Travel

Anna Kepner's family is remembering the teen cheerleader as a radiant soul who "lived every day with her whole heart," following the tragic discovery of her body on a Carnival cruise ship.

Anna -- nicknamed "Anna Banana" -- was reportedly found by a maid wrapped in a blanket and hidden under a bed on November 8 during a Caribbean cruise with her father, Christopher Kepner, her stepmother Shauntel Hudson, and Hudson's kids.

Despite the tragedy, Anna's family focused their tribute on her joyful, light-filled life. "She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others," her obituary reads.

Tragedy in Patagonia, Chile ... 5 tourists died after getting caught in a sudden blizzard at Torres del Paine National Park.

Chile’s forestry agency (CONAF) confirmed Tuesday that two Mexican tourists, two Germans, and one Brit were found dead after getting hit with insanely intense weather -- crazy winds, heavy snow, and freezing temps.

CONAF also said four other tourists were found alive.

Porsha Williams is clearing the air about a dramatic Delta Airlines flight that landed her on the FBI's radar.

Her lawyer, Joe Habachy, tells TMZ ... "Ms. Williams was verbally assaulted by an irate and unhinged passenger without provocation. The passenger then proceeded to make false allegations that were in direct conflict with observations from several eyewitnesses."

He added, "As with any incident occurring aboard an aircraft, federal authorities are required to conduct an investigation involving all parties to determine what, if any, offenses occurred. Ms. Williams has every intention of cooperating with law enforcement to whatever extent necessary, and remains confident that the passenger will be charged."

Pilot and reality TV star Pete Cappio is still encouraging folks to become air line pilots and air-traffic controllers ... he says the recent government shutdown presented challenges, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Peter, who was on Charity Lawson's season of ABC's "The Bachelorette," tells TMZ ... it won't be the last government shutdown, and folks shouldn't be scared to work in the airline industry.

There's a shortage of air-traffic controllers nationwide ... and they worked without paychecks during the shutdown, but are owed back pay.

Four congressmen flying to Washington, D.C. had their plane diverted to Kansas City after another passenger got too rowdy -- and maybe too political!

Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) were all seated on an American Airlines flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to D.C. Wednesday night, when a "disruptive passenger" forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at KC International Airport, according to authorities.

FlightAware -- which provides real-time flight tracking data -- showed the plane had been up in the air for more than 2 and a half hours before landing. While the passenger was behaving unruly, it remains unclear what exactly she did to prompt the diversion.

Kevin Smith says traveling by plane for work was hell during the government shutdown ... and it sounds like his flight issues have him supporting Harvey Levin's 'OWTA' campaign.

We got the legendary director at LAX on Monday and our photog asked him what it was like flying during the shutdown ... and he told us he was basically stranded in Atlanta and couldn't get to New Jersey or even Orlando by plane.

Kevin says he feels for air traffic controllers who have been working for several weeks without a paycheck and tells us he totally understands why some of them stopped showing up for work ... even if it meant lengthy delays for some of his own flights.

A driver for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency appeared to fall asleep while controlling a train in new video released this week.

The footage, obtained by local station KRON4 News, shows the moment a light-rail train ride nearly derailed Sept. 24 around 8:37 AM.

In the video, the driver's body goes limp as she appears to nod off, with the packed train careening around a dangerous curve.

President Trump is ripping air traffic controllers a new a**hole as the government shutdown drags on ... threatening to dock the pay of those playing hooky from their posts.

Trump fired off the financial threat Monday morning on his Truth Social app, claiming any air traffic controller who doesn't work during the shutdown "will be substantially 'docked.'"

The messaging comes in the wake of the FAA ordering reduced air traffic at 40 major airports across the country ... tons of flights are canceled or delayed, and travelers and pilots are feeling the stress ... especially as the holiday travel season ramps up.

A fed-up pilot snapped in frustration recently -- blasting the endless flight delays as the federal government shutdown grinds on ... and in a bipartisan appeal, he called on passengers to take action.

