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Reviews 4.3.

95,187 total

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Reasonably simple booking process &…

Reasonably simple booking process & good prices. T&Cs are impossibly long but using this site saved over £500 compare to booking directly with BA

Date of experience : May 14, 2024

I recently made a booking which to my…

I recently made a booking which to my understanding there would be a non refundable deposit which is no issue. I used the correct lines to contact travel up.com to get a refund for the rest of the money as we now cant make it. BILL.DAWSON was the person who was dealing with this for me. He was prompt and assured me that I would receive a refund for the rest of the money in 2-3 days. Great service, thank you Bill.

Although it may take you a while to go…

Although it may take you a while to go through and select the most suitable flight booking, once you have decided the booking is quick and easy.

Date of experience : May 13, 2024

Brilliant service, truly helpful agents

Honestly cannot recommend Travelup enough. Nothing but reliable service. I was stuck with a medical emergency on my last trip and Travelup were absolutely phenomenal in supporting and assisting me in making the necessary travel arrangements and changes. It was a complex situation and my agent, Elena W, went above and beyond to help me, she was an absolute angel! When using price comparison sites now I actively seek out Travelup deals and will often go straight to their website in the first instance. Absolutely brilliant team, especially Elena who was just amazing!

Date of experience : January 04, 2024

Reply from TravelUp

Good afternoon, Thank you so much for sharing your 5* feedback about our service. We are glad to hear that Elena Williams's performance exceeded your expectations regarding your trip. We will make sure that our representative receives the recognition she deserves. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great afternoon ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Fairly easy to follow the website…

Fairly easy to follow the website instructions. Only issue so far is that the email with the confirmation details doesn't print or save the whole page width.

Date of experience : May 12, 2024

Good morning, Mr. Gidman, We are grateful that you chose to give us a 4* rating with your valuable time. Our team enjoys doing what they do because of customers like you. Your review has made our day. Thank you for your compliment. Regards, TravelUp

Good website, great transparency and simple to book

Really straightforward website, clear pricing details, no hidden fees. Keep up the great work.

Good morning, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great morning ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Booked my flights to Hong Kong and got instant confirmation. 25kg luggage on iternary but airline said I'm entitled to 30kg. Travel up hassle free would choose them again.

Date of experience : May 08, 2024

Good morning, Miss. Lau, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Cheapest website price on flights ! Straightforward & Simple!

Through the comparison website, TravelUp came up with the cheapest option. the entire booking process was pretty straightforward and without complications. I'm certain I'll be using this site for future reservations.

Date of experience : May 10, 2024

Good morning, Mr. Balchandani, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great morning ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Very easy process

Very easy process. All the flight information and extra costs were clear and simple. Was cheaper adding the extras via Travel Up than the airline!

Good morning, Ms. Bradburn, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 4* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great morning ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Inconsiderate

Realised a couple of days after booking hotel, that I made an error of ticking the non refundable option, as opposed to refundable one. Tried speaking to them, and their 24 hour line on Sunday night is a joke. Next day customer agent was not as understanding as I hoped for. T&Cs it is.

As usual with TravelUp the process was…

As usual with TravelUp the process was very clear, easy and very efficient. They provide an excellent service. Highly recommended.

Date of experience : May 09, 2024

Good evening, Thank you for sharing your 5* review with our community. Your feedback is important to us, and we will continue to strive for the same level of services in the future. Hope to hear from you again about your upcoming trip. Regards, TravelUp

First time here

First time here, very good deal, not found anything similar on any other sites.

Good morning, Kumar, Thank you for the 5*review. We are glad you liked our online prices and found the services smooth and more competitive than other sites. Thank you for booking with us. Regards, TravelUp

Just booked a flight for 2 from…

Just booked a flight for 2 from Heathrow to Singapore. Great price, easy to navigate. All done super quick

Date of experience : May 11, 2024

Good morning, Mrs. Rumsey, Thank you for the 5*review. We are glad you liked our online booking prices and found the services smooth and easy to use. Thank you for booking with us. Regards, TravelUp

price quoted was price paid

price quoted was price paid. even though other sites changed price during process. quite quick to pay and book.

Everything was made so easy

Everything was made so easy, at first I was a bit wary because I had never booked with travel up before but I will definitely be doing again!

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

Good morning, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Horrible experience ever

Horrible experience ever. No response from the team at all and the prices to just postpone the tickets are so high than the official prices of the airlines. I will never book a flight ticket from Travelup.

