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Venice readies day-trip booking system to ease crowds

Venice plans to trial a reservation system for day-trippers, an official said Wednesday, in a bid to ease over-tourism as visitors flock back to the Italian city following the pandemic. The pay-to-visit scheme will not cap tourist numbers but aims entice some people to visit during the low season by charging them less. "We will start with an experimental phase during which the reservation will not be mandatory, but optional" and will cost nothing, Venice's deputy tourism councillor Simone Venturini told AFP.Visitors just popping in for the day will be encouraged to sign up through incentives "such as discounts on museum admissions", he said. The start date will be announced in the coming weeks. The system, which has been in the works for years, will become compulsory in 2023 and will see day-trippers pay between three and ten euros (around USD 3 to USD 10), depending on the season. Visitors who sleep in Venice, already subject to the so-called tourist tax, will be exempt. Life in the hugely popular watery city has slowly been returning to normal after the coronavirus pandemic, when the Grand Canal was emptied of gondolas as tourists disappeared. Easter weekend drew a vast number of visitors, with 100,000 sleeping over nightly and some 40,000 others coming in for a few hours, to marvel at St. Marks or sigh at the Bridge of Sighs, said Venturini. The sheer numbers cause long lines at vaporetto ferry stops or in front of museums, and overbooking in hotels. The crowds also make life difficult for the few locals who still live in the historic centre. Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro, determined to save the city from becoming little more than a resort, said the reservation system was "the right road to take, for a more balanced management of tourism". "We will be the first in the world to carry out this difficult experiment," he said on Twitter. Once the reservation becomes mandatory, controls will be carried out at the bus and train stations, the two main access points to the city dubbed the "Serenissima".

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Court ruling creates mishmash of transportation mask rules

A decision by a federal judge in Florida to throw out a national mask mandate for public transportation across the US created a confusing patchwork of rules for passengers as they navigate airports and transit systems. The ruling gives airports, mass transit systems, airlines and ride-hailing services the option to keep mask rules or ditch them entirely, resulting in rules that vary by city and mode of transportation. Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York, for instance, could ditch masks at their departing airport and on the plane, but would haveto put them back on once they get off their flight in New York. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recently extended the mandate until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus now responsible for the vast majority of US cases. But the court decision put the mandate on hold. Here's a look at how US transportation centers and providers are responding: Airlines Major airlines were some of the first to update their rules after the court decision. United, Southwest, American, Alaska, Delta and JetBlue announced that effective immediately, masks would no longer be required on domestic flights. "While this means that our employees are no longer required to wear a mask - and no longer have to enforce a mask requirement for most of the flying public - they will be able to wear masks if they choose to do so, as the CDC continues to strongly recommend wearing a mask on public transit," United Airlines said. The Association of Flight Attendants, the nation's largest union of cabin crews, has recently taken a neutral position on masks because its members are divided about the issue. On Monday, the union's president appealed for calm on planes and in airports. Alaska Airlines said some passengers who were banned for violating the mask policy will remain banned. Airports Airports weren't as fast to do away with masks, with several expressing uncertainty about the ruling and taking a wait-and-see approach. But others, including the two main airports in Houston, did away with mask requirements soon after the Transportation Security Administration said it would no longer enforce the mandate. Los Angeles International, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International also eliminated their mask requirements. San Francisco International Airport said it was waiting for further guidance from TSA. New York City airports have so far left masks in place, with the exception of Newark Liberty International Airport, which is located across the Hudson River in New Jersey where masks are now optional. Massachusetts officials also announced the end of mask requirements at Boston Logan International Airport. Trains and buses In New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority communications director Tim Minton said that the system was keeping masks mandatory on the subway, buses and commuter rail lines, as they have been since early in the pandemic. But the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the New York area's major airports as well as buses and trains, appeared to have been caught off guard by Monday's ruling. A spokesperson at first said an order to wear masks "remains in effect as we continue to consult with the state public health authorities." The agency later issued a news release saying masks are required at New York facilities, but are optional at New Jersey facilities. Masks remain required on Port Authority buses and trains operating between the two states. Mask requirements for Boston's subways, buses and other public transit were lifted Tuesday, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said. The transit agency serving Philadelphia and its suburbs has announced masks will no longer be required on its subways, buses and trains or in its stations and concourses. The regional train system serving the Washington, DC, area said Monday masks will be optional for its customers and employees going forward. Southern California's five-county Metrolink passenger rail system is also no longer requiring people to wear face coverings. However, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles city Department of Transportation continue to have website advisories stating face masks are required. In two of Alaska's largest cities, masks will no longer be required on any form of public transportation, Anchorage and Juneau city officials announced Tuesday. Portland's public transit agency, TriMet, has also opted to make masks optional on its buses and train. Amtrak also said it was making masks optional. Ride sharing The ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber announced on their websites Tuesday that masks will now be optional while riding or driving. "We know that everyone has different comfort levels, and anyone who wants to continue wearing a mask is encouraged to do so. As always, drivers or riders can decline to accept or cancel any ride they don't wish to take," Lyft said. Both companies are no longer requiring people to sit in the back seat but Uber said "to give drivers space, we ask that riders only use the front seat if it's required because of the size of their group."

