offer, whether that’s maximalist design or being a heritage hotel that’s more connected to the place, with a real sense of place. And third, I would say smaller cities with big food scenes getting more recognition and, like, being travel worthy for that reason.

Aislyn: Like our favorite city, St. Louis.

Billie: Like St. Louis and the pizza.

Aislyn: And the pizza! We love the pizza. We love St. Louis. Well, let’s end with one more that’s very personal. Are you a planner, a procrastinator, or are you somewhere in between?

Michelle: I am definitely somewhere in between. I definitely, eternally aspire to be a planner. I wish I was a planner and inevitably am a procrastinator, so I feel like I can really empathize with both. And I try to speak to both the planners and the procrastinators in our audience, because I truly feel like I’m part of both teams.

Billie: Yeah, I plan ahead in terms of, like, the big picture things, right? Like all the places I want to go this year, I have a big list in my head, but the actual planning, the sitting down and looking for things . . . yeah, I’m pretty last minute. And if I travel with friends, I always end up leaving it to them. They think just because we work in, as travel editors we’ll be the best planners. But no, it’s our, it’s our secret. Bad packer, bad planner.

Aislyn: Speak for yourself. I’m just kidding. Well, I want to move on. But if you were to go back and add something to any one of those questions, which question would you pick? And it could be different for each of you. Where did you feel the most verbally stunted?

Michelle: Um, I had a few struggles. For example, starting with the first one. Is TSA PreCheck worth it? Because I think we’re seeing a kind of a tipping point where so many people now have TSA PreCheck. I think we’ve all had that comical moment where we arrive at the airport, and the TSA PreCheck line is actually longer than the non-TSA PreCheck line.

That being said, I think that there’s enough moments when it still saves us time. I also often travel as a family of four. There are four of us, [so with PreCheck], fewer things to take out of our bags, though that might be changing in the regular line as well. So that could change the game, as technology improves and we move towards a situation where you might not have to be taking out your laptops and liquids in the regular line. So I think it’s like we’re at this tipping point where it’s still worth it in the year 2026. But just like with lounges, and that was another tricky question to answer, where you see, you know, overcrowding and more limited access, it is hard to answer yes or no to some of these questions because, um, the game is changing and these spaces and services that were meant to provide speed or access, um, or exclusivity, are becoming less so. So I think that’s why you hear hesitation in our voice, in both of our voices to some of these questions.

Aislyn: Um, yes, that makes sense. And, you know, this wasn’t part of the question. So maybe it’s not really fair, but I still feel like Global Entry is worth it. Like that expediting system still feels so much faster. Like, the TSA PreCheck, maybe sometimes not, but Global Entry for sure.

Michelle: Although I would put in a word for Mobile Passport [Control]. So so that’s, like, the hot tip if you don’t have Global Entry. I think that Mobile Passport is another way to get around, to also have, like, expedited... but yes, I agree that Global Entry still holds a lot of value, but . . .

Aislyn: All right, Billy.

Billie: Well, the TSA PreCheck conversation ties into any conversation about travel credit cards, right? Because most of them were covering it. But the benefits and the fees of travel credit cards have changed so much in the past year, so while it’s worth it if you don’t have to pay for any of that, because it’s part of your card, maybe you’re rethinking it.

The only other thing I would use—I know you said no, no soapboxes, but I’ll use one. A trend that I want to see because I was just frustrated by it. A couple of hotels I stayed at recently, um, I would like to see a trend of hotels putting more hooks in their bathrooms. There’s never enough hooks.

Aislyn: Who are these people?

Billie: Who are these people who only need one hook? So, please, if you’re listening, [hooks] should be the next trend. All hooks, all the time.

Aislyn: Yes, I agree, I have a lot of hotel bathroom thoughts, but that’s another conversation. So let’s move on from our quote, unquote lightning round. That was wonderful. You both did an amazing job. But let’s talk about our year in travel. So you both worked on this package called Plan Your Travel Year. Why do you think February is such a good month to talk about planning? Because I feel like we typically associate that with January.

Billie: Yeah. This is I think, our second or third year of doing this package. We call it Plan Your Travel Year. And we made a conscious decision to do it in February. The our thinking was that in January, people are still recovering from the holidays. And I think there’s really too much pressure in January to get your whole life together, right. Like, resolutions, planning the year, figuring everything out, wellness. It’s a lot. Like, travel doesn’t need to be added to that.

So I think February is really when people have a minute to take a breath and start thinking about the year ahead and when they have focus. So that’s when we wanted to address that. You know, maybe December, when, during the holidays, is when you’re sort of dreaming about where you want to go. And then the next step is actually getting down to the How do I make it happen? And so we’re trying to come in right at the time where you’re ready for it, and we can be of the most help.

Michelle: I actually think March is at the beginning of the year. And I also think there’s this whole thread about, like, why do we start the year in January in the middle of winter? It should be in March when spring starts, you know, when we’re going into spring. So I would argue that March is really the start of the year for most people. Planners aside—we love them, like, they were already planning their this year, last year. And like, you know, I, like I said, aspire to be one of them. But aside from the amazing planners of the world, everybody else, like, I feel like March is when it’s all coming to a head for the year.

Aislyn: Yes, I love it. Plus, you’re also maybe a little bit down in the doldrums, and you need something to look forward to, right?

Michelle: Totally.

Billie: Absolutely. Absolutely. So we’ll give you all the information, but also no pressure from us. Like, we want you to get out there. But if it happens in March or April, we’re cool.

Aislyn: Or, you know, July, August, September. For the procrastinators out there, you have the tools when you’re ready.

Billie: Just go. Just go at some point.

Aislyn: Last year was a very interesting year for the airline industry. We saw record demand for flights. The Alaska-Hawaiian merger resulted in the Atmos Rewards program and many other things that were still rolling out. United and Delta added a ton of new routes. And, of course, there was the shutdown, which impacted hundreds of thousands of air passengers. So what are your predictions for 2026? What do people need to know?

