Biden administration tips

A new California law will force cruise lines to be more transparent about their prices, bolstering a Biden administration crusade against junk fees.

The U.S. Senate passed key government funding bills Friday evening — with one that included “up to $3.5 million of funding for the office of the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism.

Alex Lasry has been sworn in as the new deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Lasry will report to Brian Beall, director of travel and tourism, who started on May 8.

U.S. federal employees should rent electric vehicles and opt for rail trips when feasible on government travel to sharply reduce emissions, the White House said on Thursday.

Las Vegas travelers are a $3 billion step closer to speeding through the Mojave Desert on a high-speed train linking Sin City with Southern California.

The U.S. and China will improve air connectivity and streamline visa processing, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in public remarks on Wednesday. Xi made the remarks at a dinner hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and US-China Business Council. 

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed former United Airlines executive Michael Whitaker as the next administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Biden administration took another step to combat so-called junk fees. The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday unveiled a proposed rule that would ban businesses – including hotel and lodging companies, short-term renal providers, and car rentals – from charging misleading fees. Businesses would also be required to show consumers the full price of their purchase up front, as well as whether fees are refundable.

The White House said on Monday that Vietnam Airlines’ deal to buy 50 737 Max jets from U.S. planemaker Boeing is worth $7.8 billion.

The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday, joining India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan in taking new measures after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies.

The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote next week on a bill that would end a requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against Covid-19, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on Friday.

The White House said Tuesday it opposes legislation before Congress that would end a requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Frontier Airlines is now automatically seating children with a family member or adult in their party for free.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the committee’s top Republican urged the Biden administration to halt Chinese airlines and other non-American carriers from flying over Russia on U.S. routes.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the most influential flight attendant union in the U.S., is in the running to be the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

The Biden Administration announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid vaccine requirement for inbound international air travelers to the U.S. will end on May 11. The administration will also remove the requirement for federal employees and contractors.

The White House on Monday urged Republicans who control the House of Representatives to drop a provision in aviation legislation that would let airlines advertise the price of tickets without including government fees and taxes and to include new consumer protections for passengers.