These days, no matter which airline you fly, traveling around the U.S. can seem remarkably similar — and not all that glamorous. Yet, there are a few key differences among each of the major U.S. airlines, and understanding them can turn a mediocre experience into a positive one. American Airlines — the world’s largest airline by number of seats — operates hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. If you’re planning an upcoming trip on American, be sure to check out these five helpful tips before you book.

Understand Your Options (and Beware of Basic Economy)

Like many airlines these days, American offers customers quite a few choices when it comes to the travel experience, and the number of options may overwhelm you. Let’s start with the basics: basic economy. This is American’s lowest-priced option, but it comes with a few important restrictions:

• After a 24-hour grace period, basic economy tickets cannot be changed or refunded. You’ll be able to cancel for a future travel credit if you added your AAdvantage loyalty number to your booking, but it will cost a $99 fee. 
• American allows one free carry-on and personal item on basic economy tickets, but checked bags will be extra. 
• You can choose your seat prior to check-in for a fee; otherwise, one will be assigned to you (and it may be apart from your family or group).

American also offers a standard economy-class option called main cabin. Tickets can be changed without a fee, though you will have to pay any fare difference. Nonpreferred seats can be selected free of charge, but checked bags are extra. As an upgraded experience within the economy cabin, Main Cabin Extra comes with perks like a few extra inches of legroom, early boarding, and complimentary alcoholic beverages.

If you’re looking to upgrade your flight, American has several options:

• When flying domestically, first class is American’s highest cabin offering. It includes a wider seat with more legroom at the front of the cabin with a dedicated flight attendant, hot meals, and perks like priority boarding and free checked baggage.
• On shorter international flights (think Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America), American offers business class. This is the same recliner seat you’ll find in domestic first class on aircraft like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A319.
• On wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, American offers premium economy. This is a similar seat to domestic first class or short-haul business class, but it comes with elevated amenities and upgraded meals. It’s available flying to long-haul destinations in Asia, Europe, and South America, plus on select domestic flights, including some flights to Hawaii. 
• On those same long-haul flights, American also offers Flagship business class. Seats recline into fully flat beds and have direct access to the aisle, and access to the Flagship lounge is included before you take off. (American also currently offers Flagship first class, but this is being phased out.) 

Pro tip: Keep a lookout on the American app or by managing your itinerary online for any upgrade offers, which can typically be purchased using miles or cash. You may be able to score a better deal by upgrading after the fact, as the airline looks to sell unsold seats closer to departure.

Bring Your Own Devices

If you’re flying on a wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 or Boeing 787 on a longer international flight, you can expect built-in screens in all cabins. 

However, American Airlines is in the process of removing seatback screens from narrow-body aircraft (e.g., Boeing 737s) serving domestic and shorter international flights. On these flights, instead of seatback screens, American offers free entertainment streamed to your personal device, such as a phone, laptop, or tablet. That means you’ll want to come prepared if you’re looking to stay entertained during your flight.

Fortunately, most American planes offer power ports (and the airline is in the process of installing more) so you can keep your devices charged. Currently, Wi-Fi is available for purchase starting at $10 per flight, but American has also announced plans to roll out fleetwide free Wi-Fi, following other airlines such as Delta, United, and JetBlue.

Don’t Try To Cut the Boarding Line

The internet likes to call them “gate lice,” but even if you’re unfamiliar with this term, there’s a good chance you’ve observed them in action before a flight. They’re the people who stand around crowding the gate before their group is called, often hoping to board earlier to stow their carry-on bags as quickly as possible. With busy and often overworked gate agents, gate lice often make it on the plane before their group is called. 

While this is common on many airlines, American has introduced new technology to crack down on the problem. Now, an audible alert lets the gate agent know if a passenger attempts to board before the assigned group on their boarding pass, prompting the agent to send the passenger to the back of the line. So, if you want to avoid potential public shaming, make sure to stay calmly seated until your group is called. 

Of course, many passengers worry about overhead bin space running out before they get a chance to stow their baggage. In that case, you can look to upgrade your boarding priority on American by flying in a premium cabin or by holding elite status or certain American Airlines-branded credit cards. American also offers an a la carte option to purchase early Group 4 boarding on economy-class tickets. 

Rack Up Points (and Other Perks) on Everyday Spending

If you’re flying American, it’s a no-brainer to sign up for AAdvantage, the airline’s free loyalty program, and add your frequent flyer number to your reservation. (Fun fact: AAdvantage was the world’s first frequent flyer program when it launched in 1981.) When you fly American, you’ll earn at least 5 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on airfare (except basic economy, which earns 2 miles). These miles can be redeemed for free flights, upgrades, and much more.

