When you walk into a hotel room for the first time, you might be tempted to kick off your shoes, leap onto the bed, and turn on the TV. But before you get too cozy, there’s a task you should tend to first to ensure your room is really clean. As good as housekeeping crews are at tidying up hotel rooms before each guest, there are places where bacteria can lurk in plain sight. This is especially true in the bathroom, where moisture creates an ideal bacterial breeding ground. With that in mind, here’s one simple precaution to take before using your hotel bathroom.

What To Know About Legionella at Hotels

Legionella is a type of bacteria that inhabits natural freshwater environments, as well as human-made water systems such as showerheads, tubs, and faucets. The bacteria can aerosolize into a fine mist and be inhaled, which in turn can lead to serious ailments such as Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Thankfully, Legionella doesn’t spread in bathroom fixtures that are used regularly. But if a shower or faucet sits untouched, it can become an issue.

This brings us to hotel bathrooms. Legionella Control International, a group of microbiology experts dedicated to the control and management of the bacteria, warns that Legionella can spread in as little as two weeks in an unoccupied hotel room. The longer a shower goes unused, the more time the bacteria has to grow.

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2000 and 2014 supported these concerns. Although Legionnaires’ disease is still considered rare — affecting about 1.62 people out of 100,000 — the number of cases rose steadily over that time period. According to the CDC, hotels and resorts were responsible for the highest frequency of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks of any institution, with 44% of recorded cases, followed by long-term care facilities at 19% and hospitals at 15%.

Legionella may not be a concern in popular hotels that are booked year-round, as guests regularly use the showers and flush bacteria from the system before it has time to grow out of control. But at a less popular or highly seasonal property, a room may sit unoccupied for weeks, and housekeeping may not always do a deep clean on each room before the next guest checks in. This can open the door to potentially harmful bacteria growing in the bathroom.

Let the Bathroom Fixtures Run

The good news is that even if Legionella spreads through a hotel showerhead, it can be flushed out in mere minutes. For this reason, Legionella Control International advises all hotel guests to run their shower at the hottest possible temperature for five to 10 minutes. It’s also a good idea to leave the room and shut the door so that you don’t accidentally inhale any vapors containing bacteria.

While you’re at it, do the same with the tub faucet, the sink faucet, the kitchenette faucet, or any other source of running water in the hotel room that you can control. This decreases the risk that you’ll contract any harmful diseases when using the hotel room’s bathroom. It’s quick and simple to flush out these systems as soon as you start your stay.

Though Legionella test kits do exist, they’re rather expensive and impractical to use for each hotel stay. For most travelers, the best option is to let the water run for a few minutes as we described above.

Additional Concerns

It’s also prudent to exercise caution around hot tubs, though less so at hotels where they’re used and maintained with regularity. But if you’re staying at an Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar rental property where the hot tub may be used less often, bacteria could be more of a concern. According to the CDC, half of people surveyed from January 2014 to December 2021 who contracted Legionnaires’ disease reported using a hot tub during their vacation. You can always contact the owner to ensure that the hot tub is used and maintained frequently.

Ultimately, Legionella is only one concern with hotel cleanliness. There are other notoriously dirty parts of a hotel room, such as the ice bucket or the TV remote. The more you can educate yourself about them, the better off you’ll be in preventing the spread of potentially harmful bacteria. One simple step you can take is traveling with disinfecting wipes and using them to wipe down any common touchpoints such as door handles, faucets, and light switches.

Frequent flyers have seen it all, and they know how to manage the unwanted mishaps that inevitably pop up during a journey. One nightmare that no traveler wants to deal with is the airline losing your luggage, but if and when it does happen, the pros have a few ways to make the situation less stressful. All it takes is a tiny bit of foresight before leaving your home and heading to the airport.

A Picture-Perfect Solution

While it’s rare for airlines to lose luggage, it’s certainly not unheard of. In 2025 alone, over 2.4 million domestic U.S. flyers had their checked bags lost, delayed, or damaged (out of about 470 million bags that airlines handled). Luckily, U.S. travelers have a right to be compensated by airlines for any lost suitcases and their contents. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines are liable for paying up to $4,700 in compensation per passenger for luggage lost on domestic flights and about $2,175 for luggage lost on international trips. 

