Uber and other rideshare companies have become ubiquitous over the last decade, but their presence isn’t felt everywhere. A number of cities and even entire countries have banned the app-based juggernaut altogether for a variety of reasons, ranging from regulatory issues to safety concerns. Sometimes, these bans are permanent, but more often they are temporary — Uber has won most of these battles of attrition in the end, though not all of them. Here are eight cities, states, and countries where Uber isn’t available (and why).

China

Like many American corporations with an otherwise global presence, Uber does not operate in mainland China. That’s true for a variety of reasons, from strained geopolitical tensions to the risk of unpredictable government regulations. After making an aggressive push for market share in the Middle Kingdom, the company cut its losses in 2016 and sold its China operations to DiDi, the country’s dominant ride-hailing app.

Germany

If you found yourself in a German Uber in 2014, the company could have been subject to a $250,000 fine. At the time, Uber was facing fierce opposition from traditional taxis, and the government was none too pleased with how unregulated the entire outfit was — to the point that it briefly passed a nationwide ban on the company’s UberPop service, which connected passengers with private drivers using their own cars. That order was short-lived, however, and Uber has been free to operate in Deutschland ever since.

Portland, Oregon

In a 2014 lawsuit accusing the company of being “in violation of the City of Portland’s Private for Hire Transportation Regulations and Administrative Rules,” the Portland Bureau of Transportation ordered Uber to cease operations in Oregon’s most populous city. The dispute was eventually resolved, and earlier in 2025, a bill was introduced that would guarantee drivers more protections.

Thailand

Taking an Uber (or any other car) when you could instead take a traditional open-air tuk tuk seems like a missed opportunity, so perhaps it’s no great loss that the company’s services are unavailable in Thailand, following a 2014 ban. Should you find yourself in need of a rideshare, however, your best option is Grab, the most popular company of its kind in all of Southeast Asia. The “everything app” also offers food delivery and a digital wallet that allows users to make online payments.

Nevada

Just because the state is home to Las Vegas doesn’t mean anything goes in Nevada. After refusing to comply with licensing requirements and other regulations, Uber left the building in 2014. Uber has long claimed that it’s a technology company, not a transportation company, and therefore doesn’t need to meet the same standards as traditional taxi services — a claim that many other jurisdictions have rejected. After a major legal victory, Uber returned to the Silver State the following year.

Russia

Uber largely exited the Russian market in 2018, when it merged with the Russian company Yandex Taxi. In 2023, it sold its remaining stake and fully left the Russian Federation. Yandex, known as the “Google of Russia,” also took over the company’s rideshare services in nearby Armenia.

Denmark

Following new regulations that required drivers to have seat sensors and fare meters, Uber exited Denmark in 2017 rather than comply. As was the case in many other countries, the company received a great deal of pushback from the old guard, namely taxi unions and politicians concerned about Uber’s lack of regulation. Uber returned to the small Scandinavian nation in 2025 in a new format that allowed users to order a car from the Uber app and receive one from Copenhagen-based taxi company Drivr — a hybrid approach also seen elsewhere.

Hungary

In June 2016, Hungary’s parliament passed legislation allowing the country’s national communications authority to block what it described as “illegal dispatch services” from being accessed online. The “forced suspension” followed intense backlash from taxi drivers and lasted until 2024, when Uber resumed operations in Budapest as part of a partnership with Főtaxi. This move was part of an increasingly common pattern in which the company managed to weather the storm of regulations, protests, and bans — and eventually continue doing business in a place that previously forbade it.

Choosing the perfect luggage can feel oddly personal — after all, you’re choosing a travel companion to accompany you on vacations hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. But this travel companion must fit into tight overhead bins, remain intact during baggage handling, and deliver all your belongings from point A to point B. One of the biggest luggage decisions is choosing between a hard-sided suitcase and a soft-sided suitcase. Below, we’ll break down the differences between the two, weighing which one wins on key considerations: flexibility, durability, storage space, security, affordability, waterproofing, and weight. 

Flexibility Winner: Soft-Sided

Soft-sided suitcases win the flexibility battle because their material can adapt to what you pack. Their fabric shells stretch, making it easier to squeeze in odd-shaped items or last-minute extras without needing a clamp to close your luggage. They also compress better, fitting into cramped overhead bins and tiny rental car trunks.

In comparison, hard-sided bags offer little to no give. If the dimensions don’t work for the airlines’ carry-on guidelines or the storage rack on the train, you’re probably out of luck. This lack of flexibility can also lead to issues for chronic overpackers or anyone who brings home lots of souvenirs.

