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Airline cracks down on ‘gate lice’ who skip the line

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In travel news this week: American Airlines tackles line-jumpers, the world’s best bars for 2024, plus National Geographic and Lonely Planet reveal their top destinations for the year ahead.

Gate lice: What they are and why they’re a problem

This is going to be tough news to hear if you’re someone who likes to gather around the airport gate before your designated boarding time, either because you’re an anxious flyer or you’re really keen on grabbing that overhead bin space. There’s a not-very-flattering term for those exhibiting the behavior: “gate lice.”

It might feel harmless, but swarming the gate can lead to congestion, confusion and longer wait times. To tackle the problem, American Airlines is trialing new technology at airports in New Mexico, Arizona and Virginia. Passengers who attempt to board before their assigned group is called will set off an error beep, alerting the gate agent — and also rule-abiding fellow passengers. The line-cutters are then sent back to board with their rightful group.

“We’ve been pleased with the results of the test so far,” AA told CNN by email.

In other airport news, following the headlines last week that a New Zealand airport has put a time limit on hugs, London’s Heathrow Airport has got in on the action with new signage declaring, “Max hug time, unlimited. Fond farewells in Departures, encouraged.”

Now that sounds like a challenge. Heathrow is technically a 24/7 operation, so get working on your squeeze stamina.

Destination inspiration

Summer might be the most popular time to travel to Europe, but travelers in the know prefer the shoulder season from mid-October to mid-December, when there are fewer crowds, more comfortable temperatures and cheaper flights and accommodation.

Now is also a good time to plan your vacations for 2025 and beyond. National Geographic and Lonely Planet have both revealed new lists of must-visit destinations for the year ahead, with Thailand and Italy appearing on both lists and slow travel a rising trend for both.

Of course, you might prefer to organize your trip around another list that dropped this week: the world’s best bars for 2024. Mexico City, Hong Kong, Barcelona, London – the top drinking spots are all in cities worth immersing yourself in.

Love stories

Mike Grossman reassured his mother there was “no way” he’d fall for someone in Australia when he headed there for a work trip in 1988. Then at a boardroom mixer, he met a colleague and it was like a “lightning bolt.” He tells CNN “that’s where it all started.”

Erin Tridle’s life was turned on its head when she met Jordan, a Parisian bartender, at a rooftop venue on her first night in the French capital. Electricity played a factor here, too. “We say in French, ‘un coup de foudre’ – a lightning strike,” says Jordan. “That’s exactly what happened to me that first day.”

Love was more of a slow burn for Vlad Dimovski and Iga Olszak, who met as teenagers on vacation in Greece in 2005. What began as a friendship and undeclared crush was rekindled 10 years later when their paths unexpectedly crossed once more.

Istanbul’s VIP residents

In the Turkish capital of Istanbul, street cats are everywhere and the well-tended kitties are beloved by locals. There is even an art museum dedicated to them.

The holidays are just around the corner, so if there’s a special feline in your life you might want to treat them to a splendid new scratching post. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have tested a selection of the best.