When multiple international visitors who came to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup during the summer of 2026 saw the bottles of ranch dressing they bought as souvenirs confiscated at security, the TSA put out a viral PSA reminding travelers that the tangy sauce is, in fact, a liquid.

In the past, TSA put out similar public warnings about everything from cream cheese and power banks to hair curlers and clothing with sequins.

Medication and pacemakers: TSA spokesperson points out common travel mistakes made by the elderly

In an interview with Travel + Leisure, a TSA spokesperson singled out elderly passengers as making specific kinds of travel mistakes that slow them down and cause inconvenience at security screening.

As aging generally increases the medications that a person tends to take daily, older travelers will often have more pills, liquid solutions, and even syringes with them when they travel.

According to the TSA spokesperson, travelers should have anything they travel with clearly separated and marked, should an agent ask questions about what they brought aboard. While liquid medications are exempt from the three-one-one liquid rule and the subsequent 100-milliliter limit, they must be declared when one passes through security.

Related: Popular tourist destination adds ‘bikini ban’

Many seniors will also, according to former TSA agent Caleb Harmon-Marshall, forget that they have a pacemaker and walk through the metal detector when prompted to by an agent. (While patients with this cardiac device can generally pass through modern metal detectors without medical issue, full-body scanners are a better bet as they cannot set off a metal alarm or inadvertently alter the pacemaker’s settings.)

Travelers who have a pacemaker are urged to inform the TSA agent of this at the start of the screening or wear a medical card that makes this information visible to agents should one not want to remember to repeat it.

Related: TSA changes & announcements during Trump’s presidency: A timeline

“This can be dangerous:” TSA on mistakes at security screening

“[Not doing] this can be dangerous, and they may think the metal detector is a safe option instead of the body scanner, which is what they should be using,” Harmon-Marshall said to T + L. “[…] For any senior citizen who isn’t sure what machine to use, they should always request a physical pat-down.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

The other common mistake the TSA calls out is not keeping one’s identification documents and boarding pass within easy reach. While a misplaced document happens to everyone, the TSA spokesperson said agents see this significantly more frequently with elderly travelers.

As a result, the agency recommends using a passport holder or organizing case to keep everything in one place and avoid having to rifle through bags the moment one approaches an agent.

“Passengers sometimes arrive at the checkpoint without ready access to their ID, passport, or boarding pass,” the spokesperson said.

Related: TSA issues strong warning about summer cooking item

You can’t say “no” to everything; you need to let them grow. You hope they won’t be riding motorcycles or jumping out of airplanes one day, though it is not your call. 

But what about visiting a place that has been considered safe for more than a century, a fun and friendly theme park? Amusement parks have been a staple of American culture for more than 180 years, originating in the mid-19th century.

Many parents operate under the assumption that federal authorities rigorously inspect every roller coaster. In reality, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has very limited regulatory authority over fixed-site theme parks, leaving oversight to a patchwork of state laws or internal park self-inspections, according to CPSC. 

“So we want parents to learn in their state how rides are being inspected, by whom, and how often, so they can make the decision for themselves whether or not they want to take that risk before they go on the ride,” said Tracy Mehan, director of research translation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, as reported by CNN. 

When parents hand over tickets to a major theme park they expect thrills, not traumatic injury.

Six Flags permanently closes iconic X2 roller coaster 

Six Flags’ X2 roller coaster first opened on Jan. 12, 2002, at its Magic Mountain park in Valencia, Calif., as the world’s first fourth-dimension roller coaster. 

Back then, it was simply called X. It featured seats that rotated 360 degrees forward and backward independently of the train’s main chassis. 

The ride underwent a $10 million makeover in 2007–2008 that turned it into X2, adding lighter trains, a new restraint system, and onboard audio. 

On Sept. 29, Six Flags confirmed the ride had closed for good amid a series of lawsuits alleging traumatic injuries caused by the ride. 

Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding announced the decision to permanently retire X2, even though the ride “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests,” because “we believe it’s the right thing to do.

“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” Oerding stated. 

Oerding said more than 16 million guests have ridden X2 since it reopened in 2008.

Six Flags has argued in court that X2 was inspected daily and that a rider following the rules would not suffer a traumatic brain injury, according to a KCBS report.  

Six Flags’ X2 coaster had a history of severe brain injury allegations

In late September, three lawsuits were filed, alleging that riders suffered brain injuries after riding X2. 

More than 100 riders alleged these types of injuries from the Six Flags roller coaster, following a CNN investigation. 

In July 2026, two women reportedly suffered life-threatening brain hemorrhages (subdural hematomas requiring emergency brain surgery) within six days of each other after riding X2.

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) opened an inspection into a reported July 5 incident on X2 and said it could not share further details while the inspection was ongoing, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Six Flags closed the ride on July 12.

In August, CNN published an investigation, reporting on the ride’s long history of incidents and at least two deaths. 

X2 was a rare 4th-dimensional roller coaster featuring 360-degree rotating seats that reached speeds of 76 mph. Only two other coasters like it exist in the world, located in China and Japan, which closed temporarily last year after a fatal injury involving a park worker inspecting the ride, CNN reported. 

“In our professional opinion, the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride,” the surgeons wrote in an email obtained by CNN. 

Experts also told TIME that sudden acceleration, twisting, and shifting can stretch brain tissue and pressure blood vessels, potentially increasing the risk of concussions and bleeding. 

A 2014 life-threatening injury after X2 ride drew little public attention 

In September 2014, Selena O’Neill, then 17, stumbled as she stepped off X2. She had trouble walking straight and seeing clearly. Then she started shaking, and her leg pointed in a strange position. 

The next day she went to the doctor, had a seizure during the appointment, and learned she had a subdural hematoma. 

Also called subdural hemorrhage, a subdural hematoma happens when a blood vessel near the surface of the brain bursts and blood builds up between the brain and its tough outer lining, according to Harvard Health Publishing. It is a life-threatening problem because it can compress the brain.

Related: Southwest Airlines’ new points giveaway rewards this phone habit

Doctors directly attributed O’Neill’s condition to the ride, according to CNN. 

In a 2019 medical journal article, without naming X2, doctors wrote about her case and cautioned that “advances of roller-coaster technology and industry competition for thrill-seeking patrons may ultimately improve acceleration and performance beyond the passenger’s physical ability to tolerate them.” 

O’Neill sued the theme park in 2015 and the case was closed in 2017, after O’Neill settled with the maker of X2’s vehicles.

According to court filings as reported by CNN, Six Flags argued that she should have been aware of potential risks before taking the ride. 

Brain-trauma death followed X2 ride in 2022

In June 2022, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley died from severe brain trauma less than 10 hours after riding X2, according to CNN. 

Court records show Hawley’s head slammed violently against his seat during the ride, causing massive brain bleeding. Doctors compared his fatal injuries to shaken baby syndrome. CNN also noted this was the second death linked to the coaster, following another fatal brain injury in 2010. 

Doctors in the 2010 case believed an existing brain abnormality ruptured because of the ride’s intensity.

Six Flags had received at least 70 prior head- and-neck injury complaints regarding X2 in the three years leading up to Hawley’s death, CNN reported.

Despite these warnings, the theme park fought successfully in court to keep its medical incident logs sealed from the public. Other frequent park visitors told CNN they felt management dismissed their reports of concussions.

State officials cleared X2 to reopen days after the fatality, but CNN reported that maintenance workers swapped a train wheel before inspectors arrived. 

Safety experts noted that state oversight relies heavily on industry-written guidelines that fail to measure real-world head impacts. 

Hawley’s parents sued Six Flags over the tragedy, and court records show the lawsuit ended in a settlement.

Related: Airbnb CEO says travelers are about to see big changes

For the last few years, the Nordic nation has been bringing in an average of 2.2 million international tourists per year.

National airline Icelandair already flies to 17 cities across the United States and Canada at different points of the year but, in May 2027, will add a new route to Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Reykjavik from St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) in Missouri to its network.

“St. Louis is an exciting addition”: Icelandair on new U.S. flight

The new seasonal route will run four times a week from May 14 through October 24, 2027 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. According to the airline, it will test demand for direct service for the smaller Midwestern city while also furthering the airline’s efforts to expand in the west of the U.S.

“St. Louis is an exciting addition, further strengthened by our growing partnership with Southwest Airlines, which will create convenient connections between destinations across North America, Iceland, and Europe,” Icelandair’s Chief Commercial Officer Tómas Ingason said in a statement.

The route is also being unveiled to coincide with Icelandair’s 90th birthday; initially known as Flugfélag Akureyra, the airline was established in June 1937 from a single seaplane that serviced the country’s more remote north coast.

Related: Literary tourism and hotels that amp it up have come to Iceland

The codeshare partnership between Icelandair and American budget airline Southwest was cemented in the fall of 2024 as a way of joining their networks and connecting more travelers from smaller U.S. cities to Reykjavik on a single ticket.

While St. Louis was previously among the cities in the Southwest network to which Icelandair was granted access through the partnership, choosing it as a new Icelandair route shows that it is seeing greater potential in its ability to generate traffic.

How to book the new Icelandair flights to St. Louis and Madrid

Along with the new St. Louis route, Icelandair is also planning to bring back its Reykjavik-Madrid flight for the 2027 summer season. The flight between Reykjavik and
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) was launched as a seasonal route in 2024 and not brought back in either 2025 and 2026; in 2027, it will run from April 9 until October 25, 2027, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Both routes will run on a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane with room for 160 passengers.

While their launch is more than half a year away, both flights are already available to buy on the Icelandair website at a starting fare of $500 USD for a roundtrip ticket.

Along with St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer and airport officials, Ingason also called the recent additions ones that “support the continued development of our route network and strengthen the range of options available to our customers.”

Related: The Sydney-New York flight is almost here to book

With the rise of North American travelers looking to avoid a transfer in a major airports like London Heathrow (LHR) and Charles De Gaulle (CDG), North American airlines such as United, Delta, and Air Canada have all added cities like Catania, Dubrovnik and Venice to their 2026-2027 flying network.

But amid the cost-cutting that came as a result of jet fuel price increases in 2026, riskier flights that can either tap into a unique market or flounder with low uptake are often the first to get cut.

WestJet cuts 13 cities from its 2026 flight schedule

Over the last month, flag carrier and national airline Air Canada permanently suspended flights to Dubai International (DXB) and Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) in Algiers due to traffic numbers disproportionate to the cost of fuel.

Its main Canadian competitor and the tenth-largest airline in North America, the Calgary-based WestJet, has recently also cut three long-haul European destinations and 10 North American ones from its flight schedule.

Read now: Air Canada exits entire market

As first reported by airline news outlet Simple Flying, the airline has removed its flight to Glasgow Airport (GLA) from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) after bringing it back from a four-year hiatus in May 2026. The carrier is also not scheduled to bring back two seasonal flights between Copenhagen (CPH) and Madrid (MAD) from Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) that ended their seasonal run in September for the coming year.

The Glasgow route was the second European destination to which WestJet expanded its network in May 2014 but was later suspended and relaunched several times before getting brought back in 2026.

Other North American destinations WestJet has quietly axed in 2026

These long-haul route cuts come, since the start of 2026, alongside 10 other market exits from holiday destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico.

WestJet canceled seven flights to different cities in Cuba. It also axed three routes and three other flights to San Andrés Island (ADZ) in Colombia, Lihue (LIH) in Hawaii, and Guadalajara (GDL) in Mexico from different Canadian cities.

While Cuba was once a popular holiday destination for Canadians, the Cuban flight cuts came following the U.S. fuel blockade of the island and subsequent security situation as a result of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on its government. The other destinations were cut later in 2026 due to the network shake-ups and unprofitable traffic numbers.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026

In each case, the cut routes represent a permanent market exit from the specific city for the airline. For the long-haul European flights, the canceled flights also mark a WestJet exit from the countries of Scotland, Denmark and Spain.

John Weatherill, WestJet’s Executive VP and Chief Commercial Officer, classified these cuts as part of “difficult decisions” that needed to be made in order to ensure the airline can remain financially strong and weather economic ebbs going forward.

Related: Another airline in bankruptcy, flights canceled

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has watched that habit fade. He believes it’s why Delta can keep growing profits, even when jet fuel gets expensive.

Wall Street is less convinced. Over the past two months, analysts have steadily lowered what they expect Delta (DAL) to earn this quarter.

That sets up a real test when the airline reports its September quarter results on Oct. 9, 2026.

Delta’s premium strategy, explained

For more than a decade, Delta has tried to sell an experience, not just a seat.

Every Delta jet has at least three classes of service, and many have four, Chief Marketing and Product Officer Ranjan Goswami said at TD Cowen’s Future of the Consumer Conference on June 3.

Also Read: Delta Air Lines quietly ends 17 routes while adding new flights

Goswami said Delta earns a 15% unit revenue premium over the rest of the industry, a lead it has held “for well over a decade.”

Bastian, who joined Delta almost 30 years ago, described the shift on the airline’s second-quarter earnings call on July 10.

“If you ask someone why they picked a specific airline, at least 80% of the time it’s whoever had the lowest price. Today, if you ask a consumer why did they choose Delta, they’ll tell you, it’s because it’s Delta.”

Premium cabins power Delta’s growth

Customer loyalty showed up clearly in Delta’s second quarter, according to the earnings call.

• Revenue soared to a record $17.7 billion, up 14% from a year earlier.
• Premium and loyalty revenue each grew nearly 20%.
• Corporate sales rose more than 20% in core and coastal hubs, with Los Angeles and Boston closer to 30%.
• The American Express partnership is expected to pay Delta $9 billion this year, up 10%.

Delta barely added premium seats, which grew in the low single digits. Simultaneously, it cut Main Cabin seats by 2% to 3%, Chief Commercial Officer Joe Esposito said.

The math is simple. Delta is flying about the same number of seats but charging more for each one. 

And more of its premium seats are going to travelers who paid for them, rather than to frequent flyers getting free upgrades.

Travelers are also booking directly. Goswami said Delta had 65 days this year with more than $100 million in cash sales through its app and website, compared with just 19 last year.

Wall Street lowers its Delta forecast

Now look at what analysts expect for DAL stock in Q3 of 2026.

The average estimate from 19 analysts calls for third-quarter earnings of $1.88 per share, according to Yahoo Finance data. That’s up from $1.71 a year earlier.

But the consensus estimate has been sliding. Sixty days ago, it was $2.23, and just a week ago, it was $1.94.

Revenue forecasts point to $18.91 billion, a 13.4% gain, based on eight analysts.

Related: Delta Air Lines CEO signals major shift in what travelers pay

Delta’s guidance is higher on both counts. CFO Erik Snell told investors to expect earnings of $2 to $2.50 per share and revenue growth in the mid-teens.

In other words, Wall Street sits below the low end of what Delta promised during its Q2 earnings call.

The gap is wider for the full year. Delta affirmed earnings of $6.50 to $7.50 per share, while the consensus stands at $5.83.

Delta has matched or topped earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, beating by more than 11% twice.

Why Delta could beat Q3 estimates

Delta began raising fares in March to cover higher fuel costs. But by then, many summer trips were already paid for. Esposito said April flights were about 70% booked before the new prices kicked in.

So for much of the second quarter, Delta was flying passengers who had bought tickets at the old, lower prices.

The trend changes in the third quarter. Most of those tickets were bought after the fare increases, so Delta should collect the higher prices on far more of its seats.

More Airlines:

• Another airline cancels flights until August, offers some refunds
• Another airline will be dissolved, all flights canceled
• Airline shuts down, all flights grounded after accident

“Our exit rate on TRASM was significantly higher than our entry rate,” Esposito said. TRASM, or total revenue per available seat mile, measures how much Delta earns for each seat it flies one mile.

Put simply, Delta ended the quarter earning far more per seat than it did at the start.

Esposito added that cash sales improved “across the entire booking curve” in both premium and Main Cabin.

Delta is also slicing its premium cabins into Basic, Classic, and Extra fares this quarter, giving customers more choice and Delta more ways to sell an upgrade.

Fuel remains the biggest risk for Delta

Nothing about this is guaranteed.

Delta expects third-quarter fuel expense to run about 40% higher than last year. Bastian also said fuel was 50% higher than it was at the start of the year.

Delta’s refinery outage will also cost it 5 to 7 cents per gallon in the third quarter, Snell said.

Those pressures likely explain why analysts have grown cautious.

Still, Bastian made it clear where Delta is betting.

“We’re no longer competing on price as much as we’re competing on value and experience and service, and that’s where Delta wins,” he said.

If premium travelers keep paying up, Wall Street’s lower bar may prove easy to clear.

More Stocks News

• TSMC’s $46.7 billion quarter leaves 1 question for investors
• China’s rare-earth truce puts 3 stocks on a Jan. 10 clock
• Bank of America tweaks Marvell stock target after key Analyst Day
• GM stock will see major benefit from latest redesign, analyst says

Many travel agencies serving groups, ultra-luxury travelers, and other niche clients continue to thrive, but as a general trend, there has also been a string of closures since the start of 2026.

Some companies that filed for bankruptcy or collapsed over imminent cash flow problems in 2026 include Virginia-based bus tour operator Sunshine Tours, Florida booking agency North America Destinations, and Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC.

While not shut down outright, the most recent travel company to make the news over widespread trip cancellations is Maryland’s Charles County-based luxury travel company Younique Ventures. Founded by Kendra Ashe in 2012, the company marketed travelers’ small-group curated travel itineraries and group luxury retreats.

Younique Ventures travelers still waiting for refunds

In July 2026, 70 women who traveled with Younique Ventures on a “Goddess Refresh Experience” trip to southern France and Spain were left stranded abroad after the airline canceled a flight to Spain’s Canary Islands.

Instead of arranging for alternative travel arrangements, Younique Ventures cut the entire trip short by four days and reportedly told customers to find their own way back home.

Amid the travel chaos and complaints from stranded travelers, Younique Ventures also indefinitely postponed trips to Australia, Fiji, and Colombia. For both itineraries, travelers put down deposits and have not received them back as they wait to know when and if the trips will take place.

The latest reporting on the situation shows that many travelers on the canceled European trip are still waiting to receive refunds for the flights and hotel rates they paid when the trip was cut short.

“I want my money back, not a postponement”

“I want my money back, not a postponement,” Cynthia Quinnie Davis, a customer who put down $15,000 for the Australia and Fiji trip that was initially slated to start on Oct. 18, wrote in a Facebook post.

Other travel agencies that shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026:

• AVG Travels: Before entering bankruptcy in May 2026, the Melbourne-based travel agency selling cheap vacation packages to travelers in Australia and New Zealand sent more than 200 travelers an email saying the trips were canceled.
• GoPlay Sports: In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without a planned trip to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then went unreachable.
• Havantur: Havantur was forced to shut down its main European office in France at the start of 2026 after tourist numbers to the Caribbean country plummeted due to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and threats against the country.
• Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations: Two travel agencies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations, were shut down by regulators within a few days of each other in January 2026 after multiple travelers complained of buying trips and receiving invalid plane tickets and hotel bookings.

In a statement issued at the start of October, Younique Ventures said that the rush of customers filing chargeback requests with their credit card companies made it unable to issue the direct refunds it had intended to process within 60 days of the canceled trips.

“The number of chargebacks that have occurred has escalated due to false and misleading statements that are being made about Younique Ventures and what occurred on the trip in question,” Younique Ventures wrote in an Oct. 2 statement in which it states that the trip cancellation “was very disappointing to many of our travelers and it was to us as well.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

In an additional statement to Maryland broadcaster WUSA9, the company also went on to say that, as part of the changes that it put in place after the canceled France trip, it will “no longer schedule our group experiences at the same time as other custom trips” and “added dedicated support to manage trips before departure and while travelers are away.”

Related: Popular luxury travel company abruptly cancels all trips

During the fall of 2026, active seasons are currently being streamed in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

Amid the show’s viral popularity, travelers have increasingly been looking to stay at a castle that mirrors the castle locations where many of the versions are filmed. The versions with the biggest multimillion viewer reach, the UK version hosted by broadcaster Claudia Winkleman and the U.S. version hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming, are both filmed in the Andross Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Off to Scotland or England? Where to stay for a true The Traitors vibe

While this 19th-century castle itself is closed to tourists as a private estate and filming location, multiple hotel groups behind large hotels have used the public interest in the show and the spooky murder-mystery vibe to entice guests to stay at hotels operated in other historic properties.

Highland Coast Hotels, a luxury hotel group based in Inverness, has previously run a “Coastal Castles” promotion in which travelers can book two nights at the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora and two nights at the Tongue Hotel in Sutherland alongside entry to the nearby Dunrobin Castle and The Castle of Mey.

Related: Luxury hotel chain Nobu sets its latest sights on Puerto Rico

Now operated as a 21-key Relais & Châteaux Hotel, the Glenapp Castle was built in 1870 by local industrialist James Hunte on 110 acres along the Ayrshire coast. While not officially marketed in connection to “The Traitors”, the five-star property offers very similar vibes of a Scottish Baronial fortress full of sandstone battlements, turrets, and towers, as well as guest activities such as curling and falconry on the estate grounds.

Depending on the season, individual rooms cost between £300 and £750 (up to $900 USD) per night.

The history of Airlie Castle in the northeast of Scotland dates back to 1492 when King James I granted lands to local aristocrats of Walter Ogilvy. While the castle itself was rebuilt in the eighteenth century following a fire, the rebuilt castle towering over the junction of the River Isla and the Melgam Water is today frequently used as a filming and wedding venue.

It can also be booked as an estate with room for 14 guests at a price of £8,000 per week. An expansive moat that was dug up to block access for enemies and others with nefarious plans gives the entire property a particularly Traitor-esque vibe.

