Tag: flights

New Nonstop Flights From 3 U.S. Cites To Germany
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More American cities are now connected to Frankfurt, a top destination for adventurous travelers who want to explore Europe

The German carrier Condor recently announced new nonstop flights from Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco to Frankfurt. The first new route will depart from New York on May 6.

Condor Flugdienst, Germany’s second-largest carrier, also announced that it will resume other services connecting the United States to Germany. The company will reactivate its suspended flights from Portland, Phoenix, Boston, Minneapolis, and Baltimore.

According to the information shared at The Points Guy, it’s been 2 years since the company stopped offering these routes due to the pandemic. Recently, Condor also reactivated its services from Seattle, Fairbanks, Las Vegas, and Anchorage.

Condor is anticipating seasonal demands and has been preparing, not only with the addition of new routes and resuming services this summer, but also with rebranding strategies. The carrier wants to stand out as the main vacation to Germany option, and recently painted its fleet with color stripes inspired by beach towels, beach chairs, and parasols.

The carrier’s efforts to compete in the market will bring more options to American passengers. Now that vaccinated US tourists can enter Germany without testing, travelers can explore Germany as a summer destination or connection to different locations across the world.

About The Itineraries And Prices

Condor Airlines operates in different airports in the US and has been serving this country since 1970. These are the main cities from where the carrier offers direct flights to Europe:
- New York (JFK)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- San Francisco (SFO
- Anchorage (ANC)
- Fairbanks (FAI)
- Seattle (SEA)
They also offer connecting alternatives with partners —such as JetBlue and Alaska Airlines— from Boston, Las Vegas, Baltimore-Washington, Minneapolis, Portland, and Phoenix.

New York will be Condor’s first connection to Frankfurt starting on May 6. Travelers can board direct flights on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and could book one-way tickets for as low as $200.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) already informed on Twitter about Condor airline connecting this city to Frankfurt. The airline will serve three non-stop flights on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays starting on May 24.

According to the information shared on Condor’s website, direct flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Frankfurt start at $350, and travelers can even find promotional prices like $280 on Economy for the inaugural flight.

Starting on May 19, American travelers can also book tickets from San Francisco to Frankfurt departing on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, starting at $290 one way on Economy.

Condor’s seasonal service between Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Frankfurt will resume on June 4. The airline will offer direct flights three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, starting at $240 per service.

Frankfurt Travel Opportunities

Having more options connecting the United States to Frankfurt, the carrier’s hub, is great news for American travelers. Condor offers 10 domestic services and 80 international destinations from this location to 33 countries.

Frankfurt is one of the busiest airports in Europe—it’s also known as the “Gateway to Europe”— and offers passengers incredible connecting opportunities to different destinations.

From Frankfurt Airport, passengers have multiple alternatives. They could travel to many other cities in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This German airport offers travelers direct flights to close destinations like Rome, Paris, London, Madrid, Lisbon, Dublin, and Budapest; and further, like Cape Town, Singapore, Cairo, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and even Tokyo.

While in Frankfurt am Main, travelers can also enjoy and explore this city. Travelers will get to see impressive buildings, a fascinating architectural mix, and beautiful skylines. Among its main attractions, travelers can visit Goethe’s house —and see what the life of the poet looked like—, the museum Städel, or take a cruise and sail across the Main river to get a different perspective of this vibrant city.

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May 1, 2022
Zero Tolerance Policy For Bad Behavior On Flights Will Continue With Fines Up To $80,000

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The FAA announced on Wednesday that the zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers will become permanent.

Bad behavior on planes has been a massive problem for airlines in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic. Over 1,200 passenger incidents have been reported so far in 2022 and we aren’t even halfway through the year.

Under the now permanent policy, unruly passengers will be fined $37,000 per violation. With the possibility of committing multiple violations in an incident, fines can reach up to $80,000

The rise of unruly behavior began during the beginning of the pandemic. A lot of cases stemmed from the enforcement of the mask mandate, with 800 of the 1,200 already being reported this year being linked to mask enforcement. But it’s more than just the masks, airline passengers have just been behaving worse in general.

Increase In Weapons Found

It’s more than just behavior on planes that is the problem. The TSA is also reporting an increase in weapons and prohibited items during the pandemic. In 2020, the TSA found 3,257 guns and 83% of them were loaded.