Durability Winner: Hard-Sided

When it comes to protecting your belongings, you can’t beat the durability of hard-sided luggage. These cases are typically made of polycarbonate, aluminum, or special trademarked blends of similar materials that keep their shape, acting as armor to absorb impact even when tossed around by baggage handlers. The Monos Carry-On, for instance, is made from what the company touts as “unbreakable” aerospace-grade polycarbonate that comes with a lifetime warranty. One notable downside of these materials is that they can easily get scratched, scuffed, or dented.

Soft-sided bags — usually made of nylon or polyester — offer less protection because they can lose their form when dropped or crushed beneath heavy bags. This puts fragile items and liquids at risk and can lead to messes inside your suitcase. Fabrics are also more prone to staining from mud and spills, and they tear more easily, especially around zippers and other high-tension areas.

Storage Space Winner: Soft-Sided

Typically, soft-sided luggage offers more storage space per square inch thanks to a top-opening zipper. In contrast, hard-sided luggage usually features a clamshell opening that takes up extra interior space. 

Soft-sided luggage can offer more bells and whistles in the storage and accessibility departments, too. For instance, most designs include exterior pockets, which are perfect for storing travel documents, electronics, or chargers so you can grab them without unzipping your entire suitcase in the middle of the terminal. Samsonite’s bestselling UpLIFT Softside Carry-On Spinner has a mesh dual-access pocket reachable from both the interior and exterior compartments. 

Hard-sided suitcases rarely offer this kind of convenient outside storage, which can make on-the-go organization trickier, especially for carry-on luggage. That said, a few brands now offer the best of both worlds. Calpak’s Hue Front Pocket Carry-On Luggage is one example of a hard-sided suitcase with a large front compartment that adds versatility.

Security Winner: Hard-Sided

A major pro of hard-sided luggage is the security it offers to travelers, especially when packing valuable items. Soft-sided suitcases can be more vulnerable to thieves because fabric is more easily slashed or pried open, and their zippers may be less secure. They also tend to lack built-in locks. For example, Travelpro’s medium Maxlite hard-sided luggage features a built-in lock, but the soft-shell polyester version does not.

Hard-sided suitcases are tougher to break into. A few brands even offer zipperless models. Samsonite’s Framelock Max Carry-On Spinner features a secure “Eazylock” mechanism that is controlled by a central slide puller on the lock, making it much harder to open without knowing the combination.

Affordability Winner: Soft-Sided

While prices vary widely across brands and depend on materials, soft-sided luggage generally comes in at a lower price point, making it a great budget-friendly option. This is because fabrics like nylon and polyester are usually cheaper to produce than polycarbonate or aluminum shells.

For instance, Away offers slightly lower prices on its soft-shell luggage line, made from water-resistant nylon. The Softside Medium luggage costs $295 (as of the time of writing), while the brand’s most popular hard-shell option, the Medium, is priced at $345. These suitcases have the same dimensions and similar features, but the polycarbonate shell comes at a higher price. Of course, both hard-shell and soft-sided luggage can range from economical to luxury, but if overall affordability matters, soft-sided bags tend to give you more for your money.

Waterproof Protection Winner: Hard-Sided

If you often travel to rainy or snowy destinations, or simply don’t want to worry about puddles, hard-sided luggage is the better pick. While many soft-sided bags are water-resistant, they aren’t fully waterproof, which can add unnecessary stress to travel. Heavy rain and water can seep into fabric, ruining your belongings or at least causing staining and musty odors. 

If you prefer soft-sided luggage but need something that withstands the elements, consider shopping for an outdoor brand. Cotapaxi’s Allpa 65L Roller Bag is made from water-resistant polyester and ballistic nylon paneling to protect your belongings from moisture.

Hard shells, on the other hand, repel moisture and can be wiped clean in seconds, protecting your belongings. Damp conditions do not affect the integrity of hard-sided luggage, so you don’t have to worry as much about looking for water-resistant or waterproof designations during your luggage search.

Weight Winner: Tie

For decades, fabric suitcases weighed less than clunky, hard-sided models, but innovations in materials have leveled the playing field. Both hard-sided and soft-sided bags can now be surprisingly lightweight — or heavy — depending on their design and features. In general, polypropylene is the lightest material for hard-sided luggage, and nylon and polyester are the lightest fabrics. However, keep in mind that you might sacrifice durability for weight when choosing these materials.

Consider the weight difference between three popular Samsonite models. The hard-sided Proxis Carry-On Spinner, made with the brand’s Roxkin outer shell, weighs just 4.7 pounds. Meanwhile, the Samsonite Silhouette 18 Softside Global Carry-On Spinner, which has the same dimensions, weighs nearly twice as much at about 7.54 pounds. But not all soft-sided bags are this heavy: The slightly larger UpLIFT Softside Carry-On Spinner weighs only 5.6 pounds. Because weight varies by model, not just material, this category ends in a tie.

