Travel Week in Review – August 19th, 2022

The nation’s top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said people no longer need to stay at least 6 feet away from others. This should open up travel even more both domestically and internationally. Read More…

The U.S. Department of State has reissued a travel warning Tuesday in multiple states in Mexico, alerting American visitors to the high risk of crime and kidnappings in regions of the country. The travel advisory comes on the heels of a shelter-in-place alert in the Tijuana region, where cartel violence erupted last week in response to a series of arrests of drug cartel figures. Read More…

When traveling abroad many cities and countries will charge you just for the pleasure of being there. This is known as a tourist tax. Tourist tax is usually added to your hotel bill and often is not a significantly large amount, but which places charge the most? Some places charge a flat fee per night, while others charge a % of your hotel bill, so more expensive hotels are charged a greater fee. With some destinations adding up to $50/night, it’s good to know before you travel. Read More…

Many airline passengers equate summer travel with snaking lines at airport security. This year, TSA is adding new technology to speed along even the most congested checkpoints. One such piece of equipment, called a credential authentication technology (CAT) scanner, is programmed to automatically match traveler’s ID information to flight manifests. In short: Travelers at dozens of U.S. airports no longer need to show their boarding passes to TSA officers, eliminating one more item that fliers need to scramble for in order to get through security. Read More…

Inflation finally slowed in July, a shift that could be due in part to declining fuel prices. That, in turn, appears to have corresponded to a drop in airfares, which are down 7.8% in July compared to June, according to the latest numbers released this week from the Labor Department. Flights from San Diego are $230 cheaper on average than the peak they reached in May. Flights to Hawaii have dropped $154, and a flight to Prague will cost you about $300 less. Read More…