Editorial standards & disclosure

Last updated: July 10, 2026. This page applies to samtravelchick.com and to no other website.

What this publication is

Sam Travel Chick is an independent online journal in the travel and transportation space. It publishes long-form essays and practical systems about the logistics of travel — flight timing, connections, seat selection, packing, short-trip planning, and arrivals. It is written, edited, and published by Samantha “Sam” Hollis from Madison, Wisconsin. It is not a travel agency, does not sell or broker tickets or accommodation, and does not process bookings of any kind.

Accuracy and sourcing

Factual claims in our stories — statistics, regulations, health guidance, operational details — are checked against public and, wherever possible, official sources before publication: government transportation and statistical agencies, public health authorities, and comparable primary resources. Each article ends with a “Source notes” section listing the resources used, so readers can verify claims independently.

Where a story reflects the author's personal practice, preference, or opinion rather than a checkable fact, the text is written to make that distinction clear. We do not present opinion as fact, and we do not invent experiences: first-person claims describe things the author has actually done.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it. Substantive errors are corrected in the story itself with a note describing what changed; trivial typographical fixes are made silently. To report an error, use the contact form (choose “Correction to a story”) or email hello@samtravelchick.com. Correction reports are prioritized over all other mail.

Independence and brand neutrality

No airline, railway, booking platform, hotel, or travel product company has any editorial relationship with this journal. We do not accept press trips, free travel, payment for coverage, or content approval rights. As an editorial choice, our stories do not name or review individual airlines or carriers: the systems we publish are designed to work regardless of which company operates the flight, and our independence is easiest to demonstrate when we have nothing to gain from naming anyone.

Advertising and funding disclosure

This journal is funded by its readers and may display clearly-distinguishable third-party advertising served by advertising networks. Where advertising appears, it is visually separated from editorial content and labeled as advertising. Advertisers have no influence over what we write, do not see stories before publication, and cannot buy placement inside editorial text.

We do not publish sponsored posts, affiliate “best of” roundups, or paid product placements. If any commercial arrangement beyond standard display advertising is ever introduced, it will be disclosed on this page and at the point of use, before it goes live.

Images

Illustrations and photographs on this site are produced for this journal and are its property. They are illustrative editorial imagery: they depict situations described in the stories and are not photographs of, and do not depict, any identifiable company, airline, or product.

Drafting tools

Stories begin from the author's own travel notes and outlines. Software tools, including AI-assisted ones, may be used in drafting and editing, in the same way a spell-checker or a research database is used. Every published story is reviewed, fact-checked against the listed sources, and approved by the human publisher, who takes full responsibility for its contents.

What readers can expect

• Long-form, original writing — no scraped, spun, or syndicated content.
• Source notes on every story with links to primary resources.
• No clickbait: headlines describe what the story actually contains.
• A working contact page answered by a human.
• Clear separation between editorial content and any advertising.