The new ban on most travel by non-U.S. citizens or permanent resident who have recently been in India which goes into effect Tuesday is symbolic – porous and giving people advance notice to get into the country under the wire – was meant to appear that the administration is ‘doing something’. Covid-19 variants spreading in India are already here in the U.S. Travel bans won’t keep them out.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Mask rules made a lot of sense when airlines began requiring them. People should have been wearing higher quality masks and learning to wear them properly. Now that vaccines are available to any U.S. adult that wants one, the mandate should be allowed to expire. But government regulations tend to outlast their usefulness.
The mask mandate will end when the President is ready to declare victory over Covid-19.
Hawaii is considering restricting access to the most desirable areas on its islands for locals only on weekends. Tourists would be shut out on peak tourist days.
Iceland and Greece are open. France says they’ll open this summer, and this was backed up by the European Union. Spain says they’re testing things in May and expect to welcome the world starting in June.
So where should you go, how should you book, and what should you expect?
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
United Airlines has Saks Fifth Avenue bedding for Polaris, American has Casper bedding for its business product. Delta, though, is focus grouping what its bedding future should look like. And the images it’s using in surveys aren’t Westin anymore. They’re also surveying changes for sustainability.
When Uber started letting you order food and eat it at the restaurant it seemed like something out of The Onion. But they saw themselves as a platform for food, and an opportunity (they thought) to monetize eyeballs.
Now they’re introducing a new service that should make Uber’s drivers furious: encouraging customers to book rental cars in the app as a substitute for ride-sharing.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby was asked about a ‘vaccinated-only’ seating section. Kirby endorsed the concept saying it “sounds like a great idea,” and confirms that United has thought about it.
United will let elite members earn 25% of their status requirements with 3 trips, or members can choose a bonus of 10% of their status requirements or bonus miles instead. That’s on top of the 25% credit towards status United has already given.
While some people will earn elite status this year, 2021 is mostly a wash out for an airline’s best customers. And that means airlines need to take steps to extend status again and start over next year or they’ll risk pushing these members into free agency.
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 »
