Travel
8 practical travel tips to make your group trips happen this summer
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Make this summer your last summer and also you and your friends can plan your vacation in a group chat. Poor planning and inconvenient timing often leave travelers exhausted before they even start.
Such situations inspired SquadTrip to launch a comprehensive group travel platform. Designed to provide first-time travelers and seasoned explorers alike with the tools for stress-free travel, the free, user-friendly platform has simplified domestic and international travel for groups and solo travelers.
“Being from Brooklyn, my entrepreneurial spirit was ingrained in me and I always saw creators coming up with solutions to everyday problems,” SquadTrip founder Darrien Watson tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“SquadTrip responded to issues I noticed after being added to the Birthday Trip group chat. It started with good intentions, but getting everyone on the same page when planning was a nightmare!”
With useful features similar to fast messaging, questionnaires, pre-planned itineraries, reservations and the customarily dreaded payment collection, SquadTrip offers an entire trip planning experience. These features reveal Watson’s skilled experience working with software vendors and natural passion for travel.
“My co-founder and I knew we wanted to provide Black travelers with a marketplace tailored to their needs,” Watson says. “SquadTrip offers experiences curated by Black-owned tour operators and travel agencies, from luxury and cultural trips abroad to arrivals trips”
“We wanted to eliminate setbacks that can take away from the enjoyment of group travel to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
Launching in Brooklyn, New York in 2022, SquadTrip is a premier travel platform tailored specifically for Black travelers, serving as a platform to discover trips curated by Black tour operators and travel agencies. With a comprehensive software solution, travelers can streamline group travel with features similar to TripBuilder, pre-planned itineraries and automatic monthly payment plans, all accessible through a user-friendly, centralized dashboard.
“Our software is the first online platform that allows you to create booking pages, accept payments, and manage communications and finances in one place,” says Watson.
Additionally, although the corporate was founded in Brooklyn, it has since moved its headquarters to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take part in the Techstar Accelerator Build In Tulsa program for POC founders.
“Now we are part of a growing Black tech sector that is revitalizing Black Wall Street in Tulsa,” Watson says.
Over the past two years, SquadTrip has facilitated lots of of trips in over 50 countries, improving travel experiences and meeting the unique needs of Black travelers all over the world. To help other Black travelers take a group trip this summer or later within the yr, SquadTrip has created an eight-step guide to assist you to organize a successful group trip and create unforgettable memories with your squad.
Rate the group – Find out who you are traveling with, their interests, budgets and travel styles so you’ll be able to effectively guide your planning process.
“Understanding your intentions is crucial for trips outside of specific celebrations, such as weddings or graduations,” Watson says. “To get off to a good start, make sure participants have common interests, whether that’s history in the case of a city tour or musical taste in the case of a festival.”
Democratize decision-making – Involve your group from the start so everyone feels heard. Use SquadTrip to brainstorm destinations, travel dates and budgets.
“SquadTrip empowers users to make decisions by allowing them to create trip-specific questionnaires,” Watson explains. “To ensure that everyone’s preferences are heard and incorporated into the planning process.”
Choose the proper accommodation— Research to find accommodation and transportation convenient for your complete group. Consider flights, trains or automobile rentals when it comes to cost and travel time.
“Consider using room types to accommodate preferences while also checking accurate pricing and floor layouts,” adds Watson. “It’s a good idea to check bed arrangements, occupancy limits and other information in advance to make sure everyone is comfortable.”
Create your travel plan and use “maybe” – Group planning could be difficult and require compromise because preferences vary. SquadTrip helps by creating flexible itineraries that include group activities and free time to ensure everyone enjoys their trip.
“It’s good to go on a journey with a plan, even if it’s not very detailed,” notes Watson. “Having an idea of what each day might look like helps provide structure so you can make the most of your adventures.”
Avoid chasing advances – Avoid awkward conversations by collecting and scheduling payments through SquadTrip and eliminating the necessity for group texting, spreadsheets, or apps like Venmo and PayPal.
