Travel Week in Review – September 17th, 2021

TSA, on Friday, doubled the penalty for travelers who refuse to wear masks on planes as reports of unruly passengers have painted a grim picture this year. Passengers who violate the federal mask mandate will be charged $500 to $1000 for a first offense and $1000 to $3000 for a second offense. “Wearing a mask protects the traveling public and all of the personnel who make the travel experience safe, secure, and comfortable.” Read More…

Ronnie Stokes’ 12-day vacation in the Dominican Republic unexpectedly turned into a 21-day trip—10 of which were spent entirely in a hotel room. The YouTube travel blogger from North Carolina ended up getting stuck quarantining in a resort in Punta Cana in June after his wife Alma tested positive for COVID-19 during the required test for air travel back to the U.S. The Stokes are both vaccinated, and luckily, Alma’s symptoms were mild, including a stuffy nose and a slight cough. Read More…

Miami has become the first city to test COVID-19-sniffing dogs at a United States airport, deploying a pair of trained pups as part of a month-long pilot program. The two dogs — a Belgian Malinois named Cobra and a Dutch shepherd named One Betta — have been trained to sniff out volatile organic compounds, which are excreted by breath and sweat and produce a scent the dogs can detect, according to Miami International Airport. Read More…

With cooler weather approaching amid rising coronavirus cases for the second year in a row, you might be wondering when to test for the coronavirus before travel—even if you’re vaccinated. Amid the Delta variant, many destinations have re-imposed testing requirements for entry (regardless of vaccination status). But testing for coronavirus both at home and abroad can be complicated, with rapid tests selling out at pharmacies across the U.S., often charging tourists a hefty price. Read More…

Venice isn’t just planning a new tourist fee and reservation system to manage tourists, it also is deploying hundreds of CCTV cameras and a mobile phone tracking system to keep tabs on who’s entering the city. Venice’s goal is to track “every person who sets foot in the lagoon city,” describing a system of 468 cameras and sensors that allow officials to differentiate residents from visitors, track destinations, and determine how fast people are moving. Read More…