For a more affordable option, Lumley Castle has rooms starting at $70 per night

For a significantly more affordable option, Lumley Castle in northeastern England is a historic fortress that was built in County Durham by local aristocrat Sir Ralph Lumley in 1389. The castle is approximately a 30-minute drive from the northeastern city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

In 2026, it is a four-star hotel with 72 suites decorated to hearken back to the Baroque period (think purple velvet drapes, four-poster canopy beds, and gold and brass details). Rates for a standard double room start at £52 ($69 USD) during the off-season.

As the castle also hosts monthly murder mystery game dinners for local residents, it is a particularly good setting for fans of “The Traitors” as well.

Related: The hotel for the next ‘White Lotus’ season has been leaked

A new limited-time offer at Costco could help visitors save hundreds of dollars on a two-day trip, including access to a popular add-on that would otherwise make a Disneyland visit significantly more expensive.

But there’s a catch.

Costco brings back its Disneyland Resort ticket deal

Costco (COST) has brought back its The Walt Disney Company (DIS) Disneyland Resort ticket deal, giving customers a chance to save on admission during Disneyland’s Halloween and holiday seasons.

The deal costs $329.99 and includes a 2-Day Park Hopper ticket, Lightning Lane Multi Pass for both visits, and a $60 Disney dining card, according to theme park content creator Kel Warner, known as @themeparkmomlife on Instagram.

The tickets are valid from Oct. 2 through Dec. 18, 2026, and can be used only at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. They do not apply to Walt Disney World’s parks in Orlando or Disney parks outside the U.S.

The timing of the offer is significant for families planning fall and holiday trips, when Disneyland typically sees strong demand for its park and attractions.

The latest offer also compares favorably with Costco’s previous Disneyland deal.

The most recent Costco ticket offer was available from Jan. 8 through June 12, 2026, and included a 2-Day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $389.99, according to Disney Tourist Blog.

That means the current offer costs $60 less than the earlier deal while also including the $60 Disney dining card.

At first glance, that makes the new offer particularly appealing for families trying to manage the rising cost of a Disneyland trip. However, visitors should understand the restrictions before purchasing.

The fine print reveals a catch behind the Disneyland ticket offer

The deal comes with several restrictions that could affect its usefulness for travelers with less-flexible schedules.

Once a guest uses the first day of the ticket, the second day must be used within 13 days, or the ticket will expire, according to the ticket terms.

Guests also need a theme park reservation for each visit. Reservations are subject to availability, which means purchasing the discounted ticket does not guarantee that a guest will be able to reserve their preferred park or date.

The reservation requirement could be especially important for visitors planning to travel during Disneyland’s Halloween and holiday seasons, when demand for park reservations can be higher.

The tickets are also nonrefundable at the time of purchase at Costco.

Each ticket is intended for one guest, meaning the two days cannot be divided between two different people. There is also a limit of 20 ticket purchases per Costco member.

For families purchasing several tickets, these terms are worth considering before committing to the offer.

How much money does the Costco Disneyland deal save customers?

The biggest draw of the offer is the potential savings.

Disneyland currently lists a 2-Day Park Hopper ticket for one adult at $445 on its website.

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass costs $70 for the two-day visit, bringing the combined cost of admission and Lightning Lane access to $515.

Here’s some of my previous coverage of Theme Parks:

• Disney World shares new theme park ticket prices for 2027
• Universal Orlando makes major ticketing change at its new theme park
• Disney World raises beloved event price to highest-ever level

With the $60 Disney dining card included, the components have a combined value of about $575. At $329.99, the Costco offer provides potential savings of approximately $245 per person.

For a family purchasing multiple tickets, the difference can add up quickly.

However, the savings depend on the travelers being able to use both days within the required period and secure the necessary theme park reservations.

Disneyland’s ticket terms also state that a ticket expires 13 days after its first use or Jan. 12, 2028, whichever comes first. If a ticket expires, Disney says its value may be applied toward the purchase of a new ticket at the current price, provided the new ticket costs at least as much as the original ticket.

Guests also need both a valid admission and a theme park reservation to enter a Disneyland theme park on a given day.

Disney notes that reservations are limited and depend on the availability of reservations allocated to park tickets and overall theme park capacity. A reservation is not guaranteed simply because a guest has purchased a ticket.

Disney has raised Disneyland ticket prices

The potential value of the Costco offer comes as the cost of visiting Disney parks has continued to increase.

Disneyland ticket prices vary depending on factors, including the date of a visit, and multi-day Park Hopper tickets have become more expensive compared with 2025, according to MiceChat.

The changes include:

• 2-Day Park Hopper: $435 to $445, an increase of $10
• 3-Day Park Hopper: $535 to $550, an increase of $15
• 4-Day Park Hopper: $600 to $610, an increase of $10
• 5-Day Park Hopper: $655 to $660, an increase of $5

Prices for Magic Keys, parking, Lightning Lane, and multi-day base tickets remained unchanged in the pricing update cited by MiceChat.

For travelers already planning a Disneyland trip between now and Dec. 18, the Costco offer provides a potentially significant discount compared with buying the admission, Lightning Lane access, and dining benefit separately.

Still, the savings come with the important condition that customers need to make sure their travel plans fall within the ticket’s usage window and that the necessary theme park reservations are available.

Related: Disney World shares new theme park ticket prices for 2027

However, the announcements included one consequential change for flyers who frequently fly on close ally American Airlines. The big change, coming in 2027, popped up in the company’s new earning charts, but received comparatively little attention. It’s a potentially interesting offering for those who don’t already rock AAdvantage status.

American flights now earn Atmos regardless of where booked

The oneworld alliance lets travelers attach one member airline’s loyalty number to a flight operated by another. That means an American Airlines passenger can, for example, credit an eligible flight to Atmos Rewards instead of AAdvantage.

However, partner earning is historically complicated. How many points you earned could depend on the airline, booking channel, fare class and distance flown. But starting Jan. 1, 2027, penciling in Atmos on your American reservations could make the earning equation considerably simpler.

Members can choose to earn points and status points based on distance traveled, price paid, or segments flown. That choice can also apply to American Airlines flights if flights are credited to Atmos, rather than AAdvantage:

• Distance earning: 1 point per mile flown
• Segment earning: 500 points per flight
• Price-paid: 5 points per dollar of eligible fare (same as Base Member in AAdvantage)

And while it’s welcome news for Atmos flyers, it’s potentially an even bigger deal for casual flyers who fly and book with American Airlines.

Why Atmos might beat AAdvantage for American flyers

For those who don’t currently flex AAdvantage status, but still fly a great deal, Atmos Rewards could be an interesting alternative to AAdvantage.

To unlock the lowest elite status on AAdvantage, you need to earn 40,000 Loyalty Points. For a base member (somebody without status), that would be the equivalent of $8,000 spent on AA flights. However, candidly, few American flyers earn their way to status from flying alone.

Many reach the upper echelons of status by putting tons of spend on AAdvantage Credit Cards. Generally, a dollar in eligible AAdvantage credit-card spend earns one Loyalty Point, although certain cards can offer additional Loyalty Point bonuses for hitting specific spending thresholds.

But compare that with the 20,000 Status Points that you need to unlock Atmos Silver, the lowest level in the Atmos ecosystem. You could handily reach these levels by flying alone, either by selecting the AAdvantage-like price paid option or opting for the distance-based option that earns based on miles flown. Atmos also has a credit card ecosystem that offers a Status Point for every two dollars spent (on Alaska’s Premium Summit card, which also confers a 10K Status Point boost on your first card anniversary) or per three dollars spent (all other card products).

That means that at the entry level, Atmos requires half as many Status Points to clear into the lowest status level. You can even buy your way halfway there with the Atmos Summit. This means that a casual flyer who assigns their points to Atmos could stand to earn status much faster from flying alone. And the best part is that these benefits extend to American Airlines.

American lets Atmos join the upgrade waitlist, select nicer seats

The reason this matters is that Atmos status doesn’t become useless when you step onto an American jet. American extends a number of reciprocal benefits to eligible oneworld and Atmos elites, including access to preferred seating and, on eligible routes, reciprocal upgrade benefits.

They also extend across the oneworld ecosystem, too. Atmos’ Gold status earns oneworld Sapphire. The comparable AAdvantage status to earn that Sapphire requires nearly double the Loyalty Points in American’s ecosystem.

What’s right for you?

Atmos Rewards is the last major U.S. airline program to let travelers earn points and status by miles flown, which is partially responsible for its acclaim. It’s for this reason that frequent flyers can quickly rack up points and earn status on the airline. Of course, barriers to entry aside, there are cases where Atmos or AAdvantage could earn you outsized value:

Atmos wins on longer flights, distance

What you’d earn might depend on which program you focus, but while AAdvantage only has one earning option (price-paid), Atmos has three (price-paid, segments flown, and distance earnings.) For many long-haul customers, distance-based is a winner.

In fact, on a large number of routes, you’ll find distance earnings can earn you multiples more than AAdvantage’s price-paid, meaning that Atmos would be fantastic for long-hauls flown on Alaska, Hawaiian, or American booked on alaskaair.com or aa.com. Here’s how just a few would look with base earnings on both programs:

AAdvantage still wins existing elites, big spenders

Flyers who shell out for nicer premium seats or expensive last minute tickets might benefit from price-paid on either AAdvantage or Atmos. They are identical in earnings, earning 5x whatever the eligible fare is, making it a draw with a very big asterisk.

That asterisk? While Atmos gives members more ways to choose how flights earn, AAdvantage rewards its existing elites much more aggressively when they credit expensive American tickets to AAdvantage. This is where having status on American would handily surpass Atmos price-paid.

For example:

This is to say, if you’re already AAdvantage, you’ll find that it can be rewarding to stay that way. However, to reach the upper echelons of status in American’s ecosystem, you would generally lean on its ecosystem of credit and affiliate programs. That’s the easiest way to unlock the 9x and 11x multipliers that come with Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum.

Atmos may also be less compelling for travelers who tend to fly internationally, where buying expensive American international fares could earn your way to status faster. In fact, the price-paid breakeven is about 20¢ per mile.

A fleet of 15 Boeing 737-800 planes allowed the airline to fly to 23 destinations across Argentina and neighboring countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.

But since June 2026, Flybondi has remained largely grounded, as the spike in jet fuel prices caused a snowballing financial hole and creditors froze financial accounts over missed payments.

Amid hundreds of flight cancellations, Brazilian authorities blocked the airline from selling any new flights into the country in July. The 2,500 flight cancellations in summer 2026 affected more than 350,000 passengers.

Flybondi files for creditor protection in Argentina, remains grounded

At the start of September, Flybondi grounded all but one of its Boeing 737 planes and canceled all flights for what it initially said would be four weeks. The airline, however, has not flown for the last 58 days, and on Oct. 2, it filed for creditor protection in Argentina’s National Commercial Court No. 24, Aviacionline reported.

The creditor protection proceedings (called “concurso preventivo de acreedores” in Argentina) allow a company to restructure its debts under deadlines and the supervision of a court-appointed trustee. The process is the closest equivalent to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.

Related: Low-cost airline cancels all flights for 4 weeks, shuts down

The case was assigned to Judge Guillermo Mario Pesaresi, while law firm Grispo & Asociados is representing Flybondi in the case.

Several local Argentine outlets reported that the airline owes debts of more than $122.4 million to creditors that include tax authorities and aircraft lenders. The exact extent of its debt as a private company has not been publicly disclosed.

Flybondi’s collapse follows a script U.S. travelers already know.

Spirit Airlines, the largest airline shutdown of 2026, canceled all of its remaining flights on May 2. Spirit had already been through Chapter 11 twice, but it was the spike in jet fuel prices that finally finished it off.

That’s the same cost that blew the hole in Flybondi’s finances and left its planes sitting on the ground.

What is happening with Argentine low-cost airline Flybondi in October 2026

Buenos Aires-based newspaper La Nación previously reported that a court-supervised restructuring may involve Flybondi being absorbed into the local logistics and postal giant OCA Air, according to Air Data News.

As OCA Air is not currently in the business of commercial aviation, many serious questions about Flybondi’s post-restructuring future remain. Communications executive Lucía Ginzo left her role at the airline in late May 2026.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Over the last few months, the airline’s website has been reopened, allowing travelers to book flights into the fall of 2026, and then taken down several times. It currently shows visitors a 404 page.

Other airlines that shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026:

• Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow to its operations.
• Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline canceled all of its flights and eventually shut down in a collapse that left thousands stranded.
• Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 over financial problems.

Related: Another airline in bankruptcy, flights canceled

Southwest has cut its initial growth targets in half and trimmed low-traffic routes, wrote TheStreet’s travel reporter Veronika Bondarenko. Even so, it has announced its largest-ever summer schedule for 2027, with a number of new routes.

The carrier has moved away from open seating, is offering assigned and premium seats, and plans to open its first-ever airport lounges in several major cities soon.

More recently, the low-cost carrier has announced a special offering encouraging travelers to take a break from their phones. 

Southwest Airlines is giving away up to 10,500 free Rapid Rewards points 

Southwest just launched a fun “Enter Airplane Mode” campaign to give travelers points for showing off their unread notifications, a nudge to step away from their screens. You can earn points by doing two things: 

• Uploading screenshots
  • You can upload a screenshot of your phone’s home screen showing your unread notification counts. 
  • You get 1 point for every unread notification, up to 10,000 points. 
  • Do this at NotificationVacation.com. 
• Taking the “Burnout Quiz”
  • Take a Burnout Quiz to gauge your level of burnout and earn 500 points. 

While reaching the 10,000-notification max might sound impossible to “inbox zero” enthusiasts, it’s surprisingly common. A study on phone habits found that Gen Z users average more than 11,000 unread notifications, Workplace Insight noted.

Southwest lists a 500-point minimum for Notification Vacation, plus 500 for the quiz, but only while points last and subject to verification.

You should receive at least 1,000 points if both submissions are approved and points remain. If you are an inbox-zero person, just like me, Southwest didn’t indicate whether a near-empty screenshot qualifies for that minimum. 

Southwest is setting aside more than 185 million points across both offers, with each Rapid Rewards member capped at 10,500 points. 

But these are separate offerings. Completing one doesn’t automatically enter you into the other. 

Most Americans spend at least 5 hours looking at screens daily 

The idea behind this promotional campaign is motivating travelers to escape daily phone addiction, constant pings, and always-on schedules to avoid burnout, the company said in a press release. 

More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents in a Southwest-sponsored survey reported feeling burned out, and 68% of respondents believe a trip is one way they can regain control of their time. 

The carrier’s findings are in line with broader statistics. In fact, 53% of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphones, according to a Pew Research Center survey from May and June 2026. 

For many Americans, their smartphone is the last thing they see at night and the first thing they see in the morning, a December 2025 YouGov survey showed. In fact, on an average day, the majority of Americans say they spend at least five hours looking at screens. 

In addition, 73% of surveyed respondents reported at least one negative impact associated with their screen time, in the American Psychological Association’s 2024 Stress in America survey, conducted by The Harris Poll. 

“As the airline that democratized the skies, Southwest Airlines has always helped make the dream trip a reality and our new campaign, ‘Enter Airplane Mode,’ encourages Customers to recognize when they’re approaching a breaking point and to turn that moment into their booking point,” said Sabrina Callahan, Southwest’s senior vice president and chief digital and marketing officer.  

How to upload screenshots to access Southwest Airlines points offer

To upload a screenshot, open NotificationVacation.com on your phone and enter your Rapid Rewards number, View from the Wing shared. 

Take screenshots of your home screens that clearly display unread notification counts during the promotion period. These screenshots should show genuine notifications on a device you regularly use. 

You can upload up to 10 screenshots together, using original PNG or JPEG files. You can submit only once, so include all your screenshots before you hit confirm. 

Review the count to make sure it’s accurate and select “Confirm & earn points.” Southwest awards one point per qualifying unread notification, subject to the minimum, maximum, verification requirements, and remaining supply. 

Related: Airbnb CEO says travelers are about to see big changes

How do the notification points translate into a free flight?

If you constantly ignore your phone, your messy screen could earn you up to 10,000 points, which you can use to book a one-way flight. 

Southwest Rapid Rewards points are tied directly to the cash price of a ticket. When cash fares go down or go on sale, the number of points you need for a flight drops as well.

If you max out the promotion and earn 10,500 points, you can often cover a short-haul, one-way domestic flight. 

For example, short island-hopping flights in Hawaii, such as flying from Honolulu to Maui, have been available for as few as 4,000 points. Popular short-haul routes in the continental U.S., like Los Angeles to Las Vegas, can also drop into the 3,000- to 8,000-point range during sale events on Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar.

Even if you earn fewer points, your screen clutter still pays off. Southwest allows you to use Cash + Points on bookings starting at just 1,000 points. You can use your reward points to knock down the cash price of a flight ticket.

Here is how the notification points break down, assuming you also take the quiz:

• 100 unread notifications: 500 points + 500 quiz points = 1,000 total points
• 1,000 unread notifications: 1,000 points + 500 quiz points = 1,500 total points
• 6,200 unread notifications: 6,200 points + 500 quiz points = 6,700 total points
• 10,000 or more unread notifications: 10,000 points + 500 quiz points = 10,500 total points

The notification promotion ends Oct. 12, 2026, and the quiz ends Dec. 10, 2026. However, there is a limit on the number of points Southwest is giving away, so the offers could end sooner if the points run out.

To participate, you must be a Rapid Rewards member, at least 18 years old, and a resident of the U.S. or Washington, D.C.

Related: Delta Air Lines quietly ends 17 routes while adding new flights

Her loyalty account holds a healthy stack of miles but not enough to cover the entire ticket price.

For years, that left two options. She could pay the entire fare in cash and leave her miles untouched. Or she could hold off on booking until she earned enough miles for a free ticket.

This small gap is where many loyalty points end up sitting unused. Now one of the world’s biggest airlines wants to close it.

Why airline miles matter more than ever

American Airlines is no newcomer to loyalty, given that it created the first airline loyalty program.

The airline itself is also hitting a big milestone. American Airlines (AAL) traces its roots to an air mail carrier in 1926, and it is celebrating its 100th year in 2026.

Also Read: American Airlines CEO delivers stark warning on rising fuel costs

Today, American runs more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. It serves more than 200 million customers a year. 

Loyalty is also big business for the airline. At Morgan Stanley’s 14th Annual Laguna Conference on Sept. 16, CEO Robert Isom said:

• American expects about $8 billion in cash this year from its credit card partnership with Citi.
• He said that number should grow to over $10 billion by 2030.
• He also expects another $1.5 billion in pretax profit from the deal.

Put simply, every member who uses the program helps feed one of American’s biggest moneymakers.

American Airlines adds cash and miles booking option

Here’s the fix for American Airlines travelers. As the feature rolls out in the coming weeks, eligible AAdvantage members can combine cash and miles on aa.com and the American app.

“At American, we’re continually evolving the AAdvantage program to deliver more choice and flexibility for our members,” said Scott Long, American’s senior vice president of AAdvantage.

“The introduction of cash and miles is another step in our ongoing effort to provide AAdvantage members with more personalized ways to engage with the program and get more value from their membership,” he added.

More Airlines:

• Another airline cancels flights until August, offers some refunds
• Another airline will be dissolved, all flights canceled
• Airline shuts down, all flights grounded after accident

The process takes just a few steps:

• Log into your AAdvantage account and pick your flights with cash.
• Decide whether you want the optional trip insurance offer at checkout.
• Use a slider to choose your mix of cash and miles.
• Watch the cost summary update automatically.
• Enter your payment details and book.

In plain terms, you no longer need a full award balance to put your miles to work.

More AAdvantage rewards for members

Cash and miles is the newest piece of a wider push. American has also added several new Loyalty Point Reward options. 

Members who reach 15,000 Loyalty Points in a membership year can choose two inflight food and beverage coupons.

Related: Southwest Airlines CEO says the quiet part about airfare out loud

New York Times subscriptions are also on the menu. At 15,000 Loyalty Points, members can pick 12 months of Games, Cooking, or The Athletic.

At higher levels, from 175,000 up to 750,000 Loyalty Points, members can choose 12 months of New York Times All Access, which includes News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic.

Million Miler members will soon get a wider selection of gifts at each milestone, too.

What American’s CEO says about loyalty

Isom spent much of his Laguna appearance promoting the program. He called AAdvantage the industry’s first and largest loyalty program.

“We’ve seen AAdvantage enrollments at record levels,” Isom said.

“We offer day in and day out more value in that program for our customers than anyone else,” Isom added.

He also explained why giving members more choice matters to the airline.

“What I really like is the flexibility of our offerings that just encourage a much, much tighter relationship in the American Airlines ecosystem,” he said.

Cash and miles fit that idea neatly. The easier it is to use miles, the more reason members have to keep earning them.

Why loyalty matters for AAL stock

Despite a challenging macro environment, American Airlines has grown top-line revenue primarily due to strong customer demand. 

On its second-quarter earnings call, the airline giant guided to 16% to 19% revenue growth in the third quarter.

Given consensus estimates compiled by TIKR, American Airlines is projected to increase revenue by 15.7% year over year to $63.21 billion in 2026.

However, it is expected to report a loss per share of $0.61 this year, compared to earnings of $0.17 per share in 2025. 

The primary headwind for airline companies this year is volatile fuel prices. 

“I don’t like where fuel is today,” Isom told the conference.

CFO Devon May put a number on it. Fuel has climbed roughly $1 a gallon for the fourth quarter alone, he said. Every penny is worth about $10 million in a quarter.

That’s why the loyalty program keeps coming up when management talks about upside. It’s a lever American controls, unlike jet fuel prices.

May said the company will update its fourth-quarter outlook on its next earnings call. For travelers, the news is simpler: Those leftover miles are about to become a lot more useful.

More Stocks News

• TSMC’s $46.7 billion quarter leaves 1 question for investors
• China’s rare-earth truce puts 3 stocks on a Jan. 10 clock
• Bank of America tweaks Marvell stock target after key Analyst Day
• GM stock will see major benefit from latest redesign, analyst says

The airline has launched a number of new routes to smaller European cities such as Basel in Switzerland and Dubrovnik in Croatia, while suspending at least seven long-haul routes to India, the Middle East, and northern Africa.

