Coronavirus Impact on Travel

[Napoleon 8600]

5 hours ago, Telegraph_it said:

The mayor (or police chief or someone) of Guayaquil says watch me. 

I was invited to a wedding in Guayaquil that I was unable to justify the expense of attending. Germán guy, cute Ecuadorean girl, everything looked like a smooth trip until the prohibitive cost made the trip look bumpy and unmanageable, so this hits close to home. 

[Chopper 17154]

Just thinking back to how I was as a 20 year old, I think if I had a 20 year old and paying for an apartment in Montreal wasn't a big deal I would strongly consider telling her to stay there. It lessens her risk (it's not like she's in a 2nd or 3r world country) and yours, and if she ends up getting stuck at your house for 6 or 12 months until this blows over she will drive you nuts anyway after getting used to her friends and freedom at Uni. Not telling you what to do, just something to perhaps consider.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Chopper

[utee94 15745]

7 minutes ago, Chopper said:

Just thinking back to how I was as a 20 year old, I think if I had a 20 year old and paying for an apartment in Montreal wasn't a big deal I would strongly consider telling her to stay there. It lessens her risk (it's not like she's in a 2nd or 3r world country) and yours, and if she ends up getting stuck at your house for 6 or 12 months until this blows over she will drive you nuts anyway after getting used to her friends and freedom at Uni. Not telling you what to do, just something to perhaps consider.

No matter how much she likes her friends or misses her friends or believes she's an independent adult, the reality is that she's still very young and her support system isn't there, it's here.  I don't know whether or not she has a job up there, but she most certainly doesn't have a career up there and it's highly unlikely that after only a few months, she has a professional network up there.  Jobs are not going to be any easier to come by in the coming months, and the reality is that in most cases they'll be substantially more difficult to obtain.

If this outbreak turns out to be mild, or not much of a big deal, then it's easy enough to return.

If it's as lengthy and difficult to manage as many of the medical experts are predicting, then really the ONLY option is to get her home, and to do it ASAP before international travel becomes even more difficult or in the worst case, impossible.

These are also just my opinions, but as a parent myself, I'm not inclined to take ANYTHING about this outbreak lightly, and am preparing for worst case scenarios while hoping for the best.

 

[rage-a-holic 4306]

welp, so much for riding this out in Cozumel

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-plans-to-temporarily-close-southern-border-to-non-essential-traffic/

 

Quote

 

Trump plans to temporarily close southern border to non-essential traffic

President Trump is expected to announce Friday that he plans to temporarily close the U.S.-Mexico border to non-essential travel, according to two administration officials. The arrangement would be similar to the temporary closure of the Canadian border, with exemptions for trade and essential personnel.

 

[utee94 15745]

1 hour ago, rage-a-holic said:

welp, so much for riding this out in Cozumel

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-plans-to-temporarily-close-southern-border-to-non-essential-traffic/

 

 

Hmmmm, I never even considered the possibility that all of this could just be part of Trump's master plan to segregate the US from Mexico.  Step 1, spread a virus that causes a global panic.  Step 2, shut down the southern border.  Step 3?  Step 4, Profit.

 

(I'm just kidding.  I hope)

[staboner 4957]

7 hours ago, Napoleon said:

I was invited to a wedding in Guayaquil that I was unable to justify the expense of attending. Germán guy, cute Ecuadorean girl, everything looked like a smooth trip until the prohibitive cost made the trip look bumpy and unmanageable, so this hits close to home. 

might be one of the most violent places in central/south america too. many better places to go in ecuador. i have been to the other, better places there, but not G-kill, so maybe I have been misled by others

[DDD Dad 14251]

I will not be surprised to see domestic flights shut down for all but essential travel in the next week.

[Iceman 2639]

3 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

I will not be surprised to see domestic flights shut down for all but essential travel in the next week.

definitions will widely vary...

[Telegraph_it 3354]

Lufthansa group parking 700 out of 763 aircraft. Crazy. 
 

I mean I understand there is no demand, and that’s a good thing to fight the spread, but still crazy. 

