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Olivia Harden

Travel Reporter at SFGATE -- based in California. Writing about social justice and mental health everywhere else. Passionate about food, exploring the world, and uplifting the voices of those who often go unheard.

SFGATE •

Southwest finally kills ‘number one reason’ travelers ditched airline

In an attempt to attract more customers, Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that it’s ending the airline’s unassigned seating system.

In an attempt to attract more customers, Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that it’s ending the airline’s unassigned seating system.

The new policy kills off the airline’s polarizing group boarding process, sometimes called the Southwest cattle call, which assigns flyers to a boarding group after checking in. The revamp brings the airline more in line wit...
SFGATE •

'Betrayal': Thousands of SF hotel workers threaten strike

Union members of major hotels across San Francisco are signaling that they would go on strike if they cannot finalize terms to renew their contracts in the coming weeks, a spokesperson for the union told SFGATE.

Union members of major hotels across San Francisco are signaling that they would go on strike if they cannot finalize terms to renew their contracts in the coming weeks, a spokesperson for the union told SFGATE.

Unite Here Local 2 represents about 7,500 San Francisco hotel employees, i...
SFGATE •

'You got to be joking': Cars just can't stop driving into this Hawaii harbor

Another driver’s ride ended up in the water at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. It’s the third time in a little over a year.

Another driver’s ride ended up in the water at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. It’s the third time in a little over a year.

On July 13 around 8 p.m., a 33-year-old woman parked her car on the boat ramp while having car trouble. When officers tried to help her, she drove the automobile into the...
SFGATE •

Southwest escapes problems from worldwide outage

It’s been a bad start to the weekend for several airlines as a global technology outage led to massive flight delays and cancellations beginning Thursday night and into Friday. Major carriers like Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines all issued ground stops citing communication issues. Southwest Airlines, however, was one of the few to come out unscathed.

It’s been a bad start to the weekend for several airlines as a global technology outage led to massive flight delays and ca...
SFGATE •

Battle brews over who gets to use popular Russian River beach

A popular beach for river rafters on the Russian River is in the middle of a public access dispute as visitors and locals clash for who gets to wash up on the shore.

A popular beach for river rafters on the Russian River is in the middle of a public access dispute as visitors and locals clash for who gets to wash up on the shore.

Folks looking to enjoy summer fun on the Russian River should be cautious if they pass through Hacienda Beach. The Hacienda Improvement Association, representing the...
SFGATE •

Santa Cruz warns public about visiting iconic beach

The city of Santa Cruz is warning beachgoers to avoid a popular recreation area bordering the Santa Cruz Boardwalk as repairs are underway to fortify a breached lagoon where the San Lorenzeo River feeds into the ocean.

The city of Santa Cruz is warning beachgoers to avoid a popular recreation area bordering the Santa Cruz Boardwalk as repairs are underway to fortify a breached lagoon where the San Lorenzeo River feeds into the ocean.

“Conditions at the river mouth are constantly changing, maki...
SFGATE •

California state park closes difficult trail following rescues

As California faces extreme heat conditions, a park has closed one of the most challenging trails in the southern part of the state. Mount San Jacinto State Park is closing its Skyline Trail (also known as the “Cactus to Clouds Trail") due to dangerous temperatures in the Palm Springs area, state parks officials announced in a news release. The trail is closed indefinitely to protcect hikers and first responders. “Recent heat waves have led to multiple rescue operations for hikers suffering from...
SFGATE •

SFO comes up short on the biggest day in air travel history

Approaching the holiday last week, the Transportation Security Administration warned travelers to expect a frenzy at the airport around the Fourth of July. Its prediction proved accurate, even if Bay Area airports didn’t beat their records.

Approaching the holiday last week, the Transportation Security Administration warned travelers to expect a frenzy at the airport around the Fourth of July. Its prediction proved accurate, even if Bay Area airports didn’t beat their records.

