The Best Day to Book Airline Tickets, According to Travel Experts

You bought some new luggage, found the perfect hotel, and finalized the dates with your group chat. Now, it's time to look at flights. But when exactly is the best time to book a flight? And is there a day of the week that is the best day to buy airline tickets? Unfortunately, the answer isn't as simple as you may think.

There's a lot to consider if you're trying to travel on a budget. For starters, you have to think about the logistics of your travel experience: Are you flexible on the date or airline? Are you flying internationally? Is it shoulder season? Do you care about what seat on the plane you're assigned? Depending on how you answer these questions, you'll likely have a different answer on when to buy airline tickets.

To help, we spoke with a few travel experts for their tips on the best day to buy airline tickets, even if there isn't exactly one right time to book your flight.

---

Experts Featured in This Article

Yulia Saf is a travel expert and founder of Miss Tourist, a travel tips blog.

Stephanie Webb is a travel expert for SeeSightTours, a small-group tour business.

Stephan Drescher is a travel specialist for Germany Travel Blog.

---

What Is the Best Day to Buy Airline Tickets?

The answer isn't as cut and dry as you may think. According to research from Expedia, the travel site says Sunday is the cheapest day of the week to book flights. "Travelers that book on a Sunday can save around 8 percent on average compared to those that booked on a Friday," Expedia found.

But some travel experts disagree. "Tuesday afternoons are the sweet spot for booking flights," travel expert Yulia Saf says. "Airlines typically release their weekend sale prices on Monday evenings, leading to price adjustments by competitors by Tuesday afternoon, resulting in discounted fares." Travel expert Stephanie Webb agrees: "Tuesdays tend to be less busy for airlines and travel booking sites, allowing travelers to potentially find better deals." When in doubt, if your schedule permits, avoid booking your flight on Fridays or Saturdays since these tend to be more popular travel days with higher demand.

When Is the Best Time to Book a Flight?

If you have a specific date in mind, according to the Expedia report, domestic flights should be purchased "at least a month before" in order to save an average of 24 percent of costs, and international flights should be booked "around 60 days out." Many experts believe an international flight should be booked earlier than two months before, however.

Booking a morning or late evening flight might also be the move. "Booking flights during off-peak hours, such as early morning or late at night, may sometimes yield lower prices due to reduced demand," Webb says. But think about it this way: the sooner you book your flight, the more time you have to monitor the price overtime and adjust your flight as needed.

If you're flexible on your travel dates, experts recommend booking during the months of January or February, as the months "tend to offer good deals as airlines roll out sales to stimulate post-holiday travel demand," Webb says.

Tips to Consider When Booking Flights

The more flexible you are, the better. This includes being flexible on the time you leave, the date you leave, the airline you use, and more. In other words, if your schedule allows you to be flexible, don't worry if your go-to airline is pricey for the dates you want to travel. Instead, take a look at other airline options and/or try to leave and return a day or two earlier than what you had originally wanted, travel specialist Stephan Drescher says. Also, don't overlook connecting flights. Yes, they may take a little longer, but the savings can be worth it, Ben says.

Invest in a travel credit card. Most major airlines offer credit cards specific to their airline, making it easier for you to earn miles and points. Even if booking a flight with one airline seems pricey for one vacation, it could earn you points that could help make your next vacation less expensive.

Avoid booking travel during holidays. Because most people want to travel during the time they have time off from work or school, there is a higher demand for flights around holidays. For that reason, plan a time for you to vacation outside of these periods of the year. Less demand for flights will mean cheaper options for you.

Related:

The "Vacation Post Mortem" Is as Important as the Trip Itself

---

Taylor Andrews is the senior balance editor at Popsugar, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With eight years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.

---

This Taylor-Swift Approved Private Jet Has a 360 Wellness Program. Got $20K to Spare?

Don't get me wrong, I know that celebrities travel well. But can you picture the kind of in-flight service worth $20,000 an hour? That's the price tag of a VistaJet flight, the self-proclaimed preferred private aviation company of Taylor Swift (when she's not taking her own PJ, of course) and F1's Charles Leclerc. The company prides itself on offering "one of the most comprehensive wellness programs in the industry" - and for that price tag, it should. But what exactly are the celebs paying for?

The ethos at VistaJet: "We're not trying to be better than what you have on the ground. We're trying to have that continuity where your life continues uninterrupted," says chief marketing officer Matteo Atti. I have to admit, the VistaJet flight experience is several notches above my ground-level life. For celebrities like Swift, however, it's all about staying "on pace with your own rhythm," Atti says. And in order to do that, the process is rooted in wellness and begins long before the client ever sets foot on the aircraft.

