SAN FRANCISCO — Just as the fall and winter swells begin rolling toward California, Oahu and Maui, two of the region’s largest carriers have quietly overhauled their surfboard baggage rules. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines now allow travelers to check multiple boards in a single bag—at no extra cost—so long as the bundle meets a refreshed set of size limits.

BRISBANE, Australia — Travelers who hate rubbing elbows with strangers may finally have a budget-friendly way to stretch out.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — The tiny, quarter-sized AirTag that already saved countless suitcases from vanishing in airport black holes just picked up a powerful ally: the airlines themselves. Apple introduced the Share Item Location option in iOS 18.2 late last year, and the feature officially went live in 2024.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — If your dream New Zealand itinerary includes a selfie at Cathedral Cove or a summit walk across the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, be prepared to open your wallet.

NADI, Fiji — Fiji Airways is giving its inflight dining program a major makeover, unveiling a Pacific Rim menu that leans into local ingredients and a new eat-when-you-like concept for business-class passengers. The carrier, based in Nadi, believes the changes will deepen travelers’ sense of place from the moment their meal tray arrives.

Whale Season Returns to Victoria’s Sheltered Bay

Melbourne, Australia — Humpback and southern right whales have begun their annual northern migration along Australia’s southeast coast, and some of these 40-ton nomads are detouring into Port Phillip Bay, according to a press release by the Dolphin Research Institute. Three humpbacks have already been confirmed inside the Heads this season, delighting shoreline spectators from Seaford to Mount Martha and reminding locals that Victoria’s busiest recreational waterway is also part of a marine superhighway.