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Southwest Airlines is considering changes to its quirky boarding and seating practices

Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom

Animal groups are urging tourists not to visit Wyoming after a man hit a wolf then took it to a bar

Help is coming for a Jersey Shore town that’s losing the man-vs-nature battle on its eroded beaches

French air traffic controllers cancel a strike but Paris flights are still disrupted

Nyc natural history museum previews new wing.

The American Museum of Natural History gave a tour Thursday of the museum’s new wing, the under-construction Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation (Oct. 27) (AP Video: Ted Shaffrey)

Tourism boom helps Greece face rising costs

A british tourist is in a hospital after a shark attack. tobago closes several beaches.

Venice tests a 5-euro entry fee for day-trippers as the Italian city grapples with overtourism

Rail spikes hammered, bullet train being built from Sin City to the City of Angels

Barcelona to get floating desalination plant to help fight drought in northeastern Spain

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation

Copenhagen fights the last pockets of a fire that destroyed a 400-year-old landmark

The Biden administration recruits 15 states to help enforce airline consumer laws

Don’t let it flow: tourists to spain’s catalonia may soon see water restrictions in the dry season.

Boeing pushes back on whistleblower’s allegations and details how airframes are put together

Project to shore up Pompeii yields stunning black banquet hall, with frescoes of Trojan War figures

Cambodia’s relocation of people from UNESCO site raises concerns

Brazil again extends visa exemptions for US, Canada and Australia, this time until 2025

Cruelty for clicks: Cambodia is investigating YouTubers’ abuse of monkeys at the Angkor UNESCO site

British, French troops march in historic joint parades in London and Paris in a show of solidarity

80-year-old american tourist killed in elephant attack during game drive in zambia.

Stretch of California Highway 1 that collapsed in Big Sur closes again as new storm arrives

UK airports get more time to put in new scanners that will allow more liquids and packed laptops

Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port due to Bolivian passengers’ visa problems

Klaus Mäkelä, just 28, to become Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director in 2027

US traffic deaths fell 3.6% in 2023, the 2nd straight yearly drop. But nearly 41,000 people died

United Airlines is asking pilots to take time off in May because of a shortage of new Boeing planes

A big airline is relaxing its pet policy to let owners bring the companion and a rolling carry-on

A tropical cyclone makes landfall in northern Madagascar, killing 18 people

Federal EV charging stations are key to Biden’s climate agenda, yet only 4 states have them

The British Museum names Nicholas Cullinan its new director as it tries to get over a rocky patch

Voters to turn a new page in the history of Istanbul, guardian of the Bosphorus

A delta flight was cut short after a panel behind one of the engines fell off during takeoff.

NYC subway rider is fatally pushed onto tracks, reviving discussion about mental illness in system

Baby gorilla cuddled by mother at London Zoo remains nameless

A braking system ‘anomaly’ caused an American Airlines jet to exceed a Dallas runway, NTSB says

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Coronavirus Updates

The u.s. lifts the pandemic travel ban and opens the doors to international visitors.

The Associated Press

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status.

The U.S. lifted restrictions Monday on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic.

Starting Monday, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the Trump administration. The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test.

Airlines are expecting more travelers from Europe and elsewhere. Data from travel and analytics firm Cirium showed airlines are increasing flights between the United Kingdom and the U.S. by 21% this month over last month.

The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel.

Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico. On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries were community traditions until being upended by the pandemic. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen during COVID-19 shutdown.

Loved ones have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals while nonessential air travel was barred, and they are now eager to reconnect.

River Robinson's American partner wasn't able to be in Canada for the birth of their baby boy 17 months ago because of pandemic-related border closures. She was thrilled to hear the U.S. is reopening its land crossings to vaccinated travelers.

"I'm planning to take my baby down for the American Thanksgiving," said Robinson, who lives in St. Thomas, Ontario. "If all goes smoothly at the border I'll plan on taking him down as much as I can. Is crazy to think he has a whole other side of the family he hasn't even met yet."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. will accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, not just those in use in the U.S. That means that the AstraZeneca vaccine, widely used in Canada, will be accepted.

For air travelers, the airlines are required to verify vaccine records and match them against ID, and if they don't, they could face fines of up to nearly $35,000 per violation. Airlines will also collect information about passengers for contact tracing efforts. There will be CDC workers spot-checking travelers for compliance in the U.S. At land borders, Customs and Border Protection agents will check vaccine proof.

