Today · September 12
Top Story
A Broken Pipe Has Emptied Every Hotel on the South Rim
Grand Canyon National Park has extended the closure of all South Rim overnight lodging through 30 September after an August flash flood destroyed much of the Transcanyon Waterline.
Top Story
United Found Ten Cities Nobody Else Flies From America
United has announced the largest international expansion in its history for summer 2027, adding ten new destinations and pushing Newark to a record 43 nonstop routes to Europe.
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Canada Is Retiring the Permit That Let You Skip the Border Post
The CBSA is winding up its Remote Area Border Crossing permit scheme; applications have closed, existing permits expire on 30 November and telephone reporting replaces them.
Six Senses Built a Longevity Clinic Before It Built a Lobby
Six Senses has opened its first UAE property on Palm Jumeirah’s West Crescent, a 61-suite resort built around a 60,000-square-foot wellness club with a longevity clinic.
The World’s Largest Sailing Ship Finally Has a Buyer
Golden Horizon, the five-masted sailing ship that has spent most of five years laid up in Croatia, has reportedly been sold to a Swiss shipping company for 110 million euros.
Air India Is Putting Back the 145 Flights Fuel Took Away
Air India is restoring most of the 145 weekly international flights it cut over the summer and adding frequencies to Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna, Milan, Tokyo, Melbourne and New York this winter.
China Just Made a Visa Cost Seven Times More, for One Country
From 14 September China raises visa application fees for Japanese nationals sevenfold, while leaving the 30-day visa-free entry for short tourist stays untouched.
Europe’s Next Border Hurdle Has Quietly Lost Its Date
ETIAS no longer has an official start date after the EU dropped its late-2026 target, and a revised timetable is expected from eu-LISA’s September board meeting.
A Broken Pipe Has Emptied Every Hotel on the South Rim
Grand Canyon National Park has extended the closure of all South Rim overnight lodging through 30 September after an August flash flood destroyed much of the Transcanyon Waterline.
Emirates Spent Twenty-Two Years Trying to Land in Berlin
Germany has agreed to give UAE carriers a fifth German destination, finally clearing Emirates to fly Dubai-Berlin after a campaign that began in 2003.
Twenty-One Nationalities Lose Thailand on Tuesday
From 15 September Thailand shrinks its visa-exemption list from 93 nationalities to 60, and travellers from 21 countries including Mexico, Morocco and Sri Lanka will need a visa to enter.
Kauai’s Airport Is Open. The Island Is Asking You to Wait.
Lihue Airport reopened on 8 September after Hurricane Lowell, but Kauai is still restoring power and services and visitors are being asked to consider postponing near-term trips.
Leaving the Country on Monday Could Change Your Visa on Tuesday
From 15 September the US ends duration-of-status admission for F-1 and J-1 holders, replacing it with a fixed period of up to four years that applies on any re-entry after that date.
Japan Is About to Make You Pay the Tax First
From 1 November, Japan replaces duty-free-at-the-till with a refund system: visitors pay the 10% consumption tax up front and claim it back before departure.
A Ship Left Piraeus as a Costa and Arrives as Something Else
Costa Fortuna finished her final Costa Cruises voyage on 11 September after 23 years, and now heads for drydock in Northern Ireland before joining Margaritaville at Sea.
Your Flight From Madrid Is Fine. Your Suitcase Might Not Be.
Maintenance staff on Madrid-Barajas’s automated baggage system are striking on a rolling weekly schedule through 30 September, putting checked bags rather than flights at risk.
The First New TGV in Decades Is Now Carrying Passengers
SNCF has begun running its next-generation TGV-M in commercial service after European authorisation, with the fleet due to reach 13 trainsets by the end of the year.
United Found Ten Cities Nobody Else Flies From America
United has announced the largest international expansion in its history for summer 2027, adding ten new destinations and pushing Newark to a record 43 nonstop routes to Europe.
Free Entry Day Is Not Free If You Flew In For It
US national parks waive entrance fees on 17 September for Constitution Day, but the nonresident fees introduced in January still apply to international visitors that day.
You Can Walk Someone to the Gate Again, at Thirteen Airports
TSA has launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a free pilot that lets vetted PreCheck members without plane tickets clear security and go to the gate at 13 US airports.
Shoulder Season Stopped Doing the One Thing It Was For
Airline fares are running about 25.5% above a year ago and the Travel Price Index is climbing at more than double the rate of general inflation, erasing the discount September usually delivers.
Auckland Spent a Decade Digging 3.45 Kilometres
Auckland’s NZ$5.5 billion City Rail Link opens to passengers on 13 September, adding two underground stations and turning the city’s dead-end rail network into a through-running system.
