Sneaky Packing Aids

If you’re flying on a budget airline, some accessories can help you pack more items without triggering surprise extra baggage fees. SCOTTeVEST is still standing after lots of Kickstarter competitors have come and gone. I have a vest of theirs that I find kind of useless after the flight ends. Their jackets with 19 to 26 pockets are a better double-duty bet for cool places. Then the TUBE Travel Pillow is just a fabric tube you stuff with clothing and it becomes a neck pillow. After flying it packs down into a little pouch.

Summer Flight Booking Trends

I wouldn’t have put “more legroom on Spirit Air” or “overall airfare prices down 7%” on my travel predictions list a year ago. Apparently, the tariff-related economic chaos and resulting USA travel boycotts didn’t take long to start impacting supply and demand. To see the effect on bookings, check out this detailed new report from Kayak.com. It shows that flights from the USA to Asia (-11%), Europe (-8%), and Africa (-5%) are all cheaper than last summer, plus there’s a big drop in fares to Canada. The best times for deals are May 19–June 8 and August 11–31.

FlightConnections.com

Want to know which carriers fly in and out of an airport? Want to see where you can get to from your home airport on a direct flight? Head to FlightConnections.com and see all the info in one place, laid out on a map you can zoom in on. When I pulled up my former home of Tampa, I could see lots of international direct flight options I didn’t know about, including five in Europe plus Panama and Colombia.

Yellow Fever Shot for Ecuador

It’s hard to find official information about this online yet, but Ecuador and some neighboring countries have had yellow fever outbreaks in some areas this year and now you may need a vaccine if you’re traveling long-term in South America. Per the Ecuador tourism bureau, proof of vaccination against yellow fever will now be required for nationals of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia entering Ecuador, as well as “any travelers of any other nationality who have stayed for more than 10 days in any of these countries.” You need to get the shot at least 10 days prior to entry but the good news is, it is valid for life. For some reason, if you’re over 60 you’re exempt.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

05/22/25