Airport security lines have always been difficult for Leslie Heller and her family.
Brand new runways are opening at three major airports Thursday, giving the aviation community something to cheer about in a year of dismal economic and travel news.
One of the things that charms me about traveling through Europe is its ethnic variety. Hop on a train and two hours later you step into a different culture, different language and different heritage.
The number of passengers traveling on premium airline tickets dropped eight percent in September, reflecting the severity of the global financial crisis and a slump in the confidence of manufacturers in the U.S., Japan and Europe, an industry trade group said in a report Wednesday.
This holiday season, it's still shoes off and liquids out at airport security, but changes may be on the way to part of this routine, and agents will be watching much more than the contents of your carry-on.
It has been a while since I've enjoyed going to church so much.
It may be freezing in Washington in January, but the city is a red-hot destination for people around the country and the world eager to see President-elect Barack Obama sworn into office.
Corridors of military airspace will be temporarily opened to commercial airliners during the holiday season in an effort to alleviate heavy traffic, President Bush announced Tuesday.
The film camera sweeps across the landscape, taking in flat plains, gushing waterfalls and a dusty country town. The color is brilliant, the emptiness palpable, and the soundtrack soars dramatically as warplanes bomb a city.
Airport security lines have always been difficult for Leslie Heller and her family.
Brand new runways are opening at three major airports Thursday, giving the aviation community something to cheer about in a year of dismal economic and travel news.
One of the things that charms me about traveling through Europe is its ethnic variety. Hop on a train and two hours later you step into a different culture, different language and different heritage.
The number of passengers traveling on premium airline tickets dropped eight percent in September, reflecting the severity of the global financial crisis and a slump in the confidence of manufacturers in the U.S., Japan and Europe, an industry trade group said in a report Wednesday.
This holiday season, it's still shoes off and liquids out at airport security, but changes may be on the way to part of this routine, and agents will be watching much more than the contents of your carry-on.
It has been a while since I've enjoyed going to church so much.
It may be freezing in Washington in January, but the city is a red-hot destination for people around the country and the world eager to see President-elect Barack Obama sworn into office.
Corridors of military airspace will be temporarily opened to commercial airliners during the holiday season in an effort to alleviate heavy traffic, President Bush announced Tuesday.
The film camera sweeps across the landscape, taking in flat plains, gushing waterfalls and a dusty country town. The color is brilliant, the emptiness palpable, and the soundtrack soars dramatically as warplanes bomb a city.
Seattle hosts some fantastic events that make the most of the great outdoors and the city's passion for music. Here are some of the best.
Alitalia will scrap 100 flights a day until the end of November due to ongoing wildcat strikes by pilots and flight attendants, the airline's bankruptcy administrator said in an interview published Tuesday.
Virgin Atlantic promises Jerry Levine it will send him a paper ticket for his flight from Los Angeles to Johannesburg. But when it doesn't, the airline is less than helpful in tracking it down. Is his lost ticket a lost cause? And what should he do now?
A Transportation Department investigation has concluded that Federal Aviation Administration officials covered up safety errors at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the second such admonishment in the past three years.
A federal task force approved voluntary guidelines Wednesday for airlines and airports dealing with passengers stranded for hours on the tarmac but produced no fixed limit on how long they can be delayed before being allowed to leave planes.
When he cancels his trip to Istanbul, Kevin O'Connell tries to get a refund for the taxes and fees on his flight. But his online travel agent, Priceline, is giving him the runaround. How does he get his money back?
Turnout for the international tourism industry's most important event is at a record high this year as the sector struggles to cope with the financial crisis sweeping the world.
Malaysia's AirAsia on Tuesday abolished fuel surcharges on all its flights and said it will give away half a million free tickets next year in an attempt to lure travelers amid the global slowdown.
The Transportation Security Administration is expanding the "family lane" concept to every airport security checkpoint in the country, and will direct not only families to those lanes, but also people who have "medically necessary" liquids and gels in excess of current 3-ounce limits.
Before Sophia Mei books a cruise online through Travelocity, her screen goes blank and she loses her reservation. Or so she thinks. A phone agent helps here complete her booking, but soon it's clear that she has two reservations for the same cruise. And before long, a collection agency is after her to pay for both tickets. What should she do?
