Kenya’s Ebola Alert, Taiwan’s Typhoon & NYC’s Carriage Ban — Today’s Travel News

40 travel stories from the last 24 hours — here’s what’s moving:

Hotel room desk with a laptop

Wyndham Is Treating AI Shopping Bots Like Hotel Guests

Wyndham’s CEO calls AI booking agents a new type of guest as the chain pushes to win bookings away from online travel agencies.

Alaska glacier and mountain scenery

Holland America Is Selling Alaska the Way It Did in the 1940s

Holland America launched more than three dozen Alaska Heritage excursions for its 80th season in 2027.

Cruise ship deck with pool and loungers

Princess Is Taking Its Most Exclusive Zone to Older Ships

Princess will bring its Sanctuary Collection to five Royal-class ships, with sailings starting January 2027.

Inside of an airplane cabin with rows of seats

El Al Wants Its Cabins to Feel Less Like Security Questions

El Al will install Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide starting in 2027 and roll out new amenities from November.

Elegant cruise ship restaurant dining room

Carnival Is Rewriting the Menu Across All 29 Ships

Carnival’s The Next Course adds new restaurants, an express dinner and menu changes across its fleet.

Bright vacation rental kitchen and dining area

Airbnb Is Finally Done With the Checkout Chore List

Airbnb will bar hosts from requiring time-consuming checkout tasks for reservations booked on or after November 20.

Rough waves crashing along a coastline

Britain’s First Named Storm of the Season Arrives With an Amber Warning

Storm Austen brings amber wind warnings to southwest England and orange rain and marine warnings to Ireland.

Dark storm clouds over the ocean

Typhoon Champi Is Closing In on Taiwan Right Before a Long Weekend

Flights are cancelled across Okinawa and Taiwan as the storm approaches ahead of a three-day weekend.

A city skyline shrouded in haze

Malaysia Needed a Record Finish. The Haze Has Other Plans.

Haze from Indonesian fires is hitting bookings in a year when Malaysian tourism was already behind its target.

A large cruise ship at sea

MSC Built a Two-Deck Suite With a Lego Wall

The Grand Hamptons Villa on MSC World Atlantic spans about 2,475 square feet and sleeps up to eight.

A bright modern airport concourse

United Says Its New Houston Concourse Hosts the Americas’ Largest Lounge

A 22-gate concourse replaces a 1969 building at Houston Bush as part of a $2.5 billion overhaul.

An airplane wing seen through a window above the clouds

United Says the Reason You Pick Its Flights May Be the Wi-Fi

Starlink is on 43 percent of United’s fleet, and the CEO says it is steering customers’ choices.

A Nordic cityscape with modern hotel buildings

Hilton Just Borrowed the Nordics’ Biggest Hotel Operator

A multi-year deal with Scandic Hotels will bring Hilton brands to Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, starting near Copenhagen Airport.

A hot sun over a European city skyline

Europe’s Heat Toll Doubled the Old Record, and Tourists Weren’t Counted

Two studies estimate more than 50,000 heat deaths in European cities this summer, with big questions for visitors heading south.

A traveler booking accommodation on a laptop

Booking.com Is Being Asked How Many Fake Listings Slip Through

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to test whether Booking.com did enough against fraudulent listings and phishing.

Tropical beach with cabanas and turquoise water

Holland America Put a $125 Price Tag on Its Private Island

Holland America’s new Half Moon Cay beach club welcomed its first ship this week, with a $125 day pass.

A horse-drawn carriage waiting on a city street

Central Park’s Most Famous Souvenir Ride Has an Expiry Date

The City Council voted to phase out horse-drawn carriages by mid-2028, ending a tradition of more than 165 years.

City skyline view of Nairobi, Kenya

The U.S. Just Told Travelers to Reconsider a Safari Capital

The State Department raised Kenya to Level 3 on October 19 after the country confirmed its first Ebola cases.

A traveler seated in an airport terminal with luggage

Delta Left Its Status Bar Alone for a Third Year Running

Delta says Medallion thresholds will not rise in 2027, the third straight year without an increase.

Rows of airplane seats inside an aircraft cabin

Frontier’s First Class Skips the Two Things You Expect

Frontier will sell eight first-class seats per plane from March 2027, but they come pre-reclined and without complimentary food or drinks.

