Five Travel Tips for Savvy Travelers in 2026

🎤 Episode Overview

Airfare is up. Hyatt’s award chart is changing. TSA lines are about to get longer. And your passport might expire sooner than you think. In this episode of Family Travel Unpacked, I run through five things smart travelers are doing right now — a mix of time-sensitive moves and things most people have been meaning to handle but haven’t.

Some of these apply broadly; at least one is pretty niche (I’ll flag it upfront). But if even two or three resonate, this episode is worth 24 minutes of your time.

🎧 Listen to This Episode

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🗺️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

  • 00:00 – Welcome
  • 00:49 – #1 Lock in Hyatt stays
  • 06:04 – #2 Book flexible flights
  • 08:36 – #3 Protect yourself
  • 13:11 – #4 Beat summer security lines
  • 20:19 – #5 Audit your passports
  • 23:00 – Quick recap and farewell

✅ The Five Tips

Tip #1: Lock In Hyatt Stays (Time-Sensitive)

World of Hyatt is changing its award chart, and certain properties that were excellent value are getting repriced. If you have Hyatt points sitting in your account and a trip in mind, now is the time to book — existing bookings are protected at the rate you lock in. Family-friendly Hyatt properties worth booking now include Andaz Papagayo (Costa Rica), Hyatt Regency Lost Pines (Texas), and Hyatt Regency Coconut Point (Florida).

Note: this tip is most relevant if you already have a World of Hyatt balance or earn Hyatt points through a Chase card. If that’s not you, this one may not apply.

Tip #2: Book Flexible Flights Right Now

Airfare is elevated, and locking yourself into a non-changeable ticket in a volatile market is risky. The smarter move: use award miles when you can, and when paying cash, prioritize tickets with free changes or refundability. United and Alaska both have cards that provide flight flexibility benefits worth considering.

Award travel is one of the best tools here — miles-based bookings can often be cancelled for minimal cost, giving you optionality that cash fares don’t.

Tip #3: Protect Yourself

This one hit home after our Portugal spring break turned into a travel disaster (Episode 33 has the full story). Travel insurance, credit card trip protection, and understanding EU261 protections for international flights are all worth understanding before you need them.

The short version: credit card protections vary enormously by card, and the better cards — Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum — have meaningful trip delay and interruption coverage. EU261 entitles you to compensation when European carriers cancel or significantly delay your flight; the amounts can be substantial. And dedicated travel insurance is worth it for trips with significant non-refundable costs.

Tip #4: Beat Summer Security Lines

Summer 2026 is going to be a rough one for airport security. The World Cup is driving a surge in travel demand, and a higher share of travelers without expedited security programs will slow things down significantly for everyone else. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or CLEAR, this summer is a compelling reason to get them.

TSA PreCheck ($78 for 5 years) gives you the dedicated lane for domestic flights. Global Entry ($100 for 5 years) adds expedited customs clearance for international arrivals and includes PreCheck. CLEAR is biometric-based and pairs well with PreCheck at eligible airports. Several credit cards cover these fees:

Tip #5: Audit Your Family’s Passports

Most countries require a passport that’s valid for 6 months beyond your travel dates. A family of four with passports expiring at different times, combined with current State Department processing delays, can easily result in someone getting denied boarding. Set calendar reminders for every family member’s passport expiration now, and factor in 6-month buffers when planning international trips.

Current processing times for routine renewal have been running 6–10+ weeks; expedited service is available but adds cost. Don’t discover this problem two months before your trip.

📚 Resources Mentioned

  • Andaz Papagayo, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point — Family-friendly Hyatt stays
  • Four Reasons I LOVE Award Travel (Other Than Free Stuff) — thefamilyvoyage.com
  • Episode 33: Surprise! When Flights Go Wrong (travel protection real-world story)
  • Chase Sapphire credit cards — referyourchasecard.com/19u/KR7C8P5Q1Y