Michelle: So air is always interesting. You can always count on air travel for that. Um, demand is actually showing to be a bit softer this year, and I don’t think that’s any surprise given the uncertainty that we’re seeing. And so, for now, looking at summer 2026, like the peak season, we’re seeing a single-digit drop in demand from the U.S. to Europe and a double-digit drop from Europe to the U.S..

That being said, we have the World Cup that’s going to be in the U.S., and maybe some of those last-minute planners have not booked their World Cup travel. And so there is a possibility that we will see that those numbers increase. But what that means is that we don’t really have, like, a strong picture on airfares yet. It’s usually when demand is softer, you can expect there to be airfare deals. Unclear about that.

Other interesting trends that we’re seeing: We are going to see a lot of post–Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics routes, for example, to Milan. A lot of interest. So it’s no surprise that several airlines have launched new routes to Milan. I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in the destination following the Olympics.

We’re also seeing a lot of, sort of, I would call them, like, emerging, maybe underrated destinations, places like Split, Croatia, Santiago de Compostela in Spain—like, kind of more interesting direct flights to what you could call, like, up-and-coming destinations. So I think that will be really interesting to watch.

I’m also watching very closely kind of the post-end of open-seating era at Southwest. I am among those who was heartbroken by this decision by Southwest to end open seating. It was an amazing; first of all, it was one of their amazing quirks. They had a lot of quirks and that’s what made Southwest great, but it was actually a wonderful tool for families who were hoping to be together. If you’re flying with a child, it’s a chance for you to have that extra seat for your lap child. So I’ll be very curious to see kind of where we go from here, to Southwest just end up looking like all the other airlines. Um, so yeah, it’s going to be another interesting year in air travel, to be sure.

Oh, I will add one thing I forgot to add, which is another airline I’m keeping a really close tabs on, and that’s Alaska. You mentioned the merger, and that merger gave Alaska access to Hawaiian’s longer-haul airplanes. And because of that, we are seeing some really cool, really exciting routes for anyone who lives in Seattle or the Seattle area. Alaska has so many exciting routes to Europe, plan, so I think it’s going to be fun to watch what Alaska does with those long-haul airplanes.

Billie: Yeah, and speaking of new routes, Michelle, one of Michelle’s writers ran a story on regional routes and regional airports. So there are some routes that are coming back that will help people get around the States and see more, see more of that, if they’re not taking as many long hauls, as well as the return of some—like there is a United flight to Glasgow [Scotland] that’s come back after a bunch of years.

So I feel like we’re sort of still seeing some of the effects of routes that were maybe removed during the pandemic or right after the pandemic. They’re still making their way back and opening up the world and our own country to us a bit more, which is exciting.

Aislyn: Yeah, yeah. And that’s inspiring. So we’ll link out to our travel news coverage on Afar.com, because it really is the best place to stay up to date on airline news. Um, so let’s move on to another component of airlines, which is airline rewards and loyalty programs. And Michelle, you’ve talked a lot about how the game is changing both in the past and going forward. So what do you mean when you say the game is changing?

Michelle: Oh my gosh. So first of all, if you are interested in this, I have to point you to a story we ran in 2025, “Is Airline Loyalty Still Worth it?,” because it really digs in if you are a loyalty nerd or not, or overwhelmed. But basically, you know, not, I guess not surprisingly, airlines are not being as generous as they were with their loyalty programs. Again, as travel has returned post-pandemic, they have so many tools to, for example, on a whim, they can make those rewards flights more expensive. They can jump in a day from 10,000 to 25,000 to 35,000. And so really, you know, the TLDR of the story that we ran last year was like, if you travel, say, at least fly at least 6 to 10 flights a year for work, it makes sense—because you’re having to fly those flights anyways—to try and have some loyalty, because there are some benefits still to remaining loyal to certain areas, and I can get into that in a second.

But if you are just a casual leisure traveler, for the most part, just going with the flight that is the cheapest and is the best for your schedule, that offers you the most flexibility and that works for your needs. Meaning the time is the best, you know, because you can think about the days when we would, like, bend over backwards to make sure we booked a certain airline, even though we’d have a stopover and even, you know, and I think for the average traveler, those days are over.

That being said, it is still worthwhile to make sure that you have your, you know, are members of all the airlines programs for several reasons. For one, they all offer free Wi-Fi now to members. So it’s just, like, that’s just like a very basic service that you get just for being a member that you could argue is, like, worth it in and of itself. Also for in an environment where we see, like with, you know, the shutdown or massive severe winter storm, one of the best tools in your tool kit for having a backup flight is a points-based flight. Because those flights cost nothing. They cost points, and those points go directly back into your points wallet, if you will, when you don’t use that flight.

So what we’ve found is that, you know, having certain miles and points with different airlines can be useful beyond just the traditional trying to get an upgrade or, you know, obviously what everybody wants to do, which is book free flights with those points. So I do think there is still value in them, but it’s not the same as it used to be. And there are people that for, like I said, business travelers who are, who rack up points, and they can still get, but even they will say it is so much harder to come across an upgrade these days. So I think you have to think, be thinking about it a little bit differently because the game has changed.

Billie: Yeah, no, everything that Michelle just said, I am reevaluating my own. Yeah, I lost my status this past year on Delta. Um, and I am, it’s, it’s made me think about what’s worth it. You know, I wasn’t even with the higher status. I wasn’t getting upgrades. That status I had didn’t even give lounge access. You know, they’ve removed—and that’s not just Delta, right?—like, they’ve removed a lot of the perks that, um, status members used to come to expect.

So the loyalty game, it’s not so loyal anymore. And then on top of that, you have credit cards that give you points that are, you know, airline agnostic or at least go to several different airlines. So the choice between giving all of your soul to one airline versus keeping your options open . . .

