5 On-Demand Services That Make Travel Easier Than Ever

The news headlines came fast and furiously at the end of September, most of which communicated the simple message: now, if you’re over 21, you can pack pot in your carry-on when flying from Los Angeles International Airport, with the allowance being 28.5 grams of marijuana and eight grams of concentrated pot for personal use.  California laws are not the same as federal laws But there’s actually much more to it than that, so don’t be so quick to stash joints in with your shampoo. Here’s the bottom line: since the passage of the Adult Use Marijuana Act on January 1, 2018, recreational pot is legal in California. LAX is in California, so go on and bring it into the airport. But the fact remains that TSA agents are federal employees and pot is still illegal at the federal level, so if they spot any as your bag is going through the scanner, they can call on local police and let them decide what to do. In January, when the Act went into effect, a statement posted on flylax.com, the airport’s official website, read: "Passengers should be aware that marijuana laws vary state by state and they are encouraged to check the laws of the states in which they plan to travel." Transporting marijuana across state lines, whether by plane, train, or car, is illegal, plain and simple. Planes in American airspace are also subject to federal law, so fines may still be a consequence, regardless of whether California authorities prosecute.  What happens--or doesn't--if TSA spots pot in your carry-on “It doesn’t matter what airport you’re leaving from. Once you step through TSA, you’re under their jurisdiction and at the mercy of federal law,” said Daniel Vinkovetsky (pseudonym: Danny Danko), senior cultivation editor at High Times, the leading authority on cannabis since it launched as a counter culture publication more than 40 years ago. “It’s misleading to say you can bring weed through the airport. Yes, you can bring it to LAX, but no, you can’t travel with it. If TSA agents see a jar of weed, they might pretend they didn’t because if they do, they’ll have to stop everything and hold up the security line.” And nobody wants to be responsible for an angry mob of anxious passengers. Vinkovetsky noted that law enforcement will, more likely than not, decline to prosecute, so most of the time if they do spot the pot, the end result is simply embarrassment and, of course, getting your pot confiscated. Or worst case scenario: you get held up and miss your flight.  “Agents aren’t happy because it’s just a waste of their time,” he said. “They’re concerned about so much more, like finding bombs and knives and other security risks. Pot isn’t a security risk, so it’s not a major priority.” He added that he'll be keeping a careful eye on what happens with international and domestic travel in Canada when weed goes legal nationwide on October 17.

Sure, the week of Thanksgiving is one of the most hectic travel periods of the year, with tens of millions of people expected to fly between November 16 and 27. But that doesn’t mean Turkey Day has to break the bank. Here, our best-ever money-saving tips. 1. THE BEST DAYS TO TRAVEL FOR THANKSGIVING To save money and hassle this year, travel November 16 through 20 or on Thanksgiving Day itself. For the return trip, hold off till Monday November 26 or try Black Friday, when so many people are busy shopping. 2. IS IT TOO LATE TO GET A DEAL ON AIRFARE? Sure, it’s late to buy Thanksgiving airline tickets, but look for last-minute deals with our friends at Skyscanner.com and be flexible with your dates and airports. Coast-to-coast flights for under $500 are still out there. 3. ARE SUPER-LOW-COST AIRLINES REALLY A GOOD DEAL? If that $30 last-minute flight to Grandma’s house seems too good to be true, I promise it probably isn’t true: It is a rock-bottom basic fare and you will be charged extra for everything from choice of seat (really) to checked bags (of course) and maybe even for your carry-on bag. It doesn’t mean you shouldn't book a super-low-cost flight, it just means you must read the terms and conditions and know what you’re getting into before you hit “purchase.” 4. TREAT YOURSELF TO A HOTEL FOR THANKSGIVING Surprise! In survey after survey, up to 7 out of 10 travelers admit they really don’t like staying with relatives for Thanksgiving (but surveys also suggest most people suck it up, stay with relatives, and pretend to enjoy it). The good news is, hotels are often underbooked around Thanksgiving and you can find deals even at the last minute. Hotels that cater to business travelers - such as suites and airport hotels - are especially affordable on holiday (and non-holiday) weekends. 5. BEAT HOLIDAY TRAFFIC BY DRIVING AT NIGHT Glamorous? Nope. Tried and true? Yup. You’ll hit less traffic if you hit the road after dark, let the kids sleep, and catch a nap before your turkey dinner. 6. PSST! HERE'S A NATIVE NEW YORKER'S SECRET FOR VISITING THE MACY'S PARADE This tip is based on my personal experience as a native New Yorker: If you’re traveling to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, take public transportation or park your car on the far West Side of Manhattan and head for Central Park West below 77th Street, where the parade starts out with its high energy, giant balloons, marching bands, and iconic views of the park.

