Brace Yourself: Air Fares Will Continue to Rise This Year
Brace Yourself: Air Fares Will Continue to Rise This Year
Nick Fewings/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/brace-yourself-air-fares-will-continue-to-rise-this-year
Airlines will spend extra $100 billion on jet fuel.
Airfare prices will remain higher this year due to skyrocketing gas prices. Airlines are expected to pay $100 billion more for jet fuel this year, and the bad news for travelers is that they will pass some of this cost on to customers. Thus, ticket prices are unlikely to return to pre-war levels anytime soon.
The U.S.-Iran war disrupted fuel supplies worldwide. Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in the early weeks of the war, impacting 20% of the world’s fuel supply. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a barrel of jet fuel is now $141.64, up from under $100 in 2025. It is expected to reach $152 this year, and the trade association has halved the industry’s profits from $41 billion to $23 billion in its recent report.
“All airline bottom lines are suffering from the rapid 70% rise in jet fuel prices. Some of the additional cost is being recuperated by adjusting prices and improving efficiency, but it will not be sufficient to maintain profitability at the previous year’s level,” IATA said in the report.
In 2026, airlines will spend $100 billion more on jet fuel due to skyrocketing prices, and margins will be “wafer-thin.” For consumers, this will show up in higher final flight ticket prices.
Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, said at the IATA summit in Rio de Janeiro that there is no way to avoid rising ticket costs. “High oil prices will inevitably mean higher ticket prices.” Passengers have braced for higher prices, but the question is how long they will be able to tolerate these costs.
After the war began, Delta, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Air India, Japan Airlines, and many others responded to the fuel crisis by raising ticket prices. In the U.S., airfares have jumped 5.5% due to supply chain constraints. Many routes have been temporarily suspended, leaving consumers with fewer options.
And the upward trend may persist, industry experts fear.
At the IATA summit, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle warned that prices would climb further if jet fuel costs remain high. However, the U.K. carrier will transfer more of these costs to passengers on long-haul and premium bookings, compared to price-sensitive economy class and shorter flights. “When people’s purpose to travel is business and doing deals…those price increases are kind of peripheral to the reason they’re traveling,” he said.
But airlines can’t transfer all of the jet fuel costs to consumers; they must absorb some of it. For smaller airlines, the extra costs can be decisive. Troubled Spirit Airlines folded earlier this year after oil prices overwhelmed it, and many other small airlines are feeling the brunt. Walsh added, “It’s going to be very challenging, and for a lot of airlines the increase in the fuel bill is potentially existential.”
Middle Eastern airlines will see losses this year, and a comeback will be difficult. “Because once you have lost traffic, it takes a lot of money and effort to try to get it back…because people’s behaviors have already adjusted in a different way,” he said.
However, the industry is still projecting growth. Passenger numbers are expected to surpass 5.1 billion this year, a 2.4% increase over 2025. Additionally, a consumer survey revealed that 41% planned to travel more in the next 12 months compared to the previous 12 months, while 52% planned to travel at the same level. Despite disruptions and geopolitical tensions, a majority of travelers have not changed their travel habits, IATA said.
Hyatt’s Miraval expands to Saudi Arabia with Red Sea wellness resort
https://hotelsmag.com/news/hyatts-miraval-expands-to-saudi-arabia-with-red-sea-wellness-resort/
Miraval Resorts & Spas has opened Miraval The Red Sea on Shura Island, marking the brand’s first property outside the U.S.
Hyatt Hotels Corp. acquired the Miraval brand in 2017 in a concerted move into the wellness space.
The adults-only resort sits on Saudi Arabia’s west coast between desert and water, surrounded by mangrove forests. The property features 180 guestrooms, suites, and villas designed by Foster + Partners and Rockwell Group using natural materials, desert tones, and coral-inspired forms.
The 40,000-square-foot Life in Balance Spa is the largest dedicated spa on Shura Island, offering 39 indoor and outdoor treatment rooms with views of lagoons, gardens, and desert landscapes. Treatments include hammam experiences, mineral-rich scrubs, and desert-inspired therapies alongside Miraval’s signature offerings.
Guests have access to personalized well-being itineraries developed with dedicated experience planners. Programming includes Arabic calligraphy, heritage storytelling, perfume blending, and guided desert stargazing. Outdoor activities include kayaking through mangroves, paddleboarding, and zip-lining. A contemplative labyrinth at the resort’s center serves as a space for walking meditation and reflection.
Three dining outlets anchor the food and beverage program. Rosemary, the signature restaurant, centers on plant-forward cuisine using seasonal regional ingredients. Palm Court Café offers all-day casual dining and wellness-focused options. Coral Cove transitions from daytime coastal dining to an evening tapas-style social venue. An on-site culinary kitchen hosts Saudi coffee traditions, cooking workshops, and non-alcoholic mixology sessions.