That was less than the record set in 2019 of 4,432 firearms, but air traffic was significantly lower in 2020 because of the pandemic, so it’s a higher percentage of travelers attempting to bring these weapons on board. Furthermore, the TSA also found more than 3,200 items prohibited from aircraft cabins, like knives, and for some reason, throwing stars.

Have The Airlines Reacted?

Major U.S. airlines American Airlines, United, Delta, and Southwest responded to the increase in incidents by banning alcohol sales on all flights.

The Alcohol ban was enacted in 2020 and lasted a full two years. Airlines cited these passenger incidents that would involve either verbal abuse or even violence against flight attendants and airline employees. American Airlines actually just became the last airline to unban alcohol as most things travel-related are beginning to go back to normal.

It’s not clear if banning alcohol sales on board made a huge difference. Many of the problem-causing passengers who have been intoxicated on flights had already consumed alcohol in the airport. Some even brought to-go cups from the restaurants in the departures lounges, prompting some airports to ban the cups.

What else is being done?

The TSA has partnered with the FAA to ban unruly passengers from being eligible for PreCheck. Under this partnership, the FAA will share the information of passengers facing fines for unruly behavior with the TSA. The TSA then has the discretion to remove the passengers from TSA PreCheck screening eligibility.

“TSA has zero tolerance for the unruly behaviors, especially those involving physical assault occurring aboard aircraft. We have tremendous respect for airport staff, gate agents, and flight crews that get people safely to their destinations, This partnership with FAA will help ensure the safety and security of all passengers and hold those who violate federal regulations accountable for their actions,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.

Last week a federal judge in Florida overturned the US government’s ongoing nationwide mask mandate for public transportation including travel on airplanes, trains, and buses. It will be interesting to see if the number of passenger incidents drops significantly without the need for airlines to enforce the mask mandate. Conversely, maybe the reopening of travel and new relaxed rules will de-stress passengers and bring us back to the pre-pandemic calm we were used to at the airport.

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April 25, 2022
Masks On Flights Remain Mandatory For At Least Another 2 Weeks

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The US government announced on Wednesday that all transportation networks will be extending the mask mandate requirement for planes, trains, buses, and public transportation until at least May 3, 2022.

Travelers especially were expecting to see the end of this rule, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had already extended this mandate several times and this time it was supposed to end on April 18.

According to the information shared on NPR’s news portal, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a spokesperson, explained the precaution: “In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity.”

It has already been confirmed that the TSA will also comply with the government’s decision by extending the face-covering requirement for at least two more weeks.

Some travelers might feel frustrated, particularly those who have seen that many airlines have removed the mask measure and that other countries have dropped this rule. However, the US government and local authorities believe that this measure is still necessary, especially considering that COVID cases have increased by around 25% in the past two weeks in several parts of the U.S.

Why The US Government Extended The Mask Mandate

Unfortunately, the omicron subvariant —which now represents 85% of COVID cases in the US— has been spreading quickly across the country. The director of the Center for Public Health Law and Policy at Arizona State University, James Hodge, said these past two weeks have shown that measures must be considered carefully.

Hodge also added: “If we pull this mask mandate, we will have extended numbers of infections — that’s not responsible and that’s counter to the public’s health.”

Local authorities and government agencies have considered a more responsible measure to maintain the passengers wearing face coverings. The TSA also said in a statement: “Since early April 2022, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of Covid-19 cases in the United States. … TSA will continue to coordinate closely with CDC and communicate any changes to this requirement with the public.”

Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary, during an event in Indiana said on Wednesday: “We have to make sure whatever we do is responsible from a public health perspective. On one hand, we’re in better shape than ever before thanks to the vaccinations that have taken place and the boosters people have got. On the other hand, we have these variants that emerged and we need to keep a close eye on them. So my hope is we are on a path forward, ultimately, leading us out of these mandates.”

Also, an official of Biden’s administration shared with CNN that the government had decided to extend the measure to gather more information and understanding of the variant and the current situation.

Travelers And Airlines Must Comply

Despite being against this measure, travelers must remember that the TSA can fine passengers who refuse to wear face coverings. Those who don’t comply with the measures will be sanctioned, and fines can cost from $500 to $3,000 for repeat offenders.

The mask mandate has been controversial for months and some airlines aren’t happy with the extension of the requirement. The industry group Airlines for America requested the government to remove this requirement in a letter, arguing that the measure is no longer coherent considering the current public health context.

The executives wrote: “It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do.”

