How To Get TSA PreCheck & Breeze Through Your Summer Travel Plans

Pecan Lodge

If you're in Deep Ellum and see a line of people waiting outside of a restaurant, then you've probably come across Pecan Lodge. This barbeque restaurant is a fast-casual style establishment where you place your order and wait for your number to be called. On the menu, you'll find a number of smoked meats, sides, and other southern comfort foods. I'd highly recommend the smoked turkey, brisket, and pulled pork, but they also have burnt ends, beef ribs, pork ribs, and hand-made sausage available. For sides, you'll find classic macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, collard greens, fried okra, potato salad, and pinto beans. For an award-winning barbeque restaurant, the portions are quite big for the price and there are plates if you're looking for something more hearty.

Terry Black's BBQ

While you're in Dallas, you'll want to be sure to stop by Terry Black's BBQ for signature Texas barbecue. The popular joint is known to run out of certain meats later in the day so you'll want to be sure to arrive early to ensure you get what you're craving. On the menu, restaurant goers will find a variety of meats by the pound — sliced brisket, pork ribs, turkey, chopped beef, sausage, jalapeno sausage, and beef ribs. For sides, there are a handful of options including mac and cheese, pinto beans, green beans, mexican rice, cream corn, baked potato salad, and coleslaw. There is a decent amount of seating inside the restaurant to enjoy your food fresh out of the kitchen or you can take it to go to eat at home or in your hotel room.

Lockhart Smokehouse

Located in the Bishop Arts District, Lockhart Smokehouse is a notable barbeque establishment that has some of the best southern comfort food in all of Dallas. Inside you'll find vibrant red seats and string lights to set the mood for the delicious meal you're about to eat. On the menu, you'll find juicy meats such as brisket, chicken, pork, ribs, and sausage and a handful of slides including baked beans, Lockhart slaw, blue cheese slaw, brisket deviled eggs, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese.

The Slow Bone

There's no better type of meat than that which slips right off the bone. The Slow Bone's dining room is open everyday between 11am and 3pm and serves up a variety of sandwiches and meats by the pound. Aside from the meat, The Slow Bone shines with its wide selection of sides — yes, they have macaroni and cheese and beans, but they also have others like braised greens, sweet potato pralines, brussel flower au gratin, roasted squash, squash casserole, fried okra, french fries, tater tots, and chili mac. If you're craving a sandwich, then you can't go wrong with any of their options, each of which are served on a toasted challah bun for a sweet and tangy finish.

Cattleack Barbeque

Open Wednesday-Friday, Cattleack Barbeque has served up some of the best types of BBQ in Dallas since 2013. Over the past decade, locals and visitors have enjoyed meats by the pound, sandwiches, platters, and sides all of which will leave your stomach happy. Similar to other establishments, the meats you'll find include brisket, beef rib, burnt ends, pork ribs, turkey, wagyu bologna, and whole hog pulled pork. For side options, there's burnt end beans, chili macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad, apple broccoli salad, Mexican street corn, dirty rice, and cornbread. Be sure to save room for dessert as you'll want to try the crack cake, banana pudding, and Oreo peanut butter cream pie.

The report's findings have shown that Sunday is actually the cheapest day to book flights, with travelers saving an average of 6% on domestic flights and as much as 17% on international flights compared to Mondays or Fridays.

Why exactly Sunday offers the most affordable airfare options could be due to two factors. First, recreational travel is typically booked on Fridays; meanwhile, travel for work is more popular on Mondays. These two days represent the most expensive days of the week to book a flight.

Sunday tends to be viewed as a day reserved for catching up on rest and gearing up for the week ahead. Perhaps that's why fewer people decide to fly on Sunday, and the lower demand leads to cheaper ticket prices.

However, it's important to note that the day of your actual flight departure also matters. Those flying domestically could save as much as 17% if they head out on a Saturday; meanwhile, international vacationers may save up to 15% if they leave on a Thursday.

And even though booking on a Sunday may be the most budget-friendly, departing on a Sunday is actually the most expensive.

Aside from what days to book and fly, Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks Report also debunked plenty of popular travel myths to help better inform passengers.

First, it's long been thought that summer is the most expensive season to travel, given the warmer weather. Contrary to popular belief, August is the cheapest month of the year to jet set. The chillier months of February and March turn out to be the most costly, possibly because people like to escape cold weather over mid-winter and spring break.

Next, many people think that booking flights as far in advance as possible is the best way to save on airfare costs. This isn't always the case, with the "sweet spot" for ticket-buying differing depending on whether you plan to travel within the States or abroad.

For instance, domestic travelers can save 25% when they book their flights from one to three months in advance as opposed to people who wait until the last minute. International travelers, on the other hand, may save up to 17% if they wait to book until 18 to 29 days before their intended departure, compared to three months or more in advance.

Finally, if you hate encountering delays or cancellations, you may want to book a morning flight, as the report suggests these departures are much less likely to be canceled.

After 9:00 p.m., the risk of flight cancellation is 57% higher, with flights between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. experiencing the lowest cancellation rate. Time of year may impact cancellation chances, too, as the months of August and September have just 1.2% cancellation rates.

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