travel

Canadian airline cancels all US-bound flights for summer season

Air Transat — a Canadian airline based in Montreal, Quebec — will now no longer fly passengers to the United States, according to a new report.

Canadian news outlet Globe and Mail reported Friday that Air Transat is planning to wind down flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida beginning in Spring 2026, and will eventually eliminate flights to those destinations altogether ahead of the summer travel season. The airline said the decision to do so was based on a desire to "better manage its resources," per the Globe and Mail.

Air Transat currently flies to 67 destinations in approximately 25 different countries, though Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are the only two U.S. cities it serves. The airline has not said whether it will eventually restore service to the United States.

The decision comes as President Donald Trump's administration has ramped up its rhetoric toward Canada. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to block the planned opening of the new Gordie Howe Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan unless Canada made significant concessions.

Trump demanded Canada allow the U.S. to have 50 percent ownership of the bridge, even though Canada shouldered the full $5.7 billion cost of the bridge's construction. Canada plans to recoup its investment through toll fees. The Atlantic's Jonathan Chait recently argued that Trump's planned blockade may be due to billionaire Republican donor Matthew Moroun owning the Ambassador Bridge, which is currently the only way trucks can cross the U.S.-Canada border from Windsor to Detroit.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the "situation will be resolved," saying in French that Trump's threats would not stop the bridge from opening.

"I explained that Canada paid for the construction of the bridge … that the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada, and that in the construction of the bridge, obviously there’s Canadian steel and Canadian workers, but also US steel, US workers that were involved," Carney said. "This is a great example of cooperation between our countries."

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Republicans ban GOP rep from international travel after 'alcohol-related episode': report

House Republican leadership recently took action to bar one of their own members from international trips, according to a new report.

Punchbowl News reported Wednesday that GOP leaders decided to ban Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) from traveling for three months due to an "alcohol-related episode" in Mexico this summer. In details laid out by Punchbowl reporter Andrew Desiderio, the original incident took place while Crenshaw and other Republicans were on an official Congressional delegation (CODEL) visit to Mexico in August, and Crenshaw was "having drinks with a group of Mexican officials."

"One Mexican official cracked a crude joke that made a woman present uncomfortable. Crenshaw toasted the remarks," Desiderio wrote on his X account.

Following the August CODEL, Crenshaw reportedly met with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Intelligence Committee chairman Rick Crawford. (R-Ark.) Desiderio's sources told him that the meeting grew "heated," and that Crawford apparently wanted Crenshaw kicked off of the prestigious committee.

Johnson reportedly didn't strip Crenshaw of his seat on the committee, though the Texas Republican was banned from international travel for 90 days. Crenshaw's cartel task force was also disbanded.

Desiderio further reported that Crenshaw and Crawford were squabbling over appropriations for counterintelligence programs in the annual legislation to fund intelligence agencies. Crawford had been pushing for additional funding, and was reportedly "frustrated with Crenshaw’s lack of support for the plan." Those funds were ultimately included in the version of the bill that reached the House floor.

Click here to read Punchbowl's full report (subscription required).

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'Complete failure of government' blamed for nationwide flight cancellations

Millions of Americans are preparing to fly with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, though the ongoing government shutdown has caused significant stress at airports. Many travelers are pointing the finger at Congress for failing to negotiate a deal to reopen the government and pay federal workers.

NBC News reported Friday that more than 3,500 domestic flights to, from and within the U.S. had been delayed, with more than 950 flights cancelled. The delays and cancellations came after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced this week it would be cutting all air traffic by 10 percent due to a shortage of airport staff.

In a Friday segment, CNN reporter Ed Lavandera interviewed travelers at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport. While most travelers were able to make their flights without incident, he said many of them were concerned about their return trips should the government shutdown drag on and flight delays and cancellations become more widespread.

" I think it's a complete failure of government and the government is serving itself and not the people," one American Airlines passenger told Lavandera.

"These politicians need to get their act together, man," another traveler said. "It's just crazy. I mean, come on people, what's wrong with you? You know, just get it together."

The shutdown — which is the longest in American history at 37 days and counting — has led to air traffic controllers receiving another $0 paycheck this week. CNN reported Friday that many air traffic controllers are resigning from their jobs on a near-daily basis. And these resignations are happening at a time when there is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers. National Air Traffic Controllers President Nick Daniels told the network that there are only 10,800 certified air traffic controllers working in the U.S. today, whereas the nationwide air traffic system needs at least 14,633.

"I hope it doesn't happen again tonight for people, but it was really sad," one DFW traveler told Lavandera. "So many flights were just canceled, and it was not the weather."

Watch the full segment below:


- YouTube www.youtube.com

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'Do you like being shackled?' Data shows 'Trump slump' of foreign tourists avoiding the US

According to preliminary government data released on Tuesday, visits to the United States from abroad declined by 11.6 percent in March compared to the same month last year, with international arrivals from China seeing a decrease of nearly 1 percent.

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, the CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, told ABC that the number of leisure trips taken by Chinese citizens to destinations such as Disneyland, Hawaii and New York is significantly declining and is unlikely to rebound until after President Donald Trump has left office. He referred to this trend as the "Trump Slump."

The U.S. tourism sector anticipated a strong year in 2025 for foreign visitors. After a significant increase in international arrivals in 2024, some predictions suggested that this year's numbers could match those seen before the COVID pandemic.

READ MORE: 'Perfect lawlessness': Appeals court unanimously rules against Trump in deportation case

However, just three months into the year, there has been a sharp decline in international arrivals. Amid reports of tourists being detained at the border, many travelers from other countries are opting to avoid the U.S. in favor of other destinations.

Reacting to the administration's harsh immigration policies, several nations have updated their travel recommendations regarding the U.S. Recently, Germany amended its advisory to stress that having a visa or entry waiver does not ensure admission into the country. The UK Foreign Office also updated its guidance to highlight the importance of adhering to all regulations, noting that U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry rules and violations may lead to arrest or detention.

Some commentators have called on foreigners to avoid visiting the U.S.

"Do you like being shackled and strip-searched? Absolutely no judgment if so, but anyone who isn’t into that sort of thing may want to avoid a holiday to the US at the moment," wrote the Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi in an article last month.

AlterNet reached out to the State Department for comment.

READ MORE: 'American empire is in decline': Expert argues Trump supporters are in denial

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