Aislyn: Well, I think, you know, as we’re talking about that, giving your soul to one airline versus keeping your options open, I think people are also reevaluating their relationships with credit cards. So can you speak to that a little bit? I mean, you both said in our lightning round that you still believe in travel credit cards. So here’s your opportunity to soapbox a little bit. And, I mean, I have my own thoughts because we’re really trying to figure out if we should keep the Chase Sapphire Reserve for another year. And honestly, I think we’re gonna downgrade.

Billie: I just did.

Aislyn: Did you really?

Billie: Yeah, I got rid of it. Yeah. So the, um, Michelle can speak in more detail about this with all the articles that she’s put up about this, but the fees have gone up so much. So it used to be $550 and, and now it’s $795. And there are benefits to it. But they weren’t enough to make it worthwhile to me to keep that. So yeah, I just closed mine out, and I’d say the biggest—yeah, I closed it. I have some other Chase cards, so I didn’t need to, to downgrade it. Um, but the biggest loss is that the Chase Sapphire Lounge is my favorite. The one at LaGuardia Airport is my home airport because also I fly Delta, and so I’m at LaGuardia a lot, best, um, even though it’s not in that terminal. But anyway, it is. The Chase LaGuardia Airport Lounge is my favorite lounge by far, so I was really sad to give that up, but the price was just too high, and the benefits weren’t, weren’t worth it. So, and I’m a free agent. I don’t know what I’m going to replace it with.

Michelle: Yeah, I mean, Billie brought up the high fee. And so last year we saw Chase Sapphire Reserve go up to $795, and we saw Amex Platinum go up to $895, which is now the highest in the industry. And I think the key here is the complexity of the math and what is being called sort of coupon-book credit cards. So they, they have these high fees, and then they have all these different, um, paybacks that you will, on certain services—so you get, you know, $500 off on, you know, Equinox membership, and this and that and the other. And that’s, I don’t know if that’s actually the . . .

You get discounts, um, and credits for different services and brands. And so you really need to look, like, line by line: A, if you’re going to use these different services and discounts; B, if you will use them on the right timeline; and C, if that will all add up to, you know, making the value [of] your, your annual fee worth it. For a lot of people, it still does. For a lot of people, they use those things and they’re like, The math is actually, for me, quite simple. I think for a lot of people, the math is too complicated, or the service and benefits and discounts are irrelevant. And therefore, like Billie, they’re now free agents, and they’re looking for another card to use.

So the other thing that I thought was interesting—we did a story on [it]—is, like, this trend away from credit, like some people are like, What if I don’t want credit? What if I don’t want to use a credit card? What if I want to be, like, actually a responsible person and use good old-fashioned cash? So I also find it interesting that we see these alternative programs coming in that are just loyalty programs based on expenditure, but not necessarily linked to a credit card. So they can be linked to a debit card. And I love this as well because it’s still rewarding your expenses, but not necessarily in a credit card environment.

So again, I think similar to the airline-loyalty situation, I think with credit cards, we’re just seeing, like, there’s a lot more going on, there’s a lot more options. And again, unfortunately puts a little bit of the burden and the onus on the traveler to figure it all out. And for a lot of people who don’t, like, it’s complicated and it’s unfortunate that there isn’t an easy answer. There’s not a way to just say, This is what you should do, or—you know, everyone has such different circumstances. I do think there is a lot that—you know, obviously the idea of going out and spending money on whatever you normally spend money on—that translating into points and miles that you can use on a flight or a hotel, like, that is still an attractive, you know, proposition for a lot of us who love—like, that’s for us, travel people who love travel. Like, that’s all I want. Like that’s what I want my day-to-day expenses to eventually tick up, even if it’s little by little to some, to like, something that I want, which is flights or hotel stay. So I think there are still ways you can do that, but yes, I do. Unfortunately, um, you have to go through the tedious work of figuring out what’s the right fit for you and your, you know, the way you’re spending money and all those things.

Aislyn: Yeah. Because I think there’s also that question of like, What do you then do with the points and miles that you accrue? Because if you’re not using those strategically, then you might be better off with just a straight cash-back card, right. If you’re using them in a kind of one-to-one environment. I mean, because the redemption side is really complicated. I know with the Sapphire points, you can turn them into Hyatt points, and that’s a great redemption. But I just feel like that is a whole separate job on top of just earning and making sure you’re maximizing the benefits.

Michelle: No, totally. And I, that’s where I have to sort of shout out to sites like Point.me and Points Path. That will help because again, it will break your brain if you are not a points nerd, and I am not. Like, if you are just like, I have these points and I want, you know, I want them, like, so definitely you take advantage of those services that will tell you about all the ways, you know, the most strategic ways to transfer your points and maximize them because it is so complicated. And so yeah, definitely use those services.

Aislyn: Yes, absolutely. And we’ll link out to our coverage of those on Afar.com, so see the show notes for those.

Let’s move on to technology, because, Michelle, you mentioned that a little bit when we were talking about TSA PreCheck. We have seen a lot in the last few years in terms of technology rollout. So TSA, for example, has expanded Touchless ID throughout the U.S.. So what do you think travelers need to know about things like using their face as ID over the next year or two, and what do you predict might come?

Michelle: Yeah, I can jump in. I, you know, I think it’s inevitable. We’ve been talking and writing about biometrics coming for a while, and it’s here. Um, everybody’s using it. It is arguably very convenient. Um, the TSA Touchless ID program, they scan your face and you go through. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that for some people, that might make them nervous. And there’s a lot going on these days that I think has people concerned about what they’re doing with that information and how are they using it.

