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In travel news: Hurricane Helene, a true Gulf of Mexico monster, disrupted air traffic and travel plans in the Southeast and beyond late this week while a different kind of storm has been slowing brewing in San Francisco Bay. Also: Flight attendants’ etiquette tips and the wonderful world of waffles.
The name game
In May, California’s “Metropolitan Oakland International” changed its name to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” – despite the fact that San Francisco International Airport is just 30 miles (48 kilometers) away. There’s been rancor ever since.
The Port of Oakland said the rebrand’s goal is to remind tourists that Oakland is an access point for visiting the Bay Area, but some people seem to have found themselves more confused than helped.
Some travelers have shown up at the wrong airport, according to San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. Meanwhile, San Francisco has filed a trademark lawsuit against its neighbor, saying that the new Oakland airport name was part of a plan to “intentionally and knowingly capitalize off of confusion.”
In addition, San Francisco is asking for an injunction and for Oakland to pay its legal fees. The Port of Oakland has rebuffed the motion. Its attorney, Mary Richardson, accused Chiu’s office of “tactics rooted in publicity and anti-competitive bullying.”
Whichever way the lawsuit goes, consider it a useful reminder to always triple-check the airport name and location before your flight, lest you end up in Bucharest when you meant to fly to Budapest.
News in the air
Mixing up similar-sounding airport names is just one of the things that can go wrong for travelers.
Lately, a social media trend of artfully arranging belongings in the security check-in bins has raised fears of longer lines in the departures terminal, despite being aesthetically pleasing.
Meanwhile, belonging to a frequent flyer program can give you access to airport lounges or help you score an upgrade. However, the lack of transparency around these miles and points can mean that you go from gold list to bottom of the pile.
Now, a Department of Transportation probe is looking into the biggest frequent flyer programs to prevent “potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.”
And who better to give travel etiquette tips than people who spend their lives in the sky? Hear from five flight attendants about what you should and shouldn’t do on board.
One thing you can do to reduce stress at the airport is make sure your bag is under the weight limit before you check it. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews site owned by CNN, recommend these luggage scales.
Living the dream
Picking up and moving to a new country is enough to challenge anyone. But this American couple did it not only once, but twice.
Patricia Mahan and Dan Matarazzo left Arizona for Mexico in 2006. Then they changed course and bought a $150,000 house in Greece in 2023.
“There’s some soul searching about what it is you’re looking for in the last third of your life,” Mahan, a retired dancer and teacher, said.
Now, living in a former bakery in the town of Kritsa, Crete, the couple told CNN Travel how they chose the place they want to spend the rest of their lives.
Wafflemania
Waffles are associated with diners and cozy weekend brunches. But did you know that they might trace their origins to the time of Caesar?
Giorgio Franchetti, author of the book “Dining With the Ancient Romans,” believes waffles are derived from a particular delicacy of ancient Rome.
“They are very likely the descendants of the popular ‘crustulum’ (‘crustula’ plural), which were sweet biscuits adored by the ancient Romans,” Franchetti, a food scholar of ancient Rome, told CNN.
“The term, in Latin, clearly suggests that these biscuits were crispy, with a crumbly crust that melted in the mouth.”
Time to make a batch of waffles and cover them in whipped cream and fruit. For research, of course.
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