In our round-up of travel stories this week: a miraculous story of survival high on Everest, how to not be a cliché in Paris, plus the people who decide when and where your next flight will be going.
Every time you board a flight, the plane you fly on and even the route you’re taking all come down to decisions often managed by one person, aided by a team of experts.
The chief planning officer is a key figure at most major commercial airlines, overseeing management of some of the most intricate aspects of air travel. And in times of turmoil such as our current one, when spiking jet fuel prices are prompting many airlines to drastically reduce services, that person’s role becomes even more significant.
Here’s all you need to know about these behind-the-scenes decision-makers.
In the airplane cabin, meanwhile, flight attendants are the face of the airline and on the front line of unruly incidents such as this altercation on board a Frontier Airlines flight this week.
“The job – it’s harder, it’s longer,” says flight attendant Joan Prince Crandall, who is preparing to retire from Delta Air Lines after an incredible 66 years of service. The industry has changed massively over the years, she tells CNN, but for her “the biggest part of it was the true emotional connection” with colleagues and passengers.
As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a new CNN series premiering June 7 traces the dramatic story of how a fragile nation on the Atlantic coast expanded across a continent. “This Land” journeys from the Louisiana Purchase and the rise of New York City to the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, Alaska and the contested borderlands of the American Southwest — revealing how ambition, conflict, resistance and power redrew the American map.
Route 66, America’s most iconic highway, is also celebrating an important anniversary this year: its centennial. The 2,000-mile route symbolizes all the wind-in-your-hair freedom of a cross-country US road trip. Here are six essential stops.
Tourists flock to see Istanbul’s viral street vendor
In Istanbul, a corn vendor is pulling bigger crowds than some of the city’s monuments. CNN’s Leroy Ah Ben went to find out why tourists are crossing the city to snatch a selfie with him.
In Istanbul, a corn vendor is pulling bigger crowds than some of the city’s monuments. Alper Temel has been working at his family’s street food stall in Istanbul for seven years, but he has become a social media sensation after videos showcasing his model looks went viral.
CNN’s Leroy Ah Ben went to find out why tourists are crossing the city to snatch a selfie with him.
Social media fame is also generating long lines at an unusual restaurant in Norway. Apartment-dweller Petter Gran uses a basket to lower pizza orders down from his balcony, a full three stories above street level.
Open for business for just two hours a week, 16 weeks a year, the pop-up alerts fans about selling times via social media.
In New York City, roommates Dillon Davis and Nichols Neff have become a TikTok sensation with their restaurant reviews. The pair, known online as Taste Buds, are on a mission to eat every country’s cuisine without leaving their own city. They’ve been making new friends along the way.
How not to be a cliché in Paris
In a city seven times smaller than New York, it’s easy to stand out. CNN’s Saskya Vandoorne provides some expert tips to avoid the clichés and navigate Paris like a local.
A fight cage. A presidential library. A cultural celebration.
What do you remember from the week that was?
Poland has revived its “Highway to Hel” bus route.
The 666 service will run once a day throughout the summer.
A miraculous story of survival high on Mount Everest.
A Sherpa guide missing for a week has been found alive.
Can you bring a legendary airline back to life?
Pan Am is about to find out. (For subscribers only).
