AFAR Media

Airline passengers who curtailed travel for several years during the pandemic are reacclimating to the airport experience and might be encountering surprising new procedures and technologies along the way, such as biometrics and new screening methods.

Flying with kids can be a stressful experience. But some airlines make the process easier by welcoming families with special comforts and conveniences. While it’s not always a given in the United States, most international airlines still offer early boarding for families with small children. Globally, on long-haul flights, most full-service airlines (versus a low-cost or charter airline) offer bassinets for infants, kids’ meals, and a kid-friendly category on the in-flight entertainment screen—at a minimum. For families looking for the smoothest in-flight experience, we’ve rounded up the airlines that offer the best services and amenities for people traveling with kids.

Seasoned travelers know that sitting closer to the front of the plane means you can get on and (perhaps more importantly) off the plane faster than those sitting further back. JetBlue Airways lets passengers pick their seats at the time of purchase as long as they didn’t book a basic economy fare.

There’s good news for those hoping to spend their summer basking on white-sand beaches, visiting sun-bleached ruins, noshing on tangy tzatziki, and sipping Greek vintages: Travel to Greece just got a bit easier.

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.

Budget travelers, rejoice: Low-cost carrier Breeze Airways recently announced the addition of 13 airports and 25 routes throughout the United States for 2024, with “lots more to come,” according to airline spokesperson Gareth Edmondson-Jones. Many of the new routes and airports feature introductory airfares, some beginning as low as $59 each way.

Iceland’s flag carrier has just given you a very good reason to book your next trip to the country.

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.

It’ll soon be easier to visit the sugary white sand beaches of the Dominican Republic, the rum houses of Barbados, the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and the candy-colored colonial-era neighborhoods of Curaçao.

The Boeing 737-9 Max was cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week to return to scheduled service for the first time since a harrowing Alaska Airlines incident on January 5 cast doubt on the plane’s safety. Both Alaska and United, the only two U.S. carriers that operate the model, said that flights on the Max 9 will start as early as this weekend. But the question remains: Will passengers also return, or will they steer clear of the troubled jet?

Embarking on a yearlong journey around the world is a dream scenario for many travelers. However, the logistics of making it happen can be challenging, not least because of the sheer number of flights you would need to book. One way to make the journey a reality is by purchasing an around-the-world flight ticket.

On January 16, a federal court judge ruled to block JetBlue Airways’ proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit Airlines on antitrust grounds. The decision was made based on a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit filed in March 2023 and aimed at stopping the deal. According to the suit, the merger would “allow JetBlue to eliminate its largest ultra-low-cost rival, further concentrate the airline industry, and harm American travelers.”

For the first time ever—and just in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics—Phoenix and Paris will soon be connected by a nonstop flight.

There are several reasons why it can be useful to know what type of airplane you’ll be flying on when you make your flight reservation. You might simply be wondering what the seat configuration will be, or maybe you want to know whether you were scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 Max aircraft following the recent grounding of Boeing 737-9 Max planes after a harrowing Alaska Airlines flight involving a plug door that blew out earlier this month.

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.

Have you ever noticed that whenever you board a commercial airplane, be that from a jet bridge or by ascending steps from the tarmac, you always board on the left-hand side of the plane? Do you know why?

In 2024, more of us, apparently, are resolving to take more trips by air. Or at least that was how it was looking before two back-to-back in-flight incidents kicked off the start of the year: the Japan Airlines airplane that burst into flames after a runway collision, and the Alaska Airlines plug door blowing out that led to the global grounding of Boeing 737-9 Max planes.

Any tall person who has flown in a regional or commercial jet has had to come to terms with the fact that the world is simply not designed for us. As a six-foot-five-inch man, in order to enjoy the wonders of travel by airplane, I’ve had to fold myself into a pretzel shape on all manner of aircraft many times. What I’ve learned is that there are plenty of tips and tricks that us taller folk can use to make flying less painful. I hope these seven hacks will make air travel more tolerable for my fellow height-endowed travelers.

While many loyalty programs run on the calendar year, the qualifying year for elite status on American Airlines AAdvantage begins on March 1 annually and runs through the end of February the following year. In anticipation of the end of one qualifying year and the dawn of another, the program has announced a series of upcoming changes—and they’re all for the better. In short, elite status and reward levels will remain the same, but AAdvantage members will have more avenues for earning rewards and redeeming them. Also, AAdvantage will start rewarding all its members from the get-go, regardless of their elite status, with access to exclusive members-only benefits. After speaking with AAdvantage Director Chris Isaac, here’s what we know so far.

If your New Year’s resolution involved traveling abroad and being more spontaneous, a new mystery sale from United Airlines could help make it a reality. The carrier has announced a one-week promotion for its MileagePlus members called Adventure Week. Each day, at midnight Central Time, from January 8 to 12, United will put one new international destination on sale—in miles—for 24 hours. On January 8, the surprise destination is London.

If you are boarding a plane in much of the United States during winter, chances are the aircraft will need to have a specially trained crew spray it with de-icing fluid before takeoff to remove ice and snow (or prevent more from sticking).