Here's what's happening today in the world of travel.
* MOST LIMITS ON U.S.-MEXICO FLIGHTS HAVE FLOWN AWAY (Associated Press). Yesterday was a good day for price-conscious travelers in North America. As of Sunday, nearly all of the restrictions on flights between the United States and Mexico have been lifted, allowing airlines on both sides of the border to fly whatever routes they want in the other country—and at whatever prices they want to offer.
Up to now, rules had limited two or three airlines from each country to using a particular route. But, as they say down in Mexico, no más.
The change should result in more options and lower fares for customers. American, Delta, and Southwest have already announced plans to add more flights to resort towns including Cancun and Puerto Vallarta by the end of the year; United says it'll wait to see if there's an increase in demand and respond accordingly.
* SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE GETTING A $202 MILLION RENOVATION (Condé Nast Traveler). The Sydney Opera House is unquesionably one of Australia's most iconic sights—if we're talking manmade landmarks, it probably tops the list.
* SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE GETTING A $202 MILLION RENOVATION (Condé Nast Traveler). The Sydney Opera House is unquesionably one of Australia's most iconic sights—if we're talking manmade landmarks, it probably tops the list.
But let's be honest: few who visit the architectural stunner come back raving about how entertained they were. Most just snap a photo or two (or 30).
That could change in the not too distant future, following the completion of the opera house's recently announced $202 million renovation project.
Billed as the facility's most extensive overhaul since it opened in 1973, the makeover will include, among other things, the introduction of a Creative Learning Centre where kids and families can attend workshops, play games, and attend special performances. An updated entrance will feature new elevators, digital artwork, and improved access for visitors with disablities. Opera lovers can expect better acoustics, thanks in part to a 3D sound system and quieter air conditioning.
The project is set to begin in the middle of 2019 and is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2021 season. Though there will be some closures here and there, most of the facility will remain open throughout the renovation.
* INDOOR RAINFOREST COMING TO DUBAI HOTEL (Travel + Leisure). The latest over-the-top luxury hotel planned for Dubai is for all those who have found themselves in a rainforest and wondered, Where are the robot baggage handlers?
* INDOOR RAINFOREST COMING TO DUBAI HOTEL (Travel + Leisure). The latest over-the-top luxury hotel planned for Dubai is for all those who have found themselves in a rainforest and wondered, Where are the robot baggage handlers?
Planned for the United Arab Emirates city's Al Thanyah district, the 448-room, 1-million-square-foot Rosemont Hotel and Residence will feature a glass-bottomed infinity pool, a presidential suite exactly 10 times bigger than my Brooklyn apartment, and, yes, automaton bellhops. Ho hum, what else is new?
How about a 75,000-square-foot indoor jungle with tons of local plants, a sandless beach, hiking trails, and a "Rain Room" that somehow "simulates the sensation of being surrounded by rainfall without actually getting wet?"
You might be wondering how the designers intend to make such an oasis bloom in the middle of the desert. They say they'll use recycled water collected from condensation.
The hotel is expected to be complete by December 2018.
Our Travel Briefing appears each weekday morning, Monday to Friday. Catch up on past installments by clicking here. For more updates, as well as vacation photos and travel tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Our Travel Briefing appears each weekday morning, Monday to Friday. Catch up on past installments by clicking here. For more updates, as well as vacation photos and travel tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.