Excellent way to buy your air ticket…

Excellent way to buy your air ticket online

I just booked my tickets and it is…

I just booked my tickets and it is comparatively good price. The rest of the feedback will be given after my travel completion.

Date of experience : May 06, 2024

Good morning, Mr. Shrestha, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Do not book with them at all

Do not book with them at all. I booked emirates flights through them which got cancelled due to storm in dubai. I called them,emailed them several times from abroad to rebook the flights but they didn't even talk to me properly. They were so rude over the phone and didn't even tell me what to do. They pretend to be so nice with you when you are about to book through them but afterwards they behave so rude if you ask them to change or rebook the flights. I will NEVER book with them again.So disappointed

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

TravelUp are aweseome

Fast, reliable service at great prices. Using TravelUp for the second time.

Good evening, Mr. Rafique, Thank you for the 5*review. We are glad you liked our online booking process and found the services swift and reliable. Thank you for booking with us. Regards, TravelUp

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What Your Status Means

I got a letter and/or email requesting more information, help what should i do if:, my passport was "mailed" but i have not received it.

If you have waited over two weeks since we mailed your passport, call us at 1-877-487-2778  (or  1-888-874-7793  if you are deaf or hard of hearing).

We will help you complete a special form (known as the DS-86 form ) which is a signed statement that you didn't receive your U.S. passport.

You must complete the DS-86 form within 90 days of the date we issued your passport. After 90 days, you must reapply and pay all fees, by law.

I applied and need my passport sooner than I thought

Call us at  1-877-487-2778  (or  1-888-874-7793  if you are deaf or hard of hearing). You’ll need either your application number or your last name and date of birth.

• Get expedited service for $60. 
• Get 1-2 day delivery of your completed passport book for $19.53. One-to-two day delivery is not available for passport cards. We only send cards via First Class Mail.

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Do not contact us if your address changed  after  you received your passport.

Contact us only if your mailing address changed while you are waiting for your passport.

If you want to receive your passport at an address other than your own, we will send the passport “In Care Of” someone else who lives at that address.

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If you have been waiting more than 8 weeks for your documents, call us at  1-877-487-2778  to report that you have not received your documents. 

If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 90 days of the date which we mailed your passport. You will also need to provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document. 

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Check your application status online and sign up for updates via email . How our contact center can help you depends on your travel date, and if you have applied or not yet applied...

I have already applied and do not have my passport

I have not applied yet, reminders for contacting us.

• Representatives are available Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. We close on federal holidays.
• Our primary number is 1-877-487-2778 . Se habla español.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services.
• Contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate if you are applying outside the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

You cashed my check. why is my status still "not available".

Still In Transit: Your application status is "Not Available" because your application is still in transit to a passport agency or center. After you apply, your application is:

• Delivered to a mail facility. Your tracking number may say that your application has "Arrived" at the mail facility. 
• Sent from the mail facility to an intake facility where your payment is processed (check is cashed). 
• Sent by the intake facility to a passport agency or center. 

It may take up to 2 weeks from the day you apply until your application status is "In Process" at one of our passport agencies and centers. 

Problem with your Application : In some cases, it may take longer than 2 weeks if our intake facility finds a problem with your application. We will contact you if we need more information. 

Technical Issue : We may have a temporary, technical issue with our system. Please try again in several hours. 

Entering Your Last Name : If you cannot find a status update on the first try, make sure the name you enter is spelled the same as the name you provided on your passport form. If you have a hyphen in your name, try entering your name with and without the hyphen.

Why does my status say "Mailed" if I just applied?

Your status may be "Mailed" if you received a new passport in the last 180 days, and you are re-applying for a new passport. For example, you may need to use  Form DS-5504 if you need to Change or Correct Your Passport . It may take 2 weeks after the date you apply on Form DS-5504 for your status to change to "In Process." 

Why does my status say "In Process" after it was already "Approved"?

You may see this update if we discovered a problem we need to fix during our final review of your passport. We are fixing the issue and preparing to print a new passport for you. 

Will I receive my new passport and my documents back in one envelope?

You will get multiple mailings. The number of mailings depends on what document(s) you asked for.

Passport Book : You may get your new passport and citizenship documents in two mailings. You may wait 8 weeks after getting your passport before you get a second mailing with your citizenship documents. We will return the passport book using a trackable delivery service.

