Happy Sunday to all of our travel friends, both near and far. Here are some articles we’ve read from other bloggers (and other sources) that we think you may like, as well, so we’re passing them along.
- The major casino hotels in Las Vegas are learning how to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic while they’re in the middle of it. Not only are they suffering from a reduced number of guests and brand new sanitary guidelines and capacity limits, but they’re also finding out that the preferences of their guests are not what they used to be. There were signs that Vegas was having problems, but one of the most recent warning lights is that the Wynn is closing The Buffet at Wynn indefinitely after Labor Day.
- Thrifty Car Rental sent out an email to its Blue Chip Rewards program members informing them that starting October 1, 2020, the program will no longer award points redeemable for a future rental. The new benefit would be a 10% discount off the base rate. This change is disappointing because you were often able to get good deals with Thrifty by using Autoslash. While the earning part of the program will soon be gone, it’s still a good idea to sign up for Blue Chip because of the benefits you get when picking up your rental just for being a member.
- When you go to New York City, there were seemingly multiple restaurants on every block. From a deli to a pizza place up to some of the finest Michelin starred restaurants in the world. The prolonged shutdown in NYC has taken a toll on those restaurants, many of them small businesses. New York has put some changes into effect to try and help the restaurants stay open, such as allowing them to sell cocktails “to-go”. Small changes like that can’t keep places afloat for months on end, and because of the coronavirus, over 1,300 New York City restaurants have already closed this year, with surely more to come.
- A slogan for the COVID-19 pandemic is, “We’re all in this together.” While that’s a nice sentiment, it’s become apparent that some people feel that there’s no ME in WE, so they’re going to do whatever they want, and those who tell them different will feel the wrath. That’s what happened on an American Airlines flight where a passenger left an expletive-ridden tirade for the flight attendant who told them to wear their mask OVER their nose. Further reporting is that the passenger will not be allowed to fly with American, which is good. If you’re wondering what you can do to make yourself a better passenger, here’s a list we’ve compiled.
- Hotels have been good about loosening the restrictions on cancellations during the coronavirus pandemic. Almost every one of them allowed you to cancel reservations, even if they clearly stated they were non-refundable. Now that people are starting to travel more for work and leisure, some chains are slowly starting to bring back some of their old policies for new reservations. At first, it was Choice Hotels who made changes for any reservations taking place after October 1, 2020. Since it was only Choice Hotels, not many noticed the change. The next two hotels following Choice will make a much bigger difference. Both IHG and Marriott will be going back to their pre-COVID cancellation policies for reservations made for stays after October 1st. Marriott has tried this already in July but the backlash made them put off some the changes.
- Back when we didn’t travel as much, one of the things I loved to do was reading trip reports. Getting to hear about other people’s vacations was almost as good as me being there. The same thing happened when I started reading about miles & points. I read everything about flights on Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Air France and how amazing it was. Today, I’m back to doing the same thing, except this time, I’m reading about three-day weekend trips to Virginia Beach and curious to see if everyone is following the CDC guidelines. This isn’t the type of trip I’d usually be researching but after our wonderful day at the beach earlier this year, we’re planning another one.
#stayhealthy #staysafe #washyourhands #wearamask
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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