Funicular crash in Portugal. On September 3rd, 16 people were killed when the Gloria funicular in Lisbon crashed. What a horrible tragedy.
Airport Wi-Fi alert. Scammers are creating bogus Wi-Fi networks to trick travelers into signing on and giving away their data. It’s best not to use airport Wi-Fi at all, but if you do, ALWAYS check the name of the legitimate network first.
Don’t vape in Singapore or India! These two countries have banned vaping, and Singapore is cracking down, even if you’re flying through the country on route to elsewhere. (You don’t want to fool with Singapore!)
Beach closures. Beaches in several states have had to close this summer due to bacterial contamination. These include beaches in New York, California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.
Which U.S. city has the most bed bugs? That dubious distinction goes to … Chicago according to Orkin.
New app requirement in Indonesia, including Bali. International visitors to many Indonesian airports, including Bali, must complete a form using a special app three days before departure. If you’re going to this part of the world, be sure to check this out ahead of time!
London transit strike. There is currently a transit worker strike in London that’s disrupting subway access. If you’re traveling there soon, check your options. Word is that a strike may also be coming in France.
VRBO crackdown. As of October 1st, VRBO will start charging hosts a 100% penalty for stranding guests. Yay! This is a great development for travelers.
New visa requirements in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visa applicants traveling to the U.S. must now schedule an interview at their local U.S. embassy and prove their residence in their home country. It applies to pretty much everyone.
Airline ratings. Southwest Airlines made it to the top of U.S. airline quality ratings with Alaska Airlines as #2. Meanwhile, Delta fell hard down to #7, which it attributes to the 2024 IT outage.
Airline lobbying. Lobbyists for airlines are busy trying to get the new U.S. administration to roll back a lot of regulations that favor passengers. We can only hope they aren’t successful. if they are, we might have no compensation for flight delays or cancellations and perhaps loads of hidden fees. The Trump administration has already cancelled the Biden era rule that made airlines compensate passengers for flight disruptions. Boo!
Airline partnership ends. Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines will cease their partnership next month.
United and ITA. Meanwhile, United Airlines and Italy’s ITA have started a new partnership.
United Airlines air collision. On September 3rd, two United planes touched tails at San Francisco airport, forcing the passengers to deplane and wait for other aircraft. No one was hurt.
How long will Spirit Airlines be around? After a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the airline has filed bankruptcy yet again. This does not bode well.
Delta Air Lines settlement. Five years after a flight from LAX to Shanghai dumped fuel on Los Angeles neighborhoods, including school children, the airline has settled a subsequent lawsuit for $79 million.
Frontier Airlines adds new routes. Later in the year, Frontier will launch 22 new routes, adding Caribbean and Latin American destinations to its roster.
Ryanair slashes seats. The budget airline in Europe will cut one million seats on its Spain routes starting this winter.
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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