In order to fairly compensate you, however, the airline may ask you to list the contents of your lost bags — and it can be difficult to remember everything you packed from memory alone. That’s why you should always take photos or videos of the bag’s contents before zipping it shut and going on your way. Travel experts say that these visual records are critical for helping you get the compensation that you’re entitled to. 

Not only do travel insurance providers such as Allianz suggest taking photos as a precaution, but airlines themselves do, too. In an interview with The Points Guy, a spokesperson for American Airlines said, “When filing the claim, customers will be asked to provide details of the items in their bag. Photos and video are accepted to help identify the customer’s items.” 

Hopefully, you won’t need to use these photos at any point in the journey, but if your luggage does get lost, the more information you provide when submitting a claim, the better. It helps to resolve your claim quicker, and also increases the odds that you’ll be given fair compensation for the items you lost.

Photo Tips

While you’re packing — both before the trip and prior to heading back home — photograph each item of value as you place it into the suitcase. Ryan Smith, a travel expert at The Points Guy, recommends taking photos of each item individually, as well as photos of the items once they are inside your suitcase to prove they were actually packed with you. 

This can include electronics, nice clothing, souvenirs (along with receipts), or anything else that would be costly to replace. It’s worth capturing images of manufacturer labels, too. For instance, you should take a clear photo to prove you were traveling with an Apple Macbook, as that can help confirm the item’s value.

Bailey Berg of Travel + Leisure advises travelers to also take a photo of the suitcase itself, along with the luggage tag, the bag tag, and any marks that may help distinguish it from other similar bags. This way, if your bag goes missing, you can show the pictures to an airline employee so that the person knows exactly what type of suitcase to track down. Doing this is far more helpful than giving a vague description along the lines of “medium-sized and gray.”

Other Useful Tips

As pro travelers will tell you, photographing your luggage is just one tool at your disposal. There are a number of other ways to make sure your valuables stay secure and firmly in your possession. One top tip? Pack your most valuable items in your carry-on (assuming they’re allowed in carry-ons). This advice could apply to jewelry, a one-of-a-kind piece of art you bought abroad, or any other irreplaceable object that you’d hate to lose.

Also consider putting an Apple AirTag (or a similar Bluetooth tracker if you have an Android device) inside your luggage. The AirTag is small enough to fit into any suitcase, and it seamlessly connects with an iPhone to show the exact location of your luggage at any given time. If the bag gets lost, showing that location to an airline employee can help them track down the bag.

Featured image credit: © mixetto—E+/Getty Images 

For many travelers, enjoying a glass of wine or a beer is part of their normal flying routine. But you may notice that when you drink on a plane, you can’t handle alcohol as well as you do at home. Ever wondered why? Here’s the science behind why alcohol hits differently at 30,000 feet and a few tips to alleviate its effects while flying, so you can feel better when you arrive at your destination.

The Consequences of Drinking on a Plane

The level of humidity in a plane’s cabin is significantly lower than it is on the ground, and this can have a dehydrating effect on passengers. According to the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority, the humidity in airplane cabins is around 10% to 20%, which is nowhere near what we’d experience in a building on the ground (40% to 50%). This means that over the course of an eight-hour flight, for example, we lose around 5 fluid ounces of moisture on average, which is why we might experience dry skin, eyes, noses, or lips.

Alcohol on its own also has a dehydrating effect, so when we consume it while flying, it acts as a double whammy. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic. This means that it prompts your body to limit production of a hormone called vasopressin, which in turn causes you to urinate more often and flushes out much-needed fluids from your body.

Impact on Blood Oxygen Levels

The air we breathe at sea level typically has an oxygen content of about 21%. In the pressurized cabin of an aircraft, this can fall to around 15%. According to Harvard Health, when we spend time in a pressurized aircraft cabin, our blood oxygen levels naturally drop from a normal range of 96% to 100%, down to 90% or below. We need to breathe faster or more deeply to counteract this. 

Add alcohol into the mix, and you might increase the strain on your body. Some medical professionals believe that alcohol could make our red blood cells less effective at taking up oxygen. One study in the medical journal Thorax suggested that the combination of in-flight alcohol and cabin pressure could even put passengers’ heart health under strain while asleep.

Sober Is Safer

While no one expects to be faced with an emergency when flying, accidents do happen occasionally. Alcohol impairs coordination, slows reaction times, and increases the chance of falls, so you may not respond as quickly as those around you if you’ve consumed a significant amount of alcohol while in the air. 