And so the conversation I feel like has shifted a bit from a matter of convenience and traditional privacy to what we might argue is a personal safety matter. And for some people, they might feel concerned. We’ve seen issues with TSA agents. Are they looking at your social media posts, and could that be of concern? If you’re coming into the country, like, could you get pulled aside? And again, I think here it’s a matter of personal choice for people, and I don’t know if it’s going to make that big of a difference if you don’t use the TSA Touchless ID line. I don’t know. You know, that, the story that we recently ran, and security experts were like, They have that information regardless. Like, they already have the image to which compare your face. Like, I can understand that people, the concerns around it, but I’m not sure that, like, not using the Touchless ID will help in that regard, if that is is your concern. So I think we’re just going to see more and more of it. I feel like we, it’s like the Jetsons is here. Like, we, you know, like, your face as your passport, like it is. We are basically here. I mean, it’s going to take a little, few more years just for all the technology to be installed at the airports. But I think we are around the corner from not having to pull out any sort of ID or boarding pass at all when you go to the airport.

Aislyn: Absolutely. And, you know, we’re not even talking about AI in this conversation, which on the topic of travel planning and ways and technology that will change our lives, is huge.

Billie: Yeah.

Michelle: Don’t stress me out.

Aislyn: Sorry, Michelle.

Billie: I was recently in the Detroit airport [DTW], and they have this kind of installation thing where, as you’re walking to your gate—so you’ve come through security, and before the corridors sort of separate into the different gates, there’s a big, there’s a station where, if you want, it’ll scan your face and identify you and then tell you where your directions to your gate.

Michelle: Oh, wow.

Billie: But it puts it, like, on a giant billboard in the concourse that, like, you have to be standing in the right place to see. So not everybody can see it. But I’d never, never encountered anything like that. But it was this personalized, like, Hey, Billie, now turn right. Your gate is, you know, four, four steps down on the left. I feel like we’re getting, we’re inching and inching closer to extremely personalized travel experiences like that. And now you even see it. The sort of old news. But, you know, when you the seat back on your airplane will say your name, right? Says, “Hello, Billie.” If I sign in, it remembers what movies I favorited. So all that personalization is already happening. I don’t want to, I don’t want to say people shouldn’t take the time to think this through and make make conscious and careful, thoughtful decisions. They should. But as Michelle was saying, a lot of this information, it’s already out there. We’ve already, we’ve already gone down that hole.

Aislyn: Yeah. I feel like as a society we have traded privacy for convenience. We’re already there. It’s just that some of these things feel more shocking, because it’s such a conscious reminder of how much of our privacy has already been gobbled up. But again, that’s a—we can dive into the ethics of that another another time. Uh, you have both mentioned lounges, and I know, Billie, you will no longer have access to your favorite lounge, the Sapphire Lounge. I’m sorry. But we have had some really incredible lounges open up over the last year, and there’s a lot more to come from both credit card companies and from airlines. So what are your tips for or thoughts around the future of airport lounges?

Michelle: Yeah, I mean, well, you know. As lounges continue to get crowded, there thankfully will be more lounges opening; access rules are getting a little stricter, for better or for worse, for some people. Um, that’s welcome news for others. It’s a little bit of a mixed bag. So, and we’re going to see what the lounge wars between the airlines and the credit cards will continue.

I’ll put my mom hat on for a second to just say that I personally, when I’m traveling, my kids—lounges don’t really help me because, well, now they’re a little less crazy. When they were really little and they just wanted to, like, run around, lounges would be so stressful for me because they’re these serene escapes, and and come, you know, my two kids, like, wanting to run around, and you know, my dream is for there to be more family-friendly lounges that have a, you know, soundproof play area so that everybody benefits in the lounge, both those with kids and without.

But beyond that, I think we’re just, yeah, we’re kind of seeing, we’re just going to continue to see more, and them, you know, kind of upping the ante in terms of what they serve and the food and the drinks and the, you know, and all these services. So obviously court loyalty, and try to woo you over to their very, now we know, the very expensive credit card with a high fee. Like, we’re seeing celebrity chefs attach their name to certain lounges. So I think it’ll be interesting to see. I think it’ll be fun for some people like that to have, you know, nothing better than having committed to a credit card or an airline and have access to lounges that now have these side carts coming by with mixologists, you know, like fun things happening in that space. But yeah, it’ll be, it’s going to continue to be both. Like, I think that kind of push-pull of, like, there’ll be some fun moments and some frustrating moments in the lounge space.

Aislyn: Would you watch a reality TV show called Lounge Wars? Because it kind of sounds like it’s made for one.

Michelle: I don’t know if I want a reality show or if I want actually a scripted show about lounge wars. Interesting. Yeah, like maybe.

Billie: The people in them are interesting. So you could imagine lots of vignettes about the drama that’s going on among people sitting in the lounge.

Michelle: White Lotus adjacent. Like the airport version of White Lotus. Somebody disappears from the lounge. And who done it?

Aislyn: All right, well, we’re going to take a quick break to hear a few words from our sponsors. But after that, we will talk about how to pitch a show to Netflix and get into some tips on where to go and how to use that valuable vacation time in 2026.

Okay, we’re back. And we’re talking more specifically about destinations and events this year because it’s a huge year for events, especially in the U.S.. And Billie, you worked on a very robust series about the ways that various cities and states are celebrating America’s 250th anniversary this year. So what are some of the highlights? And we’ll link out to that package in the show notes. But yeah. What are you excited about?

Billie: Yeah, there’s a lot going on, obviously, for this year. Um, so we did a series of four stories breaking down highlights for the America 250 celebration in four regions of the states. And then we also did a separate story, a month-by-month calendar of cultural events unrelated to America 250, because there’s a lot of that, too. Um, but I’ll go through some of the, some of the highlights of the America 250 stuff that I’m excited about.

