Southwest Airlines provide passengers a COVID-19 test in the mail before travel

Southwest Airlines seems to have found an easier way for passengers to get a Covid-19 test for travel: Mailing a kit to your home. The test is approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for travel purposes and a convenient new option for any Globe Aware volunteers traveling with Southwest.


Southwest Airlines flyers can now get a COVID-19 test in the mail before travel

Victoria M. Walker
Jan 12, 2022
The Points Guy

If you’ve traveled abroad in the last year, you’re likely familiar with the testing mandate that all travelers need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken one day before flying back to the U.S.

Unfortunately, it’s been tough to get a COVID-19 test abroad in some countries right now, due in part to both the omicron surge as well as the shorter testing window to renter the U.S.

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Traveling after testing positive for COVID-19

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Globe Aware volunteers who recently recovered from Covid-19 can fly back to the U.S. with proof that they’ve recovered instead of a negative test. This proof can include a positive COVID-19 viral test result and a signed letter from a licensed healthcare professional stating that you’re cleared to travel back to the U.S.


How soon can you travel after testing positive for COVID-19?

By Victoria M. Walker
January 13, 2022

The Points Guy

A positive COVID-19 test during a trip can throw all your travel plans into limbo. But even a positive test in the weeks before you travel can be cause for concern.

If you’re wondering when you’ll be cleared to travel again after testing positive for COVID-19, it’s an important question: Here’s everything you need to know.

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Omicron Wave Abates, South Africa Lifts Curfew

South Africa, where the Omicron variant was detected last month, says its latest coronavirus wave has peaked without a surge in deaths or hospitalizations, enabling the country to lift a nightly curfew for the first time in 21 months. Globe Aware is maintaining contact with our South Africa coordinators to assess when volunteers can return.


South Africa Lifts Night-Time Covid Curfew As Omicron Wave Abates

Calls for the midnight to 4 am curfew to be lifted had been mounting among operators in the hospitality sector ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations with owners launching an online petition addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Agence France-Presse
December 31, 2021

Johannesburg: South Africa, where the Omicron variant was detected last month, says its latest coronavirus wave has peaked without a surge in deaths or hospitalizations, enabling the country to lift a nightly curfew for the first time in 21 months.
The Omicron variant emerged in November to become the pandemic’s dominant variant, driving new cases at a record rate around the world.

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Air travel will change in 2022

It would be impossible to discuss any developments in 2022 without referring to Covid-19 variants. Here we break down some of the most notable changes coming up for our Globe Aware volunteers in regards to airlines, airports, and the rest of aviation in the next 12 months.


How flying will change in 2022

By John Walton
CNN
January 6, 2022

(CNN) — During almost any other year, a look ahead to what the future holds for aviation would almost certainly be centered on exciting things like new airplanes, airlines and airports.

But it would be impossible to discuss any developments in the industry for 2022 without making reference to Covid-19 variants, restrictions and challenges to airlines.

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Travel trends in 2022

Globe Aware is looking forward to brighter days in the spring and summer of 2022. Here’s a glance at some of the travel trends to expect this year to help you plan your volunteer vacation accordingly.


The travel trends to watch in 2022

BY RACHEL KING
December 27, 2021
FORTUNE

Winter travel, at the moment, is taking a bit of a hit amid the latest surge in positive COVID-19 cases due to the arrival of the new Omicron variant in the United States and Europe. That has a lot of people rethinking their upcoming travel plans, both for business and pleasure, which is especially disheartening for many after last year’s dismal holiday season.

But many travelers and travel industry professionals are looking forward to brighter days in the spring and summer of 2022. Here’s a glance at some of the travel trends to expect next year to help you plan accordingly.

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Travel 2022: The best destinations to visit this year

Peru and South Africa are mentioned, and Globe Aware agrees both places deserve to be near the top of anyone’s travel list. We hope to see volunteers make a strong comeback to both locations in 2022!


Where to travel 2022: The best destinations to go

By Lilit Marcus, Forrest Brown, Julia Buckley, Karla Cripps, Tamara Hardingham-Gill, Marnie Hunter, Barry Neild, Maureen O’Hare and Francesca Street
CNN
December 31, 2021

(CNN) — Travel is more challenging now than it has been in a long time. Borders tentatively reopen only to slam shut again. A once-simple visa on entry is replaced with piles of paperwork. And the whole world is brushing up on the Greek alphabet whenever a new variant makes headlines.

