9 Ways to Use Points and Miles to Get a Jump on Fall Travel

As any jaded traveler will tell you, there are some stays that are luxurious and a great experience, and there are others— albeit few and far between- that leave you blown away.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department (DHS) said Monday it will delay enforcement of rules requiring Americans to get new identification cards in order to board airplanes or enter a federal building, by another two years to May 2025.

The United Arab Emirates government on Sunday announced the lifting of all precautionary measures implemented in the country during Covid-19. With the lifting of restrictions, wearing of masks has now been made optional in all open and closed facilities, including places of worship and mosques. However, those categorized as “people of determination” would be required to wear mask while visiting health facilities and centers. The Al Hosn app would now only be required to furnish proof of vaccination and for test results inside and outside the country, when required. The green pass on the app would no longer be required to enter public facilities and sites. The requirement of a polymerase chain reaction test would also no longer be made mandatory for those attending or participating at sporting events. The authorities said they have decided to ease the restrictions after studying the epidemiological situation in the country and having monitored occupancy rates in hospitals and intensive care for Covid cases.

Airbnb Mulls Removing Cleaning Fees as a Separate Charge: Hosts may be sabotaging their own bookings by levying excessively high cleaning fees. It is turning off many people to Airbnb, which is a concern for the company.

United Airlines, Alcohol Wipes and Finding New Customer Touch Points: Some passengers want to talk to people. Some do not. United Airlines wants make sure they all have a choice.

The situation on the ground in China isn’t ideal as the country readies to remove its travel restrictions this weekend.

U.S. hotels added 10,000 jobs in December, a decrease from the previous month amid the hotel industry’s ongoing inability to approach pre-Covid employment levels.

Travel metasearch sites such as Trivago and Tripadvisor fell considerably short of pre-pandemic 2019 revenue levels in 2022 while travel companies in other sectors, such as Airbnb in short-term rentals, and tours and activities provider Viator greatly exceeded their marks from three years ago.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday filed a suit to block the proposed $3.8 billion merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines citing competition concerns.

German vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo’s focus on repeat demand, gaining a stronghold outside its core market (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and increasing its onsite booking rate is how its sees a path to profitability.

When will business travel recover? Three years after the Covid-19 pandemic ground the travel industry to a halt, small- and medium-sized businesses and small meetings are driving an uneven recovery.

Marriott International said Monday it would expand into the “affordable midscale” hotel category in North America with a new hotel brand — which it hasn’t yet named. The world’s largest hotel company said it hopes the new brand will appeal to guests seeking extended stays, typically at least 15 days.