Preflight, the brand schedules several consultations between the client (or a member of their team) and a VistaJet nutritionist to create a dietary plan tailored to the client's needs. When it comes to celebrity dining, surprisingly, "the requirements tend to be quite simple," Atti says. "Honestly, there's nothing particularly extravagant. If anything, it's quite predictable and vanilla." The specifics tend to come in around portion control and cooking techniques, especially when celebs are on tour or training for a major competition. To make it easier on VIP guests, VistaJet offers a selection of curated menus from Michelin-star chefs: relax, rejuvenate, revitalize, and performance athlete. Each menu or ingredient targets different hormones and body responses. "Relax," for example, offers a selection of foods that contain or promote the production of tryptophan, magnesium, calcium, melatonin, and serotonin. "Rejuvenate," meanwhile, focuses on collagen, probiotics, antioxidants, and vitamin C.

Furry friends are also taken into account during the preflight consultation, as VistaJet works with two veterinary teams (one follows royal houses and celebrity pets and the other specializes in behavioral training) to understand the needs of VIP animals. "We need to make sure that everyone in the cabin is equally at ease," Atti says. And what does that entail? Luxury pet beds, pampering and play solutions, and rubber toys that double as treat dispensers. In other words, Meredith, Olivia, and Benjamin (Swift's cats) would be well taken care of.

Now, back to the human experience. Once you're on board, passengers have access to luxe ergonomic seating to assist with posture, full beds (with hypoallergenic bedding, of course), daylight simulation to sync to destination time zone, meditation and breathing apps, and self-care products designed to help stimulate sensory relaxation. The company can also arrange for your wellness experience to extend off the plane - either at your destination or in the in-between. If what you want is a pit stop in Bhutan for a hot bath, that can be arranged. Or maybe you're craving a little energy healing when you land in Qatar; they'll make it happen. "It's all about finding the moments that fit in your schedule," Atti explains. "Because traditionally the wellness industry has been very much, 'Now you need to stop your life, stop everything, and come to us.' And we know from experience that that is not the life of the high-performance people we serve. Typically, you find time when you find time and you want to be able to grab an opportunity as fast as possible."

That adaptability is crucial when dealing with VistaJet clients, Atti adds. The company prepares itself for "anything is possible" scenarios - especially when clients are performers. From navigating a minuscule landing window for the Super Bowl Halftime Show to prepping backup aircrafts on standby in case scheduling or mechanical hiccups occur during a tour, they have to be able to adapt. "We had several of those cases for major concerts where you cannot take the risk. We need to have another airport aircraft available, just in case the first one defaults," Atti says. In other words: they're trained to expect the unexpected and to make it feel like nothing ever happened. "If you ask me, 'Is it fun?' Yes, it is a lot of fun. Is it simple? Not necessarily, but that is what also makes it so
exciting." Translation: that's showbiz, baby.

---

Alexis Jones (she/her) is the section lead of the health and fitness verticals at Popsugar, overseeing coverage across the website, social media, and newsletters. In her seven-plus years of editorial experience, Alexis has developed passions for and expertise in mental health, women's health and fitness, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.

---

7 Apple Items on Major Sale, Including $100 Off iPads and $50 Off Airpods

Whether you're #TeamApple or #TeamAndroid, there's no doubt Apple products have captivated users for decades. We have tested several of Apple's bestselling gadgets and can confirm they are worth the hype. The brand is known for its sleek design, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional user experience. It's no surprise the brand is popular among all ages. Ahead, we rounded up the best Apple devices and products worth every penny - though luckily, some are currently on sale for Amazon Prime Day.

From the latest iPhone to the editor-backed Airpod Max headphones, Apple's lineup is designed with the user in mind, prioritizing aesthetics and intuitive software with a user-friendly interface. The best part about owning Apple products is the seamless interconnected ecosystem that allows you to transfer files, switch Bluetooth connections, and even use an iPad as an extended monitor. The brand is also keen on integrating health and wellness features throughout its products. You can track activity level, sleep, and blood oxygen level on the Apple Watch, and there's a brand new hearing aid feature built into the AirPods Pro 2. With powerful processors and vibrant retina displays, these devices are ideal for editing photos and videos, gaming, watching TV shows and movies, and more.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just someone who wants a reliable and user-friendly device, keep reading to shop the Apple products that are worth the investment, and discover which ones you can snag on sale right now.

This Bestselling Portable Charger Is Editor-Approved - and on Sale for 30% Off

Is It Annoying to Copy Your Partner’s Hobbies? I Went on a Golf Trip to Find Out

When I told my 4-year-old son I was going on a golf trip, he asked if I was copying dad. I paused and realized, yes, I was. Golf is my husband's passion, and while there are couples who share every hobby, I've been part of the camp of people who zone out the moment their partner mentions their hobby. For the last 15 years, golf has played as a background noise in our living room, and I've visited a handful of golf resorts on family trips, only to check out the spa rather than the course.

