You book a family room, spot the “kids stay free” perk, and feel like you just beat the travel budget. Then the front desk asks for proof that your child is under 12. It sounds unusual, but it is not made up, and some hotel policies do leave room for staff to verify a child’s age at check-in.

In 1934, Everett Ruess headed into the Utah wilderness...He never came back. For decades, people searched for him, argued about the clues, and wondered what everyone had missed. Then, in 2009, scientists announced a discovery that seemed to finally answer the biggest question of all.

Business travel is growing again, but that does not mean companies are simply putting everyone back on airplanes. Global Business Travel Association data forecasts worldwide business travel spending of $1.71 trillion in 2026, up 7.2% from 2025. Yet the number of trips is projected to rise by only 1.3%, from about 1.82 billion to 1.84 billion. Rising prices explain part of that gap, but GBTA also describes companies as increasingly selective about where, how and why employees travel.