U.S. State Dept. Lifts Warning Against International Travel: So What?
Posted on 08/06/2020, 8:00 AM
Let us flag this moment. Today, the U.S. State Department announced that, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, it was lifting its blanket travel warning against all international travel. Just read what the government's press release said: "With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others, the Department is returning to our previ...
Schmoozing United Airlines Gate Agents for Upgrades Is a Complete Waste of Time Now
Posted on 08/05/2020, 7:00 AM
Remember when travel articles weren't all about airborne pathogens and instead were full of advice like "dress nicely if you want to be upgraded to first class" or "bring a small gift to get the gate agents on your side"? Sigh. Those were the days! But flattery and bribery are not coming back, at least on United Airlines. An internal memo leaked to the blog Live And Let's Fly informed United emp...
Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020
Posted on 08/04/2020, 6:00 AM
Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a pithy list of tips on Facebook and gave me permission to reprint the list here at Frommers.com. I think her tips are sensible and based on direct experience. Since she didn't write them for widespread publication, I...
Is This The World's Safest Airport in the Battle Against Coronavirus?
Posted on 08/03/2020, 8:00 AM
When I'm in Dubai International Airport (DXB), I'm impressed not only by the fact that it has camel's milk chocolate bars for sale—gamy, but tasty—but also by the of-the-moment design of the place, which features international brands such as Shake Shack, lots of tinted glass, and shiny metal columns. Today, what's impressing me the most about DXB, which handled 89 million passengers last year, is ...
The Myriad Ways One Hotel Manager's Job Has Gotten Tougher Since Covid-19
Posted on 08/03/2020, 7:00 AM
August 3, 2020 Add hotel manager to the list of jobs that have gotten exponentially more arduous since March. Not only are hotels being tasked with keeping travelers safe under circumstances that would challenge an MIT epidemiologist, but most hotels are also scrambling just to stay in business, thanks to the sharp downturn in travel. Recently, I had an unusually candid conversation with Matthew...
Add Estonia to the List of Countries That Accept Americans As Digital Nomads
Posted on 07/29/2020, 5:00 AM
It seems like a lot of our readers are eager to live somewhere other than the United States for a while. We've posted about several countries that are currently accepting American digital nomads—as governments seek ways to replace tourism income, the number of nations offering this option is steadily growing. The latest addition: Estonia. Starting August 1, the Eastern European country will roll o...
Pauline Frommer: If Casinos Go Touchless, More People May Suffer
Posted on 07/28/2020, 11:00 AM
Like many people who work in the travel industry, I start my day looking at the daily stories sent out by Travel Weekly, a top source for news. Today's edition featured an in-depth piece on the ways tech firms are working with the major casinos of Las Vegas and other cities to make the gambling experience more safe in our coronavirus era. And all I could think was: Once Covid-19 passes, these inno...
Hawaii's Resorts May Allow Visitors to Vacation While Quarantining
Posted on 07/28/2020, 5:00 AM
Hawaii has been ahead of the curve on coronavirus matters. It was one of the first U.S. states to institute a quarantine, and it's the state that has been most proactive about enforcing it—some 200 scofflaws have been arrested so far. Now the state may be experimenting with a new and highly logical form of a travel "bubble." The idea was discussed at the Hawaii County Council meeting, where Manag...
Disney and Hotel Chains Are Enforcing Mask Rules—Why Can't the Government?
Posted on 07/22/2020, 1:00 PM
As government leaders at the state and federal levels continue to send mixed and misleading messages about mask usage—we’re looking at you (but not only you), Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp—scientists are finding a surprising ally in the battle to contain Covid-19: corporate America. A number of large companies, particularly those in the travel industry, have evidently given up on ever getting clear guid...
Amsterdam Re-Closes Parts of Its Red Light District
Posted on 07/20/2020, 9:00 AM
On Saturday, July 18, some of the streets in Amsterdam's Red Light District were closed. Authorities tweeted warnings to stay away in both Dutch and English. Although the area is most known for its brothels, the closure didn't come about because of worries about coronavirus transmission through prostitution. Instead, the city's position was that some of the area's walkways are too tight. Bars, co...
