Category Archives for Destinations.
The U.S. is being removed from the ‘safe list’ of countries for travel to Europe, along with Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia. This is a recommendation for non-essential travel only, though some countries may choose to continue to permit travel by those who have been vaccinated.
Qantas announced plans for the re-start of its international route network, beginning on December. That planned seemed crazy with the country facing an upswing in Covid-19 cases – more than they’ve seen at any point in the pandemic – and what once seemed like an idyllic refuge from the global pandemic now seems like a dystopian science fiction film.
The European Union has begun the process to re-impose restrictions (quarantine, testing) for unvaccinated Americans. The U.S. will be removed from a list of countries whose citizens are allowed to travel freely in Europe without Covid restrictions.
A key consideration for whether and when countries re-impose restrictions is the extent to which their economies rely on tourism. It’s no coincidence that Greece, France, and Spain were among the first Schengen countries to announce they’d welcome Americans before Europe had taken broader action.
A Pakistani truck driver named Masho Shinwari reportedly went to the Kabul airport to see the unfolding drama there – and wound up in the United States.
As Covid-19 cases surge once again the solution for Hawaii’s politicians is to blame and keep out foreigners (fellow citizens). Hawaii’s Governor David Ige is asking people to refrain from coming to the state.
U.S. travel restrictions are for show. There’s a huge status quo bias in policy. Lifting restrictions looks ‘soft on Covid’ which is galling from an administration that was supposed to be ‘guided by science’ yet has been unwilling to reverse the policies put in place by the previous administration. These restrictions have real consequences separating families and raising the cost of doing business.
Australia is caught in a bind. They managed the early stage of the pandemic well, so well that they’ve backed themselves into a corner haven’t had an end game. Lockdowns have increased, frustrations have grown, and citizens haven’t been able to travel abroad – and often even domestically – for a year and a half.
Against this backdrop Qantas has a new commercial: get vaccinated and maybe the government will let you leave the country. I cried watching this.
U.S. residents seeking to escape the Taliban will be charged up to $2,000 for evacuation. For a family of 5 U.S. citizens that runs $10,000.
This isn’t just most passengers in seats and some sitting on the floor or in the back galley. This is people packed body-to-body.
As the Afghan government falls to the Taliban, after a twenty year effective occupation of the country by U.S. forces draws to a close, the Kabul airport is quickly being used for evacuation. Events on the ground have been so fast-developing that Emirates was operating its usual flight into Kabul when it was forced to turn around due to events on the ground.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