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Vietjet To Open 4 More Routes Between India And Vietnam

Vietjet has announced four new services linking India and Vietnam, including Mumbai - Hanoi, Mumbai - Ho Chi Minh City, New Delhi – Phu Quoc and Mumbai - Phu Quoc, marking the airline’s post-pandemic return and continued expansion in the country. Attending the announcement ceremony were Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue, Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament of India Om Birla, and Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Le Minh Khai. The event was held during the official visit of the Indian Parliament delegation to Vietnam. The direct services from Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will commence operation on June 3 and June 4, 2022, with a frequency of four weekly return flights and three weekly return flights respectively. From September 9, 2022, onwards, the Mumbai - Phu Quoc route will operate four round trips per week while the New Delhi – Phu Quoc will operate with a frequency of three round trips per week. Prior to the pandemic, Vietjet had operated two direct routes linking India's capital city of New Delhi with Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi and the financial hub of Ho Chi Minh City in addition to charter flights from Vietnam to Bodh Gaya, the Indian Buddhist pilgrimage site. The two existing services between New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi will soon resume, on April 29 and April 30, 2022 respectively, with a frequency of three weekly return flights on each route. "We are thrilled to continue connecting Vietnam with India, the country of 1.4 billion population via six direct routes and reenergise our operations right in the post pandemic environment,” said Vietjet Managing Director Dinh Viet Phuong. “With flights of just over five hours per leg, and a convenient flight schedule on offer throughout the week, Vietjet's renewed and increased connectivity between Vietnam and India will create many more trade and tourism opportunities between the two countries, helping to boost the economies of both. The expansion of Vietjet's flight network into India also reaffirms the airline's ongoing commitment to continuously help travellers save on cost and time. Passengers can enjoy flying on our new and modern aircraft and taking transit flights to famous destinations in Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and many other countries, thanks to Vietjet’s extensive flight network in the Asia Pacific region,” he added.

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Malaysia Airlines ready to cater to strong pent-up travel demand

Following the reopening of Indian borders for scheduled international flights, Malaysia Airlines resumed its operations and looks forward to welcoming Indian passengers back to ‘Fly Malaysia’ and enjoy its full-service offerings. Amit Mehta, Country Manager- South Asia, Malaysia Airlines, in this exclusive interview with TTJ, assures that the airline is committed to facilitating safe and seamless travels so guests can continue to ‘Fly Confidently’ and experience a smooth journey, underpinned by inimitable Malaysian Hospitality.’ Prashant Nayak India has always been an extremely important market for Malaysia Airlines and being the fastest growing economy in the world, it offers a huge potential for the airline. Since customers have been cooped up in their homes for approximately two years, Malaysia Airlines believes there would be a strong pent-up demand to travel again, especially to closer destinations, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. In addition to outbound travellers, they also see many people flying to India from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, and other countries. Effective March 27, 2022, Malaysia Airlines started operating twenty-five weekly flights from India, including flights from five major cities, viz, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The airline will continue to deploy a mix of the B738 and A330 aircraft on India routes. Amit shares, “While we expect to see an uptick in outbound travel, we also have to be mindful of potential COVID-19 variants, which may derail or prolong the recovery. We are bullish for 2022 but remain cautious of the environments and will deploy fleet and network expansion opportunistically during peak periods to service high demand/capacity sectors.” To enhance tourism to Malaysia from India, Malaysia Airlines has been working closely with Tourism Malaysia. With the borders opening again, they are looking forward to seeing good growth in their international passenger figures and rejuvenation of tourism in Malaysia. Speaking about the passenger requirements, covid protocols, and caution the airline must ensure while operating in the Indian sectors, Amit says, “Currently, entry requirements and travel guidelines vary from one destination to the other. Malaysia Airlines is committed to facilitating safe and seamless travels for its passengers. We provide our passengers with necessary updates following the COVID-19 outbreak at its impact on travel arrangements. We have a dedicated page on our website that gives a complete download of the country-specific protocols and travel regulations. Passengers are also reminded to check the entry and exit requirements at the official countries or immigration websites before embarking on their journey. Malaysia Airlines will continue to ensure the health and safety measures taken across the traveller’s journey.” The 7-star rating for COVID-19 health and safety measures from ‘Airline Ratings’ is a testament to the airline’s excellence in implementing comprehensive safety protocols. Among measures taken include aircraft operations by fully vaccinated pilots and cabin crew, mandatory use of face masks, frequent aircraft disinfections following guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and World Health Organization, and utilisation of aircraft HEPA filters that are proven to filter out 99.97 per cent of viruses on board. “Additionally, in January 2022, we launched the MHFlySafe campaign that reinforces our commitment to putting safety and hygiene as the anchor across all end-to-end consumer touchpoints, beginning from the check-in counters, lounges, on-board our flights and through to the point of arrival, to ensure that passengers can continue to Fly Confidently with us,” assures Amit.

