Articles

Tagged: health

Our Weekly Travel Podcasts: The Future of Cruising and Far-Flung Adventures

Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC in New York and our…

A Guide to Amtrak's Pandemic Policies

MAY 8, 2020 We've heard a lot lately about how the global pandemic is affecting air travel, from plunging passenger demand to mask requirements and social distancing measures. But what…

Enough Is Enough: Let American Cruise Workers Go Home

In March, the U.S. Coast Guard helped more than 265,000 passengers leave cruise ships and get home. Crew members, however, were forced to remain aboard. About 80,000 crew members are…

After Backlash, Frontier Airlines Drops Social Distancing Fee

Frontier Airlines has abandoned plans to charge passengers extra to fly next to empty middle seats on flights, according to news reports. The move was made following widespread (and…

Frontier Airlines Will Let You Socially Distance—for a Price

One thing you can always count on from the airlines: They will never run out of excuses to charge extra fees. Now an airline is charging passengers more if they want to observe CDC…

France May Be Effectively Closed to Visitors Until Late July

In the stretch of just a few weeks, the world's top spring and summer events—including Burning Man, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, South by Southwest, and Edinburgh's…

Southwest Airlines Introduces New Social Distancing Rules

Southwest Airlines has introduced new social distancing measures at airport gates and in the skies. As of May 2, the airline is following a temporarily modified boarding process and…

Ja, Tulips Are Still Blooming in the Netherlands! See For Yourself

For the first time in 71 years, Holland's Keukenhof, the famed garden southwest of Amsterdam, is closed for tulip season. During ordinary springs, the garden's elaborate,…

Face Masks Finally Compulsory on All Major U.S. Airlines

It has been a slow, drawn-out week of public shaming and political pressure for the major U.S. airlines, but on Thursday, the social campaign culminated in a new rule, adopted en…

Look at the PPE Suits AirAsia Is Testing for Flight Attendants

Sure, you all laughed in early March when Naomi Campbell showed up at the airport in a hazmat suit. Turns out the supermodel was, as usual, ahead of the fashion curve. Malaysia-based…

Changing Course, JetBlue Now Requires Masks; Delta and American to Offer Them

On Monday, JetBlue finally became the first U.S. airline to insist all passengers wear face masks during flights. The new rule takes effect on Monday, May 4. Canada led the way—Air…

Aloha Also Means Goodbye: Hawaii Extends Stay-at-Home Order

Several U.S. states, including Florida and Georgia, have begun lifting lockdown restrictions in spite of the global pandemic. Not Hawaii, though. On Saturday, Gov. David Ige extended…

Flight Attendants Call for Halting Leisure Travel

There's a headline I never thought I'd write. But because these frontline workers feel that their lives are being put in danger, the Association of Flight Attendants, a union…

Immunity Passports for Travelers: Quick Solution or False Hope?

Every day, it seems, we’re learning more and more about Covid-19. Over the last few weeks—and they feel like years, don’t they?—we’ve learned that loss of taste and smell might be…

United Airlines Flight Attendants Now Required to Wear Masks

Starting today, United Airlines requires all flight attendants to wear masks while on board aircraft. The company is the largest U.S. carrier to adopt that policy, which has…

Vegas Mayor Wants Casinos to Reopen—No Matter What

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has kicked up her crusade to reopen the city's casinos, restaurants, shops, and other nonessential businesses in spite of the global pandemic. The…

12 Rules for Booking and Staying in Hotels Now

April 22, 2020 As of this writing, about 80% of the hotel rooms in the United States are empty. That's a depressing figure, no doubt, but look at the situation from the flip side: One…

Listen to These Soothing Nature Sounds When You Can’t Explore Outdoors

Heading into the woods is usually a smart strategy for lowering your stress levels—unless, of course, you’re a character in a fairy tale, in which case your nearest woods are…

A Reason to Cry in Your Beer: Germany’s Oktoberfest Canceled for 2020

This year's edition of Munich's Oktoberfest—the huge beer and folk festival that's synonymous with the Bavarian region and, in some minds, Germany as a whole—has been canceled. The…

Too Soon? Jacksonville, Florida, Already Reopening Beaches

Jacksonville, Florida, is among the first locations in the United States to loosen social distancing restrictions—the city's beaches reopened to the public Friday at 5pm. According to…

Europe Border Closures Almost Certain to Be Extended—But for How Long?

Most of Europe has been closed to foreign visitors since March 17. That's when the member states of the European Union and the Schengen zone (referring to an area in which internal…

CDC Extends No-Sail Order for Cruise Ships Using American Ports

Late last night the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended by 100 days its prohibition on cruises using American ports. The original order was supposed to end in…

Coronavirus and Travel: The Latest News, Updated Daily

Need to cancel or change travel plans? CLICK HERE for a list of links to the official coronavirus policy web pages for dozens of airlines, cruise lines, hotels, and other travel…

Spring Breaker Who Vowed to Party Despite COVID-19: I Was Wrong

Remember that die-hard spring breaker who went viral on the internet last week for saying he wouldn't mind going viral in a literal sense for the noble cause of partying? "If I get…

A Frommer's Intern Travels Home from Spain During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Last Monday, my coworkers at the schools in Spain where I was employed as a teaching assistant told me not to worry about the coronavirus. The next day, I was told I wouldn't be…