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Melissa Yeager Arizona Republic Published 6:00 AM EST Dec 19, 2018 If you’re traveling for the holidays, you’re not alone. According to the American Automobile Association, more than 1.9 million Arizonans will hit the road this December. Meanwhile, Airlines for America expects 45.7 million passengers to fly home for the holidays. That's roughly a 5 percent increase for both car and air traffic over last year. So here’s what you should know before you head out. The busiest travel days Are you driving? According to INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, the peak driving period nationwide will begin Dec. 19, and Dec. 20 will be the worst day to travel by car. AAA recommends avoiding the peak commuting hours during these days. If you’re traveling by air, Airlines for America expects the busiest days will be Dec. 21, Dec. 20 and Dec. 26, in that order. The trade group expects the lightest days to be Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and … [Read more...] about Christmas 2018 holiday travel tips

Dennis Wagner azcentral.com | USA TODAY NETWORK Published 11:06 PM EDT Mar 27, 2018 ON THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER — There is no wall here. There is no fence, either. There are no agents or drones or surveillance towers. Only a river and a breeze.  We wade into the Rio Grande at a place called Boquillas Canyon, mud squishing between toes, midway through a nearly 2,000-mile journey. By car, by foot, and foremost by helicopter, we are here to see every inch of the U.S.-Mexico boundary.  Our mission is to film the border, evaluate the existing fences, document this invisible line as it exists in 2017 — before any construction begins on what President Donald Trump has repeatedly called “a big, beautiful wall.” So far, we have followed this river from its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande undulates along more than half of the U.S.-Mexico boundary. Border agents have patrolled it for years, sometimes risking their lives to enforce … [Read more...] about A 2,000-mile journey in the shadow of the border wall

Melissa Yeager Arizona Republic Published 6:00 AM EST Dec 10, 2018 A bipartisan coalition of Phoenix lawmakers has written to Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and the Federal Aviation Administration urging the approval of an $18 million grant to build a new air traffic control tower at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.  The letter was signed by Sen.-elect Kyrsten Sinema and Reps. Debbie Lesko, David Schweikert, Paul Gosar, Ruben Gallego and Andy Biggs. The push comes as the airport is preparing for what it expects will be its busiest season on record. Business is booming at Mesa Gateway In November, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Executive Director Brian O’Neill gave an upbeat report to the airport authority. Passenger activity in October was up 13 percent over October 2017 and up 14 percent overall so far in 2018, he said.  Two airlines, Swoop and California Pacific, just launched new routes from … [Read more...] about Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport prepares for a busy spring travel season

Melissa Yeager Arizona Republic Published 6:00 AM EST Nov 16, 2018 If you’re flying this Thanksgiving, you'll be part of one of the busiest air travel seasons in recent history. Airlines for America projects record-breaking airline traffic this year. The Thanksgiving travel period is Friday, Nov. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 27, and the group expects 30.6 million passengers to travel during this time. That’s up from 29 million during the 2017 Thanksgiving travel season. The trade organization, which represents U.S. airlines, attributes that growth to affordable flight options. Airlines for America points to Department of Transportation statistics that show a 5 percent decrease in fares compared to 2017. Here are tips to help your trip go more smoothly. Are you flying on the busiest days? The busiest day will be Sunday, Nov. 25, with an estimated 3.06 million travelers flying that day. That’s closely followed by Wednesday, Nov. … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving travel 2018: What to know before you fly

Dawn Gilbertson Arizona Republic Published 12:00 p.m. UTC Aug 11, 2018 The jokes begin as soon as you tell people you're taking a bus to Las Vegas. "With a bunch of seniors? Have fun with that.'' "A bus? OMG.'' My favorite response came from the Uber driver who dropped me off near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 7:40 a.m. on a Friday in early August.  He was so stunned when I told him a) I was taking a bus, not flying, to Vegas; and b) that tickets are as low as 99 cents one way, he called his wife and put her on speakerphone so I could confirm it. Bus service between Phoenix and Las Vegas isn't new — Greyhound has long served the route, if circuitously — but two new entrants with cheap fares, non-stop routes and big followings in other cities are building buzz. Meet FlixBus and Megabus FlixBus and Megabus began service in late May. FlixBus is a 5-year-old German intercity bus company making its first push into … [Read more...] about Six hours on a bus to Las Vegas (and back): The good, the bad and the annoying