The UK introduced a list of “green countries” past summer called “Travel Corridors” that allowed leisure travelers not to quarantine after returning home.
Now, the UK has decided to scrap travel corridors with little advance notice. They will be closed at 4 AM on Monday, January 18, 2021. After that time, all passengers arriving in the UK need to have a negative Covid-19 test and quarantine for 10 days.
Radisson has updated its global covid-19 reservation cancellation, refund, and modification policies of January 13, 2021.
In essence, there is no longer a global waiver in place. You need to pay close attention to the cancellation and refund policies of each rate plan you bool.
Due to actions taken by Australia’s government, Emirates has decided to suspend all flights to/from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane and only continue flying to Perth twice a week.
Australia has halved the number of passengers airlines can transport to the country and has rigorous quarantine requirements for foreign cabin crew members that can easily lead planes flying out from Australia without any passengers. Positive crew members are quarantined for weeks.
Malaysia Airlines, a chronically unprofitable flag carrier of Malaysia that has been restarted more than once, appears to survive the current slump with the help of its creditors and government.
The country had an alternate plan, if the restructuring of MAB wouldn’t succeed, to slowly build up a regional airline called Firefly.
Hilton and Dart Interest (a developer) announced this week about a humongous 10,000 room resort bordering Walt Disney World in Orlando.
The complexes would also house a 433-room Conrad Orlando hotel that is scheduled to open in 2023.
Airlines behind their lease payments can have planes repossessed when at the foreign outstations, which happened to Pakistan’s flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) this week in Kuala Lumpur.
A Boeing 777 that was ready to depart with cargo and passengers loaded was seized by the lessor based on a court order issued in the British Court. The airline was $14 million behind in payments.
IHG Hotels offer discounts to Travel Agents and/or Consultants (sometimes called Travel Industry Professionals). These rates are deeply discounted but often neither widely available nor qualifying for elite benefits or points.
IHG made these rates eligible (unlike all other hotel programs that I know) for stay credits and points several years ago. They are also qualifying for all promotions that IHG Rewards Club has.
Today’s Airfare of the Day goes to Turkish Airlines and their business class promotional round trip fares between Singapore (SIN) and New York (JFK), USA.
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An ever re-occurring topic was once again on the table of the Thai government: Charging Tourists an entry levy of several hundred (300) Thai Baht, this time under the disguise of “managing of local tourist destinations” whatever that means.
The 300 Baht Fee which has now been approved by the National Tourism Policy Committee will also include a laughable 35 Baht insurance premium (US$1) to provide health coverage for the visitor.
Since yesterday January 14, 2021 all Japanese nationals and foreign nationals with status of residence are newly required to sign a written pledge to provide the location data to the health centers or other institutions if requested.
Those who do not submit the “Written Pledge” are requested to stay at a location designated by the Chief of the Quarantine Station (Only at the accommodations booked by the quarantine office) for 14 days.
Accor has launched a new offer for stays at the group’s luxury hotels in Singapore between January 15 – March 31, 2021.
Accor Live Limitless (ALL) members earn quadruple points for stays two nights or longer consumed during the promotional period if they are booked after registering for this offer.
Today, Southwest Airlines announces changes to its Rapid Rewards program that extends the Companion Pass through December 31, 2021 (previously until June 30).
Southwest also deposits Tier and Companion Pass Qualifying Points to members’ accounts and one-way flight segments towards Tier and Companion Pass status.
Radisson Rewards for Business has a new offer for Meeting Planners that held meetings or events at Radisson affiliated hotels between January 15 – May 31, 2021.
Meeting Planners with a minimum spend of $1,000 per meeting/event earn 10,000 bonus points for up to ten events and 100,000 points.
On Thursday, France announced that it would require a negative Covid-19 PCR-RT test for all arrivals outside of the EU/EEA, including the UK.
The test must not have been administered more than 72 hours before scheduled departure. It is unclear whether this also applies to transit passengers and those arriving from the handful of “green” countries allowed to enter Europe for all purposes, including tourism.