But flying isn’t the only way to unlock value from AAdvantage: You can also earn points when you shop online or dine out at thousands of stores and restaurants, when you book hotels or car rentals through American, and when you spend on an American Airlines co-branded credit card. You can also earn when you fly on airlines in the Oneworld alliance and other partner airlines.  

Additionally, in 2022, American introduced Loyalty Points. The miles you earn from flying and spending now also count as Loyalty Points, which unlock elite status and other perks. For example, when you hit 15,000 points in the program year, you’ll receive perks such as coupons for preferred seating and priority check-in and security for one trip. At 40,000 points, you’ll reach Gold status, which offers complimentary upgrades, free checked bags, and more points earned per flight. 

Moral of the story: Even if you don’t think you’ll fly enough on American to unlock these perks, keep in mind there are many other ways to earn them, particularly through everyday spending on a credit card or online purchases. 

Unlock Greater Value With Partner Award Tickets

As travel credit cards and loyalty programs have grown in popularity and more travelers are racking up points, some airlines have taken to increasing (often without much notice) the cost required to redeem miles for a free flight. 

So, while you may have been able to redeem, say, 70,000 Delta SkyMiles for a flight from the U.S. to Europe back in 2018, that might cost anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 miles now. Airlines have also made pricing of award tickets fully dynamic, rather than at fixed prices, so there’s less transparency about the true cost and value of these points.

However, American Airlines has approached this situation a bit differently. At least for now, the airline is alone among major U.S. carriers by still publishing a useful award chart, explaining the starting prices for the amount of miles you’ll need to redeem based on region. Plus, American still offers valuable fixed-price redemptions on many of its international partner airlines. 

According to The Points Guy, this is one of the best ways to redeem AAdvantage miles. For example, as of mid-2025, you can still fly from the U.S. to Europe on an American partner airline such as Iberia or Aer Lingus for the starting price of 57,500 miles in Business Class — far fewer points than are required on other airlines (or even American Airlines’ own flights). The catch is that these awards are classified as “Saver,” and American only releases them in limited quantities, so they might be difficult to find — try to book as early as possible and be flexible with your travel dates and destinations to find the best value.

While the vast majority of airlines assign seats ahead of departure, for decades, one airline has bucked the trend: Southwest. The Dallas-based airline is famous (or infamous, depending on whom you ask) for its open-seating policy, in which customers are assigned a boarding number based on their time of check-in and can choose any available seat when they walk on the plane. But after more than 50 years, the airline is done holding out. Find out when Southwest will finally make the switch to assigned seats — and what other big changes are in store at America’s fourth-largest airline.

When Will Southwest Start Assigning Seats?

Southwest Airlines has long been known for doing things differently. When the airline launched flights in 1971, the carrier earned a reputation for offering low fares, frequent flights, and no-frills service. 

To keep costs low, Southwest operated only Boeing 737s and scheduled them to have quick turnaround times. While other airlines could have planes sitting at the gate for up to an hour between flights, Southwest became famous for allotting as little as 10 to 20 minutes between flights. Open seating aided in those quick turnarounds, as it was generally faster to board an airplane when people could choose any open seat. 

Since Southwest did things differently from other airlines, it was a reason to choose the carrier and have the flexibility to simply sit down in any available seat. On the contrary, there are some travelers who prefer the certainty of knowing where they’ll be sitting — and not having to set an alarm to check in exactly 24 hours before departure to secure a good boarding position — who might have booked away from the airline.

Times have changed, however. With profits lagging behind those of competitors, Southwest recently announced it was taking steps to boost profitability. For many travelers, the biggest headline is that flights with assigned seats will be available for purchase as of July 29, 2025, with the first flights to feature assigned seating taking off on January 27, 2026. Fans of the open-seating policy have a few more months to take advantage of it before it goes away for good.

New Boarding Process and Seating Options

Assigned seating isn’t the only change to Southwest’s business model. The airline is refitting its Boeing 737s to introduce an extra-legroom section at the front of the cabin and near exit rows, which will feature — for an extra fee — up to 5 extra inches of legroom along with dedicated overhead bin space and upgraded snacks and beverages .