All that to say, I didn't set out to copy my husband's passion for golf. My interest in golf was independent from him. I attended an Adidas golf event this summer where I was surrounded by an inclusive and exciting community of female golfers, including LPGA athlete Rose Zhang. I was inspired to take lessons and learned that golf is more popular than ever with women. Of the Americans who played golf on a course in 2024, 28 percent were women, which is up 19 percent from a decade ago. Yes, I was trying "his sport," but I was doing it without him and on my own time.

When I had the opportunity to go on a golf trip at Casa Palmero at the iconic and world-renowned Pebble Beach Resort with Sam, my first reaction was excitement. This would be our first golf trip where I was actually going to play with him. Not until the rather cutting question from my son did I grapple with another question: is it annoying to copycat your partner's passion?

My Experience on a Golf Trip With My Husband at Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach Resorts

As we planned our golf getaway, I couldn't resist getting us complementary outfits for the rounds we would be playing. As someone who loves a matching holiday pajamas set, I had to commemorate this experience with matching outfits from G/Fore and Adidas. This choice definitely lived in the world of annoying, but my husband loved his outfits and happily wore them.

Here's the thing: Pebble Beach isn't an ordinary golf resort. It's home to the courses that are at the top of a golfer's bucket list. It's also located in Monterey, the stunning coastal California town where "Big Little Lies" was set. It's a location where the memories created will be cherished for years and the photos will be printed.

We began our trip with a just over an hour flight from Burbank, CA, to Monterey on the air carrier JSX, which we selected because they offer plane-side baggage retrieval. As we prepared for this trip, I expressed my concerns to Sam about my two new Callaway Reva Rise Clubs getting damaged in transit. I was being annoying about this, as my husband has traveled with his clubs a ton with no issues, but I am happy to say all of our clubs arrived in pristine condition.

After a short drive, we arrived in our room at Casa Palmero, located along the 17-Mile Drive scenic road. The Mediterranean-inspired property is located steps away from the spa where I did a steam, sauna, and cold plunge circuit to get ready for golf. I may not be a pro athlete, but I am a pro at self-care.

On our itinerary, we were going to play two courses: The Hay, a short course, described as a "fun place where juniors, families, and friends, regardless of their ability, could gather around the game of golf," and Spanish Bay, ranked as one of the best public golf courses in the country.

We started with the nine-hole of The Hay, and this idyllic course reminded me of a Hallmark movie filled with smiling multigenerational families. We played behind a grandmother teaching her young grandchildren how to play golf. Sam and I had a heartwarming conversation about how fun it will be to take our kids golfing when they are older. It was a course where golf and wandering thoughts about the future could cohabitate.

With a smile on my face, I grabbed my club and almost made a hole in one. Yes, it was a bit of luck, but I was grateful to see my classes were paying off. Sam might have been even more proud than I was. We both laughed that I managed to hit the pin on the tee shot, something that had evaded him during his 30 years as a golfer.

I finally understood the joy of sharing in your partner's passion. We settled into our room at Casa Palmero, which felt like a romantic retreat hidden in this golf resort. We relaxed in the hot tub in our room, reflecting on the highs and lows of the round.

The next day, we got ready to tackle Spanish Bay, which is known for its spectacular views. Sam and I dressed in matching G/Fore outfits. (I debated how many photos I could ask him to take before it would be irritating, and 20 seemed like an appropriate number to capture the experience but also allow us both to focus on the game.) If The Hay was a family pool, Spanish Bay would be where the elite swimmers are doing laps.

Going into the round, the vibe was different than the previous day. The afterglow of the near hole-in-one had diminished. The gap between Sam and my level of experience felt more present. I cringed at myself slightly when Sam took on the role of my caddy, carrying my bag and helping me select clubs. I felt nervous that having him put some of his attention on my game would distract him from his own, but he was playing well - he even made two birdies.

As we progressed through the 18 holes, I had a few blowup holes. I'd look to see if Sam seemed embarrassed, but was met with support. He reassured me throughout the game, and he reserved criticism for his own game instead. I realized I could play the worst game imaginable and it wouldn't affect him. Golf, thankfully, is not a team sport.

The surprising area of conflict was related to my speed moving through transitions. During the later holes, I'd take off my jacket before playing, but Sam said I needed to be ready when it was my turn so we didn't slow down the other players. This was true, but not what I wanted to hear. I swung and chunked the ball. Inevitably, the things you argue about as a couple - in our case, my penchant for sometimes moving slowly - will come up during five hours of golf.

