42 travel stories from the last 24 hours — here’s what’s moving:
Amex Platinum’s Hotel Credit Is About to Ask for a Second Night
From January 1, 2027, Fine Hotels + Resorts stays need two nights to count toward Amex’s $600 credit, which is also being renamed.
Yotel Wants to Grow Up, and It Is Starting With Bigger Rooms
Yotel, which has about 24 hotels today, is eyeing an upscale format, a city-center YotelAir and a push toward 100 properties by 2031.
Hotels Are Answering a Water Crisis With Showerheads
Drought has put hotel water use in the spotlight, but most of the industry is reaching for cheap fixes rather than expensive overhauls.
K-Pop Tour Dates Are Doubling Hotel Bookings in Cities You Might Not Expect
Amadeus data shows December BTS and BIGBANG concert windows lifting inbound air bookings by up to 100 percent in Nagoya.
Lufthansa’s Seattle Flights Are Changing Hands, and Two New Cities Join
Discover Airlines will take over Lufthansa’s Seattle flights from Frankfurt and Munich and add Edmonton and Belize City in 2027.
Four Years, Two Planes and Three Million Passengers on One Atlantic Island
Ryanair has now carried more than 3 million passengers at Madeira Airport since starting service there in 2022.
A Small British Cruise Line Just Had Its Best Sales Day Ever, Twice
Fred. Olsen Cruises says launching its 2028 program produced the strongest trading day in its history, the second time this year.
Carnival Is Putting a Guitar-Shaped Bar on Its Next Ship
Carnival unveiled The Next Course, a culinary strategy adding new venues across its Excel-class ships and existing 29-ship fleet.
United Is Taking Meal Orders on Flights Once Too Short to Qualify
United has lowered the distance threshold for preordering fresh Economy meals to flights over 900 miles, adding 420 flights a day.
Qatar Airways Is Betting on Sydney’s Other Airport
Qatar Airways will fly direct between Doha and Western Sydney International Airport starting December 15, 2027.
Southwest Is Going Global Through an Unlikely Gulf Partner
Etihad Airways and Southwest Airlines announced a loyalty partnership letting members earn and redeem miles across both networks starting spring 2027.
Lufthansa Just Said Goodbye to the Longest Jet of Its Era
Lufthansa has retired the last Airbus A340-600 in its fleet after 23 years of service.
U.S. Hotels Are Winning on Price, Not on Full Rooms
Hotel analyst HVS says U.S. hotels are heading into a strong fall season driven by higher rates rather than fuller rooms.
A Casino Outside Bakersfield Is About to Become a $725 Million Resort
Hard Rock Casino Tejon has broken ground on a $725 million, 406-room hotel expansion near Bakersfield, California.
Hilton Lets You Pay Your Bill With Points, but Not Every Member
Hilton has started letting some loyalty members pay their hotel bill with Hilton Honors points through Digital Check Out.
Silversea Is Building a Hotel at the Edge of Antarctica
Silversea’s 40-voyage Antarctica season includes 29 fly-cruise trips using a new hotel in Puerto Williams that opens November 5.
Delta Beat Every U.S. Rival on Punctuality; One Airline Struggled
August DOT data shows Delta at 77 percent on-time arrivals while JetBlue managed 59.7 percent and a 6.2 percent cancellation rate.
The State Department Reworded Its France Advisory After Riots
The U.S. reissued its Level 2 France advisory on October 21, citing terrorism risk and unrest that has disrupted transport.
Ryanair Is Pulling 1.1 Million Seats From Belgium Over a Tax Measured in Euros
Ryanair says a rising departure tax is behind the removal of 20 routes and six aircraft from Brussels and Charleroi this winter.
Montenegro Is About to Close the Door on Five Visa-Free Nationalities
From November 1, citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will need a visa to enter Montenegro.
Amtrak Will Pay for Your Travel Companion, but Only Until Halloween
Amtrak’s Twice as Nice sale gives a free companion on first-class roomette bookings made by October 31.
Cunard’s 500th Atlantic Crossing Brings Liverpool Back Into the Story
Cunard’s 2028-29 season centers on Queen Mary 2’s 500th transatlantic crossing and the line’s first Liverpool departure since 2015.