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Fees for US passports are about to go up

Globe Aware volunteers planning to get their passports should know that the US passport book will shoot up by $20. The US State Department announced that “the increased fee is necessary to ensure we continue to produce one of the most secure travel and identity documents in the world.”


Fees for US passports are about to pop way up

Forrest Brown
CNN
December 22, 2021

(CNN) — It seems few things are escaping the scourge of inflation these days — and that will soon include US passports.

On December 27, the fee for a US passport book will shoot up by $20 for all customers, the US State Department has announced.

Why the price hike?

In a tweet, the State Department said, “The increased fee is necessary to ensure we continue to produce one of the most secure travel and identity documents in the world.”

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Travel restrictions on southern African countries lifted

The Biden administration is planning on lifting restrictions on eight southern African countries on December 31 at 12:01 a.m. ET. Globe Aware volunteers should know that these eight countries (which include South Africa, Malawi & Zimbabwe) will be subject to the same coronavirus travel protocols the US has imposed on other countries.


Biden to lift travel restrictions on southern African countries that were put in place due to Omicron

By Jeremy Diamond
CNN
December 24, 2021

Washington (CNN)The Biden administration is lifting restrictions on eight southern African countries that were put in place last month after the Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa, two administration officials told CNN.

The restrictions will lift on December 31 at 12:01 a.m. ET, the officials said. News of the lifted restrictions was first reported by Reuters.

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The travel trends to watch in 2022

Globe Aware is looking forward to brighter days in the spring and summer of 2022. Here’s a glance at some of the travel trends to expect this year to help you plan your volunteer vacation accordingly.


The travel trends to watch in 2022

BY RACHEL KING
December 27, 2021
FORTUNE

Winter travel, at the moment, is taking a bit of a hit amid the latest surge in positive COVID-19 cases due to the arrival of the new Omicron variant in the United States and Europe. That has a lot of people rethinking their upcoming travel plans, both for business and pleasure, which is especially disheartening for many after last year’s dismal holiday season.

But many travelers and travel industry professionals are looking forward to brighter days in the spring and summer of 2022. Here’s a glance at some of the travel trends to expect next year to help you plan accordingly.

Back to nature, again
Being outdoors was all the rage (and the only option) in the pre-vaccinated days of the pandemic in 2020. Travelers began to make their way back to urban centers—craving more socialization, nightlife, and simply being indoors in winter—starting in the summer of 2021. But that renewed interest in the great outdoors hasn’t died out just yet—and it might be getting bigger than ever. Club Wyndham and WorldMark by Wyndham time-share properties near U.S. national parks, for example, have seen a 71% uptick in bookings.

Outdoorsy destinations are dominating Kayak’s top-trending list at the tail end of 2021, with Colorado and Montana making up four of the top 10 trending destinations for 2022, with an increase in search share of at least 46% compared to 2019. And while it’s typically filled with cities like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Atlanta, Kayak’s most popular destinations list is seeing these destinations replaced by outdoor beach towns like Cancun, Honolulu, and Maui. This is the first time in years that New York City has not been among the top 10.

“We always see beach towns in Mexico and Florida trend for American tourists, but what’s more interesting are the new cities we’re seeing pop like Kalispell, Bozeman, and Steamboat Springs,” Kayak CEO Steve Hafner tells Fortune. “Destinations that offer quick flights, little to no restrictions, and provide a good combination of indoor and outdoor activities appear to be the preference amongst American travelers these days.”

But it’s not all about just going camping or glamping. The Greek islands are Contiki’s top booked destination for 2022. Likewise, the tour company, which typically attracts travelers between the ages of 18 and 35, says Costa Rica is one of its top booked, with a 375% increase year over year. According to a recent survey conducted by Contiki, younger travelers are especially interested in beach vacations in 2022, nearly 70% opting for “beachscapes over mountainscapes.” And Wyndham has seen a 69% increase for bookings to Hawaii.

Last-minute bookings
The booking window for flights is shrinking when compared to two years prior, according to travel search engine Kayak. And this is especially the case for international travel: Searches for flights within seven days have increased 50% as travelers become increasingly more flexible in their travel plans. (Kayak also has a flexible cancellation filter that helps travelers determine which airlines and hotels are waiving change or cancellation fees.)

“The demand is there. People want to travel again and they are becoming more flexible and spontaneous in their planning,” says Hafner. “We’re seeing more people book last minute, especially for international trips, due to the unpredictability of COVID-19, which will likely continue through the first half of next year.”