A 2020 article published by the Institute of Alcohol Studies stated that “alcohol has a range of psychomotor and cognitive effects that increase accident risk” and that “research has found that the severity of both limb and head injury correlate directly with blood alcohol concentration.” In short, if you need to evacuate the plane in an emergency, you’ll be far better off if you haven’t been drinking.

Counteracting the Effects of Dehydration

The easiest and most effective change you can make the next time you fly is to choose not to drink alcohol at all. If you drink too much during a flight, hangover symptoms are more pronounced, and there’s a higher chance you’ll experience a headache or fatigue as well as feel extra thirsty. Not to mention, airlines may deny you boarding if you’re showing visible signs of intoxication. 

If you’d still like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two, plan to also consume plenty of water. Better still, bring a refillable bottle through airport security and seek out a water fountain before you board so you have your own supply. 

As with alcohol consumption in general, moderation is key. But if you really want to be kind to your body next time you go on vacation, consider waiting until you’re at the hotel bar to order that first glass of wine.

Featured image credit: © Jaromir—Moment/Getty Images

It’s always frustrating when a flight is delayed or canceled, especially when it takes a while to get rebooked. On top of that, a flight disruption can result in unplanned expenses and uncertainty over whether you’ll be able to recoup that money later on. Let’s take a look at the true costs of flight disruptions, along with steps you can take to minimize the financial hit.

The Hidden Costs of Flight Delays

According to a recent survey by AirHelp, 72% of travelers spent money they weren’t expecting to due to flight delays or cancellations. In such situations, your costs can quickly mount up. According to Newsweek, lost earnings were the biggest hit, averaging $484.19, while the price of finding somewhere to stay during a flight delay amounted to $311.87 on average. Other spending included $114.58 on food and drink, $93.72 replacing checked clothing and personal items such as deodorant and toothpaste, plus $221.33 to cover additional transportation costs. Taken together, that’s a sizable financial burden to have to pay, particularly as it’s unplanned.

Losses You Might Incur

Unused accommodations: If your flight is delayed, you may end up spending the first night of your vacation at home or in an airport hotel instead of in your intended accommodation. Most hotel cancellation policies don’t allow you to cancel on short notice, forcing you to eat the cost of that wasted first night — or more. In times of significant disruption such as weather-related problems that affect a relatively large number of passengers, it could be several days before you reach your destination.

Lost car rental days: Similarly, if you’ve booked a rental car to use during your vacation, you’ll still have to pay for the original rental period. Even worse, some companies may mark you as a no-show and cancel the reservation completely, resulting in hefty cancellation fees. If you then try to rebook, you’ll likely have to pay inflated, last-minute rates. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to contact your rental car company with your revised arrival time.

Ground transportation: Travelers who have purchased cheaper train or ground transportation tickets in advance will often find they’re nontransferable in the event of a delayed arrival. Flexible and walk-up fares for trains tend to be more expensive, too. 

Activity and excursion charges: Sometimes, high demand for activities makes it essential to book ahead of time. But if you’ve made such bookings for the beginning of your vacation and your flight is delayed, you may end up missing out. Many tour providers will be reluctant to provide a refund. Get Your Guide, for instance, has a no-refund policy for cancellations less than 24 hours ahead. It’s a similar story with Viator, so check the terms and conditions carefully before you commit and consider allowing yourself a few days of buffer after you arrive at your destination. 

Lost earnings: A flight delay could potentially result in lost earnings, too. You may have booked paid time off, but in unexpected circumstances, you might have to take unpaid leave to cover the additional days. 

Extra Costs

Additional accommodations: If you can’t get on another flight until the next morning, you may have no choice but to find and pay for additional accommodations — at last-minute rates. Check first with your airline to see if they’ll arrange a hotel for you. You may be on your own. But if the delay is within the airline’s control and you expect to qualify for compensation later on, try to book a reasonably priced hotel, if possible, or you may end up footing a rather large bill.

Unplanned food and beverage costs: In certain circumstances, airlines hand out vouchers to go toward the cost of meals you need to purchase while waiting for your delayed flight. However, vouchers are often tied to specific outlets, and airport eateries tend to be expensive. Travelers may find that the amount they’ve received isn’t sufficient to cover the total cost of the food and beverages they consume.

