Prepare To Pay More If You Drive To Busiest Part Of Manhattan

New York’s much-debated plan to charge drivers to enter the center of Manhattan is set to take effect January 5th, following years of bureaucratic and legal roadblocks.

The goals of what is known as “congestion pricing” are to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise revenue for public transit. Gov. Kathy Hochul said this week that the state will push forward with the plan.

Here are some things to know if you plan to come into Manhattan by car after Jan. 5:

Will I have to pay the toll?

The toll applies to the most congested part of Manhattan, south of Central Park. It will vary depending on the time and whether a car has E-ZPass, which is an electronic toll collection system used in many states.

During peak traffic hours -- that’s 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends — most cars, SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks during with an E-ZPass will be charged $9, once per day.

During the overnight hours, the tolls will go down to $2.25.

Drivers without an E-ZPass will receive bills by mail and pay more: $13.50 for peak hours and $3.30 overnight.

Motorcyclists will pay half the amount that cars pay during peak. Drivers of buses and trucks, depending on their size, will pay more.

There are some exceptions. Certain emergency vehicles, school buses, people with disabilities who can’t take public transportation, and the people who transport them are all exempt. Low-income drivers who pay the toll 10 times in a month can apply for a 50% discount on trips they take the rest of the month.

There’s also a little break for those who have already paid a toll to enter Manhattan at the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel during peak hours. They should see a credit on their E-ZPass of up to $3 for passenger vehicles and more for trucks and buses.

Still, with tolls for bridges and tunnels from New Jersey set to go up in the new year, a driver coming via the Holland Tunnel during peak traffic could pay $22 even with the credit.

What if I take a taxi or Uber?

Passengers in taxis and for-hire vehicles will have a per-trip surcharge added to their fares for rides to, from, within or through what is known as the Congestion Relief Zone. That charge is 75 cents for people taking taxis, green cabs and black cars, and $1.50 for Uber or Lyft passengers.

Where did this come from?

Congestion pricing has long existed in other cities around the globe, including London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore, but New York is the first U.S. city to adopt it.

It’s been floated in New York for years. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested such a scheme in 2007, and state lawmakers approved the concept in 2019. But it has run into opposition and legal challenges from politicians, commuters and commercial drivers. A federal judge this week rejected the state of New Jersey’s 11th-hour effort to temporarily block the toll.

The idea has supporters in environmental and public transit advocates, who say encouraging people to forgo driving in favor of public transportation will reduce air pollution and help pay for the region’s subway, bus and commuter rail network. Millions of New Yorkers ride the subway system daily.

The plan stalled while awaiting a required federal environmental review during Donald Trump’s first presidential administration.

It was finally set to go into effect earlier this year — with a heftier $15 toll — but Hochul, a Democrat, abruptly halted it weeks before the launch, arguing it was too expensive.

She put forward latest plan with a lower fee in November, shortly after Trump was elected to another term, with the Republican having vowed to stop it after he returns to office on Jan. 20.

AP

Aeromexico Now Operating At Felipe Angeles International Airport

Starting May 1, they will also be operating a flight to Puerto Vallarta from this airport.

In order to offer more connectivity in the central part of the country, they have started new routes to Merida and Villahermosa departing from Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) . And starting on May 1, they'll be adding a route to Puerto Vallarta with 4 weekly flights from AIFA.

This decision comes after careful network analysis, an understanding of the needs and location of their clients, and the desire to use the airport infrastructure at this terminal.

The routes to Merida, Villahermosa, and Puerto Vallarta will still continue to be operated by Aeromexico at Mexico City International Airport (AICM). These destinations will be served on a daily basis and will be scheduled as follows starting May 1.

Merida: 67 weekly flights

Puerto Vallarta: 42 weekly flights

Villahermosa: 40 weekly flights

Between AICM and AIFA, they now offer 223,000 seats on a monthly basis to these destinations.

