Floating in tropical waters off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is defined by its gentle Buddhist culture, friendly people and laid-back way of life, despite its troubled recent history.
25.09.2023 - 18:47 / insider.com / Tiffany Gomas
Social media has recently been flooded with dramatic clips of people disrupting flights, often causing delays when they're booted from the airplanes.
Last month, a video of the 38-year-old Tiffany Gomas went viral after she was shown yelling and wildly gesticulating near the entrance of an Orlando, Florida-bound aircraft flying from Dallas-Fort Worth.
"There's a reason why I'm getting" off, the marketing executive shouted while using expletives. She added: "Everyone can either believe it or they cannot believe it." While continuing to use expletives, she said "but I am telling you right now, that" person "back there is not real," pointing toward the rear of the cabin.
The footage, since deleted, sparked endless memes that poked fun at Gomas, who was swiftly dubbed "crazy plane lady."
She later said that her "life had blown up" after she was identified by the New York Post. Gomas apologized for her behavior. She has since launched an initiative that she said targeted cyberbullies and raised awareness about mental-health problems.
While Gomas was identified, the person — or people — who posted her outburst on X, formerly known as Twitter, and other platforms have stayed anonymous.
Last week, when the model Morgan Osman launched a foul-mouthed tirade against a woman who she said was in her seat on an airplane, it seemed any number of passengers could have uploaded it to social media. Osman told TMZ that as they witnessed the incident, "people then whipped out their cameras."
It's a phenomenon that Trey Walters, a safety representative for the Federal Aviation Administration, said might create more damage in some circumstances.
"If someone's got a cellphone in your face, it could make the situation worse," Walters told Insider. "If a flight attendant, for example, is trying to attend to a passenger that's having an issue, having people reaching their hands out in front of that person's face, trying to record the situation definitely creates added risk."
The former commercial pilot, along with his FAA role, is now the CEO of the flight-training company Blue Line Aviation, said the rush of passengers trying to get footage might result in airline staff becoming "distracted" from their duties.
Walters added that it was particularly "inappropriate" to film people with medical conditions.
Nobody appeared in the video, but an X user with the display name Xansby Swanson, who wrote that his brother was aboard a plane to Spain, posted footage on X of what audio from the flight deck suggested was a trail of explosive diarrhea in the aisle of an aircraft. The Delta plane returned to Atlanta, where it had departed from, two hours into the flight.
The clip prompted widespread ridicule of the unknown sick passenger.
Floating in tropical waters off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is defined by its gentle Buddhist culture, friendly people and laid-back way of life, despite its troubled recent history.
New Zealand is one of those destinations best explored by car or campervan. Public transport is limited outside cities, and so much of what you'll want to see and do is off-the-beaten-track, immersed in New Zealand's incredible natural environments. Road tripping means touring at your own pace, stopping for stunning walks, cycle rides, wild swimming or wildlife spotting.
Active travel, meaning biking, hiking and multi-sport vacations, have been skyrocketing in popularity since the pandemic. The major tour operators specializing in this field are reporting record traffic and bookings for 2023 and 2024, and this makes a lot of sense, as the pandemic caused a lasting spike in participation in many outdoor sports. Additionally, there are many benefits to active travel - exercise, guilt free indulgence, and seeing the world more deeply at a slower, immersive pace. But within this red-hot category, one niche in particular has been attracting more and more active travelers, both veterans and first timers, and that’s active cruises.
From land to sea, the Dominican Republic offers a wealth of adventurous offerings for travelers.
It’s the Czech Republic — the birthplace of pilsner and the original Budweiser lager (born in Plzeň and České Budějovice, respectively). Ever since the nation split from Slovakia 30 years ago, the Czech Republic has proudly topped the charts — head and shoulders above its European neighbours. According to recent research, the average Czech puts away 184 .1 litres of beer a year — the equivalent of 324 pints.
In 2019, United implemented PlusPoints as a replacement for Regional and Global Premier Upgrade awards when revamping its MileagePlus Premier program. United claims that PlusPoints offer greater flexibility, customization and fewer restrictions than the previous upgrade awards. However, currently, there is limited confirmed upgrade availability before departure.
An evolution is afoot at The Ritz-Carlton.
Airlines worldwide are checking their aircraft amid reports of counterfeit documents surrounding engine parts installed in certain jet engines.
A multi-stop itinerary from London to Barcelona – via Paris and the Pyrenees – is a train lover’s dream.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people making when they begin their points and miles journey is to rapidly open tons of travel rewards credit cards without any plan for what they're going to do with them. Some cards might entice you with a large welcome bonus, and others will be long-term keepers, but it's possible that after 11 months of using the card and experiencing its benefits, you might change your mind about it and cancel the credit card before the annual fee is due.
Nothing baffles me more when traveling than watching people at the airport struggle with their shoes in the security line.
Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast!