Coronavirus Travel News
The daily Coronavirus update: The big travel news in bullet form to keep you up-to-date fast with no fluff.
Robert McGarvey
I haven't been in a Centurion Lounge in a year and haven't used the Amex $200 airline credit. But ...
Barnett: Rapacious Rentals
Car rental prices have skyrocketed and travelers are being quoted hundreds of dollars a day. Here's why.
Pondering Platinum
Amex Platinum may still be worth the $550 fee. You'll find many perks. But Amex doesn't volunteer information.
Points Paradigm Lost
After 40 years spent chasing miles, Covid made Will Allen realize points-earning cards may no longer be useful.
Points Are Out, Cash Is In
Figuring out the "best" credit cards for you now is much harder than you may think. But miles cards are surely out.
Delta: Your Loyalty For Sale
Delta has mortgaged SkyMiles for $9 billion. A question: Why are you still charging on Delta/Amex cards?
Frequent Flying Suckers
We created billions of dollars of value for airlines via frequent flyer plans and they treat us like suckers.
Joe: What Is in Your Wallet?
The pandemic scrambled wallets, too. It's time to check if you're carrying the right card--and see if these fit in.
Deb Bernstein: Brussels
Eleven months of lockdown has left Brussels, Europe's capital, a quiet, colorless city for expats and visitors.
Will Allen: Topsail Island
I have rented a beach house and have extra rooms with smashing views. But no one can come because ... you know.
Carol Pucci: Israel
Israel should open to visitors soon. I've never been, but I'm gathering a trove of online information to get ready.
Chris Barnett: San Francisco
The Coronavirus has scrambled travel everywhere. But things are crazier in San Francisco's lodging scene.
David Danto: Atlantic City
Checking into and hanging out at an Atlantic City casino is a very different (and mostly good) experience.
Joe: This Is Not Normal
Life on the road is not normal. It won't be returning to "normal" any time soon. And it's not a "new" normal.
Carol Pucci: Old News
Use online reviews and guidebooks? Proceed with care. Most are outdated, reflecting pre-pandemic realities.
Joe: Travel's Future
Even with a vaccine rollout, travel will be different in the months and years ahead. Here's what to expect.
Barnett: Small Is Beautiful
JSX believes small aircraft with just 30 passengers a flight is the right formula for pandemic travel.
McGarvey: Sheraton? Still?
Does anyone really care that Marriott redesigned its Sheraton brand? Who wants more communal space?
Joe: Unregulated Lottery
Almost 20 years ago I called frequent flyer programs unregulated lotteries. It's gotten worse since then.
McGarvey: Covidiots
About 80% of a luxury travel agency's clients said they would refuse to get a vaccine this year. They are idiots.
Pucci: Tests No, Vaccines Yes
Testing for travel is so yesterday. The new hotness is vaccinations. That'll be the path back to travel confidence.
Everything You Need to Know
Our special Coronavirus pages contain everything you need now about travel. There's our daily timeline of events and every column since January, 2020.
• Aircraft in the Air• Airport Delays Now
• Airport Status (FAA)
• Airport Web Cams
• ATC Live Radio
• Aviation Weather Center
• Delays/Cancels (FlightAware)
• County-Level Weather Alerts
• Europe ATC
• FAA Airspace System Status
• FAA Command Center Map
• Flight Radar (Real Time)
• Flight Aware Misery Map
• Global Flight Status
• Luggage Tracker
• U.S. Customs Wait Times
Find What You Need Fast
Our carefully curated collection of links will help you find everything you need about airlines, airports, hotels and more.
What the CDC Suggests ...
The CDC has changed guidelines for fully vaccinated people. Travelers still need to wear masks. Click here for all the details.
