January 2026 Travel News: New Routes, Smoother Airports, and What Actually Matters This Year

A new year brings big shifts across the travel world — and in this episode, we break down what’s actually worth paying attention to as you plan trips for 2026.

From major airline route expansions and new nonstop options to Hawaii and the Caribbean, to changes that could quietly improve (or complicate) your airport experience, we cover the developments that impact real travelers — not just industry headlines.

You’ll hear about:

• Airline mergers in Mexico and what they could mean for low-cost travel

• American Airlines’ 100th anniversary expansion and why Chicago flyers should care

• New nonstop routes to Hawaii and emerging Caribbean destinations

• Which airlines and airports are actually on time — and which are the most stressful in the world

• TSA’s expanding touchless ID program and how it could speed up security

• Cruise news, including a luxury line going adults-only

• New museum pricing in Europe and what travelers should expect

• A surprising new visa-free destination opening up to Americans in Central Asia

If you like staying informed, planning ahead, and making smarter travel decisions without obsessing over every headline, this episode gives you a clear, grounded snapshot of where travel is headed in early 2026.

A Year of Going Deeper: Our 2025 Travel Recap

In this end-of-year episode, we sit down to recap our 2025 travels — not as a highlight reel, but as a reflection on how we travel, why our preferences are changing, and what we’re carrying forward into the next year.

• Puerto Rico (New Year’s) — navigating island infrastructure realities and adapting plans on the fly

• Chicago — the Travel & Adventure Show, favorite neighborhoods, and standout food

• Mexico City — private guiding, home cooking, and a trip that permanently raised our expectations

• Traverse City, Michigan — spring camping, fall wine country, and a destination Thanksgiving

• Watkins Glen & the Finger Lakes — camping, hiking, and cool-climate wine

• New Orleans — one of the best food cities in the world

• Summer Camping Road Trip (3 weeks)

  • Bruce Peninsula National Park

  • Algonquin Provincial Park

  • Montreal

  • Acadia National Park

  • Connecticut & Rhode Island

  • Scranton, Pennsylvania

• Michigan Favorites — Ludington State Park, the Straits, Fayette, and Detroit day trips

• Why private and small-format experiences consistently outperform big group tours

• How long weekends can deliver outsized value with less burnout

• The tradeoffs of camper travel — and when it shines vs. when it’s hard

• Food as a decision-maker: Mexico City and New Orleans set the bar

• Returning to places at different life moments — and why that matters

• Learning to travel well without always flying far

• Michigan wine discoveries and joining another wine club

• Standout meals in Mexico City and New Orleans

• Unexpected gems in Detroit’s food scene

• Cooking Thanksgiving away from home — and why we’d do it again

This isn’t just a recap of where we went — it’s about how our travel philosophy continues to shift:

• Less checklist travel

• More flexibility and context

• Fewer crowds, better conversations

• Trips that fit real life, not the other way around

As we look ahead to 2026, we talk about what we miss, what we don’t, and why traveling thoughtfully continues to matter more than ever.

December 2025 Travel News

Christopher and Ashleigh guide you through December’s most practical travel updates, from shifting airline routes to festive European destinations, with their trademark blend of honest insight and flexible planning tips.

• FAA launched $32.5 Billion overhaul of US Air Traffic Control systems
• Ryanair cutting 1 million seats in 2026
• AerLingus launching Dublin to Pittsburgh flights in 2026
• The American Express Centurion Lounge tops JD Power’s 2025 airport lounge rankings—worth considering for your next layover
• Don’t forget the Real ID fee hike for US domestic travelers in 2026

This episode’s wine break skips the glass and instead offers practical gift-giving tips. Christopher and Ashleigh suggest picking wines adjacent to the recipient’s favorites (think French Chardonnay for an American Chardonnay fan) and recommend seeking advice from knowledgeable staff at local wine shops or large retailers like Total Wine. If you’re unsure of someone’s preferences, a little insight into whether they enjoy drier or sweeter wines can go a long way.

• Kauai bans disposable body boards, aiming to reduce plastic waste
• CDC issues a chikungunya virus alert for multiple international destinations
• UK hotel stays to get pricier with new nightly tourism taxes
• UNESCO spotlights the communal spirit of Italian cuisine
• Amtrak records record ridership in 2025
• Europe's Christmas markets anticipate nearly €1 billion in visitor spending for 2025.

Tune in for a practical, up-to-date roundup to help shape your next adventure. Listen to the Go See Do Explore Podcast for honest travel news and tips to make your trips more meaningful—and a little more spontaneous.