So in the Northeast, there’s this giant tall-ships parade in New York, and it’s called Sail 4th, and they spell it—it’s a pun, so I love it—s-a-i-l, the number four, t-h, Sail 4th, which I think is great. And it’s like, something like the largest international maritime gathering ever in U.S. history. And so there’s going to be, I think, 60 or more than 60 international tall ships, those historic ships with the really tall, tall sails and masts from, like, 20 countries. Spain. Ecuador, Romania, Indonesia. I think, like, the Marshall Islands. So all of these are going to parade around New York up the Hudson for a week. There’s going to be events, and you’ll be able to tour some of these ships and go on them. So that’s really cool. In New York, in the Midwest, the library nerd in me is very excited.

Aislyn: Let’s hear it.

Billie: And I will travel for libraries. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is opening in North Dakota, so if you ever [were] like, Why should I go to North Dakota? This is the year you should go to North Dakota. So it opens on July 4th, which is fitting. And it’s located right outside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is really fitting. He was hugely instrumental in expanding our national parks landscape. So it makes sense that he’s there and it’s a library, but it’s more like a museum, so it’ll honor and celebrate him. That is opening on, on Independence Day. Um, also related to another president, in the South, Mount Vernon as in Mount Vernon, Virginia, as [in] George Washington’s home. So at the end of 2025, they reopened some newly restored rooms, including George Washington’s bedchamber.

They also added, um, a re-creation of a Continental Army encampment. So for military history fans, that would be really interesting. But what’s cool that’s coming up in this spring is an exhibit, an immersive exhibit, George Washington: A Revolutionary Life, that’s going to reexamine his legacy. And they’re going to look at it through interactive, immersive displays that deal with leadership, that deal with nation building, and that deal with enslavement. So really taking another look at that, and that is a great opportunity to revisit one of the most iconic stories of America.

And in the West, the cool thing that’s happening is it’s not just the 250th anniversary of America. It is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Big Horn. So I don’t know if you guys remember from, like, elementary school—this was Custer’s last stand, right? So it was a huge. It was a huge. I just watched a documentary on this on PBS, and I was like, This is so interesting. So it was this huge battle between Indigenous nations and the U.S. military for colonizing reasons. And the Indigenous nations won. Right. So, um, there’s a lot to tell about that. And because it’s the 150th anniversary of that battle, there’s a retelling that’s going to happen. So the anniversary of the, of the battle is going to include a visitor center that’s newly expanded with exhibits that are now cocreated by tribal partners from the region where, where it took place, and it actually is located on the Crow Agency in Montana, which is the headquarters of the Crow Indian tribe. So it’s another opportunity to retell this sort of seminal moment in American history from a more inclusive and factual, perhaps, perspective. So those are four things in the different quadrants of the country that I’m pretty excited about and are worth traveling for.

Aislyn: And I love that. Most of them, except for maybe the Sail 4th, will be accessible over the next few years. So if you can’t get there this year, go in 2027.

Billie: Yes, yes, some of them are running all year long. And there’s more that—like, we have these four articles, and we’ll be adding to them as well. Various states are still figuring out what they’re going to be doing. Obviously lots of big Fourth of July things happening.

Aislyn: All right. Well we also have the World Cup coming. The U.S. is jointly hosting the World Cup this year, with matches taking place across North America and the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. And I know we have already developed resources for travelers who want to get their football on. For someone who has not planned yet, Is it still possible to get tickets, to join in to see a match? And what do you expect will come in these host cities as the summer rolls around?

Michelle: Yeah, well, if you haven’t registered interest in the World Cup, you should do so right this second. Go online to the FIFA website and register. There is a lottery for tickets, so it’s on an ongoing rolling basis. But, yes, go ahead and register that interest sooner than later and try your chance at winning tickets through the lottery. There are also hospitality packages that are expensive, but they come with a guarantee of tickets as well, so you can look those up as well. Those are through on location, so there are still plenty of chances to get World Cup tickets. Not to fear. And I think the main thing is just figuring out what exactly your strategy [is]. I feel like if you haven’t registered yet, you’re probably not a hardcore World Cup fan. No offense. Um, I fall into this bucket where I’m like, Oh, that would be fun to do. Like, I would love to take my kids to a World Cup match, but, um, have not registered, even though, you know—so I feel like there’s a lot of us, like, more casual observers that would be like, That would be fun. So I think for us casual, more casual observers, um, we’re up against a lot of competition. So let’s go ahead. Um, myself included, let’s go ahead and register interest. And then I think it’s just a matter of figuring out like, ah, Do you want to travel for the World Cup or stay local? Stay closer to home if you’re lucky enough to have some matches near you. Obviously it’s easier to not travel if you haven’t already planned your travel, but there’s also using this as an excuse to go somewhere to, you know, check out a new city, whether that’s in the U.S., Mexico, or Canada. So I think there’s a lot of different strategies, but you are up against a notoriously fervent fan base, so just be aware that it’s not, um, this isn’t a low-key international event.

Aislyn: Do you expect that casual observers might just go to be around that energy, because I have been in Europe during World Cup seasons. You know, I didn’t go to the matches, but I loved going to the bars or even being on the subway after a game ends because there’s just something about the energy of it. So even if I don’t have tickets or I don’t want to go to the game, you know, it’s fun to be around. Do you think we’ll see any of that here?

Billie: One hundred percent, 100 percent. Lots of the cities are planning events that you don’t need a ticket for—you know, big watch parties. New York is planning some. For all the cities, are, will have information on those so that you can be part of that, that fun. I had a similar experience back in 2018 when Croatia made it to the finals, and I was in Zagreb, and, like, every plaza in the city had a giant TV and people just watching. And I wasn’t really, didn’t know how into the World Cup I was until I found myself in that crowd and was cheering for this underdog team.

So yes, um, I think that’s personally, I think that’s where the fun is going to be, right in, in that energy, in the sort of dedicated bars for certain international teams. Right? Certainly where I am in New York, there are lots of bars that are like the headquarters for the Arsenal team, the headquarters for the right, for, for Spanish team. And so that’s going to translate to the World Cup, make it a lot of fun.

