Le Journal

I've found some helpful tips for traveling with a group.Amanda ShammasI went on a trip to Europe with friends, and we made a few mistakes along the way.We should've tracked expenses during the trip instead of sorting out bank statements afterward.It would've been smart to communicate what we were packing to avoid showing up with the same items.You really learn a lot about people when you travel with them. A trip can bring out the best — or the most chaotic — sides of everyone involved, so if it's not planned right, things can go off the rails.I was reminded of this recently on a trip to Scotland with friends, where I realized that so much of the experience starts long before the plane takes off.From planning and packing to navigating new cities and making group decisions, every step of the journey takes patience, flexibility, and good communication.Still, despite the stress, traveling together is one of the most rewarding ways to bond. When it's done right, those shared challenges and spontaneous moments can create memories that last a lifetime.Here are five things I would've done differently on a recent trip with friends.Planning out logistics beforehand would've made everything run smoother.Amanda ShammasEarly in the planning process, we started a shared PowerPoint to outline an itinerary and list everyone's interests. However, we didn't consistently update it, so by the time we left, it was only a partial list without details or scheduling.As a result, many decisions were made on the spot — calling places from our Airbnb to make reservations or scrambling to buy tickets to Edinburgh Castle, which were sold out for two days in advance.Next time, I'd use a shared document or spreadsheet to list everyone's top three priorities, then map out out logistics and secure reservations and tickets to any must-see places.I wish we had talked about a budget and set expectations early.Amanda ShammasTraveling with others means navigating different budgets, interests, and priorities.Some people may prefer spending money on rideshares for convenience, while others may want to splurge on fancy dinners or souvenirs.For this trip, it wasn't that we didn't discuss this — it's just that we only did it once we got to Scotland.Setting a budget and expectations in advance would have made a significant difference and saved us from spending vacation time figuring out how to allocate our money.We should've communicated a packing list so we didn't show up with the same items.Amanda ShammasWhen we all arrived at the Airbnb, we took inventory — three hairdryers, three curling irons, and so on. It turned out we were fully equipped to style the hair of all of Scotland.Although we had plenty of tools to go around, it wasn't really necessary. For shareable items like these, it would've been smart to coordinate ahead of time about who's bringing what.That way, we could've avoided duplicates and freed up packing space for other items.It would've been smart to delegate responsibilities.Amanda ShammasThinking about it now, it would've been helpful to delegate responsibilities and have each person in the group take charge of something.For example, one person could have been in charge of ordering Ubers, and another could've put their card down for dinners. This also works for non-monetary roles, such as having a designated picture taker or someone in charge of all navigation.It takes the pressure off moments when someone needs to step up, keeps things running smoothly, and makes tracking expenses a lot easier.Tracking expenses in real time would've made splitting costs way easier.Amanda ShammasAfter the trip, my friends and I all had to comb through our bank statements to split shared costs and figure out who owed what.It quickly became confusing — international charges were appearing under different names, addresses, and numbers,…

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary at Wednesday's press conference.Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty ImagesRyanair is embracing its feud with Elon Musk.CEO Michael O'Leary said the airline is hand-delivering Musk an airline ticket.O'Leary and Musk have called each other idiots in a quarrel over Starlink.Ryanair is relishing its feud with Elon Musk.The Irish airline is hand-delivering a free ticket to X's Dublin office for Musk, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said in a Wednesday press conference.Ryanair has taken advantage of the feud by launching a "Big 'Idiot' Sale" with 100,000 tickets starting at £16.99, or about $23.Musk and O'Leary, arguably the world's most outspoken businessmen, have called each other idiots in a weeklong feud over Starlink in-flight WiFi."I've included myself and him in this 'Big Idiot' seat sale," O'Leary said Wednesday, referring to an ad that shows the pair brawling."I suspect he's a bigger idiot than me, but nevertheless, he probably thinks I'm a bigger idiot than him."After trading insults over the past days, Musk posted a poll on X on Monday asking if he should buy Ryanair and install a CEO named Ryan. About three-quarters of the roughly 950,000 voters said yes.However, European Union rules say that the bloc's airlines must be at least 50% owned by EU nationals.O'Leary has also been known to make provocative statements to help promote his airline.After Musk compared O'Leary to a chimpanzee on Tuesday, the Ryanair boss responded at the press conference, saying: "I think it's somewhat unfair on the chimp community. But chimp chump, as long as it increases Ryanair bookings through January, February, and March, it's all good fun and entertainment.""It is very good for our bookings," O'Leary also said. "We love these PR spats that drive bookings on Ryanair."The quarrel started last Wednesday after O'Leary told Reuters he wouldn't join other airlines installing Starlink. The following day, he told the Irish radio station Newstalk that it would cost the airline up to $250 million because adding the terminal to a plane would affect its aerodynamics and increase fuel costs.He said this would amount to a 2% increase, but a SpaceX executive said in an X post that it was actually 0.2%.As a budget airline, Ryanair focuses on keeping costs as low as possible to offer cheaper airfares. It turns a profit by keeping its planes flying frequently with low turnaround times at airports, and selling extras, including scratchcards.Plus, it only flies short-haul routes, so O'Leary doesn't think passengers would be too interested in in-flight WiFi."If it results in a fuel drag, it is something we would never go near," he added on Wednesday.However, in the press conference, he also called Starlink a "terrific system."O'Leary said the airline is continuing discussions with Starlink and other providers, including Amazon, but it would adopt in-flight WiFi "only in a way where it will lower our costs."Read the original article on Business Insider