“Travel is usually a hindrance when it comes to raising money,” admits Watson. “We have added automatic payments through SquadTrip to avoid uneven amounts and make sure everything is fair.”
“With transparency around individual premiums, total cost and payment progress, there is no need for reconciliation or awkward ‘can you send me one’ conversations when everyone gets home,” he adds.
Update your lineup – Prioritize clear communication when planning. Keep everyone informed about decisions and changes. With SquadTrip you’ll be able to send emails, trip updates and automatic payment reminders to your group.
“There is no such thing as too much communication when planning group trips. But it’s best to keep all critical and core updates
planning in a central location,” says Watson. “By simplifying, everyone will be on the same page without hassle.”
Celebrate differences and acknowledge the inevitable – Group trips bring together diverse personalities. Accept differences to discover hidden interests. Expect the unexpected: flight delays, lost luggage and personality conflicts. Deal with hiccups flexibly and with humor.
“Compromise will be possible in any event that involves many people, especially if group outings do not focus on the celebrant,” Watson explains. “In addition, the flexibility of travel plans allows you to discover new passions, so it is important to keep an open mind.”
Consider a travel agency – For independent group leaders, SquadTrip offers a curated number of travel agencies specializing in group tours Here.
“If your group prefers hands-free planning, don’t hesitate to ask for additional help,” suggests Watson. “SquadTrip travel marketplace features hand-picked Black tour operators and travel agents for seamless management.”
Travel
This black yoga studio is the perfect travel escape in Grenada
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Hidden on the hills of the Grenada island, in the community of St. George’s, sits yoga Spice Harmony, a black yoga studio that seems to escape from the world. Founded by Dr. Kecia Brooks-Smith-LoweHer husband Ferron C. Lowe ESQ.and their daughter, Malaika Brooks-Smith-LoweSpice Harmony Yoga is positioned on the third floor of the Brooks-Lowe-Smith family home. With a fruit and vegetable garden in the yard and medical practice, Dr. Brooks-Smith-Lowe on the second floor, in this house, purpose, passion and repair.
Visitors recognize Harmony Spice as a comfortable space with purple with yoga mats, bands and pillows. It has all the vital elements of a typical studio with unpretentious sense and stands out from one other space on the island as the only non-hotel yoga studio in Grenada.
The story of Spice Harmony actually began in Montclair, New Jersey, in the 90s, when Dr. Brooks-Smith-Lowee made a medical residence-a stressful and demanding phase becoming a physician. Her husband, Ferron, from Grenada, went to local walks and discovered yoga as a strategy to de -stress, after which brought his family, including Malaika. Soon, the whole family was trained and licensed, in 2011, all three members of the Brooks-Smith-Low family officially launched Spice Harmony yoga on a gorgeous island.
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Malaika says that although people often see yoga as a hobby or fitness trend, Harmony Spice serves a deeper goal in the community by changing the possibilities.
“People often feel that yoga is not for them,” he explains. “For any reason: they are too old. They are not flexible. It’s a man. They have a medical problem. And yoga therapy taught me that you can meet someone anywhere. “
The studio offers private classes, with non -standard experience for couples in honey months or holidays, in addition to classes for kids, seniors, future pregnant moms and others.
“Great Yoga Wall” Spice Harmony is also a special feature that leaves guests suspended in the air, with ropes attached to wall hooks, which make them feel weightless. It helps with flexibility and customary problems.
Malaika, who is also a trained doula and mother for a six -year -old boy, notes that a lot of her clients also use yoga for medical and therapeutic reasons.
“Some of my parents, my patients had impacts, paralysis, all kinds of things. And there are so many aspects of this practice that go beyond physical. Breath, mindfulness that we still need, especially when our body is not, you know what it was once or passed through something traumatic. So for me the opportunity to have this space and offer something so high quality, which our people deserve. “
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To support this effort, he is working on raising funds for a brand new project called The Wild Seed Sanctuary-Trzy and a half Akra of a social enterprise designed to create a comprehensive, intergenerational yoga space, social events and healing.
Wild seeds will gather all guests and residents in Grenada with the “Pay-What-You-Can” model, creating black coworking and yoga space, which means that you can create organic connections.