My Final Thoughts

Ultimately, I can see why so many people adopt their partner's sports and hobbies. It's fun to get to experience the highs and lows of athletics together. It definitely didn't hurt to have the picturesque backdrop of the Pebble Beach and Casa Palmero during this test.

My concern that I would come off as "annoying" for copying him was unfounded. Trying golf, which is so outside of my comfort zone and natural skill set, was humbling. It unleashed an insecurity I didn't expect. The fear of seeming like you're just imitating someone else feels childish, but stepping into the unfamiliar world of golf makes me feel like a vulnerable kid again. I'll retire my title as a WAG of an avid golfer and book tee times the next time we travel. I may already have a few outfits in my cart.

Related:

I Don't Have Hobbies - So I Asked Experts If That's a Problem

---

Genevieve Farrell Roston (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker and the director of video at PS. She oversees the Webby-nominated PS Fit video series, which makes fitness fun and accessible. She has more than 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry. A certified personal trainer, she loves running, Pilates, and rest days. As a mom of two, she is an avid reviewer of children's gear and products.

---

The AirPods Pro 2 Are 20% Off Right Now, and They Are Worth the Hype

I don't tend to care too much about tech, but I am completely obsessed with my Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) ($199, originally $249), which are 20 percent off right now as one of Amazon's Early Prime Day deals. I had the original AirPods and never took them out of my ears - until I was gifted the second generation Pro model. And truly, wow. This model has silicone ear buds, which are so much more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Plus, they don't slip out of your ear, even on your sweatiest runs. I have them in as I'm typing this, and sometimes I forget they're in my ears.

The real benefit to this gadget, though, is the sound quality. The AirPods Pro have three settings: normal, transparency mode, and noise-cancelling. The noise-cancelling mode is a game changer. I wore them on a plane, and it was like being in another world. I couldn't hear anything except my music, and that's the dream. Then there's transparency mode, which was built for those times when you want to listen to your music but also need to be aware of your surroundings. It makes my mom feel much better to know I'm walking through the city still able to hear what's going on around me. Whether I'm on calls or tuning in to my favorite podcasts, the sound is crystal clear. Plus, these are available on Amazon, so they're incredibly easy to shop. They're also a thoughtful tech gift for the holiday season. It's the best of all worlds.

Looking for even more sales? Shop more of Popsugar's editor-curated Amazon Prime Day Sale picks and subscribe to our newsletter for more shopping recommendations. Plus, make sure you sign up for Amazon Prime so that you don't miss a moment of the sale.

---

India Yaffe was an associate editor on the Shopping team at PS for five years. She focused on curating the best fitness, fashion, beauty, and home products on the market for the PS audience.

---

70+ First-Date Questions to Keep the Conversation Moving

In the hours leading up to a first date, there's a good chance you might feel a sort of buzzy, nervous energy. This could be because you're overthinking how the date will go (stop that!), but it could also be because you're racking your brain for some easy - but flirty - first-date questions.

While pre-date rituals like journaling or working out can do wonders to calm the anxiety beforehand, you might also find that having a list of first-date questions handy can help keep the nerves at bay during the actual meet-up. Those questions are an easy fallback when you find yourself stuck in a moment of awkward silence, and they're a great excuse to get to know your date even better.

Whether the small talk is winding down, you've reached a bout of awkward silence, or you're not ready to say goodbye just yet, we've compiled over 70 one-liners that make for perfect first-date questions. There are ice breakers, funny questions, and would-you-rather prompts for when you want to keep things light and fun. (But if you want to kick it up a notch, you could also advance to these saucy questions to ask your crush instead.)

Whenever you're ready to learn just a little more about the cutie seated in the barstool next to you, give one of these first-date questions a spin and let the chemistry flow.

Related:

12 Fun First Date Ideas That Aren't Just Dinner and a Movie

A 19-Year Marriage Is Not a Failure - Even If It Ends In Divorce

If Nicole Kidman's reported split from longtime husband Keith Urban teaches us anything, it's that it's time to stop forcing our romantic relationships into the failure/success paradigm. The queer corners of the Internet know that already. But the rest of the world seems ready to follow the old playbook, offering tsk-tsks and lamenting yet another "failed" Hollywood marriage.

Content creator Blakely Thornton immediately had thoughts. "Be so fucking for real. In what world is a 19-year marriage a failure?" He asked his Instagram followers. "Like, to everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a reason and a season and not everything is forever. They got two beautiful kids and tons of memories. Let them live."

"This is why I cannot take straight people seriously," he added.

The power couple - often cited as one of the greatest Hollywood romantic "success" stories of a generation - first got together in 2005, four years after Kidman's divorce from Tom Cruise. She and Urban married in 2006, and have raised two teenagers together. They've reportedly been living apart for the last several months, after celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary in June of this year.

