Inside tips

Picture a Disney experience where you are whisked from ride to ride through secret, behind-the-scenes roads. Imagine embarking on a private Wild African Trek or relishing the Indiana Jones stunt spectacular, followed by an exquisite dinner on the set. This was just a part of a lavish $50,000 Disney itinerary masterfully arranged by Jonathan Alder, the seasoned CEO of luxury travel agency Jonathan's Travels.

The American-made Boeing 747 was one of the most significant innovations in aviation history.

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta is a whimsical collection of tiny homes called Charmed Resorts, and it looks like it's straight out of a fairy tale.

Any frequent traveler knows that when you bid farewell to your bag at check-in, the likelihood of it being treated with the same care and attention you would give it is low. That's when you turn to hard shell luggage: sturdy, box-like suitcases with hard sides that are typically made of ultra-durable polycarbonate or aluminum (making them easier to clean than fabric suitcases). They can handle the wear and tear of being transported by baggage handlers and have all the perks you'd expect out of high-quality luggage—spinner wheels that can speed through an airport or take on a cobblestoned street, TSA-approved locks, and more often than not, a matching carry-on to consider. So, we set out to find the best hard shell luggage of 2023—read on to discover the winners, 16 suitcases that will last for years to come.

Born in California, Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony nominee and writer living in New York City. He loves watching baseball and basketball when he's not on stage. Right now you can see him as Richard Dreyfuss in “The Shark is Broken” on Broadway.

Picture yourself strolling along a cobblestone street lined with centuries-old architecture and views of the sea in the distance. Only you’re not on vacation or in a dream—this is your home. (And it didn’t cost you a fortune.)

Thai

A Florida-bound JetBlue flight experienced such extreme turbulence as the plane approached the Sunshine State on Monday that multiple people on board were left injured and had to be taken to the hospital, the airline said. 

After Delta Air Lines made drastically unpopular changes to its loyalty program this month, a rival carrier is swooping in with an enticing offer.

Ryanair and a French airport traded pointed remarks after a flight from France to Scotland left behind a passenger with a wheelchair.

Southwest made a startling discovery earlier this month.

In 1947, Milwaukie, Oregon, gas station owner Art Lacey learned that decommissioned B-17 bombers, the iconic four-engine "Flying Fortresses" used by the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, were for sale — cheap, around $15,000 — at Altus Army Airfield in Oklahoma.

OK, so I cheated. But with a panorama like this, can you blame me? Our yogic sensei (master) is counting us through meditative breathing — inhale ichi, ni, san; exhale ichi, ni, san — and despite her instruction to keep eyes closed, I’ve cracked open my right lid. Beyond the deck where 20-odd people are breathing serenely in unison, I spy a rambling green expanse of forest stretching to meet the Seto Inland Sea. I feel suspended above the foliage, weightless in space. This definitely beats meditating in a packed London studio.

Riselle Celestina lights up whenever she has the chance to talk about the Caribbean. 

Over the past 12 months, I have experienced six different international business class products thanks to my job as Insider's aviation reporter. And — among this particular bunch — I've found that none of them are like the other.

I spent one night in a veranda stateroom on Oceania Cruises' newest $656 million Vista cruise ship and it was the most luxurious hotel room at sea I've ever bunked in.

“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in demand for immersive and out-of-the-box experiences—people don’t just want to be a spectator at the event, they want to be a part of the event,” explains Barnabas Carrega, CEO and Founder of GR8 Experience, a bespoke organizer of ultra insider experiences in the worlds of exclusive restaurants, travel and sports among others. Many companies promise that they can deliver rarified experiences but this one actually does due to a team with exclusive connections into the inner reaches of those worlds. As out of reach as something may sound, they can usually achieve it.

Gill Press told Insider she was determined to get some sort of compensation after she and her husband, Warren Press, relocated from premium economy to economy on a 13-hour flight from Paris to Singapore. 

The city of Philadelphia is both a playground for the young as well as a bastion of old-school traditions. 

A security officer in a Philippines airport was caught putting items in her mouth on camera, CNN reported.

“When I was small, it was all very traditional,” muses 69-year-old Prapapan Sritrai as she shows me around her workspace, where huge vats of bubbling, inky-blue liquid are being stirred by her husband. Auntie Ngeam, as she’s known locally, is one of a third generation of indigo artisans in a family descended from the Phuan, a people known for their handwoven fabrics. A sizeable Phuan community, originally from Laos, settled in Phrae, in northern Thailand, after being displaced from their homeland when the borders of Siam were expanded in the late 19th century, bringing their indigo craftsmanship with them. Auntie Ngeam’s Tardis-like indigo studio is located down a slim alley in Ban Thung Hong, a village on the outskirts of Phrae, almost equidistant between Chiang Mai and the Laos border. Here, where the green rolling hills are dissected by the Yom River and its tributaries, the acanthus and indigofera tinctoria plants central to indigo production flourish. Indigo — and, specifically, the production of dark-blue mo hom shirts, a common uniform for rural and agricultural workers in Thailand — became a key industry in Phrae after the demise of the local teak industry following the Second World War.