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‘Is that the girl from Instagram?’: Influencers cashing in on Las Vegas

Las Vegas-based brands are chasing new audiences through other people’s accounts as the industry around influencer marketing grows.

Francine Maric was inside The Venetian standing near a slot machine in the high-limit slot room, waiting for a handpay, when someone walking by recognized her.

The man whispered to his friends, and one of them tapped the shoulder of Francine’s husband, Miran, who was standing several feet away from Francine, and asked: “Is that the girl from Instagram? Do I have to pay her to take a picture with her?”

The Marics are behind the YouTube channel Lady Luck HQ, where Francine films herself playing high-limit slots and reviews hotels. The pair, who live in Atlanta, started making content on Instagram in 2018, posting photos of their trips to Las Vegas and casino jackpots. Followers suggested she film herself playing slots, so she did, and the channel quickly took off.

Now, Lady Luck HQ commands an estimated one million daily views between YouTube and Facebook. She capitalizes on it, in part, with livestreams or videos promoting games from paid partnerships.

The Marics said they could sense from the beginning that their videos could turn into a business.

“I immediately knew we had something because the comments were coming in; the views were coming in; people were wanting more so we started posting more,” Francine Maric said. “The more and more I posted, the more people kept wanting more videos. They wanted to interact more. They wanted to engage, and it was like this domino effect.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Las Vegas (@vegas)

From micro-influencers with less than 100,000 followers to macro-influencers with millions of fans, their online content is everywhere from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok. And social media influencers have become a significant part of the Las Vegas marketing machine.

The global influencer marketing industry reached $10.4 billion last year, and it’s expected to grow to $143.1 billion in 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 33.4 percent, according to research firm Grand View Research .

And while fears of an economic recession loom, some experts say influencer marketing could grow even more during an economic downturn as businesses turn to alternative and cost-effective channels.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the destination marketing organization for Las Vegas, more than tripled the number of influencers it works with in a year. Michael O’Brien, LVCVA’s senior director of digital marketing, said it went from using 26 influencers for the fiscal year 2021 to using 100 influencers this year.

“For brands that are doing it right, they’re not rushing in,” O’Brien said. “They’re taking their time to understand: Does this person align with our values as an organization, what we stand for and what we want Vegas to be? And if so, we definitely welcome them to the destination.”

He said the convention authority works with New York-based Grey Group to determine an influencer’s audience demographics, engagement rate and other factors. Grey was named LVCVA’s social brand agency last year, receiving a two-year contract with two two-year options valued at a total of $160 million.

Full-time social media

Influencers, or content creators, usually create their accounts because they’re passionate about a certain topic or industry. For example, some Vegas creators will post photos and videos about slots, food or lifestyle tips.

Elyse Shultz, who is behind the Travel Ruby YouTube channel, said she and her husband began filming Vegas-related travel videos in 2019 while living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She said her channel gained popularity in 2020 when she posted videos of her monthly visits to Vegas explaining the changing pandemic-related safety measures.

“I look at the way I talk to the viewers as if it would be like I was sitting next to them on an airplane or something,” she said. “They’re like, ‘This my first time in Vegas.’ And I can tell them, ‘You have to do this. You should go here.’”

Her YouTube channel has 190,000 subscribers and nearly 40 million views. She and her husband moved to Las Vegas two months ago to focus entirely on Travel Ruby as well as her new YouTube channel Ruby Slots, which focuses on slot pay. Since its launch two months ago, Ruby Slots has gained 14,800 subscribers and 2.6 million views.

As videos rack up views and channels gain followers, some platforms will offer monetization like Google’s AdSense, a revenue-sharing platform where ads are placed in a creator’s video. Several influencers said monetization or partnership programs gave them the confidence to make content creation a full-time job.

Ellie Heisler, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP’s Los Angeles office, said other revenue streams for influencers include brand deals, content creator funds, affiliate programs, teaching masterclasses and non-fungible tokens. The entertainment and intellectual property lawyer works with clients such as TikTok star Addison Rae, model and author Emily Ratajkowski and designer and television personality Tan France of the Netflix series “Queer Eye.”

“The revenue streams are kind of endless,” Heisler said. “As platforms evolve, there are more opportunities to monetize.”

Businesses and creators declined to share their compensation models with the Review-Journal but said it can include free experiences such as hotel stays and meals, free products or receiving an influencer fee, depending on the type of partnership.

From the guest perspective

Working with high-profile influencers can put a brand’s product in front of millions of people, especially an audience whose members might be unfamiliar with the brand. Just look at the Palms. It unveiled a $150,000-per-night “Epic Experience Suite Package” after partnering with YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast. His main channel has 112 million subscribers.

The three-suite hotel package was created after he contacted the Palms to include the resort in his “1$ vs $1,000,000 Hotel Room!” video, where he compares hotel stays and amenities at various properties.

In the video, Donaldson and his friends can be seen at the Palms touring the hotel’s two-story Damien Hirst-designed Empathy Suite Sky Villa, the 10,000-square-foot Hardwood Suite with an indoor basketball court and the Kingpin Suite, which features a two-lane bowling alley and is named after the infamous Farrelly brothers’ film.

Palms Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Johnson said working with content creators is a way to diversify how, where and how often the brand is seen.

“It’s a different experience that they can feel from the guest perspective that we can’t necessarily do from some of our more traditional marketing avenues,” Johnson said. “We have an opportunity to feature our property and the things that we offer in this unique way that adds to everything else that we’re doing from a marketing perspective.”

The key to successful partnerships for brands is ensuring content creators are authentic in their reviews and avoid coming off like a traditional paid ad. For that to work, some businesses such as Henderson-based CraftHaus Brewery are very selective when choosing to partner with influencers.

“I love marketing. I love media and advertising,” founder and co-owner Wyndee Forrest said. “I especially love to bring it all back to community. If somebody else wanted to help me with that instead of me shouting my same message on the same channel — I definitely (see) the value in partnering with certain personalities. But they have to be the right people.”

Meanwhile, content creators also take their partnerships seriously.

Maric said she has two sponsorship deals related to iGaming, despite fielding numerous other offers. She even quit her corporate job about 18 months ago to manage her brand partnerships, she said, because it’s important that her audience can trust her recommendations are sincere.

“It’s got to be something that I think not only do I like, but I think that the audience will like,” Maric said.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at [email protected] . Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.

Matt McMullen has been at it for decades. His most realistic creation yet is a supermodel-esque woman with blonde-brown hair who speaks with a mild Scottish accent.

More than half of the 120-acre tech park in the southwest valley is still undeveloped but a film studio and more are in the works.

The PopStroke opening at Town Square in Las Vegas this month will offer 18-hole putting courses, an ice cream station and multiple bars, including one on the courses.

Adult entertainment club Spearmint Rhino sued Peppermint Hippo for its “confusingly similar” name, court records show.

Another company has moved its operations California to the Las Vegas valley. Here’s why.

A Las Vegas real estate broker is currently beta testing an AI conversational avatar that speaks with potential homebuyers and learns from those interactions.

Las Vegas resident Captain Kate McCue has invested in the Las Vegas company that makes watches for women.

The Brewery Row concept was introduced as another way to make the Arts District area near Downtown Las Vegas stand out by offering many different beer options.

Nevada is getting more attention from business entities looking to establish or reincorporate in the state, including some controlled by billionaires.

Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint have 44 million YouTube fans between them. Now, they’ve opened an indoor theme park to bring the show to life for fans.