And while we may not know exactly why they've decided to end this chapter as a married couple, they've also given us no reason to paint their entire relationship together as a failure, a mistake, or a loss. In fact, all the things about their relationship that we once celebrated - their affection; their respect for each other's careers; their healthy, growing kids - are still real, even if they might look different moving forward.

One commenter on Thornton's video wrote, "I agree with you 100%. When my ex and I divorced after 20 years and he wanted to scream failure, I paused and looked at him and said we've raised children to be beautiful adults and walked many messy paths on this journey. I will never say I failed after 20 years of anything. Whether I survived or thrived, I put in 20 years of work."

Another wrote, "19 Years? That like 2 CENTURIES in Gay Years…'Kim, there's people that are dying' ☕."

Queer activism and community have paved the way for us all to conceive of romantic love outside the rigid confines of a success/failure binary, or a linear "relationship escalator" structure, moving blindly from one milestone to the next just to keep ticking off boxes. With the rise of relationship anarchy, ethical nonmonogamy, and even arrangements like lavender marriage and co-parenting, we've seen more and more lovers choosing alternative routes to domestic bliss that look very little like the conventional paths we're all taught to follow.

That said, there's nothing wrong with being sad about the end of any relationship - even if it's not your own. (There are definitely some parasocial baddies out there who will be taking the Kidman-Urban news quite hard!) Change is a beast, and the struggle of losing a loved one is always exceptionally difficult to overcome. But divorce doesn't have to mean no-contact. Plenty of amicable exes remain in each other's lives, especially when kids and pets are in the picture.

While there's no shortage of queer relationships that adhere to more conventional structures, it would do us all some good to embrace the fluidity of love, sex, romance, and marriage - and would definitely give those of us who have managed to achieve anything close to a 19-year marriage a bit more grace as we move through the inevitable ebbs, flows, and transitions of life.

For Thornton's part, he clearly has other pressing things on his mind. "I simply do not have the energy to speculate on the lives of heterosexuals in their 50s. . . . All I wanna hear about is 'Big Little Lies' season three. OK? That's my baby. So as long as these two are OK, I'm gay and I'm calling it a fucking day."

Related:

I Never Opened My Marriage, It's Just Always Been That Way

---

Emma Glassman-Hughes (she/her) is the associate editor at PS Balance. In her seven years as a reporter, her beats have spanned the lifestyle spectrum; she's covered arts and culture for The Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, and food, climate, and farming for Ambrook Research.

---

Dylan Efron Has a Major Advantage on "DWTS" - and It's Not Just His Hips

Dylan Efron is still warming up to the spotlight. Despite his confident debut on "Dancing With the Stars," the producer and television personality is more comfortable swimming with sharks in the Bahamas than performing onstage. "I've always avoided the spotlight and stuff like that," Efron tells Popsugar. "After 'Traitors' was my first time holding a mic on stage, so it is just a fear of the unknown."

At the same time, his adventurous spirit is one of his greatest assets. Efron grew up hiking in San Luis Obispo, CA - sometimes taking the world class views for granted. But his love of the outdoors has only expanded since. "I go through waves where rock climbing is all I want to do, and I'll make a trip based on rock climbing to Utah or to climb somewhere I've never done," he says. "On my bucket list right now is to see more ocean life. I really want to swim with killer whales." (He's already swam with tiger sharks and hammerheads.)

Going back to his roots, Efron recently partnered with Marriott Bonvoy to create the Drop Pin Challenge. Here, fellow adventurers can find physical pins across 20 outdoor destinations in North America, each worth 10,000 points. Efron dropped the first pin himself somewhere near Postcard Cabin in Big Bear, CA. "We had a fun day - we hiked a bit, we did some rock climbing, paddleboarding," he says in reference to the journey. "My tip for someone to find that first pin would be that it's close to the paddleboarding destination." (For more clues, head to MarriottBonvoyOutdoors.)

"I genuinely just love learning new things."

Efron's current adventure on "DWTS" might feel a little less familiar, but he isn't shying away from the challenge. "I genuinely just love learning new things, so it's never been that I've never wanted to learn how to dance, it's just that I never had that opportunity," he says. "When you pour your heart out into learning a dance, and then you go out there and do it, it is fun to let go."

There's plenty of fun and excitement behind the scenes . . . but also four-hour rehearsals with a world-class dance partner. The training is tough even for Efron, who's previously completed multiple Ironmans. "I'm on a foam roller as we speak." he admits. Thankfully, triathlons have taught him how to perform with a sore body. "You have to come to terms with [the fact that] you're not going to feel your best during a race when you hop off the bike and you have to start running," he says. "I have to do my best with my current state of my body, which is always sore."