Travelers will also be able to pay extra for a “preferred” seat on Southwest. Though these don’t feature extra legroom, they are located near the front of the cabin, so customers will be able to deplane sooner. To make space for the new extra-legroom seats, Southwest will be reducing legroom for standard seats, which make up the rest of the plane.

Once assigned seating rolls out in January 2026, Southwest will also introduce a new boarding process. Gone are the lettered boarding groups and assigned boarding numbers; in their place will be eight numbered boarding groups, similar to on other airlines. Among the first groups to board will be those who purchased an extra-legroom seat or an upgraded fare bundle, along with elite members and holders of a Southwest credit card. 

Also New: Baggage No Longer Flies Free

After American introduced checked baggage fees in 2008 and other airlines quickly followed, Southwest once again bucked the trend by continuing to offer two free checked bags to all passengers. Unfortunately, that generous policy ended for reservations booked on or after May 28, 2025. Now, checked bag fees will apply to most customers, except those who hold elite status or a co-branded credit card. 

Along with baggage fees, Southwest also introduced basic economy fares for the first time. Like on other airlines, passengers holding a basic-economy ticket will have their seat assigned at check-in (unless they pay an extra fee) and board the aircraft last. These tickets also earn fewer frequent-flyer points and have restrictions on changes and cancellations. 

Clearly, change is in the air at Southwest, and it remains to be seen how it all shakes out with customers. At least for the time being, the announcements have certainly stirred some controversy in online forums and with industry experts, with Skift proclaiming that Southwest is “now just like every other airline.”   

Featured image credit: Courtesy of Southwest Airlines

Some states boast a low cost of living, which may appeal to people looking for a change of pace without breaking the bank. But in other U.S. states, you may end up experiencing sticker shock. Here’s a look at 10 U.S. states with the highest cost of living, according to 2025 data from the Council for Community and Economic Research.

10. Maine

Percentage above national cost-of-living average: 13.4% 

Maine has the 10th-highest cost of living among U.S. states. This is due largely to the Pine Tree State’s high housing costs, as Mainers pay about 33% more for their homes than the average American. Prices are especially high in Kennebunkport: According to Stacker (using data provided by Zillow), homes here average around $1.082 million, making it the most expensive region in Maine to buy property. But despite the state’s high housing prices, other costs are more affordable. Transportation fees are only 4% higher than the national average, whereas groceries are a mere 0.3% pricier.

9. Connecticut

Percentage above national average: 13.5%

Nutmeggers have the ninth-highest cost of living in the U.S. While grocery costs and transportation fees are relatively affordable (ranking just 1.5% and 3.1% higher than the national average), housing prices in Connecticut are over 20% higher than in the rest of the country. Plus, the price of utilities such as electricity and gas is among the highest in the nation — Connecticut residents pay 37.6% more for utilities than average. According to NBC Connecticut, part of the reason for these high costs is the fact that Connecticut’s two major utility companies purchase electricity from out of state rather than produce it themselves, which drives up consumer prices.

8. Vermont

Percentage above national average: 13.7%

Sensing a theme? The Northeast housing market is known for being anything but affordable, and that trend holds true in Vermont, where home prices are more than 30% above the national average. According to Forbes, Woodstock is the most expensive ZIP code in the state, with median home values around $967,805; Stowe isn’t too far behind at $942,691. Utilities in Vermont are 14.5% higher than average, and it costs 6.4% more to fill up your grocery cart in the Green Mountain State.

7. New Jersey

Percentage above national average: 14.8%

New Jersey ranks as the seventh-most-expensive state to live in, but as in other Northeast states, the cost of living in the Garden State is heavily skewed by the skyrocketing cost of housing. Your typical New Jersey home will run you 43.3% more than the national average. According to Realtor.com, the median home price in the town of Deal is $6.26 million, and in Alpine, residents pay $5.39 million for an average home. Aside from these high housing prices, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous purchases rank anywhere between 1.4% to 4.2% higher than average.

6. Maryland

Percentage above national average: 14.9%

Maryland has the sixth-highest cost of living in the country, sitting at nearly 15% above the national average. As in many other states on this list, the main culprit for these high prices is housing — the cost of property in Maryland is nearly 34% higher than elsewhere in the country. According to Forbes, the most expensive place to live in Maryland is Chevy Chase Village, where median home values exceed $2 million. Furthermore, utilities cost 14.4% higher than average in Maryland, and groceries will run up a tab that’s just over 5% more than the national average.

