Travel with Herschel
4 - 941 Taunton Road East L1K 0Z7 Oshawa, ON, Canada

I guess great minds do think alike.

It may be good news for Air Transat, but probably not very good news for us --- especially if we have any flights booked on Air Transat or are waiting for refunds. I'm really concerned about the statement that other airlines are being encouraged to take over Transat's existing routes to Europe. Air Canada Rouge? --- YECH!!! WestJet is objecting, but I don't think it will get them very far.

If you are not covered as an "essential" traveller, you should not have any problems with this. I'm pretty sure it will only be an interim measure until the vaccination programme has reached those people who want the vaccine.

It would be interesting to find out how many MPs and senior civil servants had inside information, so they just went ahead and booked their vacation for April.

For when you're ready to travel again. Clients often ask me what discounts are available to them. That varies depending on the type of travel you're looking to book.... For air, there are generally no discounts in Canada or the US. Seniors may be able to get discounts for flights within Europe. On all-inclusives, there are usually no discounts except those offered for "last minute" bookings. For cruises, always check if there are discounts for military or ex-military, for firefighters, police, paramedics, emergency providers, past passengers with that cruiseline. A recent trend has seen many of the cruiselines abandoning discounts for seniors, and those for special geographical areas ("resident discounts"). I've also noticed that in some cases if you apply for a discount, you may be excluded from any other promotions or "perks" that are available --- those may be worth a lot more than the discount you'll get. Check to see whether Expedia Cruises has set up group space for the cruise you are looking at; that can get you a significant discount, especially if you book early. One way you can usually guarantee that you'll get a better price is by putting together your own group and by booking well in advance of your travel date. For all-inclusives you'll usually need a minimum of 5 rooms with double occupancy; the exact number depends on the supplier and the resort. For air, you may need as many as 20 passengers, all travelling from the same airport on the same flight(s). For cruises it's usually anything from 5 to 8 cabins double occupancy. Contact me if you have any questions, or to check for specific prices.

I identify with Oliver. What about you?

What's a smart phone?

This is one of my many underdeveloped talents.

Your updated travel workout.

Coming from Celebrity on November 17th: all bookings will now include tips, wi-fi, and the Classic Beverage Package. You cannot swap one of these for an onboard credit; you must take it as is. There are two levels of upgrade available, with an added charge, to get the Premium Beverage Package, and a credit to be used towards shore excursions (Elevate upgrade), or a combination of shore excursions and onboard credit (Indulge upgrade).... If you already have a booking, and have chosen the onboard credit as one of your perks, you should change your choices before the 17th. It might be to your advantage to cancel then rebook, but revised prices will not be available until November 17th to allow you to compare.

I don't think I'm quite ready for a tattoo yet. Maybe for my 80th birthday.

FAA clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again in the USA After sitting idle during a 20-month grounding, the Boeing 737 Max has been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly again in the US. The jet has been grounded globally since March 2019 after two deadly crashes killed 346 people.... "The design and certification of this aircraft included an unprecedented level of collaborative and independent reviews by aviation authorities around the world," the FAA said. "Those regulators have indicated that Boeing's design changes, together with the changes to crew procedures and training enhancements, will give them the confidence to validate the aircraft as safe to fly in their respective countries and regions." A long and much delayed safety review followed, causing significant costs and a loss of credibility for Boeing, as well as the FAA. Boeing and the FAA have faced intense criticism for their so-called 'cozy relationship.' Airlines now have to train pilots and pull their 737 Max jets out of storage. That will likely take some weeks at least, while Boeing will now be able to deliver an estimated 450 Max jets ready for airline customers. Boeing says it has a backlog of about 3,000 planes. American Airlines is expected to be the first US airline to fly the aircraft commercially again. It is targeting late December to operate commercial Max flights, while other carriers including Southwest and United Airlines expect the planes to return to their schedules in 2021. Today's announcement only affects US airlines. The Max jet has yet to be approved to relaunch in Europe or Canada.

Cross your fingers. Pfizer is reporting very good preliminary test results for their Covid-19 vaccine. They tested over 40,000 people in 6 countries, and have reported 90% efficacy. What they can't predict is how long the protection will last. When I spoke to my GP a couple of days ago, he thought the vaccine(s) that get(s) approval will require yearly shots, like the current flu vaccines.

Far too much speculation here, but still an interesting read.