Travel

China said Tuesday it was expanding its visa-free transit policy, allowing Americans and other eligible foreign travelers to stay in parts of the country as long as 240 hours, or 10 days, as officials try to attract more overseas visitors.China’s National Immigration Agency announced the measure, which is effective immediately, on its WeChat account, saying passport holders from 54 countries are eligible. They include countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as the United States and Canada.Previously, travelers could stay in China visa-free for as long as 72 to 144 hours depending on where they visited, as long as they continued on to a third country or region.Travelers with confirmed tickets to exit China within 10 days can enter the country in 60 places across 24 provinces...

Seven foreign tourists were hospitalized in Fiji in a suspected case of alcohol poisoning at a luxury resort, Fijian and Australian officials said Monday.The guests, who according to local media included one American, were hospitalized after drinking cocktails at a bar at the five-star Warwick resort near the town of Sigatoka. The group also included four Australians and two unidentified foreign nationals.They were hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, The Associated Press reported, citing Fiji Health Ministry spokesperson Jemesa Tudravu. Two people remained hospitalized in stable condition on Monday, Fiji Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka was quoted as saying by the AP, while five others have been discharged.The cause of the guests’ illness was not immediately ...

Americans traveling to Europe next year may be in store for some bargains.That’s due to euro-U.S. dollar exchange rates. The euro has weakened against the U.S. dollar in recent weeks and is poised to fall further in 2025 and perhaps into 2026, economists said.“That’s a good thing for American tourists traveling abroad in Europe,” said Brendan McKenna, an international economist at Wells Fargo Economics. Their purchasing power could rise “pretty significantly,” he said.The euro has largely been stronger than the dollar for decades, making it pricier for travelers to buy goods and services denominated in euros.But anticipated policies under President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, such as tariffs, and other economic dynamics are expected to bolster the U.S. dollar and depre...

A Delta flight attendant slashed a co-worker and hotel security guard after a late night and early morning of heavy, “blacked out” drinking, officials said Wednesday.Joshua Smith, 36, remained locked up in a New Orleans jail on Wednesday and is facing one count of attempted second-degree murder and several other battery and assault charges stemming from the bloody Monday morning incident, authorities said.Smith and “several other coworkers were returning to their” riverfront hotel when he started bickering with the victim, New Orleans police said in a statement.“The victim escorted the suspect to his room at which time an argument ensued and the suspect cut the victim twice on the arm and once to the neck,” according to police. “The victim relocated to another floor of the hotel to seek...

With Thanksgiving holiday travel well underway, many have reached their destinations — but for everyone else, a storm tracking from the Rockies to the Midwest and Northeast into tomorrow will bring rain and snow, likely impacting flights and packed roads.Just shy of 3 million people are expected to be screened by TSA today, and a record 71.7 million are expected travel by car over Thanksgiving — over 1 million more than last year. The storm, already dropping snow over the Rockies Wednesday morning, is forecast to race east throughout today to the Midwest and Northeast through Thanksgiving.It'll bring rain that will intensify in the evening from St. Louis to Indianapolis and into Pittsburgh.Airports in Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis are expected to see impacts of that weather today, NBC ...

Turkey can go in your carry-on bag, but you’re gonna have to check the gravy.The most hectic travel days of the year are approaching, with the TSA expecting what may be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record. Those flying with food to bring to their Thanksgiving feast should know in advance which holiday favorites are permitted on flights.The last thing a traveler wants to hear after waiting on a lengthy airport security line is that their homemade cranberry sauce needs to be in a checked bag.“If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint,” the Transportation Security Administration officials said in a news release. “However, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag.”And what a...

Traveling for the holidays this year? The answer increasingly depends on your paycheck. Households earning at least six figures a year are expected to make up the largest share of holiday travelers this season — 45%, up from 38% in 2023, according to a recent survey by the consulting firm Deloitte. And they’re on track to make up a majority of paid lodging customers, expanding their ranks as hotel guests from 43% last season to 52% now.“Travelers are looking to invest in upgrades and experiences that will make the holiday memorable,” said Kate Ferrara, vice chair for U.S. transportation, hospitality and services at Deloitte.But that’s partly a reflection of who’s traveling in the first place. While richer people are expanding their footprint in the holiday travel mix, lower-paid ones ar...

Industrial action and winter weather — as well as the traditional kids bickering in the back seat — are set to make travel that little more tricky during a record holiday travel period this week Service workers at North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport walked off the job at 5 a.m. Monday, having voted to strike on Friday — adding to the tricky weather conditions facing much of the country during what is predicted to be the busiest holiday travel period on record.The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced the start of industrial action on Monday and said it planned to put an "end to poverty wages" and demand "respect on the job during the holiday travel season."The striking workers are ABM and Prospect Airport Services employees, whose tasks include clea...

Almost 80 million people will hit the roads and airways this Thanksgiving, with traveler numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the AAA predicts.Journeys of 50 miles or more will be made by 79.9 million people in the holiday period — an increase of 1.7 million from last year and 2 million more than in 2019. For the first time, the AAA's annual prediction includes the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving to better reflect people's traveling habits. "Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising," Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel said in a statement.The majority of trips, 71.7 million, will be by car, meaning 1.3 million more travelers will be on the road compared t...

Spirit Airlines said Monday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after struggling with losses, growing debt and a failed merger during the post-pandemic travel lull.The company said in a stock market statement that it had secured a prearranged deal with bondholders that includes $300 million in financing to keep it afloat, with the business planning to end its bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2025.Flight ticket sales and all other operations will continue as normal, the company said in the statement, which comes just 10 days before record numbers of travelers are expected to take to the skies over Thanksgiving.“I am pleased we have reached an agreement with a supermajority of both our loyalty and convertible bondholders on a comprehensive recapitalization of the Company, ...