[DDD Dad 14251]

definitions will widely vary...

Indeed but it will for all practical purposes shut down all domestic air travel.

[4th&Five 41459]

I hope they do it before all the Florida spring breakers can leave. 

[Hank_Hill 18487]

Lady is in Brazil until Monday, fully support the closures but hoping they wait until Tuesday.

[tx 3 putt 76349]

12 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

We told her to be kind to all of the airline personnel, thank them for helping her get home, and to tell them that we'll see them on the other side of this.

The exclamation point on the decision to return home.  She departs in a little over 24 hours.  Of course, I'm now concerned that this will create a second mad dash for all airports.  Fuck.

 

we need a countdown clock !

[Napoleon 8600]

4 hours ago, staboner said:

might be one of the most violent places in central/south america too. many better places to go in ecuador. i have been to the other, better places there, but not G-kill, so maybe I have been misled by others

I travel for weddings and really wanted to go to this one. I've been to weddings in several different states, Brazil, Argentine, El Salvador, Ireland, and have one (maybe) this Halloween in Madrid. (About 2 weeks before it was to go down, I had to bail on on in South Africa 2 1/2 years ago, because I just couldn't make it work. Found out the night of the wedding that it wasn't going down after all. Glad I didn't go.)

I kind of hinted that I would like an invite to the wedding in Guayaquil and then got one. The bride was cute, smart, great personality, just a lot of fun and thought that she'd have similar friends back home. When I saw photos from the wedding, I let out a huge sigh of relief. She was about an 8 with an ~9 personality and her friends friends were 3s. Very glad that I "couldn't make it work."

 

3 hours ago, Telegraph_it said:

Lufthansa group parking 700 out of 763 aircraft. Crazy. 

I mean I understand there is no demand, and that’s a good thing to fight the spread, but still crazy. 

I have an amiga in Germany who is a flight attendant for Lufthansa [humble brag]. She flies mostly international because she's attractive and knows a lot of languages. (She quite law school to be a flight attendant... which I'm sure thrilled her Persian parents.)

Two weeks ago we were texting about how this virus was going to affect her job. She was in San Diego and I told her to enjoy it while it lasted. I thing that she flew as recently as yesterday or the day before. (Yep, she posted a message from Johannesburg, South Africa the morning of March 18th.) Her post 11 hours ago was from Germany and I'm thinking that that will be it until this all passes.

 

2 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

I hope they do it before all the Florida spring breakers can leave. 

This times 1,000,000+!!

The neighbors of this revelers should show up at the airports with torches and pitchforks.

 

1 hour ago, Hank_Hill said:

Lady is in Brazil until Monday, fully support the closures but hoping they wait until Tuesday.

Could your lady bring back a fit nubile friend with a big ass?

Thanks, I'd appreciate it.

[Brisketexan 104590]

Message from the Montreal airport:

"I'm at my gate.  I am the only one there.  I was the only one through customs.  The only one through security.  This is the wildest experience of my life."

We told her we were glad she was at her gate and on her way home.  She sent us a video of her locking the door to her dorm room in her beloved Douglas Hall for the last time.  She followed up with "I am so unbelievably sad."

This whole thing just sucks.  

I didn't sleep for shit last night.

[utee94 15745]

Glad to hear she's on the move and that the facilities are so empty.  Hopefully it'll be a smooth ride.

[tx 3 putt 76349]

Safe Travels !

[Brisketexan 104590]

Travel update -- American still somehow managed to get her in late to ORD, so she had to run like hell to make her connection.  Don't know or care if her bags made it (they'll get here eventually), but she did.  Should have her home in a few hours.  She says there's maybe 25 people on her ORD-AUS flight, so a fair number more, but she has a row all to herself.

And of course, among those people?  Families with screaming and rambunctious children.  Because why not.

[utee94 15745]

11 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Travel update -- American still somehow managed to get her in late to ORD, so she had to run like hell to make her connection.  Don't know or care if her bags made it (they'll get here eventually), but she did.  Should have her home in a few hours.  She says there's maybe 25 people on her ORD-AUS flight, so a fair number more, but she has a row all to herself.

