Natalie B. Compton

Washington, D.C., United States

Travel Reporter and Columnist at The Washington Post

Columnist at By The Way Newsletter

Travel reporter & columnist at the @washingtonpost. On Instagram @natbco. On Substack @ https://t.co/98C7Y4Hi2P

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Articles

Flight deal experts spot a surprise upcharge: Flying solo

6 days ago | washingtonpost.com | Natalie B. Compton

Flight deal experts spot a surprise upcharge: Flying solo (washingtonpost.com) Flight deal experts spot a surprise upcharge: Flying solo By Natalie B. Compton 2025053113001100 Deciphering airfares often feels like a puzzle, and travel experts have revealed a new layer: airlines appear to be charging individual passengers more than groups for seats on identical flights.
Flight deal experts spot a surprise upcharge: Flying solo

6 days ago | flipboard.com | Natalie B. Compton

11 hours agoKATHMANDU, Nepal—Four men left London’s Heathrow Airport for Nepal on a May afternoon. Within five days, they were atop Mount Everest, the 29,000-foot peak where an ascent typically takes weeks of acclimatization and bursts of climbing punctuated by rest. Instead, the four British army veterans …
How to get an A at TSA

2 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Natalie B. Compton

There is something about going through airport security that brings out our inner teacher’s pet. Maybe it’s not wanting to be scolded by an authority figure in front of our peers. Or perhaps it’s wanting to prove this isn’t our first rodeo. Or could it be some survival-of-the-fittest instincts telling us to win an imaginary competition against our fellow travelers?
How to get an A at TSA

2 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Natalie B. Compton

How to get an A at TSA (washingtonpost.com) How to get an A at TSA By Natalie B. Compton 2025052110004800 There is something about going through airport security that brings out our inner teacher's pet. Maybe it's not wanting to be scolded by an authority figure in front of our peers. Or perhaps it's wanting to prove this isn't our first rodeo.
How to get an A at TSA

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Natalie B. Compton

Emma Watson’s Airport Outfit Features a Security-Friendly Shoe But Very Impractical Skirt for the PlaneThere are some celebrities who you seem to see all the time. Not in real life, of course (that is unless you're fortunate enough to share a postcode …
5 European countries for cheaper summer travel

2 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Natalie B. Compton

Americans are bracing for an expensive summer, and travelers are adjusting their vacations accordingly. Over the past couple months, travel planner Melanie Rodriguez has had multiple clients cancel trips because of budget concerns. Maybe a “White Lotus” Sicily kind of trip is out, but “there are ways to still travel to Europe if you want to be more budget conscious,” said Kelly Greer, a travel agent in Pittsburgh.
5 European countries for cheaper summer travel

3 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Natalie B. Compton

5 European countries for cheaper summer travel (washingtonpost.com) 5 European countries for cheaper summer travel By Natalie B. Compton 2025051517420100 Americans are bracing for an expensive summer, and travelers are adjusting their vacations accordingly. Over the past couple of months, travel planner Melanie Rodriguez has had multiple clients cancel trips because of budget concerns.
El Salvador wants America’s prisoners. And its tourists.

4 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Natalie B. Compton

El Salvador wants America’s prisoners. And its tourists. (washingtonpost.com) El Salvador wants America’s prisoners. And its tourists. By Natalie B. Compton 2025050811454600 EL SUNZAL, El Salvador — The scene outside Laola Surf Camp was Instagram-perfect. A towering palm tree leaned over the black-sand beach. Surfers paddled out to catch breaking waves. Families on Easter break sat under colorful umbrellas.
We asked: What’s this SSSS on my boarding pass?

1 month ago | eu.detroitnews.com | Natalie B. Compton

TRAVELNatalie B. ComptonWashington PostView Comments Ahead of my recent return flight from Central America, I wasn’t able to check in online for my trip, while my husband could. That meant arriving even earlier for our 6 a.m. departure so I could report to the airline customer service counter. After handing over my passport, the agent returned it with my boarding pass. At the bottom of the paper ticket: SSSS. The agent said I’d have to do an extra security screening before boarding.
We asked: What’s this SSSS on my boarding pass?

1 month ago | postguam.com | Natalie B. Compton

Ahead of my recent return flight from Central America, I wasn’t able to check in online for my trip, while my husband could. That meant arriving even earlier for our 6 a.m. departure so I could report to the airline customer service counter. After handing over my passport, the agent returned it with my boarding pass. At the bottom of the paper ticket: SSSS. The agent said I’d have to do an extra security screening before boarding.