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Indonesia allows airlines to raise economy class fares as fuel prices soar

Indonesia has allowed passenger carriers to raise economy class fares amid surging fuel prices, to help ensure continuity of airline operations, its transportation ministry said. Effective this week, fuel surcharges will be allowed to exceed the government-regulated price ceiling by up to 10% for jet plane flights and up to 20% for flights using propeller planes, ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said on Tuesday. The surcharges will be evaluated every three months and airlines can leave tariffs unchanged should they choose to, she said. The measure comes ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in early May, during which millions of Indonesians travel to their hometowns. Airfares have risen lately, especially for those during Eid, and further increases could pressure inflation, which was already at a two-year high of 2.64% in March. The increase in global oil prices have greatly affected costs for Garuda Indonesia and the flag carrier would review its cost structure, its chief executive Irfan Setiaputra said in a statement on Wednesday. He promised Garuda would maintain competitive airfares.

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Travel subscriptions market expands to include cheap flights, airport lounges

Subscriptions have seeped into nearly every consumer industry, from TV to tacos. There are even services that help subscribers cancel all their subscriptions. But one industry has notably lagged: travel. That could be changing. The market for travel subscriptions has started to expand and includes cheap flights, airport lounges, luxury accommodations and high-end credit cards. “Subscription models can add a lot of predictability to an industry that can be very spiky,” says Amy Konary, vice president at the Subscribed Institute by Zuora, a think tank focused on the subscription economy . Travel purchases tend to be one-off and transactional. Airline and hotel loyalty programs aim to promote loyalty and benefits, but only those travellers who travel (and pay) a lot can reap the rewards. Subscriptions could turn this concept on its head by offering these benefits upfront. “The subscription model lets you get access to those premium perks by paying directly,” Konary says. Will customers take to this idea? Travel brands are rushing to find out. SUBSCRIPTIONS TAKE OFF Alaska Airlines dipped a toe into the subscription waters in March with the launch of its “ Flight Pass.” For a price that starts at $49 per month, subscribers can book one round-trip main cabin flight every two months for one penny plus about $15 in fees. The catch? The flights must be direct, booked within a limited time frame and, most importantly, fly between particular airports in California, Nevada and Arizona. Confused? “Communication has been the big challenge,” says Alex Corey , managing director of business development and products at Alaska Airlines. “It’s been hard for people to appreciate that this might not be designed for them. If I went to my favourite store and it didn’t meet my needs, I’d be like, ‘Hey, make this this way.’” Instead of trying to be everything for every traveller, Alaska’s subscription has focused on a narrow niche: younger Californians with plenty of wanderlust and schedule flexibility. So far, just under half of subscribers are millennials or Generation Zers, according to Alaska. It’s a niche product, to be sure, but Alaska is confident that it can appeal to a particular kind of West Coast traveller. “Californians travel 3.5 times more within their own state than residents of other states do,” says Corey, explaining why the airline chose the state as the proving ground for its idea. And Alaska focused on the lowest-cost entry point possible, starting at $49 per month to make a flight subscription seem feasible to almost anyone. “We wanted to compete with an Uber ride or a bar tab,” Corey says. CATERING TO NOMADS On the other side of the price spectrum, the luxury travel platform Inspirato offers a subscription service for vacation rentals and high-end hotels starting at $2,500 per month . That’s $30,000 per year for the opportunity to book high-end accommodations around the world. That might seem like a huge bill for a vacation budget, but it’s potentially more reasonable for remote-working nomads looking to travel as much as possible. Yet Inspirato’s subscription, too, comes with a long list of caveats and exceptions. Pass holders may book just one trip at a time, bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis and many rooms and homes are available only during off-peak seasons. Less spendy digital nomads can choose Selina, a co-living and coworking subscription service that combines the cost of accommodation, office space and dependable Wi-Fi into one monthly bill. Subscribers can bounce between Selina’s global destinations and take advantage of surfing lessons, yoga classes and other wellness activities. These services offer one benefit to potential customers that is difficult to quantify: simplicity. Rather than searching through hundreds of vacation rental listings, subscribers can make one payment per month and choose from a range of vetted options. Yet simplicity alone won’t cut it, Konary says. Consumers are wary of adding another monthly bill to their long list of active subscriptions and need to know they’re getting a good deal. “As we’ve become more familiar with these models, we have a high bar for what we expect in terms of value,” Konary says. WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Travel subscriptions aren’t a new idea. JetBlue Airways introduced an “All You Can Jet” unlimited flying pass way back in 2009. The promotion received plenty of attention but didn’t translate into a sustainable business model. And successful travel subscription services already exist. Premium travel credit cards offer perks to travellers such as airport lounge access for a yearly fee. And services like TSA PreCheck and Clear let flyers bypass normal security lines. But a new wave of subscriptions is coming to travel with one big difference — specificity. Instead of trying to be the Netflix of travel, with something for everyone, new services are providing niche offerings to specific demographics. Not everyone wants to fly within California every other month or take surfing lessons in Belize at a coworking space. But for those who do, these subscriptions could offer a valuable way to travel without the hassle. Or they could go the way of MoviePass. “I do think what we’re doing is unique,” Corey says. “I hope it catches on.”

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