And of course, among those people?  Families with screaming and rambunctious children.  Because why not.

Perhaps they're just trying to get home, too.  I'm willing to cut EVERYONE a break right now, unless proven otherwise.

For example, there was even a last-minute lane-changing asshole that cut me off and nearly hit me earlier today, but instead of cursing that asshole,  I just thought to myself-- this person probably didn't realize his lane ended shortly.   He was just unaware, rather than being a deliberately selfish and dangerous prick.

If I can forgive that dickhead, I can forgive anyone.

 

 

 

[Landomatic 3813]

37 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Perhaps they're just trying to get home, too.  I'm willing to cut EVERYONE a break right now, unless proven otherwise.

For example, there was even a last-minute lane-changing asshole that cut me off and nearly hit me earlier today, but instead of cursing that asshole,  I just thought to myself-- this person probably didn't realize his lane ended shortly.   He was just unaware, rather than being a deliberately selfish and dangerous prick.

If I can forgive that dickhead, I can forgive anyone.

Except all the dumbass spring breakers who are just gonna keep getting their party on before returning home to all of our communities probably carrying the virus.  Fuck them...and their parents.

[strangulation! 1703]

37 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Perhaps they're just trying to get home, too.  I'm willing to cut EVERYONE a break right now, unless proven otherwise.

For example, there was even a last-minute lane-changing asshole that cut me off and nearly hit me earlier today, but instead of cursing that asshole,  I just thought to myself-- this person probably didn't realize his lane ended shortly.   He was just unaware, rather than being a deliberately selfish and dangerous prick.

If I can forgive that dickhead, I can forgive anyone.

 

 

 

this feels a little confirmation-biased, but it seems like people are generally being kinder to one another. i'd bet some of that is due to less frenetic daily living, and i bet it goes away quickly when things revert to "normal" but it's nice regardless.

[Neonmoon 38127]

Canceled my Portugal trip. Sad. We will reschedule when shit goes back to normal 

Wife also had to cancel a girls trip on top of it. Question about that: American Airlines going to refund for domestic travel restrictions? The website mentions the European ban, China, Iran, but what about cities like San Francisco that has a shelter in place?

[Landomatic 3813]

43 minutes ago, strangulation! said:

this feels a little confirmation-biased, but it seems like people are generally being kinder to one another. i'd bet some of that is due to less frenetic daily living, and i bet it goes away quickly when things revert to "normal" but it's nice regardless.

It will start to go away quickly once the shittyness of all of this starts impacting more and more people.  People start to take some pretty drastic measures once their backs are against the wall.  I look for that to start happening long before revert to normal.

[Hank_Hill 18487]

17 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

Lady is in Brazil until Monday, fully support the closures but hoping they wait until Tuesday.

AA cancelled Sao Paulo-MIA, Delta still running to Atlanta. Hopefully they hold out a bit longer.

[NWBuck 8547]

Booked a trip through an online vendor back in February. 

I've emailed them daily to cancel or change since end of February. No response or acknowledgement. 

Today I get an email telling me that my flights have been changed, and giving me the opportunity to click on a link to confirm my acceptance of the new itinerary. No indication of what to do to change or cancel it. 

And these folks want a bailout. Screw them. 

 

[Chewbacca 7730]

Except all the dumbass spring breakers who are just gonna keep getting their party on before returning home to all of our communities probably carrying the virus.  Fuck them...and their parents.

Yeah, those parents that enabled that bullshit need a beating, along with the kids. Fuckin A.

[Brisketexan 104590]

Yesterday we visited via Facetime with friends in Germany who are supposed to visit us in July....and we're all of the same mind: we'll see what happens.

Today, we visited with our friends in Norway, who are also supposed to come over here in July....same thing.  We'll see what happens.

We are all really hopeful -- we'll be missing several birthdays and even a graduation due to this Spring being shut down, so we optimistically talked about having  big celebration for all of those when we get together.  It was at least a hopeful, optimistic conversation, and that alone was nice.  Sure hope we get to.

