Coronavirus
Special
Report
Coronavirus
Special
Report
Joe: Everything Changes
Airlines change the change fees for flights we're not flying. And, of course, they lie about the changes.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
U.S. airlines switch to leisure travelers. Gogo is sold. Hyatt adds two notable properties. And more.
Pucci: Hotel or Airbnb?
Airbnb or hotel? It is the question that pops up when Coronavirus cabin fever sets in and you need a getaway.McGarvey: Travel Shaming
We now have entered an era of travel shaming. Now is not the time to flaunt your travel consumption.Allen: Do I Have The Virus?
Did I contract the Coronavirus? It's the question on my feverish mind while I coughed and waited for my test.
Joe: Tomorrow Never Knows
Travel slows because there's nowhere to go. We are reaching a newest new normal and it's not good.
Rowell: Making Hotels Safe
Here is a very thorough series of smart suggestions and strategies on how to keep safe when in hotels.
Joe: This Time It's Personal
The airlines are trying to hold small airports hostage to get still another bailout. Don't get suckered.
Raffio: Tip Bigger, But ...
Tipping more during the pandemic is a very good thing. But tipping proves the economy of restaurants is broken.
Day-by-Day: 8/2 to 8/8
Some cities begin locking down again. Deaths in the United States continue to soar. The travel industry is a wreck.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
Major New York hotels are closing forever. Congress may give airlines another bailout. Porter delays again.
Joe: On the Road Again
If you're planning to fly again, just wear the mask. But do sweat the cleanliness and social distancing.Pucci: Clean Bill of Health
As we get back on the road, the issue of clean aircraft, clean hotels and cleaner Airbnbs is paramount.McGarvey: Bad Timing
The pandemic has made timeshares even less of a good deal for travelers. Sharp operators make them worse.
Joe: Nobody Asked Me ...
Zooming is different from flying. The rebound will be delayed to 2024. Hotel building continues.
McGarvey: No Flying
Are airlines serious about their mask rules? Meanwhile, I plan to continue my flying abstinence. How about you?
Joe: No Test, No Travel
Only fast, cheap Coronavirus testing can save travel. But the travel industry refuses to help itself.
McGarvey: Travel Skeptic
When I talk with "experts"--including senior executives--they say business travel will return. I'm skeptical.Barnett: S.F. Hotel Hijinx
The Coronavirus has scrambled travel everywhere. But things are crazier in San Francisco's lodging scene.Baker: Smart Tech For Now
Here are several technology products suited for these unusual times while isolating at home.
Joe: Chicken Little Was Right
This may not be the worst week in the history of business travel, but it surely is the worst week of the pandemic.
McGarvey: Seat Sanity
Research makes a powerful argument that an empty middle seat halves the risk of contracting the virus in-flight.
Joe: Travel Is Treif
Another hotel stay and my first two restaurant visits since March left me feeling now is not the time to travel.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
The travel "boom" may be short-lived. Hyatt's award rebates. AA's Heathrow move. Hong Kong's endless agony.
McGarvey: Masks v. Shields
It is possible face shields offer more protection on flights than face masks. Qatar Airways already requires them.
Joe: Where We Stand
Here's the truth about airline masks, airport testing, vaccine timing and so much more. It's not pretty.
McGarvey: Avoid Arizona
Being sick with Coronavirus sucks. If you don’t want to join me in that club, stay away from Arizona.
Joe: Nowhere to Go
Driving vacations seem to be the order of the summer. But who wants to eat take-out food on a hotel coffee table?
McGarvey: Flying Fears
We aren't flying and evidence mounts that many flyers are unpersuaded that their health is a concern of the carriers.Will Allen: Safe But Dreary
Three months into my safe, but dreary, pandemic confinement, preserving my sanity requires a travel adventure.David Danto: Safety Politics
The politicizing of safety will be one of the issues that caused more deaths and illnesses than necessary.
McGarvey Tests Positive
A belated antibody test shows I had Coronavirus when I fell ill earlier this year. Now I wonder about some things.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
JetBlue will take on United at Newark. Canada mandates temperature checks. Hotel rates tick upward. And more.
Day-by-Day: 6/14 to 6/20
When Larry Kudlow says don't worry about Coronavirus, it's time to worry about the Coronavirus.David Danto: No Business?
What it would take to get back on the road for business? It is a fair question--if I had business that required travel.