In 2024, airlines mishandled 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers, meaning it’s quite rare that your bag will be lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen. And even if it is, airlines have sophisticated technology to reunite 99.5% of mishandled bags with their owners. However, a tiny fraction of lost bags are truly lost, and airlines pay out claims to compensate those customers. But what about the bags that customers never claim? There’s an interesting process behind this unusual occurrence, and a town in Alabama even claims to be the “Lost Luggage Capital of the World.” Let’s take a closer look. 

What Happens to Bags After They’re Left at the Carousel

If you’ve ever stood around waiting for your luggage at bag claim, you may have seen a carousel with a lone bag or two rotating around again and again, with no one there to claim it. Typically, that’s because the bag ended up on the wrong flight, and after a while an airline employee will remove it from the carousel and attempt to reunite it with its owner. 

But what if the airline can’t find out who it belongs to? Although airlines and airports do their best to return lost items to their owners, a few pieces of luggage — less than 0.03% of all checked bags — never find their way home. According to a travel expert interviewed by Reader’s Digest, the airline will keep the bag at the airport for an average of five days before sending it to a storage facility, where the IATA requires airlines to hold onto it for at least 60 days. 

The Unclaimed Baggage Center 

After 60 days, airlines can offload an unclaimed bag, and for U.S. carriers, there’s one place it often ends up: the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. Established in 1970 by entrepreneur Doyle Owens, the Unclaimed Baggage Center says it’s the only store in America that sells the contents of lost luggage. The store has agreements with major U.S. airlines and other transportation companies to buy unclaimed items. It resells them online and at a 50,000-square-foot outlet store in Scottsboro. 

According to the store’s website, the Unclaimed Baggage Center receives items at its processing center, where it then sorts them into three categories: resell, repurpose, or recycle. Only about a third of the items sent to the processing center are deemed sellable, but for every item sold, the company donates an average of one item to those in need and recycles the rest. Items that are sold are available at a hefty discount — up to 80% off retail prices. 

The physical store holds about 7,000 unique items, with thousands more available to browse online. And there are certainly some unique finds. In the past, the center has found a bear pelt packed in salt, a camera from the Space Shuttle (which they sent back to NASA), an Egyptian burial mask, a 10-foot Tibetan ceremonial horn, and even the Hoggle puppet from the 1986 movie Labyrinth. The latter was lovingly restored and now stands in their entryway to greet guests.

What You Can Do To Prevent Lost Luggage

While the Unclaimed Baggage Center offers a fascinating treasure trove of items that their owners never bothered to track down, chances are low that your bag will end up there if it’s misplaced. 

In 2024, around 33 million bags were mishandled, but 22 million of them were reunited with their owners within 48 hours. If, within five to 14 days, depending on the airline, the airline still can’t track down your bag, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has strict rules requiring airlines to reimburse you for its contents. Always file a lost bag claim with the airline as soon as you know it’s missing, and be sure to keep receipts for valuable items. 

To prevent this scenario from occurring in the first place, we have a few helpful tips. First, securely affix a bag tag outside with your name, email address, and phone number. You can also place a sheet of paper inside the bag in case the bag tag falls out. These days, we also recommend tossing an Apple AirTag (or similar Bluetooth device) into your bag, so you can get real-time updates on its location. Apple has even introduced a feature that allows you to share the item’s location directly with airlines, which should help you resolve any lost bag situation quickly. 

Featured image credit: Chalabala/ iStock via Getty Images Plus 

One often-overlooked airport feature is the jet bridge. It’s understandable why — the typical boarding process these days is hectic enough that you might not even think to take stock of the (possibly overheated) tunnel you’re standing in as you anxiously await getting settled onboard. But before enclosed passenger boarding bridges came around in the late 1950s, it was common to venture out onto the tarmac and board a plane via stairs, which obviously didn’t bode well in adverse weather conditions or for those with mobility challenges. Take a look at how the modern jet bridge came to exist — and why it’s such a useful tool for helping your flight depart on time.

A Brief History of the Jet Bridge

According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Chicago O’Hare International Airport debuted the first jet bridge in 1958. Known as the “Aero-Gangplank,” it provided passengers a direct link from the terminal to the aircraft, and not only was it shielded from the elements, but it also made for a more efficient turnaround between flights by eliminating passengers having to walk across the tarmac as crews worked to prepare the plane for its next departure. 

