Mount Everest season opens late, with climbers undeterred by huge ice block and high travel costs
KATHMANDU, Nepal — An unstable ice block dangerously hanging over the key trail on Mount Everest, high travel costs and increased permit fees haven’t deterred hundreds of climbers from attempting to scale the world’s highest mountain. Around 464 climbers and an equal number of their Nepali climbing guides are at...
Spirit Airlines built a model the industry copied. Then it collapsed
Spirit Airlines, the scrappy discounter that once rattled the industry with cheeky ads and rock-bottom fares, took its final flight after 34 years of upending the business of flying. Once worth as much as roughly $5.5 billion on the stock market, the airline known for its bright yellow planes said...
Banksy confirms a new statue in central London of a man blinded by a flag is his work
LONDON — Elusive street artist Banksy said Thursday that a new sculpture that appeared in central London of a man striding off a plinth, with his face blinded by a billowing flag, is his work. In a humorous video posted Thursday on his Instagram account, Banksy showed snippets of how...
Disneyland is now scanning your face at nearly every gate, sparking privacy concerns
LOS ANGELES — There’s nothing quite as identifiable as a face. Retailers use facial recognition technology to more easily nab shoplifters. Casinos have deployed it to keep card counters away. Even a popular New York City venue allegedly uses it to blackball people its millionaire owner considers adversaries. So, it...
Getting the most out of barrier-free tours for yourself or someone with a disability
BERLIN — For people living with disabilities, barriers to tourism can range from the obvious — such as an out-of-service elevator — to the unseen, like an outing that’s too long or a setting that’s too loud. As the baby boom generation ages, the travel industry is increasingly catering to...
BikePGH offers another way to navigate the NFL Draft
With the NFL Draft approaching, Pittsburghers and out-of-towners are mapping out travel routes to attend the events. With large crowds expected as people try to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic, BikePGH is providing a guide to navigating Pittsburgh by bike. “The best way to experience this major event is by bike, as...
FBI says a threatened flight landed safely in Pittsburgh
A plane with a reported threat landed safely at Pittsburgh International Airport Saturday, according to FBI Pittsburgh. United Airlines Flight 2092 departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and was traveling to LaGuardia Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. It was diverted after the crew reported “a possible security issue” and...
Dominican Republic and Haiti to reopen airspace in May, restoring flights after more than 2 years
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The governments of the Dominican Republic and Haiti have agreed to reopen their airspace starting in May, allowing flights between their countries for the first time in more than two years. The decision, announced Friday in a joint statement, clears the way for connections between...
Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travelers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks. The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the...
Jet fuel supplies are lagging. What does that mean for airlines and travelers?Video
NEW YORK — A looming jet fuel shortage in Europe and Asia sparked by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further upend world travel within weeks if oil doesn’t start flowing again soon — meaning higher airfares and flight cancellations as the summer...
Lights, camera, takeoff: Former Pittsburgh airport terminal rebranded as film set
The Pittsburgh Film Office is rebranding Pittsburgh International Airport’s former landside terminal as a filming location for television and movies. A website promoting the “Terminal P” initiative on Wednesday included video statements from local officials supporting the move, including Gov. Josh Shapiro. “With 440,000 square feet of space, three stories...
FAA investigates close call on LAX taxiway just weeks after LaGuardia runway crash
A Frontier Airlines jet nearly collided with two trucks that crossed in front of it earlier this week at Los Angeles International Airport, but unlike last month’s deadly crash in New York while a plane was landing, this incident happened on a taxiway while the plane was moving slowly. The...
Travelers face higher costs and fewer flight options as jet fuel prices swing
A new reality is setting in for travelers worldwide: rising fees, fewer flight options and difficult decisions about whether a trip is worth the cost. The culprit is volatile oil and jet fuel prices, which have spiked sharply since the war in the Middle East began and fighting near the...
8 states, 3 time zones and a ton of history: Take a trip down Route 66 as it turns 100
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — If you’ve ever planned to motor west and take the highway that’s the best, this might be the time: Route 66 turns 100 this year. The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the...
Laurel Caverns opens as Pennsylvania’s 1st underground state parkVideo
Laurel Caverns, the popular Fayette County tourist attraction, has officially opened as Pennsylvania’s first underground state park. On Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Laurel Caverns State Park’s official opening alongside Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and local Fayette leaders. “Right here in our backyard,...
As gas prices climb, Americans rethink vacations
Dina Guillen had planned to make the 520-mile drive from her home in the Rio Grande Valley to Dallas to visit family for her teenager’s spring break. But after calculating the cost — particularly the high price of gas — she decided to figure out a cheaper way. So instead...
United Airlines raises bag fees amid rising fuel costs and introduces tiered premium fares
Most travelers flying with United Airlines will pay $10 more to check their luggage beginning Friday, as higher jet fuel costs driven by the war in the Middle East push another major U.S. carrier to increase fees. The first piece of checked luggage will now cost customers $45 on flights...
$7.5M Fallingwater project designed to ensure iconic home will stand the test of time
The results of a $7.5 million preservation project at iconic Fallingwater are practically invisible to visitors. This subtlety was entirely intentional, as the primary goal was to ensure architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s revolutionary home design stays intact for decades without altering its historic aesthetic. Finishing touches are wrapping up at...
Airport bottlenecks ease as TSA workers get paid, but shutdown continues
Frustrating security lines dwindled at U.S. airports Monday, clearing the worst bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown. Checkpoint lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or less on...
TSA agents will soon be paid but it may not mean immediate relief at airport security lines
With spring break in full swing, airline passengers continued to wait it out at major U.S. airports after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration officers aimed at alleviating long security lines. Trump’s executive order on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay...
Disney opens World of Frozen in Paris as new CEO showcases the empire that made him
CHESSY, France — A 118-foot mountain of ice rose over the suburban Paris countryside this weekend as Disney opened its Arendelle kingdom to the world — Elsa’s palace glowing at the summit, a “Frozen” Nordic fishing village below, and the company’s new CEO standing before a crowd of celebrities. World...
TSA pay may be coming, but airport delays could persist and ICE agents may not leave soon
Even after President Donald Trump ordered emergency pay for Transportation Security Administration agents to ease long security lines, major U.S. airports on Sunday were still urging travelers to arrive hours early — and federal immigration officers brought in to help may not be leaving anytime soon. Trump’s executive order on...
Bills to pay FAA and TSA workers during shutdowns get introduced but keep stalling in Congress
The Aviation Funding Solvency Act. The Keep America Flying Act. The Keep Air Travel Safe Act. The Aviation Funding Stability Act. Again and again, members of Congress have dusted off the same idea: ensuring the federal employees who control air traffic and screen passengers and bags at U.S. airports get...
Secret Service agent assigned to Jill Biden accidentally shoots himself in leg at airport
A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect former first lady Jill Biden accidentally shot himself in the leg at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, authorities said. Biden was not in the area when the agent was injured during a “negligent discharge” of his firearm Friday morning, Secret Service spokesman...
TSA workers might get paid Monday, but their worries and airport woes could linger for longer
NEW YORK— Transportation Security Administration officers could get their first full paychecks in more than six weeks as early as Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday instructing the Homeland Security secretary to pay them immediately. But travel experts and labor leaders said the mammoth security...