The resort sits within The Red Sea destination, a regenerative tourism development spanning more than 28,000 square kilometers of coastline, islands, desert, and mountains powered entirely by renewable energy. Shura Island is also home to Shura Links, an 18-hole island championship golf course.
The Secrets Behind America’s Greatest Musical Institution
Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/tennessee/nashville/experiences/news/100-years-later-tennessees-grand-ole-opry-still-has-its-secrets
Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, 100 years of tradition await.
I peek out from behind the thick, red curtains of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry during my backstage tour, and I’m starstruck.
Not over a person, but over a six-foot circle of wood centerstage. This circle is probably the most famous entity in all of Nashville, cut from the stage of the former Opry home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1974. It’s the sacred spot where every star who’s made it big has stood.
This is where Johnny Cash smashed out footlights in a flurry of intoxication and was temporarily banned from the Opry, and where Roy Acuff attempted to teach President Nixon to yo-yo just five months before he resigned from office. It’s where Dolly Parton debuted in 1959 at just 13 years old and where Elvis flopped his one and only Opry performance.
I let it wash over me: How many hopes and dreams must have walked across that stage?
That energy has been accumulating for more than 100 years now, since the Opry first opened in 1925. The world’s longest-running radio show has had a few physical homes, including the Ryman, but it’s always been the center of country music in Nashville. And now it’s celebrating its centennial birthday for a full year, through October 2026, with “Opry 100” shows that promise historic flashbacks, star-studded line-ups, and surprise guests.
Ipeek out from behind the thick, red curtains of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry during my backstage tour, and I’m starstruck.
Not over a person, but over a six-foot circle of wood centerstage. This circle is probably the most famous entity in all of Nashville, cut from the stage of the former Opry home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1974. It’s the sacred spot where every star who’s made it big has stood.
This is where Johnny Cash smashed out footlights in a flurry of intoxication and was temporarily banned from the Opry, and where Roy Acuff attempted to teach President Nixon to yo-yo just five months before he resigned from office. It’s where Dolly Parton debuted in 1959 at just 13 years old and where Elvis flopped his one and only Opry performance.
I let it wash over me: How many hopes and dreams must have walked across that stage?
That energy has been accumulating for more than 100 years now, since the Opry first opened in 1925. The world’s longest-running radio show has had a few physical homes, including the Ryman, but it’s always been the center of country music in Nashville. And now it’s celebrating its centennial birthday for a full year, through October 2026, with “Opry 100” shows that promise historic flashbacks, star-studded line-ups, and surprise guests.
Down the hall, I brush elbows with country stars Dustin Lynch and Liam St. John as my guide whispers a lighthearted, “Don’t make it weird.” Instead, I try to focus my attention on the walls, where decades of history in pictures beam down. I’m shocked to see Sabrina Carpenter smiling at me. “What are you doing here?” I wonder. She’s a surprising choice for a country crowd, but our guide says she was well-received by fans. And she’s not the only non-country guest who’s performed here; big names like Jack Black, Kevin Bacon, and Paul McCartney have also graced the stage, proving you never know what you’re going to get on any given night.
Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
This is just what the Opry does. It surprises you. And while it’s hardly a secret that every one of the 200+ members invited into the Opry is called “family,” there are still plenty of family secrets to uncover.
When I see the artists’ family and friends gathering in the Family Room lounge, celebrating their performances and sipping lemonade, I am a lucky fly on the wall, transported to peak 70s Nashville through cozy fixtures (though I’m assured the old-school lockers have been upgraded since then, after a flood in 2010).
I peek into the 18 dressing rooms, all themed for a specific purpose. An “Into the Circle” room is kept for debuts, a “Stars and Stripes” room for service men and women, a “Women of Country” room dedicated to greats like Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline, and the “Cousin Minnie Room” with Minnie Pearl’s hat, with the price tag attached, of course. We pass an especially glitzy one, our guide points out, which is Dolly Parton’s favorite.
But I only double-take upon seeing that there’s a functioning Grand Ole Opry Post Office backstage. There’s a mailbox for every member of the family, so you can send fan mail to them, just as you might send a letter to the North Pole. Dolly Parton’s, 163, seems to be the fullest.
So yes, you can learn this all backstage. But it’s the performances that carry that secret Opry magic. When I take my seat post-tour, it’s just in time for Dom Flemons to step into the circle, center stage. Wearing suspenders, a plaid shirt, and a tilted pork pie hat, he could have stepped out of the past, a harmonica in his hands and a 1,000-watt smile on his face. With one deep breath, he begins — a breathless rollercoaster of a ride.
By the time he’s done, everyone in the audience is gasping for air. It’s a joyful, folksy country sound you don’t often hear live, so by the time he starts up plucking his banjo in traditional Carolina style, we’re all in. Several jaws drop, and we mouth, “Is this guy for real?” He’s, perhaps unexpectedly, stolen the show from a star-studded lineup, something that wouldn’t have been on my bingo card before coming to Nashville.
