NEED TO KNOW

Clear sailing through security

Yearning for a quicker trip through security at LAX? By paying a membership fee of $128 a year, Delta Air Lines fliers may soon be on their way. Next month, Delta plans to become the first carrier at the airport to offer a program that provides members with special access and concierges to escort them through the security process. Dubbed Clear, it will be run by Verified Identity Pass Inc., one of several vendors authorized by the U.S. government to operate so-called registered traveler programs. The Clear version is already active in 18 airports, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. At LAX, details were still being worked out. For updates, visit www.flyclear.com/delta.

-- Jane Engle

Pack ‘n’ play

Eventually, the entire world will be made of plastic. To that end, check out the first ride-on suitcase for kids, the Trunki -- a triumph of toys, travel and polypropylene. This light, rugged little suitcase is half toy, half suitcase. Your kids can pull it through airports or grab hold of the horns and push themselves along as if on a scooter. Our 5-year-old was so proud of having his own luggage that he packed it himself and wheeled it across parking lots and to the hotel room. His mother found the latches stiff and difficult to use, yet it made enough of a difference in our load of luggage to make it worthwhile. $45 from Magmatic Ltd., (888) 873-6395, www.trunki.net.

-- Chris Erskine

Lofty experience

You’re hip, you’re fun, you like your iPod and you like to feel at home even when you’re not. If that’s you, Aloft hotels may be just the ticket. Starwood’s newest brand opened its second Aloft hotel, this one in Rancho Cucamonga, off Interstate 10 at Haven Avenue, about three miles from Ontario International Airport. The first opened earlier this month in Montreal. More are expected later this year, including hotels in Chicago, Minneapolis, Beijing and Rogers, Ark. Rates start at about $139 (with taxes, $152) for a room, which measures about 315 square feet, with a king bed (that’s the Montreal property pictured above, but Rancho is its duplicate). Visitors get a 42-inch flat-screen TV and high-speed Internet access. The hotel’s lobby is designed to be a gathering place and includes the w xyz bar. Info: (909) 484-2018, www.alofthotels.com. Address: 10480 4th St., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

-- Catharine Hamm

Lake exploration

Rising water levels at Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona line comes as a boon to boaters, who will be able to explore hidden coves and canyons that were inaccessible in recent years. Castle Rock Cut, above, a 12-mile shortcut leading north from Wahweap Marina, reopened recently for the first time in five years. The news is not so good, however, for some outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists who hoped that water recession would expose features submerged when the lake was created, such as Cathedral in the Desert on the Escalante River, an up-lake tributary. About 100 miles north of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell is actually a reservoir on the Colorado River.

-- Susan Spano

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For more, go to the Daily Travel & Deal Blog at latimes.com/travelblog.