The flight to the latter country’s capital of Algiers from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) was launched in June 2017 as a seasonal summer flight between June and September. It ran for nearly a decade but, amid high jet fuel costs, was not brought back for 2026.

Air Canada permanently cuts only flight to Algeria, along with four others

Air Canada has now confirmed that it will not be returning the route to Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) in Algiers in the summer of 2027, according to Simple Flying, which means the carrier has exited the country of Algeria as a market.

The move comes as part of wider network cuts that also include the cancellation of its India routes between Calgary and Delhi and Toronto and Mumbai, as well as an earlier cancellation of its flight to Dubai International (DXB) from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

A flight between Vancouver (YYR) and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) will also be phased out by January 2027.

Related: Another airline cancels almost all U.S. flights due to low demand

“If we can derisk this a little bit and move and be a bit proactive and move capacity into other sectors [where] we see strength, I think that’s the right move right now in this context,” Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president, revenue and network planning and president of cargo, said of the airline’s wider network strategy at the start of 2026.

Routes to smaller cities that serve a particular market but do not always bring in the necessary traffic are often the first victim of such network changes.

Which other airlines fly to North Africa from Canada?

The flight between Montreal and Algiers connected French Canadians to the French-speaking diaspora in northern Africa as well as members of the Algerian diaspora who live in Canada.

The initial plan was to run the flight on an Airbus A330-300 four times per week from June 2027. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Morocco’s Casablanca is now the main airport connecting Air Canada to northern Africa; the airline flies to the city multiple times a week from Montreal.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Air Algérie, the country’s national airline, currently operates a nine-hour direct flight to Montreal, and Royal Air Maroc flies to Toronto and Montreal. Air France is another major connector of flights to northern Africa through its Charles de Gaulle (CDG) hub.

Air Canada has not commented directly on the cancellation of the Algiers route but previously named jet fuel prices as “affecting some lower profitability routes and flights which now are no longer economically feasible.”

Related: A luxurious Canadian hotel brand is coming to snowy Japan

ABNB shares rose after the call and closed at $162.43 on Friday, Oct. 2, ending its losing streak. The stock also increased by about 4.2% over five trading sessions.

KeyBanc believes the new business Airbnb is integrating into its core model could pay off in the future.

KeyBanc lifts Airbnb to Overweight with a $191 target

On Oct. 2, 2026, KeyBanc analyst Sergio Segura upgraded Airbnb from Sector Weight to Overweight, meaning he believes the stock is a buy. He set a $191 price target along with the new rating, an increase of about 19% from its Oct. 1 close of $160.47, according to CNBC.

Also read: Airbnb CEO says travelers are about to see big changes

Segura has covered internet and travel stocks at KeyBanc for several years, and he often watches for companies at a turning point. Citizens also recently raised its Airbnb target to $200, so KeyBanc isn’t the only one with a positive view of the stock.

In fact, of the 34 analysts covering the stock, 22 rate it a Buy, while 11 have Hold ratings, and there is only one Sell rating. 

Why hotels are becoming Airbnb’s new growth engine

Airbnb makes most of its money by linking up travelers with people who rent out homes, apartments, and spare rooms. Then it charges a service fee when travelers book through those listings.

However, that model has faced challenges in cities like New York and Chicago, which have strict short-term rental rules. But working with hotels has begun to ease those difficulties. 

KeyBanc noted that the number of people booking hotel nights through Airbnb is increasing three times faster than the number of people booking homes, Investing.com reported.

“Hotels are currently a single-digit percentage of Nights but growing three times faster than Airbnb’s homes segment,” said Segura.

More Travel Coverage:

• Cheaper Las Vegas hotel rooms can’t fix a bigger problem
• Royal Caribbean beats Carnival in one major area
• Hilton and Marriott hotel operator files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Here’s a detail that I find interesting. Some first-time guests who book a hotel on Airbnb later book a home.

“Roughly 35% of first-time hotel guests return to Airbnb to book a home,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said. “What this shows is how hotels are introducing new guests to Airbnb, and many of those new guests don’t just come back and book hotels; they come back and they book homes. Hotels are making homes stronger.”

That’s the kind of positive change shareholders want to see.

The AI rollout and the cheap valuation case

On Sept. 30, Airbnb updated its U.S. platform so it could include a voice search option, AI filters, and AI-generated summaries for the places it recommends.

KeyBanc thinks these tools will help travelers plan their trips, which could end up bringing more customers to the business.

Related: Jim Cramer says battered travel stock everyone uses is a ‘steal’

Airbnb trades at about 14.1 times its estimated 2028 EV/EBITDA, which is below its three-year average of 16.7 times. That’s after the stock’s 18% year-to-date gain.

Because of that, Segura said the stock is too cheap to ignore, since it trades at a cheaper valuation than traditional hotel chains despite stronger growth.

What ABNB investors should watch before buying in

Airbnb plans to report its third-quarter earnings on Nov. 5. Wall Street expects to see a double-digit increase in the total number of nights booked. If the company doesn’t meet expectations, the stock could fall again. Also, the regulatory pressure affecting short-term rentals hasn’t completely disappeared.

New investors thinking of buying the stock could wait for the November report before putting money in, while current holders may prefer to add to their positions gradually rather than all at once.

More Stocks News

• TSMC’s $46.7 billion quarter leaves 1 question for investors
• China’s rare-earth truce puts 3 stocks on a Jan. 10 clock
• Bank of America tweaks Marvell stock target after key Analyst Day
• GM stock will see major benefit from latest redesign, analyst says

All I learned was that we would need a bigger budget. I planned nothing, and returned to the old way of searching and planning step by step. 

I love to get on the road, but, unlike many travelers, I find the planning stressful. Especially  when the budget and time are tight. So I was surprised to hear Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky say that “people actually derive more pleasure in planning and anticipating travel than they do traveling.” 

In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Chesky pointed out the difference between routine tasks and experiential shopping. He stressed that while travelers want an option to book flights quickly without browsing, they actually enjoy the visual process of looking at properties and exploring destinations. 

“So you don’t want to take the inspiration and the browsing and the library experience of dreaming away.”

While Chesky said Airbnb will keep photos, maps and visual browsing rather than a simple chat box, he also outlined other changes.

Airbnb CEO confirms app changes are coming 

Chesky shared how the company is redesigning its app experience. Rather than replacing the app with a simple text-based chatbot, Airbnb is focusing on making travel planning more collaborative and visual.

Airbnb CEO slammed chatbots usage for browsing or shopping, explaining that they only give a few options at a time and often require multiple turns. 

“I think that I’ve believed for a long time that a chatbot isn’t the right interface for e-commerce. I think what you’re seeing today is also not the endgame for e-commerce or for travel or shopping,” Chesky told TechCrunch’s Ivan Mehta. 

Read more: Camper company to liquidate, cancels all orders

His vision for Airbnb’s future sits between a chatbot and the original Airbnb experience.

Among major updates Chesky highlighted is making group planning easier and better. 

The Airbnb CEO explained that chatbots are built for one person and that they don’t offer a collaborative interface that is important for travelers who use the platform with family and friends. 

Airbnb is developing “multiplayer” features over the next three to six months that allow groups to browse, compare listings, and plan trips together in real time directly inside the app.

Seventy-six percent of group trips discussed in chat never happen, according to a 2026 Talker Research survey of 2,000  women, reported by Hotel News Resource.  The survey covered only women and reflects self-reported experience, so it may not represent all travelers.

The change will try to answer the needs of those travelers who are planning a trip together with friends or family, by enabling several people to use the AI tool at once. 

Airbnb wants its app to act as an agent

Airbnb is working to make its app work better with digital assistants without sacrificing the fun, visual parts of travel planning. Instead of hiding the app behind a simple text box, Airbnb wants travelers to keep using interactive features like photo libraries, interactive maps, and direct host messaging. 

Explaining this balance, Chesky noted, “We want to make our app more agentic, and we want to build a lot more user interface controls.”

Chesky admitted that current automated AI assistants still struggle with real-world travel bookings. He said booking Airbnb stays through Muse and Instinct “doesn’t work very well.”

He explained that consumer AI feels clunky right now because today’s apps and AI assistants cannot easily communicate or exchange detailed booking information with each other behind the scenes.

More Travel:

• Disney World shuts down part of legendary resort
• Popular Disney World ride shut down with no explanation
• Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips

“I don’t think we’ve cracked consumer AI. And for consumer AI to be cracked, we have to crack at a lower substrate, and we need to make the agents [into] apps; all apps need to become agents; all must be interoperable; and all must have much richer user interfaces,” Chesky said. 

For AI tools to truly transform how people shop and book trips, Chesky believes tech giants like Apple and Google would need to build a new platform for AI. 

Until that big system shift happens, traditional mobile apps are here to stay, and travelers will simply see smarter, helpful AI features built directly inside the apps they already use.

 “It’s really up to Apple or Google, or somebody, to build a new platform for us to really make the true shift from apps to agents,” Chesky said. 

Airbnb to roll out voice tools later this year 

Travelers using Airbnb will soon be able to use voice commands to search for stays and get faster help from customer support.

Amid the rising popularity of voice-focused apps like Wispr Flow, and Superwhisper, as well as built-in dictation in AI tools, Chesky agrees people will reach a point where they speak to computers more than they type. 

That’s why Airbnb plans to integrate voice as a key feature of its search and customer service, targeting to roll out voice agents as soon as this fall. 

Voice may be a natural next step, but travelers aren’t sold on handing more to AI yet. 

Statista projects about 157 million Americans will use voice assistants in 2026, so speaking to software is hardly new. 

Trust is the harder part. 

Expedia Group’s April 2026 survey of 5,700 travelers found only 8% were comfortable relying on AI platforms when planning a trip. A Gartner survey from 2024 found that 64% of customers would rather companies not use AI for customer service, mostly because they fear not reaching a human. 

The real test for Airbnb’s voice agents will be whether they fix problems quickly and hand off to a person when they can’t. 

Related: Delta Air Lines quietly ends 17 routes while adding new flights

For most travelers, those were two separate choices. You either sailed from island to island, or you unpacked once and stayed put at a resort.

Now, Royal Caribbean (RCL) wants guests to stop planning one big trip and start planning a lifetime of them, all inside the same family of brands.

And the cruise giant has found a way to take that idea off the water.

Why loyal guests matter for RCL stock

To understand the deal, let’s start with how Royal Caribbean Group operates today. 

The company runs 71 ships across three wholly owned brands: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.

It also owns private destinations, including Perfect Day and the Royal Beach Clubs. In 2027, it will enter river cruising with Celebrity River Cruises.

The common thread is repeat business.

Also Read: Royal Caribbean beats Carnival in one major area

On the company’s second-quarter earnings call on July 28, CEO Jason Liberty said spending for repeat guests increases by 20% to 25%. Holders of its new Royal ONE credit card are twice as likely to sail more than once.

While talking about river cruises, Liberty explained why adding new kinds of trips is key. “Now for us to be able to offer them another vacation experience that is typically not a substitute, it’s an additional vacation, we feel very encouraged by that level of demand that we’re seeing.”

In plain terms, a new product doesn’t steal a cruise booking. It adds another trip to the calendar. 

RCL stock adds a $3 billion resort bet

On Sept. 23, Royal Caribbean Group confirmed it will buy a 50% stake in Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. 

Here is how the deal works:

• Price: About $3 billion for half of the business.
• Valuation: About 10 times forward EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Simply put, Royal Caribbean is paying about 10 times the annual operating earnings its stake is expected to generate.
• Funding: Committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley.
• Timing: Expected to close in early 2027, subject to approvals.
• Payoff: Expected to add to earnings next year.

The partnership allows Royal Caribbean to unlock a new revenue stream and enter the $2 trillion  global vacation market.

Sandals is the adults-only resort brand. It has beachfront properties in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Curaçao, Saint Vincent, and The Grenadines. 

Beaches is the family brand, with resorts in Negril, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos. More are coming to Exuma, Barbados, Runaway Bay, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

More Travel:

• Disney World shuts down part of legendary resort
• Popular Disney World ride shut down with no explanation
• Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips

“Our partnership with Sandals and Beaches Resorts is an important next step on that journey,” Liberty said in the statement. “Together, we see tremendous opportunity to expand the reach of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and continue turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”

This deal is also about a founder’s dream.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart founded Sandals. His son, Adam Stewart, now serves as executive chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts.

“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality. Today is proof of how far that vision can go,” Stewart said.

He sees the partnership as a way to grow faster with a partner that shares his company’s values.

“The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud,” he added.

Stewart and Liberty will share leadership of the joint venture’s board, and Stewart will keep guiding the resort company’s growth.

Existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations, and cruise operations will continue as usual.

What the Sandals and Beaches deal means for RCL stock price

A $3 billion purchase paid for with debt raises a fair question: Can Royal Caribbean afford it?

Its latest results suggest it has room to move. Second-quarter revenue grew 6% from a year earlier. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.21, which was $0.33 above the midpoint of its guidance.

Related: Royal Caribbean shares disappointing news on cruise prices

The company ended the quarter with $6.9 billion in liquidity, meaning cash and credit it can draw on. Leverage was below three times.

Management also raised its full-year outlook. It now expects adjusted earnings per share of $17.73 to $17.87, up 14% year over year. 

On the same call, Liberty described how the company thinks about spending.

“We continue to believe that we drive tremendous shareholder value with moderate yield growth, strong cost control, and being very discerning about how we invest our capital and how we return capital to shareholders,” he said.

The deal won’t close until early 2027 and still needs approvals. Royal Caribbean is also taking on new debt, which could make investors nervous amid rising interest rates. And this year, the conflict in the Middle East weighed on some European bookings.

Still, the story is easy to follow.

Royal Caribbean’s ships have sailed past Caribbean beaches for decades. Soon, some of those beaches could belong to the same vacation family.

More Stocks News

• TSMC’s $46.7 billion quarter leaves 1 question for investors
• China’s rare-earth truce puts 3 stocks on a Jan. 10 clock
• Bank of America tweaks Marvell stock target after key Analyst Day
• GM stock will see major benefit from latest redesign, analyst says

First introduced by local councillors as an anti-crowding measure in 2024, the fee started out as €5 for any person older than 14 coming into the city’s historic center on weekends between April and July.

After a trial run, the fee was reintroduced (and expanded to €10 for those who do not book more than three days in advance) for the 60 busiest days in the subsequent summers.

“The current €5-10 charge is affordable for virtually everyone”: Venice on tourist tax

Although the period when the fee was charged in 2026 has now come to an end, local budget and taxation councillor Michele Zuin said the experiment of charging day trippers has not helped with overcrowding in the way the officials initially predicted, Reuters reported.

“The current €5-10 charge is affordable for virtually everyone; ​the risk is that it no longer has the deterrent ​effect that this measure is supposed to have,” Zuin told local newspaper Il Gazzetino, according to Reuters.

Related: Popular tourist destination adds ‘bikini ban’

Zuin said local councillors were now weighing raising the fee to €30 (approximately $34 USD) and, in remarks widely picked up by local media, potentially even up to €50 during the busiest periods.

Any specific numbers are currently at the budget proposal phase and would need to be approved by the city council and discussed by the Italian government before taking effect for 2027. The other proposal is to expand the current fee to longer periods during the summer.

The city of Venice released numbers showing that the 680,000 day-tripper entry tickets it sold in 2026 brought just over €5.2 million into the city budget. While there are no official entry checkpoints like at a museum or tourist attraction, local police conduct random checks throughout the city on the days when the entry fee is in effect.

What the day tourist tax in Venice means for tourism and overcrowding

Those caught without a QR code confirming payment of the daily fee can be hit with a fine of between €50 to €300.

The daily tourist fee has been controversial since it was introduced in 2024. Some see it as targeting less wealthy tourists who already cannot afford to stay at a central hotel overnight, while failing to address longstanding issues of noise and affordability that affect the local population.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

The Venetian model is rare and possibly unique, as almost all other destinations handle the tourist tax either through a nightly accommodation levy or a fee charged to international arrivals coming into a local airport.

The daily fee charged to anyone, regardless of residence, has been floated by individual lawmakers in cities such as Amsterdam and Dubrovnik, which also deal with overwhelming summer crowds. So far, these have not come to fruition.

Related: The latest tourist tax could soon come to all of England

In most cases, if I’m in a Marriott or a Hilton, I just assume that the brand on the marquee is the company running the property. In reality, that’s often not the case and many hotel brands are franchised, with some run by large groups and others family-owned.

That means that, while the brand might be perfectly healthy, the franchise operator might be facing financial distress.

In the case of Phoenix American Hospitality, LLC, American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc., American Hospitality Properties REIT II Inc., and various affiliated companies, a complicated series of events, including an SEC investigation and enforcement action, now surround a series of Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in Texas, which are published on PacerMonitor.

What is Phoenix American?

The American Hospitality Properties REITs own a number of hotel properties under the Hilton and Marriott brands. The company focuses on, but is not limited to, what it calls “Premium Select Business” hotels.

In a PDF aimed at investors, the company shared that it likes these properties because they can price rooms higher based on demand.

“Unlike apartments, offices, or warehouses, hotel properties have no long-term leases. Rooms rent out by the day, meaning the hotel sector can quickly and easily adjust pricing up or down daily, or even hourly, based on demand and other factors,” it shared.

The PDF also shared another reason the American Hospitality REITs used to sell investors on the fund.

“As experienced operators, we embrace the small staff required compared to resorts or other full-service hotels, we pay them a little better, reducing turnover and increasing
customer satisfaction,” the company shared.

American Hospitality fired Phoenix American

Phoenix American Hospitality, LLC (PAH) was the external manager for both American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc. and American Hospitality Properties REIT II, Inc. (AHP). The REITs entered into management arrangements with Phoenix under which Phoenix provided management and administrative services.

Phoenix was responsible for much of the REITs’ management infrastructure, while the REITs themselves owned the real-estate investments. In other words, you can think of the structure as AHP REITs = investment/ownership entities; Phoenix = external management company.

It’s a fairly common structure, but investors who owned shares of the real estate investment trusts (REITs) did not have an interest in Phoenix American Hospitality.

in May 2026, when both REITs terminated their management agreements with Phoenix and moved to new, internal, management arrangements. AHP REIT appointed Joseph Reardon as president, while AHP REIT II entered into a services agreement with AHP, according to an SEC filing.

“There is real opportunity in today’s hospitality market for a focused, well-run company. My role is to help put AHP on firm operational and financial footing so that it is ready to act when the right opportunities arise,” Reardon said in a press release.

Phoenix American settled with the SEC

The SEC announced a settled enforcement action against Dallas-based Phoenix American Hospitality, LLC (PAH) and its president, William Lee “Perch” Nelson. The case centers on an alleged $86 million hotel-focused investment offering that pulled in capital from more than 2,000 retail investors under Regulation A, according to a document from the SEC.

Sonn Law Group explained the basis of case.

“For real estate investors, the pitch was a familiar one: a tangible portfolio of commercial hospitality assets yielding predictable, double-digit income. According to federal regulators, however, the underlying reality was built on severe misrepresentations,” the law firm shared.

The SEC’s complaint was filed on June 4, 2026, in the Northern District of Texas, and final judgments were ordered on June 5, 2026. Investors can review the official regulatory findings here.

Here are some of the charges made by the SEC:

• The SEC’s complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, alleged that PAH and Nelson raised approximately $86 million from more than 2,000 retail investors in the two funds from March 2022 through July 2024.
• According to the complaint, PAH, through Nelson, claimed that one fund owned as many as 11 hotels, while, in reality, the fund owned only a preferred equity interest in a single hotel until January 2024, when it acquired interests in other hotels.
• As further alleged, PAH, through Nelson, made untrue statements that both funds made regular profit distributions of up to 12% per year to investors, when, in reality, neither of the funds was profitable, and distributions were primarily funded by returns of investor capital.

“Without admitting the allegations in the SEC’s complaint, PAH and Nelson each consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, in which each agreed to be permanently enjoined from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder,” according to the SEC release.

The final judgments, if approved by the court, also would order PAH to pay a $591,127 civil penalty and Nelson to pay a $118,225 civil penalty, as well as impose a five-year officer and director bar on Nelson.

The AHP REITs were connected to the SEC investigation through their former manager, Phoenix American Hospitality.

In July 2024, American Hospitality Properties REIT II disclosed that Phoenix had received an SEC subpoena seeking information about Phoenix and related entities, including the REIT. American Hospitality Properties itself was not named as a defendant in the SEC enforcement action.

What does AHP own?

AHP does not list the properties it owns, or has an interest in, on its website. The PDF referenced above shows a long list of properties, but the document predates the SEC filing.

An SEC filing from 2024 shows the company having an interest in the following properties:

• TownePlace Suites, Springdale, Arkansas: 92 rooms
• Aloft Rogers, Rogers, Arkansas: 124 rooms
• Fairfield Inn & Suites, Jonesboro, Arkansas: 83 rooms
• Courtyard Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 121 rooms
• Residence Inn Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 108 rooms
• TownePlace Suites, Harahan, Louisiana: 124 rooms
• Hampton Inn & Suites, Fort Myers, Florida: 120 rooms

Those are not necessarily the only properties owned or operated by the company.

The companies’ current filings do not establish whether investors will receive additional distributions as the bankruptcy cases proceed. The July 2024 SEC filing explicitly says the company temporarily paused both distributions and solicitation of additional investments.

AHP faces a new lawsuit

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a self-described investor-rights law firm, has filed a class action lawsuit against Phoenix American Hospitality, LLC, American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc., American Hospitality Properties REIT II, Inc., and William Lee Nelson.

“This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired securities in American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc., and/or American Hospitality REIT II, Inc., between March 1, 2022 and July 31, 2024, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), the law firm shared on its website.

