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Our pre-Thanksgiving journey information roundup is all about transportation, from flight attendants’ vacation survival tricks to Egypt’s new high-speed rail and the way the world’s oldest passenger ship started a brand new life on land.
A singular airport and a novel aircraft
Maho Beach, on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, is a paradise for aircraft followers and thrill-seekers. The touchdown strip at Princess Juliana International Airport is separated from the beach by a single highway, that means that at peak season as much as 70 flights a day come whizzing over the sand, almost close enough to touch.
“It’s scary,” says airport employee Franklin Wilson. “It feels like it’s coming straight at you.”
For many pilots, nevertheless, it’s a dream come true, says Wilson’s colleague Irving Maduro. “They love seeing the people on the beach below them.”
There shall be loads of time for window-gazing on Qantas Airways’ new passenger jet, which has been designed to fly nonstop for as much as 22 hours. The Australian airline launched the first images of the aircraft this month, which is able to fly direct from Sydney to London and New York.
The US authorities shutdown has ended, nevertheless it may take months for air journey to fully recover. Wouldn’t it’s good if Americans had a pretty different, reminiscent of a joined-up community of high-speed rail?
NCS has reimagined three of the busiest flight and highway journey routes throughout the US mainland as high-speed rail strains — providing a imaginative and prescient of a sooner, higher, extra linked future. Explore our interactive to seek out out extra.
Egypt unveiled new 155-miles-per-hour trains this month, 41 of which shall be used on the nation’s deliberate 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile), high-speed community. It received’t be the continent’s first. Africa’s first high-speed line, which connects Tangier and Casablanca at speeds as much as 200 miles per hour, opened in Morocco in 2018.
Flight canceled? Here’s easy methods to get rebooked, refunded or compensated
Thanksgiving journey is irritating yearly, however the 2025 version undoubtedly has the potential to be additional jitter-inducing. We requested flight attendants to share their secrets and techniques to surviving holiday travel, from reserving straight with the airline to why it’s best to all the time wipe down surfaces.
And NCS’s Pete Muntean went behind the scenes of Southwest Airlines’ community operations management, where they monitor each flight in actual time.
On the busiest days of the Thanksgiving rush, as much as 600,000 folks a day shall be within the air, however airline COO Andrew Watterson isn’t anticipating drama. He says, “The weather is good and we’re properly staffed.” Watch here.
If you do run into bother this 12 months, although, we’ve some explainers on what to do if your flight is canceled or your luggage is misplaced, delayed, stolen or broken.
Of course, there are tougher journeys than a delayed short-haul flight again to mother’s place.
Couple Torin and Paige Rouse, for instance, are walking 12,000 miles via all 50 US states. They spoke to NCS concerning the assist they’ve been discovering amongst strangers.
“We were expecting to sleep under a lot more bridges,” says Torin, however “people were coming out of the woodwork to help us along the way.”
NCS’s Stephanie Halasz swam from Asia to Europe this August as a part of the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul. More than 2,800 swimmers signed as much as tackle the four-mile course this 12 months, dealing with challenges together with sturdy currents and jellyfish.
Finally, two British girls not too long ago rowed 8,000 miles throughout the Pacific to boost cash for charity. They’re Miriam Payne and the aptly named Jess Rowe. Watch here to see what it was like dwelling on a rowboat for 5 months.
World’s oldest passenger ship has a brand new life on land
The world’s oldest passenger ship, the SS Medina, made its maiden voyage again in 1914. Now, because of an $18-million funding from a Singaporean businessman, it has a brand new life on land as a resort. NCS took a tour.
Someone was in a position to convey a meat cleaver onto a aircraft in Portland.
TSA is investigating the way it received previous safety.
An immigration crackdown. A lavish state go to. A uncommon portray.
What do you bear in mind from the week that was?
She married her brother, then he died.
The monument to her grief was a Wonder of the Ancient World.
The world’s coolest streets have been named.
Here’s what locals actually assume.