New UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Travelers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia will have to apply online for an ETA to enter the UK starting January 8, 2025. It can take up to 72 hours to process, so you need to apply in advance with your passport information, a photo per their guidelines, and your travel details. The ETA, which isn’t the same thing as a visa, will last for 6 months or for two years if you don’t plan to stay for a consecutive 6 months. That means you can potentially enter the UK several times over that two-year period without needing a new ETA, but if your passport expires during that two-year period, you will indeed need a new ETA. The cost is 10 pounds, which is about $13US right now.
Planning a cruise to Mexico next year? If so, it will cost you more starting July 1, 2025. Mexico will start a port tax of $42 per passenger.
JetBlue will offer domestic first class. Starting in 2026, airplanes that don’t already have lie-flat first class seats will have 2-3 rows of regular first class seats on domestic flights.
New Alaska Airlines routes. Now that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have merged, they will launch new routes from Seattle to Toyko, Japan and Seoul, South Korea in 2025.
Amsterdam working toward banning cruise ships. While it’s only reducing the number allowed for now – from 190 to 100 – the city plans to ban cruises entirely by 2035.
Virgin Voyages Annual Pass. if you have $120,000 (plus taxes and fees) available, you can buy a Virgin Voyages Annual Pass through March 31, 2025 and sail on any of their ships for an entire year starting from January to April, 2025. If you do this, be sure to let us know!
TSA liquid rules. Did you know that your stick lip balms don’t count toward your total carry-on liquid allowance? Did you also know that the 3.4-ounce maximum applies to the size of the bottle and not just the amount of the liquid? In other words, you can’t carry on 3.4 ounces of a liquid in a bottle that holds more than that. If you have a larger bottle, it has to be placed in your checked baggage.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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