If you’re wealthy, it’s a new golden age of travel. If you’re not wealthy, it’s gold-plated at best. Airlines and hotels are increasingly tailoring their services to the affluent, while everyone else fights for legroom and late checkouts—if they can afford the trip at all.

First-class operation: The growing delta between high-income and low-income travelers might be easiest to notice in…Delta. The airline, like American and United, has been directing resources toward its premium products, and the strategy is paying off. According to CNN:

• Sales of Delta’s main cabin seats dropped 7% in 2025, year over year.
• But business and first-class ticket sales rose 9%.

In fact, the airline’s premium ticket sales surpassed economy sales for the first time ever last year.

In the meantime, fares for everyone keep getting more expensive, due, in part, to the Iran war and higher fuel prices. That’s made it harder for low-cost airlines to stay in the black, since many of their customers are getting priced out. Earlier this month, Spirit, the poster child of budget flying, abruptly shut down, specifically citing fuel costs.

Suite dreams. A similar K-shaped trend is playing out in the hotel industry. According to JLL Research, from November 2024 to November 2025:

• Luxury hotels saw a 2.9% gain in revenue per available room.
• Midscale properties dropped 2.6%.
• Economy hotels dropped 4.1%.

People are still traveling, though

Two-thirds of Americans plan to take a domestic trip or two this summer, according to US News. They’re simply leaning on perks like frequent flyer miles and hotel points, or spending their lunch breaks hitting refresh on deal sites.

Trading places: A lot of travelers are turning to “destination dupes,” which offer experiences similar to famous tourist hot spots, but for much cheaper. So, instead of Paris and Rome, people are checking out Brussels, Belgium, and Naples, Italy. And instead of Boston, people are probably just going to Dunkin’.—BC

It’s not just David Copperfield—everyone seems to be vanishing from Vegas. Last year, annual trips to Las Vegas dropped 7.5%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Outside the Covid-19 pandemic, that marks the biggest decline since the group started tracking visits to Sin City in the 1970s.

Everyone has thoughts on why Vegas is sputtering out

Some observers chalk it up to a decline in international tourism due to geopolitical tensions. (Mayor Shelley Berkley even publicly begged Canadians to come back to the Strip last September.) Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, meanwhile, pitched a theory that GLP-1s have curbed not only appetites, but also urges to gamble and drink, which are…kinda Vegas’s whole shtick. And it doesn’t help that Gen Z and millennials are drinking less than generations before them.

But the strongest argument for fewer visits is likely declining value. Most casinos have tweaked their odds against gamblers in roulette and raised minimum bets at blackjack tables in the last few years. Like other recent changes in the travel industry, these moves were meant to attract higher-income customers, which seems to be working:

• Despite declining visits, Vegas casinos posted record revenue last year, at roughly $8.8 billion.
• An LVCA survey found that 44% of visitors had a household income of $150,000 or more.

Big picture: Combined with a flood of resort fees, inflated food and drink prices, and even hotels abandoning free parking, budget-conscious travelers are getting priced out of Sin City. Maybe try Atlantic City?—MM

The next trendy suitcase better have a built-in television or some other ridiculous feature, because the market is getting crowded.

Sign of the times. The popular DJ John Summit made an Instagram post in which he kicks, throws, hammers, and lights his Rimowa suitcase on fire—ostensibly because he’s fed up after pieces from the luxury brand broke down on him. Then the comments section took off:

• “We’ve been summoned,” wrote Away, the startup that kicked off the modern-day case race in 2015. More affordable than Rimowa and Tumi, but prettier than Samsonite, Away reached a $1.4 billion valuation in four years and opened the D2C suitcase floodgates.
• “Please let me send you some @beis luggage,” the actress Shay Mitchell commented. She founded Béis in 2018. One of its latest collaborations was with Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s cosmetics brand.
• Tumi and Samsonite also chimed in on Summit’s post. Samsonite owns Tumi, having bought the brand for $1.8 billion in 2016—the same year that LVMH bought airport status symbol Rimowa.

Overall, legacy brands like Samsonite, Tumi, and Rimowa still command the baggage carousel, but the new players are making inroads. “We’re all fighting to steal market share from Samsonite, which owns 25% of the market, and LVMH, which owns another 10%,” the co-founder of July, an Australian luggage brand, told Fast Company. One of the latest upstarts to vie for some cargo space is Casetify, a phone case company that launched its first suitcase in 2024.—ML

The internet is awash with questionable travel hacks. Sure, wearing all your clothes to save on a checked bag fee is incredibly funny and great TikTok content, but pulling a Joey Tribbiani probably won’t feel worth it once you sweat through the first two layers and have to do laundry after you land.

But here are a few that are worth it:

• Compression socks for long flights. Complications from blood clots are rare, but the socks can reduce swelling and help those who are more susceptible to deep vein thrombosis.
• AirTag your luggage. If you’re worried about losing your luggage and don’t trust the airline to find it, an AirTag can help with recovery. If it’s good enough for the Stanley Cup, it’s good enough for your socks.
• Use a VPN when booking. Not every VPN works equally, but it can be a great way to look at costs in other areas and work around surveillance pricing.
• Take pictures of everything. Forget your flight number? Your parking spot? Your hotel room number? Take a photo right away and reference it when all those cocktails by the beach render your memory a little foggy.
• Take the next day off after you get home. In some ways, not being in the office on that Monday can be the best day of your vacation.—DL

Not one to follow the herd? Here are some suggestions for overlooked destinations that are close at hand…or really, really far away.

For the history buff: Fort William Henry in Lake George, New York

America’s semiquincentennial is the time to visit British Fort William Henry in upstate New York. The site of a decisive Revolutionary War battle, it’s now a history museum with preserved military installations and educational tours. It’s also surrounded by an endless expanse of natural beauty: Hike or drive up nearby Prospect Mountain for breathtaking views of Lake George.

For the trainspotter: La Grange, Kentucky

The quaint town 30 minutes outside of Louisville has a quirk that makes it a perfect destination for anyone who loves rolling stock: a CSX freight train that runs along the main street, best spotted from the Train Observation Tower. Head to the La Grange Railroad Museum for an up-close look at a steam engine, a 1929 dining car, and a caboose.

For those with a frontier wanderlust: Burns, Oregon

Drive down this secluded section of eastern Oregon via the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway with desert and mountain views, and spectacular birdwatching at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Recharge at the Crane Hot Springs resort, where you can soak in a steamy mineral bath in the backyard of a private bathhouse.

For the adventurous horse lover: Kyrgyzstan

This Central Asian nation is an up-and-coming destination that offers exposure to centuries of nomadic practices—like kok boru, a polo-like sport played with a goat carcass. Our own Macy Gilliam recently traversed the country’s mountainous terrain on horseback in an expedition that involved sleeping in a yurt and mastering local knitting traditions.

For post-Soviet Nordic vibes: Tallinn, Estonia

The compact capital of the former Soviet Baltic nation of Estonia offers charming cobbled streets and a medieval old town, alongside UNESCO-recognized sauna culture. Visit in June to catch the Nordic-style summer solstice festival at the Estonian Open Air Museum with bonfires, traditional cuisine, and folk dances late into the night.

For the Japanophile who’s already been to Tokyo: Nagasaki

The city that survived the atomic bomb is now a thriving cultural destination. Visiting the Nagasaki Peace Park that commemorates the dropping of the atomic bomb is a must, but there are plenty of light diversions. Stop by an 800-year-old camphor tree and a dessert shop that’s been around since 1624.—SK