Weekend Beyond Cars Roundup January 06, 2024

Here we present our weekly Jalopnik series that recaps the latest in beyond cars. We’ve showcased our most read offerings as well as some you may have missed.

Delta’s Luggage Only Flight

There’s A Relic Runway From America’s Failed Supersonic Future Hiding In The Everglades

Supersonic airliners never became as common as airlines and government officials hoped.Photo: Victor Drees/Daily Express/Hulton Archive (Getty Images)

When supersonic flight was set to transform passenger air travel in the late 1960s, Miami-Dade County had grand ambitions of becoming the center of commercial aviation’s fledgling intercontinental network. Local government wanted to construct the world’s largest airport in the middle of Everglades, 60 miles west of South Beach. However, plans for Everglades Jetport collapsed due to technological limitations and concerns about permanently damaging the Everglades. – Ryan Erik King Read More

Go Watch Godzilla Minus One Not Just For The Monster, But For The Boats And Planes

Screenshot: Toho Studios

Godzilla Minus One is a triumph. You owe it to yourself to go watch the movie over holiday break and then go for a rewatch in black and white when that version is released. If you love monster movies, or war movies, or really just about anything with cool planes and boats in it, you’ll love Godzilla Minus One. – José Rodríguez Jr. Read More

Man Found Dead In Airplane Engine At Salt Lake City Airport

Photo: George Frey / Stringer (Getty Images)

If you’re traveling around major U.S. holidays, especially during the winter, you need to be prepared for flight delays and cancelations. It sucks, but that’s just the way it is. Sometimes, airlines mess up and lie to you about it, but other times, a massive storm rolls in and messes everything up. On Monday, though, NBC News reports that Delta passengers in Salt Lake City, Utah had to deal with a completely unexpected reason for their flight being canceled — a dead body found in one of the plane’s engines. – Collin Woodard Read More

Japan Airlines Plane Bursts Into Flames After Collision At Tokyo Airport

Photo: Richard A. Brooks (Getty Images)

While landing in Tokyo, a Japan Airlines jet hit a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft, causing the passenger jet to explode, killing five Coast Guard members on the other plane. Japan Airlines said all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on the plane were safely evacuated at Haneda Airport on January 2, according to the New York Times. – Andy Kalmowitz Read More

56 Days On This Bus Sounds Way More Enjoyable Than A 9-Month Cruise

Photo: Karl Hendon (Getty Images)

We’re not entirely sure why, but last month Royal Caribbean kicked off a cruise that’s scheduled to last nine months. It sounds miserable and exhausting to us, even if we’re happy to enjoy the inevitable drama from afar, but what if you like the idea of visiting a lot of countries in a short period of time but don’t have nine months in you? You might want to cross your fingers that the 56-day-long Bus To London runs again in 2024. – Collin Woodard Read More

Nickname On Airline Ticket Costs Couple $3,000 For New Ticket

Photo: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

A couple were forced to rebook an airline ticket at the check-in counter over a seemingly small error—a nickname used to book a boarding pass.

The rebooking cost an additional $3,000, according to Business Insider. Phil and Kate were traveling from Brisbane, Australia to London for a month-long vacation in Europe last July. Phil arranged the tickets for his wife and himself. However, the name on his wife’s passport is Katherine and he bought a ticket for a Kate. – Ryan Erik King Read More

SpaceX Must Build 1,000 Starships In 10 Years To Reach Mars Goal. So Far, 0 Starships Have Made It To Space

Photo: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu (Getty Images)

Elon Musk is all about leaving Earth behind and heading to Mars on one of his rockets and taking a whole bunch of people with him. He’s previously said that to make regular flights back and forth between Earth and Mars a reality, his company SpaceX would need to build about 1,000 Starships. – Andy Kalmowitz Read More

America’s Lost Highways Are Beautiful Monuments To Our Garbage Infrastructure

It’s hard to overestimate just what a game changer the 1957 Interstate Highway Act was to building America. It’s an incredibly impressive feat of engineering and construction. But even before those slick new ways of driving, America was still the home of the road trip, via a ramshackle method of highways, turnpikes and bypasses. – Erin Marquis Read More

Scalpers Have Come For The Honda Motocompacto

Photo: Honda

Honda’s classic Motocompo is beloved by car journalists, JDM enthusiasts, and anyone else with an affinity for weird transportation. When its successor, the Motocompacto, was released, we all rejoiced — finally, a tiny little fold-up scooter for the modern era. Plenty of us Jalops even considered getting one for ourselves. – Steve DaSilva Read More