The FAA Is About to Let Software Rewrite Your Schedule
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford met the CEOs of American, United, Delta and Southwest on 10 September over SMART, an $875 million system that starts rolling out this month to cut delays.
Southwest Is Building Something It Spent Fifty Years Refusing To
Southwest has begun construction on the first airport lounges in its history, at Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville, with at least seven more planned.
Omni Has Never Opened a Resort Outside the US. That Changes in 2027.
Omni Hotels & Resorts has named the general manager for Omni Pontoque at Punta de Mita, the Dallas company’s first luxury resort in Mexico, opening spring 2027.
A Winter Route Sold So Well It Stopped Being Seasonal
Etihad has upgraded its Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg service from a four-month winter season to a year-round route, before the first flight has even operated.
Amtrak Wants to Become Three Companies, and You Can Object
Amtrak is designing a split into three business units covering trains, track and fleet, with a public comment portal open until 30 October and a board decision due in December.
A Hundred Towers Can Now See Through Fog
The FAA has installed its 100th Surface Awareness Initiative system, giving controllers a live view of aircraft and vehicles on the ground at nearly half the 220 airports slated to receive it.
Galveston Just Signed Its Seventh Cruise Line
Margaritaville at Sea will base its new flagship Beachcomber in Galveston from October 2027, becoming the port’s seventh cruise line with a 13-destination itinerary lineup.
Six Flags Invented a Coaster Category to Put You on a Hovercycle
Six Flags Magic Mountain has revealed Thrill Glider, a Vekoma-built ride the park calls the world’s first thrillglider, with riders prone on hovercycles for 80 seconds in 2027.
JetBlue Moved Into the House Spirit Left Behind
JetBlue is building toward roughly 130 daily departures at Fort Lauderdale — more than 75 percent above 2025 — with 11 new destinations and a status match aimed squarely at former Spirit loyalists.
The FAA Is About to Let Software Rewrite Your Schedule
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford met the CEOs of American, United, Delta and Southwest on 10 September over SMART, an $875 million system that starts rolling out this month to cut delays.
American Deleted First Class and Called It an Upgrade
American’s first retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER has entered service with 70 Flagship Suite business seats, 144 premium seats in total, and no first-class cabin at all.
Seventy-Five Knots Was More Than the Ropes Could Hold
AIDAperla tore loose from her berth at Le Havre in 75-knot gusts on 8 September, struck a quay wall and lost her next two port calls to inspections.
A Texas Star Went on a Ship That Does Not Exist Yet
Carnival cut the first steel for Carnival Tropicale at Meyer Werft on 10 September and opened bookings the same day for an April 2028 Galveston debut.
United’s CEO Says a Billion-Dollar Hub Is About to Fold
Scott Kirby says economic gravity will push American Airlines out of Chicago O’Hare, where he claims it lost $1.1 billion — and American flatly rejects the idea.
One Airline Filled 95.6% of Its Seats in August
Wizz Air carried 8,699,468 passengers in August at a 95.6% load factor, up 25.9% year on year and 115.5% above pre-pandemic levels.
A Route Thailand Flew for Thirty Years Is Coming Back Early
Thai Airways will restore Bangkok to Auckland nonstop service in March 2027, a year earlier than planned, restoring a link cut during the pandemic.
Getting From Jordan to China Has Never Been One Flight
Royal Jordanian and Air China have signed an agreement opening the way to the first-ever nonstop Amman to Beijing service, targeted before the end of the year.
Dubai Just Wrote Off Twenty-Five Million Passengers
Dubai Airports has cut its 2026 forecast to around 70 million passengers, down from 95.2 million last year, after Gulf airspace closures gutted the first half.
Southwest Is Building Something It Spent Fifty Years Refusing To
Southwest has begun construction on the first airport lounges in its history, at Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville, with at least seven more planned.
The Baltic Capitals Are Losing a Third of Their Routes
airBaltic’s restructuring will cut nonstop routes across Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius from 112 to 78 next summer, with Tallinn and Vilnius taking almost all of the damage.
Ryanair Says Some of Its Rivals Will Not See Next Summer
Michael O’Leary told Ryanair’s AGM that if oil stays above $100 a barrel, European short-haul fares rise materially next year and less-hedged competitors may not survive the winter.
Eighty-One Planes Rewired in Six Months, and It Is Free
SAS has finished installing Starlink across all 81 of its Airbus A320neos in six months, and EuroBonus members pay nothing to use it.