It is evident how the mask mandate has polarized opinions across the US, and unruly passengers’ behavior related to this has been a trend in incidents reported by the Federal Aviation Administration. Passengers against the measure insist that it should be an option. The debate will remain for the moment, and within two weeks the government will announce whether or not they have reconsidered the mandate.

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April 15, 2022
This Unknown Law Requires Airlines To Refund Americans On All Canceled Flights
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Currently, throughout the U.S. a massive number of flights are being delayed or canceled, with most airlines citing pilot shortages and bad weather as the reason.

Not only are flight cancellations extremely difficult for passengers to deal with, as they usually happen at the very last minute, but trying to get compensated can be equally as frustrating. So how do customers get a refund and not a dreaded travel voucher? Below we’ll go into detail about what the aviation consumer protection laws say and how they’ll get money back in your pocket.

The Law States Airlines Must Refund Passengers For Canceled Flights

What most passengers aren’t aware of is all American-based airlines are required to refund the passenger in the event of a flight cancellation, no matter the reason, and regardless if a refundable-type ticket has been booked or not.

The U.S Department of Transportation states that consumers are entitled to a full refund, not a voucher, if the airline cancels their flight and they no longer want to travel. On their aviation consumer protection page, the government posted the following policy all airlines have to abide by

“Am I Entitled to a Refund?
In the following situations, consumers are entitled to a refund of the ticket price and/or associated fees.
- Canceled Flight – A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline canceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.”
There are other situations where a customer is entitled to a full refund, including being unwillingly downgraded to a lower class of fare and a significant change or delay.

This means an airline must refund you if your flight has been canceled due to:
- pilot or staffing shortages
- bad weather
- mechanical issues
- security concerns
- computer glitches
- or any other reason
Due to regulations in place by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the refund must be given even if the passenger books a non-refundable ticket.

So let’s say for example you purchased a basic-economy, non-refundable ticket and the flight was canceled due to not having enough flight crew. If your travel plans have been so badly affected that you no longer wish to travel, and you want a refund, that’s exactly what you’re entitled to by law.

How To Get A Refund For A Cancelled Flight

Now you know you’re entitled to a refund, what is the best way to actually get your money back?

Let me preface this by saying airlines aren’t going to make this a seamless ultra-smooth process. As a business, they are going to try and keep as much cash as they can and will usually start by offering vouchers instead of refunds. Many customers aren’t aware that they are even entitled to a refund in the first place, so when an airline says “Okay, sorry about the canceled flight, we’ll issue you a voucher right now”, they just unwittingly accept it.

To start your process for a refund, the U.S. Department of Transportation states you should submit your request in writing. This could be in the form of an email, submission form on the airline’s website, or even with an online chat agent.

Most likely, the airline will offer you a voucher as a first line of defense. Politely decline the voucher and once again state your intention to receive your refund. If an airline still declines your request, you can file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation here

Step by step, the process should look like this:
- Start an email, message, or chat thread with your airline
- Provide them with data like your confirmation code, flight number, etc
- State you want a refund due to their cancellation of your flight
- Decline offers for vouchers or travel credits, stating you no longer wish to travel
- Open up a formal compliant if needed
Some airlines have been known to process refunds over the phone, but of course, you have to be ready for those excruciating hold times.

How fast are refunds from airlines processed?

It’s no surprise that airlines are going to take a hot minute to process your refund, which is again another reason why some succumb to an instant voucher. While the U.S. Department of Transportation states it must be processed within a ‘prompt’ timeline, the airline’s definition of prompt is anything but. If you paid with a credit card, you can expect your refund in about 7 business days. If you paid with cash, bump that up to around 20 business days.

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April 13, 2022
Delta Cancels Flights To These Five Cities This Fall

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Delta has recently revealed that it has officially canceled flights to five cities across the US, with the cancellations in question starting this Fall. The most recent casualties of the post-pandemic cull of non-essential routes, Delta’s announcement makes it simply the latest in a long, growing list of airlines the world over that have moved to trim their overall route offerings in recent months, as airlines continue to scale back their operations and prioritize their services on the back of a tough period for the aviation industry.

Yet whilst Delta, which is the third-largest airline in the US, may be set to cut routes, the airline has also recently announced some additions to its overall flight roster. Here’s a closer look at which routes are set to be affected by Delta’s latest route trimming announcements, plus a recap of the new flight offerings that have emerged from the airline in recent months.

