Record tips

While mostly known for directing and writing films such as ‘ Orlando ,’ filmmaker Sally Potter’s other talents have shined in many projects, including stepping in front of the camera and acting (and dancing) in ‘ The Tango Lesson ’ as well as composing the scores for many of her films. Now with her debut album ‘ Pink Bikini ’ Potter sings songs she composed about her teenage years in the 1960s with themes of growing sexuality and the fear of nuclear war. I spoke with Potter about he inspiration for making the album, the differences in songwriting and filmmaking and the wines she would love to drink — if she only could.

Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast! 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) anticipates that airport security checkpoints will be busier this winter holiday travel period compared to last year.Fortunately, the agency says it's prepared to meet the surging travel demand.The official end-of-the-year holiday travel period runs from Thursday, December 21 through Tuesday, January 2. TSA is projecting that the busiest days will be Thursday, December 21; Friday, December 29, and Monday, January 1.TSA said it expects to screen more than 2.5 million passengers each of those days, signaling a 6 percent increase from 2022. The busiest day last year was December 29, when officers screened nearly 2.4 million passengers nationwide.The projections come after the TSA screened nearly 30 million passengers during November's 12-day Thanksgiving holiday period. The agency broke the record for most passengers in a single day on Sunday, November 26, screening more than 2.9 million passengers at security checkpoints across the country."We are prepared to handle the busy passenger volumes this winter holiday season," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement."TSA’s continued success during this record year for travel is a direct result of teamwork, planning and professional execution across the agency, from our frontline employees to those behind the scenes; partnerships with airports and air carriers; and innovative checkpoint technologies that improve security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience," he concluded.Industry trade group Airlines for America (A4A) projects that 39 million people will board flights in the U.S. between Wednesday, December 20 and Tuesday, January 2, for an average of 2.8 million passengers per day.

Delta has all eyes on Austin next spring with a record flight schedule to the Texas capital.

Popular time-saving service Clear, which advertises to travelers the opportunity to “get to your gate faster" has recently become a topic of conversation online due to longer wait times in comparison to regular security lines. 

The Transportation Security Administration expects busy airport checkpoints this winter holiday season and is warning travelers to come prepared.

It was a year that was to mark the post-pandemic recovery of travel, bringing economic relief to local communities that had been hit hard by the prolonged loss of tourism revenue. Borders fully reopened, pandemic restrictions were lifted and traveler bookings surged, sparking a social media trend called “revenge travel.” But even as demand in 2023 reached near 2019 levels — with an estimated 975 million tourists traveling internationally between January and September, according to the World Tourism Organization — a series of disasters, upheavals and unparalleled weather events devastated destinations across the globe.

Call it “Viking swimming,” “freezing plunges,” "polar plunge," “ice swimming” or “bear plunges,” among other names. It can be done in groups or by yourself, naked, in swimsuits or in costume and generally wearing a warm hat since, after all, it is a winter activity and very popular at this time of the year. Even a Santa hat seems appropriate.

What a thrill to journey by train to St Moritz in the snowy Swiss Alps to see the work of Gerhard Richter (born in 1932), the German painter who critics describe as our “greatest living artist.” His works can be found in international collections and have been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries in Europe and the United States. He’s also the most expensive European living artist (his abstract painting Abstraktes Bild (599) sold for a record $46.3 million at Sotheby's in London). While Richter’s paintings are highly covetable, collectors visiting his new three-venue exhibition in the Swiss Alps must be content with simply viewing the works as none are for sale.

As millions of passengers begin to fill airports for the 2023 holiday season, Southwest Airlines is still facing consequences for last year's holiday travel meltdown. The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a record $140 million fine against Southwest on Monday, while also introducing new consumer protections and enforcements to help avoid another meltdown, which left thousands of flights canceled and passengers across the United States stranded, from happening again.  “We’re pleased to have reached this consumer-friendly settlement, which includes a new, industry-leading policy to compensate Customers during significant delays and cancellations,” Southwest Airlines shared in a statement about the settlement.  After the holiday travel meltdown of 2022, the Department of Transportation conducted an extensive investigation which found the airline failed to provide prompt refunds and general service to «hundreds of thousands of Southwest customers».  As a result of the investigation, the Department of Transportation says that Southwest will be financially responsible for at least $750 million which includes refunds, future compensation for tickets, and more. In addition to the fine and payments, the DOT enforcement also requires that Southwest establish a $90 million reserve fund for future flight delays and cancellation.  “This industry-leading benefit will ensure that Southwest passengers impacted by any future significant disruptions will receive not only flight rebooking, hotels, and food during the delay, but also timely compensation from Southwest due to the inconvenience,” the DOT release shares.  Looking ahead to the holiday travel season that is currently underway, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said the airline is “absolutely ready” in a recent interview, and that the airline has taken many steps to ensure reliable air service,  Airline passengers this holiday can also utilize new tools from the Department of Transportation, including an interactive dashboard which shows their rights when flying.  “For those who are planning to fly.

When it comes to the best cities for music lovers, Seattle strikes a chord like few others. It gives travelers a taste of its obsession with music the moment they arrive at Sea-Tac airport, which has live performances from up to four different artists every day.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan vowed Christmas travel would be smoother this year following last year’s meltdown that saw thousands of flights canceled and customers stranded.

Nearly every peak travel period in 2023 brought air travel records, and airports are again bracing for large crowds as the end-of-year holidays approach.

Americans shattered travel records this Thanksgiving, and it appears that the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday period will be similarly busy.

American Airlines will fly as many as 40 daily routes to Cancun and the Riviera Maya this winter, perfect for travelers plotting their winter escape.

More than 115 million travelers are expected to travel over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the second most in decades. 

Ho-ho-however you get from A to B over the holiday season, you won’t be alone. Airports and especially roads will be slightly more crowded between Christmas and New Year’s compared to last year.

I’m a budget-conscious skier, so Switzerland is rarely on my radar. Sure, resorts such as St Moritz, Zermatt and Verbier are world-class, but I’ve always assumed they have sky-high prices to match. My last ski trip was to wallet-friendly Andorra. A quick check of the Post Office’s annual ski resort report confirmed my suspicions: Switzerland is consistently the priciest destination in Europe, while Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and Andorra offer more affordable skiing.

The world’s largest Hanukkah menorah will be lit in Central Park in New York City to welcome the first night of the festival of lights.

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.

San Bernardino County in California is conducting a comprehensive study to evaluate the impact of how short-term rentals affects housing availability in the county.