Other early adopters of the passenger boarding bridge in the late 1950s included what is now Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Los Angeles International Airport, New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. At the latter hub, American was the first carrier to install the modern, telescoping version of the jet bridge passengers are now familiar with. Its brand name, Jet Way, became synonymous with the structure and is still used today. By the 1970s and ’80s, jet bridges were standard at every major airport in the country.

Interestingly, the first passenger boarding bridges were arranged a little differently than the ones we’re used to today. Back then, airplanes typically parked parallel to the terminal building, with two short jet bridges that connected to the front and rear doors of the aircraft. As air travel rapidly expanded in the 1960s, jet bridges were repositioned so that planes parked perpendicular to the terminal, which allowed for more efficient use of terminal space.

How Jet Bridges Keep Flights on Time

While there have been upgrades to jet bridges over time — air-conditioning, automated sensors, dual jet bridges to board larger planes — the basic concept hasn’t changed much. The operator (typically an airline gate agent) uses a joystick and a computer screen to extend the telescoping sections of the boarding bridge and maneuver it to dock with the aircraft boarding door. The height of each jet bridge is adjusted based on the individual aircraft type. Once the operator pulls the bridge up to the aircraft, a canopy extends overhead to attach to the aircraft fuselage and a lever attaches to the aircraft, as seen in this video.

Speaking of different aircraft types, the next time you’re waiting to board, take a look at the ground outside the window. You’ll notice a long yellow line extending away from the terminal building — the pilot uses this to align the forward wheel to guide the aircraft to its parking position. There are also several smaller yellow lines that are arranged perpendicular to the main line. These are each marked with a different aircraft type and indicate when the pilot should hit the brakes for ideal alignment with the jet bridge, based on the position of that aircraft’s boarding door.

While the technology is relatively straightforward, jet bridges are essential to keeping modern airports running efficiently. By providing a seamless, climate-controlled link to the terminal, they allow passengers to board quickly and without weather delays or the need to be bused across the tarmac to a remote parking stand. They also provide separation from passengers and the ground crews that are working to fuel the aircraft and load baggage for its next flight. Some jet bridges are even equipped with real-time data sensors that can provide the airline’s ground operations center with updates on the progress of boarding. 

Airports Without Jet Bridges

If you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you may have noticed that — even if your airport is equipped with jet bridges — some flights are still boarded via a bus to airstairs on the tarmac. Indeed, bus boarding is more common in Europe due to a variety of factors, including more gates that are shared between airlines instead of owned by an individual airline and a preference of low-cost carriers to use bus boarding to save on airport fees. In North America, conversely, boarding via airstairs is relatively rare, though not unheard of; at Hollywood Burbank Airport, for example, passengers walk out to the tarmac and board via airstairs or a long, open-air ramp.

One big reason is that jet bridges are expensive to install. They typically cost upwards of $500,000 and as much as $1 million to $2 million per boarding bridge, depending on its capabilities. That means you’ll typically find a lack of jet bridges at smaller regional airports — ones that don’t handle enough traffic to justify the investment or with good enough weather year-round to keep the boarding experience pleasant for passengers. In addition to Burbank, examples include Kona International Airport in Hawaii, Bellingham International Airport in Washington, and Long Beach Airport in Southern California. 

At major airports, there are some exceptions. For example, some regional flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport board via airstairs on the tarmac. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has also introduced bus boarding to handle growing demand and to provide more capacity as construction projects are underway at the airport. And at Denver International, low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is moving to ground boarding to save on costs.

In November 2025, I took what most people would consider to be a pretty uneventful flight from New York to Madrid. But for me, it was a rather significant milestone: It was my first flight in 28 years. You might find that surprising for someone who writes about travel, but for nearly three decades, I faced a crippling fear of flying, and I made all my trips by car or train. Earlier this year, an invite to a European wedding that I couldn’t miss served as a catalyst for finally facing my fears. Here’s how it went — and how my experience may help you, too.

The Backstory

When I was a child, my family flew from New York to Puerto Rico, California, and the Cayman Islands, all without any hiccups or traumatic experiences that I can recall. But in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we started taking vacations closer to home. During this time, years went by where I wasn’t exposed to planes or airports, and an irrational fear of flying began to percolate. The next time my family brought up the idea of flying somewhere, I found myself in a full-blown panic and unwilling to travel with them.

I wasn’t entirely sure where this fear came from, but I was confident that I wanted to travel only by car or train. Despite the many statistics to the contrary, doing so simply made me feel safer. So, from my teenage years until my mid-30s, I shunned airports and stuck to long road trips and train trips, exploring 48 U.S. states and parts of Canada. The fact that I was doing so much domestic travel helped me justify my lack of flying. And all my friends got married close to home, so I never had to worry about missing a big event because of my fear — until the end of 2024, when I was told by a good friend that he would be getting married in Spain the following year.