5. New York

Percentage above national average: 27.4%

For as expensive as it is to live in New York, it may surprise you to learn that utilities are nearly in line with the national average, ranking just 0.2% higher. Unfortunately, housing costs 74.2% more in New York state than the average American home. It’s no surprise that many of these more expensive neighborhoods are located in New York City: According to the Hudson Valley Post, the Manhattan neighborhood of Hudson Yards boasts a median home sale price of $7.126 million. Outside the city, housing prices are still quite high on Long Island, especially in the Hamptons — houses in the towns of Sagaponack, Water Mill, and Bridgehampton all command several millions of dollars.

4. Alaska

Percentage above national average: 27.3%

Because of Alaska’s remote location, it costs a considerable amount of money to deliver food and other goods to the state. In the end, this increased shipping cost also means higher prices for the consumer. Grocery, utility, and housing prices in Alaska are all about 30% more expensive than the national average. In fact, Alaska’s grocery costs are the second-highest in the entire country, after Hawaii. But it’s not just food — expect to pay more for furniture, vehicles, and other necessary homewares in Alaska, too.

3. California

Percentage above national average: 41.6%

Life in California is significantly pricier than elsewhere in the country. The Golden State has the second-highest transportation cost of any state (38.7% above the national average), and the third-most-expensive utility costs (40.7% higher). Housing prices in California also rank 97.8% higher than average. According to the U.S. News & World Report, this is especially notable in places such as Daly City, Westminster, and Newport Beach, the latter of which ranks as the most expensive place to live in the country.

2. Massachusetts

Percentage above national average: 45.1%

Massachusetts has the highest cost of living of any state in the Lower 48. That said, groceries and transportation cost only 2.7% and 3% more than the national average, respectively. What makes the state of Massachusetts particularly expensive is — wait for it — the sky-high price of housing, with the average price of a home in Massachusetts coming in at 115% higher than the national average. According to the real estate blog Redfin, Edgartown is the state’s most expensive city, where median home sales total $3.305 million. If you’re buying a home in the capital city of Boston, expect to pay an average of $793,819, according to Zillow.

1. Hawaii

Percentage above national average: 82.3%

Despite its reputation as a Pacific paradise, bills in Hawaii are a whopping 82.3% more expensive than the national average. The Aloha State’s remote location makes the cost of goods quite high, as it takes more resources to ship items there, which ends up resulting in a bigger bill for the average consumer. For example, groceries cost 34.6% more, transportation is 43.1% more expensive, and utilities are 107% higher than average. These categories all rank as the highest prices in the nation. The cost of Hawaiian housing is also astronomical, as residents pay 192.1% more for their homes than the American average. 

About the data: To compile this list, we consulted data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, which looked at the average cost of housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous purchases in all 50 states in the first quarter of 2025. You can view the full report here.

Mysteries abound in air travel, from how planes stay in the sky to why some people willingly choose the middle seat. Chief among these lingering questions, perhaps, is this: What exactly happens when you flush an airplane toilet? From the brief delay between the push of the button to the actual flush and the many warnings not to toss tissues or paper towels in the toilet, it can feel very different when you use the lavatory at cruising altitude compared with toilets on the ground. Take a look at the interesting science behind airplane lavatories.

Avoiding Blue Ice

The first, most important thing to know is what doesn’t happen when you flush an airplane toilet. No, the contents of the cruising-altitude commode aren’t merely ejected from the plane and left to crash-land where they may. That would create all kinds of problems for the people going about their lives 30,000 feet below your Boeing 737 — and likely result in well-earned lawsuits for whichever airplane manufacturer was shortsighted enough to design their planes in such a way. However, it does (rarely) happen by accident, and these discharges of waste and disinfectant even have an unfortunate name: blue ice, something you don’t want to ever see falling from the sky.

Under Pressure

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of airplane facilities is the sound. Loud and abrupt, the flush sounds more like air than the water-based toilets we’re used to on terra firma. There’s a reason for that: Airplane toilets are essentially vacuums that use suction to deposit waste into airtight holding tanks located at either the front or back of the plane for safekeeping. A valve opens when you flush, briefly activating the suction system before the valve closes again. 

Using more water would be troublesome because of the weight restrictions placed on commercial airliners (plus, the heavier a plane is, the more fuel required to fly it). This is why the air-pressure technique first patented by James Kemper in 1975 remains the standard on modern airliners. The blue liquid used to disinfect and deodorize airplane lavatories is manufactured by companies such as SkyKem and Aero Specialties, the latter of which produce theirs under the name Lav Chem Blue.

