Tag: Coverings

Amtrak Expands Carry-On Pet Program to Weekday Acela Trains

March 3, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced today the expansion of its pet program allowing customers to travel with their dogs and cats up to 20 pounds onboard weekday Acela trains for only $26 or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Previously available for only weekend trips, there will be eight pet spaces for sale per departure (one per customer) and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pets will be allowed in all cars, except for First Class or Café cars. Pets must remain in a carrier at all times and carriers should remain under their seat. Amtrak continues to welcome service animals on board at no charge. To confirm pet eligibility, all customers must read and sign a Pet Release and Indemnification Agreement for each travel segment.

This new amenity is part of several recent upgrades on the Acela, including the expansion of the Reserved Seating offering for Acela Business Class customers, which allows travelers to view and select their seats before traveling, including those available in the Quiet Car, and provide a snapshot of the overall of the train’s capacity. In addition, Amtrak has continues its enhanced cleaning protocols at stations and on trains and new measures to deliver a New Standard of Travel, including:

Requiring face coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations.
Air Quality: All of our trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.

More than 174,300 pets and their human companions have traveled around the country since the program launched on the Northeast Corridor in October 2015. The program has also generated more than $4.338 million in revenue since its inception. For more information visit Amtrak’s Pet policy

Air New Zealand Updates Covid-19 Alert Levels Following New Cases in Auckland

February 14, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand is going back into lockdown following reports of 3 new Covid-19 cases in the south Auckland area. Following the press release earlier today, Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZLY) is asking that customers traveling to and from Auckland check they are eligible to travel under the new Alert Level 3 restrictions. Customers travelling from Alert Level 2 regions on our services are able to transit through Auckland on their way to other Alert Level 2 regions.

Food and beverage service onboard domestic flights had already been suspended in response to the latest community cases and this suspension will remain in place until further notice. Water is available on request on all flights.

From tomorrow, Air New Zealand’s Auckland lounges and valet parking will close. Due to capacity restrictions under Alert Level 2, the maximum number of people able to access the airline’s lounges in other regions is capped at 100.

While the country is at elevated Alert Levels, Air New Zealand will be taking extra precautions to keep its staff and customers safe. Air New Zealand front line staff and cabin crew will be wearing masks and gloves and customers are required to continue to wear face coverings onboard.

Customers with existing bookings between Monday 15 February and Sunday 21 February who wish to rebook to travel before Sunday 7 March will have any fare difference waived, and customers can call the contact centre to arrange this.

In addition to this, customers who hold a ticket for a domestic flight scheduled to depart up until 30 March 2021 and no longer wish to travel are able to opt in for credit and can do this via the airline’s online booking tool. Customers who are unable to manage their booking online do not need to contact Air New Zealand immediately or prior to their flight’s departure – assistance will be provided at a later date to find an alternative flight option or a credit note can be arranged.

The Air New Zealand contact centre and social media team are currently experiencing very high demand and the airline is grateful to customers for their patience while it works through these changes.

For the latest information, customers can check the Air New Zealand COVID-19 Hub and travel alerts page.

Buy One Get One Free with the Amtrak Loves You Sale

February 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON – At Amtrak, we want to show customers how much we love them by offering a Valentine’s Day Buy One Get One Free Sale. Thursday, February 11, through Tuesday, February 16, customers can purchase one ticket and bring a companion along for free for nationwide travel between February 22 and August 27, Customers can receive discounted tickets by using the code C214 at checkout or at amtrak.com/vdaysale.

Customers can skip the flowers and chocolates this year and take advantage of the Amtrak Loves You, limited-time offer to buy one ticket and get another one free for a future getaway, through August. Travel is available on select trains nationwide including the Auto Train, Northeast Regional, Acela, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr and many other popular routes throughout the country. Two customers can make it a date and travel together for as low as:

Route	Fare	Cities	Fare
Chicago – Milwaukee	$25	New York – Chicago	$112
Oklahoma City – Fort Worth	$31	Lorton – Sanford	$115*
Albany – New York	$45	Los Angeles – Seattle	$126
New York – Philadelphia	Coach: $46 Acela: $81	Charlotte – New York	$126
Philadelphia – Washington, DC	Coach: $46 Acela: $92	Washington, DC – Atlanta	$132
New York – Providence	Coach: $50 Acela: $94	Philadelphia – Savannah	$140
Boston – New York	Coach: $58 Acela: $98	Washington, DC – New York	Coach: $74 Acela: $128
Fares will vary by train
*Plus the cost of your vehicle

Before traveling on Amtrak, customers should review state-specific travel advisories and restrictions that may be in place for various destinations. Once onboard, Amtrak customers can enjoy the freedom to use their phones and electronic devices (no “airplane mode”), large spacious seats with ample leg room, no middle seat and one of the most generous baggage policies in the travel industry.