Airports nationw...
SFGATE •

California wildfire grows closer to popular tourist destination

As an over-3,000-acre (and counting) wildfire rages on, a popular spring tourist destination is in danger of becoming its next victim.


The Thompson wildfire, located in Butte County, is growing closer to the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, known for its blooming wildflowers from March to early May. The reserve's habitat produces a diverse array of wildflowers and is one of the best places to see wildflowers in Northern California, a specialty since most blooms are located in the sout
SFGATE •

'Long time coming': Busy Bay Area intersection converts to roundabout

In another move to bring more roundabouts to the Golden State, Bay Area transportation officials have approved a roundabout to solve traffic problems and reduce crashes at a popular intersection.

On April 4, Caltrans and the Sonoma County Transportation Authority broke ground at the intersection of State Route 121 and State Route 116 in Sonoma County. Officials expect that the $24 million project will “improve circulation and avoid stop-and-go traffic,” according to Caltrans.

"This is a long t
SFGATE •

Worst travel day to Tahoe for Fourth of July according to Caltrans

Bay Area travelers with plans to visit Tahoe to enjoy the upcoming holiday on July 4 can breathe easy knowing that at least roadway construction will be minimal, helping relieve some of the travel woes.

That said, since countless people journey to the Sierra for the holiday every year, Interstate 80 will inevitably become a parking lot on certain days.

Even though Caltrans is pausing most of its active construction projects on the freeway for the holiday, Linder advocates that Bay Area drivers
SFGATE •

Disneyland visitors stuck for a half hour on popular ride in soaring heat

Twenty Disneyland visitors were stuck in the heat on the park’s popular 120-foot-tall roller coaster on Sunday.

On June 30, around 1:30 p.m. in Pixar Pier, the Incredicoaster broke down, leaving passengers stranded. The Orange County Register reported guests were stuck on the coaster for over an hour. Disney told SFGATE guests were evacuated after about 30 minutes.

“I thought maybe the ride was closed,” Vince Crandon, who saw the incident, told NBC Los Angeles (KNBC-TV). “I was really concerne
SFGATE •

Calif. theme park lets customers choose: 3-hour wait or buy $100 hack

The wait times for a popular ride at Universal Studios Hollywood can be extensive. Recognizing an opportunity, the theme park is offering a pass to visitors willing to pay for a quicker wait to take a spin on Mario's racetrack.

Starting this week, customers can add a Universal Express or Universal Express Unlimited pass to their ticket for an additional fee that will fast-track their way onto the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge in Super Nintendo World. The system is similar to Disneyland’s Light
SFGATE •

'She nearly made it out': Calif. hiker dies during heat wave

After a two-day rescue mission in search of a missing hiker, the body of a 50-year-old woman has been identified, officials said.


Early in the morning on June 23, Diem Le Nguyen went missing while hiking the Nighthawk Trail in Black Mountain Open Space Park in north San Diego with a group of around 100 people. Le Nguyen separated from the rest of the group to finish the hike, according to the San Diego Police Department.

But a little after 10 a.m., Le Nguyen called her sister and told her sh
SFGATE •

GoFundMe launched to 'seek justice' for Disneyland death

The family and friends of a Disney employee who died from her injuries following a crash in the backstage area of Disneyland earlier this month have launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover memorial and legal costs.

A GoFundMe for Bonnye Lear’s family was launched and is seeking to raise $100,000 to cover funeral expenses, litigation costs and expenses for Lear’s children.

“Due to the unfortunate circumstances that the Lear family has had to face, they are seeking funds for any costs associat
SFGATE •

Kendrick Lamar taps Bay Area legend to host historic Juneteenth show

Satisfying the crowd’s thirst to hear what is arguably the song of the summer, Kendrick Lamar played his certified platinum single “Not Like Us” not once or twice — but five times on June 19 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood. The crowd got louder each time — with Lamar letting the crowd lead in later renditions.

