Travel category, Page 11
Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelers
CONCORD, N.H. — Getting a big holiday meal on the table can be stressful for the cook (see “The Bear,” Season two, Episode six.) But for guests, just getting to the table also can be difficult, and there’s no Butterball hotline for harried travelers. The number of people traveling 50...
Millennial Money: These Airbnb horror stories can teach you what to watch for
Many frequent travelers carry tales of delayed flights and disappointing hotel rooms. Yet Airbnb “horror stories” are a genre all their own. Videos with the tag #AirbnbHorrorStory have more than 63 million views on TikTok, featuring guests venting about unclean properties and last-minute cancellations leaving them stranded. The website Airbnbhell...
History and mystery merge at former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville
Explore a Gothic-style fortress, prehistoric burial ground and more with a daycation trip to Moundsville, W.Va. Sitting about 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, Moundsville is tucked along the Ohio River in Marshall County. First settled in 1771 by James and Samuel Tomlinson of England and originally known as Grave Creek,...
Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, U.S. cities are considering bans
CHICAGO — Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and into the crosswalk. The car was moving slowly...
Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers at 18 casinos could go on strike this month
LAS VEGAS — Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers set a deadline Thursday for a sweeping strike, threatening major disruptions to the city’s economic backbone that could coincide with the Strip’s inaugural Formula 1 races later this month. The Culinary Workers Union said about 35,000 members whose contracts...
Why travelers expecting sticker shock could see sweet relief instead
Dining out is more expensive than ever. The cost of gas is rising again. And the price of travel — including airfare and hotels — has kept pace. Right? Not exactly. Airfare costs declined by 13% between September 2022 and September 2023, according to September 2023 Consumer Price Index data...
Exploring Colorado’s Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world
MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Spencer Christensen is conflicted when he talks about Colorado’s Grand Mesa. “As a person who likes the Grand Mesa for personal reasons, I want it to be kept secret,” he said. “But as a business owner who has the Grand Mesa Lodge, it’s just the opposite....
United Airlines rolling out plan that lets passengers in economy class with window seats board first
United Airlines says that it will start boarding passengers in economy class with window seats first starting next week, a move that will speed up boarding times for flights. The airline said in an internal memo that it will implement the plan on Oct. 26. The plan, known as WILMA,...
Major airlines suspend flights to Israel after massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting
NEW YORK — Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American...
Chicago woman, 104, skydives from plane, aiming for record as the world’s oldest skydiverVideo
OTTAWA, Ill. — A 104-year-old Chicago woman is hoping to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive after making a tandem jump Sunday and landing 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) later at a northern Illinois airport. “Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after...
Fall foliage: There are plenty of Western Pennsylvania options for the season’s splendor
Fall brings pumpkin spice everything, a “Gilmore Girls” binge or two, knit beanie caps and, of course, an abundance of photos of the one thing Pennsylvania is never short of — fall foliage. A fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains, a promotional site for the Smoky Mountains region,...
Disney pouring $60B into theme parks, cruises over the next 10 years
The Walt Disney Co. is planning to invest approximately $60 billion into its theme parks and cruise lines over the next decade, as the company looks to continue growing one of its more successful business segments. The company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that the planned investment is...
Spirit Airlines to add daily flights between Pittsburgh and Miami
Pittsburghers will soon have another travel option to get to South Florida. Spirit Airlines said Monday that it will begin new nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Miami International Airport on Nov. 15 The low-cost carrier will offer daily flights leaving Pittsburgh at 11:29 a.m. and arriving in Miami...
An equipment outage holds up United flights, but the airline and FAA say they’re resuming
United Airlines departures have resumed after being halted nationwide for a brief time Tuesday because of a technology outage. Federal officials said that United crews had been unable to contact airline dispatchers through normal means. “United asked the FAA to pause the airline’s departures nationwide,” the Federal Aviation Administration said...
Squeezing in one last summer trip over Labor Day weekend? Expect crowded airports and full flights
DALLAS — By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the prime vacation season: Labor Day weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend...
Canada issues U.S. travel advisory warning LGBTQ+ community about laws that may affect them
TORONTO — Canada this week updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning members of the LGBTQ+ community that some American states have enacted laws that may affect them. The country’s Global Affairs department did not specify which states, but is advising travelers to check the local laws for their...
Some U.S. airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia
PHOENIX — Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, for a solo flight from Arizona to Oklahoma to visit family. She worries about travelers and airport officials misinterpreting his forgetfulness or habit of getting in people’s personal space, and feels guilty about not being...
American Airlines fined $4.1 million for dozens of long tarmac delays that trapped passengers
DALLAS — The federal government is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for dozens of instances in which passengers were kept on board planes without a chance to exit during long ground delays. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday it is the largest such fine against an airline since rules...
Temporary Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh flight coming this winter
Though just a bit over two hours away by car, Alaska Airlines soon will be offering a flight from Cleveland to Pittsburgh this winter. The daily, afternoon flight only travels one way from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. According to the Alaska Airlines website, tickets start as low as $129. The Seattle-based...
Airlines are adding new routes and making a bold bet on continued strong demand for travel
FORT WORTH, Texas — Building on strong bookings this summer, American Airlines said Thursday it will add three new European destinations next summer and revive another international route that it last flew in 2019. The announcement comes one day after Delta Air Lines said it will expand service to China...
NYC outdoor dining sheds were a celebrated pandemic-era innovation. Now, there’s a new set of rules
NEW YORK — Outdoor dining was a part of the pandemic that many people actually liked — made possible by streetside dining sheds that popped up around New York City and allowed many restaurants to stay in business when they couldn’t have diners inside. Some sheds were simple — wooden...
Southwest Airlines promised better performance after meltdown. Has it delivered?
DALLAS — More than half a year has elapsed since Southwest Airlines ’ December meltdown displaced thousands of passengers and canceled flights for days across the country during the holidays. The airline promised passengers that it has put measures in place so something of this magnitude wouldn’t happen again. Southwest...
How Hawaiian wildfires might affect travelers from Western Pa.
Massive wildfires in the Hawaiian Islands have brought devastation and will continue to hurt the Aloha State, as the fires are sure to damage Hawaii’s tourism economy, its biggest source of revenue, said Pittsburgh-area travel agents. Officials confirmed Friday that at least 80 people have been killed in massive fires...
FAA warns of safety hazard from overheating engine housing on Boeing Max jets during anti-icing
U.S. regulators are warning airlines to limit the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air to avoid overheating engine-housing parts, which could cause them to break away from the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration says the risk to the flying public is serious enough...
Daycation: Experience exotic animals at Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo in West Virginia
Walk on the wild side with a Daycation Destination to Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo in Kingwood, W.Va. Brenna Yokum was excited to view and interact with exotic furry and feathered animals during her inaugural zoo visit in July. “I’m enjoying everything. My boyfriend and I are animal enthusiasts and we’re like...