Delta Cut Routes – Information for Travelers

Like it has been for most businesses around the world, the pandemic has been particularly tough on the aviation industry. Between Covid-19 related pilot shortages and travelers following advice to stay home, several air routes that were not amongst the most popular or profitable have been slashed by airlines across the country, with just 80% of the flight routes available in 2019 now available for travelers to take this year.

Even major airlines like Delta have been forced to make cuts, as this week’s announcement shows. Delta revealed that they will be cutting flights to five cities throughout the month of September. The cities set to be affected by the route cuts are Albany, Rochester and Syracuse in New York, in addition to flights to Providence, Rhode Island and Houston, Texas.

From September 6th, Delta will no longer be operating flights from its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub airport to Albany and Rochester, with flights from Minneapolis to Syracuse, also being cut from September 12th. Not only will this cut the airline’s connectivity with New York, but it will force regular flyers of the route to take the flight with Delta’s competitors, which could see them incur some lengthy connection times in comparison to Delta’s.

Delta will also be cutting its flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Providence, Rhode Island from September 5th in what could be another blow to regulars of the route. Fortunately for travelers, there is still the option of flying from Minneapolis directly to Providence with Sun Country Airlines, which operates four direct flights between the two airports per week. The airline’s fifth and final route cancellation will be between John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York and Houston, Texas from September 12th.

As is the case with many regional airport flight route cuts, the decision has been largely made due to lack of demand. A spokesperson for the airline said “We continue to monitor and adjust our flight schedules and route network based on customer demand,” which suggests more route cuts could be on the cards in the future.

However, it hasn’t all been cuts coming out of Delta, with the airline recently having announced a series of new, exciting routes for travelers to take advantage of. Already this year, Delta revealed it would be adding more flights between the US and Hawaii starting in November, in addition to several new transatlantic flights for those looking to go a bit further this summer.

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April 10, 2022
New Summer Travel Cheat Sheet To Help US Travelers Buy Cheap Flights
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Have you been searching for the best flight prices for your summer vacations? The American online travel giant Expedia has been analyzing recent data on their web search and discovered that US travelers have been planning their summer vacations even before spring break and Easter vacations.

According to the information shared by Expedia in a press release, there has been a recent spike in interest in these top destinations for the months of June, July, and August:
- Singapore: searches increased by 60%
- Houston: searches increased by 55%
- Bali: searches increased by 35%
- Washington D.C: searches increased by 35%
The results show that travelers are interested in near locations as well as more exotic places. Considering that there is a high demand for travel this year, Expedia has published a cheat sheet with tips and relevant data to help travelers get the cheapest fares and get the most out of their summer vacations.

Christie Hudson, Senior Public Relations Manager for Expedia, said: “People are ready to make their summer vacations happen no matter what”. The manager also added: “With many travel restrictions easing over the past month, travelers have been inspired to dust off their bucket lists and get a jumpstart on planning. Prices are already reflecting that pent-up demand, so timing is going to be key for getting the best deal.”

The travel company has published the most popular destinations for summer 2022, the best times to travel to get cheaper prices, a list of places tourists can visit for less than $350 roundtrip, and valuable tips for booking.

Trending Destinations For Summer 2022

Based on spikes in flight searches, Expedia shared the summer hotspots classified in three categories:

Best Times to Travel and destinations under $350

Expedia also analyzed prices for the summer season and shared a few conclusions. The cheapest month to fly is August, with nearly 10% lower ticket prices compared to June and July.

Those looking for cheap tickets can avoid July 1st, since the travel company disclosed that this is the most expensive day to fly, prior to the 4th of July holiday. Prices are 25% higher than the average summer months during those days.

Regarding destinations with roundtrip tickets under $350, Expedia shared an interest list. The top destinations travelers can visit for less than that amount in the United States and Canada are Fort Lauderdale, Toronto, Tampa, San, Antonio, Houston, Austin, Providence, Myrtle Beach, Kelowna, Nashville, New Orleans, and Charleston.

Booking Tips

One of the main recommendations the travel brand gives customers is: “Book early and book smart”. This advice may sound simple, but considering many factors —personal and even pandemic related (it is hard to predict with so many travel restrictions changing)— travelers are waiting to book their next airplane tickets and will probably pay more.

Expedia recommends its users apply “free cancellation” filters when searching and avoid buying saver fares or restrictive basic economy tickets. The travel company also encourages travelers to consider flexible dates, choose weekdays over weekends and avoid holidays to save more money.