The complaint alleges that the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:

1. Phoenix’s public statements concerning its business and operations were materially false and/or misleading; and
2. Subsequent SEC filings and disclosures revealed the truth concerning Phoenix’s operations and the falsity of Defendants’ prior statements.

None of the named companies have commented on the lawsuit or how it relates to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings.

These are the companies which have filed for Chapter 11 protection

• American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc.: Case #26-80071
• American Hospitality Properties REIT II, Inc.: Case #26-80072
• AHP Master Lease, LLC: Case #26-80073
• AHP REIT Port B LLC: Case #26-80074
• AHP RI Cape Canaveral, LLC: Case #26-80075
• AHP LP7 Bentonville, LLC: Case #26-80076
• AHP LP7 CY Baton Rouge, LLC: Case #26-80077
• AHP LP7 Fayetteville, LLC Case #26-80078
• AHP LP7 FT Meyers, LLC: Case #26-80079
• AHP LP7 Jonesboro, LLC: Case #26-80080
• Lakemore-Phoenix Investment Platform B, LLC: Case #26-80081
• AHP LP7 Metairie, LLC: Case #26-80082
• PAH Charlotte Hospitality JV, LLC Case #26-80083
• PAH Charlotte JV, LLC: Case #26-80084
• PAH Charlotte LLC: Case #26-80085
• AHP LP7 RI Baton Rouge, LLC: Case #26-80086

While the PAH abbreviation appears on some of the companies that have filed, it does not appear that Phoenix American Hospitality has itself filed for bankruptcy protection.

A quick look at how REITs work

• What is a REIT? A company that owns and typically operates income-producing real estate, including hotels.
• How do investors make money? REITs can distribute income generated by their real-estate holdings to investors.
• Can investors lose money? Yes. Non-traded REITs can be particularly illiquid and carry additional risks.
  • Source: Investor.gov

AHP and PAH Chapter 11 bankruptcy facts

• American Hospitality Properties REIT, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 4, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. The case number is 26-80071, according to filings on the Daily Dac.
• American Hospitality Properties REIT II, Inc. also filed Chapter 11 on Oct. 4, 2026. The filing is case No. 26-80072 in the Northern District of Texas, the same source shared.
• Several related American Hospitality Properties entities also filed Chapter 11 on Oct. 4. The filings include AHP Master Lease LLC, AHP REIT Port B LLC, AHP RI Cape Canaveral LLC and several AHP LP7 entities, according to the shared documents.
• The bankruptcy filings come just days after a securities class-action lawsuit was filed against Phoenix American Hospitality, American Hospitality Properties REIT, American Hospitality Properties REIT II and William Lee Nelson. The lawsuit covers investors who purchased the REITs’ securities between March 1, 2022, and July 31, 2024, and alleges violations of federal securities laws. The allegations have not been adjudicated, according to Journal of Business News.

Related: Casey’s kills another rival convenience store chain brand

In addition to adding a dock so tender ships would no longer need to ferry passengers to the island, the cruise added a large pool, enhanced food options, an extra-cost waterpark, and an added-fee Beach Club. In 2023, the cruise line also added an extra-charge adults-only area, Hideaway Beach.

I’ve visited CocoCay dozens of times and accessed all of the free and major paid areas. What has elevated Perfect Day at CocoCay over Carnival’s private island portfolio isn’t what’s offered.

Instead, it’s how it’s executed. That’s true not just of Perfect Day at CocoCay and the now-on-hold free destinations in Labadee, Haiti, but also of the Royal Beach Club in Nassau, which costs money to enter.

Royal Caribbean has solved the little things, and when you’re supposed to be relaxing, that really matters.

Royal Caribbean creates an effortless experience

Carnival has been remodeling its private destinations, and I have been to Celebration Key as well as Isla Tropicale. In both cases, the pools, beaches, and other facilities are beautiful, arguably equal to Royal Caribbean’s, but Carnival fumbles badly when it comes to execution and the experience delivered.

Perfect Day at CocoCay serves as an extension of the ship where your onboard packages carry over. You can use your drink package or redeem the drinks offered at the higher end of the company’s loyalty program.

Your SeaPass card (room key) also works if you don’t have a beverage package and want a drink, or if you choose to order wings or French fries at Captain Jack’s, the one venue in the free part of the island that costs extra.

More Travel:

• Disney World shuts down part of legendary resort
• Popular Disney World ride shut down with no explanation
• Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips

Aside from Captain Jack’s, a wide array of food is included, and it’s all-you-can eat.

It’s a similar experience at the Royal Beach Club in Nassau, except that you have to pay a fee to get in and can opt for entrance with alcohol, or with only non-alcoholic drinks. If you want an adult beverage, they scan your card, and for anything without alcohol, they just give it to you because everyone inside the club is entitled to that.

Food is free, they have towels you don’t have to check out, and even the check-in experience is a simple tap of your SeaPass card.

Carnival struggles with execution

At Carnival’s remodeled Celebration Key, which includes docking space for up to four ships, the cruise line does not do things quite like Royal Caribbean.

First, your onboard drink package does not carry over, so any drinks you have will cost you extra. You can pay with your room card, and they won’t count toward the 15-drink-per-day limit for alcoholic beverages Carnival enforces.

In addition, visitors to Celebration Key get one free food voucher. That can be used for a meal, or something like the mini doughnuts food truck, but each person gets one, and any other food will cost you.

In Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, Isla Tropicale is free to enter, which gives you access to spectacular beaches and a lovely pool. Food and drinks, however, work like any restaurant bar, and the cruise line does not accept its room cards for payment.

When we visited on a Princess cruise, I went to the swim-up bar, ordered a drink, and went to swipe my Medallion (the Princess version of a room key) and was told credit cards only. I, like many people, do not carry a credit card when swimming, so I had to go back to our chairs, grab mine, and keep it from getting wet in a crowded pool.

My traveling companions and I spent about $60 each that day, about half what it costs to enter Royal Beach Club with unlimited alcohol. Honestly, for the added convenience, I’d pay $120 to get into Isla Tropicale — it’s that nice — and may have eaten a little more and had one more drink.

Royal Caribbean delivers an experience that feels like I’m on vacation, while Carnival has me doing math to make sure I don’t spend more than intended, and, in Roatan, making sure I have a credit card.

Royal Caribbean has bet big on private destinations

Perfect Day at CocoCay has become a sort of blueprint as Royal Caribbean has opened beach clubs in Nassau and Santorini, with plans for one in Cozumel and one on Lelepa Island in the South Pacific.

The cruise line plans a Perfect Day in Mexico, but those plans have been put on hold as the cruise line negotiates with the country over environmental concerns.

Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty spoke during the company’s third-quarter 2024 earnings call about why the company was betting big on private destinations.

“Perfect Day CocoCay is our highest-rated destination on a Net Promoter Score. So our ability to not only capture additional demand from other markets, but our ability to deliver a Perfect Day to basically every Royal Caribbean international guest in the Caribbean, I think just drives greater demand for that brand,” he said.

Doing that would require getting Perfect Day Mexico back on track, and Liberty remains confident it will.

“Mexico has been a key destination partner since our inception and has played an important role in helping us fulfill our mission of delivering the best vacation experiences responsibly. Our commitment to Mexico and the destinations we visit is stronger than ever,” he said during the Q2, 2026 earnings call.

Mexico, Liberty added, remains committed to Royal Caribbean.

“Recent public comments by the Mexican administration acknowledge the community support for development. The government is continuing to engage with community stakeholders to better understand their perspectives, a process that will take some time and is expected to affect our previously planned time line,” he shared.

Carnival Cruise Line is confident in its destination strategy

While I have my issues with the operations and execution at Carnival’s islands and private destinations, CEO Josh Weinstein shared the cruise line’s successes during his company’s third-quarter 2026 earnings call.

“Celebration Key recently marked its first anniversary, having welcomed almost 2.5 million guests in its first year alone. The guest response has been exceptional. Celebration Key is resonating with our loyal guests, giving them another compelling reason to sail with us again while attracting new-to-cruise guests as well,” he said.

It’s a strategy the company is growing.

“We are only just beginning to realize its potential. With the second pier now open, Celebration Key is expected to welcome approximately 3.5 million guests next year with 31 ships calling versus 26 this year,” Weinstein added.

He also lauded the performance of Carnival’s other private islands and destinations.

“Celebration Key is just one part of what is becoming an increasingly differentiated destination portfolio. Our recently expanded experiences at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, and Isla Tropicale Roatán have already welcomed approximately 250,000 guests each, with very positive guest response. We have made these amazing beach experiences even better and available to millions more guests,” he shared.

Private islands are intensely competitive

It’s not just Royal Caribbean and Carnival investing in private islands. Norwegian has also added a dock, a large pool, an extra-fee waterpark, and more at its Great Stirrup Cay island (I’ve been there, but it was still a work in progress, so I do not consider it fair to give a review).

These islands are not cheap, according to data from Cleveland Research Company shared with Travel Weekly.

“The $600 million Carnival invested in Celebration Key’s first phase exceeds the $400 million for CocoCay and estimated $350 million for Great Stirrup Cay,” according to the research firm. It noted that Carnival has spent more money than both Royal Caribbean and NCL to build its destination, and that’s just for an initial phase of construction, which, unlike its competitors, doesn’t include a full waterpark.

Royal Caribbean’s investment was also prior to the Covid pandemic and therefore at “a more reasonable cost,” Tyler McGillivray, a research associate at Cleveland Research Company, said.

Ilana Schattauer, the content creator behind popular website and YouTube channel Life Well Cruised (and someone I have been on media cruises with), said these islands aren’t just a day at the beach anymore.

“Cruise line private islands, like Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, Carnival’s Half Moon Cay, and MSC’s Ocean Cay, are popular destinations in their own right. (And, from my experience, Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay was a dream!),” she told The New York Post.

Daniel Kline is the creator and lead editor of TravelHost’s Come Cruise With Me and its YouTube page.

Related: Another amusement park to close forever after last season, getting auctioned off

The global market for the sale of recreational vehicles (RV) and camper vans is currently projected to expand from $8.20 billion in 2025 to $17.60 billion by 2035. Along with the United States, countries with some of the biggest camper van sales and rentals include Canada, Spain, Portugal and Australia.

But despite the market seeing overall growth, many of the individual companies producing them have faced multiple challenges as orders soared during the covid-19 pandemic and rise of people working remotely while global supply issues restrained what the manufacturers were able to produce.

High interest rates and rising manufacturing costs have, in some cases, created situations in which individual camper companies got into a financial hole that only got deeper when post-pandemic orders ebbed.

Maverick Campers and Caravans collapses in liquidation, no refunds

Australian camper van manufacturer Maverick Campers and Caravans was the most recent player in this space to collapse and go into full liquidation after efforts to renegotiate a $500,000 AUD debt with its financiers collapsed at the eleventh hour.

A judge granted the creditors a winding-up order and, as of Oct. 1, the company has been ordered to liquidate. The legal process in Australia is the equivalent closest to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. Yulia Petrenko and Malcolm Kimbal Howell of Adelaide-based Jirsch Sutherland were assigned as liquidators overseeing the process; according to Petrenko, the camper van manufacturer was approximately $6 million AUD in debt.

Related: Company behind holiday parks insolvent, to be dissolved

In an emotional video posted to the company’s Facebook page, Maverick CEO Matthew Winen classified the situation as a “nightmare” that left it with “no choice but to go into liquidation.”

“As you can imagine the bombshell hit when we thought we were all good,” Winen said in an address to customers. “We were absolutely blown away.”

“The other retailers in the industry must be nervous”: Maverick Campers and Caravans CEO

Winen went on to say that they had approximately 72 orders for its vehicles currently on the books. As the company is now in the process of liquidating its assets, it is unable to provide refunds for uncompleted orders.

While Winen encouraged affected customers to contact the liquidators, individual customers are considered unsecured creditors who are last on the list behind major banks and lenders to get compensation through a court-ordered liquidation.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

“The other retailers in the industry must be nervous because they are all going through financial stress and they see a financier do this,” Winen said further. “We will be reaching out to customers, particularly those who have paid more than 30 to 40 percent deposits.”

In September 2026, another Australian camper van manufacturer, Australian Off Road, also entered voluntary administration with more than $9 million AUD in debt. Both companies struggled with similar issues around rising costs and supply issues alongside high competition.

Related: National park closes camping and tent locations until 2027

As an avid gambler who used to visit Las Vegas six to eight times a year, nearly always staying on the Strip, it’s not surprising to me. Sin City has suffered from a number of factors that have kept me away.

The loss of Spirit Airlines has taken away a cheap airfare option, and while I can generally get a comped room, food prices and value for my money have slipped. Add in Starbucks lattes costing more than $11, about twice what I pay at home, and Las Vegas has felt more like a money trap than a destination since its recovery after the Covid pandemic.

“Las Vegas visitors fell to 3.03 million in August, a 4.3% decline from August 2025, and 136,700 fewer than visitors in July. A Tuesday (Sept. 29) report from Harry Reid International Airport showed airport passenger counts dropped by 9% compared to August 2025,” CDC Gaming reported.

It’s not just that people weren’t visiting.

“The average daily rate for a Las Vegas hotel room fell to $150.32 in August, about $7 less than room rates in July. But hotel occupancy rates struggled along at 74.1%, down 3.4% compared to August 2025. Weekend occupancy came in higher at 85.5%, but midweek occupancy was down to 69.4%,” according to the report.

Las Vegas and the Vegas Strip hurt by Canadian trade war

“The number of Canadians traveling to the United States plunged after President Donald Trump returned to office with remarks about making Canada the 51st state. An acrimonious trade war between the two countries now is threatening to reinforce the informal boycott just as it appeared to be easing slightly,” reported the Associated Press.

Las Vegas tourism officials went to Canada in August to meet with travel advisers, tour operators, and airline representatives.

More Travel:

• Disney World shuts down part of legendary resort
• Popular Disney World ride shut down with no explanation
• Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips

“We’re here to make sure you know that we care about Canada,” Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said while in Vancouver.

It’s not just politics keeping Canadians from Las Vegas.

“There’s a myriad of factors why Canadian tourism is down: exchange rate, flight ability, costs of the flights, politics all play into it,” Derek Stevens, the owner and CEO of Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas, and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, told CityNews.

Las Vegas is losing lower-income customers

The share of Las Vegas visitors from households earning more than $100,000 (inflation-adjusted to 2015) has grown about 25% since 2022, according to the LVCVA Las Vegas Visitor Profile. That’s a shift driven by a decline in middle- and lower-income travelers.

“Hill said the drop-off is particularly concentrated among younger, early-career visitors and retirees on fixed incomes,” according to Vegas Inc.

Visitors ages 21-29 have decreased more than 10% since 2022, according to the LVCVA Las Vegas Visitor Profile.

Meghann Foye, Travel & Lifestyle Editor, Parade.com, thinks that some steps Las Vegas has taken to grow younger visitors will work over time.

“Las Vegas’ shift toward family-friendly activities, experiential pop-ups like the Malibu Barbie Cafe, and immersive attractions like AREA15 and Universal Horror Unleashed is a smart strategy for attracting and retaining younger audiences,” she told TheStreet.

Las Vegas may have a value problem

RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino thinks that added competition has hurt Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip.

“Vegas used to own a certain kind of weekend. Now you can get a lot of that same energy in Nashville and other cities, and in some cases have a better overall experience. When people jokingly call Nashville ‘NashVegas,’ that tells you something. Vegas isn’t the only place competing for that trip anymore,” he told TheStreet.

MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle was open about the affordability issue during his company’s second-quarter earnings call.

His company added an all-inclusive price at Luxor and Excalibur, two of MGM’s lower-end resorts, specifically to address the affordability issue.

“I think I commented earlier, the narrative around Los Vegas not providing value and everyone getting beat up on that. We think, we do not think, we know it has helped. We have… followed it closely through social media and otherwise. And it is a great value at the end of the day,” Hornbuckle said.

Caesar’s Entertainment COO Anthony Carano was asked about Las Vegas’ value proposition by Lizzie Dove from Goldman Sachs during his company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“There was a lot of talk last year about bringing value back to Vegas, and we’ve seen one of your peers bring out these all-inclusive packages and whatnot to kind of stimulate that leisure consumer,” she noted.

Carano was blunt in his response.

“Yes. The team is doing a great job here in Vegas looking at all of our properties and welcoming guests at every price point. We’ve got the all you can eat drink at a number of our properties on the east side. We’ve taken a look at price up and down all of our properties. And I think we’re in a pretty good spot to attract every guest to Las Vegas,” he added.

And the numbers suggest that Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip have some good news to celebrate, albeit with fewer tourists joining the party.

Lower visitor counts, however, do not tell the whole story.

“Even with fewer people coming through, gaming revenue has been a bright spot, growing to 135% of 2019 levels and up 2.3% from 2025,” according to the LVCVA. “Gaming brought in $8.13 billion year to date as of July 2026 despite the drop in visitor volume,” added Vegas Inc.

Related: 89-year-old frozen pizza brand discontinued for good

New Jersey assemblyman and Civil War veteran Theodore B. Gibbs and his sons built what would grow into the longstanding amusement and water park in 1907 to drive tourist dollars toward the Philadelphia suburb of Clementon.

Switching hands and going through multiple iterations over the last century, the theme park eventually ran into financial troubles common to many smaller theme parks that struggle with operating costs and the need to continuously invest in ride infrastructure while also drawing in enough traffic. In 2019, Clementon Lake Park closed down to the public for two years after the company defaulted on a $4.5 billion loan from TD Bank.

Clementon Lake Park and Splash World hits auction block in New Jersey

While the park reopened in 2021 after being bought by current owners IB Parks & Entertainment, its finances eventually reached a point where keeping it open became unsustainable. The park closed down permanently on September 7 and, this week, appeared on a local auction marketplace to be sold to the highest bidder.

The bidding will begin on Oct. 19 and start at $1.5 million. Matthew Reis of RealINSIGHT Marketplace is the broker representing the amusement park in the auction.

Related: 119-year-old amusement and water park heads to the auction block

“Clementon Park & Splash World is a 45+ acre operating amusement and water park fronting Berlin Road in Camden County, the most populous county in Southern New Jersey,” the description of the auction item reads. “Clementon Park & Splash World has more than 110 years of operating history and has been a staple of the local community for generations. The site includes the approximately 23-acre private Clementon Lake and has received numerous upgrades throughout its ownership history.”

The amusement park was expanded significantly in the 1920s with what were then state-of-the-art rides. A fire nearly destroyed the entire site in 1931 while the Splash World water park section was added in July 1993 following a $5 million renovation to modernize the park for the 1990s.

What else to know about the Clementon Lake Park auction

The description goes on to say that the buyer could buy the lot as a business opportunity and keep the park operating or tear it down and use the lot for new development such as a hotel or housing tower.

The current owners previously expressed hope that, given the park’s historical significance to the region, a buyer who wants to keep Clementon Lake Park open will surface.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

“It has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families,” park management wrote in a farewell Facebook post at the end of last summer. “We are hopeful that we will find a buyer who shares our love for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward.”

Clementon Lake Park is among a string of regional theme and amusement parks that are closing this year due to a double whammy of high operating costs and dropping attendance.

Related: Unusual theme park closing forever in 2026

One story involved a rocket climbing into orbit for the very first time. The other involved a plane, or rather, the lack of a specific feature on one.

Both ended with Elon Musk predicting that something expensive was about to go wrong for someone else. Investors in two very different industries are now watching closely to see if he is right. Musk’s public bets tend to move stock prices even before anyone can confirm whether they will come true.

Also read: Elon Musk sends strong message to SpaceX and Tesla investors

Musk warns Delta could lose a lot of customers

The feud started when author John LeFevre posted on X that United Airlines had equipped more than 600 aircraft with Starlink, roughly 36% of its fleet, while Delta Air Lines had zero and no plans to add any.

Musk replied directly in seven words: “Delta will lose a lot of customers.”

Delta’s decision was not an oversight. The airline chose Amazon’s Leo satellite internet service over Starlink earlier this year, planning to begin installing it on 500 aircraft starting in 2028. Musk had said Delta wanted Starlink’s service routed through its own proprietary login portal, an arrangement SpaceX was not willing to build.

Musk did not stop at predicting lost customers. He also took aim at Delta CEO Ed Bastian directly, writing that Bastian would lose his job over the decision after reports surfaced suggesting Bastian had said he did not want to be associated with Musk personally.

The comparison is not just about bragging rights. United has said customer satisfaction with WiFi on its Starlink-equipped flights runs roughly twice as high as on its other planes.

The airline aims to have its entire fleet connected by the end of 2027. Delta plans to begin installing Amazon Leo on an initial 500 aircraft in 2028, Stocktwits reported.

The airline WiFi war is already reshaping how investors view the sector

This fight is bigger than one carrier’s internet provider. Starlink generated $11.39 billion in revenue in 2025 with $4.42 billion in operating income, making airline connectivity an established commercial market for SpaceX rather than merely an in-flight amenity, CNBC reported.

Delta is not the only carrier being compared unfavorably to its rivals. American Airlines committed to Starlink on more than 500 narrowbody jets in May, with installations beginning in Q1 2027, American Airlines announced. It is a move that shows why connectivity is becoming part of the competitive discussion around airlines.

For Delta, the timing of this criticism is notable. SpaceX commanded enormous attention this same week for an entirely different reason. That reason traces back to Flight 14, Starship’s first attempt to reach orbit, a milestone that landed right as the Delta feud was still playing out online.

Starship reaches orbit for the first time

Starship reached orbit for the first time on September 28, deploying 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites during the flight. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called it a gorgeous launch and praised how the mission was managed in a safe, responsible, and especially inspirational way.

The market reaction was more muted than the headline milestone suggested. SpaceX shares fell about 2% to $145.47 following the flight, as reported by TheStreet. Bank of America maintained its bullish view and pointed to roughly 60% further upside. The firm argued camera data from the newly deployed satellites could still help validate the heat shield technology needed for rapid reuse.

