Travelers who have been longing to visit Cape Town, hike Table Mountain, take a safari, or explore the history of Johannesburg will be happy to learn that, as of today, South Africa has dropped all of their COVID restrictions, This includes the enforcing of masks, requiring testing, mandating vaccinations, and even performing border checks for those entering the country by land. According to an official release from the country’s tourism agency, “It is pleasing to note that the trajectory of the pandemic has eased, and South Africa has exited a mild fifth infection wave. According to Phaahla, the latest epidemiological…
Author: Keith Langston
A new discount transatlantic airline, Norse Atlantic Airways, is hoping to gain a foothold in the US by flying passengers directly to destinations the airline believes passengers want to go to, without needing a stopover. Current European destinations include Oslo, Berlin, and London. Now, the airline, which was already flying from New York (JFK), is adding new US destinations to its growing roster of locales. Its new Fort Lauderdale service just started, with Los Angeles and Orlando coming later this summer. Fort Lauderdale is a strategic market because not only does the Fort Lauderdale area have a huge population and…
More than two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States still requires almost all incoming passengers to get tested, regardless of vaccination status. Now, the travel industry is getting fed up and is pressuring the US government to abandon the requirement. Last month, Reuters reported that airline executives had met with the Biden administration to demand the removal of the entry tests, stating that removing the testing requirement could bring in an additional 1.4 million travelers to the country. They also claimed that the requirements are making Americans afraid to travel. The article states, “Airline executives…
A great travel outfit starts with the perfect pair of underwear. When we travel, we want our clothes to feel comfortable, yet stylish, and that includes our underwear. From the airport, to the plane, to the hotel, and off to dinner, travelers need underwear that’s breathable and comfortable, but also attractive, because you never know when your pants might come off. Luckily, there are some great brands out there making underwear that’s all of the above. Whether you’re jet-setting to Europe or hiking Yellowstone with your buddies, these undies will keep you going through whatever your adventure brings. Brighton…
Sobriety is different for everyone. Some people have never drank, others fear to because of the actions of a family member, and some have chosen sobriety as a way to combat their own struggles with alcohol or other substances. However, in a world dominated by clubbing and the bar scene, and with so many equating alcohol/substances with “a good time”, it can be hard for people who want to be sober, especially when traveling since so many of the experiences tends to be in bars or clubs, or at parties. Fortunately, Sarah O’Brien, an addiction specialist with Ark Behavioral Health,…
When I was younger, I went to college in Los Angeles. Virtually every time I’d fly from my hometown in Ohio to LA, the first time I’d use my card, the transaction would get declined. I’d then have to go through the embarrassing process of letting everyone know my card wasn’t maxed out, I just simply needed to call the company to let them know the transaction wasn’t fraudulent. I found the process to be incredibly annoying, I’ve personally found the new era of credit card companies having better tracking on cardholders to be a nice innovation that’s made life…
For a lot of airlines, Basic Economy tickets are the cheapest and most restrictive fare options, normally carrying a “use it or lose it” policy. However, United Airlines has recently made their Basic tickets a bit more flexible…but there are some caveats. The good news is this: If you cancel within 24 hours of booking, you get a full refund. if you cancel or reschedule after 24 hours, but before departure time, there are now a few options you can do. First of all, there’s now an option to upgrade your ticket to a full Economy ticket anytime after purchasing,…
Earlier this week, a Supreme Court draft was leaked to Politico which shows the Republican-controlled court is seeking to reverse Roe v. Wade, paving the way for states to outlaw abortion in America. Numerous Red States already have laws on the books that will ban abortion the moment Roe v. Wade is overturned. Because of this, a new topic has emerged, that of ‘abortion travel’, which is when a woman travels across state or country borders in order to have her abortion. Making the whole situation even trickier is that academics are already anticipating that Republicans won’t be content with…
On Monday, New Zealand finally welcomed inbound flights from other countries. Starting in April, Australians were able to enter the country, and now, more than 60 countries are finally able to re-enter New Zealand after more than 2 years. However, as the South China Morning Post cites, New Zealand still isn’t allowing visitors from China, India, and other countries that aren’t part of the “visa-on-demand” program. According to the BBC, New Zealand will still require that visitors be fully vaccinated and test negative before entering, as the country hopes to keep its COVID-19 rates relatively low with the arrival of…
As COVID-19 continues to shift from a pandemic into an epidemic and cases continue to remain low, the CDC has announced that it is removing all countries from its ‘Level 4 – Do Not Travel’ warning. Travel Pulse reports that this means around 90 countries and territories are being removed from the list, most of which are getting dropped to a Level 3. The Level 4 warning will now be used for countries that are experiencing a massive spike in COVID cases or one that is currently trying to handle a large load of positive cases. Currently, no nations fall…
