Good morning. It's Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026.

The “coolcation” craze is sending travelers north to places like Iceland, Scandinavia and Alaska—but that escape from the heat can come with higher prices, bigger crowds and limited infrastructure.

The alternative? A “hotcation.” Cities such as Phoenix, Dubai and Madrid can become dramatically cheaper during their hottest months, with some hotels offering major off-season discounts.

The trade-off is obvious: you have to embrace the heat. That could mean sightseeing early, spending the hottest hours by the pool and choosing hotels with reliable air conditioning.

Travelers are already showing interest. Searches for Costa Rica rose 41% while Norway saw an 18% decline, according to data cited in the article.

Here's something long-haul flyers have been waiting on: United's Polaris suites on select Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners now come with fully functional sliding privacy doors. They were installed earlier this year but stayed locked open, pending FAA certification. That approval just came through, and doors are unlocking across the fleet within weeks.

This puts United alongside Delta and American, both of which already offer suites with privacy doors. United's upcoming Airbus A321XLR will launch with operable doors from day one, though no service date has been announced yet.

Right now, the upgraded suites fly between SFO–Singapore and SFO–London Heathrow, with SFO–Seoul and SFO–Zurich joining this fall. Come late October, Houston enters the mix, connecting to São Paulo, Tokyo Narita, and Sydney, with Houston–Heathrow following in January.

Picture this: you're at security, license in hand, and an agent tells you it's not enough. Since February 2026, that moment now comes with a price tag, $45, thanks to a backup identity program called ConfirmID.

Here's the twist most people miss: it's not really about REAL ID compliance. It's about assumption. International travelers who default to their passport abroad often forget their home-state license quietly stopped qualifying for domestic flights. Show up without an accepted ID, and you're rerouted into a verification process that can eat up to 30 minutes, with no guarantee it even succeeds.

The fix costs nothing and takes no DMV visit: just toss a valid passport or passport card into your bag as backup, even on trips where you don't think you'll need it.

Choosing between Alaska and Hawaiian's joint loyalty cards comes down to how often you actually fly them. The Atmos Summit ($395/year) hands new cardholders 80,000 points plus a 25,000-point Global Companion Award, worth roughly $1,628. The lighter Atmos Ascent ($95/year) offers 70,000 points and a $99 Companion Fare, worth about $1,085.

Beyond the bonus, Summit pulls ahead for frequent flyers: faster status progression, two Alaska Lounge passes per quarter, no same-day change fees, and 3x points on dining and foreign purchases. Ascent still delivers solid basics, a free checked bag, preferred boarding, and a $100 lounge membership discount, at a fraction of the cost.

Both cards unlock the same sweet-spot redemptions, including short-haul American Airlines flights for as little as 4,500 points, or Japan Airlines business class to Tokyo for 75,000.

Ready to plan a fall or winter escape? Southwest Airlines is offering up to 40% off base fares on select flights.

Book by August 13 for travel from August 31 through March 3, 2027. The discount is automatically applied, so no promo code is needed.

Forget the traditional spa. In China, 24-hour bathhouse resorts are becoming a travel attraction of their own.

These massive wellness complexes combine hot springs, saunas and massages with buffets, cinemas, gaming rooms, karaoke and sleep pods—meaning you can arrive, relax, eat, play and even sleep without leaving.

The trend, known as xiyu zhongxin, builds on China’s old communal bathhouse culture but takes it to another level. In Shenzhen, some venues even offer VR rooms, salt chambers and unlimited ice cream.

And it can be surprisingly affordable. In Chengdu, a 20-hour pass at one popular spa reportedly costs around 99 yuan ($14).

Airport lounges are supposed to be the quiet escape from a busy terminal. Then someone starts a loud phone call.

One of the most common lounge etiquette complaints is travelers talking loudly—or using speakerphone—while everyone around them is trying to relax, work or recharge.

The fix is simple: keep your voice down and use headphones for calls, videos and music. If you need to have a longer conversation, step into a quieter area or take the call outside the lounge.

Traveling abroad soon? Skip the outrageous roaming fees. Saily gives you affordable eSIM data in 190+ countries, so you're connected the moment you land, no physical SIM swap, no surprise bill.

Get 10% off with our link

— Marco Polo

Written by the Boarding Soon Editorial Team

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