On the Wagon

Those aircraft waste tanks eventually fill up, of course — hence why “honey wagons” exist. These specialized vehicles, usually small trucks, use vacuum pipes to link to an aircraft’s holding tank before transporting the contents away for good. The process is fairly quick, and the strange moniker is believed to come from the vaguely honeylike color of the removed waste. In addition to removing the tank’s contents, the trucks also pump water and disinfectant into the tank to properly clean it and ready the plane for its next flight.

Featured image credit: ThamKC/ iStock via Getty Images Plus 

Pets, like their owners, can be creatures of habit. They like to eat at the same time of day, have a favorite spot to sleep, and don’t appreciate disruptions to their routine. I speak from experience when I say that can be a challenge when traveling, which brings them out of their comfort zone and into strange, new, and often stressful environments, like cars, airports, and Boeing 737s. The good news is that there are a number of best practices you can follow to make the experience as stress-free as possible for you and your pet. Here are five of my top tips for traveling with pets.

Tell the Airline in Advance

Depending on the length of your journey, driving might be the easier option. If you do have to fly, however, don’t simply show up at the airport with your cat or dog in tow and hope for the best. Different airlines have different requirements for flying with a pet, from how much you’ll have to pay for the privilege (usually $100 to $150) to the maximum dimensions of their carrier. You’ll also want to have their vaccine records and other documents handy in case you’re asked for them, so make sure they’re up to date on their shots.

Opinions vary on whether you should allow the airline to put your furry friend in cargo, rather than having them in the cabin with you. Though it might be unavoidable for larger dog breeds, a lot of pet owners simply won’t chance it. It can be more stressful for everyone involved to be separated on a plane, especially since you can’t monitor their well-being and comfort them throughout the flight. Fortunately, cats and smaller dogs can fly in the cabin with you (in a carrier). Even so, book a direct flight whenever possible — the less time you have to spend in the airport and at cruising altitude, the better.

Ask Your Vet for Medication

I’ve made two major trips with my two cats: driving from Los Angeles to Denver and then flying back five years later. In both cases, my veterinarian prescribed them Gabapentin, and I can’t imagine having made either journey without it. While it can be scary to medicate your pet, Gabapentin is essentially a mild sedative that will mellow them out for the duration of your trip (and, depending on both the dosage and how long your trek is, a few hours after).

As such, most vets will be comfortable prescribing it without much fear of side effects. It worked perfectly for my two car-hating cats the first time and was equally effective on their first (and, to date, only) flight. Neither of my exceptionally fussy felines so much as meowed once during the ride to the airport, at the airport itself, or during our two-hour flight from Denver to Los Angeles.

Get the Right Carrier

If you’re driving, you probably already have a carrier that you and your pet like well enough. But if you’re going on a longer road trip and have room for it, consider a larger model that will allow them to move around a bit. And if you’re flying, check your airline’s carrier requirements. There are plenty of airline-approved models available to buy online, many of which will specifically mention which airlines’ standards they meet.

Officially, you’ll have to put your pet under the seat in front of you for the duration of your flight. Between you and me, however, there’s a decent chance you’ll be able to place their carrier on your lap every so often to ensure they’re comfortable — just be mindful of your fellow passengers and the cabin crew, of course.

Don’t Go Alone if You Can Avoid It

This one is especially important for air travel: If you’re the only human on your trip and you have more than one pet, you could run into trouble. Most airlines allow only one pet per person unless both animals are in the same carrier. In my case, that was a no-go because my cats aren’t the biggest fan of one another. You might have to do what I did and convince a friend or relative to make the journey with you, which will require buying another ticket for your helpful companion. This is also beneficial on road trips, as you can alternate between driving and keeping an eye on your pets in the backseat.

Bring the Right Supplies

Depending on how finicky or anxious your pet is while traveling, they might not want to eat or drink at all until reaching your final destination. (In my experience, this tends to be truer of cats than it is of dogs.) But you should still ensure you have some water, food, treats, and waste bags. Also consider pheromone sprays for the journey: Brands like ThunderEase for dogs and Feliway for cats can help calm them down; simply spray it on their carrier about 15 minutes before they go in.

While you may think those small, free shampoo bottles have been a hotel room staple for pretty much forever, the concept has actually been around only since 1970, when the Four Seasons London at Park Lane pioneered the trend of offering shampoo to guests. But in the past several years, you may have noticed an evolution. It’s not your imagination that these tiny toiletries aren’t showing up as frequently as you remember: Hotels have started to phase out single-guest-use amenities for a number of reasons. Let’s take a closer look at why all those tiny shampoo bottles are disappearing from hotel rooms.