Passport Card : You may get your new passport card and your citizenship documents in two mailings. You may wait 8 weeks after getting your passport before you get a second mailing with your citizenship documents. We only send the passport card via First Class Mail. We do not send cards using 1-2 day delivery services.

Both a Passport Book and Card : You may get three separate mailings:

• New passport book
• New passport card
• Citizenship documents

Contacting Us : If you have been waiting more than 8 weeks for your documents, call us at  1-877-487-2778  to report that you have not received your documents. 

How do I know which location is processing my application and has my documents?

The first two digits of your nine-digit passport application locator number allow you to know which agency or center is working on your application. You can find your application locator number by checking our  Online Passport Status System . The unique digits for each of our agencies and centers are below.

Processing Times

Routine:  6-8 weeks*

Expedited: 2-3 weeks and an extra $60*

*Consider the total time it will take to get a passport when you are booking travel.  Processing times only include the time your application is at a passport agency or center.

• It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive at a passport agency or center. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport after we print it. 
• Processing times + mailing times = total time to get a passport

Urgent Travel:  See our Get my Passport Fast page. 

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Dream, discover, book with Chase Travel

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Eligible cardmembers can purchase a trip through Chase Travel with their eligible Chase credit card and get rewarded with 5,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points when purchasing 2 qualifying travel components, or 8,000 when purchasing 3. Choose from hotels, flights, cars and cruises.

Haven’t traveled with us in a while? You may be eligible for an extra 2,000 bonus points.

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8 Helpful Things 50-Plus Travelers Never Knew They Need to Do Before Traveling

Research is key but don’t forget to have a conversation.

Judy Mandell,

If you are getting ready to travel, you probably have a pre-travel checklist that you follow. TSA PreCheck ? Active. Passport ? Check. But if you haven’t traveled in a while, you might not know where to start checking for the necessary information and documentation .

After the record number of passengers screened in 2023, David Pekoske, the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), said earlier this year that the agency expects the trend to continue this year. Indeed, 65 percent of people 50-plus plan to travel this year, according to the AARP 2024 Travel Trends survey .

AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

As you prepare to travel this summer, here are eight tips you never knew to follow before taking a trip.

1. Call the non-U.S. 800 number for airlines

Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for CBS News, wants travelers to not rely solely on online research when booking a trip. “The websites are by design misleading because the presumption that people make, which is false, is that they’re seeing all the availability and inventory on their screen. They’re not.”

Greenberg suggests having a conversation with a travel agent, travel adviser or travel provider to find the full availability that often isn’t depicted online. Instead of being put on hold on a U.S.-based airline 800 number, call an 800 number for United Airlines in London, American Airlines in Dublin or Delta Airlines in Paris, he says. “They are open 24/7. They won’t put you on hold. And they’re seeing the same thing on their screen that the headquarters are seeing” in Chicago, Dallas or Atlanta, Greenberg says.

2. Check the expiration date on your passport

Many countries, including most of Europe, Morocco, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand, will not let you enter if your passport expires in less than six months. Check the U.S. State Department’s travel site for more details.

3. Get an international driver’s permit

Do you plan to drive overseas? If so, there are some countries that require an International Driving Permit, says William Lee, the head of marketing for Chima Travel in northeast Ohio. According to usa.gov, if you visit Canada or Mexico, your state driver’s license is all you need. However, a trip to Spain or Greece will require an International Driving Permit. “The process to get one is actually really simple,” Lee says. Before you travel, either visit AAA in person or online. AAA is the only entity that issues the permit in the U.S. Supply two passport-style photos or have the pictures taken at certain AAA offices. The fee for the permit is $20, plus processing and delivery fees. You don’t need to be a member of AAA to use this service.

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4. Book the first flight of the day on an airline not based in your city

Greenberg says advice to take the very first flight of the day is nothing new. “What is new is to take the first flight of the day on an airline that’s not based in your city,” he says. “You want to take the first flight on a plane that overnighted, which means the crew stayed with that plane; the plane is ready to go, and your odds of getting out on time first thing in the morning are infinitely increased.” Greenberg adds it could be a problem if you are waiting for a plane to arrive from somewhere else.

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5. Apply for entrance authorization

In 2025, the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will require passport holders from more than 60 visa-exempt countries to apply for approval to enter 30 European countries. Previously, countries such as France, Germany and Greece did not require advance approval to enter for visits of less than 90 days. Once the program is running, travelers to Europe will fill out the form online or via a mobile app and pay a 7 euro charge (about $7.54, depending on exchange rates; free for applicants 70 and older). And don’t forget about visas. “You just need to search for ‘country + visa requirements,’ ” Lee says.