Additional transportation costs: If you’ve driven yourself to the airport, a flight delay can leave you facing additional parking fees on top of the costs you’ve already accrued (which can be substantial). Otherwise, you may have to pay for extra cabs, rideshares, car services, or shuttles to and from airport hotels.

Pet care costs: While some pet owners leave their furry companions with friends or family members, it’s sometimes necessary to pay for pet boarding or a pet sitter. For every day that your flight home is delayed, there’s a corresponding charge to keep your much-loved pet in a safe place. In some parts of the U.S., it can be as much as $60 per day, according to a report from Daily Paws.

Extra Clothing or Essentials: If your flight is delayed overnight, it may be a hassle (or even impossible) to reunite with your checked bags, leaving travelers on the hook to purchase personal items such as deodorant and toothpaste. This is why we always recommend packing a few essentials and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag.

How To Minimize Out of Pocket Costs

Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself in the event of flight delays. In the planning stage of a trip, proactive strategies include flying earlier in the day, when delays are less likely, steering clear of busy airports that experience more congestion-related delays, and avoiding carriers that are known for having a poor punctuality record. For hotels and activities, look for ones with generous cancellation policies so you won’t be on the hook for your entire stay or miss out altogether on a high-demand excursion. 

Be sure you know your rights, too. For example, in the U.S., new rules enacted in 2024 now require airlines to provide full refunds if your domestic flight is changed by three or more hours. (See our full guide to these rules here.) For controllable overnight delays, airlines will also arrange accommodation and ground transportation to get there. In Europe, airlines are obliged to offer compensation under certain circumstances due to EU 261. (See our guide here.)

Make sure you also keep the relevant receipts when incurring unplanned expenses, as you’ll need to supply these in support of your claim if you qualify for compensation. Additionally, if you’ve purchased travel insurance, it’s a good idea to read the small print of your travel insurance policy to see what you’re covered for in the event of a flight cancellation or delay.

Millions of Americans take to the skies each year, but certain days are considerably more popular than others. During these peak travel periods, you’ll find packed TSA lines, crowded terminals, busy airport restaurants, and long waits for rideshares and taxis. To help you plan ahead for your next flight and to give you a sense of what to expect in 2026, we examined TSA security checkpoint data for the year 2025 to find which travel days were the busiest. Here’s what we found.

The 10 Busiest Travel Days

The following rankings are based on the total number of flyers who passed through TSA security checkpoints in the U.S. on each day in 2025. According to that data, these were the top 10 busiest travel days last year:

• November 30: 3,134,613 passengers
• June 22: 3,096,797
• July 20: 3,043,973
• July 6: 3,041,954
• July 27: 3,017,861
• October 10: 3,017,612
• May 23: 3,010,183
• July 13: 3,007,773
• August 1: 2,999,166
• July 17: 2,998,225

In 2025, the busiest travel day of the year, November 30, fell on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. While airports were quieter on the holiday itself (only 1,559,165 people flew on Thanksgiving Day), the crowds picked up in the days thereafter as people returned home en masse.

More than 2.3 million people flew on the Friday after Thanksgiving, over 2.6 million on Saturday of the holiday weekend, and a whopping 3.1 million on Sunday. This continues a trend from 2024 — the Sunday after Thanksgiving was also the busiest travel day that year, with 3,088,836 passengers passing through TSA checkpoints in the U.S. With Thanksgiving 2026 set for Thursday, November 26, you can likely expect similar crowds on Sunday, November 29, 2026.

Otherwise, the most crowded airport days last year were in summer, when the weather is nicer, school is on break, and many people are more likely to take trips. Travel for the season began to ramp up on May 23, the Friday before Memorial Day (aka the unofficial start of summer), and peaked on June 22, the second-busiest travel day of the year. Several July dates also ranked in the top 10, including July 6, the Sunday after Independence Day.

The one outlier not in summer (outside of Thanksgiving weekend) was October 10, which ranked as the sixth-busiest travel day in 2025. This date also fell over a holiday weekend: October 10 was the Friday before Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and it seems many Americans used the chance to take a long weekend trip.