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The youngest Brooks-Smith-Lowee received numerous support and enthusiasm for the project and hopes that he’ll replace it by the end of the 12 months.
The presence of Spice Harmony in Grenada is in the landscape of many black firms, and it is one among the Brooke-Smith-Lowe malaika, from which it attracts strength.
“Many people move to Grenada. And this is great, especially since there are more – they are not only white people who move here and call themselves expatt. We also have younger black and brown people who are trying to get out of the USA and Great Britain … I think it is still important that we have companies that we also really run in Grenada, that we also use it. “
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(Tagstotransate) grenada
Travel
What’s with all the random accidents of the aircraft?
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The plane directed from Minneapolis to the Toronto the wrong way up on the airport’s catwalk in the Canadian city.
The film material that appeared on the web shows that the plane slipped in a catastrophe on snowy asphalt before it lights up and completely falls over. The disaster means the fourth large plane crash in North America since the starting of the yr.
The world stopped when a military helicopter collided with a passenger aircraft on January 29, before they each plunged into the Potomac River, leaving the survivors and ultimately claiming that a complete of 67 lives. Just just a few days later, a pneumatic jet ambulance wearing a minor patient hit a district in Philadelphia, demanding life on the plane. Then, just a few days before the failure to Toronto, a plane was lost with 10 on board before he was crashed on Alaska without survivors.
The latest disaster associated with a plane in Toronto only increased the growing fear and concerns about flying safety in today’s airspace. In Washington, news about President Donald Trump’s plans regarding the federal aviation administration in uncertain times in his administration for presidency staff was increasingly nervous. Last week, the Trump administration began to shoot almost 400 test employees when the agency was already short for about 800 employees.
“These are positions that are necessary to support public security,” said the spokeswoman of the Union Reuters.
It is difficult to point whether the planes are breaking more, and if that’s the case, why. Naming this until the time is not going to be completely secure until the yr shouldn’t be further. According to data collected by National Transport Security CouncilTechnically, we had no more accidents related to the aircraft than at the moment last yr. With the exception of the American Eagle disaster in the Potomac River, smaller aircraft and personal jet are more at risk of accidents. What happened in Toronto, accident, landing or start in the runway is taken into account the most typical phenomenon.
However, the aircraft fully turned over, like a automobile, apparently it’s “very rare”, in keeping with John Cox, the general director of the Consulting Company for Safety Safety in St. St. Petersburg in Florida.
Cox said NBC 5 Chicago“We saw several start cases in which the aircraft ended inverted, but it’s quite rare.”
Truth and value the anxiety that the January disaster in Pogomak meant the most threatening place in the American airspace from attacks of September 11. But it also stays true that the likelihood of death in a plane crash It continues to be too rare to even count.
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(Tagstotransate) lifestyle
Travel
It starts to look like another record in a Christmas journey
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Drivers and passengers of the airlines without Reindeer and sleds Better do it: it starts to look like different Record for Christmas travel in the USA
The AAA Car Club predicts that over 119 million people will travel no less than 50 miles from the home between Saturday and the New Year, which is able to reach the previous season in the 2019 season. Two weekends on either side of Christmas look a few of the most crowded times on the road and airports.
Trading group Airlines for America He also predicts a record journey, saying that it expected that the airlines wear 54 million passengers over 19 days, which began on Thursday and ends on Monday, January 6. This number is a rise of 6% compared to last yr.
Closing the federal government It can start, as soon as Saturday will probably be too close to the vacations to immediately affect flights and operations at airports, but this may change if the closure closes.
What might be essentially the most busy travel days?
Airlines expect that they are going to have essentially the most busy days on Friday and Sunday, and December 26, December 27 and December 29. Air traffic is anticipated to be light on each Christmas and New Year. The slowest day of air travel in the USA this yr – with a wide margin – was Thanksgiving Day.
. Transport safety administration He expects to review 40 million passengers throughout the holidays and until January 2.
According to AAA, about 90% of Americans traveling away from home throughout the holidays might be in cars.