20 Questions With Lesley Keyter, Founder, The Travel Lady

Lesley Keyter describes herself as the face of travel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She founded her agency South Travel/The Travel Lady in 1995. Every week since 1997 she has been featured live on the Morning News of Global TV, Calgary’s primary morning TV show, and is frequently interviewed as a travel expert across many local and national media channels as well as being an invited lecturer at the University of Calgary. Widely known as “The Travel Lady”, she is recognized as the leading vacation expert in Southern Alberta. Born in England, Lesley grew up in South Africa. She travels often and has extensive knowledge of East and Southern Africa, Australia, and much more. She is an avid cruiser with deep knowledge of the most popular ocean and river cruise lines. Lesley is frequently invited to review new vacation destinations, resorts and cruise ships. Within this busy schedule she still finds time to be the president of an award-winning leisure travel company in Calgary. She is also a  member  of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality! In this spotlight, we asked her a series of questions about her work, travel, goals, leadership philosophies and more so you can get to know her better.

• What’s the best book you’ve read recently?    The final book of the “Seven Sisters” by Lucinda Riley. I have done a lot of plane travel the last couple of months and these books were a godsend.
• What do you love most about the industry?  Travel – talking about it, selling it, doing it. There is no doubt it is a sexy industry.
• What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you? I am actually quite shy and when I got the chance to appear live on television I really had to conquer that fear. People still don’t believe me.
• What’s the toughest part of being in charge?  When someone messes up I take it very personally as I always want my team to be the best. I know they want to be the best but we all make mistakes and when we have to talk about those mistakes I hate to see how this might deflate someone’s confidence.
• What’s the best way you motivate team members? Acknowledge their successes, share my failures (we are all just human), be there for them and be seen to be there for them.
• What woman inspires you right now and why?  Arlene Dickenson of Dragons Den. She comes from South Africa where I grew up.  She came to Canada with nothing and on her own without any network or influence rose to be a fantastic businesswoman.
• Where do you believe the future of the industry is headed?  More high touch. We have had our glory days of online booking. Even for simple packages people want to deal with a travel agent.
• What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?  The ability to communicate, the ability to laugh, and a deep curiosity about the world.
• What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year? I never want to retire. I don’t bake, I don’t sew. I love my job.
• What’s your favorite podcast?  “Crime Beat” by Nancy Hixt. Hixt was a reporter with Global News and gave me great hints for creating my own audio studio by using my closet. Since Covid I have done weekly “Closet Talks” which have continued long after covid.
• What values are most important to you as a leader?  Humility, honesty, and leading by example.
• What’s the most important thing people should know about you?  I very rarely lose my temper but when I do … stand back!!
• Do you prefer to work in the office, at home, or hybrid?  Definitely the office. We truly work together as a team.
• Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? It’s very hard to pick a place. My most recent trip was Edinburgh. I loved it. My favorite exotic location was India.
• What is a top item on your bucket list?  Antarctica.
• What do you do to recharge?  Work out at the gym.
• What is your biggest accomplishment?  Getting my bachelor’s degree with honors while I was pregnant with my youngest child.
• What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? Don’t take any crap. We have struggled to get here and we are here to stay.
• What gets you up in the morning?  A cup of hot expresso served to me in bed by my lovely husband 😊
• What do you like most about being a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?  Sharing and caring.

If you would like to become a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality member or need additional information about our organization, click  here .

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Flying Solo: 12 Women Who Made Travel History

By Betsy Blumenthal

Jeanne Baret

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Jeanne Baret wasn’t a shy flower. Born in France’s Loire Valley in 1740, she roamed the fields looking for herbs to serve as medicine—she had been taught to be an “herb woman” by her family. Another lucky discovery in the valley? A naturalist and nobleman named Philibert Commerson, who shared a passion for botany and collecting plants (ah, true love). He hired her as a teacher, assistant, and aide; colleagues soon became lovers, and in 1766, Commerson was invited on a French expedition to discover new worlds as the mission’s naturalist-in-residence. Not one to be left behind, Baret came on board as his assistant —but as Jean, not Jeanne. She wrapped her chest in linen every day; never relieved herself in front of the crew; and carried around pistols for her safety. Eventually she was outed—but by the time she returned to France in 1775, she had already cemented her legacy by becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. Biographers say she discovered a red flowering plant in Brazil, though it would be named after her ship captain, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. She finally got her due in 2012, when a few gracious biologists named a new species of plant —the fittingly colorful Solanum baretiae—for her.

Annie "Londonderry"

They said she couldn’t do it, but... If you happened to be living in Boston in 1894, you might have caught an odd sight one late June day: Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, a Latvian immigrant in her early 20s, swinging her leg over the frame of a 42-pound Columbia bicycle and preparing to make her maiden voyage around the world. Before an audience of 500 spectators, the young wife and mother of three set off on a journey through such far-flung locales as Marseilles, Jerusalem, Nagasaki, and Yemen. But why? According to one newspaper, it reportedly began with a bet “by two wealthy clubmen of Boston”: If Londonderry successfully circled the globe in 15 months, accruing proof of signature from various American consuls—and earning $5,000 (roughly $135,922 today)—along the way, she’d win $10,000. But, in the midst of the Women’s Suffrage movement, it was also an opportunity to quash Victorian assumptions that the ‘fairer sex’ lacked the physical and mental stamina for such a challenge—and the bike, a relatively new phenomenon that promised both physical and mental freedom for women, was just the way to do it. Londonderry completed her journey in Chicago on September 12, 1895—two whole weeks before the 15-month deadline—having made herself an international celebrity in the process. She also became an early pioneer of sports-related marketing, acting as a human billboard throughout her travels by sporting a slew of advertising slogans and placards for everything from perfume to milk. Even her name was a spot of savvy branding: ‘Londonderry’ was actually the result of a deal with her first sponsor, the Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company of Nashua, New Hampshire, which she’d struck the day she kicked her foot off the Boston pavement.

Raymonde de Laroche

They said she couldn’t do it, but... It was thanks to aviation pioneer Charles Voisin, who co-developed the 1907 pusher biplane, that Baroness Raymonde de Laroche first set her sights on flight: Over dinner in 1909, Voisin suggested the aspiring actress learn to fly an airplane herself. Born Elise Raymonde Deroche to a plumber and his wife ( Flight magazine had cheekily bestowed on her the title of “baroness,” which she then kept along with her adapted stage name), de Laroche soon began cutting her teeth at the French airfield at Camp de Châlons, about 90 miles east of Paris. Her wheels left the ground for the first time on October 22, 1909, and less than a year later, on March 8, 1910—now, fittingly, known as International Women’s Day—she became the first woman to receive a pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Whether she was winning the Coupe Femina (a women’s-only aviation competition) in 1913 for a successful flight of more than four hours; participating as the sole woman in the 1910 Reims Air Meet (the second year of the world’s first air race ); or setting the women’s altitude record in 1919 by ascending to 15,700 feet, de Laroche could always be found in her trademark flying attire —“a short skirt, long leather boots, a dark jersey, big leather gloves, a round cap and goggles.” Occasionally, de Laroche took her act around the world, performing for Czar Nicholas II of Russia, and competing in Budapest as crowds no doubt ogled her airborne exploits with wonder. De Laroche was killed at age 36 in July 1919, when the aircraft she was piloting went into a dive upon landing at a French airfield—and though a statue commemorates her at Paris—Le Bourget Airport in France, her legacy persists in the female pilots she’s inspired ever since.

