Patrick Clarke travel tips

Customs and Immigration Control officer stamping a passport. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/FTiare)

WHY IT RATES: The new experiences will celebrate Black history and culture in some of the world's most beloved destinations.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor

The U.S. State Department has issued updated information for Americans traveling in the Middle East amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, including information on charter flights out of Tel Aviv this week. The latest guidance comes just four days after officials issued a worldwide caution for U.S. citizens traveling abroad."Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution," the U.S. State Department said on October 19.Americans are encouraged to avoid travel to Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq and reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank as of Monday. U.S. citizens who wish to depart Israel and the West Bank with U.S. government assistance need to complete a crisis intake form.Additionally, Monday's update includes details regarding upcoming charter flights out of Israel via Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport."Commercial availability remains limited out of Ben Gurion Airport. The U.S. government is facilitating charter flight transportation for U.S. citizens; we urge those wishing to leave to take advantage of these charters while they are available. There will be flight departures from Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday, October 24 and Thursday, October 26," the State Department confirmed."Please go to Ben Gurion International Airport, Terminal 3 if you wish to depart Israel. U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to direct you and provide specific flight information. Be prepared to wait," officials added.Regardless of where they're traveling abroad, U.S. citizens are being asked to stay alert in locations frequented by tourists, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts that make it easier to be located in an emergency and follow the State Department on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date information.

Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Freedom cruise ship has officially welcomed back travelers after unveiling a brand new funnel and signature Carnival red, white and blue hull livery, among other enhancements.The 2,980-guest ship entered its 16-day dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain earlier this month and has since embarked on a 14-day transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to its homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Travel apps and websites have significant room to improve in comparison to other industries, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Studies released Tuesday.The reports evaluate satisfaction with travel apps and websites in three different segments, including airline, hotel and rental car, considering key variables that influence customer choice, satisfaction and loyalty based on six factors: account management, day of travel/duration of stay (app only), navigation, reservation, speed and visual appeal.Research shows that airline, hotel and rental car app and website satisfaction trails the highest-scoring apps and websites in other industries. Specifically, overall satisfaction with travel-related digital travel channels is lowest among airline websites at 640 (on a 1,000-point scale).Meanwhile, hotel apps (682) and rental car apps (681) perform best among digital travel tools compared to airline apps (672), rental car websites (662), hotel websites (646) and the aforementioned airline websites (640).According to J.D. Power, the digital tools used most frequently on the day of travel are the boarding pass, check-in and flight status trackers on airline mobile apps. Nonetheless, their overall satisfaction scores pale in comparison to less frequently used tools such as those used for purchasing upgrades or tracking baggage.In terms of travel apps, Alaska Airlines ranks highest in overall satisfaction among airlines with a score of 688, followed by Southwest Airlines (687) and JetBlue Airways (680).

A handful of airlines stand out this fall when it comes to getting passengers to their destinations on time, according to the latest monthly on-time performance report from Cirium aviation analytics. 

United Airlines is making changes to its boarding process in an effort to speed things up this fall.Starting October 26, the carrier will add a seventh boarding group and spread out economy flyers across four different groups based on whether they're booked in a window, middle or aisle seat (WILMA), according to an internal memo to airport staff that was shared with The Points Guy this week.There will be no changes to preboarding or groups one through three. However, group four—currently middle and aisle-seat passengers—will be split into two boarding groups, with group four including middle-seat passengers only and group five becoming aisle seats only.According to TPG, basic economy fare with no full-size carry-on passengers will move to a newly created group six in eligible markets.United said the changes are in response to longer-than-usual boarding times. According to the memo, the WILMA process will save up to two minutes of boarding time.The airline tested the new boarding process at one hub and four domestic outstations and said that net promoter scores were higher than those of the existing process.

Royal Caribbean International is assisting the U.S. Embassy in Israel by helping to evacuate Americans in the wake of the ongoing war between the Middle Eastern country and Hamas.On Monday, Rhapsody of the Seas set sail from Haifa in northern Israel to Cyprus carrying U.S. citizens fleeing the country amid the turmoil."Royal Caribbean Group is actively supporting the U.S. Department of State in the assisted departure of American citizens," the cruise line said in a statement.The ship was operating on a first-come, first-served basis after canceling several itineraries last week due to the geopolitical situation."With your safety and well-being in mind, and in conjunction with our Global Security Department, we’ve decided that we must cancel our October 9, 2023, and October 13, 2023 Rhapsody of the Seas sailings," Royal Caribbean confirmed earlier this month.

The decision of whether to drive and park at the airport or catch a ride can sometimes be a tough call. Fortunately, Upgraded Points has dug into the pricing data to reveal which choice makes the most sense financially.

