Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.
In travel news this week: airlines sued for selling windowless “window seats,” venomous sea slugs close down a beach in Spain, plus why US influencers are flocking to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Public transport etiquette
“Bare beating”: so amusing in name, so annoying in practice.
We reported back in May on “bare beating,” the growing trend of playing music or video out loud on public transport. A backlash was underway, with an opposition political party in the UK calling for the government to issue fines to offenders.
Now, a major European rail operator, Ireland’s Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), has warned customers that its train inspectors will issue €100 fines for etiquette crimes such as playing music without earphones, vaping and putting bags or feet on seats, The Journal reports.
The fines are based on existing by-laws, established in 1984, which, among other fine print, prohibit the use of “any gramophone (…) or portable wireless or television apparatus (…) to the annoyance of any other person.”
“Social norms appear to be clashing on the issue of audio playing out loud,” Irish Rail Communications Manager Barry Kenny told The Journal. “It’s not going to put your safety at risk, but it disturbs in what every other aspect might be a very enjoyable journey.”
Airline passenger experience
Millions of Delta and United passengers are saying that they didn’t get the enjoyable journey they hoped for with the airlines. More than a million passengers from each carrier are claiming that they paid extra money to sit in window seats, but on board found themselves seated next to a blank wall.
Proposed class actions were filed separately against both airlines this week, with millions of dollars of damages being sought.
Nara Lee, from South Korea, and Barry Collins, from the UK, had much more felicitous travel experiences. They are two of the 900 frequent flyer “millionaires” created by airline SAS when it switched airline alliance in late 2024. The pair revealed to CNN how they spent days in the sky to earn $10,000 worth of airline points.
Kyle Olson, editor of travel products at our partners CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, used 7,000 credit card points to fly from London to San Francisco this summer. Here’s how he did it.
Peril at sea
Globally, around 300,000 people a year die by drowning. Hurricane Erin is moving away from the United States, but as it’s still churning up the Atlantic ocean, rip currents remain a risk.
Here’s how to remain safe from drowning hazards and avoid becoming a statistic.
Beaches in the tourist hotspot of Guardamar del Segura in southeastern Spain were closed this week for a different reason.
Two venomous sea slugs, just 1.2 inches long but packing enough poison to paralyze prey 300 times its size, were discovered in the water. Take a look at the little critters here.
Finally, a passenger was injured earlier this month aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, after an acrylic waterslide cracked open. The adult guest received medical attention and the slide aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was closed for the remainder of the sailing.
Influencers flock to Afghanistan
<div data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/cmen1kq1g000k3b6nmbcrkca0@published" data-component-name="video-resource" data-editable="settings" class="video-resource-elevate" data-fixed-ratio="16×9" data-canonical-url-path="/2025/08/18/travel/video/afghanistan-influencers-isobel-yeung" data-parent-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/cme1nj6i600003b5uhmisoqun@published" data-video-id="meb3913f9c2c3baef594a045049f50e5e217095a40" data-media-id="meb3913f9c2c3baef594a045049f50e5e217095a40" data-bolt-id="" data-live="" data-analytics-aggregate-events="true" data-custom-experience="" data-asset-type="hlsTs" data-auth-type="none" data-content-type="mediasource-clip" data-medium-env="" data-autostart="disabled" data-show-ads="false" data-source="CNN" data-featured-video="true" data-headline="Influencers are flocking to the Taliban’s Afghanistan" data-has-video-player="true" data-description="<p>Four years after the Taliban took power, influencers are traveling to Afghanistan in droves. CNN's Isobel Yeung met up in Kabul with Keith Sinclair, who’s driving his car around the world.</p>" data-duration="04:15" data-source-html='<span class="video-resource__source"> – Source:
<a target="_self" href="https://www.cnn.com/" class="video-resource__source-url">CNN</a>
</span>' data-fave-thumbnails='{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/influencer0.jpg?c=16×9" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/influencer0.jpg?c=16×9" } }' data-vr-video="false" data-show-html="” data-byline-html='<div
data-uri=”cms.cnn.com/_components/byline/instances/cme1nj6qk00043b5u47ipyd39@published”
data-component-name=”byline”
class=”byline-elevate vossi-byline”
data-editable=”settings”
>
<div class=”byline__authors byline__authors–hide-all-images”>By Mick Krever and <div class=”byline__author”><a class=”byline__image-link vossi-byline__link” href=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/isobel-yeung><span><img height=”50″ width=”50″ class=”byline__image” src=”https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/t1cnnblackbadge.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill/c_thumb,g_face,w_50,h_50″ alt=”” onerror=”imageLoadError(this)”/></span></a><a class=”byline__link vossi-byline__link” href=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/isobel-yeung><span class=”byline__name”>Isobel Yeung</span></a></div></div>
</div>’ data-timestamp-html='<div
class=”timestamp-elevate vossi-timestamp”
data-uri=”cms.cnn.com/_components/timestamp/instances/cme1nj6q000023b5ugd8vpqmq@published”
data-editable=”settings”
>
<div class=”timestamp__container”>
<span class=”timestamp__time-since” data-first-publish=”2025-08-23T06:00:42.724Z” data-last-publish=”2025-08-23T06:00:42.724Z”></span>
<span class=”timestamp__expand-btn”></span>
</div>
<div class=”timestamp__details”>
<div class=”timestamp__published”>PUBLISHED Aug 23, 2025, 2:00 AM ET</div>
</div>
</div>’ data-check-event-based-preview=”” data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id=”” data-publish-date=”2025-08-18T10:40:09.281Z” data-video-section=”travel” data-canonical-url=”https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/18/travel/video/afghanistan-influencers-isobel-yeung” data-branding-key=”” data-video-slug=”afghanistan-influencers-isobel-yeung-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”afghanistan-influencers-isobel-yeung” data-video-tags=”” data-breakpoints='{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}’ data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details=””>
The US has warned its citizens not to travel to Afghanistan, but four years after the Taliban took power, influencers are traveling there in droves. CNN’s Isobel Yeung met up in Kabul with Keith Sinclair, who’s driving his car around the world.
In case you missed it
The hidden “eagle’s nest” city that Alexander the Great couldn’t conquer.
Termessos gets few visitors but is an archaeological marvel.
This is the only place in the world where you can legally buy dynamite.
They call it “The Mountain that Eats Men.”
Many US retirees are looking to move abroad.
Here are the best countries for them.
He warned overtourism was coming.