October 1 Travel News Review…

New York City Hotels Dying Of Covid

There’s no question that the hospitality industry, hotels in particular, are in deep trouble as a result of the Covid pandemic and attendant government shutdowns.  While hotels around the country are seriously unhealthy, New York City hotels are in the ICU.  “NYC hotels buckling under the weight of Covid rules and debt,” says the headline in Travel Weekly.

Having had a bed and breakfast many moons ago, I know that occupancy rates are a key metric in the business.  While nationwide hotel occupancy is down 31.7% compared to a year ago, in NYC that number is down 57% – almost double the national average.  Mayor de Blasio compounded those problems with an executive order in August requiring guests from “hot zones” sign a two-week quarantine form prior to arrival.

If that weren’t bad enough, hotel restaurants are limited to 25% capacity when something closer to 50% is required to stay afloat.  Several hotels, including the Hilton Times Square, have already announced their permanent closure.

91% Of Consumers Say Travel Is Important To Overall Happiness

A story in Travel Agent Central notes that the monthly Amex Trendex report shows travelers are changing their attitudes toward travel.  44% of Americans say they would make financial and personal sacrifices to travel internationally in safety and comfort.  91% of those surveyed said travel is important to “their overall happiness.”

Travelers are being more cautious in their travel choices including where they go and who they travel with.  The survey also found that most Americans are both more concerned about their finances and taking steps to save more as a result of Covid.

Traveling to Cuba?  Sorry – No Rum, No Cigars

I think a lot of people put Cuba on their travel wish list when restrictions were eased in 2015.  I certainly did.  In 2018 we did a quickie Royal Caribbean cruise from Tampa to Key West to Havana and back.  Cuba, like many countries, is closed due to the pandemic but will likely open in the not too distant future.

I used to enjoy an occasional cigar but haven’t smoked one in years, so I passed on the Cohibas but jumped at the chance to buy two bottles of Havana Club.  Lucky me, because as of this week both Cuban cigars and rum can no longer be purchased and brought home to the U.S.

More Airline & Airport Covid Testing

JetBlue and American have joined Hawaiian Airlines and United in offering Covid-19 tests.  Business Travel News reports that JetBlue has joined up with test supplier Vault Health to offer a discounted test.  The at-home kit uses a saliva test conducted during a video chat with a Vault representative.  The user sends the kit overnight to Vault and receives the results within 72 hours.

The big difference with the JetBlue program is that it is available to all passengers, not just those going to Hawaii.  This is especially significant since JetBlue has a lot of flights to the Caribbean and Central America, where more and more countries are opening up to those that have a negative test.

American is rolling out its preflight travel testing beginning in Miami (flying to Jamaica) and Dallas-Fort Worth (flying to Hawaii) and is working on a program to cover the Bahamas and CARICOM (The Caribbean Community) countries.

Our second-choice airport, Tampa International, announced it will be the first U.S. Airport to offer Covid-19 testing in the terminal!  BayCare Health System will offer on-the-spot testing in the main terminal.

Two tests are offered; a rapid antigen test for $57 or the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for $125.  Test results are available within 15 minutes.  Not to be outdone, Oakland will be offering free tests for non-stop flights to Hawaii, which would include Southwest, Hawaiian and Alaskan Airlines.

Read related:  What could open up the world more quickly for tourism?

Traveling to the Caribbean?

And speaking of Caribbean travel, Travel Weekly has a handy map that is routinely updated showing which countries are open and what their requirements are for visiting. Is the country open for tourism?  Do you need a Covid test and if so, what type?  Are there fees for entry?  Which countries have an online system for filing your test results?  All these questions and more are answered on the Travel Weekly site.

International Pre-Clearance

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) has announced a new agreement with Belgium to set up customs, immigration and agriculture inspections so travelers can bypass TSA inspection when entering the U.S. from Brussels.

I can tell you from personal experience that pre-clearance can be a big deal.  If it had not been for clearing Customs and Immigration a few years ago in Shannon, Ireland, we would have missed our connecting flight in Newark.

Pre-clearance is already available at 16 locations in six countries including Aruba, Dublin, Shannon, United Arab Emirates, and nine airports in Canada.  The CPB is working on similar agreements with airports in Bogotá, Columbia and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Cruising Fake News?

The cruise industry has been in the spotlight for several notable Covid outbreaks earlier in the year and, as a result, continues to receive a lot of scrutiny.  It was reported that German cruise line TUI, which has resumed operations in Europe, had experienced positive Covid tests amongst several crew members.

Maritime newsletter gCaptain now reports that when the twelve crew members of Mein Schiff 6 were tested at a port near Athens on Tuesday, all twelve tested negative for the novel coronavirus in repeat checks by Greek health authorities.  In this instance, none of the news was “fake” but points out the need to gather all the facts before going public.

Read related:  Cruise Line Liability and New Health Protocols

Brian

As an avid traveler, Brian has explored and enjoyed cultural encounters in over 40 countries while spending many years refining The Points Game — using credit card sign-up bonuses and other tricks to get nearly free travel.  Getting the most out of every trip is an art and Brian launched My Travel Traxx to help others enjoy the art of travel.