Amtrak is leading the way by setting a new standard of travel with enhanced safety and cleaning measures. In an effort to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures have been implemented into every part of the customer journey, including:

Face Coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations. Neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face shields, and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind do not qualify as acceptable face coverings. Face masks can be removed briefly while actively eating, drinking or taking medication. Children under 2 years old are not required to wear a face covering. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
Enhanced cleaning: Amtrak has enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols at stations and onboard our trains.
Air Quality: All trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.

This sale is valid for one free companion rail fare traveling on the same reservation as one full adult fare. Adults must travel together and be booked in the same reservation. Upgrades to Acela First Class, and non-Acela Business Class are valid upon payment of full accommodation charge. Upgrades to sleepers are not permitted. This offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. All prices will be automatically discounted from the standard fare when accessing this promotion at amtrak.com/vdaysale or by using the discount code (C214) when booking their trip. Other terms and conditions apply.

Amtrak and Penndot to Restore Daily Keystone Service

July 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

New safety initiatives will continue to be in effect for customers and employees

In coordination with state partners at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, beginning Monday, July 6, Amtrak is partially restoring full-length Keystone Service (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg) with one roundtrip between Harrisburg and New York in response to anticipated increased demand. Keystone Service train 640 will operate through to New York and train 653 will originate in New York and operate through to Harrisburg.

Modified Keystone Service includes nine weekday roundtrips and six roundtrips on weekends. Aside from the one additional roundtrip being added to New York, other Keystone Service trains will continue to temporarily operate between Philadelphia and Harrisburg only. Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh – Philadelphia – New York) service was previously fully restored in June and includes one daily roundtrip operating normally between New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Amtrak continues to take extra steps to keep train travel safe, including limiting bookings to less than half of capacity to maintain ample space for physical distancing onboard trains. All trains will be reserved to allow for physical distancing. Ticketing is now available on Amtrak.com, on Amtrak mobile apps or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.

“We are dedicated to doing everything possible to return service safely. We want everyone to feel comfortable as they navigate this new normal,” said Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn.

In addition to aggressive steps to disinfect stations and trains, additional Amtrak measures deliver a New Standard of Travel by including the following:

Face coverings: As part of Amtrak’s ongoing commitment to protect customers and front-line employees in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Amtrak is requiring that all customers in stations, on trains and Thruway Buses wear face coverings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of simple cloth face coverings or masks to slow the spread of the virus and prevent transmission.
Limiting bookings: We are limiting bookings on most trains to allow for more physical distancing in seating areas. Individuals traveling alone may use the seat next to them for personal belongings, while friends and family members will easily find seats together.
Air quality: All Amtrak trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Cashless service: As an added measure to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees, we are temporarily accepting only cashless payments in stations and on trains.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high customer traffic areas such as waiting rooms, ticket offices, base/top of escalators, lounge entrances, etc. In addition, clear protective barriers have been installed at stations where there were no barriers.

Where Delta is flying in June

May 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta’s summer schedule continues to be shaped by customer demand, CDC guidelines and government travel regulations. While the June schedule is significantly reduced in comparison to last year, customers will see the return of several major routes, both U.S. domestic and international, which were previously suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers traveling with Delta can feel confident in a safe flying experience. In addition to requiring customers and employees to wear face coverings throughout the travel journey, Delta has implemented policies like capping seating between 50 and 60 percent to ensure customer spacing on all aircraft, elevated its cleaning measures to deliver a new standard of clean, and streamlined its in-flight services to decrease touch points on board. Customers also have added flexibility if they need to change their plans.

Here’s a snapshot of where Delta is planning to fly in June. This schedule, including routes and frequency, remains subject to change due to the evolving nature of COVID-19. This page may be updated.

U.S. DOMESTIC

Ensuring connectivity for customers with critical travel needs, Delta continues to provide flights to all U.S. hubs and top markets, though frequency is significantly reduced. While Delta has temporarily consolidated operations in some markets served by multiple airports, the airline is adding more flights to its June schedule in comparison to May, primarily in Atlanta, New York and between hubs.

