A Delta Pilot Was Warned About a Possible Rocket Launcher on Final Approach to LaGuardia — It Was a Hoax, and a Man Was Dragged Into the Sea and Killed by a Crocodile at a Marriott Resort Beach in Mexico — Plus 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:

• A Delta Pilot Was Warned About a Possible Rocket Launcher Mid-Approach to LaGuardia. It Was a Hoax, But Still.

Buckle up for this one. Delta Flight 2604, arriving from Detroit with over 100 passengers on board, was on approach to LaGuardia last Wednesday when air traffic control issued a MANPAD alert at 8:27 p.m. “MANPAD alert issued at LaGuardia Airport. Use extreme caution,” the controller warned. The pilot, clearly caught off guard, asked what a MANPAD was. The tower explained it stood for a man-portable air defense system. “Basically, it was a report of a rocket launcher,” the controller added. Port Authority police responded immediately and determined within about a minute that it was a hoax called in by an anonymous tipster. “No need to respond, Delta 2604,” the controller followed up. “Non-credible threat.” The flight landed safely. It was a hoax, but the idea that an anonymous caller can trigger a mid-approach rocket launcher alert at one of the busiest airports in the country is genuinely unsettling. There is audio of the exchange and yes, it is as alarming to hear as it sounds.

• You Asked for a Car Rental Upgrade. Now You’re Being Charged for It. Here’s Why.

USA Today consumer travel columnist Christopher Elliott tackles a sneaky trend that has been catching travelers off guard: rental car companies offering what sounds like a complimentary upgrade at the counter, only for a fee to appear on the final bill days later. The trick is in the framing. The agent says “I can move you up to a larger vehicle” without making it clear that accepting the offer triggers an additional daily charge on top of your original rate. By the time the credit card statement arrives, you’re hundreds of dollars deeper than expected. Elliott’s advice: if you didn’t ask for an upgrade and you didn’t explicitly agree to a price for one, dispute the charge with your credit card company. And always ask “is this at no additional cost?” before accepting anything at a rental counter.

• A 28-Year-Old Man Was Dragged Into the Sea and Killed by a Crocodile at a Marriott Resort Beach in Puerto Vallarta

Irving Mauricio, 28, was on the beach in front of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa around 6 p.m. on June 27 when he was attacked by a crocodile and dragged into the water. His body was recovered the following morning about 300 meters offshore after an overnight search. The Marriott said it had warning signs posted, red flags in place, and night patrols active. Local authorities reminded the public that the resort fronts an estuary and mangrove area where wildlife is known to be active, and that those warnings should be taken seriously. This is a deeply sad story, and it’s a reminder that certain resort beaches in Mexico sit directly adjacent to crocodile habitat. If you see a warning sign on a beach anywhere near mangroves or estuaries, please take it seriously.

• Garuda Indonesia Is Switching to a Piece-Based Baggage Policy Starting September 1, and Business Class Passengers Get Up to 64kg

Starting September 1, Garuda Indonesia is replacing its weight-based baggage system with a piece-based model, bringing it in line with most international carriers. Economy class passengers on domestic routes get one bag up to 23kg; on international routes they get two bags up to 23kg each. Business and first class passengers get two bags up to 32kg each on any route, for a maximum of 64kg. Any ticket issued before September 1 keeps the old allowance, even if travel is after the switchover date. Worth knowing if you’re flying Garuda this fall or connecting onto a partner airline, since the allowances may differ.

• Ryanair’s CEO Says the EU’s New Entry-Exit System Is a “Fiasco” and Is Causing Massive Delays at European Airports

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is not holding back on the EU’s new Entry-Exit System, calling it a “fiasco” and demanding that the EU pause or scrap the rollout entirely after it began causing serious queuing problems at airports across the continent. The system, which replaced passport stamps with biometric digital registration, is snarling up non-EU passport holders at border checkpoints, sometimes for hours, causing missed flights and connection chaos. O’Leary said the problem is that the scanning infrastructure wasn’t ready before the system went live and that the staffing levels needed to process passengers efficiently simply aren’t there. This aligns with what travelers have been reporting since the April rollout. If you’re flying in or out of Europe this summer with a non-EU passport, add extra buffer time at the airport.

