“Looking at all tickets purchased through April, U.S. domestic fares were almost exactly the same in 2015 as they were in 2014 with an average of $406,” a new study of Memorial Day pricing by the Airlines Reporting Corporation revealed. “Fares to European destinations from the U.S. rose 2.4 percent, averaging $1,713 this year vs. $1,673 in 2014.” The results were based on fares travelers actually paid rather than prices quoted during searches. (BusinessWire)
Disney Cruise Line, a favorite of Condé Nast Traveler readers, announced that it would return to New York City in October 2016, with cruises aboard the Disney Magic to the Eastern Caribbean. The ship will also go to Canada for one five-night trip that month. Earlier this year, Disney announced that it would add Frozen-themed experiences to its ships, including the Magic. (Condé Nast Traveler)
Aboard the Viking Star, it’s “the unhyped amenities” that make the ship a cruise-industry game-changer, Cynthia Drescher reports. (Condé Nast Traveler)
The president of tour company Myths and Mountains, which operates trips to Nepal, updates travelers on the situation in the country now. “Despite the earthquake in Nepal and the rubble and ruin you see on the nightly news, Kathmandu stores are open, main roads in the city are clear, and hotels–particularly those Myths and Mountains travelers like, such as the Yak and Yeti and Dwarikas–are operating,” Toni Neubauer writes. (Myths and Mountains)
Children are getting a larger say in making family vacation plans, a new survey from HomeAway reveals. One out of three Millennial parents lets their children make the final call on where to vacation; twenty percent of those parents completely turn over travel planning to kids. Most parents of any generation agree that involving kids leads to better vacations. (HomeAway)
Etihad Airways has a serious problem getting its flights from Abu Dhabi to the U.S. out on time, Brett Snyder reports: Only six percent of those departures left within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. “More than a quarter of flights were delayed over an hour. That’s pretty awful.” (Cranky Flier)
Barton & Gray Mariner’s Club, a company that offers fractional membership to a fleet of Hinckley yachts, will launch a Hamptons shuttle service this Memorial Day. Rather than fly or drive to the East End, members can arrange a crewed 48-foot yacht from Manhattan to the Hamptons, with a journey time of about 3.5 hours. The Long Island Commuter, as they call it, isn’t cheap: One-way pricing starts at $2,750, and the service is only open to members with an “initiation fee of $10,000.” (Barton & Gray)
JetBlue will launch flights to Mexico City from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando on October 1, 2015. (The Points Guy)
New York City has expanded its See Your City campaign, which highlights the attractions of lesser-visited neighborhoods. The advice on where to go and what to do once you’re there is just as useful for out-of-towners as it is for locals. (NYT)