The Preparation

As the wedding grew closer in the summer of 2025, a family member recommended a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This particular practice (Behavioral Associates, for folks based in New York City) utilizes a combination of exposure therapy, biofeedback, and neurofeedback to help people get over their fears of flying. After doing some research, I decided to contact the doctor’s office and schedule an appointment.

I met with the doctor, who explained how the treatment worked, and was assigned to a therapist who specializes in cases like mine. Thus began a 12-week intensive process of overcoming the anxieties that had held me back as a traveler for so long.

Each session began with standard talk therapy, in which I was able to elaborate on my concerns and talk through them. During this time, I was repeatedly encouraged to book nonrefundable plane tickets, lock down hotels, make plans with other friends who were going — all steps I could take to rewire my brain into believing that I was definitely going to make it to Spain. I also practiced breathing techniques that I could use to cap potential anxiety spikes and bring my nerves down to a more manageable level.

In addition to the talk therapy, each session included an immersive virtual reality component to replicate the feeling of being on a plane — at least to the best degree that wearing a VR headset would allow. The videos I watched were recordings from actual passengers in the first-person perspective. They also featured audio intended to recreate the hum of a plane’s engines and a vibrating device attached to the chair to replicate the vibration of turbulence.

The goal with this repeated exposure — which often involved watching the same video over and over — was to make the flying experience seem as “boring” as it could be. I hoped to familiarize myself with the sights and sounds of flying in this VR environment, so that I wouldn’t be shocked or panic when I boarded an actual aircraft. During earlier sessions, I felt my anxiety spike while I watched these videos. But as the sessions went on, the spikes were fewer and far between.

The Flight

With my flight fast approaching in November 2025, I had no choice but to dive in head first and put my extensive therapy to the test. Despite having not been inside an airport in decades, I surprisingly found the check-in and security process at New York’s JFK Airport straightforward and easy. But my fear was always going to be the actual flight, so as I boarded the aircraft, I wondered what was to come. Thankfully, I was accompanied by a friend — having a familiar face nearby helped put my nerves at ease.

Between finding my seat, listening to the safety instructions, and familiarizing myself with the cabin, I didn’t really have time to let my brain wander. As we began to taxi, however, I realized that I was about to find out if all that therapy would pay off. Before I knew it, we were taking flight — but instead of panic or fear, I spent the first 30 minutes of the trip feeling a sense of bewilderment.

Once we hit cruising altitude, I found the whole experience somewhat unnerving but mostly boring — much to my delight. When the first bit of turbulence hit, I felt a wave of anxiety, but I began to use the breathing techniques I was taught in therapy. That prevented my anxiety levels from spiking beyond control. Seeing the flight attendants go about their business as usual also reminded me that I should stay equally calm. 

The overnight flight from New York City to Madrid was about seven hours, but I knew full well that I wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep. Instead, I distracted myself by watching movies, drinking a few whiskey sodas, scrolling mindlessly on my iPad, and listening to hours of Grateful Dead concerts on my noise-canceling headphones. These helped me block out the sounds from the cabin and create my own little world where I could relax more easily.

I did such a good job of distracting myself that although I knew we were nearing the end of the flight, the landing seemed to come quite suddenly, and with a thud we were back on the ground. I didn’t fully appreciate the fact that I had completed my first flight until hours later in my hotel room, but I knew deep down that it was a big deal to have done it without much issue.

The Aftermath

Several weeks later, I can look back on my first flight in nearly 28 years with pride and confidently say that I successfully overcame my fear. But despite the discomforts I felt along the way, I learned that all you need to do is stay calm, breathe, and manage your anxiety levels, and you’ll make it to your destination before too long.

Do I think I’ll ever enjoy flying? The odds are low, at least at this moment. The turbulence was quite uncomfortable, and the cramped nature of an aircraft isn’t exactly pleasant. But having been fortunate enough to attend therapy sessions, I do think repeated VR exposure helped me prepare for the strange sights and unfamiliar sounds that come with being in an airplane cabin, so it was a more familiar and less jarring experience when I actually got onto the plane.

Another thing that helped me get over my fear? Stubbornness. I felt it would’ve been a complete waste of time and money in therapy had I not gone through with the trip — I guess there’s something to be said for buying nonrefundable tickets and spending 12 weeks in therapy making a plan for a smooth trip. And if I can get over a decades-long fear of flying, I believe anyone else experiencing the same type of fear can — if they want to — overcome it with a bit of determination and whatever method works for them.