The holidays are expected to be extremely busy, according to the Transportation Security Administration. A fortunate few will be among the millions of people returning home without their bags as they head back from their Thanksgiving vacations.

Where do all those misplaced bags wind up, next? Journalist Melanie Peeples set out to investigate. All suitcases that are misplaced by US airlines and are not picked up by their owners ultimately arrive at Unclaimed Baggage.

In Scottsboro, Alabama, it occupies an entire city block and is a massive store. Every day, 7,000 new things are added to the inventory. And all of it is offered at a steep discount.

It is set up like a department store, with bookshelves filled with books and clothing and shoes around because, let’s face it, who hasn’t misplaced a book on a plane? But the jackpot is just up these stairs.

The mezzanine is the most crowded part of the store. Thus, this is where our electronics division is located. However, things up here are even more fascinating. It functions as follows: Up to three months are spent by the airline attempting to return a misplaced suitcase or pole-vaulting shipping container to its owner. However, the airline gives up after three months and compensates the owner back up to $3,800.

Statistically speaking, 99.5% of checked luggage on airlines does not disappear. All of it just adds up to a lot—the 0.5% that does.

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British Airways Executive Club Avios can now be redeemed by members who spend money at London Heathrow’s World Duty Free shops.

Across all Heathrow terminals, customers can now earn one Avios for every £1 spent in any World Duty Free shop, covering everything from skincare and sunglasses to fashion and fragrances.

Before beginning to accrue points, Members must confirm that they have enrolled in Red by Dufry, the World Duty Free loyalty programme, and have input their Executive Club information into the Red by Dufry application.

After every eligible purchase, Avios will be awarded within 72 hours, with the first transaction offering a bonus of 250 Avios. In order to accrue even more ba avios, savvy consumers can also pay with their British Airways american express avios.

The British Airways Executive Club is always changing to improve the value of earning and using Avios. The airline launched its first avios points routes earlier this year, and it was revealed that avios british airways could be used to buy British Airways Vacation packages. eBay was added to the list of more than 1,500 retailers on shopping.ba.com in September, and new retailers are still joining them.

Shoppers at World Duty-Free stores in Spain can also earn one Avios for every €1 spent if they are members of the Iberia Plus loyalty programme. For more information, including details on eligible purchases and terms and conditions, please visit: www.ba.com/executive-club/collecting-avios/shopping/dufry

According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia has announced that it will no longer require entry visas for Indian nationals visiting the country as of December 1.

Following Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Thailand, Malaysia is now the fourth nation to declare visa-free travel. According to the report, Malaysia’s economy depends on more visitors and their spending.

Anwar last month declared that he would be enhancing visa procedures for travelers and investors in order to promote their entry, “particularly from China and India,” in the upcoming year.

The decision was made in an effort to strengthen the country’s tourism sector, which is primarily composed of Chinese and Indian travelers worldwide.

Anwar stated during his People’s Justice Party’s annual congress in Putrajaya on Sunday that Indian nationals could enter Malaysia without a visa for a maximum of 30 days. He said there would be security screening on this.

Government figures show that between January and June of this year, Malaysia recorded 9.16 million tourist arrivals, of which 498,540 came from China and 283,885 from India. Prior to the pandemic, during the same period in 2019, there were 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India.

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China announced on Friday that, in an effort to attract more visitors for business and tourism, it will grant visa-free entry to citizens of five European nations as well as Malaysia.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysian nationals will be able to enter China without a visa for a maximum of 15 days as of December 1. The trial programme will run for a full year.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the goal is “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world.”

Norway’s citizens are now able to travel to 54 countries without a visa, according to a recent expansion by China earlier this month. In October, China’s aviation regulations announced that in the following five months, there will be 16,680 weekly flights, with passenger flights accounting for 71% of all flights four years prior.

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A new commercial partnership between United Airlines, Deutsche Bahn, and Lufthansa Group will provide customers flying between Germany and the United States with more options and better connectivity.

United customers traveling via Frankfurt Airport between Germany and the United States will be able to book integrated rail and air journeys with just one single transaction, one combined fare, and one single ticket as of November 22, 2023, with regard to the new arrangement.

Consumers will be able to connect to destinations throughout the Americas from 25 cities* in Germany, Basel, Switzerland, and the United’s hubs in New York/Newark, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Denver, and San Francisco, among other places.

Benefits to customers include the opportunity to check in with boarding passes for both the rail and the air sectors, priority baggage handling and additional services in the AiRail check-in area at Frankfurt Airport.

Additionally, customers of United MileagePlusSM can accrue miles for rail trips made as part of a combined rail/air ticket. Transfer and connection protection are also included in case of delays and breakdowns. Customers who meet the requirements can also access Deutsche Bahn lounges.

Do you have plans to travel more in the upcoming year, or are you thinking about your next trip? British Airways has today announced the findings of a survey which reveals over a quarter of Americans are planning to travel more than ever before in 2024.

In 2024, 34% of Americans plan to travel to new places, with nearly two-thirds stating they have made a resolution to increase their travels since the pandemic. Nearly a quarter (23%) say they would rather take advantage of the opportunity to break new ground, make travel plans, and not postpone them.

Europe is the destination that the majority of Americans (67%) intend to travel to in the new year, with movie and TV locations having the greatest influence on travel plans (22%). However, only 25% of Canadians say they plan to travel more in 2024, with social media being their primary source of inspiration (27%).

Travelers can now realize their dream vacation with savings of up to $600** thanks to British Airways’ Black Friday vacation sale. Booking travel to the UK, Europe, and beyond before June 30, 2024, will result in significant savings on round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.

For example, round-trip flights to London and five nights at a hotel start at $849 per person, and round-trip flights to Barcelona start at $699 per person. Tuesday, November 28 is the last day of the sale. For the New Year, there are also fantastic flight offers available, such as round-trip World Traveller (economy) tickets from New York to London for just $637*.

For the full list of Black Friday offers, visit ba.com/sale.