Taylor Swift’s $15M Jet Disguise Failed Instantly, Renting an EV? You’d Better Return It Charged, Delta Passenger Removed for Refusing to Hang Up, and More Travel News!

Here are this week’s travel news headlines from around the web and interweb I found the most interesting. Take a look:

• Taylor Swift Spent $15 Million Overhauling Her Private Jet to Hide From Trackers. It Didn’t Work.

Taylor Swift reportedly spent around $15 million overhauling her Dassault Falcon 7X, changing the paint job and re-registering the aircraft, all in an effort to keep jet-tracking enthusiasts from following her every move. Spoiler: it didn’t work. Aviation geek and serial celebrity jet tracker Jack Sweeney found it within days by simply following the FAA paperwork trail left behind by the registration change. You really can’t hide a plane.

• Renting an EV? You’d Better Return It Charged, or It’s Going to Cost You

If you’re renting an electric vehicle, pay attention to the fine print. Most major rental companies require you to return the car at the same charge level you picked it up at, and fees for not doing so start around $35. Avis and Budget will charge you up to $70 if you bring it back below 10%. Hertz is a bit more lenient, but you’ll still pay $25 to $60 depending on how low the battery is. Worth knowing before you pull into the return lane and realize you’re running on fumes.

• FedEx Is Bringing Its Grounded MD-11 Cargo Jets Back Into Service This Month

FedEx is targeting a return to service for its fleet of 29 MD-11 freighters by May 31, after the aircraft were grounded following the fatal crash of a UPS MD-11 in Louisville last November that killed 15 people. FedEx COO Richard Smith recently said the planes are “ready to go.” UPS, by contrast, decided to retire its entire MD-11 fleet. These are 30-plus year old tri-engine planes, so it’s notable that FedEx is betting on them for a few more years while it waits for newer aircraft deliveries.

• Carnival Corporation Is Investigating a Potential Data Breach Involving 8.7 Million Records

Ugg – Yet another one! The hacker group ShinyHunters claims to have stolen 8.7 million records from Carnival Corporation, which operates Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, and Cunard, among others. The group posted the company on their “pay or leak” portal and gave Carnival until April 21 to respond. Carnival confirmed a phishing incident involving a single account and said it’s working with cybersecurity experts to assess the scope. The full extent of any customer data exposure is still unknown. If you’ve cruised with any of Carnival’s brands recently, it’s worth keeping an eye on your accounts.

• Royal Caribbean Just Ordered Two More Icon Class Ships

Royal Caribbean confirmed orders for a sixth and seventh Icon Class ship from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, set for delivery in 2029 and 2030. The Icon Class is already home to Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, with Legend of the Seas debuting this July, Hero of the Seas coming in 2027, and a fifth ship arriving in 2028. These are the largest cruise ships in the world, and Royal Caribbean is showing no signs of hitting the brakes. The partnership with Meyer Turku now locks in shipbuilding capacity all the way through 2036.

• Take a Tour of Delta’s New “Distinctly Delta” Uniforms

Delta unveiled its new uniform collection, called “Distinctly Delta,” which brings back the airline’s classic navy and red color palette after years of the divisive purple “Passport Plum” look. The collection was designed with input from 65,000 employees and includes pieces from Lands’ End, Missoni accessories, and even brings back the beloved wrap dress. Wear testing begins this summer, with a full rollout to all employees in 2027.

• This 9-Seat Hybrid Plane Takes Off in 50 Meters, and Norway Wants to Use It to Connect Remote Communities

Norway is launching a test project for a hybrid short take-off and landing aircraft called the Electra Ultra Short EL9, a nine-passenger plane that can lift off in as little as 50 meters and doesn’t need a conventional runway. Think parking lots and drone pads. Norway wants to use it to connect people in remote areas who currently face hours-long car or ferry journeys. Testing starts in 2027 at smaller airports in Northern Norway before expanding to non-airport locations. In a long, sparsely populated country like Norway, this kind of regional aviation could be a genuine game changer. The takeoff video of the plane is simply wild!

• Passenger Removed From Delta Flight at Miami After Refusing to Get Off His Phone

A passenger on Delta Flight 1323 out of Miami bound for Atlanta refused repeated crew requests to hang up his phone call before takeoff. The captain delayed the entire flight, fellow passengers grew increasingly frustrated on video (“Just rip him off the plane, he’s in the front row!”), and the guy was eventually removed. The flight took off an hour late. There’s really no excuse for this kind of thing. Every other passenger on that plane had somewhere to be. And, yes, there is video of the idiot.

• TSA Told an Oscar Winner His Trophy Was a Weapon. Now It’s Missing.

Pavel Talankin, co-director of this year’s Best Documentary Feature winner “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” had flown more than a dozen times with his Oscar since March without a single issue. Then at JFK’s Terminal 1 on Wednesday, a TSA agent decided the 8.5-pound statuette was a potential weapon and refused to let him carry it on board. Lufthansa put it in a cardboard box and checked it under the plane. It never came out the other side. As of this writing, Lufthansa says it has located the Oscar in Frankfurt and is working to return it to Talankin. But the fact that it went missing at all after TSA forced him to check it in the first place? Not a great look for anyone involved.

Were there any crazy or interesting travel news stories you found interesting that I missed? If so please drop a comment below and include a link to the story! – René