The moves come as the U.S. has seen its COVID-19 outlook improve dramatically in recent weeks since the summer delta surge that pushed hospitals to the brink in many locations.

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Upstate New York is finally back in the spotlight – here's why

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Postcard from New York: Tiffany & Co's artistic director of home on the Big Apple's glitziest – and most underrated – spots

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Featured News

PRESS RELEASE Travel Industry: Dangerous FAA Amendment Would Undermine Aviation Security, Delay Millions of Flyers, Set TSA Screening Back Decades

PRESS RELEASE Global Meetings Industry Day on April 11 Champions Value, Benefits of Business Events and Meetings

PRESS RELEASE U.S. Travel Welcomes Fred Dixon as CEO of Brand USA

All News & Commentary

Travel industry: dangerous faa amendment would undermine aviation security, delay millions of flyers, set tsa screening back decades.

The amendment would immediately prevent the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from using most automated facial matching technology at airport checkpoints, which is in use at many of the largest and busiest airports in the U.S.

Global Meetings Industry Day on April 11 Champions Value, Benefits of Business Events and Meetings

Under the banner theme of “Meetings Matter,” Global Meetings Industry Day is April 11, a day dedicated to championing the undeniable professional, personal and economic benefits of business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions.

Daily Getaways Returns with Travel Deals, Offers from Top Brands

Officially launching for sales on April 15, Daily Getaways will feature exclusive offers from major travel brands—offering discounts up to 50% off loyalty points, theme park tickets, vacation packages and hotel stays.

U.S. Travel Welcomes Fred Dixon as CEO of Brand USA

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued a statement on the announcement of Fred Dixon as incoming president and chief executive officer of Brand USA, America’s travel marketing organization.

U.S. Travel Mourns the Passing of Former Congressman William Delahunt

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement on the March 30 passing of former Congressman William D. Delahunt (D-MA).

U.S. Travel Applauds Much-Needed Funding to Lower Visitor Visa Wait Times

U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued a statement on the passage of government spending package H.R.2882, which included $50 million in funding for the U.S. Department of State to reduce visitor visa interview wait times.

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Hamas releases video of 2 hostages as Blinken set to travel to region

Hamas on Saturday released a video of two hostages it is holding in Gaza, including one who is a dual U.S. citizen, as the group said it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal to halt the fighting and bring some of the captives home.

The video, which lasts just over three minutes, shows U.S.-born Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, from a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip border. The families of the two men confirmed their identities in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a volunteer advocacy group.

“The proof of life from Keith Siegel and Omri Miran is the clearest evidence that the Israeli government must do everything to approve a deal for the return of all the hostages before Independence Day,” which is on May 14, the statement said.

The men were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants on Oct. 7, when the group and allied fighters stormed southern Israel and rampaged through local communities, killing around 1,200. More than 250 others were abducted that day, and over 100 were released during a temporary truce in November. Israel says 133 hostages are still in Gaza, 36 of whom are confirmed dead.

The video on Saturday, which was posted on Hamas-affiliated social media channels, is undated. But the pair make references to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which ends on Tuesday, and to being held captive for more than 200 days, suggesting the footage is recent.

Omri’s father, Dani Miran, told Israel’s Channel 12 news that he was “in tears” the second he saw his son in the video, which was the first evidence he’s seen indicating that Omri, a husband and father of two, is still alive.

The clips of Miran and Siegel were screened Saturday evening at a rally in Tel Aviv in support of the hostages. “The video shook me and all the people of Israel,” Dani Miran said in an address to the crowd.

He called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve a cease-fire deal with Hamas that would secure the hostages’ release. “Take one small and bloodless step for both peoples,” he said. “All the people of Israel and the nations of the world want to see an end to the bloodshed.”

In a recorded video statement, Keith Siegel’s wife, Aviva, addressed her husband, saying: “Keith, I love you, we will fight until you return.” Aviva Siegel was also kidnapped on Oct. 7 and was held for 51 days before her release.