Bessie Coleman

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Bessie Coleman persisted. Born to sharecropper parents in 1893, in Atlanta, Texas, she was raised by a mother who urged Coleman and her 12 siblings to strive for more. And strive, she did, walking several miles to attend school in a one-room shack, and saving up money working in cotton fields to attend college at the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University, now known as Langston Industrial College. The money dried up after just a year in school. She tried again a few years later, enrolling in beauty school in Chicago in 1915—but her lifelong admiration for the Wright brothers, compounded by the exciting stories of World World I pilots, would push her to quit. She wanted to fly. Yet despite her determination, both racial and gender bias kept her from enrolling in aviation school in the United States. She remained undeterred: Armed with the sage advice—and funding—of Chicago Defender owner Robert Abbott, who underwrote the cost of her trip with the money he made selling stories about her to his primarily black readership, she set her eyes on France. Coleman took French lessons at the Berlitz school in the Chicago loop, and decamped for Paris in 1920 at the age of 21, where she spent seven months learning to fly. She was awarded a pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale—the first African American woman, and woman of Native American descent to do so—on June 15, 1921, and returned to the United States where her race and sex still blocked her from finding gainful employment. Instead, she made her living performing such outrageous aerial stunts as barrel rolls and loop-de-loops—“barnstorming,” as it was called—in air shows, earning her the moniker “Queen Bess.” Coleman died on April 20, 1926 at the age of 34 while on a practice run for an upcoming performance—but not before making her mark on history.

Caitlin Morton

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Jessica Puckett

Amelia Earhart

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Arguably one of the most famous women—and undoubtedly the most famous female pilot—in history, Amelia Earhart’s achievements are now familiar territory. In May 1932, she became the first woman (and the second person ever, after Charles Lindbergh) to fly nonstop solo across the Atlantic Ocean, turning her into an overnight international sensation. And she didn’t just revel in her 15 minutes of fame: Later that year, she made the first solo, nonstop flight by a woman across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, setting both time and distance records for women, and in 1935, became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the continental United States. When she wasn’t tirelessly lobbying Congress for aviation legislation or writing about women’s issues for Cosmopolitan , Earhart somehow found time to design her own line of women’s clothing (which she initially produced with her own sewing machine) and a line of lightweight luggage for Orenstein Trunk, the proceeds of which she used to help fund her travels. But really, would we expect any less from the same woman who kept a scrapbook on women she admired, and bought her first airplane, a Kinner Airster, at the tender age of 25? Sadly, equal interest surrounds Earhart’s life and death: During an attempted circumnavigation of the globe in 1937 that required several long overwater journeys, Earhart and her companion went missing en route to Howland Island, a tiny drop in the Pacific Ocean where they were meant to refuel. Despite a massive search for the pair, no evidence of the disappearance was ever found, and they were declared lost at sea on July 19, 1937. An event that remains shrouded in mystery, for decades the prevailing theory was that her plane, having run out of fuel, crashed into the ocean; but since 1985, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery has been conducting research expeditions to solve the mystery, and in 1998, floated the theory that Earhart may have actually died a castaway .

Ellen Church

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Ellen Church had great ambitions—she was both a licensed pilot and a registered nurse—but none of this helped at a time when airlines weren’t keen on hiring female pilots (the numbers are still stubbornly out of whack ). So she did what most women have done at some point: she thought of a work-around. Church, then 26, approached officials at Boeing Air Transport (an early incarnation of United Airlines), and made the case for having women—nurses, specifically—up in the sky. Her argument? Women could ease passengers’ nerves and calm their fears (up to that point, most people had never been on an airplane ). Perhaps in a genius use of reverse psychology, she famously said , “Don’t you think that it would be good psychology to have women up in the air? How is a man going to say he is afraid to fly when a woman is working on the plane?” The airline relented and Church was hired as chief stewardess, along with seven other women, on a three-month trial basis in 1930, when four women made the inaugural trip from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the remaining four, from Cheyenne to Chicago. And despite the overtly sexist mandates on their appearance—candidates had to be under 25 years old, no taller than 5 feet 4 inches, under 120 pounds, and most importantly, “pretty”—Church and her colleagues became more than just armchair psychologists: They took over many of the copilots’ tasks, including schlepping luggage, cleaning plane cabins, and helping to fuel the plane. While flight attendants may no longer be charged with bolting down seats (though diffusing air rage takes some heavy lifting) they remain an essential part of air travel to this day.

Freya Stark

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Born in Paris in 1893, at the tail end of the Victorian era, Freya Stark led a singularly extraordinary life. Though she moved about England and Italy with her artist parents throughout her childhood, and never received a formal schooling, she was already a polyglot, fluent in French, German, and Italian, by the time she entered college. After working as a nurse during World War I, she returned to London to take courses at the School of Oriental Studies, and her unquenchable curiosity swept her to Lebanon in 1927—kicking off a life-long love affair with the then-mysterious Middle East. But it wasn’t until 1930 that Stark, by that point fluent in Persian (Farsi), would set out for Persia (modern-day Iran) with just a local guide and a mule, and come upon the fabled and remote Valley of the Assassins, making her the first Westerner to identify it on a map. According to Alexander Maitland, the authorized biographer of Middle East explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger (both a contemporary and a friend of Stark’s), Stark was “an immensely significant figure” and “one of the relatively rare women explorers” who had the “advantage over the men of being able to get very close terms with the women in Muslim societies,” in turn granting her a much more intimate understanding of the role of women. Stark continued on her travels, despite bouts of the measles and a history of heart trouble; and during World War II, was employed by the British Ministry of Information in Aden, Baghdad, Iraq, and Cairo, where she used her knowledge of the region and its people to counteract Nazi propaganda, meanwhile spearheading the anti-fascist Brotherhood of Freedom movement. Yet her greatest gift, perhaps, was the knowledge she left behind: A prodigious author, Stark wrote a whopping 24 travel books and autobiographies, along with eight volumes of letters, leaving a trail of fascinating information about her adventures in Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen—places which are now difficult to experience firsthand.

Valentina Tereshkova

They said she couldn’t do it, but... It was clear from early on that Valentina Tereshkova was destined for the skies. Born in 1937 in Bolshoye Maslennikovo, a small Russian village about 170 miles northeast of Moscow, she made her first parachute jump at just 22 with the help of a local aviation club. When she wasn’t working at a nearby textile factory, Tereshkova got her kicks skydiving, and it didn’t take her long to become a pro. Then considered a key skill for astronauts (who were ejected from their capsules upon reentry to the atmosphere, at around 20,000 feet), she was selected for the Soviet space program in 1962 during a time when the Soviet Union remained in a fierce space race with the U.S. (and desperately wanted to send a woman up first), and she was promptly added to the roster . Later that year, Tereshkova, along with three other women (two parachutists and one pilot), was cherry-picked to begin intensive cosmonaut (the Russian term for ‘astronaut’) training—but she was the only woman on board Vostok 6, (the second part of a dual-flight mission) when it was launched into space on June 16 of that year. She reentered the atmosphere on June 19, a little less than three days after her departure (48 orbits, to be precise), and entered history as the first woman in space.