While cruise lines have drawn criticism from eco-watchdogs for years, addressing environmental issues has become one of the industry's top priorities.
It's difficult to overestimate Quincy Jones's contribution to American music. Over the last 60 years he has excelled as a musician, composer, record producer, arranger, conductor and media company executive.
Quincy Jones moved to Seattle as a child and discovered a passion for music that would bring him global success as a musician, composer and producer. He talks to CNN about music, working with Michael Jackson, and the city he grew up in.
Kim moved to Seattle from California years ago and fell in love with the city. She moved back with her family in 2005, and now uses her camera to document Seattle for her photoblog, Seattle Daily Photo. Here she explains to CNN why she loves the city.
First time in Seattle? Here are some hints to help you get the most from the city.
Scott grew up in Texas and has lived in Seattle for 11 years. He runs the Central District News blog, which keeps tabs on the news in Quincy Jones's old neighborhood. Here he gives CNN the lowdown on life in Seattle.
There's a good range of accommodation in Seattle, with an emphasis on hotels geared towards the business traveler. With Microsoft's HQ based just across Lake Washington, Seattle has long been at the forefront of new technology and unlike most cities, many of its hotels offer free wi-fi.
Seattle is a city of permanent caffeine buzz. As well as being the birthplace of Starbucks, Seattle boasts countless independent coffee houses where the humble cup of Joe is served in all manner of fancy permutations. Fancy an iced maple white-chocolate mocha? Then this is your kind of town. Get your morning fix at the ever-popular Espresso Vivace Roasteria (901 E Denny Way and 227 Yale Ave), or at one of the many branches of local chain Tully's.
Seattle's character and history are closely linked to its waterside location, so it makes sense to start your sightseeing at the Waterfront.
Whether you're into exclusive bars, dingy dives or the dubious pleasures of a sweaty moshpit, Seattle has plenty to keep you entertained.
More than just the quintessential Seattle shopping experience, Pike Place Market is a tourist attraction in its own right. This historic farmers market is the place to pick up all manner of fresh local produce, as well as handmade crafts, jewelry, antiques and paintings. Keep your camera handy to snap the colorful floral displays and the fishmongers tossing whole salmon to each other.
There are few cities in the world blessed with a more beautiful setting than Seattle. It is surrounded by rugged green wilderness; to the west the Olympic Mountains, to the east the volcanoes and glaciers of the Cascade Range, and all around the brisk waters of the Northwest.
Commercial airlines' economic troubles will improve during the fourth quarter and the industry may even go into the black in 2009, the head of the carriers' main U.S. trade group said Monday.
One day after his airline swallowed Northwest Airlines, Delta executive Ed Bastian was in town with a polar bear tie and a smile in a bid to reassure travelers that little would change.
When it comes to holiday travel plans, good things may come to those who waited.
On Wednesday Delta Air Lines Inc. closed its stock-swap purchase of Northwest. Some questions and answers:
The 2009 Michelin guidebook for Las Vegas has given its top hotel rating to the Wynn Las Vegas and its top restaurant rating to Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand hotel.
Airline passengers are usually a forgiving lot. When a flight doesn't take off as planned, they understand. When they have to pay extra for a checked bag because of "higher" fuel prices, they oblige.
Looking for ghostly thrills this Halloween? Head straight to prison.
If there was a Guinness World Record for the world's longest commute it would probably go to Nigel Greening's 12,300-mile journey.
I used to be put off by European sophisticates, so into their fine wine and stinky cheese and even the "terroir" that created it all. But now I love being a cultural bumpkin.
Bill Vogel predicted the third year after Hurricane Katrina would be the toughest for his French Quarter gallery. He just didn't think it would be this bad -- tough enough for him to consider getting out.
Minneapolis business manager Roque Rossetti plans to make his annual trip home to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for Christmas. The 35-year-old said the sagging economy gave him no second thoughts about shelling out $1,200 for the ticket.
The great paddlewheel turned the Ohio River water to a froth as the Delta Queen steamboat, a floating National Historic Landmark, departed Cincinnati, Ohio, on its final scheduled voyage this week.
