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In a striking decision, United Airlines eliminated change fees on all U.S. flights going forward, the company shared with Travel + Leisure on Sunday. The new policy applies to all economy and premium tickets for travel within the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the company, with unlimited ticket adjustments allowed. United previously charged a $200 change fee for domestic travel, and $75 for standby....

George Clooney is inviting you over to his place on Italy’s stunning Lake Como. In May, the A-list actor joined the team at Omaze, a charitable giving-meets-fundraising website, to offer up a vacation unlike any other in his favorite place: Lake Como, Italy. “When you daydream about life after COVID-19, do you imagine: Getting together with friends. Sharing a meal, maybe a few drinks. Talking about what you’re grateful for. Endless laughter?...

Mention Philadelphia and most people’s minds mump straight to the obvious: It’s the birthplace of America. The locals are fanatical about sports. (Cheering for the Eagles on Sundays isn’t tradition – it’s religion.) And the sandwich scene is unrivaled by any other U.S. city, thanks to a winning triumvirate of cheesesteaks, roast pork, and hoagies. While they still rightfully deserve our attention, as of late, the City of Brotherly Love has experienced an uptick of visionary business growth — challenging everything you think you know about the destination....

The Trip Cape Town is sometimes labeled the least african of African cities—which, depending on who’s doing the labeling, is said with enthusiasm or disparagement. But whatever you think of the must-see destination, post–World Cup Cape Town radiates a palpable hum of cool thanks to the rise of local, cutting-edge artists. The city’s finest style hour takes place every Saturday morning at Woodstock’s Neighbourgoods Market, where stands sell silk-and-leather sandals, biltong (Afrikaans beef jerky), and chèvre frais cheeses from Franschhoek....

The tallest waterfall in North America is flowing again in California’s Yosemite National Park after a recent storm brought much-needed rainfall to the drought-stricken area. Water has started to flow again at Yosemite Falls this week after video showed the falls nearly dry on Saturday, The New York Times reported. By Thursday, water could be seen flowing in force on a webcam of the falls, which the National Park Service said sits 2,425 feet above the valley floor....

Few people have visited both the North and South Poles, but Hurtigruten Expeditions — a cruise company focused on adventure travel — is making it easier for intrepid travelers to explore both snowy landscapes on one jam-packed itinerary. Hurtigruten recently unveiled details of its two new Pole-to-Pole voyages, which will take cruisers to a number of bucket-list destinations along the way. Werner Kruse/Courtesy of Hurtigruten Expeditions Pole to Pole Adventure: The Ultimate Bucket List Expedition Cruise will be the first voyage to debut on Aug....

You’re just about to leave for that trip you’ve been planning for ages. Everything is ready. The hotels are booked, the flights are confirmed and your itinerary is planned. But there’s this nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something. How’s your passport doing? For those to whom the horror of horrors occurs (“What? It expired last month!?”), FedEx now offers a service that will get you a new passport in just 24 hours....

Airline executives on Tuesday called on the U.S. and European Union to once again allow air travel between the two regions by implementing a COVID-19 testing program. CEOs of United Airlines, American Airlines, Lufthansa Group, and the International Airlines Group (which includes British Airways and Iberia), made the request in a letter addressed “with urgency” to Vice President Mike Pence and Ylva Johansson, the European commissioner for home affairs, which was obtained by Travel + Leisure....

Passengers who do not comply with face mask rules onboard Alaska Airlines flights will receive yellow warning cards, warning them they could be suspended from the airline. Starting this month, flight attendants will have the cards on hand for passengers who repeatedly refuse to put on their face masks while aboard. The airline will then review the passenger’s travel and could be temporarily suspended from the airline, according to an Alaska blog post....

Earth-bound humans aren’t the only ones who like to snap selfies of their adventures. Just look at the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for proof. Chris Cassidy/NASA via Twitter On June 26, NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken conducted the first of two spacewalks aboard the ISS. While outside the station, Cassidy took a few photos of his work, along with a close-up selfie in his astronaut gear....

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. Much like the Southeast Asian island nation itself, Singapore’s hotels combine both cutting-edge modernity and an appreciation of tradition....

Back in 1866, a young reporter for the Sacramento Union newspaper spent four months exploring “the Sandwich Islands,” which we now know as Hawaii. They are “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean,” wrote Mark Twain then — and, based on comments from Travel + Leisure readers, modern-day travelers wholeheartedly agree. Chief among the reasons to fall in love with Hawaii today is its wealth of exceptional resorts, as is reflected in the 2019 World’s Best Awards survey....

If you think the royal children live a spoiled existence free of rules it’s time to think again. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are all growing up in a world many of us can never imagine. After all, they do live in a palace, hob nob with world leaders on a regular basis between nap time, and one of them will be the future King of England. But, according to The Sun, the kids are still learning all the important life lessons thanks to their “hard-as-nails” nanny, Maria Borrallo....

Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure. After remaining closed for over a year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks — Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park — finally welcomed back guests on April 30. Now that both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts are open, future guests have started rebooking canceled vacations and planning new trips....

Japan Airlines will give away 50,000 free round-trip tickets to international visitors next summer. But the lucky winners won’t be jetting off to the country’s capital. In an effort to diversify tourism outside the capital during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Japan Airlines is giving away trips to lesser-visited cities — but the winners won’t get to choose their destination. The airline’s website explains that when contestants send in their application form, they will see a list of four possible destinations where they could be sent....

It’s just not the holidays without some caroling. The holidays and music go hand in hand. If you’re one of those people who turns on the Christmas music on Nov. 1, learning to sing some of those classics with a real Broadway star might just be up your alley. Stephen Carlile, who plays Scar in The Lion King on Broadway, will help you spread holiday cheer through song with his Airbnb Online Experience....

The year 2020 has fundamentally changed the concept of where we work, making it possible to log on from anywhere — and dreamy destinations and hotels alike have caught on. Now, Marriott Bonvoy is offering workers options from day passes to extended stays to make leaving the office that much more fun. Marriott’s new Work Anywhere program gives people three options to take advantage of — the Day Pass, the Stay Pass, and the Play Pass — which include quiet workspaces and ample hotel perks....

Never get caught without a frosty dessert again. According to CNN, a new interactive map shows whether or not the McDonald’s locations in your area have a broken ice cream machine. Finally, you won’t have to suffer the frustration of trying to order a McFlurry and getting denied. The website, McBroken, was created by a self-taught programmer named Rashiq Zahid in his home in Berlin, Germany, using Python and JavaScript, CNN reported....

Panama announced it will reopen its borders to international visitors on Oct. 12, with several new COVID-19 precautions in place. Travelers to Panama must present negative COVID-19 test results, taken within 48 hours of arrival. Those whose results are older than 48 hours will be required to take a rapid COVID-19 test at the airport, at a cost of about $30. There are no arrival restrictions based on country, anyone can enter Panama....

Carpenters in Paris used medieval techniques to raise a three-ton oak truss by hand in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, showing the public just how much labor went into building the historic cathedral more than 800 years ago. In honor of European Heritage Days, which fell on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, carpenters raised a replica of the triangular wooden structures that make up the cathedral’s nave. After debates over whether or not to modernize Notre Dame after its devastating fire last year, reconstruction groups decided to stick to the cathedral’s “last known visual state....