Junko Tabei

They said she couldn’t do it, but... No mountain was too high for Junko Tabei. The pint-sized Japanese mountaineer—all of five feet tall, and weighing in at 92 pounds—became the first woman to scale Mount Everest in May 1975, and later, to ascend the Seven Summits (the highest on every continent). She was also the first woman to reach the highest peaks in more than 70 countries, including Aconcagua in Argentina, and Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Financing three years of training, plus the climb—all 29,029 feet of it—was no picnic. Tabei, then a mother of a young daughter, worked as an editor at a science magazine and taught English and piano lessons in her spare time, ultimately receiving a small amount of funding from the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper and Nippon Television to help fund her travels. She also faced the challenge of planning an all-women expedition (six sherpas, not included)—unthinkable when, “back in 1970s Japan, it was still widely considered that men were the ones to work outside and women would stay at home,” Tabei told the Japan Times in 2012. There were sharper snags still: During the ascent on Everest, an avalanche buried her team’s camp about 9,000 feet from the summit, briefly knocking Taibei unconscious . But she came to and finished the climb regardless—pretty badass for a woman who started a climbing club for women after college, and was told she should be “raising children instead.” Tabei learned she had cancer in 2012, but kept at climbing anyway, leading high schoolers up the 12,388-foot Mount Fuji each summer—she even managed to make it halfway up in 2016, the year of her death, at age 77.

Asnath Mahapa

They said she couldn’t do it, but... Asnath Mahapa always knew she wanted to fly. But growing up in post-apartheid South Africa, a country that was legally segregated until 1994 (and with a father who vehemently disapproved), it often seemed impossible. Mahapa dabbled in other pursuits, taking an electrical engineering course at the University of Cape Town, but it just didn’t stick. So she signed up for flight school at the Progress Flight Academy in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and by 1998 she had received her private pilot’s license qualification. Did we mention she was just 22 years old? She earned her commercial pilot’s license in 1999, officially becoming the first black female pilot in the country. In a 2016 interview with CNN , Mahapa recalled that she was, “[t]he only woman in my class the whole time. I had to work very, very hard. I had to probably work ten times harder than the men that I was with in the classroom.” To help pave the way for other aspiring female pilots, Mahapa (who now flies for South African Airways) founded the African College of Aviation in 2012, offering training programs in night-rated training, as well as qualifications for both private and commercial pilot licenses. Despite the challenges, Mahapa has no regrets: “Ask any pilot, they’ll tell you, our view from our office is the best in the world, so why would you get bored doing a job like that?”

They said she couldn’t do it, but... When a 12-year-old Kate McCue boarded a cruise ship with her parents for the first time in 1990, she wasn’t on the lookout for chocolate buffets and larger-than-life waterslides. In fact, she spent her time aboard envisioning what she might do as the ship’s social director—that is, until her father reportedly told her, “You can do anything you want, [...] including drive the thing.” Shoot to 25 years later, in 2015, and the 37-year-old San Francisco native was living out her childhood fantasies as the first American woman to take the helm of a mega-cruise ship. She now uses her office aboard the 965-foot-long Celebrity Summit, a whopper of a cruise ship with capacity for 2,158 passengers and roughly 1,000 crew members that sails to Bermuda, New England, Canada and the Southern Caribbean , to test the cutting-edge programming she’d always dreamed of. She may not be the first-ever woman to command a mega-cruise ship—that would be Karin Stahre-Janson of Sweden, who was hired by Royal Caribbean in 2007—but there aren’t many American captains in the cruise industry at all, endowing the accomplishment with special significance. It’s little wonder McCue was the first to break the mold: In a 2016 interview with Traveler , the energetic captain said that, “I don’t like the stereotypes, but I love smashing them. People expect me to be a Goliath of a person. I love to show that you don't have to squeeze into a mold to meet people’s expectations.”

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How an Early Female Travel Writer Became an Immunization Pioneer

By valerie debenedette | may 14, 2019, 7:00 am edt.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was a British aristocrat, feminist, and writer who was famed for her letters. If that were all she did, she would be a slightly obscure example of a travel writer and early feminist. But she was also an important public health advocate who is largely responsible for the adoption of inoculation against smallpox—one of the earliest forms of immunization—in England.

Smallpox was a scourge right up until the mid-20th century. Caused by two strains of Variola virus, the disease had a mortality rate of up to 35 percent. If you lived, you were left with unsightly scars, and possible complications such as severe arthritis and blindness.

Lady Montagu knew smallpox well: Her brother died of it at the age of 20, and in late 1715, she contracted the disease herself. She survived, but her looks did not; she lost her eyelashes and was left with deeply pitted skin on her face.

When Lady Montagu’s husband, Edward Wortley Montagu, was appointed ambassador to Turkey the year after her illness, she accompanied him and took up residence in Constantinople (now Istanbul). The lively letters she wrote home described the world of the Middle East to her English friends and served for many as an introduction to Muslim society.

One of the many things Lady Montagu wrote home about was the practice of variolation, a type of inoculation practiced in Asia and Africa likely starting around the 15th or 16th century . In variolation, a small bit of a pustule from someone with a mild case of smallpox is placed into one or more cuts on someone who has not had the disease. A week or so later, the person comes down with a mild case of smallpox and is immune to the disease ever after.

Lady Montagu described the process in a 1717 letter :

"There is a set of old women, who make it their business to perform the operation, every autumn, in the month of September, when the great heat is abated. People send to one another to know if any of their family has a mind to have the small-pox: they make parties for this purpose, and when they are met (commonly fifteen or sixteen together) the old woman comes with a nuts-hell full of the matter of the best sort of small-pox, and asks what veins you please to have opened. She immediately rips open that you offer to her with a large needle (which gives you no more pain than a common scratch), and puts into the vein as much matter as can lye upon the head of her needle, and after that binds up the little wound with a hollow bit of shell; and in this manner opens four or five veins. . . . The children or young patients play together all the rest of the day, and are in perfect health to the eighth. Then the fever begins to seize them, and they keep their beds two days, very seldom three. They have very rarely above twenty or thirty in their faces, which never mark; and in eight days' time they are as well as before their illness."

So impressed was Lady Montagu by the effectiveness of variolation that she had a Scottish doctor who worked at the embassy, Charles Maitland, variolate her 5-year-old son in 1718 with the help of a local woman. She returned to England later that same year. In 1721, a smallpox epidemic hit London, and Montagu had Maitland (who by then had also returned to England) variolate her 4-year-old daughter in the presence of several prominent doctors. Maitland later ran an early version of a clinical trial of the procedure on six condemned inmates in Newgate Prison, who were promised their freedom if they took part in the experiment. All six lived, and those later exposed to smallpox were immune. Maitland then repeated the experiment on a group of orphaned children with the same results.

But the idea of purposely giving someone a disease was not an easy sell, especially since about 2 or 3 percent of people who were variolated still died of smallpox (either because the procedure didn’t work, or because they caught a different strain than the one they had been variolated with). In addition, variolated people could also spread the disease while they were infectious. Lady Montagu also faced criticism because the procedure was seen as “ Oriental ,” and because of her gender.

But from the start, Lady Montagu knew that getting variolation accepted would be an uphill battle. In the same letter as her first description of the practice, she wrote:

"I am patriot enough to take pains to bring this useful invention into fashion in England; and I should not fail to write to some of our doctors very particularly about it, if I knew any one of them that I thought had virtue enough to destroy such a considerable branch of their revenue for the good of mankind. But that distemper is too beneficial to them, not to expose to all their resentment the hardy wight that should undertake to put an end to it. Perhaps, if I live to return, I may, however, have courage to war with them."

As promised, Lady Montagu promoted variolation enthusiastically, encouraging the parents in her circle, visiting convalescing patients, and publishing an account of the practice in a London newspaper. Through her influence, many people, including members of the royal family, were inoculated against smallpox, starting with two daughters of the Princess of Wales in 1722 . Without her advocacy, scholars say, variolation might never have caught on and smallpox would have been an even greater menace than it was. The famed poet Alexander Pope said that for her, immortality would be "a due reward" for "an action which all posterity may feel the advantage of," namely the "world’s being freed from the future terrors of the small-pox."

