FAA Rule Cuts Into Major Business Class Perk

And more of today's top travel news stories.Today in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: airlines are banning humanoid robots; a French tourist has died in Death Valley; Greece’s air traffic control is strained; and the FAA is cracking down on an old rule. Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news. Some or all of this article was crafted with help from AI. An editor reviewed and vetted this article before publishing. 1 OF 5 Southwest Airlines Bans Humanoid Robots From Its Flights Southwest Airlines no longer permits passengers to transport humanoid or animal-like robots either in the cabin or as checked luggage, following an unusual flight involving a robot passenger earlier this year.The policy was announced in May, shortly after North Texas business owner Aaron Mehdizadeh flew from Las Vegas to Dallas Love Field with Stewie, a 3.5-foot humanoid robot used for events. Mehdizadeh purchased a separate seat for the machine and substituted a smaller battery so it could meet security and airline requirements. Stewie then traveled through the airport and sat beside human passengers during the flight.Southwest subsequently barred human- and animal-like robots from passenger cabins and checked baggage, citing concerns surrounding the lithium-ion batteries commonly used to power them. Mehdizadeh has argued that Stewie’s replacement battery was comparable to one used in a laptop and hopes the carrier eventually creates a way for compliant robots to travel. Other major U.S. airlines have since introduced similar restrictions.Read more at CBS News. 2 OF 5 Record Traffic and Staff Shortages Strain Greece's Air Traffic System Greece’s booming summer travel season is putting mounting pressure on its air traffic control network, contributing to delays during one of the busiest periods of the year. Greek airports typically handle roughly 1,000 to 1,500 flights per day during quieter months, but the average climbed to about 2,700 during the first week of July. Athens International Airport also handled 15.75 million passengers during the first half of 2026, up 4.5% from a year earlier.Regional instability is adding to the workload. Eurocontrol estimates that roughly 300 additional flights now cross Greek airspace each day because of disruptions in the Middle East. At the same time, shift supervisor Giorgos Stamoulakatos estimates that the air traffic service has only 154 controllers despite needing around 250. During busy periods, controllers may manage as many as 40 aircraft in an hour, compared with roughly 20 under normal conditions, and have sometimes asked pilots to slow or alter course to preserve safe spacing.Greece has begun installing new communications and radar systems as part of a roughly €300 million modernization program prompted in part by a major January communications failure. The upgrades are scheduled to continue through 2028, while expanding the controller workforce will take considerably longer because new recruits require years of training.Read more at Euronews. 3 OF 5 Strict FAA Enforcement Cuts Short Pre-Departure Drinks for Premium Flyers First- and business-class passengers may have less time to finish drinks served before departure as airlines adjust procedures surrounding a decades-old federal safety rule. Delta Air Lines has told flight attendants that beginning September 1, all company-provided service items—including disposable cups—must be collected before an aircraft pushes back from the gate.Federal regulation 14 CFR §121.577 already prohibits airline-supplied food, drinks, and tableware from remaining at passenger seats while a plane is moving on the ground. Although the rule’s current surface-movement language dates to 1992, disposable paper and plastic cups had long been treated more leniently under FAA compliance guidance. Updated guidance issued this year removes that distinction.Delta has advised crews to begin pre-departure beverage service earlier when possible, since drinks will now have to be retrieved sooner. The rule specifically covers items supplied by the airline. FAA guidance separately treats food and drinks brought aboard by passengers as carry-on items that should also be properly stowed during aircraft movement.Read more at Simple Flying. 4 OF 5 French Tourist Dies After Vehicle Becomes Stranded in Death Valley Heat A 68-year-old visitor from France died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck on a remote road during temperatures that reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit.Pierre Michel Formosa and a traveling companion were driving along West Side Road on August 17 when their vehicle became mired in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With no other motorists nearby, the pair set out on foot across the salt flats toward Badwater Road. Formosa was unable to continue after roughly 1.3 miles, while his companion pressed on until a passing motorist helped him reach authorities.The emergency was reported at Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2 p.m., and park rangers and an Inyo County deputy launched a search minutes later. A California Highway Patrol helicopter eventually located Formosa about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road, where he was pronounced dead. The Inyo County coroner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death.The National Park Service is reminding visitors to carry ample water and emergency supplies, choose vehicles appropriate for remote roads, bring satellite communications equipment where possible, and generally remain with a disabled vehicle, which provides shelter and is easier for rescuers to locate.Read the National Park Service press bulletin. 5 OF 5 Honolulu Police Investigate Death of Southwest Flight Attendant in Waikiki Honolulu police are investigating the death of a longtime Southwest Airlines flight attendant who was found dead while on a work layover in Waikiki.Jenny Lupton, 50, of Moore, Oklahoma, died on August 20 while staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Honolulu Police Department has opened an unattended-death investigation, with detectives from its Homicide Detail conducting interviews, collecting surveillance video, and examining evidence. Police say they have not yet determined the manner of her death.Lupton’s relatives have said they were told she appeared to have fallen from the balcony of her 24th-floor hotel room and that a hotel employee found her body near a waste area. Those circumstances have not been independently confirmed by police. Family members have also said Lupton had been out with a fellow flight attendant and received a tattoo in the hours before she died.Her relatives have publicly questioned whether the death was accidental or involved another person, but authorities have not announced evidence of foul play. Lupton had worked for Southwest for 29 years. The investigation remains ongoing.Read the Honolulu Police Department news release.