Although his beef with Drake inspired the diss track, Lamar used his Juneteenth performance, a historical day for Black Americans, to bring together Black talent from Los Angeles and other
SFGATE •

2 million SF Bay Area residents targeted in tourism campaign

San Franciscans by the thousands are embarking on a trip to the "Land of Enchantment." The New Mexico Tourism Department made a strategic move to explicitly lure San Francisco travelers, and its effort has apparently worked.

The tourism department invested over $650,000 in advertisements promoting New Mexico to people living in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to an advertising effectiveness study from SMARInsights, the "New Mexico True" campaign targeted 2 million households with various
SFGATE •

Facing financial hardship, SF hotel turns off the neon lights

A once-luminous gem of San Francisco plans to soon make the switch to a more modern technology — a sacrifice for the bottom line as the city’s hotel industry continues to recover from a difficult period in local tourism.

After months of back-and-forth, the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission sided with the Palace Hotel in its quest to switch the lights on its rooftop sign from neon to LED lighting.

At the June 5 meeting, the measure was debated between the hotel and a not-for-profit
SFGATE •

One American dead, one injured after hot tub accident at Mexican resort

The electrocution occurred around 8 p.m. on June 11 at the Sonoran Sea Resort near Puerto Peñasco, according to KTSM-TV in El Paso, Texas. A graphic video is circulating on social media showing the aftermath. Witnesses are seen screaming and trying to help the victims out of the water.


“We had just come up from the pool, and my husband and son were in that very same (hot tub) about an hour before,” Sara Gaitan-Perez told the Arizona Daily Star. “The wife ended up becoming responsive and was
SFGATE •

Passenger dies mid-flight en route to SFO

On June 8, the passenger “encountered a medical condition” 90 minutes before the flight landed at San Francisco International Airport, according to Fiji Airways.

“Despite the best efforts of our cabin crew and a doctor on board who provided immediate assistance, the passenger unfortunately passed away,” the airline said in a news release.

The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Raiznal Farzad Khalik, a U.S. citizen, but provided no cause of death.

Flight FJ870 was del
SFGATE •

How the airline with the worst record for losing bags plans to improve

One of the worst ways to start or end a vacation is an airline losing your luggage, which has become a consistent attribute for one major U.S. carrier.

In a recent analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report, MyBaggage.com found that between 2021 and 2024, American Airlines mishandled the most luggage of any U.S. carrier.


During those years, American Airlines handled more than 200 million pieces of luggage, and of all those bags, 1,750,009 were mis
SFGATE •

SFO-bound passenger stranded at airport for 51 hours

Corbin, who lives in Sacramento, found herself at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport earlier this month following multiple complications with flights on United Airlines. She was supposed to arrive at SFO on May 31, in time for her daughter’s pre-graduation festivities, but didn’t return to California until two days later, on June 2.


As a Premier Gold member, Corbin was no stranger to flying with United, but her experience in Paris left her questioning the airline’s service.

After she boarded he
SFGATE •

One of SF's bougiest hotels takes over operations at Calif. resort

One of Marriott International’s bougiest brands that was previously reserved just for San Francisco in California is expanding south down the state.

The Resort at Pelican Hill, a five-star resort in the heart of Newport Beach’s Crystal Cove, is bound for the Marriott treatment July 1 and will turn into a St. Regis.

Marriott is beefing up the its luxury portfolio, recently announcing how it's transformed Oahu’s Turtle Bay Resort into a Ritz Carlton and the Conrad New York Midtown into The Luxur
SFGATE •

The worst time of day to fly, according to TSA PreCheck

When the TSA launched it in 2011, PreCheck was initially only available at select airports and for certain airlines. The program was a pet project of the TSA’s administrator at the time, John S. Pistole. When it started, he explained to the New York Times that he believed most travelers did not pose a threat and pushed for applying “intelligence-based risk assessments” at airport security.

If a traveler comes forward to preemptively prove they’re unlikely to commit a crime on a flight (by volun
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