Do you need travel insurance? When a natural disaster strikes—such as the hurricanes, floods, mud slides, and wildfires that have hit the U.S. in recent years—travel arrangements get disrupted across the country. Airports shut down. Highways close. Sadly, now is a good time to get up to speed on travel insurance. When you’re traveling, it’s important to have the proper protection in case something goes wrong, like a flight cancellation, lost luggage, or medical emergency. Yet only 21% of Americans purchase travel insurance, according to a study from The Points Guy. Why? “When people are planning a trip, they don’t plan for the unexpected,” says John Cook, founder of QuoteWright.com, a travel insurance comparison site. “They don’t think about the risks that are associated with travel.” Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United, agrees: “People don’t think twice about buying car insurance or homeowner’s insurance, but a lot of people just overlook travel insurance,” he says. Another reason people don’t purchase travel insurance is because “it can be a complicated topic, which can make the product less accessible for a lot of people,” says Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, a U.S. travel insurance provider Granted, travel insurance isn’t right for everyone. Whether you should purchase it will ultimately depend on the type of trip you’re planning, what type of coverage you need, and how much you’re willing to spend. Here’s what you need to know before you purchase travel insurance. There are two types of travel insurance You have “named peril” policies and “cancel for any reason” policies. A named peril policy only offers coverage for certain events, or “perils,” such as a cancelled flight, lost luggage, or death in the family prior to the trip. Each policy spells out exactly what’s covered and what’s not (these are called “exclusions”), says Cook. The second type of travel insurance is a “cancel for any reason” policy, which is exactly like it sounds—the insurance company will pay you a percentage of any nonrefundable travel expenses regardless of why you cancel your trip. Naturally, this extra coverage costs more; Cook says it can add up to another 50% of the cost of the insurance policy. But be aware you won’t get reimbursed for the full costs of your trip. “Generally, you get $0.75 on the dollar,” Cook says, “but there’s a blackout period of two days before your departure during which you can’t cancel for any reason.” Therefore, you still need to be diligent and find out what your “cancel for any reason” insurance plan would cover. Planning an international trip? Buy medical coverage Most health insurance policies, including Medicare, don’t offer medical coverage when you’re traveling outside the U.S., which is why Elliott strongly recommends buying medical coverage. Typically, covered medical expenses are costs incurred for necessary services and supplies, such as a doctor’s visit, prescription drugs, or hospital stay, but coverage will depend on the type of policy you buy. One thing you want to make sure you get is coverage for an emergency medical evacuation, since it can cost you “well over $100,000 if you don’t have coverage,” Cook says. “It’s especially important if you’re going on a rock-climbing trip or something adventurous,” he adds. You may already be covered Some credit cards offer trip cancellation, medical, and/or baggage insurance if you pay for the trip with the card. For example, if your travel is interrupted or canceled due to injury, sickness, severe weather or other conditions, you can be reimbursed for prepaid travel expenses such as flights and hotel rooms for up to $10,000 per trip with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. However, some credit cards only offer “very basic coverage,” says Cook, so be careful when evaluating what coverage your credit card company provides. Typically, there’s a limit for expenses incurred from flight cancellation If your flight gets cancelled, your travel insurance company will normally provide for lodging arrangements, meals, and transportation to and from the airport so that you're not stuck in an airport waiting for your next flight. (That’s assuming the airline doesn’t pay for these costs.) But policies have coverage limits. “With most policies, you get up to $150 a day per person,” Cook says. (Read: you better review your policy before you check into the Four Seasons!) Keep your receipts Let’s say your luggage gets lost or stolen. If you purchased baggage coverage, you’ll most likely have to pay for essential items (e.g., clothes, toiletries) out of pocket and then submit a claim to the insurance company when you get home. However, you’ll need to submit receipts to get reimbursed. “If it’s under $100, you [typically] just email the receipts and the company will transfer the money to your debit card or cut you a check,” Elliott says. “It’s a fast process.” If it’s a large claim though, you may have to submit the paperwork by mail and it could take several days for the insurance company to process the claim. The moral: before you leave for your trip, make sure you have enough cash with you (or on your debit card) to pay for essential items. Why travel insurance costs vary Cook says travel insurance prices are based on three factors: your age, the cost of your trip (generally in $500 increments), and the length of your trip if you’re traveling for more than 30 days. Hence, the same travel insurance policy (assuming it has medical coverage) could cost a 70-year-old person more than it would a millennial, since older people have more health risks. In general, however, travel insurance costs 5% to 7% of the price of the vacation, says the Insurance Information Institute, so a $5,000 trip would cost roughly $250 to $350 to insure. Travel a lot? Consider buying an annual policy If you’re a frequent business traveler or take more than two vacations a year, it may be worth purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, Elliott says. Most annual plans offer a year's worth of protection for medical, property, and trip costs. You can use a website like QuoteWright.com, TravelInsurance.com, or SquareMouth.com to compare policies. Of course, you always want to read the fine print—and don’t simply sign up for the cheapest policy. As Sandberg says, “travelers need to find the right plan, at the right price for them.” 

