Volcano Erupts in Iceland Forcing Blue Lagoon to Close Again — What to Know

After an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner’s fuselage tore off midair on Friday and caused an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the temporary grounding of some Max 9 planes until they are thoroughly inspected.

Iceland has reinstated the tax tourists pay for hotel and alternative accommodation rooms this year. In another change, the tax will also apply to cruises.

Blue Lagoon Iceland will partially reopen its spa on Saturday, January 6, it said in a statement Friday.

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.

These long evenings at the year’s turn, when dusk seems to fall just after lunch, take me back to the extreme polar night I spent on a small, rocky island off the west coast of Greenland a few winters ago. The inhabitants of the Upernavik archipelago have no sight of the sun from late November to January. When I received the email inviting me to work in the artist’s “refuge” at the island museum – described as the most northerly in the world – I was offered a choice of summer or winter. “Contrary to the summertime,” wrote the museum director, “the darkness of the winter to many southerners seems like a terrible and nasty time lying in wait. But when one gets accustomed to the darkness it allows an interlude for thought that one usually lacks.”

The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland has brought worldwide attention back to the land of fire and ice. It’s the fourth eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in just three years.

The principals of the innovative London and New York-based travel company Black Tomato made their name by assembling detail-oriented and sometimes very out of the way travel plans for exceedingly curious, adventurous clients. Having surveyed the market to ascertain what their clients are interested in now and the changes they see in the travel landscape, they’ve come up with the ways they see that travel happening in the next year and in what parts of the world those ambitious travelers could be.

“Eigi skal höggva!” (Do not strike!) were the last words of Snorri Sturluson, saga author and chieftain of the Sturlungar clan. 

Well, we got close, folks. However, it looks like a trouble-free year with only minor cancellations and delays for Christmas travel in Europe won't be happening after all.

They're going farther. They're planning ahead. And they're taking bigger risks.

Hot springs are thermal wonders that promise not only warmth but also breathtaking scenery that captivates the soul, and adds some magic to your feed. From the picturesque landscapes of Iceland to the serene valleys of Japan, here are some of the world’s most beautiful hot springs.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, December 20. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.