Variolation was performed in England for another 70 years, until Edward Jenner introduced vaccination using cowpox in 1796. Vaccination was instrumental in finally stopping smallpox: In 1980, it became the first (and so far, only) human disease to be completely eradicated worldwide.

This article was republished in 2019.

Who Is The Actress In Choice Hotels' Where Travels Come True Commercial?

If you've recently been pursuing vacation destinations, booking hotels, or simply purusing YouTube on a whim, chances are you've come across Choice Hotels' latest commercial, "Where Travels Come True." This short advertisement shows a couple struggling to make sense of the immense number of hotel options online, only to be visited by the Fairy Hotelmother — who helps them find Choice Hotels' website and whisks them away to their dream destination.

If the Fairy Hotelmother looks familiar to you, that's because the renowned actor and musician Zooey Deschanel plays her. These days, Deschanel is perhaps most well known for her role as Jessica Day in the Fox sitcom "New Girl ." However, her prolific acting career stretches across a wide variety of film and television projects dating back to the late '90s. Outside of acting, Deschanel is also part of the musical duo "She & Him," which has thus far released seven albums — their most recent being "Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson."

Zooey Deschanel has been acting for over 20 years

Indeed, Choice Hotels could hardly have picked a more prominent name for their newest ad campaign, as Zooey Deschanel has been a staple of film and television for well over two decades. As an actor she has appeared in beloved films like "Almost Famous," "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "(500) Days of Summer," "Bridge to Terabithia," and of course the iconic Christmas classic "Elf" — in which she plays Buddy the Elf's (Will Ferrell) love interest, Jovie.

Deschanel has also frequently worked as a voice actor, working on shows like "American Dad!" and "Family Guy," and providing the voice of Bridget throughout the highly popular "Trolls" franchise. Although Deschanel has a vast number of characters and performances under her belt, it's safe to say that she is still most well known as the lead of Fox's "New Girl" — something which certainly works in the commercial's favor, given her character's eccentric personality.

Despite the magic wand and the fairy outfit (or perhaps even because of them, given Jessica Day's numerous quirks) it'll be hard for fans of "New Girl" not to see and hear Jess in Choice Hotels' new, slightly offbeat, commercial.

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Lady Gaga's dad 'attacked' outside church as 'chaos' erupts in NYC

A fter watching local crime and thefts surge with his own eyes in recent years, one beloved New York City restaurateur has now allegedly experienced it himself.

"I just got attacked outside of my church… I was attacked," Joanne Trattoria, owner and father of Grammy award-winning artist Lady Gaga, Joe Germanotta, told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday.

"It was 7:30 in the morning, and I don't know whether he's homeless, he was a little disturbed," Germanotta detailed. "First, he pushed the pastor of the church. We were standing out in front, and then he came down the stairs coming after me."

The business owner and dad added: "I can't tell you what I did to him."

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS REVEAL ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ IMPACT TO THEIR BOTTOM LINES

Germanotta has served as an outspoken voice on the post-COVID rise in crime New York City saw in the wake of George Floyd protests, police defunding calls and continuing waves of unhoused illegal immigrants.

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While The Wall Street Journal, this January, credited Mayor Eric Adams with lowering crime rates from 2022 to 2023 with law enforcement reform programs, Germanotta claimed the city still feels "unsafe."

"What's been so unsafe is a lot of people running around, just hanging out on corners, loitering," the restaurateur said.

"There's probably enough scooters and bicycles on the sidewalk to expand your delivery zone to Connecticut. They're everywhere, and they're buzzing around. You have to look both ways when you're walking down the street, because most of the time they're riding in both directions," Germanotta expanded. "The city's become unsafe in a couple of different ways, not just crime. Now there's chaos."

However, for small business owners like himself, it’s not just crime and chaos keeping a third of his regular customers away, but also sticky inflationary pressures .

"I can tell you this, where we're getting hurt most is the economy," Germanotta said. "The customers that used to come in once a week, they come in once every three weeks… And you know who gets hurt? Not so much the restaurant or their payroll, but the workers and the salespeople."

"Business was booming four years ago. I was going to have the best year ever," he continued. "And it's been a steady decline since this new administration and the mayor and the crime and the newcomers. And just every time you turn around, there’s a 'gotcha' there."

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

Original article source: Lady Gaga's dad 'attacked' outside church as 'chaos' erupts in NYC

Virgin Voyages' new ship Brilliant Lady will sail from this major US city in 2025

Virgin Voyages’ new ship is on its way.

The adults-only cruise line announced its fourth vessel, Brilliant Lady, will begin sailing in September 2025 from New York.

“The world has been waiting for us to announce Brilliant Lady’s debut, and she’s almost here,” the line’s CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu said in a news release. “At Virgin Voyages, we’re constantly innovating and looking for opportunities to provide even better value for our Sailors with greater choice. Virgin fans have been asking for years if we’d consider sailing from places like New York, Los Angeles or Alaska, so it's wonderful to give our Sailors and First Mates what they wanted: fresh itineraries spanning North America from 5-14 nights in length with new experiences that they will remember forever.”

Brilliant Lady was previously set to start service in the Caribbean late last year, but the line delayed its launch due to “unexpected construction, supply chain and staffing challenges that have delayed the introduction,” the line said in September.

The ship will launch from New York instead and spend its inaugural season on a North American tour, sailing from the Big Apple, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle, completing a Panama Canal crossing in the process. While similar to Virgin’s previous vessels, the ship will have an adapted frame and is crafted for transiting the canal and navigating waters like those in Alaska.

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Travelers can submit deposits for priority booking on Alaska voyages beginning May 8. “Sailors previously slated to sail on Brilliant Lady will be given priority access to book a MerMaiden voyage,” the line added in the release. 

Virgin will also offer a multi-cruise Brilliant 4 You Pass, following the launch of season passes on its Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady ships earlier this year.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

You asked: Do I need a passport for my cruise?

By The Way Concierge digs into the (surprisingly) complicated rules for travel by sea.

Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here .

We’re going on a very short cruise from California to Mexico this spring. Do we need passports for our kids, even if we don’t get off the ship? — Ben, Springfield, Va.

There’s a difference between what you need and what is a good idea to have.

Let’s begin with the first: On most cruise lines and for most itineraries, a voyage that starts and ends at the same U.S. port and stays in the Western Hemisphere will not require any American citizen — child or adult — to have a passport.

These are called closed-loop cruises, and they only need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate plus a government-issued photo ID, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection . For people under 16, a birth certificate will suffice. Popular cruise lines including Carnival , Royal Caribbean and Norwegian detail their requirements and any exceptions online.

A sailing that leaves from one U.S. port and ends at another — or starts in the United States and ends at a foreign destination — would not be classified as a closed-loop cruise. Everyone, including kids, would need a passport in that case.

There are some caveats, warns Teresa Tennant, senior vice president of the travel planning company Cruise Specialists . Some cruise companies, including Holland America Line and Princess Cruises , say that all members of a party must have a passport if minors are traveling with only one adult.

Some other cruise lines, such as the luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises, require a passport for all sailings.

“It’s important to always check with the cruise line, because they can set their own rules that are actually above and beyond,” Tennant said.