US Hits JetBlue With $2 Million Penalty Over Chronic Flight Delays

The U.S. Transportation Department imposed a $2 million penalty on JetBlue Airways for operating four chronically delayed flights on domestic routes - the first time it has imposed such a fine on an airline for the prohibited scheduling practice.

USDOT said on Friday that as part of a consent agreement with the airline, JetBlue will pay a $1 million fine and the remainder will go to compensate customers affected by its chronic delays or any future disruptions within the next year.

As part of the settlement, JetBlue has agreed to provide vouchers worth a minimum of $75 for passengers for future flight cancellations or delays of three hours or more caused by the airline within the next year.

"Today's action puts the airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

JetBlue, which did not admit liability, said in a statement it appreciates "how important it is to our customers to arrive to their destinations on-time and work very hard to operate our flights as scheduled."

It criticized USDOT for a persistent lack of adequate air traffic control staffing. "We believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system," the airline said.

USDOT said at various points in 2022 and 2023 JetBlue operated chronically delayed flights between New York and Raleigh-Durham, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando along with a flight between Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

"Regardless of the cause of the delay (carrier, weather, national airspace, security) for any specific flight, JetBlue had adequate time to act to avoid the chronic delays," USDOT said.

The airline said it spent tens of millions of dollars to address issues with air traffic control especially in the U.S. Northeast corridor to as much as reasonably possible prevent any chronic delays and made significant improvements last year in cutting travel disruptions.

https://www.reuters.com/authors/david-shepardson/

Travelore Tips: New Travel Requirements Taking Effect In 2025 For Domestic And International Destinations

Whether your New Year's resolution is to finally book a dream vacation or put some points to good use and fly to a new destination, there are some travel requirements taking effect in 2025 that everyone should keep in mind.

New travel changes in 2025: How to get prepared and why it matters

REAL ID

Americans should make sure their identification is up to date sooner than later this winter, because starting May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enforce the use of REAL ID at airports and some federal facilities.

U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant in order to board domestic flights.

Entering the UK with ETA

The expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program will impact U.S. and European travelers headed to the United Kingdom.

Starting Jan. 8, 2025, ETA registration will be required by inbound travelers so that UK authorities can screen visitors before arrival, which was modeled after the U.S.' Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system in an effort to reduce potential security risks and make border entry more efficient.

The ETA, which costs approximately $13, is not a visa and does not replace any existing visa requirements.

Americans traveling to the U.K. on or after Jan. 8 can apply through the UK government's official website here or use the ETA app.

The ETA is valid for multiple entries into the UK through a two-year period.

ETIAS entry and exit requirements

Though not yet operational, the European Union’s European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which has been postponed multiple times, is expected to take effect in May 2025.

U.S. passport holders who previously traveled to Europe without a visa will now need to apply for authorization through the ETIAS platform before visiting

Once granted ETIAS travel authorization, travelers will be able to enter participating countries multiple times for short-term stays -- usually up to 90 days -- over a 180-day period. The ETIAS is valid for up to three years, but if your passport expires, a new ETIAS travel authorization will be required.

New protections for air travelers

Earlier this year, new federal regulations took effect that require airlines to make it easier for ticketed passengers to get their money back after flight cancellations or other significant changes.

Under the new Department of Transportation rules, travelers can easily receive automatic refunds if they opt not to take a rebooked flight, significant delays are clearly defined across all airlines, and travelers are eligible for refunds on bag fees if a bag is delayed for over 12 hours (or 15-30 hours for international flights), refunds on ancillary paid services that don't work such as WiFi, and 24/7 live customer service support channels.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/author/Kelly_McCarthy

American Airlines Just Added A New Weekly Flight To Saint Lucia

Centuries-old cacao farms. Stunning hiking trails. Drive-through volcanoes. World-class rum. Maybe you know the Pitons or the three-walled hotels, but Saint Lucia is so much more than that — it’s a deep, layered destination that begs to be explored.

And Saint Lucia just got a major new route from American Airlines, which is now flying once each week from New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport on Saturdays.

The new route, which kicked off earlier this month, is running on American’s Boeing 737 aircraft.

