Category Archives for Travel Tips.
When you travel abroad you invariably find yourself with leftover foreign currency. I always get money out of an ATM wherever I go. That way I’ll get a bank rate, and my bank doesn’t charge me currency conversion fees.
Who knew that people are selling their leftover cash on eBay, though, for more than the money is worth?
In early February the Trump Administration announced that New York residents would no longer be allowed to enroll in or renew Global Entry (along with NEXUS and SENTRI). They claimed they needed access to New York’s DMV database as part of their identity verification process, and a change in state law denied them this access.
New York has changed its law to provide an exception for Global Entry applications, but not for immigration enforcement.
US Customs and Border Protection responded to a FOIA request (.pdf) detailing each instance where Global Entry was revoked between November 6, 2016 and June 6, 2017.
There are several reasons someone might have their Global Entry participation revoked: bringing snacks into the U.S. that you fail to declare, being investigated for or convicted of a crime, or bringing people with you through Global Entry who aren’t in the program.
The country is especially cautious letting people in, because that risks re-igniting the virus. However there are Chinese nationals looking to return home. This is the story of what it’s like to fly today from Los Angeles to Beijing. Except you can’t actually fly to Beijing. Air China’s CA988 has actually been landing in neighboring provinces – either Shijiazhuang or Tianjin – for quarantine.
This trip cost $4900 one-way in coach on Air China, plus $1400 for hotel and food during a 14 day stay prior to release.
Greece will begin opening to tourists June 15 and then open up to the world starting July 1. And once you can enter Greece, you can probably visit most of Europe.
And with no more than the possibility of random coronavirus testing, there won’t be many hurdles to visiting – although that doesn’t offer the assurance that everyone else you encounter has been tested.
Currently Iceland requires 14 day quarantine for everyone arriving into the country. This requirement will be relaxed, with tourists being welcomed back with conditions, in three stages. Starting June 15 Americans will be able to visit, getting tested for COVID-19 on arrival.
There’s no longer a single country that doesn’t have a restriction on arriving passengers of some kind. Countries that don’t have a major coronavirus problem don’t want one. When and how will restrictions lift? Like most of what we know about coronavirus, heterogeneity rules.
I’ve mostly written about how coronavirus will change travel. But how will it change tourism – where we go, who will go, and what they’ll do while there – at least initially, as lockdowns being to lift?
My award booking partner Steve Belkin was traveling abroad for a month. He and his wife were in Mozambique. Do they come home to the virus outbreak or stay put? Risk infection but access medical care? Lots of Americans abroad faced similar questions, and they came up with a unique solution. Still others are encouraging older Americans to flee. What to do?
Work from home tips are like a cottage industry now, but I’ve got a real head start on you and I think I can offer solid concrete advice. I transitioned out of being in the office every day back in 2014, and I’ve worked from home and on the road ever since. It’s the best decision I ever made, but it isn’t for everyone and it isn’t ‘natural’ for someone that isn’t used to it. Some people thrive, and others flounder.
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 »
