Plan ahead for your travel day

It’s almost time for the great American tradition of… seeing who can stand closest to the baggage claim carousel after landing.

We’ll save that can of worms for another day. For now, enjoy a shorter holiday send in recognition of Juneteenth.

If your summer plans involve airports, points, or patience (or all three), read on:

• 🇺🇸 Your Fourth of July pep talk 

• 🗞️ Recent need-to-knows

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday Thursday 

🇺🇸 Your Fourth of July pep talk

Flying over the Fourth of July?

You and several million of your closest friends are in for a ride. 🙃

This is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, which means longer lines, fuller flights, and maybe a few curveballs.

Here are a few tips to help you stay one step ahead:

• ✈️ Get to the airport early, especially if you're flying out the night before the holiday or returning Sunday.

• 🛃 Use Trusted Traveler Programs if you’ve got them! TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, and Global Entry are your BFFs. And, your credit card might even reimburse your enrollment fees.

• ☾ Avoid the last flight of the day since delays stack up, and cancellations are more likely.

• 📋 Double-check your travel deets, especially for things like baggage allowances and seat assignments.

• 📲 Download your airline’s app to stay updated on delays, gate changes, etc.

• 💡 Pro tip: Lounges will be crowded, but some now let you reserve a spot in advance, so check your access perks before you go.

My greatest advice? Snacks. 🙂

Traveling on busy weekends isn’t always smooth, but a little prep can go a long way.

Give yourself some wiggle room, take a deep breath, and you can still rock the travel day, just maybe with a few more humans than normal.

🗞️ Recent need-to-knows

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday Thursday

And the winner is… Denver International Airport!

If you’ve ever felt like your flight into Denver was an episode of Pranked, you get it. As someone who flies in and out of Denver at least once a year, I can empathize.

The combo of its mile-high altitude, Rocky Mountain winds, and something called the “Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone” makes the air around DEN pretty nuts.

Other honorable mentions include Bozeman, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Jackson Hole — all mountain-adjacent airports.

Curious about other bumpy airports? Or just taking note to avoid them in the future?

You can find the full list here. 

❤️ Lounge win

Don’t forget — we have the coolest Facebook community called the Daily Drop Lounge.

Join along in the fun where you can ask questions, share answers, and celebrate other travelers’ wins, just like this one!

That’s it for today, friends!

Now go forth and conquer the crowds, cash in some sweet points and miles, and pleeeeease… don’t forget those snacks.

Happy travels,

40.7128° N, 74.0060° W

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham, Mike Dodge, and Benji Stawski