6. Research local currency and exchange rates

“Many travelers get ripped off due to a lack of research,” says Michael Sawyer, operations director at Ultimate Kilimanjaro, a company that specializes in assisting people who want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Sawyer suggests exchanging some currency prior to your departure or getting a travel debit card.

7. Search for tipping etiquette

Sawyer says tipping customs vary greatly depending on the city or country. “Knowing how to tip at restaurants and other services can assist in avoiding awkward situations,” he says.

8. Download offline maps and other key apps

If you are traveling to a destination with limited internet access, it’s good to have these products readily available, Sawyer says. City-specific apps can provide information on attractions, public transportation and restaurant recommendations.

Contributing: Kimberley Lovato, AARP

Judy Mandell is a Virginia-based writer who contributes to the New York Times , the Washington Post , Prevention magazin e and many other major newspapers and magazines. She lives in North Garden, Virginia, with her rescue dog, Maple.

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RealJoy Vacations

Location & Hours

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1008 Airport Rd

Destin, FL 32541

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Poor customer service overall. House description was inaccurate that just stayed in over Spring Break - no pool, private beach access was a joke, house was missing cushions on back porch, not well appointed in the kitchen - no fan to get rid of fish smell when cooking one night, dog friendly house but not people friendly rugs for pet dander. The customer service simply didn't respond in a timely fashion or have things done in a timely manner if at all.

Just got home from Sea Oats in Fort Walton. I gave a good review at first, but it won't let me amend it. I received a $130 charge 5 days later saying the curtains were torn down and it was a $20 part and $110 labor. I went through all the rooms before I left and made sure nothing was wrong. It was all in great condition. Mind you, the condo was old and needed severe updating. The washers cold water was only trickling out and took 2 1/2 hours to do a load. Maybe they are trying to make extra money to do some updates. So disappointed.

completely non functional stove top/oven in unit. they sent a maintenance person to assess it, he said it would need to be replaced and we'd be called at 9am when the office opened. no call no show. at 10:30 we called the office and were told "at some point during the day, a hot plate would be dropped off". no property managers will call the paying guest. I would not recommend or use RealJoy vacations again because they obviously don't care about the needs of the guest.

Currently staying at Dunes of Panama Unit 2002E. I would advise against anyone booking this unit, as I DO NOT have access to the balcony. HOA has boards on the doors from the outside..I assume due to an inspection issue or something. RealJoy literally called me on the day of my booking an hour before check in about the balcony being closed! Mind you, I live out of state and was a couple of hours away from arriving. They said they wasn't made aware of the issue until at that time. I opted for a discount to be provided from what I paid. It's day 2 and I have yet to hear back about receiving discount. They said they have to talk to the owner....what is there to talk about? You all and the owner need to do the right thing; otherwise, I will be filing a complaint with FL State Attorneys General's. What a way to ruin my Birthday vacation. For you all to claim you had no idea the balcony was closed. There is a sign posted in the elevator....about work being done in building in E since February!!

I should have consulted yelp before booking... lesson learned!! All previous reviews are totally accurate! Booked a property at Adagio in Blue mountain beach and arrived to it filthy! Called and received great customer service from Noel (5 stars for her!) but we had to be moved to a different rental about 20 mins away at 930pm after traveling all day with little kids. Upon returning the next day to our original unit I inquired to real joy ( this time talked to Marie, zero stars for her) on how we would be compensated for this and she wanted to refund us just half the cleaning fee and that was it. after more discussion, she agreed to refund the full cleaning fee, which was still unacceptable. she was extremely unprofessional, kept telling me there was no one higher up I could talk to and said that at least they found us somewhere else to stay for the night... Please do not use real joy. It is awful!

See all photos from Annie G. for RealJoy Vacations

Ahh The Pelican Blue house located at 58 Terra Cotta Way Destin, FL 32541 has roaches, live bugs throughout (including inside the refrigerator), cans of beer, cigarettes butts, microwave was dirty, mop was disgustingly dirty, grill was greasy and dirty. I reported the issue within 30-40 minutes of checking into the house. The employee, Lisa, took my initial phone call and told me that a live roach will not get me move to another property. She was more concerned about financial implications instead of fixing the issues and helping us to find a solution. After having a very heated discussion with Lisa and seeing she was not going to move us into a clean house, we had no choice but to rent another house on our own. We are a family with young kids, it would not have been possible for us to remain in the house in its current condition. Besdies the extreme level of filth, the conditions of the house are deteriorating. Furniture and kitchen are falling apart. We waited for the cleaning person to come to inspect the house and confirm the issues. I received a phone call from Jonathan today. His offer was to refund me the cleaning fee. Not a refund for the house... This company doesn't care about their customers, and clearly do not care about the quality of the houses they're renting.