CANADA

Detroit to Montreal (daily)
Detroit to Ottawa (daily)
Detroit to Toronto (daily)
Minneapolis to Calgary (daily)
Minneapolis to Edmonton (daily)
Minneapolis to Winnipeg (daily)
New York-JFK to Toronto (daily)
Seattle to Vancouver (daily)

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Caribbean

Atlanta to Aruba (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Bermuda (less than daily)
Atlanta to Bonaire (Saturday only service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Kingston, Jamaica (less than daily)
Atlanta to Montego Bay, Jamaica (daily)
Atlanta to Nassau, Bahamas (daily)
Atlanta to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (less than daily)
Atlanta to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (less than daily)
Atlanta to San Juan, Puerto Rico (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Croix (Saturday only)
Atlanta to St. Lucia (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Maarten (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Thomas (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Santiago, Dominican Republic (less than daily)
New York-JFK to San Juan, Puerto Rico (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (less than daily)

Central America

Atlanta to Liberia, Costa Rica (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Panama City, Panama (less than daily)
Atlanta to San José, Costa Rica (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to San Pedro Sula, Honduras (less than daily)
Atlanta to San Salvador, El Salvador (less than daily)

Mexico

Atlanta to Cancun (daily)
Atlanta to Mexico City (daily)
Detroit to Mexico City (less than daily)
Los Angeles to Los Cabos (less than daily)
Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta (less than daily)
Salt Lake City to Mexico City (daily)

South America

Atlanta to Bogotá, Colombia (less than daily)
Atlanta to São Paulo, Brazil (less than daily)

TRANS-ATLANTIC

Atlanta to Amsterdam (daily)
Atlanta to Frankfurt (less than daily)
Atlanta to Lagos (less than daily*)
Atlanta to Paris-Charles De Gaulle (less than daily)
Detroit to Amsterdam (daily)
Detroit to London-Heathrow (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Amsterdam (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Paris-Charles De Gaulle (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Tel Aviv (less than daily)

*Delta’s restart of service to Nigeria is subject to foreign government approval.

Delta’s Frankfurt and London flights also double as scheduled cargo service.

TRANS-PACIFIC

Detroit to Seoul-Incheon (daily)
Detroit to Shanghai (daily*)
Seattle to Seoul-Incheon (less than daily)
Seattle to Shanghai (daily*)
Seattle to Tokyo-Haneda (less than daily)

*Delta’s restart of passenger flights to China is subject to government approval. We will also operate cargo-only scheduled service from Shanghai to Atlanta and Los Angeles. Read more on our cargo flights to Asia.

Delta’s second quarter schedule is 85 percent smaller than last year, with reductions of 80 percent in U.S. domestic capacity and 90 percent internationally.

JetBlue To Require Customers to Wear Face Coverings During Travel

April 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced that starting May 4 all customers will be required to wear a face covering during travel. The policy comes after the airline began requiring all crewmembers to wear face coverings while working. JetBlue has modeled its policy on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines that indicate all individuals should wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”

This new policy will require customers to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Customers will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements. Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.

CDC guidance defines a suitable face covering as an item of cloth that should fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric and allow for unrestricted breathing. The CDC recommends surgical masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.

Maintaining distance onboard whenever possible

Beyond face covering requirements for crewmembers and customers, since late March, JetBlue has limited the number of seats available for sale on most flights, allowing the airline to provide additional space between individuals who are not traveling together. Before each flight, JetBlue reviews seat assignments to ensure as much personal space as possible. In addition, rows near crewmember jump seats have been blocked off to create buffer zones for added crewmember and customer safety.

Safety enhancements throughout the journey

All of JetBlue’s aircraft are equipped with hospital grade high-efficiency air particulate (HEPA) filters. All recirculated air is passed through these HEPA filters before re-entering the cabin and being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.97 percent of particles, bacteria and viruses. To learn about how air circulates onboard JetBlue’s fleet, view this JetBlue video at https://youtu.be/Q2_C2iN-tEs.

Since the coronavirus began spreading in the United States, JetBlue has increased the rigor of its aircraft cleanings at night and between flights, using disinfectant approved to kill the coronavirus. Cleanings have been focused on the places customers and crewmembers touch the most, including seat covers, seatbelts, tray tables and armrests. Traditional food and beverage service have been adjusted onboard to limit touchpoints between crewmembers and customers. To learn about all the additional measures JetBlue has implemented visit http://blog.jetblue.com/coronavirus.