And other travel news stories.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: a Japanese town has introduced new measures to limit tourist numbers; another stowaway somehow made it onto a flight; and plane crashes in South Korea and Kazakhstan end the year on a tragic note.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
PLANE CRASH IN SOUTH KOREA KILLS 179
A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, Thailand, failed to land safely at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday, resulting in the worst crash in the country in nearly three decades. There were 181 people on board; only two people survived–crew members positioned in the tail of the plane.
In video footage of the fatal crash, the plane is seen belly-landing on the runway without any landing gear. It collided with an embankment and burst into flames. Just minutes before, air traffic control had cleared the pilots to land the plane and then warned about bird activity. The pilots reported that the plane had struck a bird and requested permission to land from the opposite direction after aborting the initial landing attempt. However, the plane hit the ground without wheels or landing gear—it is not known why the landing gear did not deploy.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. Two black boxes have been retrieved, but decoding them may take months. The airline and the aircraft both have a strong safety record.
NO.2
29 SURVIVE AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES PLANE CRASH
On Christmas Day, Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 en route to Russia crashed in Kazakhstan. The flight, originating from Baku, Azerbaijan, was carrying 67 passengers, nationals of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It was diverted to Grozny, Russia, and was heading to Aktau, Kazakhstan, when it crashed two miles from the airport.
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Thirty-eight people died in the crash, but miraculously, 29 people survived. The pilots, who did not survive, are credited with saving passengers by landing part of the plane.
The cause of the crash is being investigated, but aviation experts have alleged Russian involvement, claiming their missiles hit the plane. Survivors reported hearing two explosions before the plane crash-landed. Russia has apologized for the incident but has not taken accountability, and Russian media have suggested a bird strike as a possible cause. An official investigation is ongoing.
NO.3
DELTA APOLOGIZES FOR ALLOWING A SECOND STOWAWAY PASSENGER ON BOARD
On Christmas Eve, a ticketless passenger boarded a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Honolulu, bypassing security and gate agents. The passenger was discovered as the plane was taxiing, and the aircraft returned to the gate. Before the passenger could be arrested, they fled and hid in a restroom but was eventually apprehended.
This marks the second incident in a month where a security lapse has been reported on a Delta flight, following a passenger who flew to Paris from New York during the Thanksgiving weekend without a ticket. The airline apologized to its customers for the delay caused by the occurrence and thanked them for their patience. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reviewing the incident because the passenger managed to clear security without a boarding pass.
Related: How Did a Passenger Fly to Paris From New York WITHOUT a Ticket?
NO.4
LA-Z-BOY PETITION TO STOP RECLINING SEATS GETS 186,000 SIGNATURES
Whether passengers should recline their airplane seats is a high-debated, very contentious topic among frequent fliers. Passengers find it irritating, especially as shrinking seats can cause trays to hit them in the chest or topple drinks if someone reclines too quickly or too far. So, furniture company La-Z-Boy, which is known for its reclining chair, has started a petition to stop the practice, which has garnered 186,000 signatures thus far.
A video launched in November as part of the marketing campaign urges people to recline at home, not on flights. The petition to ban reclining sends the message that passengers need to do the upright thing.
NO.5
JAPANESE ONSEN TOWN LIMITS TOURISTS DUE TO TOURIST CHAOS
Ginzan Onsen, a popular Japanese destination known for its hot springs, has struggled to manage the influx of tourists. Starting January 7, 2025, daytrippers who come for a dip and the views after 5 p.m. will need to purchase a ticket (1,150 yen or about $7), and those without hotel bookings will not be allowed to enter after 8 p.m. Cars will be parked at a tourist center, and shuttle buses will transport tourists to the town (included in the ticket price).
The city, which is roughly 250 miles from Tokyo, is implementing the new rules because parking has become a nightmare during the busy winter season, and tourists have been fighting and breaking rules over the best spots. Hiroyuki Ishii from the Ginzan Onsen Overtourism Measures Project Office told CNN, “The area for taking photos is narrow, and sometimes visitors have a dispute with each other, telling them to move out of the way. There have been times when people almost fell into the river after bumping into each other.”
Related: This Kyoto Neighborhood Is Banning Out-of-Control Tourists