“The journey of airlines is really high now, but most people go to their destinations and it’s true for every holiday,” said AAA Aixa Diaz spokeswoman.
Gasoline prices are similar to last yr. The average nationwide Thursday was USD 3.05 per gallon, compared to USD 3.08 a yr ago, according to AAA. Charging an electrical vehicle Mediums just under 35 cents per kilowatt hour, but vary depending on the state.
The INRIX transport data company claims that travel times on national highways may be up to 30% longer than usual throughout the holidays, and Sunday expects the toughest traffic. According to Boston, New York, Seattle and Washington, DC, they’re metropolitan areas prepared for the best delays.
Weather and other wild cards
Because the period of Christmas travel lasts for weeks, airports and airlines normally have smaller peaks than during a hurry around the vacation of thanksgiving, however the hustle and bustle of 1 feverish day followed by another nursery. And all hiccups – A Winter storm Or computer failure – Maybe snowballs in huge interference.
Yes Southwest Airlines 2 million travelers got stuck in December 2022 and Delta aircraft suffered a smaller but significant crash after World technological failure in July attributable to Faulty software update from Crowdstrike Cyber security.
Many flights throughout the holidays are sold out, which makes the appeal much more destructive than in slower periods. This applies to particularly smaller airlines, which have fewer flights and fewer options for re -booking passengers. Only the biggest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “inter -line contracts” that allow them to put customers on the flights of another carrier.
It might be the primary Christmas season because the principle of the transport department, which requires the airlines to be given to customers Automatic refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most of the air travelers were already qualified for returns, but they often had to ask them.
Passengers can still ask you to reserve again, which is commonly a higher option than a refund in peak travel periods. This is because finding a flight in the last airline could be very expensive.
“When they book you again, they will pay for the difference of tariff. If my flight to visit my grandmother, which I booked six months ago for $ 200, and I turn around and book a flight four hours for 400 USD, I have to pay this difference, “said Sally French, an authority on traveling in consumers- Affairs Nerdwallet company .
People traveling from budget airlines with fewer flights and no partnerships with other carriers can meet with a difficult alternative In the case of a canceled flight.
“He will put you on the next output Spirit or Frontier Flight, but from now on it may be some time. Sometimes waiting for three days for the next flight, it will not work for you “and pays more for re -booking Large airline French said, it could actually be profitable.
Some airlines use the supply in a recent principle of the Transport Department, which defined a significant delay as three hours for a domestic flight and 6 hours for a global flight. According to Brett Snyder, who runs the Cranky Flyer website, airlines that previously issued phrases for shorter delays – for instance Delta, United and Jetblue – are currently using the federal government standard.
Delayed flights increase the chance of losing bags. Passengers who separate from their bags should report them to the airline and ask what’s going to cover the airline. Links to customer support plans of the fundamental American airlines are at the underside this page.
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Would the federal government close to flights and airports?
The government may close if the Congress doesn’t adopt the Funding Act with Date at midnight on Friday. Most TSA employees at airports, air traffic controllers and customs agents are considered obligatory and can have to work without remuneration in the event of closing.
The more incompetent employees could cause disease, the longer the closure lasts, which may lead to longer security lines and other delays. It seemed that it was a few weeks to close the federal government It began in December 2019.
“While our staff have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure a safe travel, the extended closure may mean longer waiting times at airports,” said TSA Carter Langston spokesman in a statement.
Aaa advises travelers to “continue their Christmas plans, even if they close,” said Diaz spokesman. “Operations at airports will continue normally, but maybe they will work a little slower than usual, so travelers should be aware of it.”
Planning in advance at 2025
The air tariffs increased by 4.7% According to US government data, in November, compared to the yr of the yr. But at the start of 2025 that is a good time to start planning next yr’s journeys, including for spring and summer holidays.
“Because traveling is so popular, you won’t find anything that is very rock, but January and February are great times for the set for March, April and May”, Laura Motta, editor of the publisher of Travel Guide Lonely Planet, he said. “If you want to go to Paris in spring, you must think about it in January.”
(Tagstranslate) @AP
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