Travel Week in Review – June 23rd, 2023

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is rolling out a new safety measure for airplanes. The FAA will require all new commercial aircraft in the United States to include a secondary physical barrier in front of the cockpit “to ensure the safety of aircraft, flight crew, and air passengers.” The final rule, which the FAA first proposed last year and approved on Wednesday, will make it more difficult for anyone to access the cockpit if the door. Read More…

Travelers and tourists are – usually – a good thing for local economies. People come and explore places, spending money and helping to sustain local livelihoods. However, in certain destinations, the level of tourism has become a bit much – to the point where several places around the world are actively taking measures to clamp down on their visitor numbers. Overtourism not only leads to overcrowding and inflated cost of living for locals. Read More…

With a gentle wave of the wingtip to its hometown, Red Way lifted off from Nebraska’s Lincoln Airport for the first time on June 8, 2023. The passengers on board were the first to fly a unique new airline that could serve as a model for other small regional airports: Red Way, operated by Global Crossing. Despite the Red Way name, you’ll find “Global X” painted on the side of each aircraft and generic blue seats on board. So, what is Red Way? And how does Global Crossing play into this brand-new airline? Read More…

The US State Department notes damage that will require a replacement as “water damage, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages (torn out), a hole punch, or other injuries,” while also flagging that “wear and tear” such as bending and fanning are not to be worried about. But the subjectivity of those rules (what qualifies as a “significant tear”?) may be difficult to parse. Read More…

The UK is going to start charging entry fees for all foreign tourists to enter because who doesn’t love paying extra to experience unpredictable weather? Ugh! The United Kingdom has unveiled the full plan for its long-anticipated Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa waiver, detailing the costs and timeline as part of its plan to digitize its borders completely by 2025. Starting this fall, travelers will be charged $12.59 per applicant as the ETA program is gradually introduced. Read More…