9 Unexpected Things You Didn’t Know You Could Bring Through TSA

Thailand has a deserved reputation as one of the easiest places to travel in Asia. There’s an amazing amount to see, hassles are limited, English-language signs and menus are commonplace, and you can get around easily at almost any time of day or night. 

The village of Salto de Castro in Zamora in the northwest of the country made headlines last year when it went on the market for just €260,000 - less than the average price of an apartment in Barcelona.

Food is my go-to gift when visiting friends, a favorite souvenir to bring home, and usually an essential item on my packing list. So, more often than not, I’ve stashed some sort of tasty treat in my carry-on—which sometimes causes a little delay at TSA checkpoints. Over the years, I’ve had yogurt confiscated, pâté tossed away, and hot chocolate mix sent through additional screening by TSA agents. But I’ve also had countless protein bars, chips, and sandwiches pass through without a problem.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and TSA officials have announced plans to open the new security Checkpoint 1 located at the west end of CLT’s new terminal lobby, which will offer eight screening lanes for departing passengers.

Across our 25 days, we stayed in seven different places, which let us see the best of Venice, the Dolomites, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast.

Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, the “Nature Island’s” landmark, waterfront “All-Inclusive, Island-Included” resort in Dominica’s capital, Roseau, has announced an historic USD$18 million (£14 million) reimagination. Now accepting reservations and due to be unveiled November 2023, the updates, which include 60 new rooms and several new amenities, modernise and expand the hotel while going to great lengths architecturally to not only preserve elements of the 17th century fort, but also showcase the iconic heritage features from the original structure. Having evolved from a military fort to a central police station and, presently, a hotel, the site, which dates back to 1699, has an undeniable sense of character; and a colourful and cultural vibrancy that defines Fort Young Hotel.

A cruise passenger is suing Carnival after his balcony door "unexpectedly slammed shut with substantial force" and amputated his right index finger during a September 2022 cruise onboard the Carnival Horizon.

Many rural bus routes have been cut in recent years but those that remain still offer a great window on to the UK’s countryside. And with the bus fare cap – now at £2.50 –on single journeys across England running until 30 November 2024, it’s possible to enjoy views of large swathes of glorious woods, peaks, coast and meadow for a fraction of the price of most rail tickets or travelling by car.

I grew up in a Mexican household in the heart of American suburbia, one of those kids who spent their childhood ping-ponging across the border. Summers meant Mexico, splitting my time between the north and west, as comfortable on janky city buses as I was body surfing on white capped waves. Adulthood meant more of the same, but instead of summer months, it was entire years, and instead of the north and west, it was the south and east. 

Floating in tropical waters off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is defined by its gentle Buddhist culture, friendly people and laid-back way of life, despite its troubled recent history.

You may not have to fumble with your cellphone in the boarding area very much longer. As the travel industry embraces facial recognition technology, phones are beginning to go the way of paper tickets at airports, cruise terminals and theme parks, making checking in more convenient, but raising privacy and security concerns, too.

While I was born and bred here in New Zealand – or Aotearoa, the country's Māori-language name – I’ve spent enough years away to understand how it’s a destination that can feel comfortingly familiar and completely strange to visitors all at once.