Airlines 'get lice' to crack down on line skippers | CNN

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In travel news this week: American Airlines tackles line-jumpers, the world's best bars for 2024, plus National Geographic and Lonely Planet reveal their top destinations for the year ahead.

Get Lice: What They Are and Why They're a Problem

If you're someone who likes to gather around the airport gate before your scheduled boarding time, this will be hard to hear, because either you're an anxious flyer or you're really eager to grab that overhead bin space. There isn't a very flattering term for those who exhibit the behavior: “Get lice.”

It may seem innocuous, but flocking to the gate can lead to traffic, confusion and long wait times. To combat the problem, American Airlines is testing new technology at airports in New Mexico, Arizona and Virginia. Passengers who try to board before their assigned group is called will set off an error beep, alerting the gate agent — as well as fellow passengers who follow the rules. The line-cutters are then sent back to the board with their correct team.

“We are pleased with the test results so far,” AA told CNN via email.

In other airport news, following headlines last week that a New Zealand airport had put a time limit on hugs, London's Heathrow Airport jumped into action with new signage declaring, “Maximum hug time, unlimited. A fond farewell on departure, cheers.”

Now that sounds like a challenge. Heathrow is technically a 24/7 operation, so work on your squeeze stamina.

Summer may be the most popular time to travel to Europe, but travelers prefer the shoulder season from mid-October to mid-December, when there are fewer crowds, more comfortable temperatures, and cheaper flights and accommodations.

Now is a good time to plan your vacation for 2025 and beyond. Both National Geographic and Lonely Planet have released new lists of must-see destinations for the year ahead, with Thailand and Italy appearing on both lists, and slow travel is a growing trend for both.

Of course, you may choose to tailor your trip to another list dropped this week: The World's Best Bars for 2024. Mexico City, Hong Kong, Barcelona, ​​London – all cities have top drinking spots to immerse yourself in.

Mike Grossman assured his mother that there was “no way” he was going to fall for someone in Australia when he went on a work trip to Australia in 1988. Then at a boardroom mixer, he met a colleague and it was like a “lightning strike.” “This is where it all started,” he told CNN.

Erin Tridl's life turns upside down when she meets Parisian bartender Jordan at a rooftop venue on her first night in the French capital. Electricity played a factor here too. “We say in French, 'un coup de foudre' – a lightning strike,” says Jordan. “That's exactly what happened to me the first day.”

Love was more of a slow burn for Vlad Dymovski and Iga Olszczak, who met as teenagers on holiday in Greece in 2005. What started as a friendship and unannounced crush 10 years later when their paths unexpectedly crossed once more.

In Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, street cats are everywhere and well-fed cats are beloved by the locals. There is even an art museum dedicated to them.

The holidays are right around the corner, so if you have a special feline in your life, you might want to treat them to a great new scratching post. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product review and recommendation guide owned by CNN, have vetted a selection of the best.

Disney World has raised prices for Annual pass By as much as $100.

That follows news that Disney's new all-access, skip-the-line plan often costs more than park tickets.

A woman tries to retrieve her phone after it falls between rocks.

He lay upside down for seven hours before being rescued.

This American ex-pat has a guide to navigating the political minefield abroad.

Top tip: Let the other person speak first.

They moved from the US to Italy to save their marriage.

Here's how that works.