In a viral TikTok posted Sunday by a passenger flying out of NYC’s LaGuardia to Dallas, chaos hit a new level -- TSA lines took 2 hours to get through, this flight was delayed another 2 hours, and then they were stuck on the runway for 2 more ... until the pilot stormed out, telling everyone to call their senators and raise hell 'cause the shutdown’s costing everyone their precious time, and the airlines millions of dollars.

The pilot addresses the cabin in person, telling passengers ... "I don't really care what your political persuasion is ... but you should really call your senators." He vented his frustration, saying with 30 planes ahead of them, they were stuck burning cash and time on the tarmac ... and that backlog just keeps snowballing through the whole system. And he broke down some details for everyone on board.

The FBI is probing the death of a passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line, according to authorities in Florida.

A rep for Carnival Cruise Line tells TMZ … company executives are working with FBI Miami agents to investigate the death of the guest who was traveling on a Carnival Horizon ship.

The spokesperson also said the ship sailed back to Port Miami as scheduled Saturday morning, but he wouldn't provide further details, citing the ongoing FBI investigation.

Bianca Censori never takes a break from showing off her body in public, even when she's dealing with air travel.

Check out these photos of Kanye West's wife at an airport in Melbourne ... she's wearing an all-black look comprised of a thong bodysuit and heels.

Lots of folks travel comfortably, but not Bianca ... she's keeping things stylish and sexual ... which, as you are well aware by now, is kind of her thing.

Travel influencer Anunay Sood has died, his family and friends confirmed Thursday on Instagram.

The post reads, "It is with deep sadness that we share the news of our beloved Anunay Sood's passing. We kindly ask for your understanding and privacy as we navigate this difficult time. We humbly request you to avoid gathering crowd near personal property. Please keep his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. May his soul rest in peace."

According to Arab News, the Dubai-based content creator was in Las Vegas on an all-expenses-paid trip from which he was set to return home Tuesday.

Flights to and from Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. were put on a temporary hold Tuesday after a bomb threat was made against a United Airlines flight ... and you can listen to the air traffic controller warning the pilot.

Check out the clip -- the air traffic controller informs the cockpit they've got an "unconfirmed bomb report" and mandates they land on a runway away from the main airport structure.

United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on X the flight landed safely at DCA and passengers were evacuated so law enforcement could carry out a full search of the aircraft.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace slammed cops at the Charleston International Airport last week for what she called "incompetence" ... and now she's doubling down.

It all started Thursday when the representative from South Carolina had a complete meltdown after airport cops -- who were supposed to escort her from the curb to her flight gate -- didn't show up at her correct drop-off spot on time. She reportedly launched into an expletive-laced tirade in the airport as a result.

In an interview with Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" Monday, she cited rising political violence as a reason for her behavior, saying ... "In the political environment we have today, there's no room for error when it comes to security."

Elon Musk isn't worried about autonomous vehicles messing with people's pets ... because he just claimed they'll actually make animals' lives safer.

ICYMI ... driverless vehicles have been hitting some PR potholes lately -- especially after a bodega cat named KitKat was killed by a Waymo self-driving car in San Francisco on Monday.

There was an outpouring of support from residents of the Mission District after the beloved feline's death.

An air traffic controller working two jobs through the government shutdown isn't trying to alarm flyers ... but, he thinks a mental lapse on the part of another ATC is possible given the current issues in he field.

We spoke with Jack Criss -- an air traffic controller with more than 15 years of experience in the field -- on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... and, he told us he has a friend who refused to fly to visit him because she feared getting on a plane amid the increased stress on other controllers.

Criss tells us he's a safety advocate, and he always gives 100% focus to his job when he's working ... but, he could see a situation where an air traffic controller -- worried about not receiving any pay, while also dealing with other personal issues -- could screw up and end up hurting a lot of people.