Belles a Bound

𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤! 👀

Applying for a U.S. passport could soon get a whole lot easier. A new AI-powered government platform, **America.gov**, is expected to let Americans apply for their FIRST passport entirely online starting next year.

No printing forms. No post office trip. No passport photo run to the drugstore! 🙌🏾

The rollout is still in the works, so don’t put off getting your passport if you have a trip coming up. 🌎

𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞?

𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝.

If you’re flying for Thanksgiving or Christmas, NOW is the time to start paying attention to airfare.

Here are a few ways to save:
✈️ Thanksgiving fares have historically been lowest about 5 weeks out.
✈️ Flying on Thanksgiving Day can mean BIG savings.
✈️ Christmas fares tend to be better when booked before the last-minute rush.
✈️ Some international destinations are actually cheaper than they were last year.
✈️ Being flexible with your travel dates can make a serious difference.

And please don’t wait until the week before the holiday and hope for a miracle fare. 😂

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝? 🎄✈️

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭?

The answer: it depends. 👀

Two hours before your flight? Three hours? Or are you the person who walks through the terminal 45 minutes before takeoff like you own the place? 😂

Here’s what can change the amount of time you need:

🛫 Domestic or international
🏢 Airport size
🧳 Checking bags
👨‍👩‍👧 Traveling with kids
👯 Traveling with a group
📅 Holiday or peak travel periods
🪪 TSA PreCheck or other expedited screening

For international flights, you’ll generally want to arrive earlier, while smaller airports and experienced travelers may need less time. The key is knowing your airport, airline requirements and what you’re dealing with that day.

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭? ⏰✈️

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞?

We talk about international food and travel all the time, but the U.S. has plenty of regional dishes that tell a story about the people and places where they originated. From Cincinnati chili to a New Orleans muffaletta to Hawaii’s Spam musubi…every region has its own flavor! 😋

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝟏𝟎 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝? 👀

🍝 Cincinnati Chili — Cincinnati, Ohio — Chili served over spaghetti with cheese and other toppings.

🧀 Juicy Lucy Burger — Minnesota — A cheeseburger with the cheese stuffed inside the patty.

🥓 Hot Brown — Louisville, Kentucky — Open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon, tomatoes and creamy Mornay sauce.

🥩 Philly Cheesesteak — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Thin-sliced beef, onions and melted cheese on a roll.

🍳 Garbage Plate — Rochester, New York — A loaded mix of burgers or hot dogs, home fries, macaroni salad and more.

🥪 Muffaletta — New Orleans, Louisiana — A massive Sicilian-inspired sandwich with cured meats, cheese and olive salad.

🍙 Spam Musubi — Hawaii — Grilled Spam over rice, wrapped in seaweed.

🍅 Toasted Ravioli — St. Louis, Missouri — Breaded and fried ravioli served with marinara for dipping.

🫓 Frybread — Indigenous Cuisine — Fried dough with roots in Native American culinary traditions.

🍎 Snickers Salad — Iowa — Snickers, apples, whipped cream and pudding…yes, they call it a salad.

Which one should be on your next food adventure? 🍴✈️

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭? 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭? 𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬.

But if you get stuck there, you might as well make the best of it.

Here’s how to survive your next “𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭”:

💺 Claim BOTH armrests. Middle seat gets this one. It’s basically airline law. 😂

🎧 Bring your own entertainment. Download shows, podcasts or bring a book. Don’t depend on the Wi-Fi gods.

😴 Invest in comfort. Neck pillow, eye mask, blanket… whatever helps you forget you’re wedged between two strangers.

🚻 Don’t be afraid to get up. Yes, you can use the bathroom. Nobody expects you to suffer for the entire flight.

🤝 Respect the personal space. You’re all in this together.

And honestly? Focus on where you’re going. That middle seat is temporary. The vacation is the reward. 🌴🥂

Now be honest… middle seat or aisle? And don’t say window. We already know that’s the easy answer. 😂

𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞… 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦? 😂 🏨👀

Because apparently there’s a big difference between “𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲” and “𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞.”

