Getting to the Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic, has never been easy from the United States, but a new flight route from New York could change that.
27.07.2023 - 18:19 / smartertravel.com
A grumbling volcano is ruining more than a few tropical vacations this holiday season.
The Mt. Agung volcano began erupting ash and rock on November 21. Scientists worry that pressure is building within the volcano, indicating a more powerful eruption may be brewing. Denpasar International Airport had closed earlier this week due to the ash plume, but reopened Wednesday when winds shifted the ash away. Airlines rushed to reach the thousands of travelers stranded on the island.
The Australian reports that travelers heading to Bali through the Christmas holidays are being asked to postpone their plans. Beyond the uncertainty of an active and threatening volcano, airlines need to focus on shuttling stranded tourists off the island. Regardless, conditions are unpredictable and extremely fluid, which is not a good scenario for travelers even if the volcano doesn’t get any worse.
Related: What to Do If Your Flight is CanceledOf course, the locals have it much worse. Authorities evacuated much of the area around Mt. Agung, following a separate evacuation earlier this fall when the volcano first showed signs of life. Over 100,000 residents, many of them poor farmers, are at risk of losing their homes and livelihoods.
Bali is a popular tourist destination, but let’s face it: Most of us are not heading to Bali for Christmas. Still, it’s a good opportunity to review your rights if and when this sort of situation impacts your flight.
The legal term for this is force majeure, which translates to “superior force.” This includes anything outside the airline’s control, such as weather, a giant monster attack, and, yes, a volcano. As an example, here is Southwest’s definition of force majeure, taken verbatim from their contract of carriage:
In force majeure situations, the airline is only obligated to refund unused portions of your flight. The cancellation isn’t the airline’s fault, and therefore the airline owes you nothing—no hotel or meal vouchers, no additional compensation. Airlines will do what they can to accommodate you, especially in cases like this where there is potential danger, but you’re on your own until they can.
All that said, airlines will likely offer travel waivers for a long-term force majeure scenario, as they did when a volcano disrupted travel to Iceland back in 2010.
More from SmarterTravel: 24 Things I Learned from a 24-Hour Flight Delay Canceled Flight? This Airline Will Let You Rearrange Your Own Trip The Airline Passenger’s Bill of RightsWe hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to
Getting to the Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic, has never been easy from the United States, but a new flight route from New York could change that.
Calling all job hunters: the city of Wellington, New Zealand, is welcoming Americans to move and work in the county's capital — touting its great work/life balance.
It’s the classic pre-trip selfie. You snap a picture of yourself with your passport and boarding pass, then promptly share the photo on social media. Your family, friends and followers may like it.
This month, ballet fans will have the rare opportunity to see the acclaimed Australian Ballet in London. As part of the company’s 60th anniversary celebrations, performances by The Australian Ballet at London’s Royal Opera House will be the only performances outside of Australia. The 2023 London Tour will be the first international tour for The Australian Ballet under the leadership of Artistic Director David Hallberg. It will be the company’s first return to the Royal Opera House after an absence of 35 years.
Enter the Budget Travel “Iceland” sweepstakes by February 19, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two to Iceland, including air, nine nights’ hotel, some meals, and local tours.
Update, September 18: The FAA has issued updated guidance regarding usage of Samsung Galaxy 7 phones in flight, stating “passengers may not turn on or charge the devices when they carry them on board a plane. Passengers must also protect the devices from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and must not pack them in checked luggage.” The statement does not mention if any penalties are associated with failure to comply with this guidance. Read the full statement here.
Seasoned American travelers often look to the Department of State for advisories about everything from natural disasters to labor strikes in unfamiliar places. But what hazards are foreign governments warning their own travelers about when it comes to visiting the States?
A recent report released from travel marketing engine Sojern, analyzed travel trends from January 2015 to April 2016 and found the top international destinations for U.S. travelers as well as the top emerging and declining international spots.
If you’ve never heard of Iceland-based booking website Dohop, you should check them out. The company has been nominated for two World Travel Awards—World’s Leading Flight Comparison Website and World’s Leading Travel Technology Partner—and recently launched an amazing tool called FLYR Fare Protection, in partnership with FLYR.
Top 10 lists are ubiquitous, especially in travel; it seems there’s one for everything. And when it comes to destinations, whether it’s a “most popular” or “up-and-coming” ranking, these lists tend to be a mix of well-known cities and semi-under-the-radar places. Unless you’re a Booking.com user planning 2020 travel, apparently.
Following months of apocalyptic images—billowing smoke, suffering animals, orange flames licking at a blood-red sky—the Australia fires that made headlines around the globe are finally under control. Though bushfires are a natural part of Australia’s ecosystem, this year’s summer fire season was particularly hot and dry, with grim consequences: More than 30 people died and some 27 million acres burned across the country.
You’ve likely already heard about the bush fires in Australia that are currently devastating the country. All six Australian states have seen damage from fires, but New South Wales (which includes Sydney) has been hit hardest, where 136 separate fires (including 69 that are not contained) continued to burn this week, according to a CNN breakdown. At least 24 people are dead. And in New South Wales alone, estimates a University of Sydney professor, nearly half a billion animals are dead, too.