Travel

NEW YORK — Third-quarter reports from the big U.S. carriers show a split between revenue and profit. Airfares rose 22% year over year in September, the tenth straight monthly increase, according to Axios. Jet fuel is the cause. American said its fuel bill jumped nearly 70%, adding $1.9 billion in costs. Delta expects fuel to cost $6 billion more this year than last. Delta cut its 2026 earnings forecast to $5.10-$5.60 a share, down from $6.50-$7.50 in July, and it missed Wall Street estimates for the first time in two years, CNBC reported. Southwest's average fare climbed 26.9% to $231.69, before fees. United CEO Scott Kirby said there will be less loss-making flying across the industry. That points to possible capacity cuts on thinner routes, which can affect mid-sized airports such as Memphis. No specific Memphis cuts have been announced.

DUBAI — KLM has extended its suspension of Amsterdam-Dubai flights through March 27, 2027, covering the full winter season. It has also cancelled Riyadh and Dammam service through November 27, Time Out Dubai reported. The Dutch airline joins Wizz Air, Cathay Pacific, United, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Finnair and Luxair in pushing back its return. United, which stopped flying to Dubai in February, now plans to restart Newark-Dubai nonstops in March 2027 and is offering refunds on affected bookings. Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths has said foreign carriers are struggling to obtain insurance for operations there. Emirates and flydubai continue to fly their normal networks. Gulf News separately reports that Etihad has cancelled Abu Dhabi flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah through November 5, and that the UK has widened its regional warnings to cover people transiting the Gulf.

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — Komodo National Park is at a seasonal turning point. Operator guides put the best diving months at April through November, but one liveaboard operator says the main season ends around October as boats reposition east to Raja Ampat. Another operator guide says November conditions open up South Komodo, where cold upwellings bring macro life and manta rays. Manta Point, in central Komodo, is run as an Open Water-level trip by one operator. The northern drift sites, including the Cauldron (also called Shotgun), are strong-current dives where one guide advises a reef hook. Undercurrent's October issue carries a piece on Indonesian currents. Foreign divers pay a flat IDR 250,000 daily entry plus a IDR 25,000 diving surcharge, according to one liveaboard operator. Another operator describes a 1,000-visitor daily cap and mandatory SiORA booking, and says talks continue on exempting divers from the cap. From Memphis there is no direct service. Expect connections through a U.S. hub, Asia, then Bali or Jakarta and a domestic flight to Labuan Bajo, over 30 hours.

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Off Hawaii's Kona coast, divers kneel on a sandy bottom around a ring of upward-pointing lights that draw plankton, and reef manta rays feed overhead. Operators say they do not bait the animals. They report sighting rates of 80 to 90 percent and a resident population of more than 450 identified mantas. The dive is shallow, about 25 to 40 feet, and lasts roughly an hour. It suits certified divers with steady buoyancy, and one operator says a brand-new Open Water diver may find it a stretch. Because the mantas are residents, the dive runs all year. One operator guide describes October and November as calm and less crowded than summer or the holidays. Undercurrent's homepage features a 4-star reader report filed October 22 on Puako Dive Adventures, with a verdict of good diving and mantas. Jack's Diving Locker lists a 3 p.m. meeting time for the afternoon-and-night trip from October through March. Memphis has no nonstop to Kona, so expect a connection at a western hub and a long travel day.

SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will fly nonstop between Seattle and Papeete three times a week, year-round, starting June 11, 2027, on Hawaiian A330 jets. Flights leave Seattle Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 11:55 p.m. and land in Tahiti at 7:20 a.m. The airlines promise same-day connections to Moorea and Bora Bora. French Polynesia spans 118 islands and atolls, including the little-visited Tuamotus and Marquesas. The $999 introductory round-trip fare expired Oct. 26, and the routes await government approval. From Memphis there is no direct service, so travelers would connect to Seattle or another West Coast gateway. The State Department rates French Polynesia Level 1, normal precautions. It notes that beaches are rarely patrolled, police response outside Tahiti may be slow, and medical-evacuation insurance is strongly advised. U.S. citizens need no visa for 90 days.

PORTO — TAP Air Portugal began twice-weekly nonstop flights between Porto and Sal, Cabo Verde, on Oct. 25. Flights leave Porto on Thursdays and Sundays at 8:50 p.m. and arrive after midnight. Return fares start at €219. Sal is the archipelago's resort island and the usual entry point for exploring the others, including Santo Antão's hiking country and Fogo's volcano. Memphis has no direct service, so travelers would cross the Atlantic through a European hub such as Porto or Lisbon. The State Department rates Cabo Verde Level 1 but urges increased caution in Praia over crime. It also warns of strong currents and drownings off Santiago and Sal, no hyperbaric chambers for divers, and tremors on Fogo, which is an active volcano. It says the tourism industry is poorly regulated and recommends medical-evacuation insurance.