Joe: We're Closed!
Summer's here--and you're probably not going there. Few places want us. And we couldn't get there anyway.
Joe's 7 New Flying Tips
If you're expecting to fly, follow these seven new tips because the road has changed since the Coronavirus.
Will Allen Will Stay Home
I've done four flights and a road trip since the pandemic rules eased. Now I'm convinced it's time to stay home.Will Allen: Flight Weirdness
My principal takeaway from the weird experience of flying for the first time since the shutdown? Uncertainty.
Joe: My First Hotel
Breakfast at hotels is a casualty of the Coronavirus. Lots of other weird stuff is changing, too.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
The Buffalo in the coal mine. Airports fall off route maps. London bridge is falling. More bankruptcies. And more.
Day-by-Day: 5/24 to 5/30
U.S. flying "surges," but so do deaths. Europe relaxes many rules. A holiday weekend without sports.Roy Berger's Ghost Trip
On my first flights in months, I found deserted airports, empty planes and cheaper hotels and car rentals.Will Allen on the Road Again
Even with empty seats, airlines priced me out of a Carolina-Iowa itinerary. So I drove roundtrip instead.David Rowell: No Europe
Should you--can you--travel to Europe this summer? The answer is “maybe, it depends." It's just too early to know.Carol Pucci: Travel Threats
It's hard to enjoy traveling if you have to view every other human on earth as a potential threat.
Erica Firpo in Rome Alone
"We've been given a chance to see the Rome we lost for a while," one vendor says about the city sans tourists.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
Delta wants to add Cape Town to get smaller. United chooses Clorox, other carriers leave middle seats empty.
McGarvey: Airlines Lie
Friends asked me if I believed it safe to fly. I unhesitatingly said yes. Dumb me. Airlines lie about everything.Phil Baker: Ignoring Science
United has taken the PR approach to Coronavirus safety while ignoring the facts and the science.Carol Pucci: Pay for Safety
The travel industry's approach to post-Coronavirus marketing? If you pay us more, we'll give you more safety.Will Allen on Possibilities
I am reading lots of possibilities that may impact the future of flying. None of it is pretty--or likely to be cheap.Chris Barnett: Distant Lunch
After months of lockdown, I've been to a socially distanced lunch and aced the socially distant cocktail party.
Joe: Pandemic Perspective
We're destroyed. As a nation. And, yes, as a traveling community. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing should be.
McGarvey: Card Fees
Heavy with travel perks, the American Express Platinum also carries a hefty fee. Should you renew it or dump it?
Joe: Nobody Asked Me ...
Airlines switch to cargo, which doesn't complain. Carriers want more bailouts. And, you know, more outrages.
Carol Pucci Feels Unwanted
When lockdowns end, we will face the next question: Will other countries and cities want our travel business?McGarvey: Changes Ahead
Changes triggered by the Coronavirus will create lasting and big changes in how we live--and how we travel.Chris Barnett: Agents Speak
Travel agents have strong opinions on when, where and how we'll get moving again after the Coronavirus.
Joe: Getting to the Bottom
We have hit bottom now. I don't mean our mental health is bottoming out. I refer only to the state of travel.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
American, United lose billions in the first quarter. Southwest spent millions on buybacks and dividends.
Carol Pucci: Foiled Trip
Coronavirus foiled our plan for a three-week trip. I never believed the "Things happen for a reason" theory. Until now.McGarvey Survives a Virus
I have now survived the Coronavirus. I think. But I cannot know because there was no testing available for me.Phil Baker: Gadgets v. Virus
Inexpensive gadgets like oximeters and digital thermometers can help us identify the symptoms of Coronavirus.The World We Left Behind
The world we left behind has changed dramatically in the last few months--for better and for worse.
Joe: Bailing on the Bailout
The feds this week started sending our money--well, our great-grandchildren's money--to airlines. To fly empty flights.
Joe: Cash > Miles Now
In these post-pandemic times, we must break the frequency program habit for our financial sanity.
Carol Pucci: Travel Time?
Now that we're finished undoing travel plans for the coming months, it's time to think about when we'll travel again.Phil Baker: Can't Fix Stupid
Sometimes it seems that possessing basic intelligence and clear and logical thinking are a handicap in these times.McGarvey: Missing Meetings
A survey says workers forced to work from home say they miss attending in-person meetings and conventions.Will Allen: No Flying Style
Will we lose the last remaining stylish elements of flying once we finally get back on the road?