And then the other thing is it’s, what’s going to be a hack you can think about is if you don’t want to be in the middle of those crowds, think about alternative cities or second cities or cities. So Providence, Rhode Island, which is a lot of fun, a lot of great nightlife there, a lot of great art there, is actually closer to the World Cup stadium than Boston, even though Boston is like, I think it’s, I’m blanking on the name of the stadium, maybe Gillette Stadium. Boston is the, is the, the city that’s on the list of the World Cup cities, right. But if you’re actually a little closer to Providence, and so why not stay in Providence and make that your, make that your trip? It’s a little less crowded, a little more accessible. Um, you’ll be able to get around a little, a little easier. So I think there’s a lot of opportunity to use these, this huge event to see other parts of the metropolitan areas where the games are going to be held.

Aislyn: And just the community energy of it all, I love that. Well, anything else you want to add about World Cup or World Cup planning for the casual observer?

Michelle: Yeah, I mean, I’ll just reiterate that, like, register your interest. Now, I literally have the tab open right now because in preparing for this conversation, no, I’m going to do it, like, I’m, this is, like, I’m doing it with you. This is me doing it together with you, dear listener. Um, we can do it together. Um, because, like, it doesn’t cost anything. And at least you—that’s one avenue that, where you have a chance, um, to get tickets. Like, how fun would that be, to just be like, I got World Cup tickets! Let’s go!

So, you know, it is a lottery, but I feel like that could just be such a fun, like, random surprise to then be like, All right, let’s, let’s figure this out. But as far as accommodations to Billie’s point, I think it’s really important key to think about these alternative destinations that—like, in L.A., you don’t, you could stay in Long Beach, you know, which many people don’t think about as part of L.A. County. And it is, and it’s not far. So I would like, you know, if and when you get tickets, look at where the stadium is and then, you know, look at the map and look at some of these alternative destinations where you’ll have a better chance of finding accommodation and hopefully not at surge pricing.

Aislyn: Yeah, that’s the real challenge. Like, how do you pay for your hotel or your Airbnb?

Michelle: Yes, exactly.

Billie: You need those credit card points.

Aislyn: Don’t give up that card just yet. Well, we’ll let you know if Michelle gets her tickets. Um, so we can’t go anywhere if we don’t have time off or PTO. And it is no secret that Americans aren’t great at taking time off and that we don’t always get a ton of time off. I think that, Michelle, you recently edited a story from writer Terry Ward about how to maximize your PTO and where to go. So do you have any tips for people who really need to stretch those two weeks that they get every year?

Michelle: Yeah, I would, I love the progression of this story. So a lot of travel publications this year and every year do the stories that’s basically how to maximize your PTO. And I have been a big dissenter of this concept. The basics of it is, you know, there are several federal holidays on the calendar, Memorial Day, Labor Day. It’s usually one day off. Sometimes in the case of Thanksgiving, it’s two. The math is always the same. It’s you take the remainder of the week off, so usually around four days, and you get a total of nine days off.

So to me this feels like, you know, this is actually not the best time to travel. Like, this is when so many are in competition with so many people to hit the road. And so I’ve sort of argued, why would we, why would we talk about federal holidays. Like, they’re not—like, you should just take a random Monday off and go, you know, go on a different long weekend or whatever. But, you know, for a lot of people, they don’t have necessarily a lot of time off, and they are really forced to use and think creatively about their federal holidays. So I sort of had to rethink about my idea. And, and I have kids who also have, like, federal holidays off. And we’re also saddled a lot of the time with those federal holidays.

So. Terry Ward wrote this article for us, which I love because it doesn’t talk about the math—because, like I said, the math is pretty simple. I think everybody knows how to look at a calendar and see how to take days off to maximize on days that you are given as federal holidays. But what she did is she looked at sort of destinations and how, if you have to go during these time frames that are, like, traditionally very busy, where do you go? How do you get away from the crowds?

And so there’s a few recommendations. And she talked to travel advisors for this. And so, for example, Memorial Day here in the States, like, Memorial Day can be kind of a nightmare. I mean, it’s like the last big hurrah before the summer. It’s sort of what we call the unofficial start of the summer. So she makes the argument, like, this is a great time to go to Europe. It’s right before the peak season in Europe, which tends to be July and August, so you can maybe still get some good deals on travel to Europe. It’s a U.S. holiday, not European holiday. Labor Day, another great example. This is, you know, it’s fall. So great time to go to, like Greece, when Greece, you know, traditionally high-season summertime, it’s very hot. As I mentioned with my, the coolcation trend. So great time to take advantage of both a, like, destinations that tend to be very hot and overcrowded in the summer, but also like a, Canada before the winter season.

And then lastly, looking at Thanksgiving, which is actually my one of my favorite holidays to take advantage of and travel because it’s such a traditionally, like, domestic holiday. So looking at a place like Mexico before, you know, Christmas and New Year’s holiday crowds coming into Mexico, and also getting a jumpstart on, like, the Christmas markets in Europe. Again, Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday, so you don’t necessarily have like the same sort of, um, competition and increase of prices, though much of the world has caught on to the fact that we have these holidays in the U.S.. So that’s a little bit of a pipe dream, but you get the idea. If you do have limited PTO, and if you do need to use these federal holidays to take a break, that there are ways to be strategic about it. So I came full circle on the “how to maximize your PTO” discussion and have realized that if you do need to use those days to travel, why not try and do it strategically?

Aislyn: That is great. I really love that idea. Billy, do you have anything you’d like to add?

Billie: Use them all. Whatever you have to do. That’s right. We’re bad at using them. Americans don’t use them all. But you deserve them. You all earned them. Go use your vacation days.

Aislyn: You know, it’s funny, because I would not be as much of a planner as I am, but my partner works in health care, so we have to pick our days off a year in advance. She gets these certain holidays off, and so we’ve kind of been forced into that situation even though we don’t have children. In some ways it’s great. And in other ways, I can’t wait till we’re free of that. So that’s great advice. Thank you.