Managing Busy Travel Days

While you can try to avoid busy days at the airport, sometimes travel plans aren’t flexible. But as stressful as these busy travel days may be, there are a few steps you can take to navigate jam-packed airports. Our holiday travel survival guide offers practical tips to help you make it past security and stay comfortable throughout the duration of the journey, including how to speed through TSA and how to pack efficiently to avoid rummaging through your carry-on.

Also, be sure to allow yourself more time to check in during the busiest travel days of the year, or you may end up scrambling to reach the gate at the last minute. A typical rule of thumb is to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one, but during the busiest travel periods, the earlier you can arrive, the better. While you may have to kill some time in the terminal, an early arrival at the airport lessens the odds of missing a flight.

Another tip for any busy summer travel is to avoid flying in the afternoon and early evening. The logic behind this is that during the summer, heat builds during the morning, which leads to larger storm clouds forming in the afternoon. This can result in thunderstorms, which can lead to flight delays. To lessen the potential risk for weather delays as well as delays from late inbound aircraft (often the top reason for delays), consider an early morning flight if you’re traveling during summer.

Featured image credit: © baona—iStock/Getty Images 

Traveling the world comes with its share of unwritten rules and etiquette. And while it’s important to respect cultural customs, it’s also wise to know when those expectations go beyond politeness and are actually enforced by law. What might seem like a harmless habit at home can carry real consequences elsewhere — even something as simple as taking a sip of water on the subway. Here are six instances where a little awareness of laws abroad can go a long way.

Vaping Can Get You Arrested in Thailand

You might be used to reaching for a vape without thinking twice, but in Thailand, the habit can land you in serious trouble. E-cigarettes and vaping devices are prohibited; bringing one into the country or being seen using one can lead to confiscation, fines, and even possible jail time. 

In early 2026, two Australian travelers learned the hard way just how seriously the ban is taken. After being approached by police officers for using vapes on the beach, the pair were taken to a police station and fined 40,000 Thai baht (about $1,250 USD). They were also warned that repeat offenses could lead to a potential five-year jail sentence. Thailand’s e-cigarette and vaporizer ban has been in place since 2014 for health reasons and to help prevent young people from taking up the habit.

In Japan, You’re Required To Carry Your Passport at All Times

Carrying your passport while exploring a city can feel a little nerve-racking — the last thing you want to do is lose it. But if your usual habit is to lock it in a hotel safe, you’ll have to rethink that on your travels to Japan. Tourists are required to carry their passport on them at all times; spot checks can and do occur, and police have the authority to ask for identification. 

If you don’t have a passport or residence card, you could face a fine of up to 100,000 yen (or about $630 USD), along with questioning as officers attempt to confirm your identity. In some cases, that means being taken to a police station until your details are verified. While this is typically resolved fairly quickly, Japan’s legal system does allow for detention of up to 23 days without being formally charged and without being able to make or receive any phone calls.

Don’t Eat or Drink on Transit in Singapore

On Singapore’s metro system (the MRT), eating or drinking is strictly prohibited. The ban was introduced in 1987 and has been sustained as part of the country’s wider effort to maintain cleanliness. But if you think this applies only to foods that may be particularly pungent, think again: Consuming anything from snacks to bottled drinks (even water) is a no-go once you’re inside stations or on trains in Singapore.

So what happens if you’re caught? You could receive a fine of up to 500 Singapore dollars (about $400 USD) — even for a first-time offense. The rule is not without its detractors: In a memorable 2009 incident, a woman was fined for eating a small sweet in an attempt to mitigate motion sickness, leading to outcry. And as recently as early 2026, a heated debate broke out online over whether passengers should give fellow riders leeway instead of filming and shaming them.

Running Out of Gas Is Illegal on Germany’s Autobahn

Germany’s famed highway system comes with pretty strict safety rules. That’s because the Autobahn network, which stretches over 8,000 miles, includes sections without speed limits, where vehicles can travel upwards of 80 mph. Stopping isn’t just inconvenient — it’s a serious safety risk. And if you happen to stop because you ran out of gas, it’s considered preventable negligence.

So what happens if you run dry? Stopping for less than three minutes can result in a fine of 35 euros (about $40 USD), while anything over three minutes is classed as parking on the highway and can lead to a 70-euro ($82) penalty. If any accidents occur as a result, the penalties could be much harsher, depending on the circumstances. 