• Delta Quietly Warned Customers It Could Have Reliability Problems All Summer Long

On its Q2 earnings call, Delta’s Chief Operating Officer Dan Janki essentially told investors, and by extension every Delta customer, to expect ongoing reliability issues through the rest of the summer. The problems stem from how Delta handles crew scheduling recovery when something goes wrong, a combination of seniority rules, automated callout limits, thin spare staffing, and scheduler turnover that causes cancellations to snowball even when pilots are technically available. My fellow BoardingArea blogger Gary at View from the Wing has done some of the best reporting on this issue. Delta had nearly as many cancellations as Spirit Airlines on a single day in May — and Spirit had already gone out of business. Delta says it will work through the issue in the “back half of the year.” If you’re flying Delta this summer, have a backup plan.

• The U.S. Just Approved a Satellite That Will Bounce Sunlight Down to Earth at Night Like a Fake Moon. Scientists Are Furious.

The FCC has approved a company called Reflect Orbital to launch a mirror satellite called Eärendil-1 into orbit about 400 miles up, where it will unfurl a 60-foot-wide reflective surface and bounce sunlight toward a specified location on Earth at night, illuminating a patch roughly 3 miles wide. The company wants to charge $5,000 per hour for its use, targeting solar farms and emergency response scenarios. They also have plans to eventually launch 1,000 even larger mirrors capable of reflecting the equivalent of 100 full Moons. Astronomers are alarmed, noting that one country is effectively deciding to alter the night sky for the entire planet. Biologists are warning about disruption to animal migration, plant cycles, and human circadian rhythms. If the idea of a for-profit company renting out artificial moonlight feels dystopian to you, you’re not alone. This is a genuinely wild development to keep an eye on.

• Boeing Quietly Scrapped One of the First 777X Jets Ever Built Rather Than Pay the Massive Cost to Rework It

Boeing confirmed this week that it dismantled one of its earliest 777-9 airframes, internally known as WH007, rather than pay the enormous cost of bringing it up to current certification standards. The jet had been sitting unflown at Paine Field near Seattle since 2019, partially painted in Emirates’ livery. The problem: Boeing’s 777X program has been delayed so many times that early-built aircraft were manufactured to design standards that have since been significantly updated, and the rework required to certify them is staggeringly expensive. Boeing has accumulated roughly $15 billion in charges on the 777X program, and the FAA is not expected to certify the aircraft in 2026. There are around 30 more early-built 777X jets sitting in similar limbo. Emirates has already indicated it prefers final-standard production aircraft rather than heavily reworked early builds. This is a serious ongoing crisis for Boeing that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

• The British Open Champion Had to Sit Behind the Runner-Up on the Flight Home the Next Morning. With the Trophy.

Ryan Fox won the 2026 British Open at Royal Birkdale in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory, edging out Cameron Young with a clutch closing birdie. The next morning at Manchester Airport, Fox was photographed toting the Claret Jug in its case through the terminal. A golf photographer on the scene captured what came next: people recognizing Fox, gathering around him, chatting him up about his winning putt. And sitting directly in the seat in front of Fox on the flight? Cameron Young. The man whose heart Fox had ripped out 18 hours earlier. For any golf fans reading this, the photos and the full account are worth clicking through for. One of the all-time great travel coincidences.

• Minneapolis-St. Paul Already Has the Most Expensive Domestic Airfares of Any Major U.S. Airport. It’s About to Get Worse.

Axios Twin Cities just published a data-driven look at MSP airfares that should concern every Twin Cities traveler. In Q1 2026, MSP’s average domestic fare hit $519, the highest among the nation’s 25 busiest airports, exceeding the national average by 20%. That’s the largest gap since 2012. And now two things are happening that will likely push fares even higher: Aer Lingus is pulling out of MSP entirely in October, ending its cheaper transatlantic competition with Delta, and Sun Country is cutting roughly a third of its September schedule due to a pilot shortage caused by its management contract with Allegiant. Delta, which already controls the vast majority of MSP capacity, is filling the competitive vacuum. “Delta is king here and Delta calls the shots,” wrote one local aviation analyst. If you fly out of MSP regularly, now is a good time to start looking at driving to other nearby airports or booking further in advance.

• The Same Alaska Expedition Ship Has Been Hit With Norovirus Three Separate Times Since May

The National Geographic Sea Bird, operated by Lindblad Expeditions, has now reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak three times since late May. The most recent outbreak began July 12 on a sailing out of Sitka, Alaska, with 18 of 62 passengers falling ill with cramping and vomiting. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is remotely monitoring the situation. Princess Cruises and Lindblad together account for six of the eight cruise ship illness outbreaks reported so far in 2026. Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread rapidly in the close quarters of a ship. Wash your hands frequently, avoid buffet lines if you notice other passengers looking unwell, and consider travel insurance that covers trip interruption if you’re booked on a small expedition ship this summer.

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