More Elon Musk:

• Elon Musk makes bizarre claims about money, future of AI
• Elon Musk sends blunt verdict on the future of humanity and AI
• Elon Musk’s startling claim to SpaceX investors

The new V3 satellites matter beyond this single flight. Each one adds roughly 1 terabit per second of capacity, around 10 times what a Falcon 9 load of V2 Mini satellites adds. Starlink’s constellation now numbers more than 11,000 active satellites in orbit.

Musk has used the milestone to set an even bigger goal of flying Starship on an hourly basis within a few years.

Analysts have been clear about what SpaceX needs next. Orbital AI computing and space-based data centers only become economically realistic if Starship can be reused quickly and cheaply at scale. Cheaper launches are the prerequisite for everything else on the roadmap.

What it means for investors watching both stories

Goldman Sachs recently updated its SpaceX price target. The reasons: Starlink’s revenue growth, a $30 billion compute deal with Google covering roughly 110,000 Nvidia GPUs, and the bet that orbital AI infrastructure becomes a real business. SpaceX is no longer just a rocket company on Wall Street’s scorecard.

Delta is not moving. Amazon Leo is still the plan. Nobody has shown real booking data proving passengers choose flights based on WiFi. Musk is betting they will. That bet is still open.

What both episodes share is a pattern that has defined Musk’s year. A public prediction, a skeptical market reaction, and a bet that time will eventually prove the skeptics wrong.

For investors in Delta, SpaceX, or any of the airlines caught in between, the next few quarters of bookings and launch data may finally settle which predictions were worth taking seriously.

Related: Elon Musk just handed Nvidia investors another big win

The large number of visitors who come from all over is in large part due to the many different types of animals native to the South Appalachian region that call the 522,427 acres of mountainous rainforest home: everyone from black bears and white-tailed deer to wild turkeys, raccoons and mountain goats.

The Great Smoky Mountains are also home to approximately 2,200 different species of plants, which makes it one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.

2 Great Smoky Mountains visitors accused of illegally poaching hundreds of ginseng roots

One of these plants species is a native ginseng species and, according to a social media post that the national park put on Sept. 30, two visitors to the park were recently caught with a combined 588 roots that they were harvesting illegally.

One of the park visitors was caught with 167 poached ginseng roots while the other had 521 poached roots weighing a total of eight pounds. Ginseng can sell for up to $500 per dry pound on the black market.

“Wild ginseng is often taken illegally due to its use in traditional medicine,” the National Park Service (NPS) wrote in the post. “This illegal harvesting harms delicate habitats, takes away food that animals need, and reduces genetic diversity.”

Read now: A travel company is suing Trump over national park fees

Poaching ginseng in the park can result in fines of up to $5,000 and as long as six months in prison. The NPS did not elaborate on the specific charges that are faced by the two suspects or whether they were also hit with a park ban.

The plants that were seized by the park authorities will be replanted in the park. According to the park authorities, this will help undo some of the damage but only one-third of pulled-out ginseng survives when it is replanted quickly.

The average ginseng plant takes between seven to 10 years to reach maturity from a seed while some plants can live up to 75 years.

NPS: ‘Everything in Great Smoke Mountains National Park is protected’

“Everything in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — from wildlife to plants to rocks — is protected,” the NPS wrote further. “Illegal ginseng harvesting causes harm to the environment.”

The NPS urged anyone who observes illegal poaching or harvesting in the park to alert park authorities immediately. As ginseng grows in specific environments in the eastern and midwestern U.S., this is the first high-profile case of someone being arrested for harvesting ginseng in a national park this year.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026

In August 2026, three men visiting the ecological Galt Preserve on Florida’s Pine Island were arrested for harvesting palmetto berries without a permit.

In California, local police made several arrests after catching poachers cutting redwood trees at Humboldt Redwoods State Park over the last few months.

Related: National park closes camping and tent locations until 2027

According to the local tourism board, occupancy at luxury and upper-upscale hotels in the territory rose by 14% between 2025 and 2026, W Journal reported. The 262,779 hotel nights that visitors to Puerto Rico booked last year represented an 18% increase, Facilities & Destinations noted.

Amid this growing interest and demand, several hotel chains have sought to build on the island.

The new Hyatt Centric San Juan Isla Verde opened in December 2025 in the northeastern coastal resort town, following a $30 million renovation of the former Verdanza Hotel. Hilton is also currently building new properties in San Juan, Ponce, and Dorado.

Nobu Hotel and Restaurant San Juan coming to Puerto Rico by 2028

This week, high-end hotel and restaurant chain Nobu revealed plans to bring the Japanese-fusion brand launched by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper in the 1990s to the Puerto Rican capital by 2028.

The 50-room luxury hotel will be built through a partnership with real estate firm KTT and feature a signature Nobu restaurant and bar at street level, alongside a rooftop bar and lounge.

Both will serve signature Nobu dishes and cocktails, such as the black miso cod and lychee martini, that helped propel the original restaurant in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood to fame in the 1990s.

Related: No photos, please: Why some luxury hotels are putting bans in place

As the Nobu brand grew to dozens of restaurants both across the U.S. and internationally, the first Nobu Hotel, designed in the brand’s signature Japanese minimalist style, opened in Las Vegas in 2013.

As of 2026, there are 20 operating Nobu hotels around the world and an additional 28 in the pipeline slated to open in the coming decade. A few of the upcoming openings include properties in Barbuda, New York, and Rutland in the English countryside.

Set across 185 acres of rural English lands, the Rutland property is the brand’s first foray into creating a full countryside resort rather than a stand-alone city hotel.

“Puerto Rico has long been one of the Caribbean’s most compelling destinations”

“Puerto Rico has long been one of the Caribbean’s most compelling destinations, celebrated for its rich history, vibrant culture, and exceptional hospitality,” Trevor Horwell, chief executive of Nobu Hospitality, said in a press release confirming plans for the new location.

“Bringing the Nobu Hotel and Restaurant to San Juan allows us to become part of one of the region’s most storied neighborhoods while introducing our distinctive approach to hospitality in a destination that continues to attract discerning travelers from around the world.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Beyond the location and projected opening date, the company has released few details about the newest Nobu property in Puerto Rico.

Nobu said in the press release that the new location will be designed with Puerto Rican flair to give guests “an opportunity to experience the culture and character of the island.”

Related: You can stay in a safari hotel in Scotland (yes, really)

In Spain, low-cost airline Volotea filed for preliminary creditor protection at the Commercial Court of Barcelona on Sept. 29, in an attempt to restructure its debts and the €200 million loan it owes to Spanish creditors.

Earlier in the month, Latvian national airline and flag carrier AirBaltic also filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in New York, Reuters reported. This came after local bondholders with more than 70% of its $583 million in debt refused the airline additional loans to maintain its day-to-day operations.

Animawings cancels certain routes after entering insolvency proceedings

The latest low-cost airline to enter insolvency proceedings is Bucharest-based Animawings. The Romanian carrier launched in 2020 with two Airbus A320 planes. It quickly expanded to fly to dozens of destinations in Europe and the Middle East from Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest.

The aging aircraft began to require extensive maintenance, which, coupled with the spike in jet fuel, increasingly weighed on Animawings’ financial situation over the last year.

Related: Another budget airline files for bankruptcy

“It is a difficult but necessary decision to protect what we have built over the past years and, above all, to enable us to continue,” Animawings said in a statement. “The repeated technical problems affecting our fleet have generated a chain reaction across our entire business in a relatively short period of time, against an economic backdrop that has further intensified this pressure.”

While the airline said that its ultimate goal is to “maintain as many scheduled flights as possible,” it has already begun trimming its flying schedule to minimize unprofitable routes. Flights to Frankfurt and Vienna from the smaller Cluj-Napoca International Airport (CLF) were canceled throughout October.

Those who already booked seats on these flights will, according to the airline, be contacted with alternative travel and refund options.

Animawings says “priority is to maintain as many scheduled flights as possible”

The airline has previously already suspended its routes to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Tel Aviv amid the security situation in the Middle East.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

“Animawings will continue its activities and flight operations with its current fleet,” the statement said further. “In the immediate period ahead, the company’s priority is to maintain as many scheduled flights as possible and limit the impact on passengers.”

Other airlines that shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026:

• Flamingo Air and Aerodiana: The regional airlines with large client bases among tourists to the Bahamas and Peru, respectively, currently have suspended AOCs after fatal accidents in their home countries in July 2026.
• Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow.
• Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline ended up canceling all flights and filing for bankruptcy in a shutdown that left thousands stranded.
• Starflite Aviation: The Houston-based carrier had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: The Slovenian charter airline also shut down in March 2026 due to financial problems.

Related: Another airline shuts down after losing license, cancels flights

About half of the cruise giant’s 2027 inventory has already been reserved, and both cost and occupancy are at all-time highs. Even more startling, Carnival intends to boost capacity by only 0.5% the next year, indicating that demand is rising against a hardly expanding fleet.

Carnival has much greater influence over price thanks to that combo.

Carnival said that booking volumes outperformed capacity growth in the third quarter. Despite almost flat capacity growth over the following year, client deposits reached a third-quarter record of $7.6 billion, up 7%.

In its third-quarter results, Carnival said booking volumes increased throughout the course of the quarter and significantly outpaced capacity expansion. Despite practically flat capacity growth during the next 12 months, customer deposits hit a third-quarter record of $7.6 billion, up around 7% from a year earlier.

This does not imply that passengers will no longer be able to take advantage of reduced tickets. Promotions may still be necessary for certain ships and itineraries. However, a corporation has less motivation to wait until departure time and then lower costs only to fill cabins if it is already booking future sailings at record prices.

And Carnival’s booking curve suggests more customers are figuring that out.

Carnival customers are booking further ahead

Chief Executive Josh Weinstein said Carnival entered 2027 with an unusually strong position.

“For full year 2027, we are already half booked with both occupancy and pricing at record levels.”

The company’s recent financial presentation shows that half of 2027 is booked, booked pricing and occupancy are at record highs, and the booking curve is farther out than Carnival has ever seen.

Carnival claims 2028 began with more occupancy and rates than last year. Carnival Corporation’s cruise price relies on inventory availability as departure approaches. If a ship has trouble filling staterooms, the operator may offer discounts. Early-filling ships allow the corporation to safeguard the inventory price.

More Travel:

• Disney World shuts down part of legendary resort
• Popular Disney World ride shut down with no explanation
• Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips

Carnival’s third quarter demonstrates demand beyond future reservations.

Revenue was a record $8.44 billion, and the attributed net income was $1.92 billion. Passenger-ticket revenue was $5.53 billion, while onboard and other income rose to $2.91 billion from $2.72 billion. Despite a fuel-price headwind, Carnival boosted its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $2.24.

That strength provides Carnival with another incentive to avoid aggressive last-minute discounts to boost demand.

Carnival is deliberately keeping capacity growth tight

Supply could be the more crucial factor in the 2027 equation.

After around 1% growth in 2026, Carnival anticipates only a 0.5% rise in capacity in 2027. Weinstein went even further on the results call, saying the company essentially set its capacity trajectory for the next five years.

This indicates that Carnival’s approach is not predicated on flooding the market with additional ships in the hopes that demand would eventually catch up.

Related: Bank of America cuts Carnival stock target as key cost surges

Rather, management is attempting to increase income from the ships and locations that it now runs.

Additionally, Carnival is relocating its capacity to areas with higher profits. 34% of 2027 capacity will come from Europe, making the Caribbean the company’s biggest deployment location for the first time. Weinstein emphasized the rising demand for Northern Europe and what the firm refers to as “coolcations,” which include places like Alaska and Norway.

At the same time, the corporation is making more money from its investments in private destinations. Approximately 2.5 million people visited Celebration Key in its inaugural year, and as additional ships and brands stop by, Carnival anticipates approximately 3.5 million visitors the following year.

Carnival’s financial report demonstrates the same approach across all its destinations: boosting visitor numbers while maintaining controlled fleet growth.

Because the denominator, available cruise capacity, seldom changes, that has an impact on price.

Carnival still has one weak spot in its 2027 bookings

There is a crucial warning for investors and vacationers.

Not every aspect of 2027 is as powerful.

Carnival’s springtime booking interruption persisted throughout the first quarter of the following year. Although bookings have recovered significantly over the last three months, management still anticipates lingering impacts in Q1.

During the results call, Weinstein also refrained from offering precise yield estimates for 2027.

However, succeeding eras appear to be far more powerful. Onboard spending has continued to grow as booking momentum increased in July and August, Weinstein said in the earnings transcript sourced from Yahoo Finance. According to management, customer spending on board its ships has not decreased.

Additionally, while demand is high, Carnival has no motivation to add ships rapidly. Weinstein said that the corporation may ultimately add additional ships as the 2030s go on, but he still anticipates that the long-term pace will be between one and two new ships each year.

For consumers looking for deals, this situation changes the equation.

Carnival isn’t promising that fares will only rise, and individual sailings can always behave differently. However, with just a 0.5% capacity increase anticipated, a record price, record occupancy, and half of 2027 already booked, the firm has greater incentive to preserve the value of its remaining cabins than to sell them at a discount.

For travelers accustomed to waiting for the cruise line to blink first, Carnival’s booking numbers suggest the balance of power is shifting.

Related: Cruise line shuts down and cancels all sailings

Boeing’s (BA) order book is the largest in its history. The world still needs airplanes. And yet BA is down 13.43% year to date, according to Yahoo Finance. 

In September alone, it has a fresh 9.7% slide driven by a software bug, certification delays on the 737 MAX 10, and another labor contract expiring, according to a Morgan Stanley note shared with me at TheStreet.

Morgan Stanley sees a potential entry point in all of that noise. But it has a very specific trigger.

The firm maintained its Equal-weight rating and $250 price target on Boeing in the note on Sept. 30, describing the setup ahead of the Oct. 1 SPEEA labor vote as “a potential tactical buying opportunity” if the contract is ratified. 

BA trades around $187. The $250 target implies roughly 33% upside, according to the note.

ALSO READ: History of Boeing: Company timeline and facts

The Oct. 1 Boeing contract vote: why it matters more than headlines suggest

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) represents Boeing’s professional and technical engineers, a workforce whose skills are foundational to aircraft certification, software development, and production ramp.

Voting on Boeing’s revised contract offer closes Oct. 1 at noon PST, with results expected that afternoon. 

If members ratify the contract, a major labor overhang would be lifted from a stock already facing multiple headwinds.

If they reject it, Oct. 7 becomes the earliest possible strike date, according to the note, though rejection does not automatically trigger one.

More Boeing:

• Boeing CEO warns of 737 Max production delays
• Boeing races to defuse a threat that could ground its comeback
• Boeing’s safety reckoning cost it just $3.1 million

Morgan Stanley’s note introduces an important historical distinction. SPEEA has conducted exactly one full strike against Boeing in its history: a 40-day work stoppage in 2000, plus a one-day walkout in 1993. 

That contrasts sharply with the IAM machinists, who struck Boeing seven times between 1948 and 2008, including a nearly two-month work stoppage in 2024. Most current SPEEA members have never been through a strike against Boeing.

The SPEEA Professional and Technical Bargaining Unit Councils are recommending acceptance of the revised offer. That is not a guarantee, but it is meaningful context. 

“We would not necessarily extrapolate the experience of the 2024 IAM negotiations directly to SPEEA,” as Morgan Stanley notes.

For investors who lived through the 2024 IAM strike and watched it cost Boeing production and shareholder confidence for months, the distinction between that workforce and this one is the difference between a bad week and a bad quarter.

The Boeing MAX 10 issue and what it means for the 2027 timeline

Boeing’s stock has also been reacting to FAA commentary suggesting a potential delay on 737 MAX 10 certification, following the disclosure of a software issue that has affected MAX 7 deliveries.

Morgan Stanley’s honest assessment is that consensus free cash flow estimates will likely be revised lower as more details emerge. The 737 MAX 10 represents approximately 24% to 25% of Boeing’s expected 2027 backlog, according to Cirium data cited in the note, making the headline exposure look significant.

The partial mitigation: Operators may be able to convert MAX 10 orders to MAX 8 or MAX 9 variants and still take delivery, preserving some 2027 revenue even if the MAX 10 certification slips. 

The timing of MAX 10 certification is largely in the FAA’s hands, not Boeing’s. That distinction matters when assessing responsibility for delays and the path to recovery.

Morgan Stanley’s $10 billion free cash flow anchor remains intact, supporting its $250 price target based on a 20x multiple of normalized 2028 FCF per share of $12.29. 

At current levels around $187, BA trades at approximately 15 to 16 times FCF yield — a 6.4% FCF yield if the $10 billion figure holds.

Boeing’s business underneath the headlines

Boeing’s Q2 2026 results, reported July 28, 2026, showed revenue of $24.6 billion driven by 171 commercial deliveries, according to Boeing’s earnings release.

The GAAP loss per share was -$ 0.67, with operating cash flow of $1.4 billion and free cash flow of $0.6 billion. The total company backlog grew to a record $715 billion, including more than 6,200 commercial airplanes.

That backlog tells you that airlines around the world are still betting on Boeing’s future, despite everything. That’s an important part to note.

The question has never been about demand but about Boeing’s ability to execute against that demand without another self-inflicted disruption — regulatory, mechanical, or labor-related.

The Oct. 1 vote could give Boeing its clearest near-term signal on whether 2026 brings another disruption or a return to greater stability. Morgan Stanley thinks ratification creates a buying opportunity. The answer arrives on the afternoon of Oct. 1 .

Related: Boeing races to defuse a threat that could ground its comeback

On CNBC’s September 29 Mad Money, Cramer called the beaten-down stock “a steal,” arguing that fears surrounding Meta Platforms’ (META) Muse may be sweeping too broadly.

The sharp take comes amid growing speculation that personal AI agents could change how consumers shop, manage subscriptions, and plan vacations.

For companies that benefit from customers returning out of habit, that could become a serious challenge. An assistant that compares prices automatically gives consumers another reason to look elsewhere.

But Cramer sees an important distinction between businesses that risk losing their purpose and those whose services remain difficult to replace.

Airbnb, in his view, belongs closer to the second group, which makes the stock’s recent selloff worth looking into. 

Cramer calls Airbnb a bargain as Muse rattles consumer stocks

Jim Cramer sees Airbnb as a standout buying opportunity among stocks caught in fears about Meta Platforms’ Muse agent.

He started off his arguments with what he feels an AI agent can realistically replace.

“It’s easier for an agent to book hotels online than it is for them to comb through rental homes and book directly from the owner,” he said on Mad Money.

That’s one of the big reasons why he believes Airbnb is largely protected from AI competition. After its sharp monthly selloff, he called the stock “a steal.”

“It may be my absolute fave of the Muse casualties.”

As per Seeking Alpha data, the stock is down 17% over the past month and around 3% over the past week. 

Cramer also questioned whether investors were moving too quickly against other travel platforms. Similar fears have surrounded online travel stocks since ChatGPT launched, he noted, without making those businesses obsolete. Expedia (EXPE), he added, has already partnered with Muse to help users plan vacations.

He feels AI can become a distribution partner as well as a competitive threat.

Still, he sees genuine vulnerabilities. Muse can compare prices and cancel neglected subscriptions, challenging companies that benefit from customers sticking around out of habit.

Related: Jim Cramer’s net worth: How much does ‘Mad Money’s' stock-picking superhost make?

Cramer contrasted engaged Life Time members with less-dedicated Planet Fitness customers and flagged struggling SiriusXM as harder to defend.

“I’m just asking you to think critically about where these companies stand.”

For investors, his point is simple: understand why customers stick with a company before assuming AI can take its business away. 

Meta’s president puts Cramer’s Airbnb bet to the test

Cramer’s interview with Meta President Dina Powell McCormick raised a bigger question about his Airbnb call: How much of travel planning can Muse actually handle?

More Wall Street:

• Wall Street’s AI trade faces its biggest valuation test
• The next Wall Street shift is already underway
• Wall Street sends strong 4-word verdict on the stock market

“Usually, you’re asking the models a question. In this case, Muse is working for you,” she said.

She also introduced Muse for Small Business, describing tools that handle customer conversations, cash flow and inventory. The broader ambition is clear: to make AI useful enough that people routinely hand it work.

Travel is already part of that pitch.

“People are planning their kids’ birthday parties, booking their travel,” Powell McCormick told Cramer.

According to Meta, Muse can browse websites, complete forms and arrange travel, while seeking approval before purchases. Those capabilities suggest its role could extend beyond simply recommending destinations.

But Meta’s partnership strategy also supports Cramer’s skepticism about abandoning travel stocks. Its recent announcement listed an Expedia connector as coming soon, suggesting established platforms can supply the services behind AI recommendations.

For Airbnb, the distinction is crucial. Helping someone choose a rental does not automatically replace the marketplace needed to book it. Still, Cramer’s protection argument has limits. If travelers start with Muse, Airbnb could lose influence over which properties they discover, even while retaining bookings.

The investment question becomes whether AI brings Airbnb more customers or makes it harder to retain their loyalty and defend its fees over time.

Airbnb’s selloff strengthens Cramer’s case, but “steal” needs proof

Airbnb’s bullish nod from Cramer is understandable following the recent sell-off, but the numbers suggest a discount to its history rather than an obvious bargain.

The stock trades at 29.62 times projected adjusted earnings, roughly 16% below its five-year average of 35.13, according to Seeking Alpha. Put simply, investors are paying less for each dollar of expected profit than they typically have.

Its forward enterprise-value-to-EBITDA multiple tells a stronger story: 16.45, about 33% below its historical average. That suggests the recent sell off has substantially reduced the premium attached to the business.

Related: Jim Cramer issues blunt warning on high-dividend stocks

But Airbnb still commands roughly twice the sector’s forward adjusted earnings multiple. That premium requires powerful, sustained growth across both lines or a more durable business to justify it.

Returns also complicate the beaten-down label.