Generally safe to take:
🧴 Mini toiletries
🪥 Dental kits
🧼 Shower caps
🧵 Sewing kits
🧴 Mini soaps
☕ Tea, coffee & sugar
🥨 Welcome snacks

But the robe? NOPE. 😂
And definitely leave the towels, pillows, sheets, hairdryers and kettles where you found them. Hotels know when things go missing, and some properties may charge you for them.

Apparently, bathrobes are one of the most commonly stolen hotel items, with towels right behind them. 😳

So before you check out, take one last look around your room and ask yourself:

“Is this complimentary… or am I about to get charged for my souvenir?” 😂

𝐁𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭… 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦? 👀

🚨 TRAVELERS, THIS NEW DOT RULE COULD CHANGE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR FLIGHT GOES SIDEWAYS. ✈️👀

Starting October 19, 10 types of delays or cancellations will no longer be considered “within the airline’s control” under the DOT’s reporting rules:

✈️ Cleaning after a passenger’s death
🌪️ Aircraft damage from extreme weather, debris or sabotage
🧳 Certain baggage/cargo system outages
💻 Cybersecurity attacks
🏛️ Unexpected government system shutdowns or failures
🛞 Overheated brakes from a safety incident
🔧 Unscheduled maintenance
🚑 Medical emergencies not caused by the airline
😤 Removing an unruly passenger
🌋 Airport closures caused by wind, wind shear or volcanic ash

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥, 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝. 😬

The rule takes effect October 19, so this is definitely one to have on your travel radar.

Would this change how you prepare for a flight? 👇🏾

✈️ Think you know all the TSA rules? You might want to check this list before your next flight.

Some of these are definitely not as obvious as they should be:

🎞️ Traveling with film? Ask TSA to hand inspect undeveloped film instead of sending it through the X-ray.

🍪 Solid food? Yes, you can bring it in your carry-on.

🍴 Reusable utensils? Forks and round-bladed butter knives are allowed.

💊 Medication? You can bring what you need, including liquid medication, but make sure you tell the TSA officer.

🧴 Creams and lotions count as liquids. Sunscreen, face cream, perfume, nut butter… if you can squeeze, spread, pour or spray it, the 3.4 oz rule applies.

💎 Expensive jewelry? TSA generally recommends keeping it on rather than putting it loose in a bin.

🌱 Plants? Yep! They can go through security, although state restrictions may apply.

🚁 Drones? TSA allows them through security, but your airline may have additional rules.

The more you know, the less time you spend standing at security wondering, “Wait… am I allowed to bring this?”

Save this for your next trip! ✈️

𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭… 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭?! 👀

TSA is testing a new program that allows approved, non-ticketed visitors to go through security and into the gate area at 13 U.S. airports.

Think: helping an elderly parent, walking your child to the gate, or meeting a loved one when they arrive. ❤️

You still have to go through TSA screening, and visitors must be approved in advance and have TSA PreCheck or a Known Traveler Number.

So no, you can’t just stroll through security because you miss your cousin. 😂 But for approved visitors, this could bring back a little of the airport experience we remember from before 9/11.

Would you actually use this if your airport offered it?

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 “$𝟏𝟗𝟗 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭” 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞… 👀*

The DOT is proposing changes to the rules that currently require airlines to prominently show the f𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐬.

Under the proposal, airlines could have more flexibility to highlight individual parts of the fare, which could make those tempting low prices stand out more than the actual cost. The DOT says the total price would still have to be disclosed, but critics worry comparison shopping could become more confusing.

And let's be honest… nobody wants to see “$199!” only to get to checkout and discover the ticket is actually $287. 😩

As travelers, we need to look at the 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭, not just the pretty number in the big font.

Because the cheapest flight isn't always the cheapest trip. 👀✈️