See all photos from Carolina G. for RealJoy Vacations

If I could give 0 stars I would. This company was founded by Ryan Olin, a professed Christian. He has not responded to my certified letter outlining an issue my family had when we reserved a 3 bedroom 3 bath condo at Ariel Dunes in Miramar Beach, FL. We specifically needed 3 private spaces, however upon arrival found and reported a leak from the bathroom above, affecting the bathroom and bedroom. The leak was not repaired during our stay and we could smell mold or mildew. We did not know if the water was gray water and due to existing health issues, we closed off the rooms. Our third adult guest did not join us, since they would not have a private space. We paid well above comps, due to it being a holiday week, spending over $4500 for a week, when comparable two bedroom, two bath units were under $2500 in the same area. I asked for compensation to receive 1/4 of the amount spent (2 of the 8 rooms) when they asked what I wanted. As a property management professional, I calculated the concession based on industry standards. They offered substantially less and refused to say how they arrived at the number. Their agents and managers are rude, condescending and have no desire to provide a good travel experience. They did not make the repair, offer alternate accommodations or a fair refund. Mr. Olin, is this how you treat your customers or are you too busy counting your money to really care??

Bathroom ceiling when we arrived and throughout the stay it got worse,

This is what we arrived to.

BEWARE!! DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY! I booked a condo for Spring Break, I paid it up front, they gave me a confirmation number, which I am attaching. This was 3 weeks from my stay. They kept sending emails about their place, what to bring etc.. Then, ONE DAY before my trip they send an email saying that my condo was not available. They sent some alternate options that were nothing like what I had. Not even in the same beach! When I called, they were just so unhelpful and a person named Jeremy even asked me why I was surprised, He said, this happens all the time! Just horrible!! This people ruined my Spring Break. They are scammers to me! Attaching the confirmation after payment and the email Sent one day prior to my trip.

Attaching the confirmation email

Email sent to me ONE day prior to my arrival

We booked Double Down for a family vacation, planning on having a birthday brunch by the pool for our daughter. While preparing for our visit to Double Down, I noticed a recent bad review on AirBnB about mildew being in the house and pool being down for maintenance. BTW, all of RealJoy's reviews of the house are 5 stars. I emailed RealJoy Vacations 30A and was assured that the mildew had been addressed and the pool had been serviced (see attached picture). On our date of arrival at 3:45 pm (check in is at 4 pm), Jonathan Johnson called me to say the house had a mildew problem, and they do not have any availability at any other location. We went to the house to see exactly what he meant. Please see attached photos. I am posting this in hopes that another family does not try to rent this house and is aware of using this agency. The pictures they posted online DO NOT look like the actual house. It's dingy, dirty, and mildew is in the ceiling/walls. The pool water is brown with black patches. The grass around the pool and fire pit was at least knee high. Trash was visible around the pool. We were given a refund but nothing else. We were basically stranded after a five hour drive with a four year old. I had rented 2 sets beach chairs at the near the house but I was unable to get in touch with them to try to change our location until the following day. This was a stressful and terrible experience. Please be aware of the lack of concern for their customers.

See all photos from Debbie G. for RealJoy Vacations

They listed property on Airbnb on 30A with a golf cart. We made a reservation (over 4 months out) and learned the morning after making reservation that the cart was an additional cost. So we canceled less than 24hrs after making reservation. They were only going to refund 50% of deposit. Total rental was going to be $5,200. Deposit was $2,500. After explaining the misleading listing info to them, they said they would just keep $100 cancelation fee and return the rest. This outfit is a complete joke and is just looking to take money from anyone they can. 3 days of fighting this and Airbnb is just as bad. They keep passing us around to "specialists" hoping we just give up, I think. I would highly advise people not to use RealJoy and we will not be using Airbnb after this ever again.

Very misleading listing.

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The latest on the massive solar storm

By Angela Fritz, Elise Hammond and Chris Lau, CNN

Incredible lighthouse picture from Maine

From CNN's Chris Lau

Among a flurry of surreal images capturing the dazzling auroras is one taken by Benjamin Williamson of a lighthouse in Portland, Maine.

