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July 14, 2026 | View Online
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New York is always a good idea, which is why my trips here tend to stretch longer than intended. I’m currently in the car about halfway to Rhode Island from NY, seeking sand, salt air, and enough personal space to swing my arms about.
By coincidence, Spotify released the most popular road trip songs in perfect timing. I was silly to think number one would be The Climb by Miley Cyrus, but I’ve already queued up #1 and #4 on the list to jam out to.
In today’s edition:
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Skip the 405, take Amtrak to Southern California's biggest events this summer
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United has reduced nearly 5% of its domestic seat capacity
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Hilton Honors members can now use points on luxury cruises
Rollin’ down the I-95,
Kaylen
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| TRANSPORATION
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Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner Gets You to SoCal's Biggest Summer Events
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A SoCal summer will always promise traffic, but more than that, plenty of fun events drawing major crowds from all parts of the state. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner is positioning itself as the smarter transportation option this year, adding extra seats and amenities on select trains for some of the season's biggest events for a summer of fun.
🍷 California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara (July 17–18) – Two days of wine tastings mean two days you don't want to be behind the wheel. If you want to avoid scarce downtown parking, ride the Pacific Surfliner straight into Santa Barbara, where the festival grounds are an easy walk from the station. If you want to stay overnight, I’d suggest Riveria Beach House, which is super close to Amtrak (a two-minute walk) and only a five-minute walk from the beach.
⚽ Downtown Burbank's Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone (July 18–19) – If you want World Cup energy without the exorbitant ticket prices, Burbank's Fan Zone sits right next to the Downtown Burbank train station, and Pacific Surfliner is adding special stops there both days to help fans skip the drive entirely.
🎨 San Diego Comic-Con International (July 23–26) – Roughly 135,000 people are expected to make their way to San Diego for Comic-Con, and parking is famously brutal; most nearby spots go through a lottery, and the rest get scooped up by private lots at a premium. Pacific Surfliner is adding seats to handle the surge, dropping riders in downtown San Diego within walking distance of the convention center.
That’s not all of it. There are more events to look forward to this summer if you want to make a plan with friends or solo. See all the events here. Pacific Surfliner is also offering 20% off train travel to and from the fairgrounds, starting July 16 through the end of the fair. Book ahead, especially for weekends, on the Pacific Surfliner website or the Amtrak app.
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| JOIN 1440
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| AIRLINES
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Why United Has Removed 23,500 Flights From Its Summer Schedule
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United trimming 23,500 flights is a scary headline to read, but it's less daunting than it sounds, and it's still worth sharing. Most of United’s cuts are affecting regional routes with multiple daily departures, which is actually less painful than cuts to entire cities. Still, fewer seats usually mean higher fares on the remaining flights, so if you haven't booked summer flights yet, get to it!
Most of what got trimmed is smaller regional flights and secondary-city routes, especially ones that underperform or the midweek flights between a smaller city and a bigger hub. Out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport, routes to Albuquerque went from 222 flights down to 148, and Asheville from 289 to 222. Internationally, it's also pausing service to Dubai.
United hasn't published a full list, but the pattern is fewer flights on existing routes. Given that pattern, I’d expect the same kind of cut to show up out of United's other hubs like Newark, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dulles, especially smaller cities with multiple daily flights and softer midweek demand. That's an inference based on the reported pattern, not a confirmed list, since United hasn't named additional routes.
I'd say it's fair to point the finger at soaring fuel prices. If your summer trip isn't booked yet, book it this week, especially if you're on a regional route. Even in my own flight research, I’m seeing fewer routes than I’d usually see. If you’d rather not be stressed with the thought of doing all that, sign up for Dollar Flight Club’s flight alerts so you’ll be flagged of any fare deals before they're gone.
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| CRUISES
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Hilton Honors Members Can Earn Points on Explora Journeys
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Your Hilton Honors points will get you further than a hotel room on land now. If you prefer a room with a rotating view, Hilton's new partnership with Explora Journeys allows members to earn 10 points per dollar spent on cruise fares and redeem those points toward sailings across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Northern Europe.
Somewhere, a Hilton Honors member with 200,000 unused points just sat up straight. Explora Journeys' first ship, EXPLORA III, launches this month, and now those points can go toward a cruise through beautiful destinations instead of just one more free night at an airport hotel. Points that used to buy you a room with a view of a parking lot can now buy you a room with a view that’s constantly changing. Not too shabby.
Your sailing options:
🏛️ The Mediterranean – Wake up to sun-bleached villages down cliffsides in Santorini, try not to break your ankle on the cobblestone streets of Dubrovnik's old town, and dock in coves along the Amalfi Coast where cliffs drop straight into the sea.
🏔️ Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland & North America's East Coast – Sail past fjords in Norway, watch icebergs drift near Greenland's coast, and when in the States, sightsee all the beautiful coastal towns in New England built around historic harbors.
🌴 The Caribbean & Central America – This is where I want to go. Swim in turquoise water off St. Barts in the Caribbean, and coast through the Panama Canal, watching your ship drop nearly 85 feet by a series of locks. Just learned of this, by the way – super cool.
The Hilton and Explora Journeys deal delivers. A seven-night fare often runs several thousand dollars per person, and at 10 points per dollar, one booking can rack up tens of thousands of Hilton points. The 5 percent discount comes off that same fare for real savings.
Benefits scale by status: Gold gets a welcome cocktail party, Diamond gets added onboard credits, and Diamond Reserve gets a bridge tour and private port transfers. If you already have a stash of Hilton points, book directly through Hilton's channel rather than through Explora Journeys' own site. Booking directly is what makes the points earning and the 5 percent fare discount kick in.
See more details here.
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| TIKTOK OF THE WEEK
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No question about it, this is my dream hotel. 📍Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique
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| SAVE UP TO 45% OFF
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Extended Stay America makes it easy to stay longer without stretching your budget — the more nights you book, the lower your nightly rate. Stay 7+ nights and savings are automatically applied. Stay 30+ nights and save up to 45% across 650+ locations nationwide.
Plus, join the Extended Perks rewards program for free today and receive a 10% registration discount for your next stay. Stay longer, save more. Book your next extended stay.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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Submit your best travel photo to the 2026 Washington Post travel photo contest
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Underrated Bay Area destinations to visit outside of San Francisco
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Greece plans to expand the renowned Shipwreck Beach to protect its famous wreck
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Families are demanding justice after a deadly fire broke out at a bar in Bangkok
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An 80-year-old man was tossed into the air by a bison at Yellowstone National Park
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AAdvantage members can earn 2 miles per dollar worldwide on car rentals with this partner
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