But here’s what the experts are saying:

To get things started, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25.

Despite all that’s happening in the world (war, gas prices, viruses, you name it), this year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year.

And it sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations.

And, AAA reports, while gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year, but only for those who booked early. 

Looking beyond Memorial Day, here are the summer travel trends a variety of travel groups and professional organiziations are sharing.

Expedia, Vrbo and Hotels.comamong others, says Americans aren’t traveling less this summer, but they are traveling diferently.

In its summer travel trends report, released Wednesday, Expedia declared this the “stay here summer” with 63% of U.S. travelers planning a domestic trip this season.  

Travelers continue to plan trips around sports event (looking at you, FIFA), major concerts and places featured in films and TV shows.

But with America’s 250th and Route 66’s 100th anniversary taking place this summer, Expedia is also seeing many travelers choosing to “hotel hop” across the country and booking multi-hotel itineraries as they explore various cities throughout the states. 

The news isn’t so rosy elsewhere.

Deloitte’s “2026 Summer Travel Survey” found that travel intent is at a six-year low amid rising pricing pressures, but that those who plan to travel say they’ll spend more.

Their survey found that while 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation, costs are keeping others home. One third of non-travelers say travel is too expensive (32%) and 35% say they can’t afford it.

Those who are traveling say they plan to take an average of 3.1 trips this summer, the same as last year, but that they will increase the budget for their longest trip to $4,049, which is 17% higher than in 2025.

Bank of America’s Summer Travel and Entertainment Outlook report says 77% of Americans plan to travel this summer, surpassing the 74% who said they had summer travel plans in 2025 and the 72% who planned to travel in summer 2024.

At the same time, 55% of Americans of all income levels say their top priority is finding a great experience while staying mindful of their budget – and that holds true across every income level. 

AI is finding its way into travel planning

Bank of America’s survey found that more than half of Americans (55%) are using AI to plan their summer travels, whether it’s comparing costs (28%), discovering new destinations (26%), and/or getting general travel advice (26%).  

They also say that nearly half of Americans (46%) plan to redeem financial rewards to offset vacation costs this summer.  

Does any of this sound like what’s going on with your summer travel plans?

Let us know!

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A pilot program starting June 1, will allow some passengers flying out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to go through TSA screening at a remote terminal 25 miles from Boston.

Operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority’s (Massport’), the Logan Airport Remote Terminal at Framingham is a pilot program allow travelers to go through TSA security in Framingham – about 25 miles west of Boston Logan – then board a dedicated secure bus that will takes them to a post-security spot at BOS Airport.

During this pilot, only passengers flying on Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. will be able to use this service, but there are plans to expand access to additional airlines in the future.

Tickets cost $9 and be can booked from 90 days to 90 minutes before departure.

When booking, passengers select their airline (Delta or JetBlue for now), choose the number of tickets needed from Framingham to Boston Logan and enter their flight information. The system will suggest the best time to board the bus.

On the same website, travelers can purchase Logan Express (LEX) Framingham bus tickets for the return trip.

The LEX express bus service leaves from all terminal curbsides and serves five locations – Framingham (the busiest), Woburn, Braintree, Danvers, and Boston’s Back Bay.

The Landline Company, a third-party contractor, is partnering with Massport to help manage this program. Landline runs a similar bus service between airports in Pennsylvania and Illinois, but this will be the first program that offers the service from a remote terminal directly to an airport.

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Did you grow up with or are a fan of Atari and Ninendo-era video games such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and Ms. PAC-MAN?

Then you’ll want to stop in at the retro-themed Sky Gamerz gaming lounge in the N Concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

There’s a full menu and a bar with the requisite bank of large TV screens overhead turned to sports and, if everyone behaves, national news.

One side of this restaurant is open to patrons of all ages. And on the all-ages side, checking out and playing one of the many retro-computer cartdrige games is free.

While no purchase is necessary, you’ll probably want to order something – perhaps Nutella stuffed French Toast – from the eclectic menu.

If you do order a meal, be sure to save room for the ice cream sandwich.

Each freshly made ice cream sandwich is made of 4 ounces of vanilla ice cream stuffed between two large, warm chocolate chunk cookies, which are more than 4 inches across. (We measured!)

This dessert is big and perfect for sharing. And when we first visited last February the ice-cream sandwich was just $8 (plus tax), leading us to declare this the best value dessert at SEA airport.