Shares fell 17.14% over one month, against the S&P 500’s 0.52% decline. Yet Airbnb remains up 15.65% this year and 27.69% over 12 months, outperforming the index across both periods according to Seeking Alpha data. 

Cramer’s argument, therefore, hinges on whether AI fears overstate the damage ahead. Investors should watch booking growth, margins and customer acquisition costs. A cheaper multiple becomes compelling only if Airbnb’s earnings prospects hold up.

More Stocks News

• TSMC’s $46.7 billion quarter leaves 1 question for investors
• China’s rare-earth truce puts 3 stocks on a Jan. 10 clock
• Bank of America tweaks Marvell stock target after key Analyst Day
• GM stock will see major benefit from latest redesign, analyst says

The Boeing 737 Max 8 plane carrying 174 passengers took off from Dubai International (DXB) at 6:50 a.m. local time. It had been in the air for approximately two hours when a fight between the two pilots in the cockpit broke out and caused the plane to plunge more than 17,000 feet in the air in two minutes, the BBC reported.

Images from the attack and descriptions from passengers aboard the plane revealed that a co-pilot likely attempted to stab the captain as several passengers on the plane rushed to the front to subdue him.

Two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers on the flight were able to safely land at Tabuk Airport (TUU) in northwestern Saudi Arabia, with no injuries aside from the cockpit pilot.

Cockpit stabbing on Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv sets off hijacking code

The crew on FZ1073 sent both general emergency and hijacking codes to ground staff, while Flydubai dispatched emergency teams and two replacement aircraft to return passengers to Tel Aviv from a country rarely visited by Israelis, due to the lack of formal diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Local news outlets reported that 166 of the 174 passengers aboard were Israeli, and the two pilots were Omani and Emirati nationals.

A Flydubai statement said the flight was “successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight” while “the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation.”

Related: Amazon cancels all flights with 21 Air airline from Miami crash

The pilot who stabbed the captain has reportedly been arrested and brought in for questioning by Saudi authorities.

Zvika Manes, one of the passengers traveling home to Israel, told Israeli news outlet Calcalist that he heard “shouting” and “screams,” adding that he ended up “covered in blood” after entering the cockpit to help subdue the attacker.

Other witnesses also reported seeing a knife in the hands of the co-pilot.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu classified the attack as an attempt by one of the pilots to crash the plane. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon praised the “heroic” pilot who “showed extraordinary determination and resourcefulness, helping prevent a major disaster.”

Footage taken by a passenger aboard the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after the plane took a rapid plunge. pic.twitter.com/O3vd5644pL

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 30, 2026

“We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation”: Flydubai

The attack came just under a month before Israel’s presidential election, which has been dominated by issues around national security and the global response to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s main political opponents issued statements that his classification did not resemble what actually occurred onboard. They accused the current Israeli leader of using the incident to try to gain “political capital.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

“We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” Flydubai said in a statement.

The replacement plane registered as A6-FKR left Saudi Arabia at 5:20 p.m. with all of the passengers on the original flight aboard.

Lives updates on Flight FZ1073 can be tracked on BBC as more details become known.

Related: U.S. government warns Americans about 8 popular destinations

In February 2026, small-ship expedition cruise line Alaskan Dream Cruise Lines shut down permanently after parent company Allen Marine Tours chose to redirect its business to day sailings amid the rising cost of fuel and port fees for running overnight cruises.

This week, a social media post from Florida-based Victory Casino Cruises told its passengers it was shutting down operations indefinitely as its only ship, the 202-passenger Victory I, remains in dry dock needing extensive repairs.

Victory Casino Cruises lays off staff and cancels trips

“While we had hoped to resume sailing sooner, additional necessary work has extended our time out of service,” a Sept. 24 Facebook post signed by Captain Tim Levensaler reads.

The cruise line that launched from Port Canaveral in 2011 has also furloughed several hundred of its staff and canceled all sailings into 2026. Victory marketed itself as offering a Las Vegas-style gambling experience on the sea. It offered more than 600 slot machines and table games while running exclusively day cruises around the east coast of Florida.

The Victory I sailed twice a day for five hours Tuesday through Sunday. The cruise line’s last “Bon Voyage” sailing took place on Sept. 28.

Related: An island-vibe cruise line will soon sail out of Texas

“Last week, due to the extension of the ship’s dry dock, Victory was forced to furlough all of its employees, myself included,” Pete Lynch, an employee who oversaw bookings and events at the cruise line for the last 15 years, wrote in a public Facebook post cited by The Space Coast Rocket.

Lynch expressed hope that the cruise line could one day return “possibly even with a new ship,” but for the time being, all of its casino hosts and reservation agents have been let go, and the cruise line is not accepting any new reservations.

Victory Casino Cruises says it will provide refunds on canceled trip bookings and deposits

The captain’s post said that anyone who has an upcoming booking or made a deposit will be refunded to the original method of payment, although a timeline has not been provided.

Any casino points or prepaid dining will likely be lost. Victory Casino Cruises further said that any potential sailing restart will be announced on its website and Facebook page.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Along with not elaborating on the scope of the needed repairs for Victory I, the company has not named a specific shipyard or facility handling the ship while it is in dry dock.

The term refers to a basin where cruise ships are kept without water so engineers and other maintenance workers can inspect and repair the underwater hull.

The Victory I had previously been in dry dock during the summer and returned for a few sailings at the end of September, only to be shut down again not long after.

Related: Another budget airline files for bankruptcy

Spirit Airlines was the biggest name to, after years of poor balance sheets and earlier attempts to restructure, be dealt the final blow by jet fuel prices and permanently shut down all operations in May 2026.

Mexican budget airline Magnicharters and Latvian flag carrier AirBaltic are among the other airline names to file for bankruptcy bankruptcy protection in recent months. In the latter case, flights are continuing uninterrupted as the national carrier seeks to restructure its debt and reduce its fleet of 50 Airbus A220-300 planes.

Volotea enters preliminary bankruptcy protection, looks to restructure debts

Over in Spain, Barcelona-based budget airline Volotea was established in 2011 at the height of the low-cost airline model bonanza in Europe.

Amid an explosion of new airline launches, the model of luring customers with a low base fare and then making up for it with ancillary charges gradually became less and less lucrative over the subsequent decade as operating costs rose and mainstream airlines started playing the same game with basic economy.

Related: Airline grounded, cancels all flights after bankruptcy

As first reported by local Spanish press, Volotea has filed for preliminary creditor protection at the Commercial Court of Barcelona on Sept. 29.

While Spanish law differentiates between the preliminary move and a full bankruptcy, this is the first step in seeking insolvency protection from creditors. It is the closest equivalent to a Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. in that it allows the airline to restructure its debts and reach an agreement with creditors independently before having to go through a court-assigned administrator. Volotea hopes to complete this process by December 2026.

Volotea CEO Carlos Muñoz named jet fuel prices as the primary reason for having to seek creditor protection in order to ensure the “long-term continuity” of the airline.

As part of the restructuring, Volotea is planning to shrink its fleet of 44 leased Airbus A319 and A320 jets to approximately 30 and seek a capital increase from shareholders like the Greek airline Aegean and U.S.-based hedge fund PAR Capital.

What is happening with Volotea flights in 2026

Flights to the more than 110 destinations across Europe and North Africa to which Volotea flies are currently not expected to be affected as the carrier goes through insolvency proceedings.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

These other airlines filed for bankruptcy or shut down in 2026:

• Flamingo Air and Aerodiana: The regional airlines with large client bases among tourists to the Bahamas and Peru, respectively, currently have suspended AOCs after fatal accidents in their home countries in July 2026.
• Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow.
• Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline ended up canceling all flights and filing for bankruptcy in a shutdown that left thousands stranded.
• Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 due to financial problems.

Related: Another national airline files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

CEO Ben Minicucci told CNBC that the carrier’s new premium products target the wealthier side of the economy, even as higher fuel costs have complicated its outlook. The remarks, ahead of Alaska’s Investor Day, reveal where management sees opportunity as passengers face higher fares.

Demand is holding up, Minicucci said. But keeping people flying and turning those bookings into profits are different challenges.

Alaska is expanding its premium experience while investing in international routes, loyalty, and cargo. The ambition is to build a business that can withstand economic swings.

That said, Minicucci says budget-conscious passengers still matter. The challenge is serving them while pursuing higher premium returns with features such as lie-flat seats, more legroom, and larger television screens.

Alaska targets premium travelers as fuel clouds profit outlook

Minicucci is betting on travelers’ willingness to spend more, even as fuel uncertainty makes profits harder to predict. 

More Airlines:

• Another airline cancels flights until August, offers some refunds
• Another airline will be dissolved, all flights canceled
• Airline shuts down, all flights grounded after accident

When quizzed by CNBC about higher fares and discouraging bookings, he pointed to continued robust demand.

“You know, even with this high fuel environment, demand is strong, Phil, and, you know, the American consumer is strong, which is, you know, really the silver lining behind all this.”

That strength underpins Alaska’s investment in upgraded cabins and premium service.

Minicucci was direct with the audience.

“All these products are designed for that upper part of the K-shaped economy,” he said.

In plain terms, Alaska is targeting customers with greater financial flexibility. But Minicucci also emphasized main-cabin and saver fares, saying the airline wants to appeal to the entire flying population.

The complication is that resilient bookings aren’t a guarantee for stronger earnings.

On fuel prices, he said: “Nobody knows where they’re going to be next month and the fourth quarter into next year, which is why we’re not giving guidance today.”

Alaska’s response is to focus on investments within management’s control, including international routes, cargo, and loyalty. The challenge is turning that broader revenue base into profits while an unpredictable fuel bill keeps climbing.

Alaska’s $102 million loss raises stakes for premium expansion

Alaska’s latest quarterly report underscores why its premium push needs to deliver more than a better flying experience.

Q2 sales climbed 10% to $4.1 billion, with premium revenue rising 15% and managed corporate revenue jumping 30%. Yet the company still reported an adjusted net loss of $102 million.

Fuel helps explain that disconnect.

Alaska’s economic fuel cost reached $4.43 per gallon, up 85% from a year earlier, adding $600 million in expense. Stronger sales were insufficient to keep the airline profitable.

Management wants to change its economics with premium fares.

By 2030, Alaska wants premium revenue to exceed 40% of total revenue, up from 35%. It also aims to raise revenue generated outside the main cabin from 53% to 60%, as reported by Reuters.

That second target includes loyalty and cargo, rather than premium passengers alone.

The ambitions extend to at least 15 intercontinental destinations from Seattle, nearly $4 billion in annual loyalty-program cash remuneration, and $750 million in cargo revenue by 2030.

Together, those businesses could reduce Alaska’s dependence on ordinary ticket sales.

Better cabins, lounges, and international connections could also encourage travelers to consolidate their bookings and rewards activity with the airline.

But investment comes before the payoff.

The CNBC interview highlighted a practical obstacle in prolonged Boeing MAX 10 certification delays, potentially postponing aircraft introductions and associated premium seating.

For investors, the test is whether these initiatives generate enough additional profit to justify their costs. Alaska has demonstrated demand for premium travel; it still needs that demand to produce more resilient earnings.

Airlines face a $350 billion fuel squeeze

Alaska’s push toward wealthier travelers comes as airlines confront a difficult reality.

In its June forecast, IATA projected that the industry’s fuel bill would reach $350 billion in 2026, up from $252 billion last year. Average jet fuel prices were expected to climb to $152 per barrel from $90 per barrel.

That would push fuel’s share of operating expenses to 31.4% from 25.4%, leaving projected industry net profits at $23 billion and a thin 2% margin.

Meanwhile, seat occupancy was forecast to reach a record 84%.

The squeeze extends beyond expensive crude. IATA projected a record $57-per-barrel premium for jet fuel over Brent, meaning falling oil prices might not bring equivalent relief.

Higher fares offer only a partial answer.

Tickets sold before a fuel spike lock in revenue, while flight costs can keep rising. Raising prices on remaining seats helps, but risks discouraging customers. Fares can also remain elevated after fuel falls while airlines wait for stability.

Carriers are adjusting accordingly.

American Airlines (AAL), United Airlines (UAL), and Southwest Airlines (LUV) have scaled back schedules or growth plans despite resilient demand. Lufthansa expects its additional fuel burden to exceed €1.5 billion, while retaining its operating-profit forecast as reported by Reuters.

Ryanair has reduced its traffic target and winter flying to limit expensive unhedged fuel exposure.

For Alaska, premium travelers could offer pricing power. Whether that offsets costs depends on execution, competition, and continued customer spending.

Related: Bank of America has a blunt message for S&P 500 investors

Still, individual parks can face pressures ranging from rising operating costs to heavy regional competition and snowballing corporate debt from repairs and renovations that keep rides appealing to visitors.

Theme park giant Six Flags closed six “underperforming” locations in its amusement and water park portfolio in 2026. Wild Waves Theme and Water Park in Washington State, Adventure Landing in North Carolina, and Fun Spot America in the Atlanta suburbs are also among the smaller parks that have shut down since the start of the year.

The latest name to join that list is Ryze Adventure Park in Missouri.

Standing out from more traditional amusement parks as an “aerial adventure park” with ziplines and elevated bike and ropes courses, the park was opened by locals Greg Hoffman and Tony Holt in 2021 after years of development based on a concept more popular in several European countries.

Ryze Adventure Park shuts down 4 years after opening

As first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ryze Adventure Park is now set to close after just four years in operation, as operating costs rose faster than the owners could build out a visitor base and reach profitability.

Built across four stories on a lot next to a former church, the adventure park was designed to offer more than 100 aerial challenges, such as an observation deck, swaying bridges, a zipline jungle gym, and a 50-foot free-fall tower.

Tickets started at $39 for adults, and the staff was made up primarily of several dozen seasonal workers during the summer months.

Related: Disney World to make long-awaited ride repair after 18 years

Ryze’s owners promoted it as having “something for everyone” — both thrill seekers and those who would come to the park with kids and spend their time walking around and seeing the views from the different observation decks.

Amid falling revenue, Hoffman and Holt had tried to seek external management help from Applied Adventure Consulting Co., a Colorado-based management firm behind other similar adventure parks.

But ultimately the business model set out at the time of Ryze’s launch anticipated it growing its revenue by 20% within five years. According to the owners, the adventure park saw its profits drop by more than 40%.

“A whole year of expenses without revenue”: Ryze Adventure Park owners on closure

“It kind of softly closed,” Hoffman described to a local outlet. “We had a whole year of expenses without revenue.”

The owners are still looking for a last-minute partner to step in and see potential in an adventure park in the St. Louis suburb. Despite the falling profits, the park quickly found a strong community of regional fans that would return summer after summer over the last five years.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

It was also a popular booking for local corporate retreats and school field trips.

“Ryze is a confidence builder and a collaborative activity,” Hoffmann said to The Dispatch. “Otherwise, it will have to be taken down.”

Related: Company behind holiday parks insolvent, to be dissolved

This came alongside raising the price of the America the Beautiful annual pass for multiple national parks to $250 for visitors from outside the U.S., up from the $80 it now costs for only U.S. residents.

Put in place by the Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks executive order that President Donald Trump signed in July 2025, the policy was controversial from the beginning, due to what many see as unfair targeting of those who come to spend money in the U.S. as tourists.

Across Arizona Tours sues over international visitor fees for national parks

On Sept. 29, Across Arizona Tours, a tour group selling organized van trips to Grand Canyon National Park, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Arizona. It claimed that between 80 and 90 of its potential clients in recent months ultimately “decided not to reserve a tour with the company, most of whom indicated that their decision was related to the increased fees.”

The Across Arizona Tours complaint against the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Park Service further claims that the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, signed into law in 2004 under the Bush administration, allows government agencies to implement new fees, but not through a tiered structure that discriminates against some visitors based on where they come from.

Related: 105-year-old historic hotel by national park files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The lawsuit claims that the Department of Interior and Secretary Doug Burgum overstepped their authority in instituting them and is asking the Arizona district court to block the fees from being charged at Grand Canyon.

“Federal agencies cannot make up fees as they please”: lawsuit

“Federal agencies cannot make up fees as they please,” Jacob Haas, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation libertarian public interest nonprofit representing Across Arizona Tours in the lawsuit, said in a written statement, according to The Hill.

“Only Congress can authorize federal fees. And Congress has never authorized higher fees for nonresidents — not least because such a policy would discourage international tourism and hurt companies like Across Arizona Tours.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Over the last year, tourism-industry representatives and organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association, have criticized the nonresident fee. They see it as poorly envisioned and hastily implemented, giving the impression that the Trump administration is “putting Americans first” while causing millions in lost international tourist dollars among local businesses.

The $22.5 million that Burgum said was generated from the fees in the first six months of 2026 also ended up being approximately 50% less than the “more than $90 million” that the Trump administration diverted away from national parks to various beautification projects around Washington, D.C., according to SFGate. This is despite the administration saying the fees would make up for the diverted funds.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told The Hill that American visitors are already subsidizing national parks through their taxes, “while foreign tourists are paying higher entrance fees to help maintain our parks and improve visitor experiences.”

Related: Another national park closes hotels, campgrounds, overnight parking

United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said that’s exactly what his airline has done.

“Late in the first quarter, we implemented 5 broadly successful price increases, along with an increase in baggage fees that began to offset the increase in the price of jet fuel. Price increases in response to the increase in jet fuel have been significant and across the board,” he said during United’s first-quarter earnings call.

American Airlines’ CFO Devon May said the airline had seen $4 billion of incremental fuel expense.

“Historically, airlines recover that additional fuel expense either by increasing revenue or by reducing marginal capacity. We have been encouraged so far by the pace with which revenue has been recaptured,” he said during the airline’s first-quarter earnings call.

CFO Michael Leskinen shared how the airline has been slowly adding to how much of the costs it passes on.

“As we’ve experienced over the last two months, the world can change quickly, but in both higher and lower fuel price scenarios, we expect to recapture 40% to 50% of the increased fuel cost in the second quarter, 70% to 80% in the third quarter and 85% to 100% by the fourth quarter,” he shared.

Comments like that suggest that consumers are seeing higher prices. Data from Deutsche Bank, however, shows that’s not the case.

Here’s how much airlines dropped airfare by

“Advance purchase, domestic airfares (for Friday, October 16) were all lower week-over-week, except for Hawaiian (+12.2%, to $370 one-way). We note that the previous week reflected a challenging comparison given that it was the start of the Columbus Day holiday weekend,” according to Deutsche Bank.

The week-over-week fare declines were as follows:

• Southwest: -30.5%, to $168 one-way
• JetBlue: -25.1%, to $206 one-way
• Allegiant: -19.2%, to $169 one-way
• United: -8.6%, to $276 one-way
• American: -5.9%, to $308 one-way
• Delta: -3.1%, to $297 one-way
• Alaska: -1.8%, to $266 one-way

Fares by geography were also mostly lower week over week:

• Hawaii (+7.0%, to $388 one-way) was the only geography with a fare increase.
• Intra-West Coast -8.9%, to $152 one-way.
• Mexico (-6.0%, to $343 one-way), and transatlantic (-5.4%, to $979 one-way) decreased by single digits.
• Latin America -57.7%, to $494 one-way.
• Florida -26.2%, to $182 one-way.
• Transpacific -24.4%, to $816 one-way.
• Transcontinental -12.1%, to $287 one-way.
• Caribbean (-10.4%, to $391 one-way) saw double-digit declines.

Fares have actually been falling

OAG’s latest analysis of the top U.S. domestic and international routes in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025 shows year-over-year fare declines on the majority of markets.

Key findings of the report included:

• In Q1, fares had declined year over year on 13 of the top 20 U.S. domestic and international routes.
• The largest domestic fare change was on Atlanta (ATL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), down 42% year over year.
•  Internationally, the largest fare change was on LaGuardia (LGA) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), where fares declined by 45%.

“OAG’s Q1 2026 analysis of the top U.S. domestic and international routes points to a divergence in fare trends. On many leisure-oriented routes, increased ultra-low-cost carrier (Frontier) capacity has contributed to year-on-year fare reductions, often on routes where Southwest has reduced its presence. In international markets, modest capacity reductions on core transatlantic routes have supported fare stability or slight increases, reflecting steadier demand from business travelers,” OAG shared.

The data did show a pattern.

“Across the top domestic routes, prices have decreased where capacity was added, broadly speaking. On JFK-LAX, Frontier’s entry alongside a 26% capacity increase from American Airlines contributed to outbound fares declining from $245 to $199. However, on LAS-LAX, capacity fell 11% while fares also declined, suggesting some softening in underlying leisure demand rather than a supply-side effect alone,” the company reported.

Frontier, RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino noted, has stepped into many markets that Spirit Airlines once served.

“Spirit helped keep everybody honest on price. Take that competitor away at the same time fuel costs are rising, and it becomes a lot easier for the airlines left standing to raise fares without being undercut,” he said.

Frontier taking over in many of those markets, he added, brings that honesty back.

Walk-up fares were mixed

The difference between walk-up and advance fares can be dramatic. That’s partially because once the supply becomes small, prices rise.

About a month ago, my aunt passed away, and my mother needed to fly from Boston to Fort Lauderdale with about a day’s notice. Her fare was more than $1,000 on JetBlue.

This week, we looked at fares to bring her on the same flight in late January, and JetBlue had seats under $350 (before luggage), while Delta had a no-frills economy ticket for $225.

Average walk-up domestic airfares for Friday, Sept. 25, were mixed week over week, according to Deutsche Bank’s research:

• United: -0.9%, to $462 one-way
• Alaska: -2.8%, to $451 one-way
• American: -3.6%, to $439 one-way
• Allegiant: -16.1%, to $245 one-way
• Delta: Unchanged at $551 one-way

The week-over-week fare increases were as follows:

• JetBlue: +0.9%, to $396 one-way
• Hawaiian: +1.2%, to $430 one-way
• Southwest: +3.6%, to $372 one-way

ALSO READ: Southwest Airlines passengers can avoid this money mistake

You can follow along with live updates on TheStreet.com, where our live blog will update automatically with updates as they come available.

