Hopping planes and taking names.

Weddings are back this summer and our bank accounts can feel it. Have you honeymooned in the past two years or are planning to in the next two years? If so, we want to hear from you. Otherwise, let’s see what happened in travel this week.

The pre-check

The week’s latest travel stories and news.

• Tested positive while abroad? Here’s help.
  
  No need to panic – this is what you do if you catch COVID-19 while outside the US.
• Just keep masking.
  
  Though mask mandates have changed, the CDC highly recommends continuing to wear one when traveling.
• Lemme upgrade ya.
  
  Overseas travel is back this summer and many airlines are adding new perks to get your attention (and $$$).
• Your home away from hotel.
  
  Beachfront bungalow… brought to you by Marriott? That’s right, some hotel chains are now renting private homes.
• Go with the FLow.
  
  Stuck on the tarmac in Miami? That’ll hopefully change soon. The FAA plans to add more air traffic control staff to several congested FL airports.

Trending travel

The mantra of summer 2022?
“Sorry, I’m away.” We’re calling it: this is the summer to be selfish. Criss-crossing the states to visit family is out, planning trips that are all about you is in. And if you want help figuring out where to go, we’ve pinpointed the top trending destinations* (ie those places seeing an increase in searches this summer vs. last) to get you started.

1. Liberia, Costa Rica
Hike Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja to see active volcanoes and visit natural hot springs.
Flights to Costa Rica

2. Saint Thomas Island, USVI
Hot tip: summer is the island’s off-season so excursions and tours run less frequently. Book ahead to get a spot.
Flights to Saint Thomas

3. San José del Cabo, México
Cabo is famous for its beaches, but the surf is often unsafe for swimming. Ask your hotel or resort if it has a swim-friendly beach.
Flights to San José

4. Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
Get your heart racing at Rainforest Adventures and then unwind at the park’s Sunset Views happy hour afterwards.
Flights to Simpson Bay

Want to see the whole list? Check out our Reclaim Travel summer playbook.

Tricks of the trade

Support AAPI businesses near you.
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage month and there are countless ways to uplift and celebrate the AAPI community – including supporting AAPI-owned businesses when you travel. We picked just a handful of our favorite US cities with robust AAPI communities – and highlighted the businesses, neighborhoods and restaurants we love. Check them out.

Social shoutouts

Working from this Costa Rican treehouse until further notice. Thanks for sharing, @aaronlugassy.

We love to see where KAYAK takes you, use #KAYAKPicks when you post to be featured.

Links in this Newsletter are for informational purposes only, and there is no affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by or with KAYAK Software Corporation whatsoever.

*Methodology: KAYAK considered searches from 1/1/22 – 3/27/22 for travel between 5/26/22 – 9/6/22. To compare year over year, we considered searches from 1/1/21 – 3/27/21 for travel between 5/26/21 and 9/6/21. To compare year over three year, we considered searches from 1/1/19 and 3/27/19 for travel between 5/26/19 and 9/6/19. To determine top trending destinations for summer 2022, KAYAK sourced destinations with the greatest year over three-year increase in flight interest, excluding outliers based on certain criteria such as data anomalies.