A Small Pennsylvania Airport Is Swapping Pittsburgh for Atlanta and Chicago
Contour Airlines will take over DuBois Regional Airport’s Essential Air Service from Southern Airways Express starting February 1, 2027.
An American 787 From Barcelona Blew a Tire Landing in Chicago
An American Airlines Boeing 787 arriving from Barcelona suffered a tire blowout while landing safely at Chicago O’Hare with 234 passengers aboard.
A 2003 Costa Ship Is Being Rebuilt in Belfast as a Margaritaville
Margaritaville at Sea’s newly acquired 2003 Costa ship has arrived in Belfast for a refurbishment ahead of its January 2027 Miami debut.
Azamara’s 2028 Makeover Plan Quietly Dropped One Promised Perk
Azamara will bring its Azamara Forward renovation program to the Azamara Journey during a two-week drydock in November 2028.
Indianapolis Is Getting Its Tallest Tower, and It Is a Hotel
Signia by Hilton Indianapolis is set to open in December as the city’s tallest tower, with 800 rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Abu Dhabi to Dubai Train Ride Now Takes Just 64 Minutes
Etihad Rail’s new passenger service links Abu Dhabi and Dubai in just 64 minutes, with 10 daily journeys reaching 200 km/h.
Lufthansa Won the Fight for TAP With a Bid 16 Percent Higher
Portugal’s government announced on October 14 that Lufthansa Group has been chosen to buy a 44.9 percent stake in TAP Air Portugal, beating Air France-KLM.
One Small Canadian Port Just Hit a Million Cruise Passengers
Victoria, British Columbia, has crossed one million cruise passengers in a single season for the first time.
Disney’s Next Ship Has a Two-Story Suite That Sleeps Eight
Disney Cruise Line unveiled Disney Believe, its next ship, featuring a two-story Tower Suite that sleeps eight, debuting December 18, 2027.
Two Hundred Twenty Cruise Ships Are About to Squeeze Through Panama
The Panama Canal Authority says 220 cruise ships are scheduled to transit the waterway between October 2026 and May 2027.
Cunard Is About to Lose a Queen to a Sister Brand
Cunard’s Queen Anne will leave the line after her 2028-29 world cruise and join P&O Cruises in 2029 under a new name.
Royal Caribbean’s Newest Giant Is Arriving Ten Days Early
Royal Caribbean’s Hero of the Seas will now welcome its first guests on August 1, 2027, ten days earlier than planned.
Lufthansa’s Newest Flagship Jet Will Start Its Career on a Japan Run
Lufthansa’s first Airbus A350-1000 will enter service on a nonstop between Munich and Tokyo Haneda starting December 3, 2026.
Belgrade Is About to Get Its Own Direct Line to Miami
Air Serbia will fly from Belgrade to Miami starting May 20, 2027, with two flights a week.
United Is Opening What It Calls the Biggest Airline Lounge in the Americas
United is opening a new North Concourse at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport, anchored by what it calls the largest airline lounge in the Americas.
Southwest’s Free Starlink Wi-Fi Has Reached 47 Planes So Far
Southwest has connected 47 aircraft with free Starlink Wi-Fi so far, with the full fleet expected equipped by fall 2027.
The Biggest Plane Buyer You’ve Never Flown With Just Ordered 250 More
Aircraft lessor Avolon has placed firm orders for 250 new Boeing and Airbus jets, lifting its committed fleet past 1,300 aircraft.
Cruising Is Heading Into Its Fifth Straight Record Year
AAA and Tourism Economics project 22.4 million Americans will cruise in 2027, up 3.6%, with shorter sailings gaining ground.
A $2 Billion Bid Is Shaking Sonesta’s Best Hotels Loose
An unsolicited $2 billion cash offer for Service Properties Trust’s hotels has put dozens of Sonesta’s upscale properties in play, and Sonesta has begun cutting staff.
JetBlue’s New First Class Debuts on Just One of Six Daily Flights
BlueFirst goes on sale with a December 8 debut on Boston to Fort Lauderdale, but only one of that route’s six daily flights will carry it at first.
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