Cairns Got Too Shallow for a 113,000-Ton Ship
Carnival Splendor will anchor off Yorkeys Knob instead of berthing at Cairns after the port warned that channel depths could not safely take the 113,300-ton ship.
The Water Bottle Rule May Not Survive the Winter
TSA is weighing whether to let PreCheck passengers carry full water bottles through checkpoints at airports with newer CT scanners, though the 3-1-1 rule stays in force for now.
Fiji Found a Way Into Sydney Without Using Sydney Airport
Fiji Airways will be the first international carrier to serve Western Sydney International, flying Nadi three times a week from March 2027.
The World Cup Bump Lasted Exactly One Month
New federal data shows international visitors spent $20.4 billion in the US in July, down almost 1% year on year, erasing June’s World Cup lift.
Disney Is Reopening the Building It Emptied Out
The new Magic of Disney Animation opens 14 September at Hollywood Studios, anchoring a reimagined Animation Courtyard with character encounters and drawing sessions.
Five Weeks Early Means Five Cruises Cancelled
Holland America is moving Oosterdam’s refit forward by five weeks, cancelling published 2027 voyages between 11 September and 9 December in order to add five new sailings.
Delta Picked Up What American Put Down the Same Day
Hours after ending its enhanced partnership with American Airlines, Hyatt announced a long-term deal linking World of Hyatt and Delta SkyMiles for elite members.
One of Asia’s Easiest Stopovers Just Got a Warning Label
Macau is the only destination newly placed at Level 3 in the State Department’s first-week-of-September advisory update, over consular access and arbitrary law enforcement.
Legal at Home Is Still Legal Trouble at the Border
The State Department has warned Americans not to carry marijuana, THC, CBD or edibles across international borders, including prescribed medical cannabis.
A Sixty-Year-Old Name Disappeared From European Rail Today
As of 10 September the Eurail Pass no longer exists by that name: travellers from outside Europe now buy an Interrail Pass, with the product itself unchanged.
The Water Bottle Rule May Not Survive the Winter
TSA is weighing whether to let PreCheck passengers carry full water bottles through checkpoints at airports with newer CT scanners, though the 3-1-1 rule stays in force for now.
You Have Until November 15 to Save This Perk
American Airlines and Hyatt are ending their enhanced loyalty partnership, and members who want to keep earning cross-program rewards must link their accounts by 15 November.
Brightline Finally Lets You Change Your Mind
Brightline has added a fully flexible FLEX fare on its Orlando routes, allowing refunds to the original form of payment and changes with no fee.
Frontier Has Never Flown to South America Until Now
Frontier is opening its first South American routes with three Colombian cities from Orlando, starting with Medellin on 10 December and introductory fares from $99 one way.
Aegean Skipped Amsterdam and Landed in Rotterdam Instead
Aegean has opened twice-weekly Athens flights to Rotterdam The Hague, giving the southern Randstad its own direct link to Greece.
Carnival Dropped Its Own Logo for Three Neon Sparkles
Carnival replaced its logo across social media with three glowing sparkles and promised a tropical with a twist announcement for today.
One Bahamian Port Just Vanished From a Carnival Itinerary
Carnival has revised eleven sailings across four ships, including one that drops Princess Cays entirely in favour of Half Moon Cay.
Baku Is Reopening Two Routes It Had Given Up On
Azerbaijan Airlines restores four-times-weekly Baku-Jeddah service on 15 September and revives Baku-Astrakhan, suspended since 2025, on 30 September.
Machu Picchu’s Gateway Has Never Had a Flight to Brazil
LATAM will fly Cusco to Sao Paulo from March 2027, creating the first direct air link between the Peruvian city and Brazil.
Fiji Found a Way Into Sydney Without Using Sydney Airport
Fiji Airways will be the first international carrier to serve Western Sydney International, flying Nadi three times a week from March 2027.
Armenia’s Capital Is About to Reach Twenty-Two Cities on One Airline
Wizz Air is basing a fourth aircraft at Yerevan in December, adding Basel, Valencia and Varna and taking its Armenian network to 22 destinations.
Lufthansa Just Put the Gulf Back on Its Winter Map
Four Lufthansa Group airlines will restore Dubai flights from late October, alongside a wider return to Dammam, Erbil, Tehran and Riyadh.
A Saudi Budget Airline Went From Two Pakistan Routes to Seven
Flyadeal’s new Madinah-Karachi service is its seventh Pakistan route in barely a year, up from two when it entered the market.
One Gulf Airport Now Flies to Thailand Seven Times a Day
Air Arabia’s fourth daily Sharjah-Bangkok departure pushes its Thailand programme to 49 flights a week, an average of seven every day.