This is how I learned that country music isn’t a prerequisite for having an enjoyable night out at the Opry (which is news to me, a self-professed “not-so” country fan). I see now that the Opry’s appeal transcends genre and its gravitational pull is universal, never so apparent as when announcer Charlie Mattos shouts out birthdays to folks from their 20s to their 80s, and even one congratulation to a couple who flew from the UK to get married that day.
The numbers speak for themselves. The Opry’s been broadcast for well over 5,000 consecutive Saturday nights and has reached an audience of more than 55 million. The Opry takes 15.8 million feet of audio, video, and lighting cable to run! But for me, a televised flashback of Garth Brooks that aired during the show said it best: “This is the pinnacle of what I do. Nothing has ever touched being a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
When the evening is over, it’s clear that visiting the Grand Ole Opry is like taking a crash course in Nashville — an essential step to learning 100 years of history and music before (or after) you set foot on Broadway and see big country names splashed over the bars. I didn’t expect to heartily recommend it to every visitor of Nashville (even those who aren’t into country music), but here I am, shouting it from the rooftops. I stand by it. Even after 100 years, the Opry is still the defining experience of Nashville, the root of all its magic.
Scammers Are Hitting a Popular Northern Country
Bjorn Are With Andreassen/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/norway/experiences/news/scammers-are-hitting-a-popular-northern-country
As tourists flock to see the northern lights, scams are popping up in Norway.
Tromsø, Norway, is a town of about 80,000 well north of the Arctic Circle. In the winter months, it’s prime turf for viewing the aurora borealis, but local law enforcement is grappling with bigger problems than tourists getting lost or getting frostbite, according to the New York Times.
Tourists, drawn to the city’s fairytale winter landscapes and the landmark Arctic Cathedral by social media posts, are likely to get scammed by unlicensed aurora-viewing tours. The New York Times notes that the majority of unlicensed tour operators are Chinese and often target Chinese-speaking visitors, but the advent of aurora-tracking mobile apps has made it possible for anyone with a car and a little marketing savvy to target tourists with scam tours.
Having an aurora guide who isn’t Norwegian isn’t a red flag, either. Norway has a small population, and it’s not uncommon for many of the country’s tourism workers to come from other parts of Europe. Tom Kerss, the chief aurora chaser for the Norwegian cruise and ferry company Hurtigruten, is British, but holds a degree in astrophysics and has published several books on the northern lights.
City officials in Tromsø are more worried about unlicensed operators not following local regulations, not paying local taxes, and providing a poor experience—ultimately degrading the destination’s appeal to visitors who return home and write bad reviews. City officials noted that nearly half the operators in the city were unlicensed, putting strain on roads and emergency response infrastructure without contributing meaningfully to the local economy.
The local police have spent significant time chasing unlicensed operators and impounding their vehicles, then referring foreign nationals to Norway’s immigration authorities for deportation. Tourists accompanied by an unlicensed guide at the time of the impound can also be held by police for multi-hour interviews—law enforcement in Norway can generally hold individuals without a charge for up to two days. Norway deported 12 nationals of China and Malaysia earlier this year for running unlicensed tours.
Ensuring Operators Are Licensed
So, how can visitors to Norway ensure their tours are run by legit operators? For one, they can book a cruise. Both Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages offer combination cruise/ferry expeditions up Norway’s coast, where the northern lights are often visible on clear winter evenings. The ships also operate away from the light pollution of larger communities, making the views particularly spectacular.
Booking excursions through these cruises or via well-established global or Norwegian tour companies is another way to ensure your excursions are above board. Alternatively, travelers who prefer to arrive without pre-set plans (what if it’s cloudy?) can typically make arrangements locally with staff at their accommodations or with Tromsø’s own local tourism board, which operates visitor information centers right in the city’s main shopping street and near the port.
Try Other Destinations
Norway isn’t the only place to see the northern lights. They’re often visible in Alaska during the winter months, particularly in Fairbanks in the state’s interior. There’s little issue with unlicensed tour operators in Alaska, because the state doesn’t require any specific credentials for tour guides unless they’re operating a commercial-rated vehicle. Some companies also offer aurora-viewing tours from Anchorage.
Although known for polar bear sightings in the autumn months, the city of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, is also a hot spot (or cold spot) for aurora viewing. Churchill is so remote and difficult to access that scam operators have a hard time operating, but it’s also worth noting that Manitoba similarly doesn’t require specialized licensing for tour guides. My recent trip to Churchill with Natural Habitat Adventures yielded northern lights views on five out of five nights, from venues as diverse as a two-story glass-domed home, a glass-ceilinged, heated trailer, planetarium-like plastic bubbles, and a cabin on pontoons nestled on a frozen riverbed.
It’s worth noting, however, that part of what draws so many visitors to Tromsø is the comparatively mild weather for such northerly latitudes. It’s farther north than either Fairbanks or Churchill, but, warmed by the Gulf Stream, winter temperatures there are typically warmer.
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