We stopped in again this week to see how things are going. And we noticed that the ice-cream sandwich is now $9.50. Turns out the prices for all items on the menu had just gone up.

That’s inflation at work. But even at $9.50, this ice-cream sandwich is still a really great deal and we still feel it’s one of the best tasting and best value desserts at Seattle Tacoma International Airport.

Let us know what you think.

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Back in 2017, JetBlue put a special “Blueprint” livery on an Embraer E190 aircraft.

That paint scheme was retired in 2024, but it featured a “see-through” blue and white cut-away design that showed off the elements of the aircraft (seats, nose gear, etc.).

There were also a variety of ‘hidden’ carry-on items, including a teddy bear, slices of pizza, a potted plant, etc that were fun to try and spot in the overhead bins.

Now JetBlue has brought back the Blueprint paint scheme.

But this time it’s on an Airbus A220 and is called, appropriately enough, Blueprint II.

JetBlue says Blueprint II has bolder visuals, greater detail and new hidden touches throughout the aircraft, including:

• A teddy bear, now seated in its own passenger seat
• A crown honoring JetBlue’s first European destination, London
• A sextant in the flight deck recognizing the history of navigation
• Fins, a mask and snorkel, and a swimming pool float nodding to the carrier’s warm-weather vacation destinations
• And dozens of additional “Easter eggs” hidden throughout the livery,

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May is Museum Month in many U.S. cities and May 18 is International Museum Day around the world.

So it’s a good time to take a moment to take a look at the museum program at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

The Phoenix Airport Museum became an official entitiy 38 years ago and today has more than 1000 artworks in its collection, including everyting from artist-designed glass murals to paintings, sculptures, terrazo flooring and fine art prints.

Passengers and the public can see the museum offerings in more than 40 exhibition display areas throughout the airport facility, including in the rental car facility, along the Sky Train and many pre and post-security galleries.

For example, pre-security in PHX Terminal 3, Teresa Villegas’ series, La Lotería, transforms each card from the game’s 54 card deck into 54 paintings inspired by cultural stories, food and everyday items.

In Terminal 4, a pre-security exhibition titled Fluoresce features seven local artists who use blacklight paint to create vivid artworks that glow under ultraviolet light.

(Symmetrical Flower Series I by Kyllan Maney)

Some of the other permanent and temporary art installations at PHX Airport include vintage flight attendant uniforms (pre-security in Terminal 4), the terrazo flooring in the airport’s air train stations and The Phoenix, by Coze in the Rental Car Center.

Be sure to check the PHX Airport webiste to find out about all artwork the Phoenix Airport Museum is currently offering.

(Featured image: The Aviators by Donald Lipsk).

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As we lurch towards the summer travel season, we’re seeing rising gas prices and soaring airline fares.

Prices are also rising for hotels, meals, attractions, admissions, souvenirs and everything else you might need or want to do when you’re on vacation.

And don’t get us started about the costs of visiting any US city that may be hosting a FIFA World Cup game this year.

What will happen to travel this summer? Will everyone stay home?

AAA projects that 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. 

That’s slighter higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations. 

And while gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, AAA notes that the average airline ticket price is lower than last year, but only for those who booked early. 

Adjusting, not canceling, summer plans

A slew of surveys are out offering insights into what summer travelers are feeling.

According to the 2026 Bank of America Summer Travel Outlook (conducted between March 26 and April 3) around 30% of respondents said higher gas prices weren’t causing them to change their summer travel plans just yet.

However, many people were already planning to take fewer trips and are trimming their travel budgets.

In a survey of 5,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research for Current in mid-March, respondents who traveled last summer and who are planning to travel this summer (52%) said they are planning to visit different types of destinations (32%) and trying to be smart with their finances by being more budget-conscious this summer (31%) and traveling to more affordable destinations (25%).

Summer travelers are also looking to do more day trips or adventures within their own city or state (22%) and will be traveling for shorter lengths of time (22%).

Makes sense!

Iceland bound? Keflavik International Airport has free cultural tours

If you’re visiting Iceland soon, or stopping over on a trip somewhere else, you can stretch your budget by checking out these free at-the airport adventures.

Iceland’s Keflavík Airport (KEF) is offering a series of free airport experiences that invite passengers to discover Iceland through four hosted airport tours focusing on food, drink, art and music.

The Bless Program tours – ‘Bless’ means Goodbye in Icelandic – will be hosted by Icelandic notables.