In Some States, It’s the Law

As mandated by some local laws, hotels in certain states have no choice but to stop providing tiny shampoo bottles to guests. Some of these laws have already taken effect, while others are set to take effect in the near future. 

In 2019, California became the first state to ban travel-size plastic shampoo bottles as part of a larger effort to eliminate single-use plastics and cut down on unrecyclable waste. The bill took effect in 2023, applying to hotels or other establishments with 50 or more rooms; hotels with fewer than 50 rooms were forced to comply by the following year. Violators are subject to a $500 fine for a first violation and $2,000 for subsequent violations.

In January 2025, New York followed suit: Hotels with at least 50 rooms were forced to replace the tiny plastic amenities right away, and all other establishments will have to comply by the start of 2026. The ban applies to bottles sized 12 ounces or less, and includes hospitality personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, liquid soap, and more. In Illinois, hotels are subject to the same schedule as in New York, with a statewide ban set to take effect in 2026 regardless of the total number of rooms.

Other states have either passed or started debating similar bans. Washington passed a ban that takes effect on January 1, 2027, while Hawaii debated the idea during the 2023 legislative session, though a law has yet to pass.

Hotel Chains Follow Suit

Even if not mandated by law, certain hotel chains have proactively eliminated tiny toiletry bottles from their chains worldwide. After testing out the decision at select properties in 2018, Marriott announced in 2019 that it was eliminating single-use plastic amenities at all properties by the following year. According to a press release, the program was “expected to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills; that’s about 1.7 million pounds of plastic, a 30% reduction from current amenity plastic usage.”

To make up for the loss of the tiny bottles, Marriott opted to provide guests with large, pumpable bottles of shampoo, soap, conditioner, and lotion, which are often mounted to the wall to prevent theft. Each larger, recyclable bottle contains the same amount of product as about 10 to 12 tiny, single-use bottles, according to Marriott.

Following Marriott’s lead, Hyatt made an announcement that it would eliminate single-use plastics in its hotels starting in June 2021. IHG made a similar pledge in 2019, with a goal to fully replace single-use plastics by 2030. According to a press release from IHG, this move would save 850 metric tons of plastic from going to waste annually, which is equal to the weight of five fully grown blue whales or 70 double-decker London buses.

Are There Other Financial Motives?

While many hotels claim to be making these changes for eco-friendly reasons, some experts argue that it’s primarily being done for cost-cutting reasons. Dan Bornholdt, founder of the company Green Suites Hotel Solutions, which provides reusable containers to hotels, shared in a 2023 interview with the industry news site Packaging Dive that hotels save between 30% and 70% if they forgo the single-use amenities and use larger, refillable dispensers instead. Bornholdt estimates that “maybe 20% of hotels are doing this for environmental reasons,” but that “everybody is doing it for environmental marketing.”

Whether these decisions are being made for environmental reasons or to protect the bottom line, the benefits for the environment are clear. In an ever-growing number of states and hotel chains, the days of millions of tiny, half-empty shampoo bottles ending up in a landfill are a thing of the past.

Are Bulk Toiletries Safe?

For all of the environmental and financial benefits to eliminating tiny plastic bottles from hotels, one question remains: Are these shared, bulk amenities safe to use? Some guests worry about the idea of these larger bottles being contaminated with bacteria or the contents being replaced with lesser-quality products or other fluids that should not be in there.

Studies have backed up some of those concerns. A 2011 study from the National Institutes of Health found that “bulk-soap-refillable dispensers are prone to extrinsic bacterial contamination.” And in an interview with Smarter Travel, Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of virology at the University of Arizona, said, “Bacterial growth is an issue with refillable dispenser use for soap and shampoos. Most of our studies have been on hand soaps, but we also did studies on shampoos in hotels — all of which can grow bacteria to large numbers.” 

The unfortunate reality is that these bulk bottles may not be cleaned very thoroughly between guests, and there’s always a risk of tampering. If you find yourself worried, try bringing your own refillable, squeezable dispensers that are TSA-approved and fit into any travel bag. Before your trip, fill them up with your favorite shampoo, conditioner, or liquid soap — you won’t have to worry about throwing away the bottle at the airport, and you can rest easy knowing exactly where the products came from.

Featured image credit: Boyloso/ iStock via Getty Images Plus