Tagged: coronavirus

The Department of Transportation Says It's Not There to Ensure Passenger Safety

In late July, members of 33 transportation unions—flight attendants, pilots, TSA inspectors, ferry workers, bus drivers, and others—filed an official petition with the Department of…

JetBlue Can Now Hook Up All Its Passengers with Saliva-Based Virus Tests

United, American, and Hawaiian airlines are gradually introducing Covid-19 tests for passengers who are headed to Hawaii, a state that now demands negative results. But JetBlue is…

With Peak Season Over, Yosemite to Remove Reservation Requirement

One of the few delightful byproducts of the novel coronavirus pandemic has been relatively empty national parks. To avoid overcrowding, a few of them implemented advance reservation…

United Is the First U.S. Airline to Offer Covid-19 Tests to Passengers

United Airlines will be the first airline in the United States to extend Covid-19 testing to passengers. The program will start small, rolling out only on flights from San Francisco to…

When Cruising Resumes, You Won't Be Allowed to Roam Ports Alone

Large cruises that depart the United States have been paused since mid-March, but we now know one thing about their return. Guests will no longer be able to wander ports of call on…

Nominate Your Favorite Teacher to Receive a Free Vacation Next Year

If you doubted that teaching was a difficult profession before 2020, spend a few hours supervising a squirmy 8-year-old during our nationwide experiment with virtual learning. That…

Colleges and Universities Are Canceling Spring Break in 2021

No need to practice your keg stand or to save up for a bikini smaller than the dollar bills you'll use to buy it. Some six months in advance, universities are announcing that because…

Headlines Shout of Covid-19 Exposure on Flights, but Look Deeper—It's Worse

You might have seen a few headlines this week casting doubt on whether flying is safe. Here's one from the New York Post, dated September 21: "Woman spread coronavirus to 15 people on…

Hawaii Is Reopening! Starting Oct. 15, State Will Admit Tourists with Recent Virus Tests

Perhaps no American state's economy has been devastated by Covid-19 worse than Hawaii's. The state's isolation determines so much about its health. Nearly all tourists arrive to the…

Morocco Reopens to Tourists—But Maybe That's Not Such a Good Idea

On September 6, Morocco's national air carrier, Royal Air Maroc, tweeted that "nationals of visa-exempt countries with an invitation from a Moroccan company or a confirmed hotel…

This Las Vegas Casino Is Going Entirely Smoke-Free

The Las Vegas Strip is getting its first entirely smoke-free casino resort. MGM Resorts announced this week that the complex housing the Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas hotels will…

Most Ikon Pass Skiers Won't Need Advance Reservations This Winter

Most skiers who buy the Ikon Pass for the 2020–21 season won't need advance reservations to hit the slopes, according to Alterra Mountain Company, which operates the pass. It's a…

Beloved Tour Operator TrekAmerica Calls It Quits

It’s no secret that travel businesses are in trouble right now. Airlines are planning huge layoffs for the fall and a large percentage of hotels will likely never reopen. Now a major…

Try These Two Maps to Track Covid-19 Restrictions State-By-State in the USA

Each American state has its own approach to viral prevention, which makes traveling in the USA tricky. Many issues can complicate even a 20-minute, cross-border drive, including…

Welcome to Covid Island! Only Tourists Who've Been Infected Are Allowed

A popular Brazilian island is reopening to tourists even though Covid-19 continues to spread. The only catch is you have to have caught it. The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 218…

Are TSA Screenings About to Become Self-Serve?

Earlier this week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released information about a pilot program the agency has been testing at Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan…

Maybe It's Time to Say It: Flights and Theme Parks Aren't Making Us Sick

One of the most difficult aspects of managing this pandemic has been altering our own perceptions and fears as more information becomes available. The slow dawning of enlightenment…

Dominican Republic's New Plan for Bringing Back Tourism: Fewer Tests, Longer Stays

The tourism industry of the Dominican Republic has faced a downturn for far longer than most any other destination. The D.R.'s problems started long before Covid-19. In spring of 2019,…

U.S. Tourist Faces Huge Fine and Jail Time for Breaking Canada’s Covid Laws

Canada closed its border with the United States on March 21 due to the coronavirus, and the border is currently slated to remain closed at least until September 21. There's an…

SFO Airport Opens Rapid Covid Testing Facility, but We Need More

Covid-19 has been with us for the whole year, and back in the spring, countries around the world began requiring negative test results from visitors, but the world's airports still…

In a Covid First, Family Kicked off Cruise for Leaving Shore Excursion

Cruises out of the United States are still banned, but in Europe, where Covid-19 infections are under much better control, cruises are just beginning to resume. MSC Cruises was the…

Is Vegas a Secret Superspreader? Study Shows Alarming Reach of City's Visitors

It has been about two and a half months since Las Vegas began reopening its casinos and resorts on June 4, following this spring's pandemic lockdown. How have things been going since…

Some Countries Require Proof of Medical Insurance Now: How to Get It

August 17, 2020 We look forward to the day when this pandemic winds down, but until Covid-19 is eradicated, countries will want to guard themselves from the expense of providing…

Road Trip Essential: Map of Fastest Route to USA’s Top Breakfast Spots

One key to a successful road trip is maximizing your pit stops, and we've found an online resource that could help considerably. SavingSpot, a personal finance site sponsored by…

Major Airfare Search Engine Now Includes Covid-19 Safety Ratings

Scientists are still piecing together evidence to figure out how dangerous airline travel is (judging by this study, it isn't) during the pandemic. But the fact remains: Consumers are…