Accessibility links
air travel air travel
Stories About

air travel

Friday

Tuesday

A female flight attendant greets a passenger leaving the plane.

American Airlines flight attendant Bette Nash greets passengers disembarking from her daily return flight to Boston at Reagan Washington Airport in 2017, at age 81. She died earlier this month. Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

Obituaries

Bette Nash, the world's longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88

Nash began her career in 1957 when flight attendants handed out cigarettes and got weighed before shifts. She earned her Guinness World Record after 64 years of service in 2022 — then kept working.

Sunday

A dog rests on a seat in a plane next to a blanket reading "BARK Air: dogs fly first."

BARK Air officially launched this week, completing its first flight from New York to Los Angeles on Thursday. It also flies to London and aims to add more routes in the coming months. Joe Gall/BARK hide caption

toggle caption
Joe Gall/BARK

Animals

Air travel has gone to the dogs — literally. Here’s what to know about BARK Air

BARK Air says it built its experience "dog first," offering perks like puppucchinos and pheromone blankets. It's flying between New York and LA or London and plans to add more routes soon.

Tuesday

Another Super Bowl bet emerges: Can Taylor Swift make it from her Tokyo show in time?

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift celebrate after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland on Sunday. Patrick Smith/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Super Bowl 2024

Another Super Bowl bet emerges: Can Taylor Swift make it from her Tokyo show in time?

The Kansas City Chiefs — including Travis Kelce — will play in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. Swift has a show in Tokyo the night before. Can she get there in time? The math says yes.

Friday

Roads and airports will be crowded this weekend. Here's how to prepare

People travel through the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Thursday. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

National

Roads and airports will be crowded this weekend. Here's how to prepare

The FAA says this could be the third-busiest travel weekend of the year so far, while AAA warns we could see more traffic on the roads than in years. Here's what to know if you're flying or driving.

Roads and airports will be crowded this weekend. Here's how to prepare

Listen · 3:22
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197167786/1197167787" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride

Phil Stringer bonded with the crew members on his recent flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, N.C. He even plans to visit them in Dallas later this month. Phil Stringer hide caption

toggle caption
Phil Stringer

National

He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride

Phil Stringer was the only passenger on his long-delayed flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, N.C. He credits crew members for their positive attitude — and is planning a trip to visit them soon.

Friday

Traveling over the Fourth of July weekend? So is everyone else

More than 50 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the upcoming July Fourth weekend. Traffic in Austin, Texas, is seen here in April. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

National

Traveling over the Fourth of July weekend? So is everyone else

AAA is forecasting record-high travel this weekend, when more than 50 million Americans are expected to get out of town. That could mean clogged roads and snarls at airports.

Saturday

China's COVID surge prompts CDC to expand a hunt for new variants among air travelers

In hopes of getting a better sense of which SARS-CoV-2 variants might be coming into the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently expanded its voluntary testing of some passengers exiting from international flights at certain airports. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Rick Bowmer/AP

Shots - Health News

China's COVID surge prompts CDC to expand a hunt for new variants among air travelers

It would make more sense to screen a plane's wastewater to look for new variants than to screen individual passenger volunteers, some researchers say. Others say any information is helpful.

China's COVID surge prompts CDC to expand a hunt for new variants among air travelers

Audio will be available later today.

Saturday

Friday

The mask mandate is off for U.S. travelers. In other countries it's definitely on

Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

The mask mandate is off for U.S. travelers. In other countries it's definitely on

In China, for example, not only are masks required on planes but gloves are recommended — and passengers are urged not to touch their face during the flight. Here's what you'll find around the globe.

Here's why you might still want to wear masks on public transport

Travelers sit in a waiting area at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Providence, R.I., on April 19. A federal judge's decision to strike down the federal mask mandate has left travelers to assess the risks of public transit on their own. David Goldman/AP hide caption

toggle caption
David Goldman/AP

Shots - Health News

Here's why you might still want to wear masks on public transport

Sure, you don't have to wear a mask on airplanes, buses and ride shares anymore, but you still might want to depending on the circumstances. Here's what experts say about the risks.

Monday

Tuesday

Passengers could lose their TSA PreCheck privilege over unruly behavior on flights

Air passengers heading to their departure gates enter TSA PreCheck at Orlando International Airport. Access to PreCheck could now be revoked for unruly passengers. John Raoux/AP hide caption

toggle caption
John Raoux/AP

National

Passengers could lose their TSA PreCheck privilege over unruly behavior on flights

The Federal Aviation Administration says it will share information of passengers who are being fined for unruly behavior with the Transportation Security Administration.

Monday

New U.S. COVID vaccine rules for international travelers kick in today. Here's a guide

International visitors who fly into the U.S. will have a new set of rules and requirements regarding COVID-19 vaccines, starting Nov. 8. Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

New U.S. COVID vaccine rules for international travelers kick in today. Here's a guide

The requirements set by the Biden administration take effect Nov. 8 and cover approved vaccines, exceptions for the unvaccinated and protocols after arrival.

Friday

Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Advice About Traveling In The Delta Variant Era?

Passengers queue up at Greece's Thessaloniki Makedonia Airport on Sept. 2. Recommendations about physical distancing prove hard to follow at airports — and in the jetway leading to the plane. Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Advice About Traveling In The Delta Variant Era?

Here are questions to ask yourself — and databases to check — before making the decision to take off as the highly contagious coronavirus variant continues spreading.