Moving forward, Efron has high hopes for the week ahead, saying he's looking forward to a change of pace. "The first two dances I did were Latin dances, which is obviously a lot of hip shaking and putting on a performance that's - again - out of my comfort zone," he says. "A frame, where we're dancing together face to face, that stuff is actually more organic to me."

Efron has goals for himself, and he's hit them all so far (from overcoming his fear of performing, to delivering on unexpected choreography). But at the end of the day, he's just grateful to be a part of the journey. "As soon as the song starts, rather than the fear takeover, it's like, 'Oh, this is awesome,'" he says. "I don't know what's going on in my brain, but I know I'm happy."

Related:

Jordan Chiles on What She Would've Changed For Her "DWTS" Debut

---

Chandler Plante (she/her) is a social producer and staff writer for the Health & Fitness team at Popsugar. She has over five years of industry experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine, a social media manager for Millie magazine, and a contributor for Bustle Digital Group. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and is based in Los Angeles.

---

Wait, People Are Finding Love Through LinkedIn?

In the spring of 2024, Paige Goldstein was "digital nomading" in South Africa when she got a fateful LinkedIn notification. A mutual connection had tagged her in the comments of a post by Grayson Harris, who was also digital nomading in Cape Town at the time. Goldstein clicked "connect" and direct-messaged Harris, asking to meet up for coffee.

"I was just open to connection - especially as nomads, when you see someone who's similar to you, it's about that deeper connection first," she says. "But when I saw him, it felt more like a date."

Goldstein and Harris have been together ever since. He ended up following her to Spain, her next stop after South Africa, and they now live together in Maine. As the founder of The Ripple Effect, a coaching program and community that helps women leaders build their brands on LinkedIn, Goldstein naturally spends a lot of time on the professional networking platform. But she didn't expect to fall in love there.

Hers isn't the only love story coming out of LinkedIn, though. In recent years, the professional networking site has become more than just a résumé repository; it's a place to follow industry leaders, cultivate your own professional persona, and sometimes even get personal. Maybe you use it to look up someone you matched with on a dating app before meeting up in person, or you stalk whose posts your ex is liking. Or maybe, just maybe, you fall in love with someone after clicking connect.

Cherie Brooke Luo, cohost of the business podcast "Tiger Sisters Podcast," worked at LinkedIn for almost five years as a product manager before becoming a full-time content creator. She definitely knows the site is being used to pursue romantic interests, she says: Luo remembers hearing about the more extreme cases at all-hands meetings.

"The issue that they were dealing with the most was harassment through unwanted advancements through LinkedIn DMs, people sliding into LinkedIn DMs in a very strange way, especially because LinkedIn is a very professional platform first and foremost," she says. "When people are in that mindset of it being a professional networking platform, it can be very jarring to receive unsolicited advancements through LinkedIn DMs."

Many folks share that perspective - that romance doesn't have a place in a professional setting like LinkedIn. But Luo does see the value of using the platform when it comes to other aspects of dating. "I think the overt sliding into LinkedIn DMs is completely inappropriate, but I do think LinkedIn is a place to do the background checks," she says. "It's not so much learning about the pedigree of a person before getting to meet them, because that can remove some of the fun and romance, but in terms of doing a background check of, it's a real person, they're verified with their photo, that can be really helpful."

As a headhunter, Katie Ortman Doble is on the platform constantly - "all day, every day" for her job, she says. And, like Luo, she sees the site as a great tool to "get a glimpse" of who someone is.

Such was the case with her now-husband, Nick - although, she clarifies, "I don't want to be painted as someone who was purposefully going on LinkedIn to find her husband, and I never encourage anyone to use the site in that way."

Ortman Doble ended up posting her LinkedIn love story in 2015, and it went viral. The story goes like this: in the mid-2010s, Ortman Doble was in her early 30s and looking "anywhere and everywhere" for a long-term partner. But on the apps and in real life, she was running into "horrendous" date after horrendous date.

Enter: Nick's LinkedIn profile. His company was looking to fill a position, and once she stumbled upon his photo, "I melted," she wrote in her original post. She sent him a connection request and eventually a message, igniting a back-and-forth. After a few weeks, the duo met up for a "networking meeting" - aka, grabbing a drink.

The couple is celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary in February. "Thank god for LinkedIn," Ortman Doble says. "You can meet someone anywhere. In a time when everybody is so on their phones, it's nice to have something that's an option, beyond the swiping."

When Ortman Doble was single, that's the mindset she had for every encounter. ("If you were cute and we were in the produce aisle at the supermarket, I was going to be checking you out," she laughs.) It's an attitude that can open you up to love, on LinkedIn or anywhere else.

