Turbulence, Trends & Travel Dreams

Audio By Carbonatix

If you missed this week’s Travel Tuesday episode of Radio Night Live, co-hosted by myself and the incomparable Linda Perillo, let me just say—you’re going to want to catch up. It’s a jam-packed, coast-to-coast (and intercontinental) roundup of the summer’s hottest destinations, aviation’s most eyebrow-raising updates, and a few jet-set surprises that had even us blinking twice.

Let’s start with the elephant not in the room: California.

In a twist worthy of travel trivia night, not a single California city made the cut on Tripadvisor’s list of top U.S. summer destinations. Not L.A., not San Diego, not even San Francisco with its foggy charm. We unpacked why that might be—and what destinations are lapping the Golden State in the hearts (and wallets) of travelers. Spoiler: Las Vegas snagged the top spot. Because when the temps rise, so does the desire for poolside cocktails and Cirque du Soleil, apparently.

But it wasn’t just a countdown kind of show. We took you into the skies too—literally.

If you’ve flown in or out of Newark Airport lately, you may have felt the chaos even before the wheels left the tarmac. We reported on the FAA-confirmed air traffic control outages, staffing shortages, and why Newark-bound flights are starting to feel like an unpredictable game of roulette. We’re not saying pack an extra sandwich and a novel the size of War and Peace, but… maybe do exactly that.

Then, just when you thought your local airport wasn’t worldly enough—Etihad Airways stepped in. The UAE-based carrier made a splash by announcing direct flights from Charlotte to Abu Dhabi beginning in May 2026. It’s the first direct connection between the Carolinas and the Middle East, and it means your weekend could go from sweet tea on a porch swing to mezze in a desert palace faster than you can say “passport, please.”

Linda and I also explored what may be the most luxurious surprise on this side of the Atlantic: private jet travel to a mystery European destination. No itinerary. No hints. Just a theme—you pick romantic, adventurous, or cultural—and the rest is a curated journey that unfolds in real-time. We call it “Choose Your Own Adventure: Jet-Set Edition.” And yes, we both decided we’d rather be surprised in Tuscany than stuck on the tarmac at Terminal B.

We rounded out the episode by spotlighting United Airlines’ freshly upgraded Dreamliner cabins, a peek into the future of air travel that somehow still includes reclining seats, gourmet meals, and legroom—things we had almost given up hoping for.

As always, Linda brought her signature spark to the conversation, mixing travel savvy with just the right touch of glam. From New Jersey to Nashville, and every departure lounge in between, she and I are here to be your trusted copilots.

So whether you’re planning that once-in-a-lifetime European escape, trying to figure out where to park your family this July, or just love the idea of armchair travel with a side of snark, this episode is for you.

Grab your earbuds, pour yourself something chilled, and get ready to dream about your next destination. Because as we always say at That Passport Life—it’s not just where you go, it’s how well you travel to get there.

See you in the skies.