More cruise ship bans. The city of Nice, France is banning cruise ships that carry more than 900 passengers. Overtourism is becoming a major problem, especially in popular European destinations.
Venice increases tourist fees. Venice is on the forefront of the overtourism fight. It’s city access fee is now being increased from 5 to 10 Euros for daytrippers who aren’t staying the night. It applies only from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and it’s in effect only on certain days during high season, which include Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through July 27th.
If you’re planning on making a day trip, you can book at least four days ahead of time and pay only 5 Euros. People with disabilities who have a disability card and children under the age of 14 don’t have to pay the fee. If you aren’t exempt, you have to pay the fee before entering Venice. Otherwise, you’ll incur a hefty fine. Use the Venezia Unica website to pay in advance.
Seattle plane collision. Early this month, a Japan Airlines plane and Delta plane collided in Seattle on the tarmac. No one was injured, but these incidents lately, including the fatal airplane and helicopter collision in Washington, D.C., give us pause.
Air New Zealand sleep pods. In coach? Yes! Sleep pods called “Skynest” (different from “Skycouch”) will be launched by Air New Zealand in economy for long flights in 2026, first on Boeing 787 Dreamliners from New York to Auckland. They’re like bunk beds, and you book them for four-hour nap sessions. They do come with a pillow, sheets, blanket, and privacy curtain. Prices are supposed to be $400-$600. Better than nothing, I guess?
JetBlue TrueBlue changes. Now, you can book Blue Basic seats using TrueBlue points. Some short flights cost as few as 700 points, considerably less than the other types of seats. Nice one, JetBlue.
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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