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...
Panicked travelers hear a new message from airports: Don’t get here so early
Images of never-ending security lines at U.S. airports and frustrating tales of missed flights are pushing panicked travelers to show up way before their departures. But some airports where the wait times have been manageable are telling passengers to stop arriving so early. In Ohio, John Glenn International Airport in...
GoFundMe launched to support TSA workers at Pittsburgh International Airport
The Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation launched a GoFundMe campaign Thursday, aiming to lift up government workers hit hard by the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown caused by the ongoing federal budget deadlock. By 4:30 p.m., the GoFundMe had raised more than $4,000 for Transportation Security Administration (TSA)...
Delta Air Lines says it will suspend special services for Congress members
Delta Air Lines said that it would suspend special services for members of Congress, citing the partial government shutdown that has hobbled travel across the country. The services include airport escorts and specialized customer service for lawmakers. The Capital Desk, a dedicated reservations line that helps members book trips at...
Longest line at Philly airport? Cheesesteaks, not security
PHILADELPHIA — Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday may have expected long security lines. But the longest line was made of cheesesteaks. Organizers say they achieved a new Guinness World Record for the longest line of cheesesteak sandwiches, with 1,291 lined up inside a departure hall to mark...
Nemacolin’s Immaculate Reception Weekend during the NFL Draft starts at $10K
Love football but don’t want to deal with the NFL Draft hustle and bustle? Nemacolin Resort has the weekend for you — but it’ll put a linebacker-sized dent in your bank account. The luxury resort’s Immaculate Reception Weekend will score you access to a slew of football-related events, live music,...
The lines, the prices, the anxiety: Can air travel get any worse?
War is raging in the Middle East, passengers are waiting in four-hour security lines, airfares are spiking and, now, a deadly runway collision at LaGuardia Airport has renewed questions about the safety of U.S. air traffic control. All this comes at one of the busiest travel periods of the year....
ICE agents visible at Pittsburgh International AirportVideo
Several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be seen at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday, following reports of security checkpoint training sessions the day before. Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesman Bob Kerlik said on Monday that airport officials were not briefed on exact plans for how ICE would operate,...
Plus-size fliers once loved Southwest, now they say it’s fat shaming
Plus-size passengers once raved about Southwest. Now, they say, agents are grilling them about body size in front of other travelers, forcing them to buy extra seats they never needed before or even denying them boarding. Travelers have flooded social media in recent days to express their frustration with Southwest,...
ICE agents deployed at Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport officials confirmed Monday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were at the airport to receive training to aid Transportation Security Administration workers. Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesman Bob Kerlik said in a statement Monday that airport officials were not briefed on exact plans for how ICE...
ICE to aid airport security amid partial shutdown, border czar saysVideo
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, confirmed Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be deployed to U.S. airports Monday, casting the operation largely as an effort to ease long lines that have caused frustration among travelers during one of the busiest travel seasons. President Donald Trump announced...
Nonprofits, unions and airports rally to feed TSA officers as shutdown drags
Across the country, collections are popping up to help Transportation Security Administration officers who have been without full pay for more than a month due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. The charity World Central Kitchen, more accustomed to feeding those in war zones and...
Pennsylvania Turnpike advises NFL Draft travelers to use E-ZPass
Pittsburgh’s NFL Draft is just weeks away, and that means it’s almost time for travelers to come into the Steel City — many via the turnpike. Anyone with E-ZPass can save up to 50% on tolls traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 33% on tolls on the Ohio Turnpike, according to...
