And other news stories.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: A heart-warming story of a United Airlines pilot meeting the donor who saved his life; Malaysia renews the search for MH370; and Delta gave a seat to a dog over a person.
Dive into these and more as we explore the week’s five most intriguing, under-the-radar travel news.
NO.1
MALAYSIA GREENLIGHTS SEARCH FOR MISSING FLIGHT MH370
It has been more than 10 years since Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board. Though it’s speculated that it crashed somewhere in the Indian Ocean, it still remains an enduring mystery. Now the Malaysian government is renewing the search–it has given the contract to Texas-based Ocean Infinity to find the aircraft. It will work on a no-find, no-fee contract, so the company won’t get paid unless the aircraft is found. It will receive $70 million if it’s successful.
Ocean Infinity conducted a similar search in 2018, but after four months, the search was called off. The disappearance of the Boeing plane resulted in a multinational effort that lasted two years and cost over $150 million. Experts believe that the plane is somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean, and some parts have washed ashore in Africa over the years, attesting to the theory.
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NO.2
SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN BRAZIL, KILLS 10
A small plane crashed in the southern city of Gramado in Brazil on Sunday. All 10 onboard were killed, and at least 17 people on the ground were injured. The incident happened shortly after takeoff when the plane fell and hit a building’s chimney and then a residence. The cause hasn’t been revealed, but preliminary reports said that there was ice buildup on the plane.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered his condolences on X, and said, “The Air Force is investigating the causes of the accident and the federal government is at the disposal of the state government and local authorities to clarify the situation as soon as possible.”
NO.3
UNRULY PASSENGER DIES ON CRUISE
An unidentified unruly passenger aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas died after he was restrained by crew members. In a video from December 13, the 35-year-old man is seen kicking a door to allegedly attack a crew member. Another passenger said that the man threatened to kill them and he was drunk and violent. He was restrained and died on board while the ship was docked in Los Angeles. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the cause of death is not yet known.
NO.4
A PASSENGER LOSES FIRST CLASS SEAT TO A DOG
A Delta Air Lines passenger was apparently upstaged by a dog. On Reddit, user ben_bob shared that the airline upgraded him for his flight, only to downgrade him 15 minutes later. The problem was he got a worse seat than the one he’d initially booked. When he boarded, he saw that the upgraded seat went to a dog. “I immediately chat with Delta support and they say ‘you may be relocated for service animals’ and there is nothing they can do.” The upset flyer exclaimed that he was a loyal customer, but he was questioning his allegiance.
Some people were sympathetic, while a few dog lovers took the other side. One said, “I’d give him your seat too.” Meanwhile, Delta said that they were aware of the complaint and they were looking into it. “Service animals are routinely accommodated on Delta without impacting customer seat assignments,” the airline said in a statement to People.
NO.5
UNITED PILOT SURPRISES DONOR WHO SAVED HIS LIFE
In a sweet moment from last week, a pilot crossed paths with a person who donated bone marrow to him, and the two reunited. United pilot David Whitson flew from Dallas to Houston only to realize that his donor, Alexandria Reimold, was boarding a flight at the same airport to Newark. He rushed to her flight and on the PA system, he shared his story with other passengers. The moment was caught on video as he comes to hug her and tells those around them that she’s a true hero, with passengers around them applauding.
It was almost eight years to the day when the transplant happened on December 21, 2016.
@dailymail On a flight in Houston, Texas, a United Airlines pilot reunited with the woman who donated bone marrow to him eight years ago. ‘The young lady that saved my life,’ the pilot announced to the passengers in a hearwarming video. 🎥 Laura LoGiudice via Storyful #plane #donner #unitedairlines #texas ♬ this feeling – Øneheart
Reimold registered as a donor when she was 18 years old and donated her bone marrow when she got a call four years later in 2016. Whitson had acute myeloid leukemia, and even his own brother wasn’t a match for the transplant, but Reimold’s donation saved his life. He recovered, and first met Reimold in 2018 and kept in touch. The pilot added Reimold to his travel benefits from the airline, and thus, he surprises her at airports whenever he gets a chance, and she also thinks of him whenever she’s flying. Now 30 years old and a PhD, she works as a cancer prevention public health researcher at the University of California, CNN reported.
