Our Favorite Airline Lounges Throughout the World

Over the last few years, space tourism has come to life, challenging the final frontier of travel. After years of testing, commercial outfits like Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic have already delivered on their promise to take paying customers into the stratosphere, albeit with no little controversy surrounding their motives and ecological footprints.

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In 2021, I gave up on major airlines for my regular flights between Paris and New York—despite being a frequent flyer club member with a cache of points. I had purchased economy tickets for my toddler, my husband, and myself, and called the airline to double-check that we could sit together. The customer service rep said seat selection was a privilege for the half-step above economy, but they would let one of us sit next to our daughter—as an exception. Or what? I wondered. Have a stranger tend to our two-year-old?

Cities around the world manage every year to turn the end-of-year festive mood spotlight on one of the holiday’s most revered symbols, the Christmas tree.

Moving to a new country can be daunting, especially if you don’t speak the language.

As I stood surrounded by photographs of the musicians who bravely played on as the Titanic sunk deeper and deeper toward her icy fate, I felt myself fighting back tears. The live pianist had paused briefly — leaving space for me and others in the room to reflect on the moment's significance.

“He’s in here, in the kitchen every night and he’s smiling. He’s so happy to be doing this,” explains one of the managers of Café Carmellini. He is chef Andrew Carmellini, well known around New York the past 15 years for his respected but more casual restaurants Locanda Verde, Lafayette, The Dutch, Carne Mare and Bar Primi. This restaurant, which opened November 1st in the new Fifth Avenue Hotel, marks his return to fine dining with reinterpretations of French and Italian classics and as his most personal restaurant is the first one that bears his name. It’s been packed since opening night and looking around the Gilded Age style dining room with its oversized bronze and seeded glass chandeliers suspended from double height ceilings, plush blue banquettes and sculpted trees in the middle of the floor, the chef isn’t the only one smiling.

Looking for destinations that promote cultural diversity and sustainable travel? The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently released its annual list of the Best Tourism Villages, a compilation of authentic, lesser-known places to travel. Consider it your new travel bucket list.

What are the world’s most expensive cities to live? Singapore and Zurich, Switzerland have tied to secure the top spot, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living survey.

One of the best ways to get to know a country is through its food and beverage offerings. For the holiday season, check out these excellent wines from under-the-radar wine regions in different parts of the world (which we should be drinking more from!) for your wanderlust wine-loving friends who are eager to try something new. Note: All wines mentioned are available in the United States.

According to online travel agency Trip.com, China is broadening its unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from six nations—France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia—in an effort to bolster the recovery of the East Asian giant’s tourism sector industry. For now, the program is being implemented on a trial basis, with plans to keep it in effect from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.

Ringing in the new year is a tradition worldwide, with every country putting their own spin on the festivities. If hopping on a flight to somewhere new and exciting is how you want to herald in the new year, these 10 cities pull out all the stops and then some.