Since the airline is, for some, also the first introduction to a new country, the in-flight menu is a way for the carrier to showcase its nation through cuisine.

Air France serves guests in different fare classes French classics such as macarons and foie gras, while Korean Air and Japan Airlines are well-known for serving dishes like the bibimbap and bento boxes with sushi, sashimi, and soba noodles, respectively.

Singapore Airlines, the flag carrier of the Southeast Asian city-state running what is currently the longest flight in the world with its 19-hour JFK-Singapore route, just announced a menu overhaul that will see it add more than 100 new and reworked dishes across fare classes on its flights.

Singapore Airlines bringing more than 100 new and reworked dishes to its flights

The carrier’s new menu is meant to spotlight Singapore’s vibrant food cuisine influenced by the blend of Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures of its citizens.

The new dishes include a poached Maine lobster with champagne sauce served in the suites and first class on its long-haul flights and slow-cooked jackfruit in a rendang coconut and lemongrass paste in business class flights.

For travelers across fare classes, a tandoori roasted paneer with velvet gravy will be offered in two different versions. Passengers in Suites, First, and Business will be served a special version with pasanda gravy, smoked eggplant, and a five-lentil curry, while those in premium and regular economy will get the curry dish alone served over basmati rice.

Related: A fun food served in Swiss first class is going social media viral

For more international versions, an Irish lamb stew and chicken stroganoff will be served as the premium economy main course, while the vegetarian option is a roasted cauliflower steak with chimichurri sauce and parsnip mushroom purée.

For the highest fare classes, Singapore Airlines is also partnering with French luxury tableware and silverware brand Christofle to provide the dishes on which the food will be served.

“Evolving preference and emerging dining trends”: Singapore Airlines on new in-flight dishes

The new food menu will be paired with a selection of premium wines, champagnes, and liquors from countries such as France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.

Some of the new offerings include Krug Grande Cuvée and Louis Roederer Cristal in first class and Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV and Piper-Heidsieck Vintage in business class.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

The new drink offerings will be available on flights beginning in November 2026, and the dishes will be rolled out progressively through the fall and into 2027 following an unveiling event in Singapore.

“Guided by customer feedback, evolving preferences and emerging dining trends, we have reviewed every aspect of the experience […],” Yeoh Phee Teik, senior vice president of the customer experience at Singapore Airlines, said in a statement on the new menu.

“The result is a combination of thoughtfully crafted dishes, carefully curated beverages, elegant serviceware, and thoughtful touches that make dining on board more memorable for our customers.”

Related: A new wave of French restaurants has come to NYC

While TSA PreCheck is widely considered to have improved the airport experience, especially for frequent travelers, 58% of Americans still agree that getting through the airport is “too much of a hassle,” according to U.S. Travel and Ipsos survey. 

The TSA constantly aims to improve this and make airport security less of a bother, while remaining focused on its primary objective: safety.

Recently, I reported on how the agency finally lifted a long-standing airport restriction after 25 years, opening departure gates to non-flyers. This decision, like many other TSA changes, largely divided air travelers, with a number of them thrilled about the convenience and emotional value of sending off loved ones. But others, particularly frequent flyers, expressed concerns about increased security line wait times and gate crowding.

Now, the latest TSA changes, aimed at improving the flying experience, are also showing some drawbacks for travelers.

TSA’s advanced 3D CT baggage scanners have ups and downs 

In 2022, the TSA awarded a $781.2 million contract to Analogic to purchase and maintain hundreds of new Computed Tomography (CT) 3D baggage scanners. 

As of July 6, TSA had installed 1,162 CT scanners at 296 airports, according to a TSA spokesperson, and as reported by AFAR. 

These new machines will improve security threat detection while allowing passengers to keep more items inside their carry-on bags during checkpoint screening, according to an official TSA press release. 

This, combined with the automated facial recognition system at airport checkpoints aims to make security screening faster and less reliant on manual checks. 

The most noticeable change is a much easier screening process for carry-on luggage. Because 3D scanners give security agents a highly detailed view of the inside of a traveler’s bag, flyers don’t need to remove laptops, large electronics or approved liquids from their bags. 

However, each of these technologies has drawbacks, as recently highlighted by Simple Flying and Fox 13. 

TSA’s advanced 3D CT baggage shortcomings: 

• Stricter bag sizes: The new scanners have slightly smaller entry tunnels. This means soft or slightly oversized carry-on bags that agents used to overlook may not physically fit into the scanner, forcing you to go back and check your bag.
• Destroyed camera film: The stronger imaging technology can permanently damage or completely destroy unprocessed photographic film. Photographers must remove all film and request a hand inspection.
• Inconsistent rules across airports: Since the new scanners aren’t at every airport yet, you may leave everything in your bag on your flight out but still be forced to unpack on your return flight.
• No room for overstuffed bags: Standard carry-ons that fit official size limits can still get stuck if front pockets are jammed or expansion zippers are unzipped, forcing you to check the bag.

A spokesperson for the TSA in Florida, Daniel Velez, told Fox 13 that the 3-D X-ray scanners do have a smaller opening than the previous devices.

“This design is necessary to accommodate the advanced imaging technology and ensure optimal performance. TSA officers are available to assist travelers with larger items or special needs to help ensure a smooth screening process,” Velez said.  

It is important to note that the size that airlines typically allow for carry-on items, which is measured as 22″ x 14″ x 9″, will fit in the new scanners, according to Simple Flying. The problem occurs when travelers bring slightly larger bags. In effect, the smaller opening also works as an informal check that luggage doesn’t exceed the size limit.

The smaller CT scanner tunnels make carry-on compliance a “hard checkpoint rather than a judgment call,” Josh Bandura, co-founder of FrugalFlyer and
travel finance expert told TheStreet. He recommends measuring luggage before departure and “packing for the strictest checkpoint” when traveling through multiple airports.

 TSA’s advanced 3D CT baggage benefits: 

• Leaving liquids and electronics inside bags: The new scanners can check bags without opening them, eliminating the need for travelers to unpack laptops and other electronic devices, or liquids before scanning.
• Faster checkpoint lines and fewer bottlenecks: Because travelers no longer pause to unpack and repack devices or toiletries at the conveyor belt, screening lanes can move faster during peak travel hours.
• Enhanced 3D threat detection with fewer physical bag searches: According to official TSA guidance, officers can rotate bag images 360 degrees on three axes. This detailed view improves weapon and explosive detection while reducing the need for manual bag searches or pat-downs.
• More flexible packing freedom: As highlighted by Simple Flying, flyers no longer need to pack around security convenience. Electronics and toiletries can be tucked deep inside carry-ons rather than kept right at the top for easy removal.

Here’s some of my other recent travel news coverage:

• Marriott finally fixes major pain point for key travelers
• Delta Air Lines quietly ends 17 routes while adding new flights
• Americans losing more protection over delayed flights

Travelers can refuse TSA facial recongition, but expect friction

Under my travel coverage for TheStreet, I reported in August 2025 on how the TSA is expanding facial recognition technology across U.S. airport checkpoints.

This automated system takes a real-time photo of a flyer to confirm their identity, replacing the long-standing practice of officers manually comparing physical IDs against faces. The main benefit of this shift is speed, as it automates identity checks to help move security lines along faster.

However, the system has major drawbacks regarding passenger privacy and data storage. While facial scanning is officially voluntary for domestic travelers, the TSA rarely makes this obvious, leading many flyers to assume the scan is mandatory. 

Those who wish to avoid biometric tracking have the right to refuse the camera and request a standard manual check instead.

Despite this right, passenger sentiment remains fraught. Findings from the Algorithmic Justice League’s Comply to Fly report, an advocacy group’s survey, revealed that nearly 48% of travelers didn’t know opting out was possible.

One passenger testified that an agent became “visibly angry with me” and that they were “treated with extreme rudeness the entire time.” 

Furthermore, official findings from the U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board noted that “complaints submitted to TSA’s Contact Center (TCC) suggest that TSOs may not be uniformly implementing this opt-out policy,” leaving travelers who refuse the scan facing confusion and delays.

Privacy experts say that’s exactly why some travelers decline. Travis LeBlanc, a lawyer and former member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, told HuffPost that the benefit of opting out is that “you don’t have to submit your picture to the government.”

 TSA maintains on its website that opting out causes no delay for travelers.

Related: Disney World’s peak Magic Kingdom ticket jumps $10 to $219 for 2027

Dutch flag carrier KLM has pushed back the restart date of many of its key Middle Eastern routes from Amsterdam dozens of times since the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran in February 2026. British Airways recently definitively canceled its route between London Heathrow (LHR) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) that it was initially hoping to run daily throughout 2026.

Air Canada cancels its Toronto-Dubai flight until March 2027

While not canceling the route permanently, the latest carrier to push back the restart date of its flight into Dubai International (DXB) is Canadian national airline Air Canada.

In the latest travel update posted on the airline’s website, Air Canada states that “due to the situation in the Middle East, flights to and from Dubai (DXB) will remain cancelled until the end of March 2027.”

Related: Another airline cancels almost all U.S. flights due to low demand

Prior to the February 2026 attack that set off the instability, Air Canada ran a daily flight to Dubai from Toronto Pearson International Airport that it launched in 2023 on a 298-passenger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner amid a growing increase in travel interest to the city.

While Air Canada had previously also run a seasonal route to Dubai from Vancouver International (YVR), it had been flying only from Toronto at the start of 2026. The further pushback of the route means that the airline will not serve the city or the United Arab Emirates market until March 2027 at the earliest.

Air Canada is not serving the Middle East right now

The restart date that Air Canada had previously set in mid-September was January 2027 for the flight to Dubai and Nov. 30 for the carrier’s route to Tel Aviv from Toronto. The airline named “a thorough review of the security environment in the region” as the guiding factor behind its decision to restart or prolong the suspension of specific routes.

Air Canada had previously also operated a flight to the Qatar capital of Doha (DOH) but suspended it in 2023 for commercial reasons unrelated to the current security situation in the Middle East.

The November restart of the Toronto-Tel Aviv route is currently still listed as taking place as scheduled.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

But without the Dubai or Tel Aviv routes for the time being, Air Canada is not currently flying to anywhere in the Middle East.

“A suspension running this long is effectively an exit, and travelers holding Aeroplan points earmarked for the Gulf shouldn’t wait around for a reversal,” Josh Bandura, the founder of the Frequent Flyer travel blog, said to TheStreet. “Anyone with plans on these routes should be looking at partner redemptions or repositioning through another hub now, rather than banking on Air Canada coming back in 2027.”

American Airlines and United Airlines currently also have the same March 2027 restart date set for their routes to Doha and Dubai, respectively.

Amid the pullback of international airlines, local UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad became the main and most reliable way from travelers to fly into and out of Dubai.

Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Toronto and Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) while Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has a Toronto route from the UAE capital.

Related: JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and Allegiant make pricing move

Some are simple sites for traveling campers to park their car for a night and access water and electricity, while others are elaborate resort-style villages with everything from swimming pools and on-site bars and restaurants to an attached amusement park with common attractions such as go-karts, mini-golf, ropes courses, and fun-fair games.

Parkdean Resorts and Haven Holiday Parks are two of the biggest holiday park operators in the United Kingdom, running more than 100 parks across the country between the two.

Cove Communities Venture 2 Medmerry OpCo Limited enters administration in U.K.

Medmerry Holiday Park, a smaller holiday park in the West Sussex ceremonial county in the southeast region, has attracted a loyal visitor base since it opened in 1925 but has been closed since April 2024, when seasonal flooding through the region devastated the 90-acre site and prompted evacuations of both local residents and holidayers.

The company behind the holiday park, Cove Communities Venture 2 Medmerry OpCo Limited, has now entered administration. The British term is used for insolvent businesses and is the closest equivalent to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.

Related: Disney World to make long-awaited ride repair after 18 years

The other properties under Cove Communities include the Gwel an Mor Resort in Cornwall, the Solway Holiday Park in England’s Lake District, and the Argyll Holidays holiday park in Scotland. According to the administrators, those parks are not affected by the insolvency proceedings and are expected to continue operating as usual.

The full Medmerry Nature Reserve and Bracklesham Bay Beach was home to 308 chalets built around a central pub and restaurant and an outdoor swimming pool.

What will happen to Medmerry Holiday Park?

The park owners confirmed that, with the company now under administration, Medmerry will not reopen to visitors. The closure after the flooding was initially presented as temporary for the period during which repairs to the grounds could be made.

Further details around the parent company’s financial state have not been made publicly available. Leaseholders operating on the property had been offered the chance to exit their leases early, months prior to the administration filing.

Most have chosen not to, and the question of how and whether they will be compensated, given the complete shutdown, now looms unresolved.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

As it had been a community staple for over 100 years, the flooding and subsequent inability to reopen Medmerry prompted sadness from both locals and travelers to the area who had generational memories of staying at the camp.

“Having just returned from a four day break and was blown away with this park, the friendly and well informed staff and quality and price of the food in the restaurant was second to none,” one local resident wrote underneath a post announcing that the holiday park was under administration, The Sun reported.

Related: 119-year-old amusement and water park heads to the auction block

As a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, I had taken for granted that flight credits lasted forever. But then the airline switched things up.

“Flight credits are funds you can use toward future airfare. Flight credits created on or before May 27, 2025 do not expire. Flight credits created from reservations booked or changed on or after May 28, 2025 have a specified expiration date. All travel must be completed by the expiration date,” the airline shared on its website.

It’s not a small change because now that I fly much less often, if I have to cancel a flight, I may not have plans that require air travel before my credit expires. That could force me to take a less-than-necessary trip, or result in me losing what I originally paid.

How do Southwest Airlines credits work?

Southwest shared when a flight credit would be issued on its website.

You may receive a flight credit when:

• You cancel a flight.
• You downgrade your fare.
• You cancel a purchased seat as part of a flight cancellation.

The airline also shared how you use those credits.

“When booking a flight, choose the option to apply a flight credit on the payment screen and enter the confirmation number associated with the flight credit,” the airline posted.

• Each Passenger can use a total of three forms of payment per booking, and each flight credit counts as a form of payment.
• If you have more than one flight credit associated with the same confirmation number (if you received a flight credit for a purchased seat), you will need to enter each flight credit separately.
• All travel must be completed by the expiration date of the flight credit.

When do Southwest Airlines flight credits expire?

When your flight credit expires depends upon how you paid for your flight and what class of ticket your purchased.

This is how they work for the more expensive Choice Preferred or Choice Extra fares:

• Booked with a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Flex Pay, or Klarna: Transferable Flight Credit will expire 12 months from the date you originally booked the reservation.
• Booked with a Southwest LUV Voucher: Transferable Flight Credit will adopt the expiration date of the voucher used to book the reservation.
• Booked with a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit: Transferable Flight Credit will adopt the earliest expiration date of any flight credit used to book the reservation.
• Booked with a gift card: Transferable Flight Credit will not expire.

For the cheaper, Choice fares, it works a little differently:

• Booked with a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit: Transferable Flight Credit will adopt the earliest expiration date of any flight credit used to book the reservation or will expire 12 months from the date you originally booked the reservation, whichever comes first.
• Booked with a gift card: Transferable Flight Credit will expire 12 months from the date you originally booked the reservation.

Customers traveling on a Basic fare face harsher rules. Basic credit is nontransferable and expires six months from the date the original ticket was purchased.

• Southwest requires travel to be completed before the deadline.
• So if you bought a ticket more than six months in advance and cancel bxefore departure, you get nothing.

There is one caveat to all of these rules.

“If your flight is significantly disrupted and you cancel your reservation and choose a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit (depending on the type of fare purchased), your flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit will be valid for five years from the date you originally booked the reservation,” according to Southwest.

Southwest issued roughly $7.9 billion in non-expiring flight credits between July 2022 and December 2025, according to an SEC filing.

Here’s how to extend a Southwest Airlines flight credit

View From the Wing’s Gary Leff explained how Southwest passengers can hack the Flight Credit system.

“Southwest’s ticketing rules create a way to make non-transferable credits transferable. And frequent flyer experience shows that adding even a small amount from a Southwest gift card to a credit can create a transferable credit with no expiration date,” he wrote.

Leff walked his readers through the process:

The original passenger should:

1. Book a Choice Preferred or Choice Extra ticket in the name attached to the old credit.
2. Apply the nontransferable credit to that reservation.
3. Cancel at least 10 minutes before departure and return the funds as a flight credit.
4. Find the new credit under My Account, then View Travel Funds, and select Transfer.

“Both people must have Rapid Rewards accounts. Southwest requires the entire credit to be transferred, allows only one transfer, and the transfer can’t be reversed. The recipient gets a nonrefundable credit. You can do this even with a credit from a Basic ticket. But that doesn’t reset an expiring credit,” he added.

Then, to make the flight credit last forever:

• Buy a small Southwest gift card: $15 or $25 is enough.
• Book the right fare: A one-way Choice Preferred or Choice Extra fare, in the name of the person who holds the old credit. The trip has to be completed before the old credit’s deadline.
• Make the fare cost more than the credit: Part of the gift card has to actually be used. Seat fees don’t count, because gift cards can’t pay for add-ons.
• Pay with the old credit plus the gift card: Southwest allows three payment forms per passenger, so two credits plus a gift card works.
• Wait for the ticket to issue, then cancel: Any credit card portion goes back to the card. The old credit and the gift card value combine into one Transferable Flight Credit with no expiration.
• Transfer it if you want: This is optional and can only be done once.

Leff also noted that the company’s new business model accounts for some credits not being used.

“The airline recognizes revenue when credits go unused. It recently made a $285 million flight breakage adjustment: It had assumed 15% of credits would expire, while newer data suggested 12%. Breakage is part of the model,” he added.

Why Southwest changed its flight-credit policy

Southwest has moved to a model with more ancillary revenue, and the Q2 filing explicitly says changes to flight-credit policies affected customer redemption behavior and breakage estimates.

While I preferred the old no-added-fees, open-seating model, Southwest’s changes have worked, according to comments made by CEO Robert Jordan during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“Our business now benefits from a broader and more diversified set of revenue and commercial levers than at any point in our history,” he said. “The results demonstrate that the transformation is working.”

He noted that the airline generated nearly $2 billion in operating cash flow during the first half of the year despite a “record” $900 million year-over-year increase in second quarter fuel expense.

Related: Walmart tries to take Target on in fashion

For example, a trip from Orlando, Fla., to Miami is about 240 miles and can take about 4 hours to drive by car.

A non-stop flight from Orlando to Miami can take about an hour and 15 minutes one-way in the air and cost as low as $59 one-way as of Sept. 26 on Southwest for flights a month from now at last check, but that doesn’t include all the taxes and fees that drive up the cost. And it doesn’t include all the time you need to spend in the airport checking in and going through security.

A Brightline high-speed rail trip from Orlando to Miami can cost as low as $79 one-way and takes about 3-1/2 hours on the train. Ridership has been rising for Brightline, but that isn’t enough to prevent the company from filing for bankruptcy.

Brightline files for bankruptcy

Brightline, Florida’s high-speed private passenger train system, filed for a prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy to recapitalize its business with $490 million in post-petition financing through a restructuring support agreement reached with its financial stakeholders, including Assured Guaranty Inc. and an ad hoc group of mutual fund bondholders.

Debtor Brightline Management LLC, which employs about 520 workers who operate the only private intercity passenger train system in the U.S., filed its petition along with 16 other affiliates in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey on Sept. 25, listing $1 billion to $10 billion in assets and debts.

The Miami-based debtor’s largest unsecured creditors include Virgin Enterprises Limited, owed over $8.6 million; Ankura Intermediate Holdings LP, owed over $1.1 million; AFCO Premium Credit LLC, over $880,000; and Aon Risk Services Inc. of Florida, owed over $615,000.

Train service has 6 stations over 235 miles

Brightline Florida provides high-speed rail service along a 235-mile corridor in Florida with six stations located in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.

The company operates 36 one-way trains daily, which reach speeds of up to 125 miles per hour, which it believes is faster, safer, more eco-friendly, more reliable, less expensive, more productive, and more enjoyable than travel by car or air between Orlando and Miami, according to a bankruptcy declaration by Patrick Goddard, CEO of Brightline Florida.

“The trip between Orlando and Miami is ‘too long to drive, too short to fly,’ demonstrating the characteristics of other similar corridors globally that are served by intercity rail,” Goddard said in the declaration.

Brightline Florida, which built and owns its entire 235-mile rail system, began its train service in January 2018 between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla., and expanded service to Miami in May 2018. The rail system completed construction and opened its Orlando station in September 2023.

Ridership and revenue rising

The train system’s business has gained commercial momentum following the Orlando station opening, with ridership and revenue growing year over year. Its ridership increased by 14% year-over-year in 2026 through August and revenue increased by 17% in the same period.

Brightline filed its Chapter 11 case not because of its operating business, according to the declaration, but instead to address its holding company capital structure. While revenue and ridership continues to grow, results have materially lagged behind the company’s original projections and the reserves set aside to cover debt service through the ramp up were not sufficient to cover the slower ramp up.

The debtor faces substantial funded debt obligations with near-term maturities, interest payment deadlines, and mandatory tender obligations that placed unsustainable pressure on the company’s balance sheet, according to the declaration.

Seeks to rebalance debt, inject liquidity

Brightline seeks to rebalance its holding company funded debt obligations and inject additional liquidity into the company through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

The company’s $4.39 billion in bond debt remains outstanding, with no plans to reduce the aggregate principal amounts, according to a Sept. 25 company statement.

“Brightline is a critical part of Florida’s transportation network that has changed the way people move around the state,” Goddard said in the statement. “Today’s agreement brings $490 million in new long-term capital to Brightline from the stakeholders who know this business, and it comes at a time of real momentum.”