Booking flights, hotels, and car rentals —bundle promotions— might also help save a few dollars, as well as considering memberships and loyalty programs.

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April 10, 2022
Many Flights Under 2 Hours Now Banned In France. Which EU Countries Are Next?

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France has become the first country in Europe to ban domestic flights under two hours within the country. This new rule, coming into effect in April 2022, will affect any routes under two and a half hours that have another form of transportation connecting them. For example, flights from Paris to cities like Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon will no longer operate, as substantial rail and bus options exist.

The ban is an attempt to reduce the country’s carbon emissions as a part of France’s larger plan to go carbon neutral.

This ban was voted on in 2021 after the French government bailed out its domestic carrier Air France after it reported losses due to Covid-19. Wrapped up with the bailout was a condition that Air France become more environmentally conscious.

Could Other EU Nations Follow This Move?

Austria has already begun enacting similar policies. Austrian Airlines was bailed out in 2020 also due to losses from the COVID pandemic. The stipulation in their bailout is that the airline had to eliminate domestic flights where alternative train journeys under three hours were available, affecting the carrier’s route between Vienna and Salzburg. It is estimated that 80 percent of short-haul trips in Austria can be replaced by rail travel due to its vast rail network, OBB.

The German government has been playing around with the idea of banning short-haul flights for quite a few years. But they have received a lot of resistance from labor unions and airlines. Instead of an outright ban, at the moment the German government has doubled the tax on all short-haul airline tickets. This is a way to discourage what they view as unnecessary air travel and push more people onto trains.

It looks as if Spain might soon follow France’s bold move. Spain has stated their intention to impose a similar ban on flights under 2.5 hours where a train or bus can supplement the route. An additional step that Spain is considering is the taxation of frequent flyer miles and taxing all flights based on their distance.

Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries are also taxing flights more aggressively. Different from the other countries mentioned Sweden is taking the approach of “Flight Shaming”. They even have a word for it…Flygskam. Domestic travel was down 9% in the last year, likely due to travelers making the decision to travel in different ways.

More Than Just A Few Countries

Short-haul flight bans appear to have public support throughout the EU. A 2020 survey from the European Investment Bank found that 62 percent of Europeans support an E.U.-wide ban on short-haul flights. This would be a massive shift in the way that we travel through Europe. Companies like Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz, and more, would suffer greatly from bans like this.

It appears that a ban like this could be possible within the EU because of the vast and connected rail network that exists on the continent. A traveler can already get from the westernmost point of the Iberian peninsula to the Baltics by train relatively efficiently. And companies like Eurail make it easy for travelers to hop on and off intercity trains.

An Environmental Movement

Greenpeace is calling for a ban on all domestic flights and transportation from Vienna to Prague, Budapest, and Munich because of how connected all of these destinations are by high-speed trains. They are also advocating making connections with night trains, including Vienna to Warsaw, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Zurich, Venice, Hamburg and Frankfurt. This could make traveling Europe more green, but also slower.

It could be some time before the EU and other governments implement similar rules as France, but the writing is on the wall. We can see where the trend is moving and it’s moving towards trains. With the cost of flights going up regardless, this might be the summer of rail travel.

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April 5, 2022
American Airlines First to Offer New Flights to Ocho Rios, Jamaica

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Further expanding its already comprehensive service to the Caribbean, American Airlines will be launching the first-ever international flight route between the United States and Ocho Rios, in Jamaica.

The resort town, which has risen to prominence in recent years, rivals Montego Bay and Negril as one of the most popular tourist hotspots on the island.

Up until this year, there were no commercial flights available between North America and Ocho Rios. This meant visitors had to fly to other major hubs instead, such as Montego Bay or Kingston, and then transfer to Ocho Rios via land, which can take up to 2 hours.

From 2022 onwards, reaching Ocho Rios’ pristine coastline from America will be much easier.

First International Flights Between The U.S. And Ocho Rios To Launch This November

Although a much smaller airport, Ian Fleming International will host the first Ocho Rios-bound flights from the United States. Located roughly 10 miles away from Ocho Rios, the airport will offer American visitors the opportunity to arrive directly at this destination, as opposed to landing elsewhere in Jamaica.

