April 2025 Travel News: Airline Perks, Cruise Comebacks & Wine Country Wandering

This month’s travel news roundup comes to you from a breezy spring campsite in Traverse City, Michigan, where we’ve been sipping wine, stargazing, and dreaming up our next adventure. Along with headlines that caught our attention, we’re also teasing a new series inspired by our recent trip to Mexico City — more on that soon.

Airline News Highlights

• A United flight had to turn around mid-air because the pilot forgot his passport (yes, really).

• Spirit Airlines is adding 15 new routes out of Detroit, aiming to shake up Delta’s dominance.

• Ryanair introduced its first-ever membership program with discounts and free seat selection.

• American Airlines plans to roll out free WiFi starting in 2026.

• Fiji Airways joined the OneWorld alliance, unlocking easier international connections.

• WalletHub ranked Spirit as the best U.S. airline in 2025 — a surprise worth looking into.

Wine Break: Dune Bird Winery Midway through recording, we made a stop at Dune Bird Winery in Leelanau County — great wine, low-key setting, and just the right kind of place to slow down and take in the view.

Travel News & Cruise Comebacks

• Royal Caribbean has temporarily stopped visits to its Haiti private island due to regional unrest.

• Victory Cruise Line returning to the Great Lakes, offering itineraries from 9–14 nights.

• AmaWaterways is launching new river cruises in Colombia on the Magdalena River.

• MSC World America, a ship built for U.S. travelers, has just debuted.

• Both Disney World water parks will be open this summer for the first time since 2019.

• Kansas City is now home to the world’s first barbecue museum.

• Crater Lake National Park in Oregon will be closing for construction between 2026 and 2029 — plan accordingly.

Coming Soon We’ve just wrapped a deep dive into Mexico City — art, food, hidden gems, and the kind of travel moments that stick with you. Stay tuned for a full series, including interviews and itinerary tips.

If this episode gave you new ideas or made you smile, we’d love it if you rated, reviewed, or shared it with a fellow traveler. Thanks for being here.