[Junior Miller 1502]

These next 7-8 weeks are going to feel like a year with nothing to do.

[VABuckeye 2472]

I just received an email from Aeromexico.  It's in Spanish but I'm pretty sure it's telling me that my flight to Madrid in May in cancelled.  I was going to cancel it but they beat me to the punch.

[b_p 450]

On 3/12/2020 at 7:16 AM, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Frightening level of ignorance. So far, having Rush and Hannity as your only sources of “news” hasn’t proved deadly to you or anyone you know...so far.

What do you think now, chief?  Also, trying to politicize this is exactly what an extremist would do, whether right or left.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

1 hour ago, b_p said:

What do you think now, chief?  Also, trying to politicize this is exactly what an extremist would do, whether right or left.

I’m almost too scared to ask...but why on earth would you be taking a victory lap right now on your “this is the flu” call? 

What did hannity and rush tell you today?

[Landomatic 3813]

37 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

I’m almost too scared to ask...but why on earth would you be taking a victory lap right now on your “this is the flu” call? 

What did hannity and rush tell you today?

Ehh...lots of victory laps to be had with regard to this thing.  There are several dumbasses on here (they know who they are) who horribly under-kicked their coverage on it. 

[b_p 450]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

I’m almost too scared to ask...but why on earth would you be taking a victory lap right now on your “this is the flu” call? 

What did hannity and rush tell you today?

Victory lap?  There are no winners here - I just want to know what the true intellects like yourself are thinking these days.

[Shaddie 1638]

My last day on a plane was 13th so got a few more days of concern. 
 

Skype meeting yesterday and 1 guy had it and said he was on backside of it. 
Our office in CA has determined by the CA guidance we are “essential”. They said basically only visit if customer is down. Fly or drive is our choice. I haven’t look at existing schedules but not a chance I am flying even if I could find a flight. 15-20 hour drive if I had to. Not very likely though. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

9 hours ago, b_p said:

Victory lap?  There are no winners here - I just want to know what the true intellects like yourself are thinking these days.

I'm thinking the same thing i've been thinking for the last few years: the level of ignorance that you embody is the greatest threat we've ever faced as a country. 

[Chewbacca 7730]

13 hours ago, b_p said:

Victory lap?  There are no winners here - I just want to know what the true intellects like yourself are thinking these days.

The worst of this hasn't even hit us yet.  Not even close.  People you know are going to get very sick and some may die.  That's what I'm thinking.

[Brew 3045]

Got the last of my cancellation notices for meetings through May yesterday. Post 4/15 through the end of May I had a trip to South FL to check on our house and make a few firm visits - canceled, 3 days of meetings/suites at an MLB park - canceled, meeting in Chicago with probably 800 in attendance - virtual, meeting in Orlando with probably 20 or so firms - canceled, 2 different meetings in Vegas with probably 1500 each in attendance - virtual, not to mention kids golf/volleyball tournaments all over canceled.

The sheer amount of cancellations out there is going to be hard for the hospitality/transportation industry to come back from. Not to mention those groups that discover the virtual environment isn’t so bad and at least move a portion of there meetings online.

[Brisketexan 104590]

So, our summer travel was supposed to be in two traunches.

First, each of the kids was supposed to go to Europe for language study in June.  They've both pretty much accepted that those trips aren't likely to happen.

Second, we have summer trips planned -- to California, Florida, and the Texas coast -- from July 3 through the first week of August.  At this point, the drive to the Texas coast the first week of August is the only trip I have any confidence in actually happening.  Sigh.  I fear this is gonna be a long, mentally taxing summer.

[4th&Five 41459]

Europe probably won't let Americans in for 6 months.  We'll be ground zero after they've all cleaned their shit up.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

52 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

Europe probably won't let Americans in for 6 months.  We'll be ground zero after they've all cleaned their shit up.

I seriously doubt that.  I think we will probably get it all fixed about the same time.  I would expect that by September, it will probably be ok to go somewhere in Europe (maybe not Italy or Spain, but hopefully France (Greece I have no clue about)) before the flu season shit kicks in again. Of course, if they have treatment, and are well on their way to a vaccine...

