This week’s travel news roundup includes advice for holiday travelers, a robot saving an ancient language from extinction, and Italy’s new ultra-luxurious night train.
Have you thought about traveling for the holidays yet? Time is running out if you want to get the best deals on flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to travel company Kayak, which uses search data to analyze trends. The company says the “best time to save for the holidays” for reservations runs from mid-October to early November.
Last year, a record was set for holiday travel in the United States, which is expected to surpass 2024 levels. Aviation analytics firm Cirium told CNN that passenger bookings on major U.S. airlines for Thanksgiving were up 2.2% from last year.
Sirium said bookings for Christmas week have also increased, but at less than 1%.
Want to avoid the crowds? Kayak is offering a Thanksgiving departure on Monday, November 24th. That day is the cheapest. When it comes to Christmas, the most affordable day for domestic or international flights is Christmas Eve.
While the influx of passengers is welcome news for the U.S. travel industry, the U.S. Travel Association estimates that $1 billion in consumer spending is lost each week due to the government shutdown.
A shortage of air traffic controllers has already caused delays at facilities across the country during the month-long shutdown, and the situation could get worse.
Americans could face a travel “disaster” as Thanksgiving approaches, Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Thursday after a White House roundtable with aviation, travel and labor union leaders.
“Look, it could be a disaster. It really could be, because at that point we’re talking about people being three times behind on their paychecks. They’re four times behind on their paychecks. How many of them are going to not show up to work?” Vance said.
“That would lead to significant delays,” he continued.
Duffy said earlier this week at New York’s LaGuardia Airport that safety is never compromised, but departures and arrivals are often slow due to staffing shortages.
“If there’s a problem, we’re going to slow down,” he said.
AAA recommends that travelers arrive at the airport early in case TSA security lines are delayed due to potential staffing shortages.
In 1929, dozens of people jumped to their deaths at this Baltimore hotel. It is now one of the most haunted places in America.
Halloween weekend isn’t over yet, but some “spooky explorers” are looking for ghosts all year long. This is why paranormal travelers spend big bucks on scary trips. And ghosts aren’t the only spooky and mysterious tourist attractions around the world.
This $4,000 Italian train trip is meant to take you back in time to the days of the Orient Express.
Italy’s new luxury train service is offering travelers a taste of the good life, as they journey through stunning countryside, catching glimpses of Tuscany’s famous hill towns. CNN stayed for 24 hours.
Unveiled earlier this year, the aptly named Dolce Vita Orient Express is Italy’s first domestically produced luxury train. It aims to evoke the majesty of post-war Italy, epitomized by Federico Fellini’s films such as Chiaramente and the 1960 classic La Dolce Vita.
Travelers can choose from 18 itineraries. A day aboard the train is a dreamlike 24-hour frenzy of wood paneling, wine, and indulgent luxury. And it all starts at Rome’s newest station, Ostiense.
While rail travel is common in Europe, it still faces obstacles in the United States. America’s high-speed train NextGen Acela opened to the public on August 27, but new trains rarely reach top speeds of 260 mph due to track conditions.
After Anes Masbe’s mother died just before Christmas in 2017, he rushed home from Washington, D.C., to his native Zimbabwe, expecting what he expected to be the worst flight of his life.
My last-minute reservation meant I ended up sitting in the middle seat, which was especially uncomfortable for someone like Masbe, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall.
However, he managed to be moved to an exit row, where a woman next to him greeted him with a smile and said, “Welcome to paradise.”
Are American tourists easily distinguishable from Canadians?
Let’s start the discussion.
I don’t care about private phone numbers, secret opening hours, and Michelin.
Inside an invitation-only restaurant in Tokyo.
This new technology could save old languages from extinction
It is a robot that looks like a talking Elmo toy.