It is a strange feeling to think you could be standing before an object that may be the Holy Grail, but visitors to the new Byzantium 330-1453 exhibition at London's Royal Academy will be able to experience just that frisson between now and March 2009.
From the home states of presidents to the birthplace of the Constitution, historic sites and museums are packed with watershed politics and White House moments this election year.
Colleen Bosler prepays for a hotel at a ski resort during Christmas. But she misses her plane, forcing her to reschedule. The resort offers her credit, but she has to cancel her make-up vacation, too. The hotel is giving her until May to use the credit, or it will expire. Is that fair?
The world's busiest airport has taken time to transform a dried lake bed into a serene 56.5-acre sanctuary nestled 15 miles south of the bustle.
The federal government's terrorist watch lists are far shorter than have been reported, the secretary of homeland security said Wednesday.
A long-delayed government program designed to more accurately prescreen the names of airline passengers against terror watch lists is expected to begin early next year.
The Federal Aviation Administration is realigning the duties of air traffic controllers in some cities, a move that critics say will mean less training for the people responsible for the safety of the flying public.
Airline customers are cashing in more frequent-flier awards this year, looking to avoid higher fares and believing that miles just aren't worth the same anymore.
Michelle Michaels, a Colorado Springs software support employee, is a longtime ski season passholder to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. But she won't be getting a pass this year while she tries to pay off debts.
Travelers get a wonderful chance to witness European history in the making. Years ago, when I got my history degree, I said to myself, "I'd better get a business degree, too, so I have something useful." I've learned over the years that if more people knew more about history, our world would be better off.
President Bush, trying to eliminate a major source of contention with allied nations, announced Friday that the United States is rescinding visa requirements for citizens of six European countries and South Korea.
There are the extraordinary items: the poster announcing the auction of serial killer Ed Gein's items, Orson Welles' 156-page typed script for "Citizen Kane" and an original speech Abraham Lincoln gave in Milwaukee.
Tom Gainor pays for a rental car through Hotwire.com, but when he gets to the car rental counter in Mexico, an agent strong-arms him into buying insurance that more than doubles the cost of the car. Neither Hotwire, nor the rental company seems to care. Is there any way of getting his money back?
With the price of a tanker load of jet fuel falling, major airlines are reducing some of the fuel surcharges that they tack on flights between the United States and Europe, according to carriers and experts who track air fares.
Federal aviation officials are investigating whether air traffic controllers violated federal rules by rerouting four airliners to test the skills of a controller-trainee.
It isn't your imagination. Your travel company is giving you the cold shoulder.
Many Americans board a plane for an overseas destination without fully realizing that they are flying into a completely different culture. Some experience culture shock: a psychological disorientation caused by immersion in a place where people do things -- and see things -- differently.
His mane bristling, the roaring lion bares his teeth as he pins down a defiantly hissing snake, every hair and rippling muscle in the big cat's body faithfully captured in bronze.
Federal officials are pushing ahead with an experiment to reduce rampant flight delays around the nation by auctioning off takeoff and landing times at New York City-area airports, where most delays begin.
Most Japanese inns and hotels that didn't have foreign guests last year don't want any in the future, according to a government survey released Thursday.
Shaun Francis' daughter has the wrong name on her airline ticket. It's her married name, and her passport still has her maiden name. The airline is happy to fix the ticket -- for a $400 fee. But is that right?
Here's a holiday travel forecast you probably won't read anywhere else: look for lower prices on everything from airfares to hotel room rates, smaller crowds and a more pleasant overall experience.
Fuel makes up about 40 percent of the total budgets of most major airlines. And in the past year, as the price of oil -- and in tandem, the price of jet fuel -- has skyrocketed and surpassed labor as their biggest expense.
If your November travel plans include a flight out of Los Angeles, don't be surprised to find yourself standing behind a bald, tattooed human billboard.
Where to go for lunch on a sunny spring day in Sydney? Why, the same place you'd go on a cloudy day, or your birthday, or even after late-night clubbing.
The idea of paying a single, simple fare to fly on an airliner is becoming as quaint as stewardesses in short skirts.
