Is there A "themed" 250 year USA travel itinerary

  The idea of a "themed" travel itinerary is well known by many in the travel industry, especially the American Tour Association, that has for many years given the consumer the confidence to put a deposit on a tour member's offering with a guarantee that the tour deposit will be returnable should the tour member go belly up/bankrupt, a not unheard of problem that occurs when the ground operators, those folks make a tour work in each country and city that is on the schedule, take the money and don't produce the tour that was paid for.

   Decades ago, franchise hotels like Holiday Inns were often used by the corporate hotel chain to bring traffic to all their franchises around the nation, I was out of a job and answered a short ad in THE NEW YORK TIMES for a hotel marketing representative, never dreaming that taking the job would help me become a travel industry CTC a decade later, but I had sold travel tours to people I knew, that was enough to qualify and to work my way in this hotel's chain of command to become the travel marketing manager for the same Holiday Inn near 9^th Avenue that had hired me a few years earlier.

  This same Holiday Inn hotel was part of the consortium of hotel space needed for the city's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center—yet during the lull in seasons at the convention center, especially the summer, I wasn't selling hotel rooms, so I imitated a special ravel theme to publicize our franchise chain of hotels around the nation, for instance linking New York with Washington D.C. and offering special D. C. historical tours about the creation of our Republic, as well bringing travelers touring the revolutionary war sites in upstate New York during the day, and at night sleeping at my hotel, of course, but after a dinner at the hotel, I had them enjoying a Broadway show.

   In 2026 only a travel consortium like AAA has special "themed" tours with negotiated rates, however, the middle price hotel chain, Choice Hotels, has what Choice International calls, "detours worth taking" in the USA, that offers special hotel rates.

   If you feel especially confidant to arrange your own transportation around the nation in support of our nations 250^th, use the Department of Transportation's APP, but be aware that you don't get any special hotel discounts, for that you have to book a travel consortium's "tour" such as the AAA is offering.

   Either way, the lure of traveling overseas can assuaged with a family trip to explore part of the USA you haven't seen before, doing so makes those priceless memories, do take plenty of pictures.

   And happy traveling!

 https://www.ustravel.org/travel-250-years-shaping-americas-story
https://www.acg.aaa.com/connect/blogs/6c/travel/america-250-travel-guide-to-the-us-250-anniversary   
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-general-motors-release-new-app-help 
https://www.choicehotelsdevelopment.com/news/choice-hotels-international-launches-detours-worth-taking-guide-to-help-traveler-MCVYIFETQJOVAJRNM5M2KVRJCYYU

 

Was the 1978 deregulation act considered a "revolution" in the airline industry and what is the state of airline travel in the 21st century?

 

  For the best answers to the questions I've asked, Google's AI can best summarize, the 1978 Airline Deregulation act, and as well cite what is needed now.

  Let's begin with the Airline deregulation "revolution."

  It is widely considered the true revolution in modern air travel, overturning decades of strict federal control over where airlines could fly and how much they could charge, shifts in the industry, huge price drops, removing government-dictated pricing, opening up routes to competition, finally air travel allowing the "common person" to fly.

   However, Google's AI points out: "…The Drawbacks: The pursuit of hyper-efficiency led to industry consolidation, a rise in corporate bankruptcies, and the introduction of complex "yield management" ticket penalties, reduced legroom, and add-on fees..."

  All of the above came about to maximize plane capacity and lower costs, major airlines largely abandoned traditional point-to-point routes for "hub" airports, and what followed was the inception of Budget Carriers such as Southwest-to cross state lines, choose their own schedules, and ultimately brought about what many feel is an unpleasant way to travel, for instance, in my list of research websites, I've included a New York Times "Opinion" article that offers that point of view.

   As for the state of airline travel in the 21^st century, airline travel is undergoing the upheaval of market consolidation, supply chain bottlenecks, and uncertain fuel costs caused by "shifting geopolitics," and Google's AI emphasizes restructuring airline networks, higher costs, plus a shift toward premium travel services, which was covered in a previous blog when I explored the thrust in airline travel for 2026 and beyond.

   Moreover, 2026 has heralded the "collapse of budget carriers—such as Spirit Airlines" which has left the "four largest U.S. airlines controlling more than 50% of the domestic market," many in the travel industry are predicting passengers will lose affordable and competitive fares, plus "antitrust scrutiny."

   I didn't include the Cato Institute's pdf about reviving the principles of the 1978 airline deregulation, nonetheless, readers of this blog can find it online should they want to do so, but I wrote my dissertation for the Certified Travel Agent CTC designation (certified by the prestigious Travel Institute of Boston, Mass,) on "Airline Deregulation," I predicted "deregulation" would eventually cause the "Drawbacks" problems that Google's AI has cited—on my research list is wikipedia.org's overview of airline deregulation, that will clue you into all the aspects of it.

   Regardless, even if you can't afford to fly, I suggest making memories while you can, find a way to budget for travel, any "getaway" will revive you.

   And as usual, I wish you happy travels!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_deregulation 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/opinion/laguardia-crash-air-travel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.z1A.aQa7.TTnkLN7Nelhy&smid=url-share 

https://www.claylacy.com/company/news-views/events/aircraft-of-the-21st-century-its-time-for-really-big-changes/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's happening to your travel plans for this 2026 summer?

 

  Google's AI offers this capsule summary: "… The key travel impacts and news updates include: Soaring Airfares: U.S. carriers are seeing a massive spike in fuel costs. Overall airfares and baggage fees have increased, and some airlines have even begun imposing fuel surcharges or reducing their available seats to manage the financial strain. Disrupted Flight Routes: The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt air traffic in the Middle East…"

  Yet, all is not lost, I've found websites that offer differing points of view regarding certain destinations affected by the Iran war, and the reliable fodors.com gives a rundown on the benefits of choosing Europe as a reliable destination unaffected by the Asian turmoil due to the ongoing Iran war.
  Nevertheless, prices wherever you choose to go, in my opinion, will be higher, still, the tax refund that is coming when you file can fill in that price gap snugly.

  With the Southeast Asia market suffering, some destinations like the Emirates are courting brave travelers with lower prices for flying there, however, it depends on your ability to seize a bargain despite the dangers.

  And bbc.com has analyzed the dilemmas faced by Americans and offers what could be a reassuring advice to American pent up travel demand, for instance: "…smart swaps: Disney for the Smokies, cross-country flights for closer-to-home baseball weekends, ambitious road trips for shorter breaks and complicated international itineraries for routes that feel safer and easier…" thus all is not lost, and for those who still want a change of scene, some necessary changes will quiet the need to get away from the daily minutia, regardless, I advise making the memories that will count when you can't travel.

  Happy travels!

 

https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/summer-travel-plans-soured-by-war-linked-airfare-hikes/ 

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/06/01/higher-airfares-and-fewer-visitors-how-the-iran-conflict-is-hitting-southeast-asia-tourism 

https://www.fodors.com/news/news/popular-destinations-will-be-even-busier-this-summer-because-of-the-iran-war 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260520-the-rise-of-the-calculated-traveller