Travel

LAURIE BARATTI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Recent speculation about Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airline staffing shortages due to upcoming vaccine mandate deadlines would seem to be unfounded. The White House and two major U.S. carriers have just stated that they don’t foresee the Biden administration’s vaccination order for federal and federally-contracted employees causing holiday travel complications. To clarify, the vaccine mandate for federal employees dictates that they be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22 without an approved exemption, while the deadline for employees of federal contractors is December 8. With the deadlines falling around the busy Thanksgiving and end-of-year travel…

LACEY PFALZ | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   A new announcement from Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has revealed that the country will now begin allowing travelers from a list of forty-six different countries to enter the country without having to quarantine beginning November 1, 2021. According to Reuters, travelers from the list of countries can skip a mandatory quarantine provided they are fully vaccinated, fill out a Certificate of Entry (COE), provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test and arrive via airplane. Travelers are also required to purchase travel insurance with a COVID-19 policy with a minimum of…

RICH THOMASELLI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Southwest Airlines has started making amends with its customers who were affected by last week’s disastrous set of delays and cancellations. Weather delays and technology issues affected nearly 2,000 flights over the previous weekend. Southwest has been issuing vouchers in the range of $100 to $250 to passengers who were impacted by problems. The vouchers for future travel are in addition to refunds for canceled flights. But the carrier is flying under the radar when it comes to letting people know about it, according to USA Today. The airline is not broadcasting the…

RICH THOMASELLI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Now that tourism officials across the U.S. have a date to circle, consider it a launching pad. Fully vaccinated international tourists can begin visiting on Nov. 8, and cities across the country are bracing to capitalize on the expected boom. The Biden Administration announced on Friday an official date for accepting foreign travelers into the country, setting off celebrations in tourism offices. Here’s a look at three major tourist hubs in the U.S. that will see a boost in tourists.  Las Vegas As if Vegas needed another reason to celebrate, right? Well,…

CLAUDETTE COVEY | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   When the pandemic took root in March 2020, Miami hit the ground running with creative strategies to bolster its tourism industry, efforts that are clearly paying off. “We have gone through many crises in this community – 9/11, the Zika virus, oil spills and multiple hurricanes – and consistently we have rebounded quicker than other destinations, and I think that speaks not only to the tourism industry but the resiliency of this community and our DNA,” said Rolando Aedo, chief operating officer of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The…

DONALD WOOD | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   The United States government announced it would lift international travel restrictions on fully vaccinated foreign nationals arriving via land borders and commercial airlines, effective November 8. According to Reuters.com, the U.S. will soon allow fully vaccinated foreign air travelers from the 26 Schengen countries in Europe—including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece—as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. Foreign travelers will need to show proof of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved vaccination and a recent negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to America.…

 LAURIE BARATTI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Virgin Hotels New Orleans, the latest addition to Sir Richard Branson’s expanding brand of lifestyle hotels, celebrated its official grand opening with much fanfare on Thursday evening. St. Augustine High School's internationally acclaimed marching band, the ‘Marching 100’, provided the pomp and circumstance upon arriving from nearby Lafayette Square. Branson even donned a blue-and-gold drum major’s uniform, took up a ceremonial baton and led the procession himself. The lively marching parade concluded in front of Branson’s brand-new, $80-million luxury hotel, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District. There, Virgin Hotels Chief…

DONALD WOOD | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Airlines in the United States are looking for an uptick in demand heading toward the winter holiday travel period after the Delta variant slowed the momentum created during a strong summer season. According to Reuters.com, a study by Raymond James of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) seven-day average passenger screening data showed that travel demand has improved from the lows in mid-September. Passenger totals were down in September as the coronavirus variant slowed down new bookings and drove up cancellations. As confirmed cases continue to drop, passengers are becoming more confident and looking…