At U.S. Airports
While international airports rushed to get testing in place, U.S. airports hung back. Now they are moving individually--and a former airport-spa chain has remade itself as a testing company.• Alaska Airports
• Boston (Terminal E & C)
• Burlington, VT (Garnet Health)
• Chicago/Midway (Parking Level 3)
• Chicago/O'Hare (Two locations)
• Cleveland (Ticketing)
• Dallas/Fort Worth (Terminal D)
• Denver (Concourse B)
• Ft. Lauderdale (Terminal 3)
• Grand Rapids, MI (Economy Parking)
• Hartford, CT (Baggage Claim)
• Honolulu (Baggage Claim 31)
• Houston/IAH (Terminal 4)
• Los Angeles (Terminals 2/6/Intl.)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul (Terminal 1)
• New York/JFK (Terminal E)
• New York/LGA (Terminal B Parking)
• Newark (Terminals B & C)
• Oakland (Two locations)
• Orlando (Terminal A Atrium)
• Philadelphia (Terminal E)
• Phoenix (Terminal 4)
• Pittsburgh (Concourse A)
• Portland, Maine (Level 1)
• Portland, Ore. (7000 NE Airport Way)
• Salt Lake City (Concourse A)
• San Diego (2357 Airlane Road)
• San Francisco (International Terminal)
• Seattle-Tacoma (Central Auditorium)
• Tampa (Main Terminal)
• Tulsa (Concourse B Baggage Claim)
• Washington/DCA (National Hall)
• Washington/IAD (Baggage Claim)
At Canadian Airports
Since the early days of the pandemic, Canada has had more stringent testing rules. Airports have been quick to react.• Calgary International
• Montreal-Trudeau
• Toronto/Pearson
• Vancouver International
Test and Fly
Airlines were slow to adopt Covid tests. As the pandemic dragged on, however, carriers began offering testing programs to encourage travel.• Air Canada
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines (Italy)
• Delta Air Lines (Netherlands)
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• United Airlines
• WestJet Airlines
Strange Days Indeed
You can't travel freely within the United States anymore. Many states still have testing and quarantine rules mask and gathering-size strictures, too. The CDC has gathered the rules at a one-stop site that you can search by state or zip code. Click here access the system.
Border Barriers
The long, open land borders between the United States, Canada and Mexico are closed to all but non-essential travel. Click here for Canada rules and here for Mexico rules.
Island-by-Island
The sprawling region of smallish islands has gone it alone. Each country has its own rules.• Anguilla
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Bonaire
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Curacao
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• Montserrat
• Puerto Rico
• Saba
• St. Barth
• St. Eustatius (Statia)
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and Grenadines
• Sint Maarten/St. Martin
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos
• U.S. Virgin Islands
Global Restrictions
Coronavirus has forced most nations to impose entry restrictions. Here are links to places where you can research the "new normal" of travel.• CanITravel.net
• CDC Travel Recommendations
• Europe Travel Rules
• IATA Travel Regulations Map
• SchengenVisaInfo.com
• Tourist Board Directory
• U.S. State Department
• WendyPerrin.com
• Airline Trade Group Stats
• CIRIUM Aviation Updates
• Dollar Values
• Daily Pax Traffic (TSA Screening)
• Eurocontrol Daily Traffic
• Gasoline Prices Nationwide (AAA)
• Hotel Data Dashboard (STR)
• Hotel Trade Group Stats
• Jet Fuel Spot Prices
• Johns Hopkins Covid Maps/Stats
• RadarBox.com Flight Tracking
• Track The Recovery
• U.S. Weekly Transportation Trends
• Worldmeter
• CIRIUM Aviation Updates
• Dollar Values
• Daily Pax Traffic (TSA Screening)
• Eurocontrol Daily Traffic
• Gasoline Prices Nationwide (AAA)
• Hotel Data Dashboard (STR)
• Hotel Trade Group Stats
• Jet Fuel Spot Prices
• Johns Hopkins Covid Maps/Stats
• RadarBox.com Flight Tracking
• Track The Recovery
• U.S. Weekly Transportation Trends
• Worldmeter
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