Flying very frequently turns into a test of patience – you’re excited to get where you’re going but the typical airline experience is almost always a case of hurry-up-and-wait. Lately, it’s been more stress-inducing than usual – whether the delays are weather-induced here in the States, or labor strike-induced in Europe. (Fittingly, as I write this Friday morning, I just heard the Talking Heads Road to Nowhere on the radio.) PR’s Eleanor Beardsley reports on the two-day French air traffic controllers’ walkout that canceled thousands of flights this week. Most of the flights were relatively short intra-Europe flights, but it’s created a significant backlog all across the Continent. The folks at Jaunted are not pleased.
Meanwhile, it looks like this could be a long hot summer for air travelers. At least, that’s the prediction of the Wall Street Journal’s Scott McCartney, who writes that customs lines in the U.S. have become excruciatingly long.
If you’re frustrated with flight delays, you’ll probably love this. At London’s Daily Mail, Paul Bentley reports on a British couple that sued their airline – and won – after their flight was delayed by 26 hours.
Last week, we told you about the riots in Turkey and their impact on tourism. This week, CNN’s Talya Arditi takes a closer look at whether you should travel to Istanbul.
You may think of tuberculosis as a condition from a bygone era, but in many parts of the world – including parts of the world you may travel to – it’s a significant issue. And it’s potentially getting worse. NPR’s Jason Beaubien reports on a new drug-resistant strain of TB that experts say poses a worldwide health threat.
When you’re traveling and family members need to get a break from each other, it’s smart to let everyone go their own way for a couple hours. But at some point you have to get back together – but how do you figure out where everybody went? The New York Times’ Stephanie Rosenbloom reports on tracking apps that can be a significant help to travelers.
Cycling is a great way to visit a new location, but you probably aren’t going to pack your bike for a trip to Russia. But you don’t have to. New York Times blogger Tanya Mohn reports that there is now a bike share program in Moscow’s Red Square.
This is helpful – at Gadling, Meg Nesterov reports that Lonely Planet has rolled out a new tutorial to help you learn Spanish.
If you saw the latest Bond flick Skyfall you probably have wondered how much it cost to build that incredibly elaborate set that was the island inhabited by bad guy Raoul Silva. But guess what? It wasn’t built for the movie – it’s an island of Japan that really exists, and CNN’s Diana Magnay reports that you can visit it.
