Yellowstone flooding rebuild could take years, cost billions
Created in 1872 as the United States was recovering from the Civil War, Yellowstone was the first of the national parks that came to be referred to as America’s best idea. Now, the home to gushing geysers, thundering waterfalls and some of the country’s most plentiful and diverse wildlife is...
Airlines were totally unprepared when travel came roaring back
Airline and airport executives spent the past two years trying to convince everyone it’s safe to fly during a pandemic, touting reduced touch points and hospital-grade filters. Little did they know how overwhelmed they’d be once travel came roaring back. From Sydney, where passengers are waiting for hours to check...
Towns near Yellowstone fear impact of lost tourism seasonVideo
RED LODGE, Mont. — A gnawing uncertainty hung over the Yellowstone National Park gateway town of Gardiner this week following unprecedented flooding that shut down one of America’s most beloved natural attractions and swept away roads, bridges and homes. Gardiner itself escaped the flooding but briefly became home to hundreds...
Do you think inflation is tough? Try vacation inflation
It’s not just gasoline prices that are making travelers swoon during this summer vacation season. From airfare to hotels, airport shuttles to parking, the cost for every aspect of leisure and hospitality is up and forcing vacationers to alter plans just as they look to shake off two years of...
Deadbolts, door stops and detours: The CIA shares how to travel like a spy
Staying in a high-rise hotel on vacation this summer? Ask for a room below the top floors, but above the first. Familiarize yourself with the exits. And bring your own door stop. The CIA is offering these tips and more to Americans, borrowing from best practices of CIA officers located...
Air travelers face cancellations over Memorial Day weekend
Airline travelers are not only facing sticker shock this Memorial Day weekend, the kickoff to the summer travel season. They’re also dealing with a pileup of flight cancellations. More than 1,200 flights were canceled as of 2 p.m EST Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. That followed more than...
Bedford County cottages are last of their era in Lincoln Highway overnight stops
Nearly 40 years ago, Virginia natives Bob and Debbie Altizer got a map and drew a circle with a 200-mile radius centered on Washington, D.C. They were looking to operate a hospitality or retail business within that territory, and in 1983 they purchased the Lincoln Motor Court. Now the last...
Airbnb overhauls site searches with categories of rentals
SAN FRANCISCO — Airbnb said Wednesday it is overhauling the way that consumers search for rental listings, adding dozens of categories including “chef’s kitchens” and “historical homes” to its current listings, which are mostly searched by location. The company will also let people book split stays between homes and it...
Tourism, economic agencies join forces to market Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s an idea that almost seems as compatible as Mickey and Minnie. Take the tens of millions of tourists who are thinking about visiting central Florida’s theme parks each year and sell them on the virtues of moving their companies or businesses to the region. In the...
Countdown begins for Pennsylvania Real ID requirement
Pennsylvanians have one year until the Real ID requirement for domestic air travel in the United States goes into effect. After two years of pandemic-driven delays, the federal requirement will be put into place May 3, 2023. “Although a year seems like a long time to get ready, the deadline...
Afraid to fly with unmasked passengers? Call your airline
DALLAS — Airlines say they are offering options — including refunds in some cases — for people worried about flying now that other passengers aren’t required to wear face masks. However, the airlines aren’t providing many details. Customers could find themselves at the mercy of workers at airline customer-service centers....
Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travelVideo
A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the coronavirus pandemic. The mandate, recently extended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covered a vast array...
Refusing masks, smoking weed and more: Unruly passengers still disrupt U.S. flights
The Federal Aviation Administration announced its largest ever fine for unruly behavior this month, demanding $81,950 from a woman who was duct-taped to her seat on an American Airlines flight to Charlotte in July. According to the FAA, the woman threatened to hurt a flight attendant after falling into the...
Mexico’s converted island prison ready to receive tourists
MEXICO CITY — A small archipelago off Mexico’s Pacific coast that had been home to an island prison colony is now ready to receive tourists. Getting to Islas Marias, however, will be a challenge for even the sturdiest tourist: a five-hour boat ride in often choppy waters. But some people,...
9 things you should never pack in a checked bag
While we’re big fans of packing light and sticking to a carry-on bag, for longer vacations or trips with lots of souvenirs (hello, wine from France), checking a bag can be the best option. But before you stuff everything into your suitcase and send it on its way, check out...
As air travel picks up in Pittsburgh, TSA reminds travelers: ‘Know what’s in your bag’
As air travel picks up again, Transportation Security Administration officials at Pittsburgh International Airport are reminding travelers to double check their carry-on bags for some of the more innocuous items that can cause headaches at security checkpoints. Across the country, TSA officers are screening between 2 and 2.3 million passengers...
Facial scanning coming to an airport near you, raising some concerns
It’s only a matter of time before New England air travelers join others across the country in experiencing a new airport screening method that seems ripped straight from the pages of Philip K. Dick’s “The Minority Report.” My own tired face blinked back at me from a monitor late last...
Spirit Airlines bringing new nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Newark
Low-cost airline carrier Spirit Airlines will start nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport on June 22. The company announced Wednesday that the new service will connect Pittsburgh to the New York City area with one-daily roundtrip flight between the two airports. The new Pittsburgh service...
Spend a beautiful day in Mister Rogers’ Florida neighborhoodVideo
WINTER PARK, Fla. — Drive into this community northeast of Orlando’s theme park mecca and it quickly becomes clear you’re in a Mister Rogers neighborhood: A mural of Latrobe native and long-time PBS children’s show host Fred Rogers adorns the exterior wall of Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, a few blocks from...
One of the most basic hotel amenities is disappearing
Whether out of necessity due to staffing shortages, out of respect for social distancing or perhaps just to save money, one of the primary amenities that sets a hotel apart from your home — daily housekeeping — is disappearing. The days of returning to a wrinkle-free duvet are likely gone....
Plane ticket prices will continue to go up, experts say. Here’s why — and how to save
Another mode of transportation has been impacted by the fallout over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as gas prices soar — and it might affect Americans’ vacation plans. The cost of jet fuel for commercial airplanes has also spiked, with prices per gallon rising above $4 at one point since the...
Chicago blues, rock ‘n’ roll landmark easily overlooked
CHICAGO — As we make our way up the narrow, windowless, wooden stairway, we hear the jangly opening beats of The Rolling Stones’ “2120 South Michigan Avenue” playing from a portable speaker behind us. Our tour guide encourages us to “rub a little mojo” from the banister as we make...
A trip inside the new ‘Star Wars’-themed immersive hotel at Walt Disney WorldVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — We knew this would be a different kind of Walt Disney World vacation when we bit the bullet and packed an extra suitcase … for costumes. While Universal Orlando once used the tagline “ride the movies,” Walt Disney World’s new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience (otherwise known...
6 ways technology is evolving travel in 2022
For the athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, travel entailed … robots. Everywhere. These machines prepared and served noodles, rice and burgers, and roamed hallways to take the temperatures of passersby. They even passed the Olympic flame underwater. Yet even if you’re not an Olympian, your travels these...
Road trip with a dog? Tips for making you both happy
San Francisco dog owner Ben Lowenstein loves to travel — and he never leaves his dog, Javi, behind. Together, the pair has taken road trips to Chicago, Lake Tahoe and Los Angeles. They have hiked the trails of New Mexico, explored Utah’s national parks, and gallivanted through Colorado snow banks....