Customs and Border Protection also urges travelers to check with their cruise company, travel agent and destination to confirm what’s required to enter foreign countries on an itinerary.

Whether or not you are required to have a passport, cruise lines and experts say it’s smart to have one before setting sail. The task isn’t quite as onerous as it used to be, now that wait times have returned to pre-pandemic norms of six to eight weeks for routine service and two to three weeks for the expedited process.

Cruise lines say they strongly recommend that passengers opt for the passport over other forms of identification.

“A passport is the hassle-free, gold standard for traveling between countries,” Royal Caribbean says on its website. “Boarding and disembarking through customs with a passport is usually faster than other types of ID documents.”

The U.S. State Department says travelers might need their passport “in the event of an unexpected medical evacuation or if the ship docks at an alternate port.” Travelers would also need their passports if they showed up late in a foreign port and the ship left without them — which has happened to some U.S. passengers recently.

“You should bring your passport even if your cruise says you won’t need it,” the State Department says on its information page for cruise ship passengers.

Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the news and review site Cruise Critic , said in an email that it would be much more difficult to get home without a passport if someone had to leave the ship.

“In such a case, you might have to rely on help from a U.S. embassy or consulate to return, which can take time,” she said.

Have a travel dilemma for By The Way Concierge? Send it to us here .

More travel tips

Vacation planning: Start with a strategy to maximize days off by taking PTO around holidays. Experts recommend taking multiple short trips for peak happiness . Want to take an ambitious trip? Here are 12 destinations to try this year — without crowds.

Cheap flights: Follow our best advice for scoring low airfare , including setting flight price alerts and subscribing to deal newsletters. If you’re set on an expensive getaway, here’s a plan to save up without straining your credit limit.

Airport chaos: We’ve got advice for every scenario , from canceled flights to lost luggage . Stuck at the rental car counter? These tips can speed up the process. And following these 52 rules of flying should make the experience better for everyone.

Expert advice: Our By The Way Concierge solves readers’ dilemmas , including whether it’s okay to ditch a partner at security, or what happens if you get caught flying with weed . Submit your question here . Or you could look to the gurus: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves .

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Hawaii's famous black sand beach could become a resort area

A proposed development that would transform one of Hawaii’s most famous black sand beaches into a new resort area — including condos, tennis courts, and a conference center — is facing backlash from the Native Hawaiian community.

Punaluu Black Sand Beach, one of about 20 black sand beaches in the world, is located along the southeastern coast of Hawaii Island in the Kau district. On any given day, tourists swarm the beach , parking illegally along the road. It’s one of the few places in the world where endangered hawksbill sea turtles, who are extremely sensitive to light and noise pollution, nest. 

Named Punaluu Village, the planned mixed-use development spearheaded by Black Sand Beach LLC, was formed from the acquisition of the 434 acres by Eva Liu, hailing from California, in 2020. The project defines itself as a “low-density 225-unit project” – downsized from its original plan of 2,900 accommodation units due to community feedback.

The new development aims to be “a learning and living space for the community,” according to Black Sand Beach LLC. 

Black Sand Beach LLC told USA TODAY it has invested over $1 million in restoring the land, such as removing rubbish, vegetation growth, and existing infrastructure left over from the initial development project in the late 1960s. The project was passed from developer to developer until 2006 when it was ownerless and fell into “terrible shape of disrepair,” the company said. 

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“Disturbed by the lack of local initiatives to revive the area, Eva felt an undeniable duty to intervene,” Black Sand Beach LLC said. 

For some Native Hawaiians who have lived in Kau for as long as they can trace their genealogy, the new development threatens the sacredness of Punaluu. “Our lahui (group) from Punaluu have been the stewards of this place,” said Maxx Phillips, Hawaii director and staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a legal intervention in March opposing the development from receiving its permits.

Along with the restoration of some pre-existing facilities – such as a condominium, restaurant, golf course, tennis courts, a boat ramp and education center – the developer plans to build a wellness center, a two-and-a-half-story condominium, more commercial shops, a marketplace, a conference center with cabin retreats and parking facilities.  

Over 100 community members shared their testimony at a public hearing on March 7. A special hearing is set for Monday. 

“When you threaten to destroy the landscape, it’s like a threat to the family because our land is our ohana (family),” said Nohealani Kaawa, whose family has lived in Kau for many generations. The people of Kau are deeply connected to the land – certain places named in Kau and moolelo (stories) are named after the families. 

It’s also a literal connection – many of their ancestors are buried where the golf course was first built. 

“On a personal level, for me, our ancestors are buried there at Punaluu,” Kaawa said. “No matter where they build in their development plan, they’re going to uproot the bones of our ancestors and that’s the biggest disrespect you can do for the kanaka maoli of Hawaii (Native Hawaiian people) is to expose their iwi kupuna (ancestral remains) to the sun. That kind of disrespect is as real as being physically assaulted or having someone spit directly into your face.”

Along with cultural concerns, the community has stated environmental concerns and that the analysis Black Sand Beach LLC is using for its development plans is decades-old and outdated, not accounting for issues like overtourism. 

The development would impact the nesting of hawksbill sea turtles, Phillips said, and the area is already suffering from a failing wastewater system that leaks into the ocean and has yet to be repaired. “They haven’t even met the kuleana (responsibility) that they already have,” Phillips said.

Black Sand Beach LLC said its development is the “smallest footprint necessary” to bring money into the local economy and “care for these lands in a responsible manner.” The corporation said the development will be built at least a fifth of a mile away from the shoreline as well as move all commercial activity and parking off the beach to protect the turtles. Plans also include restoring the native fishing ponds and native vegetation. 

The community is torn over the new development. Some residents are in support of the development, stating it will help create “much-needed” jobs and “rejuvenate” Kau.

“It’s been really sad to watch,” said Kaawa. “It’s not just the community they’re dividing, it’s families.”  

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Ask Skift: How Is Climate Change Impacting Travel?

Rashaad Jorden , Skift

May 3rd, 2024 at 9:55 AM EDT

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues in travel, and here's a brief look at how it's impacting the industry.

Rashaad Jorden

Soaring temperatures are poised to make traveling around the world more challenging . But is climate change already impacting travel? And how is the industry responding?

We put the question to Ask Skift, our artificial intelligence chatbot. Ask Skift used information appearing in our past news coverage and we did additional reporting.

What Ask Skift Said About Climate Change and Travel:

Climate change is having a substantial impact on the travel industry. Here are some key points:

Traveler Perceptions: A significant portion of travelers believe that the damage from climate change has already occurred. According to an article from Skift published in April 2024, 33% of travelers thought that their individual travel choices wouldn’t substantially affect climate change . In the same survey, 44% of respondents believed that governments would make the most difference in combating climate change, while 43% thought it would be travel companies.

Influence on Travel Preferences: Climate change is also influencing travel preferences, with an increasing focus on sustainability. For instance, a report highlighted that 97% of Indian travelers expressed their intention to travel more sustainably in the future .

Changing Travel Patterns: Extreme weather events, which are becoming more common due to climate change, are altering travel patterns. Some travelers are now considering extreme weather events when planning trips .

Impact on Travel Businesses: Climate change is directly impacting travel businesses as they have to manage emergency incidents caused by climate-related events like fires or floods. Moreover, there is an increasing demand from customers for more sustainable travel choices .

Therefore, while climate change presents significant challenges to the travel industry, it also offers opportunities for businesses to innovate and provide more sustainable options for travelers.