Commuter train moving through a Japanese city

Asia’s Airport Trains Run From a 13-Minute Hop to a Pricier Express

A new comparison of airport-to-city journeys in Asia shows how different the arrival experience can be.

Helsinki cathedral and waterfront on a clear day

Accor Finally Found Its Way Into Finland, Through a 1928 Building

Accor is planning its first hotel in Finland: ibis Styles Helsinki Helka, a 157-room property expected to open in late 2027.

Ocean liner sailing toward a sunset

A Transatlantic Cruise for $69 a Night Needs a Close Read of the Fine Print

Virgin Voyages is running a Sail & Save promotion with rates starting at roughly $69 to $119 per sailor per night on select sailings.

Kuala Lumpur skyline with the Petronas Towers

The Kuala Lumpur Airport Express Is Getting Pricier, and Faster

The KLIA Ekspres will raise fares on January 1, 2027, but also plans trains every 15 minutes instead of 20.

Passenger train at a station platform

Trains Are Quietly Winning Travelers Back, and Amtrak’s Numbers Show It

A new industry roundup argues train travel is booming worldwide, with Amtrak carrying 23.9 million passengers in fiscal 2026, up 6 percent.

Airport departures board showing flight information

Flying to Riyadh Right Now Comes With a Long List of Asterisks

A long run of cancellations to Saudi Arabia continues this week, even as some European carriers prepare to resume flights.

Airliner on a runway in stormy weather

A Nor’easter and a Runway Project Are Squeezing Boston at Once

A nor’easter disrupted East Coast air travel this week, with Boston Logan the hardest hit amid an ongoing runway project.

Family boarding a train together

Germany’s Family Rail Deal Is No Longer a Limited-Time Gamble

Deutsche Bahn’s discounted long-distance Family Ticket has been made a permanent part of the fare menu, starting November 1.

High-speed train at a station platform

Paris to Marseille Is About to Get a Double-Decker

France’s new double-decker TGV M trains enter passenger service on November 9, starting on select Paris-Marseille routes.

Istanbul skyline with mosques at sunset

The Train to Istanbul Now Arrives Hours Earlier Than It Used To

An upgraded Turkish rail line now gets the Sofia-Istanbul train to Halkali at 07:21, instead of 09:56.

Long bridge stretching across the water

One of Scandinavia’s Key Rail Links Will Go Dark for Ten Days

Train traffic over the Oresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo will stop from March 20 to 29, 2027 for maintenance.

Coastal bay and beaches along the Mexican Pacific coast

Acapulco Just Welcomed Its First Carnival Corporation Ship in 17 Years

Holland America’s Eurodam has made Carnival Corporation’s first scheduled call at Acapulco in 17 years.

Singapore skyline across the water at dusk

A Royal Caribbean Ship Just Swapped California for Singapore

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas has left Los Angeles for an extended Asia deployment running through October 2027.

Passengers relaxing on a cruise ship deck

Carnival Is About to Make Your Drink Package Price a Moving Target

Carnival will apply dynamic pricing to its drink and Wi-Fi packages starting December 1, varying by sailing length and season.

Cruise ship docked in a harbor

Disney’s Next Ship Will Call Tokyo Home

Oriental Land Company has named its first cruise ship, Disney Imagination, set to homeport in Tokyo in spring 2029.

Large cruise ship sailing on open sea

Royal Caribbean Will Stop Treating Europe as a Summer Fling

Royal Caribbean has announced its first year-round European season, deploying seven ships starting in 2028 and 2029.

Laptop open on a desk for online hotel booking

A Seattle Lawsuit Says Your Hotel’s Own Website May Cost More Than It Should

A new antitrust complaint, Andrews v. Expedia Group, alleges Expedia’s rate-parity rules stop hotels from offering lower prices elsewhere.

Bright modern hotel suite with a made bed

Marriott Is Testing a Peek Behind the Upgrade Curtain

Marriott is testing a feature that shows elite members how many complimentary upgrades remain and where they rank.

Safari tent camp on the African savanna

A Serengeti Tent Priced at $1,325 a Night Is Coming in November

Marriott’s Autograph Collection is opening an 18-suite tented camp in Tanzania, with 2027 rates starting at $1,325 a night.

Elegant hotel lobby with seating and warm lighting

InterContinental Planted Its Flag Inside a Stadium Complex

IHG has opened the 347-room InterContinental Taipei inside the Taipei Dome complex, with rates starting around $360 a night.

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