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April 14, 2025 | View Online |
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So, I’ve recently been getting into golf and am planning to take some lessons—and I’m starting to get why people leave their families at home for hours at a time. It’s quiet, strangely therapeutic, and there’s usually a cart involved. Honestly, if airports had putting greens on top of a nice lounge, I’d never come home.
In today’s edition:
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No visa, no Caipirinha—Brazil reintroduces entry requirement
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Hilton just dropped more points-based luxury hotels
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Airline messed up on your flight? This tool gets you paid
Getting into the swing of things,
Kaylen
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| TRAVEL |
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US Tourists, Don’t Forget Your Visa for Brazil
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Before you start practicing your samba and packing your tiniest swimsuit, heads up: Brazil is bringing back visa requirements for travelers from the US, Canada, and Australia. That means the six-year streak of visa-free vacations is sadly coming to a close.
🇧🇷 How much will I have to pay?
Now in effect, travelers from the US, Canada, and Australia must apply online for an electronic visa and pay a $80.90 fee to stay in Brazil for up to 90 days. You can apply through the official portal at brazil.vfsevisa.com. Brazil originally dropped the visa requirement in 2019 to boost tourism, but President Lula sought to reinstate it in 2023, citing a lack of reciprocity. After three delays and following a 10% US tariff by Trump on Brazilian imports, the new rules are officially here to pick at our wallets.
Looks like my birthday trip later this year to Rio just got a little more expensive. Last year, the country saw over 6.6 million visitors, a 12.6% increase from the year before, with about 700,000 Americans making the trip. We’ll see if the numbers change this year. So, yep, go ahead and add that visa fee to your packing list.
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| VISIT ANCHORAGE |
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Celebrate Indigenous Cultures in Anchorage |
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Embrace Alaska Native culture with a visit to Anchorage. The city is bustling with incredible opportunities to understand exceptional local Indigenous cultures.
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The Alaska Native Heritage Center fosters cultural appreciation within the community and by sharing with travelers through vibrant art, dance, and song. Walk Lake Tiulana to learn more about lifestyles, both past and present, in all regions of the state.
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For traditional and contemporary works of art, check out the expansive galleries of the Anchorage Museum.
Follow Athabascan roots across the city through the Indigenous Place Names project, a local effort to recognize traditional Dena’ina names from Nuch'ishtunt (place protected from the wind) to Idlu Bena (plural objects lake).
Plan your visit to Anchorage for vibrant, deep-rooted culture.
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| HOTELS |
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Credit: Hilton |
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Hilton Adds More Luxe Hotels to Points Program
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The suite life just got easier for Hilton members looking for a fancy stay, with over 500 luxe hotels now in the points pool—including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, NoMad, and more—plus a growing partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. As a loyal member, I am beyond excited for some new options to choose from!
New luxe hotels added:
🇺🇸 Waldorf Astoria New York: The grande dame of NYC hotels is back this spring with 375 stunning rooms, chef Michael Anthony’s new Lex Yard restaurant, and a spa bigger than most NYC apartments (30,000+ square feet, to be exact).
🇯🇵 Waldorf Astoria Osaka: This newly opened hotel is perched atop a 40-story tower and has 252 sleek rooms, breathtaking views of Osaka Bay, and al fresco drinks at the Peacock Terrace.
🇨🇷 Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique: Nestled on the cliffs of Playa Penca, this tropical hideout offers 148 jungle-meets-modernist rooms, 40 suites, and a T-rex slide in the kids’ club.
🇬🇷 Conrad Athens The Ilisian: Opening in November with 307 rooms, sweeping Acropolis views, a Greek-French brasserie, and a pool deck straight out of a vintage postcard.
See the full list of luxe hotels to book and spend your loyalty points on. One of them could be part of your summer plans!
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| TRAVEL TOOLS |
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A Tool That Calculates Your Payout For Flight Delays |
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We’ve come so far with technology, it only makes sense that there would be a tool to tell you how much an airline owes you when your flight is canceled or delayed. With things like that being out of our control, it’s nice to have something you can count on.
A lot has shifted since the new administration stepped in, but at least we still have the Aviation Consumer Protection site. It’s an interactive dashboard that gives travelers much-needed transparency and accountability from the airlines, putting pressure on them to own up and pay for travel disruptions.
How to see what airlines owe you:
🖱️ Where to find it: Visit FlightRights.gov, scroll to Flight Delays & Cancellations, and then click the icon.
🔍 What it is: A tool from the DOT that shows what airlines owe you during controllable delays or cancellations (mechanical issues, staffing, etc.).
👀 At a glance: All 10 major US airlines offer meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays and free rebooking on the same airline. Only Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United rebook on partner airlines. Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines lead with free hotel, transport, and extra perks. Frontier offers the least with meal and rebooking only.
Weather or security-related issues aren’t covered; only controllable delays are, so don't expect a payout when it rains on your parade. The dashboard was created to bring more transparency to US airline policies. It was part of Pete Buttigieg's push after the chaos that was 2022 summer with high delays and cancellations. I think I’ll send him a thank-you card.
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