The food tour will take guests to several KEF restaurants to the meet chefs and taste Icelandic products, such as lamb, fish, skyr and hot dogs.

The art tour will explore some of the 20 pieces of art in the airport and on airport grounds, including hand-painted ceramic murals, stained-glass artworks, and a 78-foot-tall rainbow sculpture.

The drinks tour will offer guests samples of local favorites, such as Snorri (Icelandic Ale), Gull beer (Icelandic Pale Ale), Brennivín snaps, an Icelandic cream liquor and more.

And the music tour will offer a chance to listen to Icelandic music ranging from rock to rap including Mezzoforte, Björk, Of Monsters and Men, Sigurrós, Kaleo and Laufey.

Check ahead for dates and times of KEF’s Bless Program tours.

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Fans of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines who fly as Business Class passengers on an intercontinental flight look forward to choosing a miniature Delft Blue house from a cart rolled down the aisle towards the end of the flight.

KLM has been gifting these miniature gin-filled houses representing special buildings in the Netherlands and beyond to business class passengers since the 1950s. And the carrier releases a new Delft Blue miniature house each year on its birthday, October 7th.

With 106 houses now in the series, the small buildings have become treasured and collectible souvenirs.

Only a handful of limited-edition ‘bonus’ houses have been issued in the series.

And today, to celebrate 80 years of connection between Amsterdam and New York, KLM and the The New York Historical are introducing a limited-edition miniature Delft House modeled after the New York Historical Society Building.

A Delft House Pop-up at The New York Historical

As part of the celebration, The New York Historical, New York’s first museum, will be hosting a Delft House pop-up in its lobby.

From May 22^nd to May 27^th 2026, an exhibit will showcase the KLM legacy through a wide variety of historical items including menus and in-flight magazines, video footage and digital assets.

There will also be a special display of KLM’s miniature Delft Blue houses on display, ending with the new miniature Delft house of The New York Historical.

Museum visitors will also be able to learn more about the Dutch connection with the exhibition Old Masters, New Amsterdam, which features paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries.

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Hundreds of thousands of car race fans will be heading to Indianapolis soon for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 race, which takes place this year on Sunday, May 24.

A great many of those fans will be arriving by air. And Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is ready to welcome those fans with race-themed banners, Indy Car displays and fun photo-op stations.

Here’s a sampling of what’s on site:

While you’re there….

If you are passing through IND Airport, be sure to check out some of the permanent and temporary artwork.

Through June 2026, the KIND Gallery on Concourse A is hosting an exhibition of ephemera and memorabilia from concerts that took place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in past years, including the The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, The Jackson 5 and more.

The items on display are drawn from the personal collection of Thomas Fontaine, an Indianapolis resident who began collecting music and pop culture memorabilia at age five.

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A new exhibition at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) explores how San Francisco and the Bay Area have been promoted as a tourist destination over the years, with a big boost from airlines.

The commecial airline industry, has ben “an active participant in the touristic myth-making—especially before smartphones and laptop computers replaced visits to travel agencies and ticket counters,” the exhibition notes tell us.

“Colorful travel posters offered evocative hints of romance and adventure in a memorable setting. Once people were on board and en route, everything from napkins to matchbooks and playing cards might be adorned with familiar scenes chosen to reinforce that San Francisco was a place worth visiting.”

The exhibit, Destination: San Francisco is located pre-security in the Aviation Museum and Library in the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport through January 10, 2027.

(All images courtesy SFO Museum)

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If our mom was still present on this planet, she’d be delighted to learn that the Pentagon released some of its ‘secret’ UFO files this week.

Because, although she was down to earth in every other way, whenever the topic of UFOs and visitors from other planets came up in the news, she’d say, with all seriousness, “It could happen.”

She never explained what exactly she thought could happen.

Would Martians land in the backyard? If they did, she would have surely invited them.

If they invited her to take ride? Pretty sure she’d grab her handbag and say yes.

In our household now, “It could happen” is an all-purpose mantra for all sorts of possible life scenarios.

Will the garbage be taken out? “It could happen.”

Will we ever have a flying car? “It could happen.”

Will there ever be world peace? “It could happen.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in all the corners of the universe.

(Above: Recently released Pentagon image. Their caption: FBI Lab rendered graphic overlay depicting corroborating eyewitness reports from September 2023 of an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing out of a bright light in the sky, 130-195 feet in length, and disappearing instantaneously.”)

Feature Image up top is courtesy of the National Archives

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