"It's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, the awe and wonder," Williamson told CNN.

He said he used a long-exposure technique to snap the shot, but did not edit it.

Watch the full interview with Williamson here .

Things could be about to ramp up

If you still haven't seen the aurora, hold on for another 30 minutes to an hour, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

The next wave of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which cause the aurora, is about to arrive, he said.

"Just wait a minute because things are going to start to ramp up here," he said, adding that the increase could arrive "anytime now." "When it comes, get outside, get ready, put your coat on."

For those who are too busy to witness the phenomenon tonight, Myers said the aurora is expected to last three nights.

Why does the aurora last for a weekend?

By CNN's Chris Lau

Generally, it takes just eight minutes for light to travel 93 million miles to the Earth from the sun, but astrophysicist Janna Levin said the energized particles causing the current wave of aurora travel a lot slower, causing the phenomenon to last for the weekend.

"Some of these mass ejections are trillions of kilograms," she said. "They're slower. So they're taking longer, but still hours, maybe tens of hours."

Here's how the solar storm looks in the South and on the East Coast

The aurora was visible across the East Coast and in the South Friday.

Here's how it looked in Chester, South Carolina.

Down in Florida, waves of color swam through the sky.

Up north in New Jersey, a purple-ish haze could be seen in the sky.

Will solar storms get more intense and risky in the future?

The answer is probably not in the short term, according to astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi.

He said scientists study what is constantly happening on the surface of the sun and have found a pattern.

“Geological data shows us that in the past the sun was way more active than it is today. It has cycles where it goes very quiet ... and you have events that show that the solar activity was much, much greater,” he told CNN. “So there's no evidence that we're going to see those big maxima this cycle." 

But the astrophysicist also spoke of a caveat - the limitations of modern science.

“Even though it's predictable in the short term, we still don't quite understand what creates the magnetic fields in the sun,” he said, adding: “That's why NASA has so many satellites looking at the sun.”

In Pictures: Auroras light the sky during rare solar storm

From CNN Digital's Photo Team

A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun are creating dazzling auroras across the globe .

The rare solar storm may also disrupt communications. The last time a solar storm of this magnitude reached Earth was in October 2003, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

See more photos of the aurora from tonight.

Behind dazzling aurora could lie “real danger,” Bill Nye the Science Guy says

The massive solar storm could present “a real danger,” especially with the modern world relying so much on electricity, according to Bill Nye the Science Guy , a science educator and engineer.

Scientists are warning an increase in solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun have the potential to disrupt communication on Earth into the weekend. Solar flares can affect communications and GPS almost immediately because they disrupt Earth’s ionosphere, or part of the upper atmosphere. Energetic particles released by the sun can also disrupt electronics on spacecraft and affect astronauts without proper protection within 20 minutes to several hours.

In comparison to tonight's event, Nye drew comparisons with another incident in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, when telegraph communications were severely affected.

“The other thing, everybody, that is a real danger to our technological society, different from 1859, is how much we depend on electricity and our electronics and so on,” Nye said. "None of us really in the developed world could go very long without electricity."

He noted that there are systems in place to minimize the impact, but “stuff might go wrong,” stressing that not all transformers are equipped to withstand such a solar event.

“It depends on the strength of the event and it depends on how much of our infrastructures are prepared for this the sort of thing,” he said.

Bill Nye breaks down significance of the solar storm | CNN

This post has been updated with more details on solar flares' impact on electronics.

Here's where clouds will block the view of the northern lights in the US

From CNN's Angela Fritz

After an incredibly stormy week, most of the Lower 48 has clear skies to see the northern lights. But there are some areas where clouds and rainy weather are spoiling the view.

A deck of clouds is blocking the sky in the Northeast, from parts of Virginia into Maine, as an area of low pressure spins off the East Coast.

In the Midwest, the aurora will be hard to see through thick clouds in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan — including the Upper Peninsula — and Illinois.

A stripe of clouds is tracking across Texas, including Dallas-Forth Worth, and into Louisiana.

And in the Southwest, patchy clouds across the the Four Corners region could make the northern lights difficult to spot.

Aurora seen at least as far south as Georgia

Barely visible to the naked eye, the aurora can be seen in Atlanta in the 10 p.m. ET hour. 

It is easier to see through photographs using a long exposure. The photos below, taken by CNN's Eric Zerkel and Emily Smith, used 3- and 10-second exposures.

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