Goldstein agrees: "I believe in divine connections - that who you're supposed to meet, you'll meet. I think when you open yourself up to any possibility, it can happen."

Related:

Need a Dating App Cleanse? Try "Sit-at-the-Bar September"

---

Lena Felton (she/her) is a senior content director at Popsugar, where she oversees special projects. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering issues of gender and identity. She has been working in journalism since 2017, during which time her focus has been feature writing and editing and elevating historically underrepresented voices. Lena has worked for The Atlantic, InStyle, So It Goes, and more.

---

15 Funny Halloween Costumes Ideas to Toss Into the Group Chat

We'd argue that there are four main types of Halloween costumes: scary Halloween costumes, cute Halloween costumes, sexy Halloween costumes, and funny Halloween costumes. And in our opinion, funny Halloween costume ideas are some of the hardest to do well. It's easy to cross the line from funny into cheesy or cliché, after all. Plus, with a funny Halloween costume, you run the risk of spending half your night explaining the joke to confused trick-or-treaters or party-goers. You want a hilarious Halloween costume, not a confusing one.

Still, the allure of a funny Halloween costume can be hard to resist. So, we rounded up 15 truly funny Halloween costume ideas. Sure, everyone's sense of humor is different, but within this list of funny Halloween costumes, there are definitely at least a handful that will make you crack a smile. We rounded up hilarious Halloween costumes that you can buy at the store, ones you can DIY, and ones that are as simple as pulling on a T-shirt. And if your taste runs a little juvenile, we added in a couple of especially silly Halloween costumes, too. Hey, if it garners a few laughs, we're all for it.

You've Heard Travel Horror Stories, but What About Travel Ghost Stories?

Not to brag, but I have so many travel horror stories you'd think my life was written by Mike White. None have culminated in a resort-wide shoot-out like in "The White Lotus" season three, but they're still intense. There was the time my family got stuck in Dallas for three days because of a freak windstorm. Once, my plane made an emergency landing in Buffalo because our pilot had suffered a heart attack and died midair. Another time a man collapsed on a flight to San Diego and needed resuscitation from a group of nurses who happened to be on their way to a conference. And that's not even counting all the broken seatback screens and headphone jacks I've encountered.

Though I may be rich with travel drama, what I never experienced were travel ghost stories - at least not until a recent trip to Montana. I was staying at the Ranch at Rock Creek, an all-inclusive luxury ranch in the western part of the state, about 30 minutes outside of a small town called Philipsburg. I'd come for a "soft adventure" tour with a handful of other travel journalists and had been spending my days blissfully skiing and snowshoeing around the mountains and forests that ring the 6,600-acre property.

For lodging, our group was split among two of the ranch's nine cottages. I was placed in Sara Jane, an elegant cabin easily big enough to fit two entire families, set against a slope of pine-dotted hills out back. I thought I'd heard someone from the staff mention that it was named after a relative of one of the old owners, but I didn't catch the full story. I brushed it off.

My roommate took the bedroom upstairs with all the natural light, leaving me the basement. It was a little darker and only slightly creepier by nature of it technically being underground, but still a lovely king suite with its own big bathroom. Almost all the wall space was filled with old portraits of miners and homesteaders who settled in the region throughout the mid-19th century, seeking the wealth and land that the Homestead Act of 1862 had promised them, and whose sunken eyes betrayed the hardship of life on the frontier. I wondered if any of them had known Sara Jane.

One evening at dinner, my fellow travelers decided to go around our wide, reclaimed wood table and share the spine-tingling tales of their close encounters with ghosts. These were professional travelers who have been to some of the most interesting and remote places on Earth. Also, apparently, some of the most haunted. I sat there trying to appear unfazed as they recounted sightings - and, in one case, even physical altercations - with specters and phantoms in hotel rooms and BnB's around the world.

No, I don't really believe in ghosts. But the dinner chitchat kicked my paranoia into overdrive.

Now, I'm not exactly what you would call a "believer." Most of the time I try not to think about what happens after death, but if pressed, I would probably put my money on ghosts as myth. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not a total wimp with an overactive imagination. And if anyone's going to do some haunting, I thought at the time, it's probably out here, at this remote property, sitting in what was once silver mining country and is now only 30 minutes from the Granite Ghost Town State Park, one of Montana's over 100 real-life preserved ghost towns. No, I don't really believe in ghosts. But the dinner chitchat kicked my paranoia into overdrive.

