Our hearts go out to all those affected, including the figure skating community, by the horrible American Airlines crash with the military helicopter in Washington, D.C.
Hotels and immigration. With the new administration in the White House, hotels could end up short-staffed since they often rely on immigrant employees. So be forewarned!
Court blocks Biden administration airline rule. The new rule forcing airlines to disclose all fees has been blocked by a judge for the time being. We’ll see what happens!
Secret passageway opens in Florence. A passageway in Florence, Italy was built for the elite in the 1500s so that they could avoid rubbing elbows with the riffraff. Now, it will be opened to the public for the first time. There are 106 steps to get down to the passage, but you don’t have to climb back up to exit. Tickets are 43 Euros unless you buy a ticket for the Uffizi Galleries. Then, it’s an add-on of 20 Euros. Free entry will be allowed the first Sunday of every month, but reservations need to be made months in advance.
News about the UK’s ETA requirement. Now that international travelers who don’t need a visa have to get an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to enter the UK, the government has decided NOT to require the ETA of those who are just transferring at UK airports to go elsewhere. The ETA will increase to 16 pounds, however.
Celebrity Cruises news. In 2027, Celebrity plans to launch river cruises for the first time. It has ordered ten ships for this purpose.
Hyatt upgrades. Hyatt hotels are now sometimes offering a chance to bid on an upgrade. Hmmm… I once bid on an airline upgrade with a European airline, but I don’t know if I’d do that at a hotel. I suppose you might get a good deal now and then.
Paris to Milan trains. After a 2023 landslide in the French Alps got in the way of this route, it will restart April 1st. The route is via Turin in Italy and run by Trenitalia.
Airline News
JetBlue fined. At the beginning of the month, the Department of Transportation in the U.S. fined JetBlue $2 million for repeated flight delays and is investigating other airlines. Of course, with the new administration in the White House, who knows what will come of this.
JetBlue premium seats. In other JetBlue news, they’ve launched their premium seats called “EvenMore.” They provide more legroom, three complimentary alcoholic drinks (God help us), cookies, priority check-in, early boarding, dedicated space in the overhead bin, and complimentary headphones (if you ask).
Delta flight evacuation. A Delta flight had to be evacuated via slide on January 10 at the Atlanta airport after an engine problem was discovered.
United Airlines entertainment upgrades. United will now have Bluetooth on 300 of its planes, and the screens will have 4K resolution. You can also get a control tower view on your personal screen.
American Airlines and Boeing delays. Boeing is behind in delivering new planes, so American Airlines has had to delay some new routes, as well as its new business class suites with privacy doors that are supposed to be on the new 787-9 planes and some 777-300ERs.
SpaceX space junk can cause flight delays. Qantas says they aren’t told far in advance when or where SpaceX rockets might fall from the sky. So it has had to sometimes issue last-minute flight delays on the route from Sydney to Johannesburg. Thanks, Elon! (eye roll)
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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