Wyndham Grand has opened bookings for its newest all-inclusive Caribbean resort, Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord's Castle Resort & Spa.The secluded, 422-room oceanfront hotel marks Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' debut in Barbados. The property will host its first guests starting October 12, with a formal grand opening planned for early 2024.Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord's Castle Resort & Spa boasts a unique location on the former site of Sam Lord's Castle, a setting renowned for pirates during the 19th century.The property will feature as many as 37 suites with ocean views and lanai-style private balconies, more than 10 different dining venues, a 13,000 square-foot spa with a pool area and relaxation deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a sunrise yoga center.Among the many food and beverage highlights is a Mediterranean Marketplace dishing out flavors from North Africa, Italy, France, Portugal and Spain in addition to pop-up food trucks, poolside dining and a specialty "farm to fork" experience with locally sourced ingredients from nearby farmers, fisherman and purveyors.

JetBlue Airways has launched its Fall Real Sale offering one-way tickets as low as $39.The three-day sale can be booked now through Thursday, October 12 and is valid for Tuesday and Wednesday travel between October 17, 2023, and February 14, 2024.  Notable discounts available this week include Newark (EWR) – Miami (MIA) from $39 and Orlando (MCO) – Washington (DCA) from $39. Other $39 flights include Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Charleston (CHS), Los Angeles (LAS) – San Francisco (SFO) and Atlanta (ATL) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL).Travelers can also fly between Boston (BOS) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) for as low as $49; New York (JFK) and Milwaukee (MKE) for just $59 and San Juan (SJU) and Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Caribbean for as little as $89 one-way.Blackout dates include November 21-28, 2023, and December 19, 2023, to January 9, 2024.Contact your travel advisor or visit JetBlue.com to shop the Fall Real Sale.

When it comes to luxury, accessibility and affordability it's awfully hard to top an all-inclusive getaway to Grand Lucayan on The Bahamas' beautiful Grand Bahama Island.

WHY IT RATES: The appointments are noteworthy as the team works to drive visitation to its 13 member states and Washington D.C.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor

United Vacations is offering significant savings on travel packages all over the world this fall.Now through October 26, 2023, travelers can save up to $150 on select vacation packages for travel all the way through August 31, 2024.Customers can save up to $150 per booking on vacation package reservations that include a hotel (minimum of three nights) and air to Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Central America. Guests will save 4 percent on the hotel portion of their booking when they use promo code UVSAVE23.Meanwhile, travelers can save up to $75 per booking on vacation package reservations that include a hotel (minimum of two nights) and air or land only to continental U.S. destinations when using promo code UVSAVE23A.Travelers can also save big on vacation packages to Hawaii and Europe this autumn. United Vacations is offering savings of up to $150 per booking on vacation package reservations that include a hotel (minimum of three nights) multi-stop air to Hawaii and Europe.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has launched an expansion of its Travel Advisor Roadmap Course, introducing four new career pathway training modules for advisors who are new to the industry.The new courses include Corporate Travel Advisor: Roadmap to Becoming a Travel Advisor; Independent Contractor: Working with a Host Agency; On the Payroll: Working Directly for a Travel Agency and Independent Travel Agency: Building Your Business.Students will have the opportunity to learn in-depth insights towards a thriving career in corporate travel, uncover the strategies and knowledge needed to excel with a host agency, learn the ropes to become an integral part of a travel agency team and unlock the steps and strategies needed to build their very own agency.

Pleasant Holidays and its luxury brand, Journese, have launched a Maui Strong Vacation Sale and travel advisor incentive in an effort to encourage Maui vacation bookings for 2023 and 2024 as the island seeks to recover from devastating wildfires.The sale features exclusive offers, including up to 40 percent off hotel room rates, free nights, food and beverage credits and other perks at 15 participating hotels on Maui. Properties include Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui; Kapalua Villas Maui; Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort; Hotel Wailea, Relais & Chateaux; and Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui.New bookings made through December 31, 2023, for travel through December 31, 2024, are eligible.The travel advisor achieving the highest qualifying sales to Maui will earn a future travel credit of $1,000 along with 5,000 bonus TRIP Points to apply toward their personal travel. Meanwhile, the second, third and fourth-highest-selling travel advisors will receive future travel credit prizes of $500, $250 and $100, respectively.

Brandon Townsley. (Photo Credit: Celestyal)

A burger and fries by the beach in San Diego, California. (Photo Credit: sophia_ross/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)

Louise Bang. (Photo Credit: Marriott International)

It's officially fall and that means travelers have plenty of shoulder season deals to choose from.

The new feature is now available. (Photo Credit: Blue Diamond Resorts)