Thanks for this, everyone! You can keep up with us here: https://www.wsj.com/news/life-work/travel

[removed]

Yes! We accept no freebies per our ethics policy. We don't take press trips either. If you see us write a story about an airline or a hotel or attraction, we have paid for it ourselves (with the corporate card!) We don't give advance notice of our plans, of course, so as to not get special treatment or freebies. --Dawn

How can you be grateful when you have everything you could want but still feel sad and anxious?

Good points all around.

I'm sure that not only myself would be interested in your planning checklist if you're willing to post it.

Thanks for the ideas.

What was the most intimidating interaction with border security?

Mel you have truly given me the tools to change my life so first and foremost thank you for all your wisdom and hardwork. As I'm entering my journey of aggressive change doing the things I dont want to do but know that I should be doing I'm reminded of something that's affected me my whole life. My whole life my purpose has truly alluded me. I've been in the military for 10 years now and it's a great job and I like the financial security of a pension that I am working towards, but how can someone discover their true natural passions and more importantly their purpose in life ? I've honestly squandered so much of my free time with video games and i want to hone my focus in trying to understand my place in this world and im just wondering what you think I should do or anyone else in a similar situation. Thank you again for all you have done for me and millions others.

Does The Wall Street Journal cover all of your travelling expenses?

Mel, thanks for all your videos. they really help. But i have a really bad habit of procrastinating and I can't seem to beat it. I want my days to be more productive. What should i do?

Mel, I’ve been to therapy and read many books ( yours included) and watched many videos on personal development, I still seem to be hung over my childhood traumas. Now, in my mid 30s, I feel very content with my life, the decisions I’ve made and where I am today, but looking at my husband’s family and hearing about their nice childhood memories, I can’t help but to compare and think back of my own less happy ones. My relationship with my mum is stable and on good terms now, but in the back of my head I feel like she will turn on me any moment now. Any advice to let go of all the childhood trauma? Thanks!

How were you able to work down that debt? I currently owe the IRS roughly $300k and it seems like I'll never be able to get it down. Also, since your husbands name is Christopher, I've gotta ask. How are pooh, tigger, and eyore doing? My gf would like to know which of your books she should read to help with her anxiety. Thank you! And thanks for the AMA!

Hi Mel thanks for doing this – I love listening to your podcast. What inspired you to start it? What about doing it has surprised you?

Thank you!!!!

We all hate those nasty resort fees and one thing I don't think some travelers realize is that while they are mandatory nightly charges, you can (politely) ask to have it removed from your bill if things go wrong during your stay or one of the "perks'' listed as covered by the resort fee isn't available while you're there. The wifi was awful on a recent hotel stay in Las Vegas, on a trip where I had to work, and I had the charge removed. (Ditto for inflight wifi issues, btw.) In Florida last year, the beachfront hotel where I stayed listed beach chairs and pool perks and both were closed on my one night stay. Make sure you ask when you're at the property because they generally won't do it after the fact. --Dawn

If you're into points/miles, look into redemptions on partner airlines. In other words, you don't just have to use Delta points for Delta flights. You can transfer them to another airline (like Air France) and might get a better redemption rate that way - Allison

what products do you always bring on every trip? or any underrated travel hack we should know about?

This is not fascinating in the off-the-beaten path exotic trip sense but I covered the reopening of the Las Vegas Strip in June 2020 (it was closed for several weeks at the beginning of the pandemic) . I arrived a day early to an empty airport the likes of which I'd never seen, even during the travel aftermath of 9/11, and watched a major tourist destination reopen in real time. More recently, I spent the night in a Bass Pro Shop in Memphis for a story. -- Dawn

Hi Mel! Thanks for doing the AmA. Why is external motivation seen as a bad thing? I know it's temporary, but can I not motivate myself again and again, if and when required? It's not like there's a dearth of motivational content.

Users, please be wary of proof. You are welcome to ask for more proof if you find it insufficient.

OP, if you need any help, please message the mods here.

Thank you!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

This is nothing like traveling to a war zone, but I have a PG answer for you: I was in Italy with my two siblings and parents a number of years ago when we crammed into a very small elevator at a train station. It got stuck between the floors and we didn't speak Italian, so we couldn't really communicate that we needed to get out. Being unable to move and stuck with your immediate family is dangerous in its own way :) - Allison

The good airlines do what we all want in a trip: take off and land on time as often as possible, don't cancel at the last minute and get your bags where they need to be, as quickly as possible. And, when things go bad, they keep you up to date on what's going on, as frequently and accurately as possible. Don't know if you've flown United Airlines recently, but they spell out, in detail, why your flight is delayed or canceled. It doesn't necessarily make passengers less annoyed but at least they feel like they're in the loop. -- Dawn

I started on this beat during the pandemic, so my experiences are more limited than Dawn's. But I did get to spend three days with a hotel manager in Maine. The hotel was in an old building that was an observation headquarters for the Navy in WWII. There were many hidden hallways (and rooms!) A lot of what made the trip so fascinating was how much the manager had to navigate issues that came up with employees who lived in shared housing. He told me: "It's like The Bachelor." https://www.wsj.com/articles/running-a-maine-resort-this-summer-was-no-vacation-11662177616?st=s03azmdghitixxf - Allison

2022 was not a good year for airlines and passengers. Even Delta Air Lines, the No. 1 carrier in our latest ranking of U.S. carriers, canceled more than triple the number of flights it did in 2021. The main issue: airlines got giddy about travel returning and scheduled way more flights than they and the air travel system overall could handle. Thankfully, they got more realistic in the second half of the year and things generally improved. The best thing you can do as a traveler: build in some buffers, especially if you have to be somewhere for an event you can't miss. Don't fly in the day of a cruise or night before a wedding. Don't cut it close getting to the airport.

-Dawn

edit: added a gift link

I took my son to Wengen a few years ago and he loved it so much he went back and used it as his base during a college graduation trip last summer. It's right on the train line. Wengen is definitely not off the beaten path but certainly was not as busy and touristy as some others in the area. On his last trip there they loved the hike around Lake Oeschinen so it's on my list now!

-Dawn

Follow up: What do the good airlines do best and the bad airlines do worst?