More cheese, NYC? Pick & Cheese from London is coming to NYC next year to the new food hall within the old Lord & Taylor store on Fifth Avenue. It will be called Shaver Hall, and while the cheese venue won’t yet be there, the hall itself will open this December 1st. This concept involves a conveyor belt of different kinds of artisanal cheese. Hmmm… Anyone been to the one in London?
The U.S. passport loses power. According to the Henley Passport Index, the U.S. passport is no longer in the top 10 in the world – for the first time ever. What’s #1? Singapore.
Travelers to Europe, watch for new scams! After several postponements, the new European Union EES entry and exit system went into effect this month. Unfortunately, scammers are pretending to offer it to travelers. ALWAYS go to the official website – never a third-party one.
New train service in New York. Metro North trains will run between Albany and Grand Central Station for the first time by spring 2026.
Louvre heist arrests. By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the priceless jewels that were stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre because of surveillance blind spots. Well, authorities have made a whopping seven arrests, but so far, the jewels have not been recovered.
Two tourists fall to their death. First, a Japanese tourist was visiting the Pantheon in Rome when he said he wasn’t feeling well. Then, he apparently lost his balance and fell. A British tourist fell from a hotel balcony in the Canary Islands when the railing broke. I have now made a mental note to never lean against a railing anywhere.
Natural disasters. There has been no shortage of natural disasters around the world. Horrible flooding in Alaska and Hurricane Melissa, devastating Jamaica and Cuba, are two of the biggest headliners of the month. Some homes in coastal North Carolina also collapsed.
Madagascar coup. I was supposed to visit Madagascar earlier this month, but protests began against the government. Then, the government began viewing the protesters as enemies of the state with the intention to shoot them. Some protesters were indeed killed. THEN, the president fled the country, and the military took over the government for the time being. Unfortunately, I had to cancel the trip.
Poisoned drinks. Not long ago, I reported about the death of a tourist who had a tainted drink while traveling. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued warnings of alcoholic drinks laced with methanol in Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, and Uganda. Be careful out there!
Airline and Airport News
Beware of Delta’s new rule! From now on when you check in at the airport, you will need to present the physical credit card you used to purchase your flight. If not, you might have to pay again. No foolin’! This has been the case with some foreign airlines for a while, but the fact that Delta is now adding this security measure probably means other U.S. airlines will follow suit.
Yet another tarmac airplane collision. On October 27th, a United Airlines jet clipped a stationery jet on the tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The stationery jet contained no passengers, while the one in motion was taxiing to its arrival gate with 118 total passengers and crew members on board. No one was hurt.
Bed bugs in the air? Yep, that’s what happened to a passenger on Air India earlier this month. A light and bed bugs fell on the passenger, and the airline only offered $116 in compensation. Grrr… I’d ask you if you think that’s fair, but I think I know what your answer would be.
Pittsburgh’s renovated airport. The new terminal at PIT is set to open early next month. It took more than ten years and $1.7 billion to construct. if anyone checks it out soon, please report back!
Private jet service without the privacy? I’m not yet sure what to think about this, but a new Florida-based airline called Magnifica Air is planning a private jet-“style” service sometime next year with fewer seats, all of which will have leather lie-flat abilities. There will be private suites, a bar on board, a private terminal without long security lines, and a chauffeur to wait for you after you land. No word on how much this will set you back, but I’m sure it will be plenty of $. It will start in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, and sometimes to the Caribbean and Napa Valley. If I ever have the chance to sample it, I’m here for it!
Delta Air Lines sues Marriott. Canada had a chain of hotels named “Delta” that Marriott acquired in 2015 and then expanded into the U.S. The airline is saying that the hotels dilute the Delta Air Lines brand. I have to admit I thought these hotels were indeed affiliated with the airline, so I think they have a good case against Marriott.
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.
Great column!!!
Thank you!