Tracee Ellis Ross is packing her (many) bags for another round of adventures on a second season of her hit Roku Originals series “Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross.”

The award-winning actor (“Black-ish,” “Girlfriends”) and Pattern CEO hosts the travel show, which debuted on July 25, and has since become the most-watched unscripted Roku Original ever. (The streamer calculated the viewership record in terms of unique viewers within the first two weeks of launch.)

Season 1 followed Ross’ journeys through Morocco, Mexico and Spain while employing her unique blend of humor, heart and honesty to spotlight the joys of traveling alone and emphasize the power of self-discovery. Season 2 will focus on three more scenic escapes as Ross jets off to new destinations. Ross is currently in travel mode — as she’s scheduled to appear at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) on Friday to discuss the series’ overwhelming success. 

“’Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross’ is the No. 1 unscripted show in Roku history, and now we get to do it all again with a Season 2!” Ross said in a statement announcing the greenlight. “Thank you to Roku for your incredible partnership and care with my show, and to the amazing team that made it all possible. But the biggest thank you goes to everyone who has watched, embraced and shared my journeys. The way the show is resonating feels truly special — all of the comments, the conversations, the connection… my cup runneth over.”

Ross continued: “So here’s to all the solo travelers out there, the aspiring solo travelers, those who share in the joy of solo travel by watching me do it and, of course, to my fellow over-packers! There’s so much more to see and do — the world is our oyster! I can’t wait to see where I’ll be going next and to bring all of you along.”

“Tracee Ellis Ross has set a new gold standard for unscripted storytelling,” said Brian Tannenbaum, head of Roku Originals. “Her show didn’t just perform — it soared. The response from our streamers has been overwhelming, and we’re deeply grateful to have Tracee returning to guide us through another season filled with heart, purpose and adventure.”

The series, added Roku alternative originals head Olivia LaRoche, “has struck a powerful chord with audiences, blending inspiration, culture, and authenticity in each destination. We’re thrilled to bring it back for another season, with even more of what viewers love: deep stories, bold adventures and Tracee’s signature spirit that continues to empower, explore and entertain.”

“Solo Traveling” Season 1 was produced by Ross’ Joy Mill Entertainment, Artists First and Story Syndicate. Ross and E. Brian Dobbins serve as executive producers, Adriana Ambriz and Caroline Soss also serve as co-executive producers and Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Tommy Coriale and Kate Barry executive produce for Story Syndicate. LaRoche and Louisa Lenander Friedman oversee the series on behalf of Roku Originals.

Watch the Season 1 trailer below. All episodes are now streaming for free on the Roku Channel.

An internal tech outage led to a United Airlines ground stop at major US airports on August 6, delaying hundreds of flights.

Airline technology disruptions like these can leave passengers stranded on planes or hunkered down in terminals for hours as airline operations come to a screeching halt.

Multiple US airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest, United, and Alaska Airlines have faced IT system failures in recent years. The most severe of the bunch was caused by a CrowdStrike issue in 2024, leading to thousands of canceled flights around the world. While that one impacted multiple major airlines in the US, others are isolated to specific carriers: Alaska Airlines experienced “a significant IT outage” on July 20, 2025 that resulted in a system-wide ground stop of flights for both Alaska and its regional subsidiary Horizon Air.

Here’s what to know if you get caught in the middle of an airline tech meltdown—and how to receive compensation for flight delays and cancellations.

This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Are airline tech disruptions happening more often?

Unfortunately, it appears that airlines are experiencing IT system outages on a more frequent basis. “As airline operations and pricing get increasingly complex, airline IT failures happen with increasing frequency and to a greater technical extent,” says Travelers United, a consumer advocacy group. “The complex airline systems [are] cobbled together from bits and pieces of different airlines as mergers over recent years have reduced airline competition.”

Often, these type of technical failures affect systems like the crew management software, which is a key component of flight operations. Systems like this have “so many dimensions to factor, including the passage of time, individual flight crew members with rules governing their work hours, routes, aircraft, and location of all of these people and planes at that moment in time,” explains Mike Arnot, an airline expert and founder of the aviation communications firm Juliett Alpha. “However, sometimes it’s so bad, with planes and people so out of position, a huge number of flights need to be canceled to reset. They just have to take drastic action to reset the entire operation and get planes and people in position to start again.”

How to get help from customer service fast

It’s no surprise that in an airline IT meltdown, representatives quickly become overwhelmed. “When you need help during a major airline event, the biggest challenge is reaching someone,” says Gary Leff, a travel advisor and author of aviation blog View From the Wing. “Phone lines are overloaded. Often the website and mobile app will crash as too many customers seek help.”

To get assistance quickly, try multiple avenues all at once even as you stand in line at the airport help desk. “It can be a good idea to be on the phone and on social media via direct message while standing in line, and that if you don’t get what you want the first time you ask to then ask someone else,” Leff says.

That advice also applies to if you are automatically rebooked on an itinerary that’s less than ideal. “The technology typically factors in status, fare paid, whether you are on a reward redemption, among other considerations,” says Arnot. “You can accept what is given to you automatically, but there’s no reason why you can’t get in line virtually or at the airport itself and find better routings, timings, and options.”

What passengers are owed—and what you should ask for anyway

According to new Department of Transportation rules enacted in April 2024, passengers are entitled to a full and automatic refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed. Several scenarios can constitute a “significant change.” Among them are: “departure or arrival times that are [delayed] more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.”

By the 12th Century, Danjyo notes that umbrellas began to become more widely used by the general public, and over the ensuing centuries, their spiritual significance has remained.

That same spiritual significance comes to life in festivals across Japan today. At Kyoto’s Yasurai Matsuri, held each year in the second week of April, flower-decorated umbrellas are believed to extract diseases and illnesses from people. At the Hakata Dontaku festival, which takes place every 3-4 May in the northern city of Fukuoka, massive kasaboko floats are paraded through the streets; passing under one is said to bring blessings of good health and good fortune. And on the island of Okinoshima in Kōchi Prefecture, every 13-16 August residents create vividly decorated umbrella structures to house the spirits of the recently deceased during their annual Obon festival. Every second year on the night of 16 August, these umbrellas are carried in a ritual dance around a central platform, symbolically guiding the spirits safely back to the spirit world.

Umbrellas have even inspired one of Japan’s most recognisable supernatural figures: the kasa yokai (umbrella spirit). These supernatural spirits appear in historic artworks such as the Night Parade of the Myriad Goblins, where abandoned household items are shown coming to life.

Often depicted with a single eye and quirky features, kasa yokai reflect Japan’s animist belief that even objects can possess a spirit, especially those that have been used, loved and eventually discarded.

Travellers interested in the history and craftsmanship of Japan’s traditional umbrellas can explore it firsthand at workshops and museums throughout the country.

So, the next time you open an umbrella in Japan, especially a traditional wagasa, remember that it might be doing more than just keeping you dry.

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