Camouflage Clothing Is Off-Limits in Barbados

In Barbados, camouflage isn’t a fashion statement — it’s strictly reserved for the military. The restriction covers any military-style disruptive pattern material, regardless of color or design, and applies to everything from clothing to accessories such as hats, bags, and shoes. The rule aims to prevent confusion between civilians and members of the Barbados Defence Force. Similar laws exist in several other countries across the Caribbean, Africa, and parts of Asia.

The penalties can be quite significant: Offenders may face fines of up to 2,000 Barbadian dollars (about $1,000 USD), imprisonment for up to a year, or both. Customs officers can also confiscate the items on arrival, meaning travelers may be forced to change clothing before even leaving the airport. 

Be Careful Taking Photos With Buddha Statues in Sri Lanka

You might think you’re just capturing a simple travel memory, but posing with Buddhist statues could become a serious legal issue in Sri Lanka. The South Asian country’s penal code enforces strict rules around respect for religious imagery, and tourists can face fines, arrest, or even deportation for behaving disrespectfully around Buddha statues. That includes posing with your back to a statue, touching it, or taking selfies that are seen as inappropriate.

In one widely reported case from 2014, a British tourist was detained for three days and subsequently deported because of her Buddha tattoo. In 2012, another group of tourists from France were convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for pretending to kiss a Buddha statue in a photo. Although their sentence was suspended and they ultimately didn’t serve any time, a fine was served — as was a harsh lesson on being mindful of other countries’ cultures and laws.

With ever-shrinking legroom, airfares and fees that keep getting more expensive, and seemingly endless delays, one of the few pleasures left in flying these days is that free can of ginger ale and a Biscoff cookie once you reach cruising altitude. But if you’re traveling on a shorter flight, you may not have that to look forward to anymore: One airline recently announced it’s eliminating in-flight service on hundreds of flights. Here are all the details.

Delta Air Lines Adjusts In-Flight Service

Starting May 19, Delta Air Lines will be eliminating in-flight service in economy class on flights under 350 miles. Previously, flights that were 250 miles or less did not receive in-flight service, so this move will cut free snacks and drinks in coach for an additional 450 daily flights throughout the airline’s network. Of note, those seated in first class will continue to receive beverages and snacks on all routes. 

Flying from L.A. to San Francisco, Chicago to Minneapolis, or Atlanta to Charleston, South Carolina? You’ll want to make sure you grab a cup of coffee and refill your water bottle before boarding that plane. Fortunately, these flights are typically around an hour or less, but no doubt many travelers will still be disappointed by the reduced amenities. 

A Delta spokesperson shared with The New York Times that the change means 9% of the airline’s flights will now have no snack and beverage service in economy class, and that the move was to “create a more consistent experience across our network.”

On a positive note, the airline is restoring full beverage service on flights that are 350 miles or longer. Currently, the airline offers only an “express” beverage service on flights between 251 and 499 miles, consisting of water, tea, or coffee for those in economy class. 

After May 19, flyers on routes over 350 miles will be able to choose any beverage (with alcoholic drinks costing extra), along with a complimentary snack such as Biscoff cookies, Sun Chips, or Cheez-It crackers. In total, around 600 daily flights will restore full beverage service, including popular routes such as Atlanta to Tampa or Orlando, Florida. 

Have a Delta flight coming up soon and wondering if you’ll still get a beverage service? Plug in the route on Delta’s flight status page and click “see more details,” where you’ll find the number of miles flown.

How Do Other Airlines Compare?

Delta’s recent service changes put the airline behind most of its competitors when it comes to in-flight service on shorter flights. 

American Airlines offers coffee, tea, juice, water, and soft drinks, as well as complimentary snacks, on flights over 250 miles. On shorter flights, nonalcoholic beverages are available by request. Southwest Airlines also offers complimentary soft drinks and snacks on flights over 250 miles, as does JetBlue. (On flights under 250 miles, JetBlue still offers a choice of two snacks and water, coffee, or tea.)

On United Airlines, the threshold to receive beverage service is 300 miles, though the airline says that beverages are served on request for flights shorter than an hour. Alaska Airlines now matches Delta, offering beverage service on flights 350 miles or longer. 

But if you look at carriers outside the U.S., you often find more generous service policies. Air Canada, for example, offers not only complimentary snacks and soft drinks but also free wine and beer to those in economy class on every flight, with no minimum distance required.  

Featured image credit: Image courtesy of Delta Air Lines