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Breaking News

• American Airlines limits bags on DR flights
  15 January 2010 x Close
  A strict restriction on excess, oversized, or overweight bags will be put into effect aboard all American Airlines flights to the Dominican Republic until 14 February. The airline said it is considering the needs of all passengers and there are limits to how much baggage it can carry in cabins but did not state a reason for the decision. The 30-day bag embargo will apply to flights to Santo Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic as well as Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola after services resume to the earthquake -ravaged city. Read More at MSN Travel
• Air Canada to launch more US flights
  01 February 2010 x Close
  Canadian national carrier Air Canada will be offering new flights from its Toronto base to a range of US destinations. The airline’s summer schedule will feature services to seven new destinations in the United States - Santa Ana and San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; Memphis, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; Portland, Maine and Syracuse, New York. All the routes will operate on a daily basis and will be scheduled to allow connections with other domestic and international Air Canada flights. Read More at Just the Flight
• Harry Potter theme park close to completion
  02 February 2010 x Close
  The new Harry Potter theme park located in Florida is close to completion and is scheduled to be opened in early spring. The 20-acre park, which is in the Universal Orlando Resort, is estimated to have cost upwards of £160 million, and will offer guests a tour of Hogwarts Castle, a visit to Ollivander's wand shop and the chance to drink some real-life butter beer. Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has said: "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed." Read More at UK Telegraph
• Continental increases flights from London to New York
  02 February 2010 x Close
  Continental Airlines will be offering more flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to New York in 2010. The airline will add a fourth daily connection to its hub at Newark Liberty Airport from 27 March, with a fifth daily service set to be introduced from 30 October, bringing the total number of daily departures from Heathrow to seven, with two services to Houston currently available from the base. Read More at Just the Flight
• Fumes mid-flight prompt emergency landing
  02 February 2010 x Close
  St. Lucia-bound American Airlines jet landed safely in Turks and Caicos after the crew smelled fumes during the flight. The plane had been travelling from Miami to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia when it made the unscheduled stop around 12pm on Monday afternoon. All 109 passengers on board the plane were safely evacuated and mechanics are still investigating the cause of the fumes on the Boeing 737-800. Read More at MSN
• Oklahoma storm death toll reaches 7
  02 February 2010 x Close
  The death toll from a powerful, multistate storm climbed to seven, after it hit Oklahoma last week Thursday. By Sunday night, more than 79,000 homes and businesses were still without power, mostly in the southwestern part of the state. Seven people in Oklahoma were killed by the storm. Freezing fog advisory signals that light ice accumulation from freezing fog is expected, and that visibility will be limited to a half-mile or less. Travellers in the area are urged to monitor local advisories. Read More at CNN
• Unruly passenger flying high
  04 February 2010 x Close
  According to reports, a San Francisco man was allegedly high on a double dose of medical marijuana cookies when he allegedly attacked crew members and forced the diversion of a US Airways flight to Pittsburgh. The plane was en route from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on Sunday, 31 January, when he began screaming in the restroom, and began to fight with crew members who tried to get him to sit. The man was arrested there and jailed until a federal magistrate freed him on bond Tuesday. Read More at MSN
• Boeing reveals Dreamliner interior
  05 February 2010 x Close
  Aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, recently revealed the first interior layout for the Dreamliner on its third test-flight aircraft. The new plane was equipped with a partial interior that offered a look at some of the features and provisions that will be available to passengers. Arches have been installed in the 787 to provide a unique welcome onto the aircraft, along with larger luggage bins and lavatories, a "dynamic" lighting scheme and electronic window shades with adjustable transparency. The Dreamliner is set to be delivered to its first corporate customer in the fourth quarter of this year and airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand and United Airlines are among the carriers that have placed orders for the plane. Read More at Just the Flight
• Winter storm expected to hit US East Coast
  05 February 2010 x Close
  Heavy snowfall is expected in the states of Virginia to New Jersey this weekend when a severe winter storm is expected to strike the East Coast of the United States. Travel delays and disruptions, including road closures and numerous flight delays and cancellations, are anticipated. A number of airlines have advised travellers to rebook flights and warned of large-scale cancellations, especially at airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Travellers are advised to monitor local media for updates. Read More at USA Today
• More snowfall set for Eastern US
  08 February 2010 x Close
  After a historic snowstorm hit the United States East coast this weekend, the National Weather Service has issued a storm watch for the Washington area for Tuesday, saying there is potential for another five inches of snow. Hundreds of homes were left without power after 3 feet (1m) of snow fell over the weekend. Over a foot of snow fell in parts of Ohio, and more than two feet fell in Washington, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Read More at Sky
• American Airlines to charge for blankets and pillows
  09 February 2010 x Close
  American Airlines is set to charge $8 for blankets and pillows in coach class for domestic trips and some international flights longer than two hours, beginning 1 May. The fee will come into effect on international flights to and from Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Central America. Some items will remain free in premium-class and on some international flights. JetBlue and US Airways charge $7 for a blanket-and-pillow set, with US Airways adding eye shades and earplugs. Read More at MSN
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport terminal evacuated
  09 February 2010 x Close
  A section of a terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport was evacuated on Monday, 8 February after a man without a boarding pass walked through a passenger screening checkpoint and refused to obey security officers. According to reports, the man walked through the checkpoint and a metal detector with his hands in his pockets. An alarm was activated and a section of that terminal was then evacuated. Officials attempted to discharge a Taser at the man, which had no effect on him, before wrestling him to the ground. The breach followed a boost in airline and airports security after a Nigerian man allegedly tried to ignite a bomb on a Christmas Day flight to Detroit from Amsterdam Read More at MSN

Overview

The Star-Spangled Banner © Free Digital Photos

America was stumbled upon by Columbus in 1492 and for more than 500 years people have travelled here seeking a better life in the 'land of opportunity'. The land was fought over by colonial powers for centuries and finally won its independence from Britain in 1783. Despite the near annihilation of the Native American population, one of the bloodiest civil wars the world had seen, and ingrained racism (Native Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924 and racial segregation was the norm until as late as the 1950s), the American people have succeeded in forging one of the worlds most united, democratic and tolerant nations, a fascinating melting-pot of cultures, and the undisputed military and economic heavyweight of the world.

The country is made up of 48 neighbouring states of the continental USA, plus the huge state of Alaska, northwest of Canada, and the volcanic islands of Hawaii, 2,000 miles (3,219km) out into the Pacific. There are also the US territories, which include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Midway Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Tourism is focused mainly in the great cities such as New York and Washington, as well as sunshine states such as California, Florida and Hawaii where millions of tourists congregate each year to enjoy the fine beaches, natural wonders and man-made attractions such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and Hollywood. Too many miss out on the mind-blowing landscapes of the interior which can found in the wealth of magnificent National Parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Adirondacks, as well as spectacular sights like the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains. With all this on their doorstep, it's easy to understand why most Americans have never bothered getting a passport.