Yesterday, a Federal Judge deemed that America’s federal transportation mask mandate was unlawful. The motion is still under review, but the CDC said that while the claim is being investigated, the mandate would not be enforced…meaning that, essentially, the travel mask mandate has ended. Quickly after the news from the CDC, airlines across America began making masks optional, for both passengers and crew. Now, United, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country, Southwest, Alaska, and Spirit are all no longer requiring masks. According to CNBC, United Airlines released a statement after the ruling, saying, “While this means that our…
Everyone knows Disney World and Six Flags, but there are tons of excellent amusement parks all over this country that, unless you live nearby, you’d probably never know existed. From coasters in the middle of a busy city to an amusement park directly overlooking the Pacific Ocean, there are often-underrated epic thrills all across America just waiting to be discovered. Elitch Gardens Denver, CO Elitch Gardens is a unique and fascinating park with an odd and complicated history. Its main claim to fame is that it sits directly next to downtown Denver, giving riders stunning views of the city…
One of the most contentious topics in travel right now is the fact that the USA still requires COVID testing for (almost) everyone entering America via airplanes. The odd caveat to this rule is that if you’ve tested positive for COVID within the last 90 days, you’re exempt from having to get tested. Earlier this week, the airlines and travel organizations banded together to send a letter to the Biden administration, asking to have the CDC consider fully vaccinated travelers as exempt from the testing requirement. According to Travel Weekly, ASTA (the American Society of Travel Advisors) sent a group-signed…
The Biden administration has extended its transportation mask mandate (which applies to trains, airplanes, airports/stations, and inter-city busses) until May 3rd. Originally, the mandate was set to expire on April 18th. According to USA Today, the move comes as the US has seen an increase in COVID cases, mostly due to the new Omicron sub-variant, called BA.2. While the rising cases are nowhere near as bad as we’ve seen in the past, the administration wants to ensure that America is headed out of the pandemic, not towards another surge. CNBC quotes the CDC, stating, “Since early April, there have been increases…
It’s been announced that New York City will put on a special Japan Parade to honor Japan Day on Saturday, May 14th starting at 1P.M. According to a release, the parade is intended to strengthen solidarity amongst New York’s Japanese-American population and to show that New York and Japan have a special kinship. Plus, This year marks the 150th anniversary of the US introducing baseball to Japan and the 150th anniversary of the Japanese mission to the United States. The parade’s inaugural Grand Marshall will be none other than Star Trek star and activist, George Takei. Starting on Manhattan’s Upper West…
The famed hotel and resort chain, Omni, has just launched a new on-property activation for kids called the Omni Junior Chef program. Upon arrival at hotels nationwide, children under 10 will be greeted with an Omni Junior Chef tote at check-in. The totes come complete with healthy snacks, juice boxes, crayons, coloring activities, and a Say Goodnight to Hunger postcard. If kids fill out the postcard and return it upon check-out, a free meal gets donated through Omni’s partnership with Feeding America. Also included in the program are upgraded kid’s menus at Omni restaurants. According to a statement from Omni,…
America’s transportation mask mandate, which currently requires masks on airplanes, busses, and trains, as well as at all airports and stations, has been extended until April 18th. The mandate was originally scheduled to end on March 18th but has been extended one month out of caution to see if COVID ends up coming back for another wave. According to Reuters, “The CDC said last week that 93% of the U.S. population is in a location where COVID levels are low enough that people do not need to wear masks.” Yesterday the US only recorded 47,236 COVID cases, down a significant…
Swiss International Air Lines is taking sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the next level. They’re partnering with Synhelion, a company that’s producing “solar fuel”. The new fuel source is created by using heat captured from solar energy to blend carbon and water into a synthetic fuel that can then be processed into kerosene. It’s a carbon-neutral fuel source and will greatly reduce the amount of CO2 that’s emitted at high altitudes. For a more in-depth look at how the proprietary fuel source is created, check out this video from Synhelion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTvrzuS7_0k “Our team-up with Synhelion is founded on our shared…
Cirque Du Soleil has almost become synonymous with Las Vegas, bringing the city numerous high-profile shows like O and Ka. The brand is a mix of theater, acrobatics, and circus performances, all set to excellent music and surrounded by incredible set pieces. Now, Cirque is bringing another new show to Vegas, this time to the New York, New York resort. The new show, called Mad Apple, will be like nothing Cirque has ever produced before. The show will combine the traditional acrobatic and circus elements of Cirque with live music and comedy, producing a much younger, louder, and more lively…
Virgin Atlantic, Richard Branson’s London-based long-haul carrier, is the latest to incorporate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into fueling its aircraft. The deal was made with SAF manufacturer Neste and will see Virgin’s London Heathrow base receive 2.5 million liters of fuel – enough to operate 140 flights from London to New York City. Neste makes its sustainable fuel from waste materials and “residue raw materials” which are things like animal fat and used cooking oil. SAF can reduce an airplane’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. This, however, is just the start of Virgin Atlantic’s long-term plan to be…