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry

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What else you need to know:

Which countries will have fewer “outdoor days”? Climate change could impact the number of days travelers are able to spend outdoors around the world. A 2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found that by the end of the century, destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico and India are expected to experience a sharp reduction in “outdoor days” — defined as 24-hour windows in which temperatures are pleasant enough for most people to enjoy outdoor activities.

The Dominican Republic is projected to have 124 fewer outdoor days, the biggest drop of all the destinations researched.

“Last-chance tourism”: The ongoing crisis is driving more travelers to visit certain destinations before they disappear, a trend that’s become known as “last-chance tourism.” The New York Times reported in March 2024 that some natural wonders — such as coral reefs, glaciers, archipelagos — threatened by climate change were experiencing a tourism boom.

Authorities in Chamonix, France, believe a new gondola will make it easier to visit the Mer de Glace, a melting glacier that roughly 80,000 people ski down annually easier. Local researchers have found that exposure to the fragile glacier could inspire people to live greener. A 2020 survey of summer visitors to the Mer de Glace revealed 80% said they would try to learn more about how to protect the environment.

However, some officials argue that increased visitor numbers are contributing to the destruction of fragile ecosystems .

Helping preserve the Great Barrier Reef: The ongoing threat poised by climate change is driving some travelers to work to preserve the Great Barrier Reef. Skift reported last month that tour operator Reef Magic offers visitors the opportunity to help replant corals. In addition, Passions of Paradise, another tour operator, runs science tours in which tourists can help monitor coral health and nurseries.

Airlines tracking contrails: The aviation industry is looking for ways to reduce the impact it has on climate change. Outside of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel use, contrails, which are condensation trail planes leave in their wave, are increasing aviation’s total share of global CO2 emissions to 3.5% from 2.5%, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

So airlines are trying to reduce contrails. For example, American Airlines has flown 70 flights this year on which the pilots were armed with contrail forecasts . However, some scientists are concerned that efforts to change aviation design to reduce CO2 emissions could actually create more contrails.

American, Delta Air Lines and other carriers are teaming up with researchers at MIT and Google to find ways to operate flights that don’t create contrails, including flying at abnormal altitudes. A Boeing 737 that flew from Belize to Dallas earlier this year leveled out at 32,000 feet — below the typical altitude — before ascending to a higher-than-usual 38,000 feet. Those changes enabled the aircraft to avoid leaving contrails.

Climate change could also cause more flight disruptions in the years to come as high temperatures can slow flight operations.

“Really high heat can cause delays because a plane in high temperatures needs more time and more distance to take off to fight gravity,” said Wired magazine reporter Amanda Hoover.

Tourist taxes to fight climate change: Finally, a growing number of destinations are introducing new taxes to help mitigate the impact of climate change. Greece is now charging visitors a “ climate crisis resilience fee ” while Iceland has reinstated the tax tourists pay for hotels and other types of accommodation. Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir  said revenue from the tax would help fight climate change.

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The 15 Best Wrinkle-free Pants, Shorts, and Skirts to Pack for Your Next Trip, According to a Travel Writer

They work for any trip,

Travel + Leisure / Reese Herrington

No matter where you’re headed on your travels, there’s one thing that’s a surefire annoyance once you reach the destination: a suitcase full of wrinkled clothing. Seriously, no one wants to spend the precious moments of an itinerary breaking out the hotel ironing board to erase the creases in their shirts. That’s why, as an avid jet-setter and proud carry-on-only traveler , I’m incredibly particular and strategic about what pieces that I decide to pack — and that includes opting for wrinkle-free pants, skirts, and shorts (I mean, I already loathe ironing at home, so there’s no way I’m about to do it on a trip). 

Below, I’ve rounded up 15 of the best wrinkle-free travel bottoms that are great staples for any trip destination — including a classic Madewell denim piece , ultra-comfy Vuori pants (I'm a big fan of the brand ), and some of the best options at Amazon for sleek trousers , maxi skirts , and more. Each piece is not only functional, but also versatile so as to not waste precious luggage space. Trust me, if you pack any of these items, you’ll be sure to spend less time ironing and more time enjoying your vacay. 

Tronjori Women's High-waist Casual Wide-leg Palazzo Pants

There’s no denying that I’m a big fan of chic trousers for any occasion — but especially for travel. These wide-leg pants drape nicely, and work for a dressed up or dressed down scenario. They have over 12,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with customers sharing that they’re lightweight, comfortable, and easy to wear. Plus, countless reviews confirm that they’re wrinkle-resistant and great for travel .

Modegal Women's Satin High-waist Midi Skirt

I love including a silk skirt in any warm weather capsule wardrobe; it adds an elegant touch to your favorite outfits while being extremely versatile — and they take up virtually no space in your luggage. However, in my experience, a lot of options out there look like a crumpled paper bag by the time that they come out of my suitcase. This skirt, however, seems to be the answer to my never-ending quest. 

As one Amazon reviewer wrote : “This is a great product to have if you travel a lot. You can dress it up or dress it down, and it does not wrinkle.” Other reviewers confirm that it doesn’t wrinkle when you roll it up in your luggage, and it makes for a great travel companion. With 27 gorgeous colors to choose from, it's bound to suit your travel style.

Libin Women's Cargo Joggers

These joggers have a whopping 10,000-plus five-star reviews on Amazon, and for good reason. “I love these pants. They are so comfortable and lightweight. They wash well, are great for travel, and they never wrinkle,” one customer wrote , calling them a “great buy.” In fact, hundreds of reviews say that these joggers are ideal for long-haul flights and outdoor adventures , alike. The lightweight, UPF 50+ fabric will keep you cool and safe from the sun, and ensure that the pants take up little to no space in your luggage. 

Amazon Essentials Women's Mid-rise Shorts

Finding a pair of staple travel shorts can be a true challenge. But with nearly 4,000 five-star reviews to back them up, this mid-rise option from Amazon Essentials should do the trick. They feature a classic straight fit and a tailored look. They’re made with a breathable cotton fabric — and before you raise an eyebrow at the wrinkle-potential, check out this rave review from a pleased traveler: “They washed well, I rolled them up into my bag and when I got to the hotel, I didn't need to smooth any wrinkles out.“ 

Eddie Bauer Women's Departure Ankle Pants

I’m all for outdoor-ready pants that also function as cute travel bottoms. These Eddie Bauer ankle pants are made with a moisture-wicking, UPF 50+ material, and they’re a favorite amongst shoppers. One Amazon customer said : “These are great pants for travel. [They’re] wrinkle-free, thin, and you can dress them up or wear super casual.” Plus, they come in seven different earthy colors — what more could you ask for?

Madewell Women's The Rilee Denim Midi Skirt

I love packing at least one skirt in my carry-on, just to have a bit of outfit variety. Reminiscent of the classic ‘90s style, this long denim Madewell skirt is an absolute dream since it pairs great with a simple T-shirt or tank for a breezy day of sightseeing. Alternatively, you could elevate the look with a white button-up and heeled sandals. One reviewer wrote that the denim “isn’t too heavy, which will make it very comfortable transitioning into the summer” — this also means that it will pack nicely into a suitcase without taking up too much space. And, of course, since it’s denim, you don’t need to stress about wrinkles. 

Madewell Women's Harlow Wide-Leg Pants

These wide-leg trousers from Madewell are a T+L favorite. In a recent review , one Travel + Leisure writer said that she wore these pants from a plane ride straight to dinner, and they were super comfortable for the entire journey. “I was pleasantly surprised that the pants were barely wrinkled,” she wrote. “I practically rolled off the flight and straight to the restaurant. If it weren’t for the luggage in tow, I’m almost certain no one would have guessed that I came straight from LaGuardia.” The popular pants are also available as shorts , which are perfect for spring and summer travel. 

