Plane makes belly landing in Newark

Helipad build for Russia's Vladimir Putin

Barbie Dreamhouse draws kids and protesters

American Airlines offers priority boarding for those without roller bags

Last-minute Memorial Day weekend getaways

Washington Monument repair shares D.C. view

Lenin's tomb reopens in Moscow

LAX lets the dogs out!

China-based company promotes North Korea day trip

A Western tour company in China said Tuesday it has obtained permission from North Korea for Westerners to make day trips into the country from the Chinese border.Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours said his Xi'an-based company — after years of lobbying — had received Pyongyang's approval to organize tours for non-Chinese foreigners to the North Korean border town of Sinuiju, which so far has be

Still hatin’ on the airlines? J.D. Power says they’re gettingbetter

If airlines were athletes, low-cost carriers would get the nod as fan favorites but traditional airlines are earning kudos as the most improved players on the field.That’s the gist of the latest J.D. Power and Associates North American Airlines Satisfaction Study. Released on Wednesday, the annual report shows overall satisfaction with the industry climbing to 695 (on a 1,000-point scale), an incr

Demolition begins on coaster wrecked by Sandy

Hotel eateries follow lead of upscale restaurants

For years, most hotel restaurants could easily be dismissed as unremarkable and unsurprising, their menus seemingly unchanged from year to year. But lately, they have been following the lead of upscale restaurants and offering ingredients grown or produced nearby.“Most hotels for years tried to cater to a mass market,” said Charles D. Dorn, managing director of the Dorn Group, a hospitality consul

Airlines collected record baggage fees in 2012

U.S. airlines collected more than $6 billion in baggage and reservation change fees from passengers last year — the highest amount since the fees became common five years ago.These fees — along with charges for boarding early or picking prime seats — have helped return the industry to profitability. Airlines started charging for a first checked suitcase in 2008 and the fees have climbed since...

Farm-to-hotel dining

For years, most hotel restaurants could easily be dismissed as unremarkable and unsurprising, their menus seemingly unchanged from year to year. But lately, they have been following the lead of upscale restaurants and offering ingredients grown or produced nearby.“Most hotels for years tried to cater to a mass market,” said Charles D. Dorn, managing director of the Dorn Group, a hospitality consul

No more selfies: Travelers snap up vacation photographers

If you think professional photographers only tail the glitterati, think again. A luxury that wouldn't have occurred to most travelers a few years ago, vacation photography is growing in popularity to capture the trip of a lifetime.Paris photography instructor Sophie Pasquet has seen a sharp uptick in demand. “A lot of people were asking me if I was doing portraits,” she said, so in 2010 she launc.

Europeans turn crisis into tourist attractions

Europeans are finding new ways to make ends meet by turning casualties of the economic crisis into tourism draws.On Serifos, a tiny, elegant Greek island, many once-rich bourgeoisie families are now renting and selling their second summer homes -- and some try to dodge the tax man.“We’re not talking of scandalous revenues," said Leonardo de Chanaz, a real estate agent on the island. "Renting a two

It's a Snap! Viewers submit adventure pics before TODAY anchors' big trip

Next week's photo assignment: AMERICANA. What's great about these states united? Show us in photo form! Send in your best American travel pix.For this week's "It's a Snap!" feature, right before the TODAY anchors hit the trail for their Great American Adventure in Chicago, Hawaii, Orlando and Yellowstone, and the just-unveiled Jersey Shore location, viewers sent in their photos of where they think

Summer getaways: splurge or steal?

From a waterfront lodge in Maine to a stylish Caribbean resort, find the getaway that’s right for you—whatever your budget."A Southern island"Splurge: The Cloister at Sea Island, Ga.This 1928 Mediterranean-style mansion is set on more than 1,000 acres of a barrier island beach and has been voted among the best hotels worldwide by Travel + Leisure readers. The Cloister Beach Club provides access to

TSA dog bites passenger at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

A Georgia woman is hoping for a negative rabies test after being bitten by a TSA bomb-sniffing dog at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.“It was something that no one would ever expect to happen to them at the airport,” said Susan Dubitsky of Rome, Ga., who was waiting to meet her sister near the baggage area on May 2. “The officer walked by me and the dog reared up and bit my stomac

Woman kicked off flight for singing Whitney Houston hit

Dancing on a plane can make you a viral hit on YouTube, but singing on one could get you removed by an air marshal.That's what happened to one disruptive passenger when she repeatedly crooned the '90s hit "I Will Always Love You" on a coast-to-coast American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York City last Thursday.The flight left Los Angeles at 3:30 p.m. and was scheduled to land at New Yor

Surf's up on the dunes of the Philippines

Tornado touches down in Hungary

4 affordable trips for your family

More airport delays on the horizon?

Richard Branson swaps suit for skirt to honor bet

SEPANG, Malaysia -- British business magnate Richard Branson has lost his latest job because of orange juice.The Virgin Group founder had his legs shaved, put on lipstick and squeezed into a red skirt to honor a bet by serving as a flight attendant Sunday on an AirAsia trip from Perth, Australia, to Malaysia. But he earned a reprimand from AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes after he deliberately du...

Hotel secrets: Score free perks, big savings

Top 5 seaside towns in the United States

One-third of airline passengers confess they don't turn off gizmos

Up to 30 percent of passengers accidentally don't turn off their electronic devices during takeoff and landing, a new study finds.The study, released by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association on Thursday, said 59 percent of travelers reported always turning their devices off when they were asked. Twenty-one percent said they instead switch it to "airp

US cancels plan to close control towers at smaller airports

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday canceled budget-driven plans to close 149 air traffic control towers at smaller U.S. airports, two weeks after Congress passed legislation to end air traffic controller furloughs that had delayed flights. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said federal officials determined the legislation gave the FAA enough flexibility to keep funding the t...

KnowDelay.com predicts flight problems 3 days in advance

Everybody talks about the weather, but Geoff Murray is trying to do something about it – or at least what it does to frequent fliers.Just out of beta, his brainchild, KnowDelay.com, promises to alert travelers of weather-related flight delays up to three days before takeoff. “Weather delays are the most stubborn and intractable delays because oftentimes it can take travelers a day or more to get o