Joe: Next Year in Jerusalem
A Coronavirus holiday promise: Next year in Jerusalem. Or Maui. Or Paris. Or someplace. Somehow. Some way.
Roy Berger: Vegas Craps Out
We're deserted in the desert. That's not the way Las Vegas was built. Things on the four-mile-long Strip are empty.
Joe: No Day But Today
Dr. McCoy won't find the antidote in the nick of time. So yesterday's stats or tomorrow's predictions mean nothing.
Julia Ogilvie Goes Home
My Washington show closed, so I flew to Hawaii. I found roads with no cars, deserted airports and empty flights.
Carol Pucci on Kind Travel
After the crisis passes, will the travel industry be a kinder and gentler, more consumer-friendly provider?
Will Allen: To Fly or to Stay?
What's the future of air travel when the Coronavirus crisis finally abates? Will you rush to the airport or stay home?
Joe: Making Bailout Terms
Not a dime. Not a penny. Yet we know airlines will get a bailout. Here's what we should demand of them.
McGarvey: Stop Griping
It has become an ugly gripe fest. Folks complain that they have to work from home or can't travel. Maybe just stifle.Joe: Emergency Briefing
This week is going to be awful. Then it is going to get worse. But here is what we know right now about traveling.Charlene Baumbich: Rarities
We have a local online auction and my bids were winners on two rare items. I scored 12-ounce bottles of Purell.Baker: 'Wash' Your Devices
We've learned how to wash our hands properly--and frequently. But now we need to wipe down our devices, too.
Day-by-Day: 3/1 to 3/7
The world (and airlines) begin to shut down. Israel's chief rabbi says be safe: Don't kiss the mezuzah.
Tactical Traveler Briefing
Here are all the Coronavirus items we published in February up to this week. They show the crisis unfolding.
Joe: Nobody Asked Me, But
Trump's chaotic Europe travel "ban," the mess modern hotel-building has caused and so much more craziness.Carol Pucci: Facts, Not Fear
I'm headed to Eastern Europe, but I'll take Coronavirus precautions based on facts rather than fear.McGarvey: Travel Questions
Can my boss force me to travel in the age of coronavirus? Can my employer stop me from flying as planned?Baker: Government Gaslight
We all need science-based information and facts to make good decisions. That is not what's coming from Trump.Carol Pucci: Seattle Silence
Here in Seattle, shopworkers applaud when you walk in as a customer. It is that eerie and that quiet.
Joe: Mobility Over Mortality
A travel writer once urged mobility as a way to defeat mortality. That advice seems quite apt just now.
McGarvey: No Cruising
Who wants a four-week quarantine to cap off a cruise? Nobody. So it might be wise to avoid sailing right now.
Strange Days Indeed
Strange as it seems, you can't just travel freely within the United States anymore. Here are the links to current state rules about traveling and visiting in the time of Coronavirus.• Alaska
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Kansas
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Washington, DC
• Wisconsin
Border Barriers
The long, open land border between the United States and Canada is closed to all but non-essential travel. Ditto the U.S.-Mexico border. Here are the links to the current rules.• Canada
• Caribbean Countries
• Mexico
Global Restrictions
Coronavirus has forced most nations to impose entry restrictions. Here are links to places where you can research the "new normal" of travel.• CanITravel.net
• Europe Travel Rules
• IATA Travel Regulations Map
• SchengenVisaInfo.com
• Tourist Board Directory
• U.S. State Department
David's Virus Diary
David Rowell's diary about Coronavirus and how it's changing our lives--and our lives on the road.• September Entries
• August Entries
• July Entries
• June Entries
• May Entries
• April Entries
• March Entries
• February Entries
Is Flying Risky?
