Southwest is overhauling its most popular rewards perk — and it’s a lot to unpack. Starting on Jan. 1, the popular airline will be changing the terms of its Rapid Rewards program — a longtime favorite where travelers scored free flights using the Companion Pass. The pass was said to be one of the best … Read more
Southwest Airlines is sending passengers on more sunny escapes, adding 11 new international routes to popular vacation hotspots for Americans craving beaches and warm weather overseas. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium reveals the 11 fresh routes will roll out between November 2026 and June 2027. The expansion kicks off Nov. 1 with a brand-new … Read more
No tears for the mildly inconvenienced. Travel blogger Tomiko Harvey went viral after sharing her recent turbulent flight experience, where a fellow passenger asked if she would give up her aisle seat so she could sit next to her husband on a ten-hour flight — and cried for three hours when Harvey said “no.” In … Read more
A super commuter working in tech sales regularly travels by plane from Los Angeles to San Francisco just to get ready for work by 8:30 a.m. Angelique Khieu, 26, works a hybrid job and has to be in office three days a week. A viral TikTok video posted by Angelique Khieu shows her commuting from … Read more
An international flight scheduled to travel from Italy to Australia was abruptly canceled last week when a bedbug infestation was discovered in the cabin during an earlier flight, and the airline issued an apology for the incident. The grounding came after passengers on the nearly 17-hour Qantas journey from Perth to Rome reported being bitten … Read more
They have reached a higher elevation. Burbank is looking a little more like Beverly Hills these days. The airport’s shiny new terminal opened Tuesday with a surprise for the LA jet set: high-end Gucci handbags on display just past security, near Gate 7. The luxury goods, retailing for anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000, sat behind … Read more
The mystery of Amelia Earhart’s long-lost aircraft may finally be solved — as researchers believe searchers spent nearly nine decades looking in the wrong place. A 17-member team from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI) has launched a high-stakes expedition to Nikumaroro, a remote South Pacific atoll overrun by massive, three-foot land crabs. … Read more
On Friday, Oct. 9, severe turbulence hit New York-bound Avianca Flight 42. The Airbus A320 dropped 25,000 feet in a matter of minutes and at least nine people onboard were hospitalized. It’s not in your imagination: extreme turbulence is on the rise. But a handful of tech companies are developing ingenious technologies to help pilots … Read more
New Jersey Transit made sure this couple’s wedding plans stayed on track. A local bride’s dream nuptials were nearly derailed after she forgot her wedding dress on an NJ Transit train Thursday before boarding a plane out of Newark Liberty International Airport. But thanks to quick-thinking, fast-moving crew members, the lucky lady and her luxe … Read more
The cheapest time to scoop up low airfare has just been revealed. You can always count on the holidays to be two things — stressful and expensive. Those traveling to visit loved ones have most likely played the proverbial game of booking flights. Should you buy now or wait a week to see if fares … Read more
Basic is the new luxury. United Airlines has officially launched a cheaper first-class fare — and it’s pretty basic. The airline giant will offer passengers first-class status with its new “base” fare. Starting in the fall, the Chicago-based company will roll out three fare options for United First and United Business. The new choices — … Read more
A major international airport is facing mounting scrutiny after investigators released preliminary findings into a series of runway incidents and near-collisions. The incidents, which involved passenger aircraft, all occurred at Sydney Airport during the past three months. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released preliminary reports on Sept. 30. The incidents began July 27, when a Qantas … Read more
A guy enjoying a perk simply won’t fly. Sacrificing a first-class seat on a flight is now an enlightening litmus test for romantic relationships, revealing whether a fella is chivalrous or selfish, warns an insistent influencer. “A real man is going to switch seats with you,” said Madeline McAdam, a NYC-based content creator, arguing that gallant … Read more
Economy seats conjure images of minimal legroom, uncomfortable proximity to fellow passengers, and paltry snacks. However, not all economy seats are created equal, and experts say the experience can vary from tolerable to miserable depending on the airline. To identify the best of the basic, Travel + Leisure polled travelers and travel experts and voted … Read more
It took autonomous aviation to new heights…and lengths. A single-engine prop Cessna Caravan soared into the record books after becoming the first autonomous airplane to complete a cross-country flight across the US. “This journey across America offers a glimpse into a new era of aviation,” declared JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, in … Read more
It literally blew up in his face. A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight had to turn back partway across the ocean after a power bank reportedly belonging to the ex-CEO exploded midflight. The backfire occurred while KLM Flight 735 reportedly ferrying 322 passengers from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to the Caribbean Island of Curacao on … Read more
A grieving UK mother has labeled Ryanair “inhumane” after they refused to refund her canceled flight because her teen son passed away a day too early to qualify. “It was like a slap in the face,” Tina McDermont told Kennedy News while recalling the “disgusting” and “petty” move. The 45-year-old civil servant and her husband … Read more
Frightening footage captured the dramatic moment that passengers screamed in terror as the plane appeared to fall apart during a flight across Iran. The Sepehran Airlines flight had been slated to fly from Mashhad to Kermanshah on September 15, Jam Press reported. However, disaster struck shortly after takeoff, when the Boeing 737 suffered a mechanical … Read more
Common courtesy isn’t always plane and simple — especially at 30,000 feet. A New York City tourist is receiving death threats after asking a fellow airline passenger to help lift her heavy luggage into an overhead bin on a recent flight to Hawaii. Her request — and her seatmate’s alleged “rude as f*** response” — … Read more
She’s serving up airplane doos and don’t’s. Baby poop particles are the undetectable, undesirable condiments likely contaminating those pretzels, cookies and in-flight bites frequent flyers eat from their tray tables at 30,000 feet, cautions a cabin crew pro. “People change their kids diapers on those tray tables on airplanes; that’s why, as a flight attendant, I don’t … Read more