And more of today’s top travel news stories.
Today in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: fuel costs are forcing airlines to cut flights over the holidays; a third runway at Heathrow will drive up flight costs; an HIV crisis is roiling Fiji; and Thailand is issuing scam warnings.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
Some or all of this article was crafted with help from AI. An editor reviewed and vetted this article before publishing.
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U.S. Airlines Trim Flight Plans as Higher Fuel Costs Squeeze Marginal Routes
Travelers flying later this year could see fewer options on some routes as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines adjust their capacity plans in response to sharply higher jet fuel prices. The increase has followed the war in Iran and is prompting carriers to take another look at flights that become harder to justify as operating costs rise.
American Airlines says the latest increase in fuel prices alone could add roughly $1 billion to its fourth-quarter costs and plans to continue adjusting capacity late in the year. United has already removed some December flights from its schedule and says further reductions could follow in early 2027 if fuel prices remain elevated. Southwest, meanwhile, has cut its planned 2026 capacity growth roughly in half.
So far, higher fares do not appear to have caused a broad drop in demand. American has reported strength across domestic and international travel as well as premium and economy cabins, while United says bookings remain strong. For passengers, the more immediate consequence may therefore be fewer flights on marginal routes rather than a widespread pullback in air travel.
Read more at Reuters.
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Heathrow Climate Plan Could Add Hundreds to Some Airfares by 2050
Passengers using Heathrow could eventually pay substantially more for some flights if the airport expands and the aviation industry is required to cover the environmental costs associated with that growth.
The U.K.’s Climate Change Committee says a third runway cannot be reconciled with the country’s climate commitments under current policies. It argues that any expansion should be accompanied by measures requiring the aviation industry to reduce its emissions, increase its use of sustainable aviation fuel, and pay for permanent removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The committee estimates that those additional costs would probably be passed on to passengers over time. By 2050, it projects they could add about £150 to a round-trip flight to Alicante and roughly £400 to a flight to New York. The increases would be phased in gradually over about 25 years rather than appearing as an immediate surcharge.
Airlines UK has strongly opposed the proposal, arguing that the additional costs could make flying unaffordable for some travelers. The government is not required to accept the committee’s recommendations, although the Department for Transport says any Heathrow expansion would have to remain consistent with the country’s net-zero targets.
Read more at The Guardian.
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Pattaya Police Investigate Another “Miracle Herb” Tourist Scam Complaint
Travelers in Pattaya, Thailand, are being warned about aggressive sales tactics involving purported herbal remedies after a Sri Lankan tourist told police he was pressured into paying 3,300 baht for coconut oil promoted as a treatment for hair loss.
Police said the shop involved was the same business linked to a recent complaint from an Indian visitor. Similar cases reported in Pattaya have involved street touts approaching foreign tourists around Pattaya Beach and Pattaya Second Road, pitching hair-growth or weight-loss remedies, and then escorting them to small shops where the price can rise dramatically.
Thai authorities have previously described some of the products seized in these cases as ordinary coconut oil or unlabeled herbal lotions worth only a fraction of the prices charged to tourists. In a September 7 complaint involving the same shop, an Indian traveler said he was initially quoted 600 baht before being pressured to pay about 11,000 baht. The shop later refunded 10,000 baht, after which he did not pursue a full criminal case.
Police and the Eastern India Association have advised travelers not to follow strangers into unmarked herbal shops and to treat vague pricing or aggressive demands for payment as warning signs. Anyone who believes they have been overcharged is encouraged to retain receipts and products and report the incident to Pattaya police or the Tourist Police.
Read more at The Pattaya News.
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Fiji Declares National HIV Crisis as Diagnoses Surge
Fiji has declared HIV a national crisis after years of rapidly rising infections and diagnoses. The country recorded 2,016 newly diagnosed cases in 2025—16 times the number reported in 2019—while current estimates indicate that about one in every 60 adults is living with HIV.
UNAIDS describes Fiji as experiencing one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections in the world, estimating that infections rose twelvefold between 2010 and 2025. The agency estimates that about 9,100 people in Fiji were living with HIV last year, while fewer than half knew their status.
Both sexual transmission and injecting drug use are contributing substantially to the epidemic. Among cases where the mode of transmission is known, more than half were associated with sexual transmission and more than 42% with injecting drugs. Rising use of crystal methamphetamine and unsafe injecting practices have become particular concerns for health officials. Fiji’s close travel, employment, and family ties with other Pacific nations have also prompted calls for stronger regional cooperation.
The government is expanding testing, prevention, and treatment services, including wider access to PrEP and plans for a needle-and-syringe program. A Cabinet subcommittee has also been established to speed up the national response and address obstacles to treatment and prevention.
Read more at the New York Times.
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American Airlines Passenger Restrained With Duct Tape Says He Remembers Nothing
A 67-year-old American Airlines passenger whose behavior led to a September 3 flight being diverted to Baltimore told a court that he had no memory of the disturbance.
Layne Lundeen of Tucson, Arizona, was traveling from Dallas to Newark when witnesses said he began screaming profanities and racial slurs and became physically abusive. Other passengers restrained him with duct tape and zip ties before the plane diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Lundeen was later charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
His seatmate, rabbi and author Jonathan Cahn, told the Baltimore Banner that the pair had spoken without incident for about two hours before Lundeen allegedly made antisemitic remarks and attacked him. Police did not detail those specific allegations in court documents.
During a September 4 hearing, Lundeen said he had consumed two screwdriver cocktails before the incident and remembered only talking with his seatmate. He expressed surprise when the allegations against him were read aloud.
Long Realty, where Lundeen had worked as a managing partner, subsequently announced that it had ended its affiliation with him after learning of the allegations.
Read more at CBS News.