Travel Week in Review – March 18th, 2022

A little more than two years ago, on March 11, 2020, the coronavirus was officially declared a pandemic. What was once just an endemic disease that began in Wuhan, China suddenly became a worldwide catastrophe, and the travel world – particularly airlines – was devastated by a precipitous fall. Now, two years later, after many starts and stops and variants and hopeful wishes that the volume of air travel would return to its 2019 peak, it might finally be here. At least one expert thinks so. Read More…

Several airlines in the United States have stepped up to support relief efforts in Ukraine, donating money and allowing customers to donate their frequent flier miles. United Airlines is encouraging passengers to donate either money or their MileagePlus miles, which the company would then match up to $100,000 and 5 million miles. The funds will then be distributed to several nonprofits, including Airlink. Read More…

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention on March 14 lowered the COVID-19 travel health notice for cruise ships to Level 2, which is “moderate” risk. The CDC continues to urge cruise passengers to get recommended COVID-19 vaccines. “Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect yourself from severe disease, slow the spread of COVID-19, and reduce the number of new variants,” the agency said. “For travelers booking cruise travel now, be aware that the level may change as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.” Read More…

The transport secretary has confirmed that all remaining Covid travel measures will be scrapped. Currently, everyone traveling to the UK must complete a passenger locator form before they arrive. Travelers who are not fully vaccinated have to take a Covid test before departure, fill in the form, and book and pay for a PCR test after arriving. Grant Shapps confirmed that these rules will end at 04:00 on Friday. This means that passengers who are not fully vaccinated will no longer have to take Covid tests. Read More…

Local government officials in Hawaii announced the state would become the last in the United States to lift its mask mandates on March 26. Hawaii Governor David Ige revealed Tuesday the state’s coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have decreased and the data suggests the numbers will continue to decline. As a result, Hawaii is the last to drop the indoor mask mandates implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety measures were added in April 2020 and have been in place ever since to protect the local communities. Read More…