Travel Briefs

The short-term-rental service Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) has created a cleaning protocol for hosts, based on recommendations from the CDC, to help ensure the health and safety of their guests. The protocol is optional for hosts, but potential guests will be able to see which hosts have been trained in the program before choosing rentals.

Hosts who enroll in the program will be given instructions on which cleaning and sanitation techniques and products are best for maintaining a disease-...

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• The Italian island of Sicily revealed that, once travel restrictions in Italy are lifted, the Sicilian government will encourage travel to the island by paying for 50% of the cost of plane tickets and for one of every three hotel nights for foreign visitors in 2020. Vouchers for free museum visits and events will also be available.

According to Visit Sicily, the national tourism department, the offer will be available on its website, www.visitsicily.info, once Italy is...

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North Americans planning to travel to Europe in 2021 must apply for authorization through the European Travel Information & Authorization System (ETIAS) [May ’19, pg. 50]. However, the European Commission reported in March that for the first six months of its implementation, the ETIAS will be “optional,” and only regular travel documents will be required.

After the end of those six months, for the next six months travelers may still be allowed to cross land...

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The multimedia company explore maintains multiple stationary live-feed videos of African wildlife. Among sites where live cams are set up are Tembe Elephant Park and Balule Game Reserve in South Africa and a gorilla forest corridor in Kasugho, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Visit explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife.

Among additional subjects streaming on explore.org/livecams are bird-feeding stations in Panama, orcas in British Columbia and polar bears in Manitoba, depending on...

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a “no sail” order to all cruise ships carrying at least 250 passengers, prohibiting them from sailing to or from US ports. The order will last at least 100 days from April 9 unless the Secretary of Health & Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 epidemic or the CDC extends the order.

Individual cruise lines are maintaining their own schedules for restarting cruising. Check with each for upcoming cruises and booking...

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The US airline jetBlue announced that, starting on May 4, face masks will be required for all passengers. Frontier Airlines will require face masks starting on May 8, both on flights and at ticket counters and gates. At the time of the announcements, no end dates were given. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines both now offer passengers face masks upon boarding but at press time did not require them.

Germany-based Lufthansa announced on April 29 that passengers on Lufthansa-group...

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Argentina announced on April 28 that it was banning arrivals and departures of all commercial flights, both international and domestic, until Sept. 1 — the longest such ban in the world at press time.

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American Airlines is extending the validity period of all elite-status frequent-flyer-mile memberships — those of gold or platinum levels — to Jan. 31, 2022. Gold and platinum status is earned through reaching milestones in money spent on tickets and miles flown, and those milestones must be reached each year to maintain that status.

In addition to extending the validity period for elite-status members, American has also reduced the minimum expenditure and mileage levels...

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