Related: 30-year-old beloved steakhouse chain closes 10 locations

For decades, Iran’s airlines lived with sanctions the way a family lives with a leaky roof. Spare parts were hard to buy, fleets aged, and the U.S. kept the carriers out of American skies.

Washington blacklisted Mahan Air and Iran Air years ago. But an American blacklist mostly stopped at the American border, and plenty of foreign airports were happy to sell jet fuel to anyone paying cash.

Yet Mahan Air, Iran Air, and their smaller rivals still landed in Turkey, the Gulf, and Iraq. They refueled, sold tickets, and flew home full.

That arrangement survived the first seven months of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which began Feb. 28. Travelers could still buy a seat out of Tehran, and foreign airports kept taking the money.

Then Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went on television on Monday, Sept. 21, and told the rest of the world’s airports to stop serving Iran’s airlines, or lose the dollar.

“If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel. You cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” Bessent said, according to CNBC.

He also set a date. “On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” he said during the interview, reported Truthout.

Bessent’s airline shutdown runs through the dollar

Treasury laid the groundwork on Sept. 8, when it designated 27 Iranian carriers and penalized companies still supporting Mahan Air under its Operation Economic Outcast campaign.

“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today. You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system,” Bessent said in the Treasury Department release.

More Airlines & Aviation:

• Another airline cancels almost all U.S. flights due to low demand
• FAA should suspend new Al-powered ATC system, congressman says
• Luxury aviation company takes delivery of the fanciest new private jet

The same release says Tehran uses its airlines to “move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo.”

The Sept. 21 warning widened the target from the airlines to everyone who serves them. That means fuel suppliers, ground handlers, ticket agents, and the airports themselves.

Few airports can shrug that off. Jet fuel is priced in dollars, and so are most of the aircraft leases and fuel contracts that keep a terminal running.

In my analysis, this is the playbook Bessent laid out when he declared an economic D-Day on Iran in August, now pointed at runways instead of bank vaults.

Which countries grounded Iranian flights first?

The answer came fast. By Wednesday, Sept. 23, most of Iran’s neighbors had chosen dollar access over Iranian landing fees.

When I mapped the country-by-country responses, the list looked like Iran’s old travel map being erased one route at a time.

• United Arab Emirates: All Iranian airlines were suspended as of midnight Sept. 23, reported The New Arab.
• Turkey: Turkish Airlines, AJet, and Pegasus pulled their Iran flights, and Turkish Airlines shows none until March 2027, according to Middle East Eye.
• Iraq: Baghdad airport stopped handling Iranian carriers, though flights to Najaf continued, reported Al Jazeera.
• Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Oman: Georgia and Azerbaijan banned Iranian airlines outright, and Tehran-Muscat flights were canceled, according to The New Arab.

A Turkish Airlines representative said “there was no guarantee flights would resume even after March 2027,” Middle East Eye reported.

China keeps Mahan Air landing in Guangzhou

The one big holdout is Beijing. Mahan Air still landed in Guangzhou after the deadline, and service to Shanghai continued, reported Israel Hayom.

That is the real test of this policy. Turkey and the UAE live on dollar banking, while Washington has so far left alone the Chinese banks that handle most of Iran’s oil sales.

Related: Bessent is doubling down with weekly bank sanctions

Inside Iran, the cost is personal. Travelers crowded the Bazargan and Razi border crossings into Turkey, and bus tickets were reportedly selling for four times the normal price on the black market, according to Al Jazeera.

Diaspora families now wonder how they will visit parents. Students who need language exams abroad for university applications are stuck.

The latest round represents “a new level of sanctions in action,” Iran-based aviation expert Mohammadreza Ebrahimpour told Al Jazeera.

Oil prices climb as Tehran’s isolation deepens

Oil traders noticed. Brent crude rose 1.36% to $101.70 a barrel early Tuesday, Sept. 22, as worries grew over U.S.-Iran tensions, reported CNBC.

“Confirmation of direct talks between Washington and Tehran could place additional selling pressure on prices by improving expectations for regional supply. Conversely, Tehran has warned that renewed escalation would trigger a significant response, which could push crude prices higher,” said Lukman Otunuga, head of market research at FXTM, according to CNBC.

By Thursday, Sept. 24, Brent had jumped about 4.5% in a day to roughly $107.67 after Houthi missile attacks on Saudi export terminals, according to Trading Economics. The airline ban did not cause that spike, but it adds to a war premium that keeps refusing to fade.

When I lined up the pump data, regular gas averaged $4.48 a gallon nationally on Sept. 24, up from $3.16 a year earlier, according to AAA. Diesel averaged $6.51, compared with $3.69 a year ago.

What the aviation ban means for your wallet

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his United Nations address on Sept. 23 to insist that “Iran cannot be forced to surrender through war,” reported Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian negotiators were exploring a deal to lift naval blockades on tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to Trading Economics. The airline ban hands Washington one more chip to trade at that table.

U.S. airline investors feel it, too. Rothschild Redburn cut American Airlines (AAL) to neutral in March over war-driven jet fuel costs, as TheStreet reported on the airline’s fuel exposure.

Here’s the lesson for your portfolio. If the threat of losing dollar access can ground a national airline system in 48 hours, expect Treasury to try it on ports, shipping insurers, and fuel traders next.

Whether China’s airports blink will tell you how far that power reaches. Until they do, the bill for this standoff keeps showing up at your gas pump.

Related: Bessent is sitting down with Iran’s biggest oil customer

Since the spring of 2026, Maldives-based BeOnd has not run flights due to the high cost of jet fuel and the security situation at its main Dubai base. It hopes to restart operations by October.

Japanese regional carrier Toki Air also suspended service for two weeks during the country’s peak travel period last July but eventually resumed its routes connecting the northern Niigata prefecture with the rest of the country.

The latest carrier to shut down operations for two weeks is South American budget airline Paranair.

Paranair shuts down flights for 2 weeks, offers refunds

Launched from the Paraguayan capital of Asunción at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU) in 2015, Paranair evolved into the country’s main budget airline and flies to 12 destinations across Paraguay, as well as nearby countries such as Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.

The suspension of all service between Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 comes as the airline’s only Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet is brought in for scheduled repairs and maintenance.

In a statement, Paranair said any passengers who bought tickets for that time period will be contacted by an airline representative with rebooking and refund options.

Airlines that filed for bankruptcy in 2026:

• Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow.
• Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline canceled all flights and eventually filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2026 amid mounting financial pressures.
• Starflite Aviation: The Houston-based carrier had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: The Slovenian charter airline shut down in March 2026 due to a string of financial problems.

“Starting October 13, we will resume regular operations on the routes currently included in our operational network,” the airline said in a statement posted to several social media channels (translated from Spanish).

How to get a refund for a canceled Paranair flight

While the airline presents the maintenance and subsequent shutdown as routine, the sudden cancellations sowed chaos among travel agencies in multiple neighboring countries that booked their customers to travel to Paraguay in the coming weeks.

Carlos Pera, president of the Uruguayan Association of Travel Agencies (Audavi), told local newspaper El Observador that the sudden suspension of a route between Asunción and Montevideo caused “great concern and unease,” especially given the large number of business travelers between the two countries.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Paranair added that “travel agencies have received the relevant information to relay to their clients and handle the affected cases,” encouraging travelers to “verify their booking status directly through our official channels or with their travel agency.”

Related: Another airline shuts down after losing license, cancels flights

Amid a better, modern understanding of the damage that colonialism and trophy hunting brought to many local populations, modern-day safaris have largely evolved away from hunting and toward conservationism and photography of animals.

And while the term is indelibly associated with East Africa and the animals found there, safari trips are also offered to see everything from tigers in India to jaguars in Brazil.

Husband-and-wife Danish retail billionaires Anders Holch and Anne Povlsen are now hoping to bring the safari vision to the Scottish Highlands with the opening of the new Hope Lodge resort on a historic 100,000-acre estate.

Hope Lodge opens as safari-style wilderness reserve in Scottish Highlands

The Povlsens founded the conservation company and ecotourism project Wildlands in 2006 and have since grown it to 13 castles, lodges, and cottages across hundreds of acres of remote Scottish nature.

The Danish businessman is the largest private landowner in the United Kingdom. His vision set off 20 years ago was to regenerate large areas of local native woodlands back to their wild state by replanting local species of Caledonian pinewoods, restoring damaged peatlands, and generally keeping the land free of development.

Related: That ferry between Scotland and France won’t be sailing anytime soon

The new Hope Lodge property in the far northern Scottish Highlands in the Sutherland region opened in May 2026 as a luxury retreat around two cottages, the larger of which was originally built in 1867 as a shooting lodge for the 3rd Duke of Sutherland.

The Hope Lodge is presented as a “Scottish safari” that surrounds visitors with the hills, forests, and valleys of the Scottish landscape while allowing them to observe animals in the natural environment.

The 100,000 acres the property sits on are home to animals ranging from the area’s native red deer species to birds of prey such as buzzards and golden eagles to rivers full of trout.

What’s a Scottish safari, and how do visitors book one?

The main cottage and adjacent An Cala cabin for private groups were renovated to evoke the same safari-lodge aesthetic. Room-length gabled windows overlook the nearby Loch Hope and surrounding woodlands. Other natural finishes include the lodge’s original oak furniture and flax, hemp, and oilskin textiles used throughout the seven guest rooms.

Cecile & Boyd, the South African design firm that led the redesign, is also behind multiple luxury lodges and private villas for safari ecotourism brand Singita in several countries across southern Africa.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Starting at £1,100 ($1,456 USD) per night for a room inside the cabin, Hope Lodge is currently available to book for individual stays between August and October. Those who rent out the entire property at £21,000 per night can do so year-round.

“The safari essence is about being immersed in nature,” Cecile & Boyd Design Director Paul van den Berg described to Suitcase Magazine. “The adventure here lies not in conquering a landscape, but getting close enough to understand what’s happening within it.”

Related: The newest luxury hotel is inside a New Zealand castle

While more modern and tech-forward rides like the Avatar Flight Of Passage and Na’vi River Journey were later built inside Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest is the park’s original and most iconic thrill ride.

The snow-capped mountain peak of an imaginary Himalayan “forbidden mountain” guarded by the Yeti is the central piece visible from every corner of the park. The ride itself mimics a bumpy train going up the mountains with a 12-foot main ascent and several drops and helix turns including a “broken track” that briefly takes the riders backwards.

Disney confirms plans for Expedition Everest renovation

But as with many of the parks’ oldest and most iconic rides, time brings the need for significant renovations. Since 2008, the 25-foot-tall Yeti Animatronic figure that greets guests during the ride has been kept in stationary mode due to risk of cracking.

At the 2026 D23 Ultimate Fan Event in which executive share news and answer fan questions about what has been happening at the resorts last August, Disney confirmed intent to repair what fans have affectionally nicknamed “Disco Yeti.”

“We are bringing the yeti back to life,” Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences, told the audience in Anaheim.

Related: Disney shutting down key theme park app by fall

“It may not sound like a big thing, but something like the Yeti or Figment or really being serious about Tomorrowland, they mean a lot to people because they grew up with these stories,” Mazloum later elaborated to CNBC. “They’re small, they’re immediate, but they’re meaningful.”

When the news was announced at the fan event, performer Gloria Gaynor made a surprise appearance to perform her hit disco anthem “I Will Survive” to mark the occasion.

Disney has not, beyond confirming that it will finally fix the Yeti, provided further details or an official statement on what that will entail.

As the project is a difficult one that involves not just the statue but multiple intertwined coaster tracks, it is likely to be a full renovation and modernization of the ride that will require a lengthy period during which it is closed to riders.

As has also been reported by several Disney World watchdog sites, the line section that allowed single riders to pass through faster by filling seating gaps created by groups has been taken down as of Sept. 21.

What is happening with Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom in 2026

This is not connected to the looming renovations but part of a new queue-sorting method in which the park is experimenting with sorting odd and even parties as they arrive at the ride gates rather than letting them get up to the front on their own.

Animal Park has been part of Disney’s wider efforts to rework certain ride and park sections that have started to show signs of age. In February 2026, the park permanently closed the DinoLand U.S.A. section to build a new “Pueblo Esperanza” land inspired by the 2021 film “Encanto.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Certain rides in this land, including the DINOSAUR, the TriceraTop Spin, and the Primval Whirl had already been closed down earlier as Disney World slowly begun construction for new rides inspired by a more modern film.

The last timeline Disney had set for the opening of the new Encanto land had been for mid-2027.

Related: 119-year-old amusement and water park heads to the auction block

In July 2026, Russian regional airline Izhavia had its air operator certificate (AOC) revoked by the country’s aviation regulatory agency after the carrier flying to the remote Udmurtia region failed a safety audit over multiple broken or uncertified plane parts.

This week, Siberian carrier Yakutia also suspended all local flights after the only remaining De Havilland Canada DHC-8 turboprop airliner in its fleet was grounded for similar reasons as the country is unable to access numerous landing gear parts.

Yakutia stops ticket sales amid grounded planes, poor state of Russian aviation

Air Company Yakutia was founded in 2002 to serve the remote Sakha republic and Yakutsk capital in the country’s Far East and operated a mixed fleet of regional turboprop airliners and Boeing 757 jets.

At the start of 2025, Yakutia was among the 30 mid- and small-scale airlines in the country named to be at a “burnout point” and immediate risk of bankruptcy over both a lack of foreign parts and inability to bring in traveler numbers to a point seen before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Related: Ukrainian airline starts flying for first time since invasion

The carrier’s last operational turboprop airliner known as both the Dash 8 and Bombardier Q300 (it was originally built as the De Havilland Canada DHC-8 in 1989 but passed through both Boeing and Bombardier in the following decades) was grounded as Yakutia waits to replace a broken strut on its right-hand landing gear.

As first reported by Flight Global, the local Ust-Nera Airport (USR) was also forced to suspend operations after “multiple issues” over runways that deteriorated to the point of being unsafe for takeoff and landing.

What is the state of Russia’s aviation industry in 2026?

Regional authorities are unable to find replacement parts without access to foreign products or domestic alternatives that are advanced enough to land on unpaved runways.

This significantly limits the availability of air service to the remote and geographically vast Sakha republic. Prior to the war, Yakutia ran a peak 55 routes both within Russia and to some international destinations.

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

Airlines that lost their licenses in 2026:

• Izhavia: Russian regional airline Izhavia had its AOC revoked by the country’s aviation regulatory agency in July 2026 as Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine left the country’s aviation industry crippled by lack of Western parts and lowered ability to ensure maintenance standards.
• Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba: The Caribbean branch of the African charter airline Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba lost its AOC in May 2026. The Aruban branch was established in 2017 to run flights between the Caribbean countries of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
• Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 over a long string of financial problems and a revoked AOC.

Related: Another airline cancels almost all U.S. flights due to low demand

The problem is that no one brand or bag does everything. A Samsonite rolling bag, for example, brings durability, while my larger Amazon Basics bag is cheap enough that I’m not really concerned about how long it lasts.

My Solgard bag has an interior organizer, which literally lets me unpack half my stuff just by hanging it in the closet, and a Züca bag allows you to use your luggage as a chair.

For most people, luggage is a rare purchase, meaning a premium brand like Züca constantly needs new customers. It must also compete with cheap brands, Amazon, and discounted higher-end brands sold at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and other discount chains.

Now, Züca is winding down its global operations, and the going-out-of-business sale has already begun.

Züca made specialized bags

Züca made bags that served athletes, traveling professionals (like photographers and makeup artists who have specialized needs), and roller bags with built-in seats popular with frequent travelers, including airplane crews.

“Our patented concept in travel is like nothing else to organize and carry your travel essentials. ZÜCA’s built-in seat rolls along with you for those moments when you need to take a load off,” the company shared on its website.

The company made specific bags designed to meet the needs of various sports. That included figure skating.

“Originally designed to alleviate weight from students’ and athletes’ backs, the Züca Sport is now used by people of all ages. The front opens up like a miniature locker, roomy enough to store ice skates inside the hollow compartment. There are zippered pockets on the inside of the door (one big one that is the shape of the door and two smaller ones) to provide storage of skating items from CDs to skate guards,” according to U.S. Figure Skating’s magazine.

More Retail:

• Home Depot is making a big bet on cautious consumers
• Another state just banned a controversial retail pricing practice
• JPMorgan just flagged a slow-build food crisis

Kerrin Jackson, a makeup artist, raved about two Züca products on the “5-Minute Face Talk” podcast on Makeup Refinery.

“For years, I’ve been a loyal fan of the brand Züca. My trusty Züca Rolling Case has traveled with me across the globe, and now is happily serving as my go-to hair kit for special effects makeup,” Jackson said.

She later switched to the Züca Artist Shoulder Bag.

“This sleek and functional bag is precisely what I’ve been searching for. Its discreet black exterior keeps my products out of sight, while its upright design allows for easy access on set. Inside, I can neatly organize my smaller actor bags, paperwork, and essential tools, while the exterior pouch holds utensils and multi-tasking makeup palettes,” she added.

Züca is closing down

The company shared a message about shutting down on its website:

“For more than 20 years, Züca has had the privilege of serving hundreds of thousands of loyal customers and building lasting relationships with dealers, partners, athletes, suppliers and communities around the world.

After navigating a prolonged period of challenging business conditions and carefully considering the company’s long-term outlook, we have made the difficult decision to begin an orderly transition of Züca.  Our final day of normal operations will be September 30th.

This was not an easy decision, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of the Züca journey.  To our customers who have trusted our products, our dealers and business partners who helped build our brand, and our employees who have dedicated so much to the company.”

What’s next for Züca?

Züca has not filed for bankruptcy, and it launched a “going-out-of-business” sale on Sept. 23 as this story was being written.

The company also posted a warning.

“We are experiencing a massive volume of orders, which has put our packing team 5-7 days behind our usual shipping schedule,” the company posted.

All orders will be “locked in,” and customers will receive a “shipping confirmation email with a tracking number the moment it leaves our warehouse.”

The luggage brand’s website still offers payment plans through a third party.

Züca’s European website is showing what it calls a “Final Sale.” It’s offering 25% off with no code or coupon needed.

The company has also not commented on how the shutdown will impact its warranty.

“Limited Lifetime Warranty covers against manufacturer defects during normal use,” Züca shared on its website.

That warranty only applied to the original owner and required having your purchase receipt.

The company’s closure leaves customers with an important unanswered question: Who will handle warranty claims after Züca’s normal operations end?

The company has not said whether warranty service will continue, so customers may be left without a clear path for future claims.

Züca did not immediately return a request for comment made through its Contact Us page. The company does not have a media or press page.

Related: Coca-Cola, Pepsi killed 3 holiday soda flavors fans still miss

FAQ: What happens if you buy from a company that goes out of business?

Can I still buy from a company that’s going out of business?
You can, but check the return, refund, and shipping policies first. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also recommends comparing liquidation prices with those at other retailers.

What if I pay but never receive my order?
If you paid by credit card, you may be able to dispute the charge. The CFPB says consumers can dispute charges for goods they never received.

What happens to a warranty?
It depends on who provided it. A manufacturer warranty may continue even if the retailer closes, while a retailer-provided warranty may end, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Will the company honor my gift card?
Not necessarily. A company that files for bankruptcy may stop honoring gift cards, depending on the bankruptcy proceedings, added the FTC.

What should I do before placing an order?
Save your receipt, order confirmation, warranty information, and the company’s return policy. Using a credit card can also provide greater protection if there’s a problem with the order, according to the BBB.

If you want one, buy before Sept. 30, pay with a credit card so you can dispute the charge if the bag never arrives, and save your order confirmation. With the packing team running a week behind, your bag may not leave the warehouse until Züca’s final days.

ALSO READ: 48-year-old mall retailer closing stores in 2026 as trend changes

The suspension followed a safety audit that turned up a number of deficiencies in the airline’s operating and management systems, as well as concerns over the overall airworthiness of an aging fleet.

The suspension was described as “precautionary and provisional” by ANAC, which means the AOC was not fully revoked and can be regained if the issues raised in the audit are resolved, A21 reported.

But without a valid AOC issued by the government regulatory agency where the airline is based, a carrier cannot legally run or sell any flights to passengers. As a result, Total Linhas Aéreas has been grounded since the start of September.

Brazilian charter airline Total Linhas Aéreas begins returning planes

The carrier was launched out of the Brazilian capital of Brasilia in 1998 and grew to run a range of charter and cargo flights within the large South American country.

Total Linhas Aéreas was the main provider of air mail services for Brazilian national postal service Correios, and its fleet included five Boeing 737-400 freighter planes.

Related: Another low-cost airline is betting big on Colombia travel

The latest reporting on the airline from ch-aviation indicates that Total Linhas Aéreas has begun returning some of its leased Boeing planes to the manufacturer to reduce its financial obligations.

It also reportedly has lost its contract with Correios due to its inability to run flights. Without the planes, a timely restart now looks increasingly unlikely.

Total Linhas Aéreas says it is “working to reverse” suspended license

The airline has not elaborated on the details of its situation or a time frame for resuming flights, but previously issued a statement saying it is “working to reverse” the suspended AOC.

“The company is working to reverse ANAC’s decision,” a Total Linhas Aéreas representative said in a press release, translated from Portuguese, issued earlier in the month. “We will keep the market updated on the matter.”

More Travel News:

• Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
• There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
• Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
• Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

To do this, the airline must demonstrate the correct operation of its Operational Safety Management System (SGSO) and Continued Analysis and Surveillance System (SASC) to ANAC regulators.

Airlines that have lost AOCs since the start of 2026:

• Izhavia: Russian regional airline Izhavia had its AOC revoked by the country’s aviation regulatory agency in July 2026 as Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine left the country’s aviation industry crippled by a lack of Western parts and reduced ability to ensure maintenance standards.
• Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba: The Caribbean branch of the African charter airline Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba lost its AOC in May 2026. The Aruban branch was established in 2017 to run flights between the Caribbean countries of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
• Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
• AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 due to financial problems.

Related: Another airline gets license suspended, all flights off