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Visit North Carolina said the impact from Hurricane Helene is widespread throughout the state's mountain and foothill regions and recommended visitors do not travel into the mountains.
"If you cannot reach your travel provider, you should consider them to be unavailable and delay your trip until you have confirmation they are open and ready to welcome visitors," Visit North Carolina said. "Impacts from the storm's extremely heavy rainfall and high winds remain widespread throughout the mountain and foothill regions."
State and local officials are strongly advising motorists to avoid travel in western North Carolina due to the continued risk of flash flooding, landslides, damaging debris flows, slope failures, riverine flooding and downed trees. Power and cell phone service outages are widespread.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, is asking travelers to reschedule their trips because several roads, trails and areas are closed.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy urges hikers to avoid trips to the southern Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to central Virginia, as the states of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia have declared a state of emergency.
"There is a risk of landslides in many areas, and much of the Appalachian Trail in the south is inaccessible due to road closures," the conservancy said on its website.
Several hotels and resorts in the North Carolina mountain city of Asheville have temporarily closed after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc.
The Omni Grove Park Inn announced on its website that the hotel is temporarily closed until further notice due to the storm's impact.
"There is currently no power or water," the Omni Grove Park Inn said, adding that the hotel is not accepting new reservations while assessing the situation.
The Grand Bohemian Asheville cited safety concerns for guests and staff in its decision to close temporarily. The hotel directed visitors to check its social media and website for updates on reopening.
The Foundry Hotel Asheville, which is part of Hilton's Curio Collection, posted an update on Hilton's booking platform that it is currently closed due to the effects of Hurricane Helene.
The Restoration Hotel Asheville and the Kimpton Hotel Arras similarly announced temporary closures via social media, with many other Asheville hotels appearing to have paused reservations for at least the remainder of this week.
The historic Biltmore Estate, Asheville's biggest attraction, also is closed. "Due to significant flooding, impassable roads and widespread power outages in our region from Tropical Storm Helene, Biltmore is temporarily closed," the estate announced, adding that the property is currently assessing damage.
The Biltmore added that its call center is experiencing "intermittent internet access and cellular service."
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Customers will begin noticing Southwest Airlines planes reconfigured with extra-legroom seats as soon as the first quarter of next year. But the seats won't be sold as a separate product until sometime during the first half of 2026.
In the interim, customers with early boarding will get the first shot at an extra-legroom seat if their plane is equipped with the seats.
The extra-legroom seats will offer 34 inches of space between rows. To make room, Southwest plans to reduce the space between rows on its larger aircraft, the 737-8, by one inch for standard seats. That will leave those seats with a spacing of 31 inches, which is what Southwest's 737-7 planes have.
The airline expects to retrofit planes at a rate of 50 to 100 aircraft per month and to finish the retrofitting job by the end of next year.
Southwest unveiled a retrofitted 737 Max 8 interior in Dallas to members of the media. The aircraft has 68 extra-legroom seats split across various parts of the cabin. They're located in rows 1-5, 17-21 and in exit rows.
Southwest plans to merchandise the plane in four segments. The first five rows will have the most expensive seats, followed in price by the extra-legroom seats further back. The standard seats between row 6 and the exit rows will be sold as preferred seats. Standard seats beyond row 21 will be the least pricey. Also, seats on the aisle or window could cost more than middle seats.
When Southwest makes the transition to assigned seats, they'll be sold through the carrier's existing fare categories. For example, the Wanna Get Away fare, which is Southwest's lowest fare, won't include a seat assignment. The Wanna Get Away Plus fare will include an assigned seat.
Also, Southwest said customers who buy the lowest fare will be able to purchase a seat assignment as an add-on.
The carrier's other fare products, Anytime and Business Select, will offer graduated perks, with Business Select likely including an extra-legroom seat..
Southwest announced a series of initiatives Thursday that they said will provide $4 billion in annual incremental revenue by 2027. Among other items, Southwest will make Icelandair its first partner in a long time, resuming an alliance the carriers first launched in the 1990s but had long since ended.
It will launch out of Southwest's Baltimore base. Southwest expects the partnership to expand to other U.S. cities over the course of the year. In the first phase of the partnership, Icelandair will begin selling ticket segments on Southwest.
Southwest won't begin selling Icelandair segments in its booking channels until it makes the move to assigned seating.
A loyalty program partnership is likely to be a later step.
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Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will add several new themed cruises in 2025, including its first women-only voyage.
That trip will depart Aug. 24 on a Burgundy and Provence itinerary and feature truffle hunting, onboard workshops led by local artisans and a bike ride to the Chartreuse, as well as lavender weaving, burlesque sessions and a chocolate-and-wine pairing experience. Prices start at $4,999 per person.
Also new will be an all-inclusive golf package as an add-on to the Brilliant Bordeaux itinerary. Available across six summer sailings, the package includes 18-hole rounds at Cabot Bordeaux and St. Emilion, a shared caddy service and gourmet dining. Prices for the package start at $1,199.
A third new theme cruise will depart Aug. 3 and Nov. 2. Offered on the Enchanting Danube itinerary, the Music of the Danube cruise will include a yodeling workshop, a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, an organ concert at Abbey Durnstein and an exclusive Mozart and Strauss concert. Prices start at $3,509.
Uniworld also said it will bring back popular theme cruises centered on multigenerational families, LGBTQ+ travelers and Jewish heritage.
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