Europe’s Border Safety Net Quietly Expired on Sunday
The EU’s emergency flexibility on Entry/Exit System checks ended on 6 September, and the travel industry is warning of a return to five-hour border queues.
Thailand Just Halved the Holiday It Was Famous For
From 15 September, Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption becomes 30 days for most nationalities — and disappears entirely for 21 others.
From October, Every Catalan Town Can Name Its Own Price
From 1 October, Catalan municipalities outside Barcelona may set their own tourist tax surcharge of up to four euros a night.
Disney’s Singapore Ship Finally Found Somewhere to Stop
Disney Adventure gets its first ever port of call on 31 December, when select four-night Singapore sailings begin calling at Langkawi.
Ninety Million Gallons Just Lifted the Fourth Icon
Royal Caribbean’s Hero of the Seas floated out at Meyer Turku this month, putting water under the keel of the fourth Icon-class ship ahead of a 2027 Miami debut.
The Last Real Ocean Liner Is Getting a Fourteenth Deck
Queen Mary 2 enters drydock at Brest on 31 March 2027 for a refit that adds 31 staterooms, a new top deck and a rebuilt planetarium.
Etihad Found a Sixth Saudi City, and It Is a Beach
Etihad opens flights to Red Sea International Airport in Tabuk Province on 4 October, its first Saudi destination that is not a business or pilgrimage city.
Amtrak Is Closing the Doorway to Washington for Eleven Days
Amtrak will suspend Virginia-to-Washington service from 16 to 26 October to rebuild the A interlocking, the track junction every southbound train passes through.
Italy Has Picked Two Days This Month to Stop Flying
Rome’s airports face a 24-hour security staff strike on 13 September, and Italian air traffic control walks out nationwide on 30 September.
Europe’s Border Safety Net Quietly Expired on Sunday
The EU’s emergency flexibility on Entry/Exit System checks ended on 6 September, and the travel industry is warning of a return to five-hour border queues.
Norwegian Cancelled Fifty Cruises to Move Four Ships
Norwegian Cruise Line has scrapped more than 50 sailings across four ships in a homeport reshuffle covering winter 2026 and spring 2027.
Gujarat Fliers Can Now Skip the Worst Part of Delhi
Air India has designated two daily Ahmedabad-Delhi flights as Easy Connect services, letting passengers clear immigration at home and keep their bags checked through.
A 130-Year-Old Bridge Is Taking Five Weekends Off the Map
Metro-North and Amtrak service between New York and New Haven is cut sharply on five weekends from 12 September while crews dismantle towers on the WALK Bridge.
One More Airline Decides Your Suitcase Should Pay Its Way
EVA Air brings in checked-luggage service charges across its international network from 29 September.
Mexico’s Second City Is Quietly Building a European Network
Aeromexico opens Guadalajara–Paris CDG in April 2027, the city’s second nonstop to Europe.
An All-Business Jet Is Betting on a City You Cannot Name
La Compagnie will fly all-business-class A321LRs from Newark to Düsseldorf up to five times a week from spring 2027.
The Strangest New Flight in Europe Starts in Baghdad
SalamAir will fly Muscat–Baghdad–Copenhagen from 14 November, and you can buy just the Baghdad–Copenhagen leg.
A Cruise Line Just Bought Seats on Somebody Else’s Airline
Discover Airlines opens Frankfurt–Genoa next March, and Costa Cruises has pre-bought a fixed block of seats on every flight.
Thailand Just Halved the Holiday It Was Famous For
From 15 September, Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption becomes 30 days for most nationalities — and disappears entirely for 21 others.
The Lights Went Out on 3,000 People Mid-Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas lost power for about half an hour on Saturday evening, just after leaving CocoCay.
One Piece of Software Cancelled 625 British Flights
A fault in the NATS flight-processing system grounded departures across Britain for nearly four hours on Tuesday afternoon.
Six Years Later, Guangzhou Remembers Delhi Exists
China Southern restarts daily Guangzhou–Delhi nonstops on 21 September, ending a suspension that began in February 2020.
Wyndham Is Adding a Tier Nobody Asked For
Wyndham Rewards moves from three award tiers to four on 15 September, and the new one sits at 45,000 points a night.
The App That Speeds You Past Customs Stops Working Next Week
The Global Entry mobile app goes dark on 15 September, replaced by a single Trusted Traveler app covering four programs.
Honolulu Closes a Runway Tonight and Keeps Going Until Spring
HNL begins intermittent overnight runway closures tonight that run through April 2027, squeezing Hawaii’s busiest red-eye window.