Travel

Emily Reeve and her husband usually spend Thanksgiving in Hawaii, Florida or Disneyland, but not this year.“I have a toddler now and I’m worried about being in a potentially volatile situation should we be traveling post-election,” said Reeve, 32.The couple doesn’t have family near their home in Portland, Oregon, so they like to skip town for the November holiday. But they say they’re staying put this time to avoid getting caught in an airport or a popular destination “and suddenly facing riots or looting, etc., because the people in the area aren’t happy with the election outcome.”Anxiety around the 2024 vote is causing some consumers to rethink where, when and with whom to travel, industry experts and travel agents say. Federal authorities, meanwhile, say their security procedures are...

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced a $50 million fine against American Airlines for its alleged mistreatment of passengers with disabilities, which the department said in some cases caused injuries.The fine is 25 times larger than the any other fine by the department for disability related violations, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a conference call with reporters.The airline between 2019 and 2023 “provided unsafe and undignified physical assistance to passengers on a number of occasions that, at times, resulted in injuries,” Buttigieg said.“They repeatedly failed to provide prompt wheelchair assistance, and they damaged thousands of passengers’ wheelchairs, which left passengers without the device they need to live their life fully,” he said.A...

The Vessel, the honeycomb-shaped tower in Manhattan which closed in 2021 after a series of suicides, reopened Monday with added safety features.The 150-foot attraction first opened in 2019 as the centerpiece of the Hudson Yards development on the West Side. It was a popular tourist destination, thanks to its zigzagging stairs and Hudson River views, but four suicides over 18 months forced its closure. The Vessel remained indefinitely closed to the public while owners worked to address the significant safety concerns highlighted by the deaths, NBC New York reported. Among the measures: Four stairwells and their adjoining platforms have been fitted with steel mesh barriers designed to preserve the structure’s appearance and views. Visitor Angelina Fiorini told NBC New York on Friday that ...

It's unclear whether the idea will take flight. But back on the ground, one airport in New Zealand is implementing a maximum time just three minutes for loved ones to say goodbye to their relatives with a hug. “It’s hard to say goodbye so make it quick. 3 minutes max,” one of a series of signs at Dunedin Airport on the country's South Island says. “Max hug time three minutes” another reads. Those seeking “fonder farewells” should “use the car park” where a generous 15-minute window is allowed, a third says. Dan De Bono, the airport's CEO has said that that lighthearted approach is aimed at keeping the traffic into the terminal flowing smoothly. “We’re trying to have fun with it. It is an airport and those drop off locations are common locations for farewells” he told Radio New Zealand...

Germany’s flagship airline has been fined $4 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation over allegations it discriminated against a group of Jewish passengers.The regulator said Tuesday that Lufthansa had prohibited 128 people wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing from boarding for a connecting flight in Germany as they made their way from New York City to Budapest, Hungary, in May 2022.“Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers,” DOT said, Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many of the passengers not knowing each other nor traveling together.Some individuals in the group allegedly violated the airline’s mask policy. Video of the incident at the time showed Lufthansa staff telling passengers that “eve...

The Tropicana itself spent much of its life targeting middle-class guests. One of the first luxury properties on the Strip, the casino’s ties to organized crime and a shifting competitive landscape brought that flashy era to an end. It was sold to Ramada in 1979 and, despite ownership changes, was operated as a budget-friendly resort until it closed.Now, as Las Vegas visitors demand more high-end experiences, the city is competing less directly with longtime gambling hubs such as Atlantic City, New Jersey, or Laughlin, Nevada, some 90 miles south of Sin City, Belarmino said. Instead, “our guests are telling us they consider us at the same time they’re considering San Francisco and New York, which makes us a value in comparison to those types of destinations,” she said.Those $20 nights a...

A Turkish Airlines pilot died mid-flight, forcing the co-pilot into an emergency landing in New York City on Wednesday morning, authorities said.Flight 8JK landed safely shortly before 6 a.m at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to an FAA statement.Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, "fainted during the flight" and when "medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective," the co-pilot opted to land, according to a statement from Turkish Airlines.Unfortunately, "our captain lost his life before landing," according to the airline. Pehlivan bad been with the airline since 2007.The Airbus A350 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7:02 p.m. PT on Tuesday, according to the tracking service FlightAware, and was headed to Istanbul before the emergency unfo...

October was supposed to be Gianna Carson’s busiest month of the year. Instead, she estimates she’s lost upward of $15,000 since Hurricane Helene hit her Bryson City, North Carolina, bakery and vacation rental a week ago.Now, in addition to the number of bakeshop transactions plummeting from 300 a day to around 50, she said she’s “experiencing mass cancellations” at her guesthouse as tourists who usually flock to the area for its rich autumn colors think twice about coming.Some local authorities have urged visitors to stay away as responders assess the casualties and repair critical infrastructure, including washed-out roads. But many small-business owners who were spared severe destruction in Swain County — nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, where tourism brings the state more than $...

Travelers have been crowding into airports in record numbers this year — including on four legs and leashes.Tom Carpenter and his wife travel with their Havanese dog whenever they can. “His day care would be $350 for a 10-day trip, so paying hotel fees and $100 each way to take him on a plane is worth it,” the 67-year-old Anacortes, Washington, resident said. “Plus, Mori hates being left alone.”The Carpenters are among the many pet owners who are getting more comfortable bringing their animals on their journeys, adding to the broader demand for pet-related services far afield of veterinarian offices.Tom Carpenter’s dog, Mori.Tom Carpenter“I saw an uptick in people traveling with their pets early in 2024,” said Heather Eisenstadt, founder of Top Dog Pet Travel, a central Florida agency s...

Boeing workers went on strike Friday, the latest disturbance in what has proven a devastating year for the American aircraft manufacturer.But it is not clear whether the labor stoppage will have an impact for the flying public, although there are concerns about a potential effect on air travel next summer. U.S. carriers that rely heavily on Boeing planes include Southwest, United and Alaska Airlines. In a statement, Southwest said its operations were unlikely to be affected in the short-term by any production delays Boeing may end up suffering. “Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines took steps to address potential delivery disruptions," the carrier said. "As a result, we currently have the fleet needed to fulfill our upcoming schedules. We remain in close communication with Boeing.”So...