It was February and the snow hadn't stopped coming down since we'd arrived 36 hours before. By day the lodges were cozy and downright luxe, and no smiling, rosy-cheeked staffer was ever far away. But after dark, a poisoned mind like mine could start to warp the long, empty hallways, crackling fire, and surrounding wilderness into a setup for a mining-themed sequel of "The Shining." (Just don't call it "The Mining.")

The walls at the Ranch at Rock Creek are covered in historic images from Montana's homesteading history.

When I peeled off to bed that night after dinner, the knot in the pit of my stomach held me on high alert. I descended the stairs of my cabin into my basement room, nervously eyeing every doorway and closet, flinching at every creak and moan. I washed my face and brushed my teeth briskly, worried that if I looked in the mirror I'd see a floating be-bonneted head - no doubt Sara Jane's. I kept my eyes down.

I slipped into my king-size bed around 11 and considered turning off the lamp on the bedside table. My mind flooded with grisly images of Sara Jane floating in my doorway, a prospector with a bloody pickax and a tattered straw hat by her side. I imagined them emerging from one of the picture frames on the wall and hovering over my head while I slept. I decided the light would stay on.

For extra protection I opened Netflix on my laptop, in search of something soothing and mindless to lull me out of my panic. I chose the latest season of "Love Is Blind," an excellent ghost-repellent, and tried to calm down. (Ironically I learned later that the ranch once partnered with the Calm app to create a sleep story featuring a fictional narrator inspired by none other than Sara Jane herself. I'm not sure that story would have had the desired effect on me that night.)

Protected by the glow of my laptop until 3 a.m., I finally found the courage to shut my eyes. I drifted in and out of consciousness, asking myself: What hardship had Sara Jane endured out there on the frontier? What unfinished business kept her around the ranch, haunting the basement of this luxury cabin? Did she have unsettled debts? Did the prospector steal her silver and then pickax her to death right here in this bed!? What felt like a few minutes later, my morning alarm rang out.

The next night at dinner I mentioned sheepishly that I'd had a hard time sleeping. Ariel, the property's barn supervisor, joined us for the meal. She shot me a surprised look and laughed. As it turns out, my cottage was named after Sara Jane Bowles, the daughter of a well-known horse trainer who helped run the ranch in the 1940s with her mother Hazel. She wasn't a pioneer or homesteader at all, but a fabulous, savvy businesswoman. "If anything's haunted here it's not the Sara Jane cottage," she said. "It's the barn." Lucky for me I didn't have any horseback riding on my itinerary.

I still can't say if ghosts are real, but I know now that ghost stories hit even harder when you're miles away from home, surrounded by the unfamiliar (and a truly astounding amount of old mining paraphernalia).

Related:

The "Vacation Post Mortem" Is as Important as the Trip Itself

---

Emma Glassman-Hughes (she/her) is the associate editor at PS Balance. In her seven years as a reporter, her beats have spanned the lifestyle spectrum; she's covered arts and culture for The Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, and food, climate, and farming for Ambrook Research.

---

20 Genius Amazon Products for Pro Travelers to Invest in This Fall

Traveling is rarely a smooth and seamless process, though you're likely aware of that. Regardless of how well-prepared you are for your journey, it's uncommon not to encounter a bump (whether literal or figurative) along the way. Whether it's TSA confiscating your oversize shampoo bottle or struggling to zip your filled-to-the-brim carry-on luggage, we've all felt the frustrations of traveling by plane, train, bus, or even your own car. So, to make your next trip more efficient and less stressful, we turned to Amazon to find some travel items that can help solve your expedition woes and land on your doorstep in a pinch.

Before diving into the list of recommended travel items, it's worth heeding the advice of Lydia Mansel, a travel journalist and the founder of the popular Substack newsletter, Just Packed. She suggests investing in products that specifically address the challenges you face. For instance, if you typically travel with only a few outfits, there may be no need for multiple sets of packing cubes or an expandable suitcase, as Mansel points out. Being a frequent flyer herself, traveling anywhere from three to six times a month, she focuses on items that enhance the efficiency and comfort of her airport experience without burdening her. Two items that have proven invaluable for her are a luggage scale and an Apple AirTag, as they address her biggest concerns of overpacking and losing her luggage.

So whether you're embarking on a tropical vacation or planning a European getaway, we rounded up 20 ingenious travel finds from Amazon. Our curation includes a beach hat clip that keeps your favorite sun hat from getting crushed in your luggage, foldable and travel-friendly slippers, and even a collapsible travel cup that conveniently slips into your bag once you finish your beverage. No matter the vibes of your upcoming adventure, there's certainly an item among our options that'll enhance your journey. Keep reading to shop the best travel products from Amazon, including options our editors and Mansel adore.

---

Experts Featured in This Article

Lydia Mansel is a travel journalist and the founder of the popular Substack newsletter Just Packed.