The images of Miran and Siegel came just days after similar footage was released by Hamas showing U.S.-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Together, the videos renewed pressure on the Israeli government to negotiate a deal. For months, the talks have largely been stalled, with Israel seeking only a temporary truce and Hamas insisting any pause in the fighting be linked to a more permanent cease-fire.

Israel wants the hostages released and Hamas eliminated in Gaza. For its part, Hamas hopes Israel will agree to withdraw its troops and release some Palestinian prisoners.

On Saturday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the government could suspend a planned military operation in Rafah in southern Gaza if a deal is reached. Katz, who made the comments in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, is not part of Israel’s five-man war cabinet, which makes decisions on the country’s military operations.

Here’s what else to know

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel Monday to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where he will meet with Palestinian, Egyptian and Qatari leaders to discuss cease-fire efforts and humanitarian assistance in Gaza, the State Department said.

An internal investigation into 12 U.N. relief workers in Gaza who Israel alleged were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has cleared one person , “as no evidence was provided by Israel to support the allegations,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary General António Guterres. Investigations into an additional three cases have been suspended because of insufficient evidence provided by Israel, he said, and eight cases remain under investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services.

Activists who organized an aid flotilla to Gaza said Saturday that their mission was canceled, after authorities from Guinea-Bissau withdrew their country’s flag from two of the three ships. The flotilla was scheduled to depart from a port near Istanbul on Friday after multiple delays. On Thursday, the Guinea-Bissau International Ships Registry requested a last-minute inspection, activists said in a statement, calling the decision to remove the flags “blatantly political.”

At least 34,388 people have been killed and 77,437 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry , which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 261 soldiers have been killed since its military operation in Gaza began.

Alon Rom, Claire Parker and Susannah George contributed to this report.

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region .

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival . (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded ). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948 .

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars , killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “ famine-like conditions. ” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave .

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians , including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons , funds aid packages , and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 . Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip .

• After Israeli strike in Iran, both sides appear to downplay incident April 19, 2024 After Israeli strike in Iran, both sides appear to downplay incident April 19, 2024
• Homes burned, animals killed: Palestinians describe Israeli settler rampage April 16, 2024 Homes burned, animals killed: Palestinians describe Israeli settler rampage April 16, 2024
• Six months of the Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key moments April 7, 2024 Six months of the Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key moments April 7, 2024

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Pair of giant pandas set to travel from China to San Diego Zoo under conservation partnership

SAN DIEGO — A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn’t been set.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who’s nearly 5 years old, has “deep connections” to California, the wildlife alliance said. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”

“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance’s vice president of conservation science. “It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego.”

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.

The Associated Press

Delta recovers emergency slide that separated from Boeing plane

An emergency slide that fell from a Delta flight just a few minutes after takeoff has been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean in New York City.

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said that the airline recovered the slide on Sunday in a jetty near Beach 131st Street in Queens, about 10 miles from where the flight took off Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

"As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," Delta said in a statement about the diverted plane issued Friday.

The company said that the plane landed safely and "it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," after returning to a gate.

The company confirmed the recovery of the slide Monday and referred to its earlier statement.

Flight returned due to alert crew

Flight 520 to Los Angeles returned to JFK after the flight crew saw an indicator light related to the right overwing exit and heard a "non-routine" sound near the right wing.

The crew also reported a vibration , according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The flight was operated by a 33-year-old Boeing 767 , according to data from  Airfleets.net , and passengers were accommodated on a different flight later in the morning. There were 183 people aboard the flight.

The FAA said it is investigating the incident and Delta said it would cooperate with that investigation.

Separated slide latest in Boeing parts problems

The separated slide is the latest in a series of parts failures that led to increased regulatory scrutiny and seeing company culture excoriated by a whistleblower in Senate hearings.

Earlier this month, an engine cowling fell off a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 during takeoff, causing the flight headed for Houston to turn back, according to the FAA in Denver.

In March, an FAA audit  of Boeing and subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems “found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”

In February, the National Transit Safety Board reported that an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was missing four bolts in a mid-cabin door plug that led to an explosive decompression that sparked the audit.

The same month, a 737-800 flown by United Airlines was diverted from Houston to Atlanta after the crew reported a potential engine issue. The incident occurred days after a different 737-800 was forced to land in Denver due to a cracked windshield.

Contributing: Sara Al-Arshani, Eve Chen, Kathleen Wong