What's the actual risk of catching the Coronavirus when flying? And here are some tips to minimize that risk.Make Your Hotel Safe
Here is a very thorough series of smart suggestions and strategies on how to keep safe when in hotels.Airline Fare Fakes
The airlines claim fares must rise 50 percent to keep middle seats empty. Their math is wrong and deceptive.Winning the Virus War
There is nothing certain about when we will finally kill the last virus particle and eradicate the disease.David's Coronavirus Primer
At the beginning of the pandemic, David made it his business to learn everything he could about the Coronavirus so he could explain it cogently.• What You Need to Know (2/20)
• February 27 Update
• March 6, 2020 Update
• March 12, 2020 Update
• August 13, 2020 Update
At Home on the Road
David Danto usually writes a travel blog. But now he's working from home and blogging from his metaphoric basement about travel--and how to productively work from home.MARCH-APRIL ,2020
• Fourth Week of March
• First Week of April
• Second Week of April
• Third Week of April
• Fourth Week of April
MAY, 2020
• First Week of May
• Second Week of May
• Third Week of May
• Fourth Week of May
JUNE, 2020
• First Week of June
• Second Week of June
• Third Week of June
• Fourth Week of June
JULY, 2020
• First Week of July
• Second Week of July
• Third Week of July
• Fourth Week of July
• Fifth Week of July
AUGUST, 2020
• First Week of August
• Second Week of August
• Fourth Week of August
SEPTEMBER, 2020
• First Week of September
• Second Week of September
Erica Firpo in Italy
After Wuhan and before the USA, Italy was the Coronavirus epicenter. Based in central Rome, Erica Firpo explained how Italy shut down and how it reopened.• March 10: Lockdown, Italian Style
• March 18: Kitchen Quarantine
• March 22: Italy From Your Sofa
• March 26: Italy Inspired
• April 27: Soft Opening
• May 12: Silent City
• May 19: Seeking Equilibrio
• June 15: Vacant Vatican
• July 1: Rome Reopens
Laying the Ground Work
Airports and flying are out. We can't go to the office. So we're learning to work from home.Danto: Home Work Primer
It is sad that it took this tragedy to get major firms to embrace remote working. But here's what you need to know.Danto: The Experts Speak
How do you work at home enjoyably and productively? I moderate a video panel of experts telling you how to do it.Rowell: Portable Power
Power grids during the pandemic have been shaky. The conclusion: You need a portable generator. Get the right one.Baker: High Tech at Home
The bad news? We're home instead of traveling. Good news? There are many new products to make life better.Baker: The Digital Dregs
According to the Digital Quality of Life Index, the United States ranks 22nd in the world. That's just awful.Allen: Comfortable Zooming
I’m engaged in many meetings held via WebEx or Zoom. The first ones were a bit awkward, but they're "normal" now.Rowell: Kindle's Kaput
Amazon's Kindle had a great 13-year run. You are now better off using the Kindle app on a phone or tablet.Baker: New Tech at Home
Here are several technology products suited for these unusual times while isolating at home.McGarvey: Unhappy Home
A survey says workers forced to work from home say they miss attending in-person meetings and conventions.Baker: Device Wiping
We've learned how to wash our hands properly--and frequently. But now we need to wipe down our devices, too.Rowell: Head of the Class
Working at home? Need headphones to maximize productivity? Here's what you need to know.Rowell: Cheap Challenger
A set of Anker's $60 noise-cancelling headphones are almost as good as the $300+ products from Bose and Sony.Baker: APP-propriate
App-based products and services that were once superfluous are now vitally important in the time of Coronavirus.Firpo: Kitchen Quarantine
Great chefs have opened their personal kitchens to give us a glimpse of what they’re cooking at home.Baker: Sugar Mountain
Aided by a tiny team, Neil Young and Daryl Hannah are creating online mini-concerts from their Colorado home.Baker: Bring Order to Apples
The best solution yet to keep all of your Apple products charged using a single device is from Nomad Goods.
April: I Think I Had It
I have now survived the Coronavirus. I think. But I cannot know because there was no testing available for me.May: Waiting For a Vaccine
An intriguing--if troubling--possibility: Maybe we're waiting for a Coronavirus vaccine before we will fly again.June: I Did Have It
A belated antibody test shows I had Coronavirus when I fell ill earlier this year. Now I wonder about some things.July: Avoid Arizona
Being sick with Coronavirus sucks. If you don’t want to join me in that club, stay away from Arizona.
Phony Travel Marketing
The travel industry wants us back, but it offers us only phony promises and fake rules. There's no focus on service.A Clean Travel Bill of Health?
As we get back on the road, the issue of clean aircraft, clean hotels and cleaner Airbnbs is paramount.Journeys With Joy
I can offer insight into how to do local auto travel that minimizes health risks while putting joy into the journey.When People Are Threats
It's hard to enjoy traveling if you have to view every other human on earth as a potential threat.Hotel or Airbnb?
