The world’s busiest airport? According to Airports Council International (ACI) World, it’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which also won that “honor” last year.
More potential tourist taxes. This time, it’s Norway. A bill is being considered that would add a 3% tourist tax on hotels, Airbnbs, and campsites.
Advice: don’t convert currency to USD! When you pay for something with a credit card in another country, DO NOT choose to pay in U.S. dollars. If you do, the merchant can choose a higher conversion rate, which means you will end up paying more. ALWAYS choose to pay in the local currency (especially if your credit card doesn’t charge you for conversions), and if your hotel or restaurant has automatically converted your bill, ask them to change it.
Power outage. A massive power outage in Spain and Portugal on Monday is mostly over now. But hospitals had to operate via generator, and public transportation ceased, while streetlights were also out.
CitizenM hotels. Marriott has bought out citizenM hotels, which has 36 properties across the globe.
A selfie-free zone? That’s what Barcelona is doing at Sagrada Familia to curb the number of tourists and influencers taking selfies in front of the Gaudi landmark.
Free in-flight WiFi? Yes! Starting next year, WiFi will be free on 90% of American Airlines’ fleet. This is thanks to a partnership with AT&T.
In other American Airlines news… The airline is changing its boarding groups. Read the details here.
Delta Air Lines news. Starting this summer, Delta will swap its 757s for Boeing 767-300ER on flights between Atlanta and Anchorage, and this route will become year-round.
Delta plane fire. Speaking of Delta, one of its planes caught fire at Orlando airport on April 21st before leaving for Atlanta. No one was hurt, but the plane had to be evacuated via slides.
United Airlines news. To avoid drunk passengers, United is instituting a new “huddle process” as of May 1st. If two flight attendants observe signs of intoxication in a passenger, they’ll huddle with the rest of the inflight team to decide if the person should be removed and denied boarding.
JetBlue and Japan Airlines. TrueBlue points can now be redeemed for flights with Japan Airlines! I highly recommend visiting Japan. It’s one of my favorite places on earth.
Tahiti, anyone? If you’re traveling with children, you can bring two up to age 11 for almost free (just pay the taxes). This holds only from Sea-Tac Airport or LAX to Tahiti on Air Tahiti, and you have to book direct or with a travel agent on or before 12/31/25.
Pan Am-themed hotel. As part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, the retro-style hotel will open at the Citadel Outlets in Los Angeles in the middle of 2026.
Guaranteed late check-in? Is this too good to be true? Well, sort of. Hilton will roll this out next year. It will cost $40-$60 and can be confirmed up to 72 hours before arrival. We still don’t know how late guests will be allowed to stay, but that might depend on availability. Reports say that 10-20 rooms will be allotted for this, depending on the size of the property.
German teens deported. Two teenagers arriving in Hawaii from Germany were denied entry into the U.S. allegedly because they didn’t already have a hotel reservation.
What’s happenin’ at the Pyramids? Like so many places on the planet, Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza are suffering from overcrowding. So the Egyptian government has launched a $51 million plan, but so far, it’s causing more problems. Camel tour operators protested the alternative access point and say the entrance is too far away, but authorities are threatening to ban any operators who refuse to move to the new area. Hopefully, they’ll be able to iron out these problems.
Cruise illnesses. Norovirus isn’t the only thing that can go around on a cruise ship. A Viking ship in Canada just had more than 30 passengers come down with an unidentified gastrointestinal illness.
Airbnb news. While I’m not a fan of the platform due to all the horror stories I’ve read, they’re making a slight change for the better: fees will be included now for total pricing transparency.
Airport lounge news! I’m excited about this one. The new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX is now open to Priority Pass members. The catch is that it will require a $35 top-up fee, but sounds worth it to me.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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