As we all like to say, the situation is very fluid.  If I cannot take vacation this year, (1) I will go fucking insane and (2) I will have 3.5 months of vacation next year unless they pay me out.

[VABuckeye 2472]

Hilton extended status through March 2022.

Hilton Honors Members,

On behalf of the entire Hilton team, we hope this message finds you in good health. As the world adapts to these unusual circumstances, I wanted to share what we are doing to extend your Hilton Honors benefits and to support our communities during this turbulent time.

Your Hilton Honors Status and Points

We consider it our privilege to have you as a Hilton Honors member and we want to show our appreciation by extending your benefits:

• 2019 Status Extension. All members whose 2019 status was scheduled to be downgraded on March 31, 2020—whether it’s Diamond, Gold or Silver—will automatically receive an extension through March 31, 2021.
• 2020 Status Extension. We are extending your 2020 member status through March 31, 2022. This means you will continue to enjoy all the Diamond, Gold or Silver benefits you have access to today for the next 24 months.
• Points Extension. We will pause the expiration of all Points scheduled to expire between now and December 31, 2020.
• Weekend Night Rewards Earned on Eligible Hilton Credit Cards. We have extended the expiration date of all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021).

Your Travel Flexibility

We remain committed to offering you flexible booking options. Given these unique circumstances, we are making further adjustments to our individual booking policies:

• Existing Reservations. All reservations—even those described as “non-cancellable” (“Advanced Purchase”)—that are scheduled for arrival on or before June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival day.
• New Reservations. Any reservations you make—even those described as “non-cancellable” (“Advanced Purchase”)—that are booked between today and June 30, 2020 for any future arrival date can be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival day.

If you need to adjust reservations made via the Hilton website, app or call center, you can change your reservation here or contact the Hilton Guest Assistance team. If you need to adjust reservations made through another travel site, please contact them for assistance.

Supporting our Communities

We are proud to support the many communities impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world.

• Health Care and First Responders. We are partnering with federal, state and local governments to provide housing for first responders and health care workers.
• Financial Assistance. Our Hilton Effect Foundation has pledged financial assistance to organizations helping those impacted by COVID-19.
• Donating Hilton Honors Points. We have made it possible for our members to donate Hilton Honors Points to World Central Kitchen, Clean the World, Project Hope or Direct Relief. All Points donations will be converted into cash and sent directly to the organization.

COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for our industry, our hotels and our Team Members. While we have done all we can to limit changes for our people, without a traveling public we simply have fewer guests to welcome. As a result, we have suspended operations at many of our hotels and made the difficult decision to furlough some of our hotel Team Members. I am pleased to share that we are partnering with a number of companies looking to quickly expand their workforce, and that our incredibly talented Team Members will experience an expedited application process across many of these temporary opportunities.

We will continue to regularly update our COVID-19 page with our most up to date information. Our team is available to assist you day or night should you have any questions, and we look forward to welcoming you back on your next stay.

Sincerely,


Chris Nassetta
President & CEO, Hilton

[Junior Miller 1502]

On 3/24/2020 at 7:05 AM, Shaddie said:

not a chance I am flying even if I could find a flight. 15-20 hour drive if I had to. Not very likely though. 

Rent a very fast car with no top. And you'll need the cocaine. Tape recorder for special messages. Acapulco shirts. 

 

[Mo Horn 8807]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I seriously doubt that.  I think we will probably get it all fixed about the same time.  I would expect that by September, it will probably be ok to go somewhere in Europe (maybe not Italy or Spain, but hopefully France (Greece I have no clue about)) before the flu season shit kicks in again. Of course, if they have treatment, and are well on their way to a vaccine...

As we all like to say, the situation is very fluid.  If I cannot take vacation this year, (1) I will go fucking insane and (2) I will have 3.5 months of vacation next year unless they pay me out.

I'm guessing all of Europe will open up travel to any and all people as soon as possible. They want the tourists to help rebuild their economy. Or, I'm just hoping that's the case because we have a trip to Italy already half booked and paid for in September. 