Everlane Women's The Dream Maxi Skirt

The name of this skirt says it all: the versatile design, stretchy yet substantial fabric, and just-right length make this piece an absolute must-have for your travel wardrobe. One reviewer summed it up beautifully, writing, “The length is very easy when traveling as there’s no worry about wrinkles or constantly pulling the skirt down. I wear mine with a tee and sandals now but, this fall might bring more options. I plan to purchase the black skirt as well, as the tan has been great.” 

Everlane Women's The Easy Pants

The Easy Pants from Everlane are a fantastic packing staple. They're made with a lightweight, breathable cotton twill fabric that's perfect for warmer climates. Plus, the elastic waistband and pockets galore make it highly functional during any trip. One reviewer wrote: “We just spent 10 days traveling with just carry-ons and these were the perfect pants to bring. They're super versatile and packed well; I will probably buy it in another color.” Although they're made with cotton, these pants stay wrinkle-free. 

Aritzia Women's Effortless Pants

These pants have become one of my go-to travel wears. As the name suggests, they're truly effortless to wear (and you feel effortlessly chic whenever you slip them on). They are a breeze to dress up or dress down — I like to pair mine with a T-shirt and sneakers, or a nice blouse and heels — making them a fabulous travel staple. Best of all, the drapey crepe material of these pants never seems to wrinkle. I’ve packed these pants for over 10 trips at this point, and they always emerge from my suitcase looking flawless. I currently own them in black, but I plan to add one of the 15 other colors to my collection very soon.

Vuori Women's Volley Skirt

Speaking of skirts, you can’t go wrong with this sleek option from Vuori if you’re in the market for something a little sportier. Complete with built-in shorts and moisture-wicking material, this skirt is great for any outdoor sport — but it’s also much more versatile than that. “It’s great for wearing casually, for travel, and yes for tennis/other activities as the advertisements suggest,” said one reviewer. The fabric of the skirt is peachy-soft to the touch, and you’ll never need to worry about wrinkles.

Vuori Women's Daily Wide-leg Pants

I’ve raved about the Vuori Daily Leggings time and time again — and now the brand makes a wide-leg version. These pants feature the same buttery soft, breathable fabric, but with a flared silhouette for extra pizzazz. This cut is perfect for plane travel, walking around a new city, or even working out on your trip. Not to mention, there won’t be a wrinkle in sight when you pull them out of your carry-on.

Lululemon Men's ABC Classic-Fit 5 Pocket Pants Warpstreme

Lululemon may be primarily known for their women’s leggings — but don’t sleep on the brand's men’s activewear selection, particularly when it comes to pants. I think this may be one of its best categories, though it’s still a bit of a hidden gem. Take the ABC Classic Fit Pants, for instance. They feature the brand’s signature four-way stretch and wrinkle-resistant fabric, which holds its shape and feels comfortable for many hours of wear. Plus, there are so many ways to personalize them to suit any preference — including five choices for length, three additional fabric options, and 11 different colors. And it probably goes without saying, but they look super sharp, whether you’re hopping on a plane or headed to dinner. 

Vuori Men’s Pebble Shorts

Featuring a recycled material made from plastic bottles, these lightweight shorts are a true standout. They’re quick-drying, which makes them perfect for outdoor activities, warm-weather sightseeing, or sprinting through an airport terminal when needed. While these shorts are suitable for active adventures, they’re also tailored and look put together enough for a more elevated outing. With nearly unanimous five-star ratings, customers love wearing these wrinkle-resistant shorts for travel and everyday life. 

Vuori Men’s Cascade Tech Chino Pants

Whether you’re headed to a golf game or hopping on a plane, these chinos are ready to perform. They’re made with the brand's performance stretch fabric, which is also water-resistant (a.k.a. great for any surprise weather) and ultra breathable. One satisfied customer specifically called out the fabric, noting that it “drapes well when wearing it, does not wrinkle, dries quickly.” They also added, “You can come off a long flight and not look like it.”

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Advisory: First Lady Jill Biden to Travel to New York

**All times are local and subject to change.**

On Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 1:30 PM , as a part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, First Lady Jill Biden will travel to New York, New York, where she will deliver remarks at the 2024 New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Women's Health Summit to spotlight the importance of women's health research and private and public sector efforts to accelerate progress on women's health. This event will be open to pre-credentialed media with limited capacity. For interested media, please contact [ email redacted by the APP ].

Jill Biden, Advisory: First Lady Jill Biden to Travel to New York Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/371473

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Why Ladylike Jewelry is Making a Comeback

Feud: Capote vs. the Swans has something to do with. But for some, demure classics like the button earring never went away.

The pendulum—or should we say triple strand of pearls—has swung in the other direction. Legacy pieces from historic brands (talk to me, Harry Winston) are what we want now. One of those Tiffany & Co. crosses, perhaps, or a Verdura black-and-white cuff.

The desire, in other words, is for ladylike jewelry that is clean and sleek and has enduring value, the kind that’s as good as (sometimes better than!) money in the bank. What’s driving this interest? It’s not the latest TikTok aesthetic. Far from it. Fashion may have something to do with it. The slender sheaths on Prada’s 2024 fall runway are crying out for a massive bubble-shaped cocktail ring; those sleek shifts at Michael Kors’s show clearly crave a Schlumberger Bird on a Rock.

As it turns out, a subtly chic ensemble in ­double-face cashmere provides the perfect backdrop for these singular baubles. Then again, there is really no reason your everyday outfit would not benefit from an extravagant jewel. In fact, at the Cartier presentation in Paris in January, a spectacular piece was pinned to the waistband of a pair of blue jeans, and it looked perfectly happy to be there. Maybe our collective obsession with Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans has something to do with it.

“As a group they had a very simple elegance—no frills, no excess. Very confident, very precise,” says Lou Eyrich, the show’s costume designer, of those midcentury denizens of La Côte Basque. But, she adds, in light of their sartorial restraint, “the power of a single piece of jewelry can elevate a whole outfit. The jewelry had a bold confidence.”

We may never reach the impeccable heights of those legendary women, who spent all day, every day, literally keeping up appearances. Then again, we can have more fun. On a good day you could even take a second look at the brooch (an item that jewelers have been trying to revive for the last half century, with varying results).

The jewelry historian Marion Fasel credits men with the return of the pin, and it is true that a hot dude striding the red carpet with diamonds on his lapel has done much to resuscitate this beleaguered item. This is also the rare jewel that can introduce a bit of whimsy—like a JAR zebra—into an otherwise prim and proper getup. Even uber-Swan Babe Paley punctuated an austere frock with a Jean Schlumberger starfish.

Or you could eschew the faintly wacky brooch in favor of that demure classic, the button earring. Dara Allen, a model, stylist, and fashion editor, confesses that she has a big collection of these and wears them pretty much every day.

“They just work for me. They’re simple and not too fussy,” Allen says. “They lift your face up.” Allen’s muses include not just those infernal Swans but icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Onassis, and even someone who isn’t, strictly speaking, real.

This character, usually seen rocking an Alice-blue ballgown, with a headband holding back her impeccable blond hair and always a pair of button earrings lighting up her exquisite face, has long been an inspiration. “Since I was very young,” Allen says, “I have loved Cinderella!”

Lynn Yaeger writes about fashion and design and contributes regularly to The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vogue.

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