The exciting news was shared on March 31 by both American Airlines representatives and Jamaican Government officials. They both confirmed the launch of two weekly, non-stop services from Miami to Ocho Rios, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, on an Envoy E-175 aircraft with a seating capacity of between 76 and 88 passengers (including business and economy seats).

As Jamaican officials described, American Airlines is the ‘largest mover of people in and out of Jamaica‘, with the move originating from a recent meeting between senior American executives, and government and private sector representatives in Montego Bay. Among participants, Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, was one of those present.

As Bartlett said during his Observer interview, ‘this is a very valuable addition to the aviation needs of Jamaica, with non-stop service between the United States and our country’s third international airport’. Now, there will be direct flights available from the U.S. to all three major destinations in Jamaica: Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios.

According to Bartlett, the new service will ‘encourage other airlines to fly into the Oracabessa/Ocho Rios area’, while assisting ‘greatly’ in promoting tourism for less explored destinations, such as St. Mary and Portland parishes.

Ocho Rios itself will also benefit from the larger influx of tourists and more foreign investment.

Is Covid Still A Major Concern For Travelers To Jamaica?

Recently, the U.S. lowered its travel advice against Jamaica from Level 4 to Level 3, with Americans no longer being urged not to travel to the island. Instead, they are advised to ‘reconsider travel’ due to higher Covid levels. Jamaica itself is reporting an average of 21 new infections daily, or only 1% of the previous peak.

On March 1, the country removed its travel authorization form and further relaxed once-strict travel rules. In spite of that, for now, Americans are still required to present a negative Covid test result within 72 hours of arriving in Jamaica, regardless of vaccination status. Both PCR and rapid antigen tests are accepted as proof of entry.

Additionally, those unvaccinated may face harsher restrictions when leaving a ‘resilient corridor’. Jamaica’s resilient corridors are government-designated tourist zones in the country where quarantine mandates usually do not apply to unvaccinated tourists. When fully immunized, Americans are free to leave and enter these zones as they wish.

As stated on the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica’s official webpage, medical services in Jamaica are ‘extremely limited’. For that reason, we would like to remind our readers to purchase travel insurance covering Covid treatment costs and isolation prior to visiting the island.

When insured, travelers are usually better equipped when faced with adverse events, such as testing positive and/or needing treatment, especially in places like Jamaica where hospitals might have fewer professionals available and lower capacity.

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, other island-nations such as Grenada and Aruba have removed all Covid regulation at their outer borders. As more and more countries in the region reopen fully and airlines ramp up services, vacationers should monitor Jamaican news closely for updates concerning international travelers and Covid measures.

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April 3, 2022
India Opens For Tourism Allowing International Flights and Restoring E-Visas
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India became the latest country this week to start the process of welcoming back tourists. After two long years, the South Asian nation has now reopened for international commercial flights and tourists can apply for a visa or an e-visa to visit for non-essential reasons.

The Indian government also announced this week that it would be lifting the travel restrictions that have been in place since March of 2020, in order to revive its heavy-hit tourism industry.

Here’s what we know so far about India’s tourism reopening.

India’s Ongoing Flight Ban Removed On March 27th

As of March 27, 2022, India’s ongoing ban on international flights has been removed and the country is now welcoming international commercial flights carrying passengers for non-essential and tourism-based travel. This is the last step that was needed for India to begin fully reopening for international tourism.

Over the past two years, flights in India were operating under an air travel bubble model. With this system, flights carrying travelers from a number of destinations were banned from crossing the country’s borders.

Following the removal of this week’s flight ban, major flight routes between Dubai and the destinations of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru have been given the go-ahead.

According to an official for India’s Director General of Civil Aviation, over 60 international airlines serving travelers from 41 countries across the globe will resume weekly flight services to major destinations throughout India. There are also plans to ramp up flights on Virgin Atlantic between London and New Delhi by June 2022.

More International Flights Means Shift To Full Reopening Of International Tourism To India

Officials in India started easing travel entry requirements in early 2022. In February of this year, the country dropped the mandatory quarantine and testing on arrival for fully vaccinated travelers.

Despite the easing of some entry restrictions, there was still an international flight ban in place which meant that tourist numbers remained very low throughout the country.

Updated Entry Requirements For Travelers To India

Under the new guidance, vaccinated as well as unvaccinated travelers from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and more can travel to India for non-essential reasons.

