News and notes from around the interweb:
- The incredible, flexible Qatar Airways booking offer has been extended and modified slightly.
- New Indian Air Force One
- There’s never been a better time to visit New York City, if you’re not from somewhere requiring you to quarantine on arrival.
And yes, you can find a parking spot in most parts of Manhattan these days, another novelty. Did I mention that my hotel room cost less than a third of what I’ve normally paid?
I visited the Museum of Modern Art, operating under stringent visitor restrictions and with its tourist clientele mostly gone. I had just about every gallery to myself, and thus an unparalleled look at the museum’s masterpieces. If a room had even a few other visitors in it, I moved on and came back later.
The center of the city has moved downtown, to Greenwich Village and surrounding areas. Many streets are closed to cars, and restaurants have put their tables on the sidewalk or the street. Instead of choosing a place on the basis of the food, the menu now just has to be “good enough,” with the key variables being the quality of the seating and the degree of the spacing. I have never seen that part of town feel so alive. The most vibrant single street for both food and socializing was slightly further north in Koreatown, starting at 32nd and Broadway and spreading two blocks to the east.
- American is offering a 25% bonus on transferred Hyatt and IHG points in October. Registration required. If this were available with Marriott points it becomes something to consider, but in general I wouldn’t be tempted.
- In October you can earn 8 Marriott points per dollar on dining at Rewards Network restaurants.
- A furloughed flight attendant believes American Airlines failed her.
“I wouldn’t live in New York City if they gave me the whole dang town”
Buck Owens
I agree with Buck.
@ Allen
What If we give you Trump Tower lol?
Perhaps not live there but visit can’t wait
Considering the pay, and dealing with customers, I am surprised at how many FAs are crushed at losing the job. Some enjoy many of the passengers, others enjoy the world travel.
I follow one online (twitter feed) and she just seems destroyed by it.
Never fun losing a job.
Most of Brooklyn is undergoing a large cluster of COVID cases along with a significant portion of Queens. There is real concern that they may lose control of the situation. The mayor is incompetent. Right now is actually the worst time to visit NYC in quite awhile. Its been fine there for months but they wait until the virus is coming back in what may be a second wave to start encouraging tourism? I wouldn’t encourage non-essential travel to NYC during the next few weeks. Especially with the Jewish holidays. We need to see if the mayor gets on the ball and do what is necessary to stop the spread. The current moves by the mayor have shades of the early pandemic where he was indecisive and many died. Maybe Cuomo will take over and stop the spread, but its still going to be 4-6 weeks before we know whether or not they are successful. That and the fact that many in the country and those from many other countries will have to quarantine in New York if they come from an unapproved state/country kinda indicates now is not the time to travel there.
I’m intrigued by the restaurant situation. Sounds like Madrid or Buenos Aires when the weather is good. But no Broadway? No masses of people on the street and subway? That’s a lot of the fun for me.
You failed to mention the lawlessness of NYC. Just 2 days ago Rick Moranis was randomly attacked. So are infants in strollers and old ladies. Visiting NYC is just not a smart idea. Even if the rooms are 1/3 of what they used to be.
Not a better time? Riots. Crime exploding with police demoralized. Restaurants closed or under strict conditions. Many other businesses boarded up because of looting.
Practically any time prior to February 2020 would be a better time.
Obviously.
Thanks for the update planning on visiting shortly after the holidays. Got a good award rate on a Hilton bear times square. Just a question for some of the naysayers on this forum. How long would you all like to see our country including NYC locked down? Until the economy completely crumbles? Just curious.
Can anyone just stay home and stop spreading this damn hell on Earth? God, Americans suck.
Yes NY is Great just going through a rough patch right now. New York’s amount of states that have to quarantine leaves very few who can actually visit!!
What a sanitised view of present NYC ! It’s a miracle the Christmas Winter Wonderland of the downtown department stores windows didn’t get a mention. Or is it a tad too early for that?
@Cmorgan Who said anything about wanting New York to be in a lock down? This is the problem with some people. If people say now is not the time for non-essential travel to a location that is having an increase in cases that somehow translates to people wanting an indefinite lockdown. What people like that don’t seem to understand is if you don’t stop the virus when its small clusters it spreads and kills many people and shuts down everything. Almost 24,000 people have died to covid in NYC alone. Maybe your non-essential tourist travel isn’t the most important thing in our eyes.