Well, let’s move into talking more concretely about destinations, because none of this matters if we don’t have a place we want to go. So our Where to Go List was all about lesser-known destinations that have tourism infrastructure and want travelers. That link is in the show notes. But we also recently published a story on Afar.com about 12 places you should visit now before they get superpopular. So what are some of the places that are on your list or that you would recommend?

Billie: I’ll jump in. There’s a couple of places. So, um, our senior editor Shayla Martin reported this, a bunch of places on it that are dear to my heart. One, Panama is just becoming more and more popular. I went two years ago. I don’t know. Time is weird. I don’t know when I went. It was amazing. And so there’s a lot happening there. Obviously in Panama City is a really, really fun, fun place to be. There’s a bunch of of new hotels, beautiful Sofitel Legend that opened up a year or two ago in historic property in the Old Town. And then getting out of the city to, like, the Bocas del Toro archipelago. It’s a very short little flight. Hop from the capital out there, and you can stay in overwater bungalows; you can kayak. If you’re a surfer, you can do that. It’s got this kind of beachy beach town vibe. So it’s just, it’s a place. And of course, there’s the locks [of the Panama Canal], right? See the locks? I forgot about the, the thing that probably draws people. Um, but there’s, there’s so much to do and see in this very small country. And it makes it pretty easy to, to get around either by small flights or driving. So that’s on our list. That’s coming up as a place to go before it gets popular. Another one is Malta. We talked a bit earlier about new flight routes, and there’s a new flight to Malta coming up starting in . . . is it May, Michelle?

Michelle: I don’t know.

Billie: From JFK. Oh, I just assume everyone is in New York because that’s where I am. Such a typical New Yorker. There’ll be a direct flight from New York to Malta, and this was part of a cool program that, oh God, correct me, it’s Delta, right?

Michelle: I just looked it up. Delta Air, Malta starting June 7.

Billie: So they did this cool thing where they asked, like, their every, the public to vote, like, where they should launch a new one, and Malta one, and I think Sardinia. But, so, Malta has been, like, on my radar and on, on, people know, on their radar for a while. It’s small Mediterranean island area, lots of history. Um, and beautiful. Beautiful scenery, great food. Um, they make these special Maltese pastries. Then, that’s enough for me to go. Um, so. And they have, like, this unique folk music. I think it’s called għana. I apologize if I’m mispronouncing that. Like, there’s just a lot of interesting layers to the history and the culture and the things that you can experience there, the culinary culture. And so with that flight opening, it’s now going to have its moment. So get there soon. Those are my two favorites on the list.

Michelle: I’m always going to be plugging Eastern Europe as a daughter of Polish and Romanian immigrants. But it’s so important where, right, like, I think it’s funny how we’re so into new flight routes. Like, as travel nerds, we’re always like, Oh, because it’s, like, a nonstop flight makes such a difference. You know, it really, it’s so, it’s such a game changer. But then to your point, like, it’s like, wait, which airport is it out of? Because like, is this relevant to me? And LOT Polish Airlines is launching a new flight from SFO to Warsaw. And my parents have been bragging about their nonstop to Warsaw out of LAX for years. And finally I can join them on the nonstop-to-Warsaw train with this new flight. So, um, just another plug for Warsaw because of that new nonstop flight out of SFO now. So, you know, the flights, it’s, it really is such a fun, geeky thing to keep an eye on. It never gets old when airlines launch new routes. I think we all just get, like, so giddy, it’s ridiculous.

Aislyn: I was so excited about the SFO to Adelaide one because it just made South Australia so much more accessible. It’s one flight. I mean, it’s a long one, but still just a single flight.

Billie: It makes such a difference, and it’s such a good indicator of what is going to be big or popular, right? If there’s enough interest, there’s critical mass for an airline to launch, launch a new route. That should be—that’s your indicator to get there soon.

Michelle: Yeah. And this loops back to our loyalty issue. They’re, they’re too good at figuring out how to fill planes. And this is why there’s no extra seats available for those of us with points who want to get in on those seats.

Aislyn: Get closer to the front of the plane on this.

All right, so before we close with a special something that Michelle created for us for this episode, I wanted to revisit one of the lightning-round questions that you both had. I think slightly different takes on it was the movie question, you know, watching a movie that is maybe not subject appropriate for a younger person sitting next to you who you don’t know and you have no familial relationship with. Okay, what are your thoughts? Go.

Michelle: Oh, OK. I mean, I will answer as the mom of the group. So this actually happened to me on our flight to Korea. My daughter, who was six at the time, it’s a long flight, and she was sitting next to me and a person. I will say, in this instance, I was grateful that it was, um, violent and not, like, sexually graphic because we haven’t even, like, crossed that road yet with my kids. So I guess that does bring up that issue. Um, like, so as a parent, I’m already putting—like, if you’re going to watch something inappropriate in front of kids, for those of us who haven’t had the birds and the bees talks with our kids yet, maybe at least make sure it’s violent.

But in this case, it was like, some, it was, I want to say, like, 28 Days Later, or it was, like, an over-the-top, almost, like, comically gory movie, like bodies falling, like so, so bloody. And it was right in our view. And I was just like, Oh, OK. Like that is, um, that’s, like, inappropriate movie. So let’s not. And she was like, Yeah, that’s very scary. I was like, Yeah, so let’s just try to go to sleep, and like, she, we just basically had, like, a conversation about it, which is . . . But at the end of the day, as, like, that is 1,000 percent in that person’s right to watch that movie. It was provided by the airline on their seatback screen, and it is on me as a parent, as it is on any situation, to have a constructive conversation with my daughter that helps to contextualize the situation for her.

