Youve Definitely Seen This Beach but Probably Dont Know Its Name. Its Going Viral Right Now

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: Greek wildfires cause evacuations from Athens to Crete; Canada’s dealing with a backlog of canceled flights after a potential strike; air traffic may be impacted across the east coast today; and a New Zealand beach is going viral for a very specific connection. 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 WestJet Gradually Resumes Flights After Airline Reaches Tentative Deal to End Strike WestJet and its flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement, ending a brief weekend strike that resulted in canceled trips for approximately 250,000 passengers, according to the airline.The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents about 4,400 WestJet cabin crew members, announced Monday that employees would return to work while the proposed contract awaits a ratification vote. The dispute centered partly on compensation for duties performed while aircraft are on the ground, which the union argued were not fully covered by the airline’s existing pay system.WestJet canceled 495 flights on Sunday alone. Aviation-data company Cirium reported that 922 flights scheduled between August 1 and August 5 had been canceled as of Monday morning. WestJet’s Boeing 737 and 787 flights were affected, while WestJet Encore and some partner-operated codeshare flights continued.“Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible,” WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said.Travelers whose flights were canceled may be rebooked or receive refunds, although strike-related disruptions generally do not qualify for additional cash compensation under Canadian passenger-protection rules. WestJet warned that restoring its full schedule will take time and that further disruptions remain possible.Read more at Reuters. 2 OF 5 Spokane-Area Wildfires Destroy Hundreds of Structures and Trigger Evacuations for 60,000 People Travelers heading to the Pacific Northwest should prepare for disruptions as major wildfires continue burning across eastern Washington.Fires in and around Spokane have destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures and prompted evacuation orders affecting approximately 60,000 people. Patients at a local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital were among those evacuated.As of Monday morning, the Spokane-area fires had burned approximately 12.5 square miles and remained 0% contained, according to Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Statewide, fires had burned roughly 390 square miles.Forecasters expect slightly cooler temperatures and lighter winds, which could assist firefighting efforts, although no meaningful rainfall is anticipated.“We are not out of danger,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell warned. “The next couple of days will be challenging.”The crisis extends beyond Washington. A large grassland fire spanning western Idaho and eastern Oregon has burned nearly 525 square miles, while another blaze near Fillmore, Utah, has triggered mandatory evacuations.Smoke has also prompted air-quality alerts across parts of the Northwest. Visitors traveling through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana and western Nebraska should monitor local evacuation notices, air-quality advisories and red-flag warnings.Read more at Associated Press. 3 OF 5 Greek Wildfires Force Fresh Evacuations as Conditions Begin to Stabilize in France and Spain Greece is battling severe wildfires fueled by strong winds, with flames threatening coastal communities, islands and popular summer destinations.More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from Porto Germeno and other communities west of Athens. At least 266 people were rescued by sea over two days as flames advanced through forested mountains toward the coast.Additional fires have prompted evacuations on the Ionian island of Kefalonia and near Nea Tenedos in Halkidiki. Three firefighters died earlier in the week in separate incidents in Crete and the Peloponnese, while two crew members were killed when firefighting helicopters collided near Athens.“A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire,” local farmer Minas Tzortzanis said. “There are no words to explain what has happened.”Conditions have begun to improve elsewhere in southern Europe. In France, firefighters have contained a massive blaze in the Gironde region, although hot spots remain within the affected area and some campsites are still closed. Thousands of residents and vacationers are beginning to return.Major fires in Spain have also stopped advancing. Across France and Spain, roughly one-third of a million people were displaced at some point during the fires, though that figure does not represent the number who remain evacuated.Read more at The Times. 4 OF 5 Thunderstorms and Air Traffic Constraints Disrupt Flights Across the East Coast and South Thunderstorms, strong winds and air traffic constraints are disrupting flights across the Northeast, Florida and parts of the South on Monday.As of Monday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration had ground-delay programs in effect at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.A ground stop was also issued for Orlando International Airport, while additional restrictions were possible at LaGuardia Airport. The FAA warned that ground stops or delay programs could later affect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Reagan National, Washington Dulles and Baltimore/Washington airports.Thunderstorms are complicating airspace throughout the New York, Philadelphia and Washington regions, while Boston is contending with strong winds and low cloud ceilings. The FAA also reported an air traffic control staffing constraint affecting one portion of the New York en route center.Conditions and restrictions can change rapidly throughout the day. Travelers flying through the East Coast, Florida or major Southern hubs should check their airline’s app before leaving for the airport and continue monitoring the FAA’s live airport-status information.Delays may continue even after storms pass, as airlines and air traffic controllers work through backed-up schedules and displaced aircraft. @sagarandami Follow @sagarandami for practical New Zealand travel tips and hidden gems. 🇳🇿 We thought the photos of Wharariki Beach were edited... until we saw it in person. Giant sea arches, wild dunes, and sea caves—it genuinely feels like another planet. We came back twice in one day just to catch the sunset. 💡 Quick Tips: 🌊 Go at low tide: Essential if you want to walk through the caves and access the pools. 🥾 20-min walk: Easy trail across the sheep paddocks from the car park. 🧥 Bring a windbreaker: It gets violently windy out on the coast. 📍 Location: Wharariki Beach, Golden Bay 📌 Save this for your South Island road trip! #NewZealandTravel #SouthIslandNZ #GoldenBay #HiddenGemsNZ #SagarAndAmi ♬ original sound - Sagar and Ami 5 OF 5 The Real New Zealand Beach Behind a Famous Windows 10 Lock Screen Is Going Viral Again The dramatic coastal landscape featured in a familiar Windows 10 lock-screen image is a real place in New Zealand—and it is receiving renewed attention from travelers online.Wharariki Beach sits near the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, in the Golden Bay region. The beach is known for its Archway Islands, towering sea arches, tidal pools, caves and windswept sand dunes.The lock-screen photograph is widely attributed to photojournalist Steve McCurry, who photographed landscapes in New Zealand for Microsoft around the launch of Windows 10 in 2015.The location recently went viral again after travel creators Sagar and Ami posted a video that reportedly accumulated approximately 142 million views.“We thought the photos of Wharariki Beach were edited,” Ami wrote in the caption, “until we saw it in person. Giant sea arches, wild dunes, and sea caves—it genuinely feels like another planet.”Wharariki Beach is approximately a one-hour drive from the town of Tākaka. From the parking area, visitors must follow a roughly 20-minute walking trail across farmland to reach the beach.Low tide provides more room to explore the shoreline, but visitors should remain cautious around changing tides, powerful waves and strong winds. Seals are frequently present, and New Zealand’s Department of Conservation advises remaining at least 20 meters away. Dogs are prohibited.Read more at Windows Latest.