Most travelers dread layovers when flying, but I've actually come to enjoy them.
22.01.2025 - 13:55 / travelandleisure.com
Japan Airlines is dramatically increasing flight connections to the U.S. for the summer, which means getting to Japan will be easier than ever.
Starting May 31, 2025, Japan Airlines will launch a direct flight connecting Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). This will be a codeshare flight with Oneworld Alliance partner American Airlines. Tickets go on sale on February 12, and the flight is expected to last roughly 12 hours.
To help meet demand between Japan and North America, Japan Airlines is ramping up connectivity to several West Coast hubs throughout the summer:
It’s unclear if these flights will extend to the winter schedule, which is set to be announced in late June 2025.
The airline will also begin flying the A350-1000 to Los Angeles (LAX) sometime during the summer. This aircraft includes a first class cabin with a double bed, fully private business class suites, a more spacious premium economy cabin, and a solid economy product.
Osaka, Japan, was selected as one of the 50 best places to travel in 2025. With daily connectivity from Los Angeles and Honolulu, this summer could be the perfect opportunity to explore.
Most travelers dread layovers when flying, but I've actually come to enjoy them.
Hyatt's Thompson brand is a staple of the lifestyle hotel category with locations in popular cities around the world like Nashville; Palm Springs, California; Savannah, Georgia; and New York. This summer, Thompson is opening its doors to the sun and the sand of one of the country's most popular hotel destinations: Miami Beach, Florida — and TPG has an exclusive look into some of the fine details about the hotel.
If you're new to traveling internationally, the unknowns can often make it feel like a scary proposition, and feeling safe is a critical piece of the travel experience. But if you're ready to get out there and start confidently collecting passport stamps, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has a new study you need to see.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vitus Stenhøj Schiøtz, 23, a Danish traveler who got a working holiday visa to live in Japan. He moved to Japan in late 2024 and works as a chef in a restaurant in Nozawaonsen, a small town northwest of Tokyo . It's been edited for length and clarity.
The Maldives just got even dreamier for folks with Marriott Bonvoy points to burn: The second JW Marriott in the country is now open.
Feeling overworked, undervalued, and generally a bit frazzled? Then, it's time to start planning a wellness-focused getaway that will totally re-align you. And Book Retreats has just got the place to go. In December, Book Retreats released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which ranked the best relaxation destinations around the world, including a special focus on the top spots for wellness. To determine its rankings, the team created a seed list of 76 places, which it selected based on their «safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.» The team at Book Retreats then ranked those selections using nine data points, including the percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, peacefulness, and total wellness experiences. Finally, it gave each destination a score of 1 to 100 to reveal the top spots.
Delta Air Lines is limiting access to its sought-after airport lounges, putting new restrictions in place this month for travelers who use a credit card membership to get in.
It just got easier to visit Iceland and the rest of Europe from the Sunshine State. Icelandair recently announced new service between Miami, FL, and Reykjavík, Iceland that will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The inaugural flight will takeoff on October 25, 2025, and the service will run seasonally through March 2026. Best of all, Miami travelers can connect in Reykjavík to another Icelandair flight for access throughout Europe, including Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Zurich.
From skiing and surfing to hiking and stargazing, there’s no limit of things to do in the adventurer’s paradise that is New Zealand. And if we needed another reason to break free from the chains of our desks, New Zealand has just loosened its visa restrictions for remote workers.
Boom Supersonic just became the first US commercial planemaker to break the sound barrier, a significant milestone in the industry's return to supersonic passenger flight.
Low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways will make it easier to fly to Greece from the West Coast thanks to a brand-new flight launching next summer.
In November, after three months of interviews, I lost out on a job and decided it was time for a travel break. I set out on a three-and-a-half-week trip to Japan.