Home-swapping
Anyone who has ever watched the Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet film The Holiday has long dreamed about the ideal home-swapping scenario. And like everything else that is popular on the Internet, TikTok is making it hot again. The hashtag “#houseswap” has generated approximately 10 million views and viral videos of users swapping houses on the social app.

And global home-swapping platform Love Home Swap, which has homes in more than 110 countries, saw a nearly 300% increase in member sign-ups last year, compared to 2019, and new sign-ups are currently surpassing pre-COVID levels this year. The company says these staycation arrangements help offset the increased costs of traveling, saving members on average $3,500 per year on accommodations through Love Home Swap. (Membership starts at $11 per month.)

“When our members begin home-swapping, they are surprised how much money they are actually saving,” says Celia Pronto, managing director of Love Home Swap. “Not only does home-swapping give you access to an entire property, but it frequently comes with added benefits—whether using each other’s cars, children’s toys, or even gym memberships and ski equipment. With 36% of our members traveling four-plus times per year and 85% looking for new travel experiences, home-swapping really does tick all the boxes. We’ve found it quickly becomes a lifestyle choice for our members, with the most popular destinations in the U.S. being New York, California, Florida, and Colorado.”

Workcations
With a growing demand for blending the flexibility of remote work with leisure travel, more than 40% of Gen Z employees plan to take a “workcation” (essentially, working while traveling—but not traveling for work and not taking PTO days for it) in 2022, according to data provided by Kayak.

“Younger generations like Gen Z likely live a more flexible lifestyle (i.e., no kids, pets, etc. just yet) that makes it easier to travel (and work) for weeks at a time from different locations, [which] gets more complicated when you have to move the whole family,” Kayak’s Hafner says. “Once people can really start traveling more freely again, we’ll start to see people squeeze in extra trips that double as work. Companies that support blending business with leisure travel will have a competitive advantage with talent. Many people want a change of scenery right now.”

And it’s something Kayak is seeing in-house as well, Hafner notes. This past September, Kayak launched a “Work from Almost Anywhere” policy, which lets employees choose how often they work from the office—if at all. “We’re a travel company, so we want our employees to feel comfortable working from different cities, countries, etc., as much or little as they’d like,” Hafner says.

Trip-stacking
Trip-stacking—the practice of booking multiple trips back-to-back—really took off during the summer of 2021. There are multiple reasons for this: People wanted to maximize their trips abroad (especially while international borders are open); it can be more budget-friendly on the airfare if going a long distance from home; and many people simply wanted to make up for lost time after spending more than a year at home.

Contiki CEO Adam Armstrong says Gen Z and younger millennials are trip-stacking frequently with the company, booking multiple trips back-to-back. And young professionals are taking more PTO days, with an average trip length of nine to 11 days.

“They are traveling for longer periods of time—some exploring the world for months on end, flexing their remote work perks, taking advantage of the freedom that comes with being in between jobs or seizing the gap year in between college and career life,” explains Armstrong. “We’ve analyzed 2022 preliminary booking patterns, which demonstrate 18- to 35-year-olds are heading to Greece, Italy, Egypt, and Costa Rica—which is up 375% compared to last year—and booking these trips back-to-back to really stretch their travel wings again.”

Luxury all-inclusives
This is one to watch for the long term. All-inclusive resorts have the reputation for being convenient and family friendly, but the amenities aren’t always high-end. But pandemic travel changed all that as measures implemented in the age of COVID are becoming mainstays, like mobile payments or simply paying for everything in one go so as not to have to swap cards or touch point-of-sale checkpoints frequently.

Many hotel companies, such as Marriott and Hilton, are taking part in the ongoing evolution of luxury in the all-inclusive space, notes Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy.

“Luxury travelers are yearning for all-inclusives post-pandemic as they provide guests with security from both a health and safety standpoint,” Kelly tells Fortune. “Guests don’t have to risk exposing themselves outside the resort and are spread out enough, which makes social distancing easier.”

International flight arrives in Cambodia – the first in 20 months

Cambodia’s Siem Reap International Airport has finally welcomed its first international passenger flight for the first time in 20 months. Siem Reap should get more visitors after the reopening of international flights, and come out as Cambodia’s top leisure and cultural destination for Globe Aware volunteers.


Cambodia welcomes its first international flight for the first time in 20 months

TIMESOFINDIA.COM

Cambodia’s Siem Reap International Airport has finally welcomed its first international passenger flight for the first time in 20 months. The inaugural flight flew in from Singapore, and landed in Siem Reap airport at 9:45 am on Friday. Siem Reap is one of the three international airports operating in Cambodia.

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