Nobody wants their vacation delayed before it even starts. But bad weather can sometimes keep planes grounded. Worse, some airlines—and sometimes even hotels and rental-car companies—will invoke bad weather, or "Acts of God" as an excuse for cancellations that may actually be due to mechanical problems or other mishaps. Why would an airline blame the weather for a delay or cancellation? Airlines are not legally obligated to provide travelers with lodging or meals if a delay or cancellation is due to weather. But you are not powerless in these situations. Here, The Air Traveler's Take-Control Cheat Sheet: RESEARCH WEATHER AND CONTINGENCY PLANS  In the days before you fly, check a reliable source such as The Weather Channel for weather forecasts for your departing airport, any connecting stops, and your destination. Also, as a precaution, keep a list of hotels at each of those airports (an app such as Hotel Tonight can put this info at your fingertips). Oh, and stock up on chocolate bars for your carry-on bag (more on that later). STAY INFORMED  Check on your flight before you leave the house or on your way to the airport. For most people, the nastiest thing about a flight delay or cancellation is that punch-in-the-gut moment when you're standing in front of an airport monitor learning that your vacation is not going to start on time. Use TripAdvisor's GateGuru app to check weather conditions and flight schedules before you get to the airport. (And make sure you've got chocolate in your carry-on!) YOU'LL GET BETTER SERVICE IF YOU'RE NICE  If your flight is cancelled or delayed, immediately call the airline's reservations number or visit a gate agent. Whoever you speak with, treat them like your new Travel BFF—sure, you're stressed, but a friendly, calm approach (and a complimentary chocolate bar!) may go a long way. Be the customer who isn't throwing a tantrum! Ask to be booked on the next available flight. If you are worried about missing a connecting flight, tell them—airlines can sometimes offer special services to connecting passengers. If no flights are available, politely ask for a hotel and meal voucher—no, they are not obligated to give them to you, but just might anyway because you were as sweet as the chocolate you offered them. BE A LITTLE NOSY  Some travelers like to ask—politely—whether the delay is purely due to weather or perhaps a "combination of weather and other factors." If your airline rep admits that some other factor, such as mechanical problems, is at play, repeat your polite request for hotel and meal vouchers. (But please don't invoke the legendary "Rule 240," which some travelers believe obligates airlines to book them on the next available flight, or a flight on a competing airline. A holdover from the days when airlines where more heavily regulated, Rule 240 won't mean much to most airline personnel these days.) If you are fairly certain that weather was unfairly cited as the cause of a flight delay or cancellation, you can hire a forensic meteorologist to match your flight data with weather conditions and make the case that you are owed compensation for hotel and meals. ASK FOR A "DISTRESSED TRAVELER" RATE  If, despite your best efforts, you are stuck checking into a hotel while you wait for a hurricane, blizzard, or volcanic ash to blow over, ask the hotel if they offer a "distressed traveler" rate. The Hotel Tonight app specializes in last-minute bookings and can really help in these emergency situations. BE INSURANCE-SAVVY  We get asked all the time if travel insurance can protect you from weather-related cancellations. We recommend that you carefully review conventional travel insurance policies due to their high prices and relatively low reimbursement rates. But if you are booking a package tour or cruise, you can often purchase an affordable policy that allows you to cancel for any reason at any time. And if you're traveling anywhere remotely off the grid, appropriate insurance for medical evacuation should be on your list.PACK YOUR CARRY-ON FOR AN EMERGENCY We recommend always packing a carry-on with “emergency” items, but it is especially important when weather threatens your travel plans. Keep a change of clothes, a jacket, and all medication you might need in your carry-on. A sleeping mask and ear plugs are also valuable items to carry with you - they don’t take up much weight, but they are solid gold to have if  you need to catch some zzz’s at the airport.