Joseph Dunlap runs into a snag when he tries to buy an airline ticket online for his mother. So he calls the online agency, Expedia, and is sold a ticket that costs twice the online rate. Do rates really vary by that much? Well, yes -- and no.
The World War II aircraft carrier Intrepid, powered by tugs and accompanied by a festive Hudson River traffic jam, was returned Thursday to the Manhattan pier where it has served for 24 years as a military and space museum.
Less than 30 years ago, Union Station, the grand gateway to the nation's capital, seemed to be going the way of the steam engine.
It's 10:45 a.m. on a cloudy day, and the crew of Druk Air flight KB205 is preparing to land at their home airport of Paro, Bhutan. Suddenly, ominous warnings start blaring, alerting them that their flight angle is all wrong and their rate of descent is far too fast. They fly a series of unconventional right-and-left banks through a narrow channel of hillsides before centering the swaying jet and putting it on the tarmac.
U.S. airlines' on-time performance and baggage handling improved in August, compared to the same month a year ago, the Transportation Department said Thursday.
Riyo Mori is a classically trained ballet dancer who won the 2007 Miss Universe beauty pageant. She talks to CNN about Tokyo, dancing and baseball.
Hawaii's tourism industry is offering new deals, incentives and packages as it grapples with a turbulent airline industry and Americans holding tight to their wallets.
Ghosts and ghouls -- friendly ones at that -- are about to take over America's zoos.
Tokyo was known as Edo until 1868, but it's hard to imagine that this high-rise, high-tech metropolis could possibly have existed in a time before electricity and concrete. Tokyo isn't just a futuristic city; it's the place that has shaped our vision of what the future will look like.
Tokyo is a huge and often confusing city for travelers, but with these tips you needn't be daunted by the Japanese capital.
Tokyo is a fantastic city at any time of year, but there are some annual events you won't want to miss. Here are some of the city's seasonal highlights.
Canadian Jean Snow moved to Asia to study Chinese in Tianjin, China, but departed for Tokyo after falling for a Japanese woman, who is now his wife. Since 2002, Jean's excellent blog Jeansnow.net has been keeping tabs on design and pop culture in Tokyo. Here he writes for CNN about life in the Japanese capital.
Last year, the Michelin guide's first foray into Tokyo left the city with some 190 Michelin stars, compared with 95 in Paris and 50 in London and New York. Of course, that's partly down to the sheer number of eateries in Tokyo -- estimated at more than 180,000 establishments -- but it's also testimony to the reverence Tokyoites have for fresh ingredients prepared with the utmost care.
Tokyo may not be traditionally beautiful and it has few historic sights, but it is undeniably spectacular. You'll want to walk around the city, feeding off the incredible energy, rubbernecking at the skyscrapers and marveling at the sheer "Tokyoness" of it all.
Classically trained ballet dancer Riyo Mori had dreams of dancing on Broadway, but her plans suddenly changed when, aged 21, she won the Miss Universe beauty pageant.
U.S. aviation officials have no legal authority to auction off takeoff and landing slots at airports, a scheme the government devised to try to curb crippling traffic jams at major airports, congressional investigators said Tuesday.
Since the days of George Washington, U.S. presidents have carved out a long tradition of official road trips, if not by motorcade, then by railroad or horse and carriage.
Tokyo has a dynamic and varied nightlife, although, as with the city's restaurants, many of the best bars are tucked away off the beaten track.
From luxury hotels in colossal tower blocks to traditional "ryokan" and functional capsule hotels, there's plenty of variety in Tokyo's hotel scene.
For a world-class shopping experience you should head to glitzy Ginza. As well as flagship fashion outlets, the area boasts one of the city's best department stores, Mitsukoshi (4-6-16 Chuo Dori). The real treat here, as at many Tokyo department stores, is the fantastic basement-level food hall ("depachika"). For the complete Mitsukoshi experience, there's an ever bigger store in Nihombashi.
Americans drove 3.6 percent less in July 2008 than they did during July 2007, Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said Tuesday.
Air fares are up, right? The short answer is yes -- 22 fare increases this year. But fares in some cities are flat or even down, as fierce competition keeps airlines from charging as much as they would like.
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