Travel

IHG Launches New Luxury and Lifestyle Brand, Vignette Collection

IHG Launches New Luxury and Lifestyle Brand, Vignette Collection

PATRICK CLARKE | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   IHG Hotels & Resorts is launching a new luxury and lifestyle brand in the Vignette Collection. The 17th addition to IHG's brand portfolio and the sixth in the last four years alone, the Vignette Collection's first two properties will include the five-star Hotel X in Brisbane, Australia and Thailand's Pattaya Aquatique hotel. The collection will provide independent hotel owners the opportunity to retain their property's distinctive identity while benefiting from IHG's global scale, expertise and IHG Rewards loyalty program. The collection will eventually expand to include dozens of exclusive properties…
Read More
Did that passenger just light up? Here’s what happened on smoky Spirit flight

Did that passenger just light up? Here’s what happened on smoky Spirit flight

By Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald (TNS) Troy Warren for CNT #Travel MIAMI — A Spirit Airlines passenger disobeyed a law that went into effect more than 30 years ago and lit up a cigarette on board. Cellphone video taken by fellow passenger early Tuesday shows the chaos on the flight from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale once smoke started billowing into the aisle. Alexa Majdalawi of Boynton Beach told the Miami Herald the woman lit up a little after landing as the plane taxied on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Majdawali said she first asked the woman to stop smoking,…
Read More
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley Now Accepting Reservations

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley Now Accepting Reservations

Troy Warren for CNT #Travel WHY IT RATES: Nestled within a working winery amid hundreds of acres of vineyards, the new Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley will offer guests a one-of-a-kind, immersive grape-to-glass experience. Located in the historic town of Calistoga, which has a 150-year history as a wellness destination, due to its natural hot springs and mud baths, the resort will also boast a unique wellness aspect in addition to its 85 indulgent guestrooms, suites and villas and Michelin-led dining concepts. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer   Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley is now confirming…
Read More
Passenger’s cellphone catches fire aboard Alaska Airlines flight

Passenger’s cellphone catches fire aboard Alaska Airlines flight

By ArLuther Lee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Travel Minor injuries reported during emergency evacuation at Seattle airport An Alaska Airlines flight that landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday night was forced to evacuate after a passenger’s cellphone burst into flames, according to reports. Flight 751 from New Orleans was already on the tarmac when the emergency occurred, Komo News reported citing a spokesperson for the airline. The plane landed at 8:42 p.m., according to FlightAware. A battery containment bag was used to quickly put out the fire, but not before it sent smoke swirling throughout the cabin. The crew deployed…
Read More
It’s Complicated: Shifting Rules in Europe Drive Travelers to Advisors

It’s Complicated: Shifting Rules in Europe Drive Travelers to Advisors

HARVEY CHIPKIN | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   The complexity of planning travel to Europe has placed travel advisors front and center in the minds of many consumers, according to recent research and interviews with advisors and tour operators. According to a recent ASTA flash poll, 76% of travel advisors agree that they are seeing an increase in customers, compared to the pre-pandemic level of interest, as more travelers look for advice on how to navigate the thicket of international travel regulations and complexities. The poll also showed 81% of travel advisors agree that now, more than prior to the…
Read More
Bahamas To Require That All Cruise Passengers Be COVID-19 Vaccinated

Bahamas To Require That All Cruise Passengers Be COVID-19 Vaccinated

LAURIE BARATTI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel The Bahamas today issued an emergency order that will prohibit cruise ships from entering any Bahamian port if they carry passengers who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on board. The rule even extends to private islands, such as Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, Disney’s Castaway Cay, Carnival’s Half Moon Cay, Princess’ Princess Cays, MSC’s Ocean Cay and Norwegian’s Great Stirrup Cay. The new order, which was signed by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and posted to the Bahamas Customs & Excise Department website today, is set to take effect on September 3 and remain in place through at…
Read More
US Extends Ban on Nonessential Travel Along Mexican, Canadian Borders

US Extends Ban on Nonessential Travel Along Mexican, Canadian Borders

DONALD WOOD | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   The United States government announced it has extended its ban on nonessential travel along the borders with Canada and Mexico as part of an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. According to The Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Friday the ban has been extended through at least September 21 as a result of the rising number of Delta-variant COVID-19 cases. Homeland Security officials said they are working with public health and medical experts to determine a method to “safely and sustainably resume normal travel.” The travel…
Read More
Disney Parks Announces New Genie Service and Lightning Lane

Disney Parks Announces New Genie Service and Lightning Lane

LAUREN BOWMAN | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland can be intense. There are so many magical things to see, attractions to enjoy, delicious foods to try and more. For families who don’t go on a regular basis, the sheer magnitude of the parks can be overwhelming to some. But Walt Disney World and Disneyland are introducing a new complimentary service to help with that – the Disney Genie - available this Fall in the my Disney Experience and Disneyland apps.  Aimed at streamlining your day, the Disney Genie helps you to map…
Read More
Federal Transportation Mask Mandate Extended Into 2022

Federal Transportation Mask Mandate Extended Into 2022

LAURIE BARATTI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today confirmed that it will extend the current U.S. federal mask mandate, which applies in air travel and other public transportation situations, through January 18, 2022. According to Reuters, officials from the TSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today briefed representatives of major airlines on the development during a call. “The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation,” the TSA said in a statement, according to CNBC. Prior to today’s announcement, the mask requirement had…
Read More
Study Finds Travelers’ Confidence Is Growing With Most Planning Trips

Study Finds Travelers’ Confidence Is Growing With Most Planning Trips

PATRICK CLARKE | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel   Americans continue to grow more confident in travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a brand new study from travel insurance and assistance company Allianz Partners USA. According to the recent survey of more than 1,360 Allianz customers who purchased a policy between October 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021 conducted last month, two-thirds (66 percent) anticipate traveling in the next three months or by the end of October. That figure is significant in that only 22 percent of customers indicated that they would travel within that same timeframe as recently as…
Read More