Travel

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation has pushed back the start of a rule that moves 10 kinds of flight disruption out of the category counted as within an airline's control. It was due to take effect Oct. 19 and now takes effect Feb. 1, 2027. The Federal Register notice says Airlines for America asked for the delay on Sept. 21, citing the time needed to update federal and industry reporting systems. Airlines must report under the new categories for flights on or after Jan. 1, 2027. The 10 causes include unscheduled maintenance, unruly-passenger removal, cyberattacks and some airport closures. DOT's own analysis expects fewer carrier-provided meals and hotels, but says it cannot reliably estimate by how much. The delay was issued without public comment. Refund rights for cancelled or significantly delayed flights are unchanged.

NAIROBI — The State Department raised its Kenya travel advisory from Level 2 to Level 3, Reconsider Travel, on Oct. 19. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi says the change was made because of health risks. The advisory also cites crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest and traffic safety. It points to a CDC travel health notice for Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in Kenya. A summary of the advisory by a travel-security alert site links the move to imported cases confirmed in Nairobi, the first recorded in Kenya. Those reports tie the cases to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Level 4 Do Not Travel designations remain for the Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera. They also remain for northeastern and coastal counties including Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and Lamu, for parts of Kilifi, and for border zones with Ethiopia. The advisory does not bar travel to the main safari areas.

CAIRNS — The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's October update covered 25 surveyed reefs. It found low to medium bleaching, low to moderate coral damage and disease on two reefs. Separate Eye on the Reef reports showed bleaching on nine of 33 reefs. A Cairns operator predicts mass coral spawning on the nights of 30 and 31 October into 1 November, and on 28 to 30 November, after the full moons on 26 October and 25 November. Divers go in at night, and conditions suit all certification levels. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology confirmed a strong El Niño in August. Australian scientists told SBS it raises bleaching risk this summer. Memphis divers face roughly a full day or more of travel via a U.S. hub and an Australian gateway. Travelers should check Reef Authority updates before booking.

CABO SAN LUCAS — Mexico's Revillagigedo archipelago, known to divers as Socorro, opens its liveaboard season in November. Operators describe a window running to May or June. Early-season trips offer warm water, calm seas and good visibility. Whale sharks are most likely in November and December, and schooling hammerheads are often seen then. Humpback whales arrive from January. Access is by liveaboard only, usually 8 to 10 nights from Cabo San Lucas, with crossings of about 24 hours. Dives run about 18 to 40 meters or deeper, with strong currents. One operator recommends advanced certification and at least 50 dives. The same operator lists fares from $3,695, excluding park fees. Mexico's environment ministry announced an enforcement strategy in July aimed at illegal fishing. From Memphis, expect a connecting flight to San José del Cabo.

POHNPEI — Nauru Airlines restored Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia, to its Central Pacific route this month. The first northbound arrival was set for Friday, Oct. 2. The weekly Boeing 737 flight runs Nauru, Tarawa (Kiribati), Majuro (Marshall Islands) and Pohnpei. The return leaves Pohnpei on Mondays. The airline had dropped Pohnpei and Palau from the Australian-government-backed connector in early July without explaining why. The winter timetable runs to April 2, 2027. Access from Memphis: no nonstop exists. Plan on several connections to reach Brisbane, the airline's Australian gateway, and allow for a weekly schedule, so a missed or cancelled flight can cost a week. The State Department rates the Federated States of Micronesia Level 1, normal precautions, in an advisory reissued July 7. No visa is required for U.S. citizens, and a passport valid six months beyond arrival is needed. Check entry rules separately for Nauru, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.

ANTWERP — From Dec. 14, Eurostar will run up to four direct trains a day from London St Pancras to Antwerp-Centraal. They are added stops on the London–Amsterdam service. The fastest outbound trip takes 2 hours 41 minutes, about 34 minutes less than today's itinerary, which requires a transfer at Brussels-Midi. The return will not be direct. Antwerp has no UK border and customs facilities, and Eurostar says it has no current plans to build them. Passengers heading back must change at Brussels-Midi, where UK checks take place, and can buy a combined Belgian rail and Eurostar ticket. For Memphis travelers there is no nonstop to Belgium. A practical route is a connecting flight to London, Brussels or Amsterdam, then rail. Travelers should check the State Department's current Belgium advisory before booking.