Here are the current entry requirements for all travelers to India:
- All passengers aged 5 and over must fill out the official self-declaration health form at the Air Suvidha portal at least 72 hours before departure.
- Unvaccinated travelers can enter quarantine-free if they have a negative Covid PCR test result taken no later than 72 hours from travel.
- Fully vaccinated travelers (a full course of a two-dose or one-dose vaccine) are exempt from pre-departure testing requirements
- Testing requirements don’t apply to travelers under the age of 5
- All international travelers to India might be subject to a random Covid test upon arrival, but this will be a rare occurrence.
India’s E-Visa Program Also Restored

Now, tourists with a visa or an e-visa can travel to India for non-essential purposes.

On top of the easing of entry restrictions and the removal of the flight ban, the Indian government has restored its 5-year tourist e-visa program which they suspended in March 2020.

India will restart its ten-year visa program for US tourists and they will also allow Japanese tourists to apply for a ten-year tourist visa. You can learn more about India’s travel visa program here.

CDC Travel Advisory For India

In its weekly travel update on Tuesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its health advisory for India from High (Level 3) to Low (Level 1).

You can find out more information about the rules and guidelines for India’s reopening on their official tourism website.

Read More

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
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March 31, 2022
KLM Has 167 Worldwide Routes This Summer, With 12 Direct Flights From The U.S.
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The carrier will be serving a new route to Austin, Texas; and daily flights to Atlanta, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco

The Dutch airline, KLM, announced in a press release that it will be serving 167 destinations during summer 2022, between March 27 and October 29.

The carrier will offer customers flights to 96 European cities and 71 intercontinental destinations, 12 direct flights to the United States, and a total of 16 million seats.

KLM is responding to travelers’ demands and is expanding its capacity to almost the same level it had in 2019 before the pandemic started. The new destinations added to its network —like Belgrade, Dubrovnik, and Palma de Mallorca— have been very successful routes and the company expects even more reservations to more destinations during summer.

The carrier has also made policy changes to satisfy customers’ needs. On March 23, KLM stopped requesting passengers to wear masks and joined other carriers who dropped this covid restriction. Customers flying with KLM, and taking advantage of the 167 routes the company will serve this summer, can travel with more comfort without face coverings.

KLM’s Network Expansion

Flight frequency to the Caribbean and the United States has increased. The carrier added Austin, Texas, to their network and will operate daily flights to Caribbean destinations like Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

The Dutch airline also mentioned that their customers are interested in Asia, for destinations like the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Bali. The carrier has considered countries that have eased travel restrictions or that will soon, like India.

Other countries with strict travel restrictions, like China, are not included in their new network expansion. KLM also clarified that due to the European Union sanctions to Russia, they will not fly in Russian Airspace, and that customers must consider that flights to destinations like Japan, China, or South Korea will take two hours more and will include a stop in Seoul.

Most routes to South America have been restored to similar levels as before the pandemic. The carrier offers daily flights to Sao Paulo, Panama City, and Lima, and frequent flights to Quito, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Santiago.

Africa is also part of KLM’s expansion, during summer the carrier will serve 10 destinations: Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Accra, Lagos, Kigali, Entebbe, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam.

KLM Flights To The US

Since November, after the United States eased travel restrictions for Europeans, KLM has reported steady growth, and their services this summer will match the ones provided in 2019.

The Dutch airline has added a new destination to the US, Austin, the state capital of Texas. They consider this destination to be “a flourishing technology hub and home to a large number of technology companies” and expect high demand for business flights in the new future.

According to the details shared on the site Aviacionline, these are the direct flights KLM has scheduled from Amsterdam to the US:
- Atlanta: daily flights.
- Austin: three times per week.
- Boston: four times per week.
- Washington Dulles: daily flights.
- Houston: six times per week.
- New York: 19 times per week.
- Las Vegas: five times per week.
- Los Angeles: 13 times per week.
- Minneapolis: four times per week.
- Chicago O’ Hare: six times per week.
- San Francisco: 10 times per week.
- Salt Lake City: three times per week.
The fleet allocated for these routes includes different models like the Airbus A330-300, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, and the Boeing 777-200ER/787-10 Dreamliner.

KLM is currently offering customers special deals on their official website to attract more passengers. Travelers can buy tickets from New York to Amsterdam for $660, from Los Angeles to Billund for $525, from New York to Aalborg for $532, or from San Francisco to Amsterdam for $635, taxes included. Flight offers are time-sensitive and might vary depending on availability or location.

Read More:

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
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March 26, 2022