[midtown 3342]

My only fear would be getting stuck in a city in Laos or Cambodia and get sick but I guess that's no different than going there and getting in some kind of accident etc

[Underdog 28451]

Looks like Abbot threw a wrench in our plans for SA in a couple weeks for the grand baby, absolutely sucks. 

[Spankytoes 1736]

4 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

Hilton extended status through March 2022.

Hilton Honors Members,

On behalf of the entire Hilton team, we hope this message finds you in good health. As the world adapts to these unusual circumstances, I wanted to share what we are doing to extend your Hilton Honors benefits and to support our communities during this turbulent time.

Your Hilton Honors Status and Points

We consider it our privilege to have you as a Hilton Honors member and we want to show our appreciation by extending your benefits:

• 2019 Status Extension. All members whose 2019 status was scheduled to be downgraded on March 31, 2020—whether it’s Diamond, Gold or Silver—will automatically receive an extension through March 31, 2021.
• 2020 Status Extension. We are extending your 2020 member status through March 31, 2022. This means you will continue to enjoy all the Diamond, Gold or Silver benefits you have access to today for the next 24 months.
• Points Extension. We will pause the expiration of all Points scheduled to expire between now and December 31, 2020.
• Weekend Night Rewards Earned on Eligible Hilton Credit Cards. We have extended the expiration date of all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021).

Your Travel Flexibility

We remain committed to offering you flexible booking options. Given these unique circumstances, we are making further adjustments to our individual booking policies:

• Existing Reservations. All reservations—even those described as “non-cancellable” (“Advanced Purchase”)—that are scheduled for arrival on or before June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival day.
• New Reservations. Any reservations you make—even those described as “non-cancellable” (“Advanced Purchase”)—that are booked between today and June 30, 2020 for any future arrival date can be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival day.

If you need to adjust reservations made via the Hilton website, app or call center, you can change your reservation here or contact the Hilton Guest Assistance team. If you need to adjust reservations made through another travel site, please contact them for assistance.

Supporting our Communities

We are proud to support the many communities impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world.

• Health Care and First Responders. We are partnering with federal, state and local governments to provide housing for first responders and health care workers.
• Financial Assistance. Our Hilton Effect Foundation has pledged financial assistance to organizations helping those impacted by COVID-19.
• Donating Hilton Honors Points. We have made it possible for our members to donate Hilton Honors Points to World Central Kitchen, Clean the World, Project Hope or Direct Relief. All Points donations will be converted into cash and sent directly to the organization.

COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for our industry, our hotels and our Team Members. While we have done all we can to limit changes for our people, without a traveling public we simply have fewer guests to welcome. As a result, we have suspended operations at many of our hotels and made the difficult decision to furlough some of our hotel Team Members. I am pleased to share that we are partnering with a number of companies looking to quickly expand their workforce, and that our incredibly talented Team Members will experience an expedited application process across many of these temporary opportunities.

We will continue to regularly update our COVID-19 page with our most up to date information. Our team is available to assist you day or night should you have any questions, and we look forward to welcoming you back on your next stay.

Sincerely,


Chris Nassetta
President & CEO, Hilton

Got the same email. I was 6 stays shy of retaining Diamond. Would be cool if I could actually use it.

[VABuckeye 2472]

3 hours ago, Junior Miller said:

Rent a very fast car with no top. And you'll need the cocaine. Tape recorder for special messages. Acapulco shirts. 

 

Goddamn that sounds like fun.  I might die but it sounds fun.

[ernest_t_bass 1196]

Copa Airlines has extended fare exchanges to December 2021.  Still not offering refunds.

[Reynolds Woodcock 4668]

Finally pulled the plug on istanbul/Israel in late May. All hotels fully refunded, but United is still trying to charge $125 to refund miles.

[52-80 19086]

6 hours ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

Finally pulled the plug on istanbul/Israel in late May. All hotels fully refunded, but United is still trying to charge $125 to refund miles.

bailout tax