Latest Travel News

Latest Travel News

There’s a lot of things going on in the world of travel. Many of the items making headlines will make travel easier all around. Here is the latest travel news and how some of these developments may impact you.

TSA Widens Deployment Of 3-D Scanners At Airports
One of the biggest holds up when flying involves going through TSA scanners. You have to remove your electronics from your carry-on bags and it can be quite the hassle. New 3-D screen systems are being deployed and it’s expected that there will be over 145 machines available by 2019 is over. These machines allow screens to see 3-D images that can even be rotated. Not only can this eliminate the need for you to pull many of your items out of your luggage before screening, but in the future may allow passengers to carry liquids that are in containers that are bigger than 3.4 ounces. These 3-D scanners can currently be found in quite a few airports including JFK, Boston and Phoenix.

Brightline Train Eyes Expansion To The Tampa Bay Area 
South Florida’s high speed train, Brightline, will soon be expanding. In addition to currently taking passengers from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, passengers may eventually be able to go to Tampa Bay. They have proposed the expansion of rail service to this area, but it hasn’t been approved yet. The next stop that is currently in the works is to Orlando. They are expected to break ground sometime in 2019 and service is expected to begin in 2021.

Cruise Lines Eliminating Plastic Straws
Many travelers are concerned about the environment and little changes that they can make to leave less of a carbon footprint. Cruise lines are getting in on this as many of them are eliminating plastic straws. Here’s the breakdown of some of the most popular cruise line’s policy on straws:

Carnival Cruise Line– Straws aren’t served in drinks anymore and are only available upon request.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line – Straws are still allowed onboard, but they do have plans to eliminate single-use plastics by 2020.

Norwegian Cruise Line – Straws are banned across the entire fleet as well as the line’s privately owned ports.

Seabourn Cruises – Straws and plastic coffee cup lids are only available upon request.

Disney Cruise Line – Straws and plastic stirrers will be phased out completely by the middle of 2019.

Robot Butlers Deliver Snacks And Delight Guests At The Vdara
If you order room service at the Vdara Hotel & Spa you might just be surprised as to who actually brings you your food. Robot butlers are delivering guests food and drinks at this hotel. They are about the size of a young child and are constantly monitored to ensure that guests get their food in a timely manner. Guests are able to enjoy items from the market cafe by ordering from the Krave tablet in their room. Then a member of the hotel staff packs everything up, gives it to the robot butler and they are on their way. These autonomous robots allow guests to get their food items quickly and without a lot of hassle.

Kittens To Relieve Travel Stress
North Carolina’s Chalotte Douglas airport has already been offering support dog to calm the nerves of anxious travelers, is now adding kittens as well.  The event will be held in the Atrium Aug 8th with 10 kittens from 9 to 11 am.   Cats have been used in the past at other airports including Calgary International and Denver International.

Yosemite National Park Closure
The largest wildfires in California history, have caused the closure of Yosemite National Park’s iconic El Capitan.  At thie time, the National park service officials cannot even set a date as to when this area will reopen.  All areas on the West side of the park are closed (Yosemite Valley, Wawona & Mariposa Grove.)  There is just one entrance open on the east side…Tioga Pass where you can still enjoy areas such as Tenaya Lake and Lembert Dome.

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