Virgin Atlantic will open Clubhouse lounge at LAX

Five years ago, Indian newlyweds Pallabi and Kshitiz were all set for their dream honeymoon in Australia. But Kshitiz had a business trip to Dubai that left him with no time to submit his passport for the Australian visa, which would take about a month to process. They had to settle for a local getaway instead. Fast forward to today, and with Australia’s new online visa application process — no passport submission required — they’re finally heading to Australia this October.

Travelers heading to the United Kingdom next year will have to pay a fee to enter as the country prepares to implement its long-anticipated electronic travel authorization (ETA) fee.

United Airlines is making a major investment in inflight Wi-Fi with the debut of Starlink satellite service — for free.

Germany has announced that it is tightening checks at its land borders in a bid to control "irregular migration".

Construction on a high-speed rail connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is currently underway, and a peek inside the cars shows it will be a luxurious option when complete.

Sep 11, 2024 • 10 min read

There's a brand-new iPhone on the block — and travelers may want to consider upgrading.  On Monday, Apple unveiled the suite of iPhone 16 phones, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which the company said are the fastest and smartest phones it's made to date. 

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is bringing back chef Bryan Voltaggio for a new culinary-themed voyage.

Visiting Japan will get slightly more complex in the coming years.The country is preparing to introduce a new travel authorization system in 2030 that will require visitors to declare personal information online in order to obtain permission to enter the country, Japan Today has reported.The new system is not all that unlike what the United States uses for foreign visitors, according to media reports. Individuals seeking to visit the United States, for instance, must use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which was rolled out as an anti-terrorism security measure.ESTA is used to assess whether a traveler is eligible to visit the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program, before the individual gets on a plane to come here.In a similar fashion, the new program being introduced for those seeking to visit Japan, dubbed JESTA, is also meant to screen individuals before they embark on a journey to Japan, per Japan Today.Introduction of the JESTA program in Japan marks a departure from the easy breezy process visitors from 71 visa-exempt countries have experienced for years. Those from visa-exempt countries have historically been able to make short-stay visits without requiring any visa documents.The Japanese government has said their goal is to reduce the entry of illegal immigrants who come from visa-exempt countries and stay longer than is allowed.Data from the Japanese government shows that of the 49,801 illegal short-term visitors to the country in January 2016, more than 28,000 arrived from visa-exempt countries and regions, according to Japan Today.Under the forthcoming JESTA program, visa-exempt foreign travelers will be required to declare their purpose of entry and place of stay online for screening by immigration officials before getting on a plane to come to Japan.And in cases where the online application is flagged for risk of illegal stay, the individual will not be approved to visit Japan. Instead, the traveler will be encouraged to obtain a formal visa through their local embassy in order to visit.The Japanese government will continue researching the proposed JESTA program over the coming year.

One of the nation’s biggest airports is about to get a boost from the United States government.

In 1941, Oklahoma City Municipal Airport (OKC) was renamed to honor Oklahoma native and Cherokee Indian Will Rogers. Rogers was a legendary cowboy, actor, writer and humorist who died in Alaska in 1935 during an airplane crash with noted aviator Wiley Post.

As it introduces longer flights, ultra-low-cost carrier Wizz Air isn't planning any upgrades to its no-frills offering — hoping passengers will "suffer the pain" for cheaper tickets.