Coronavirus (COVID-19) Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel

[p--and--t]

United Airlines Extends Face Mask Requirement At Airports To Include Check-In, United Clubs, Gate & Baggage Claim

United Airlines extends face mask requirement to all journey touchpoints from this Friday (July 24, 2020).

loyaltylobby.com

 

[drron]

A few more casualties.
Hilton Cape Town has closed.May be rebranded.

Hilton Exits Cape Town

Hilton has exited Cape Town by turning in the keys to the property owner.

loyaltylobby.com

IHG in trouble in the USA.

IHG Defaulting On Payments – May Lose 103 Hotels In North America

IHG may lose 103 hotels in North America this fall due to defaulting on agreed-upon payments.

loyaltylobby.com

Hong Kong extends mandatory 14 day quarantine until the end of 2020.

Hong Kong Extends Mandatory 14-Day Arrivals Quarantine Through The End Of 2020

Hong Kong has now extended its 14-day arrivals quarantine by three months through the end of 2020.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[kpc]

A few more casualties.
Hilton Cape Town has closed.May be rebranded.

Hilton Exits Cape Town

Hilton has exited Cape Town by turning in the keys to the property owner.

loyaltylobby.com

That's disappointing....stayed here in 2012....nice enough hotel but a car ride to the V and A Waterfront. ..they did provide a free shuttle during the day

 

[p--and--t]

France Institutes Mandatory Covid-19 Testing For Arrivals From 16 Countries Including US

France institutes additional Covid-19 testing for all arriving passengers from 16 countries, including the United States, Brazil, and UAE.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[p--and--t]

Dubai Government & Dubai Airports Require Negative Covid-19 Test From All Passenger To/From/Transiting Effective August 1, 2020 (All Airlines)

You are required to have a negative Covid-19 test if traveling to/from/transit in Dubai effective August 1, 2020.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[drron]

Accor possibly to take over management of 400 Travelodges in the UK and rebrand as Ibis.

Accor In Talks To Rebrand 400 UK Travelodge's As Ibis

Accor is in talks with Travelodge owners in the UK to rebrand hundreds of them as an ibis.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[drron]

And more evidence of the blow to tourism.

Tui to close one third of high-street travel agencies

Some jobs will be protected by creation of homeworking sales and service team

www.independent.co.uk

Covid-19 cost tourism sector $320 billion in first five months of 2020, the UN says

Covid-19 fears cost the global tourism sector $320 billion in just the first five months of the year, the UN's world tourism body said Tuesday. Hopes that tourists would help revamp the French economy…

www.france24.com

Hong Kong’s loss-making hotels seek complete rates exemption

The hotel owners’ association wants the rates waived for the next three quarters up to March.

www.scmp.com

 

[I love to travel]

Data point from Brisbane airport yesterday. Mum and stepdad in row 4. Got onto jetway, 10 people checking id and passes. A few questions also asked, took nearly 5 mminutes to process. . Feedback on checking process was that police had serious demeanor but not rude unless they had a question mark, the guy next to them was not having a pleasant time.
From plane arriving at gate to luggage collected 30 mins.
@Pushka if your son gets as close to the front as he can will save time.

Finally best day ever seeing mum. She is 75 and at the beginning of this covid thing when they were talking about 40000 deaths in Australia never thought I would see her alive again.

 

[jb747]

QFs 787s are now going to the desert.

 

[mrsterryn]

QFs 787s are now going to the desert.

If A380s and 787s are going to the desert..what will Qantas use when international travel is permitted ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If A380s and 787s are going to the desert..what will Qantas use when international travel is permitted ?

A330s and 737s I guess. 737s to places like Bali and NZ. A330s on routes where they can sell business class. Dun need to worry about special catering and crew for premium economy.

 

[Lynda2475]

Qantas was promoting using the dreamliners this summer for extra Antarctic flights, with durations up to 12 hours. So they must plan to keep a few in country for that.

 

[mrsterryn]

Qantas was promoting using the dreamliners this summer for extra Antarctic flights, with durations up to 12 hours. So they must plan to keep a few in country for that.

I was gobsmacked on the price !!! Husband isn't worth that for his Xmas present

 

[flyer89]

QFs 787s are now going to the desert.

Was wondering why they plan on keeping 2 here. I assume the Antarctic flights.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Qantas was promoting using the dreamliners this summer for extra Antarctic flights, with durations up to 12 hours. So they must plan to keep a few in country for that.

Well this article says most, so Qantas must be keeping some active.

Facing a long wait for international travel to return, let alone rebound to pre-Covid levels, Qantas will next month begin sending most of its Boeing 787-9 jets to a storage facility at the edge of California's Mojave Desert.

Qantas to send most of its Boeing 787s to the desert for storage

With international flights perhaps a year away, the Dreamliners will be mothballed alongside Qantas' Airbus A380.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[drron]

Travelex goes into Administration.

Travelex Falls Into Administration

Travelex has fallen into an administrator.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Travelex goes into Administration.

I see they've hived off the 'profitable' parts of the business. No doubt the tourist tax refund in the UK? That is/was a major rip off and totally disappointing. I try and deal with companies that take of VAT themselves, at cost, without hefty admin fees (I think it was something like 30% going through travelex at heathrow).

Overall I thought they their currency exchange arm was extremely poor value, and if their retail stores close in Australian airports close it can only be a good thing for consumers. Sad for the employees.

 

[drron]

The stores were definite rip offs but online they did at times have much better rates than the banks and any other places on the Sunshine Coast.So I always checked them.

 

[Pushka]

The stores were definite rip offs but online they did at times have much better rates than the banks and any other places on the Sunshine Coast.So I always checked them.

I tried not to use them but to me they were a staple of the travel industry and just another pointer to the travel industry.

But on excellent news, this week Qatar is resuming two flights a week into Adelaide and son will be on one in 55 days time to the UK . Incoming and outgoing will be mainly freight and SA produce being exported.

 

[drron]

US airlines in a hole.

.

And although Uber rides are down Uber eats is flying.
.