So I, you know, even if it can put others in uncomfortable situation, in this case, I felt like, well, there are so many things that I will see when I’m with my kids that we need to talk about. And that’s my job as a parent, to talk to them about it and figure out a solution. So we just we talked about it. We turned away. I was like, I don’t think that’s a good idea for you to watch that. It’s probably going to give you nightmares. Look away. And we still, like, talk and joke about it. And she was like, Oh, remember? They were all, you know, it’s like it’s a core memory, I guess you could say. Um, so that’s, like, my thoughts on it is just that, like, if the, if the movie is provided, like it’s, it’s totally within your rights. Now if you feel comfortable watching certain things with other passengers around, that’s a different subject. Everyone has to kind of address [that] on their own.

Aislyn: Like on your own device.

Michelle: No. Or if you’re, it’s like, if it’s like an explicit movie, and you’re watching, and like, in, you’re, like, self-conscious about the fact that others sitting next to you are, like, watching with you.

Aislyn: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, yes. I mean, I get embarrassed sometimes, like if I’m watching a movie and all of a sudden there’s this really crazy sex scene.

Michelle: Exactly. Like, I want to be like, I didn’t know, I didn’t know.

Aislyn: I didn’t know, you know! Do I stop, do I fast-forward? Billie, you mentioned horror movies. You know that you don’t like them. So what is your take on all this?

Billie: I know Michelle answered as the parent of the group, and I’m going to answer as the chicken of the group. I sort of wish I had her there with me. So I don’t like horror movies. I don’t like scary movies. But I really—remember when Get Out came out and, like, everybody was talking about it, and I really wanted to see it because it was, like, this zeitgeist movie, but I was scared. Um, but I was sitting next to someone on the plane who was watching it on their screen. Um, and so I was able to watch it, just sort of leaning, leaning over, and, you know, because you can’t quite see it head-on. Right. The way that the screens are set up with the anti-glare. So I kind of had to lean over to the stranger so I could watch it with no sound and subtitles. And that was my speed. So I finally got to see this movie that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the guts to watch on airplane, with a stranger allowing me to, like, nearly rest my head on their shoulder watching it. So I appreciate it. If there’s a movie that I’m not going to watch, I’ll look at it, and I get up 100 times. That’s why I’m an, I’ll not [take] a window, because I get up 100 times during a flight. I like to walk. So I am looking at what you’re all watching. Like, I am so curious. Oh, what’s that person watching? What’s that person watching? And I’ll, I’ll stand there for a couple of seconds. So I’m, I’m the problem. You have to watch out for me.

Aislyn: Billie’s the lurker.

Billie: I’m just so curious that I talk to everyone. I once met a celebrity’s father on a flight, and then I recently saw that celebrity and was able to tell him that I sat next to his father on a flight.

Aislyn: Wait. Well, you have to tell us who the celebrity is, do you?

Billie: Well, do you remember? Did you guys watch Mad Men?

Aislyn: Yes.

Billie: Yeah. John Slattery?

Aislyn: Oh, yeah.

Billie: Wow. So I sat next to his dad. This is a bunch of years ago on a flight. I was stuck in a middle seat. And this will surprise no one that I, I talk to everyone, but he actually started the conversation because he was holding, I think it was a GQ magazine, and John Slattery was on the cover, so he showed it to me. He’s like, That’s my son.

Aislyn: Yeah. I was like, How do you know it’s his father?

Billie: But he was so proud. Right. He just wanted to talk about [him], and he’s telling me all these stories. And we talked about how the dad worked in the tannery business. I learned a lot about leather making for a vegetarian. That was awesome. Um, and he would just, like, spent, I think, a two-hour flight from Florida talking about his son and how proud he was. And then, this was seriously like 5 or 10 years ago, and then just this Christmas, at a Christmas market in Manhattan, John Slattery was there, and I totally went right up and was like, Oh my God, I have to tell you, I met your dad. He told me he thought I was, like, coming over to take a selfie. I’m like, No, no, no. I sat next to your dad on a plane. He was so proud of you.

Aislyn: OK, that’s really sweet.

Michelle: That’s so cute.

Billie: Best airplane experience ever.

Aislyn: Well, good job, Billie, that was awesome. I mean, not the direction I thought that was going to go, but I appreciate your take on half-watching horror movies on the plane.

Billie: He did not watch a horror movie. I just had to read it. An issue of GQ.

Aislyn: We are out of time. But before we go, Michelle, would you like to share your creation with us?

Michelle: Yeah. So just so that, you know, we refer to this time of year as PYTY, Plan Your Travel Year. And I love a Weird Al Yankovic kind of song-spoof moment. So, um, I had to create our version of PYTY for this, so.

I want to go there. PYTY, plan your travel. Yeah. You need some traveling, TLC, travel luggage and cards and we’ll take you there.

I don’t think that’s actually how the like, right.

Aislyn: I love it. It’s so good. Uh, you really made my Monday with this one. Well, Billie and Michelle, thank you, as always, for your brilliance and your thoughts and your honesty.

Michelle: Always. So much fun.

Billie: A lot of fun. Thank you, Aislyn.

Aislyn: That is sure to be the travel earworm that takes the internet by storm, right? Thank you, Michelle, for generating it, and Billie for your enthusiastic backup singing. Listeners, we covered a lot today, so please be sure to check out our show notes, where we’ve linked to our complete Plan Your travel Year series on Afar.com, as well as to our travel news section and all the other resources that can help you, whether you’re a planner, a procrastinator, or somewhere in between.

If you’re ready for more travel inspiration than intel, visit Afar.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok. We are @AfarMedia. If you enjoyed today’s exploration, I hope you’ll come back for more great stories and interviews. Subscribing always makes that easy. And be sure to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platform. It helps other travelers find it.

This has been Unpacked, a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media Podcast Network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to their other fine shows like Culture Kids and The Explorers Podcast.

Michelle: I can only imagine what my husband is thinking in the kitchen right now. Like, I thought she said she was going to be on a podcast.