In February you can book the route for about $361 roundtrip in economy, according to AA.com.

https://www.caribjournal.com/author/caitlinsullivan/

American Airlines Cuts Some International Flights From Major U.S. Airports In 2025

American Airlines has cut some international flights from major US airports next year and delayed others, blaming Boeing for the hold up.

A number of new long-haul routes can’t go ahead yet because Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jets are delayed, The Points Guy first reported.

“As a result of ongoing Boeing 787 delivery delays, American is adjusting service on certain routes in spring 2025 to ensure we are able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights,” the airline said in a statement.

“We’ll be proactively reaching out to our impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements and remain committed to mitigating the impact of these Boeing delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.”

American Airlines is awaiting delivery of 25 of the 787 Dreamline jets, according to Boeing orders and delivery figures.

American Airlines services between Miami International Airport and Ministro Pistarini International Airport, near Buenos Aires, are being cut from three daily to two.

Flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Paris Charles De Gaulle have been on hold since September and won’t be restarting until May. They were scheduled to resume in April.

At Miami, flights to the Parisian airport will be temporarily suspended in May.

The airline stressed that routes to the destinations would not be canceled due to Boeing delays, but the flights would be starting later than planned.

By Rhian Lubin

Why Tourists Have Been Banned From Seeing Lady Liberty's Original Torch Up Close For Over A Century

The Statue of Liberty might be the most iconic symbol of New York. When you visit its little island in the New York Harbor, you can learn a lot about American history and admire the view of the New York City skyline. When you look at the enormous statue holding her torch aloft as a symbol of enlightenment, you might wonder if you can take in the views from inside of it. Unfortunately, you can't go up into the torch — but over a century ago, you could. Bizarrely, the torch is permanently closed because of the Black Tom explosion of 1916. While this historical event is not particularly widely known today, at the time, it was one of the largest sabotages in American history.

Many are surprised to learn that the torch has been closed for more than 100 years, because they seem to remember climbing up spiral stairs to the torch themselves when they were younger. However, the torch has never had stairs — just a single ladder that takes climbers up into the small space within the torch. The stairs inside the structure only take you as far as the crown, which requires a 10-story climb on one narrow spiral staircase.

The Black Tom explosion closed the torch for good

On July 30, 1916, a catastrophic explosion occurred in New York City — the worst in the city's history at the time. It wasn't an accident. Explosives were loaded into trains and detonated at the Black Tom railroad yard in what is now Liberty State Park in New Jersey, just across the water from Liberty Island where the statue stands. The force of the blast was so powerful that windows across Manhattan and Jersey City were broken. Tragically, seven people were killed. Although the United States had not yet joined World War I, this was the deliberate act of German operatives, infuriated that the United States was supporting Britain and France in their war against Germany. Much of that industry and production took place in New York and went through Black Tom.

The explosion also damaged the Statue of Liberty, blasting shrapnel at the arm and torch. At that time, the torch was closed to the public. Although restoration has since taken place, the National Park Service has never reopened the torch for tourists to explore. National Park Service employees do periodically climb up to the torch for maintenance, however.

How high can you climb the Statue of Liberty today?

You can see Lady Liberty up close from Liberty Island or from the water (for free on the Staten Island Ferry!), but if you want to see the view from as high up as possible on the statue, you'll have to visit the crown (or, if you have a little more money to spend, take a helicopter tour over New York City) instead. If you book special tickets in advance, you can climb all the way up to the Statue of Liberty's crown, where you can get a good look out at the harbor far below you. You should know, however, that there are no elevators or escalators in the statue. If you want to get there, you're going to have to climb an exhausting 162 steps to the top.

If you really want to see the torch itself up close, you can still visit the original one at the Statue of Liberty Museum. There, you can get a sense of the size of the torch and imagine what it was like for visitors over 100 years ago to look out over the harbor through its windows. And, best of all, you won't even have to climb to do so.

https://www.islands.com/author/minaelwell/