AFAR Media

Not long ago, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey was viewed as one of the worst airports to have a layover in. But with the opening of the futuristic 1-million-square-foot Terminal A in January 2023, Newark Airport has had a glow-up—and the travel industry has noticed.

You know the saying, “No shoes, no shirt, no service”? Whether you like it or not, the shoe portion of the warning doesn’t really apply to airplanes. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Kayak, dubbed the Unspoken Rules of Air Travel, 44 percent of Americans think it’s OK to take their footwear off while at cruising altitude.

In recent weeks, United Airlines aircraft have experienced at least 10 maintenance and flight diversion issues, some more dramatic than others. While United CEO Scott Kirby issued a statement this week saying the issues were “all unrelated” and “have our attention and have sharpened our focus,” nervous fliers may be wondering if this “focus” is enough.

Consider yourself fortunate if your next flight has an extra open seat. Over the past several years, U.S. carriers have been able to fill a vast majority of their planes—especially in premium cabins. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation, domestic airlines in 2023 had an 81 percent load factor, a metric that measures the ratio of available seats to the number of actual passengers.

Airports might seem like frenetic, disorienting places, but there’s a lot of very precise orchestration taking place behind the scenes.

If you’re headed to Spain, there’s a chance there may be more trains—instead of planes—in your itinerary.

Travelers in Germany have had to navigate around a flurry of strikes during the past two days, as staff of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and German air carrier Lufthansa have walked out over ongoing contract negotiations between the transit providers and unions.

After being shuttered for seven years, the historic Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport is reopening its doors this summer as part of an architectural revamp and hub reboot aimed at providing better access to the Cilento area and environs.

“It’s not a moment too soon to make travel safer and more dignified for people with disabilities,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told AFAR last week during a phone interview about newly proposed regulations that intend to make flying easier for wheelchair-dependent travelers. “It’s the right thing to do,” he said.

In-flight drinking and dining are in the midst of a massive rebirth following the pause in food and beverage services during the pandemic. From Air France linking up with renowned chefs to curate its premium meals, to Delta’s new food and wine options across its cabin categories, and Hawaiian Airlines’ island-inspired in-flight meals, carriers are finding new and innovative ways to tantalize our taste buds, which isn’t always easy to do at altitude.

Nobody likes waiting in the security line at the airport—at best, it’s lost minutes that could otherwise be spent in a great airport lounge; at worst, it leaves you questioning if you’ll make your flight or not.

Checking a bag when flying with several U.S. airlines is, once again, getting more expensive. It’s been about five years since the major full-service U.S. carriers collectively raised checked bag fees to $30 and $40 for the first and second checked bags, respectively. Now, some airlines are back at it, making it costlier for passengers to access the plane’s cargo hold.

Once you’re enrolled in the customs-expediting service Global Entry, it’s great. But travelers have long bemoaned how long it takes to nab a coveted Global Entry interview—applicants commonly have to wait weeks or months to wrap up the process (the current processing time is estimated to be four to six months).

AFAR partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Compensation may impact how an offer is presented. Our coverage is independent and objective, and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the AFAR editorial team.

Whenever we travel, there’s always a risk of encountering some unsavory conduct along the way. A new survey delved into the kinds of behaviors that irk travelers the most, and many revolve around health and hygiene and invading other people’s personal space.

As incredible as viewing a total solar eclipse from Earth is, imagine seeing it from the sky. Well, Delta Air Lines is giving a set of lucky customers the chance to do just that on April 8, 2024, when the next solar eclipse will stretch across North America.

AFAR partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Compensation may impact how an offer is presented. Our coverage is independent and objective, and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the AFAR editorial team.

Air France has given certain passengers a new reason to say “Oooh la la”when it comes to in-flight dining.

Even as more airlines have invested in expanding their network of lounges in recent years, the spaces have increasingly felt crowded, especially as more travelers gain entry through memberships, elite status, or as a benefit of their credit cards.

When airlines introduce shiny new or refurbished aircraft, they tend to tout the updated amenities, like new seatback screens, Bluetooth connectivity, or self-serve snack bars. While those are welcome benefits, let’s be honest—many of these newfangled features are meant to distract us from the extra rows of seats the carriers crammed onto the plane.

Valentine’s Day is for lovers, right? Lovers of airfare deals, that is (at least for us travel addicts). And we’ve admittedly fallen hard for the two-for-one sale launched by all-business-class airline La Compagnie that is running through February 14.