Airbnb or hotel? It is the question that pops up when Coronavirus cabin fever sets in and you need a getaway.Paying for Travel Safety
The travel industry's approach to post-Coronavirus marketing? If you pay us more, we'll give you more safety.Will Other Places Want Us?
When lockdowns end, we will face the next question: Will other countries and cities want our travel business?Kinder, Gentler Travel
After the crisis passes, will the travel industry be a kinder and gentler, more consumer-friendly provider?Demand Your Refund
If an airline still refuses a refund, don't waste your time arguing. Dispute the charge though your credit card issuer.Put People First
People make travel special. Let's keep them in mind as we plan for the post-Coronavirus future on the road.Allen: Topsail Island
I've rented a beach house and have extra rooms with smashing views. But no one can come because ...you know.Berger: Kenosha
Kenosha was never one of my favorite business stops, but it was an important part of my career for 20 years.Danto: Atlantic City
Checking into and hanging out at an Atlantic City casino is a very different (and mostly good) experience.Barnett: San Francisco
The Coronavirus has scrambled travel everywhere. But things are crazier in San Francisco's lodging scene.Ogilvie: Honolulu
We're nowhere near normal in Hawaii this summer, which is why there are only pigeons in paradise.Berger: Las Vegas
We're deserted in the desert. That's not the way Las Vegas was built. Things on the four-mile-long Strip are empty.Pucci: Seattle
Here in Seattle, shopworkers applaud when you walk in as a customer. It is that eerie and that quiet.Allen: Raleigh-Durham
RDU is empty now and it reminds me of the grand railroad terminals of the past that we abandoned in the 1970s.Firpo: Rome
What do you do when your country shuts down? Here's a report from my home, a quarantined Rome.Ogilvie: Washington
My Washington show closed, so I flew home to Hawaii. I found roads with no cars, deserted airports and empty flights.Barnett: San Francisco
It all happened so fast in San Francisco. We went from stocking up to "shelter in place" in the blink of an eye.McGarvey: Arizona
Being sick with Coronavirus sucks. If you don’t want to join me in that club, stay away from Arizona.Anders: Texas
I had no idea that the protests in Dallas would be under the banner of Give Me a Haircut or Give Me Death.McGarvey: Mask Warfare
Hotels and resorts increasingly are the prime battlefield in the war over mask mandates while traveling.Pucci: Airbnb or Hotel?
Airbnb or hotel? It is the question that pops up when Coronavirus cabin fever sets in and you need a getaway.Rowell: Making Rooms Safe
Here is a very thorough series of smart suggestions and strategies on how to keep safe when in hotels.Joe: Travel Is Treif
Another hotel stay and my first two restaurant visits since March left me feeling now is not the time to travel.Joe: The Return
"Free" hotel breakfasts are a casualty of the Coronavirus. Lots of other weird stuff is changing, too.
The Airport Report
The CARES Act bailout earmarked $10 billion for airports. It didn't go smoothly or logically. Here's where to find airport-by-airport payouts.
"Small" Business Payouts
Hotel owners and other segments of the travel industry qualified for "PPP loans" to keep there operations afloat. Here's where to find who got how much.
• Airline Trade Group Stats• CIRIUM Daily Update
• COVID Tracking Project
• Dollar Values
• Daily Pax Traffic (TSA Screening)
• Eurocontrol Daily Traffic
• Gasoline Prices Nationwide (AAA)
• Hotel Data Dashboard (STR)
• Jet Fuel Spot Prices
• John Hopkins Covid Maps & Stats
• RadarBox.com Flight Tracking
• U.S. Coronavirus Trends
• U.S. Weekly Transportation Trends
• U.S. State Travel Rules
• Worldmeter
• Australian Government
• British Government
• Canadian Government
• Centers for Disease Control
• EC Disease Prevention
• FAA Flight Updates
• Hong Kong Government
• Homeland Security
• Israel Ministry of Health
• New Zealand Government
• Singapore Government
• TSA Coronavirus
• U.S. State Department
• World Health Organization
• British Government
• Canadian Government
• Centers for Disease Control
• EC Disease Prevention
• FAA Flight Updates
• Hong Kong Government
• Homeland Security
• Israel Ministry of Health
• New Zealand Government
• Singapore Government
• TSA Coronavirus
• U.S. State Department
• World Health Organization
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