USA ESTA Travel Pass News

As early as the end of next month, it is expected that people will be able to return to their daily life without masks even when using public transportation such as trains or buses.

In a meeting with the Long Island Association on the 24th, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) President Jeno River said, “If the Federal Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) lifts the mandatory public transit mask wearing, the MTA will work with Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) as soon as possible. We are ready to implement a ‘no mask’ on the trains,” he said.

As the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the United States has stabilized, the federal government has greatly eased quarantine guidelines, such as lifting the mask requirement at schools, workplaces, and shops, but the compulsory use of masks on public transport, such as trains, buses, and airplanes, has been extended until the 18th of next month. it has been done

Experts believe that the mandatory wearing of masks on public transport may be lifted from the end of next month if the decline in COVID-19 infection continues as the current trend continues.

Meanwhile, it has been found that the number of passengers not wearing masks on New York City trains is increasing rapidly in recent years.

According to the MTA, between March 7 and 18, about 17% of train passengers did not wear a mask.

As the spread of the Omicron mutant virus enters a stable state, various measures to prevent COVID-19 are easing. The U.S. airline industry has urged the federal government to promptly withdraw the mandatory in-flight mask wear and COVID-19 testing system, and the federal government’s response in the future The LA Times (LAT) reported on the 24th that attention is being paid to.

According to LAT, major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, issued a joint letter to President Joe Biden on the 23rd, according to the federal government’s current regulations, including mandatory in-flight masks and pre-corona 19 testing for international passengers. They demanded that the COVID-19 travel quarantine rules be abolished.

On the same day, the American Tourism Association (USTA) sent a letter urging the lifting of COVID-19 testing and mandatory wearing of in-flight masks for passengers on international flights entering the United States.

Aviation unions have expressed support for such demands from the airline industry, and calls for abolishing the mandatory wearing of in-flight masks and pre-testing for COVID-19 on air travelers entering the United States are spreading.

The federal government extended the current air territorial sea quarantine measures two weeks ago until the 18th of next month, so attention is being paid to how they will respond to the demands of the aviation industry.

Asiana Airlines Americas Headquarters will hold ‘Travel Mart Spring ‘22’, a travel fair with the Korea Tourism Organization and famous travel agencies, from the 22nd to April 12th.

‘Travel Mart’ is an air ticket/travel product event to Korea held twice a year by Asiana Airlines Americas Headquarters in spring and autumn, and is held on the Asiana Airlines website.

In addition to cheap air tickets to Korea, this event provides useful travel information to customers, such as safe travel products and health checkup products from famous travel agencies.

In addition, a quiz event is prepared, and the benefit of receiving generous prizes such as souvenirs will be provided.

The ‘flight special price’ is a discount benefit for Asiana American routes (L.A., New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu).

You can save up to 10% on air tickets for flights to Korea departing between March 30 and December 31.

The ‘Travel Mart Spring ‘22’, special flights from Honolulu to Korea, which will resume operations from April 3, have been added.

For customers who miss their visits and travels to their home countries, Asiana’s contracting agency has prepared a ‘safe travel recommendation product’.

A variety of products such as a taste tour around the country, tours by region, east, west, north and south, and world cultural heritage tours are well-equipped.

From March 22 to April 12, for more information on ‘Travel Mart Spring ’22’, which provides various benefits and information at a time when travel is one step closer in accordance with the quarantine relief policy for overseas entrants who have completed vaccination, visit Korea Asiana Airlines website.

It is expected that the era of not having to take out laptop computers and liquids from the airport security checkpoint is coming soon.

According to the Los Angeles Times on the 20th, the Federal Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) recently announced that it plans to introduce a new CT scanner technology to airport security checkpoints. TSA’s plan is to install 938 CT scanners at major airports across the country at a total cost of $781.2 million.

A CT scanner is a technology used in hospitals to examine internal organs, and when introduced at airport security checkpoints, it can easily identify laptop computers or liquids in bags.

As a result, passengers don’t have to take out their laptops or liquid bottles to get on the plane and have them checked by on-site staff, which saves a lot of time through security. The first CT scanner is expected to be introduced this summer.

With the introduction of the new CT scanner, TSA’s security checkpoint staff will be able to easily see if there are any dangerous items in their carry-on bags. This is because, unlike existing X-ray scanners that have ceased to produce two-dimensional images, images of all items in the bag can be implemented as 3D images. For field workers, it is possible to determine which is a laptop and which is a dangerous item without having to open the bag.

David Pekoske, TSA manager, explained, “The CT scanner provides the best technology for front-line staff to select items to carry on board.

The travel comparison site Next Vacay announced that the search phrase “Entering Italy From the United States” increased 1,300% as Italy eased entry restrictions for travelers from outside the European Union on March 1.

Naveen Dittakavi, founder and CEO of Next Vacay, said: “Americans and other non-Europeans. Travelers – can enter Italy for tourism purposes without mandatory quarantine and only need the standard green pass (vaccination certificate, certificate of recovery or negative test result).”

Previously, foreign visitors from non-EU countries were required to provide full proof of immunization (a paper CDC card is sufficient for Americans) and a negative test before departure, and unvaccinated travelers were required to comply with mandatory quarantine for the first five days of travel.

Foreign visitors who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered do not need a pre-travel test to enter Italy. Vaccinated travelers only need to provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated with the last dose of the primary vaccine series at least 14 days and up to 270 days (9 months) prior to arrival unless additional vaccinations are given. . People who have previously been infected with COVID-19 do not need to be vaccinated, but must present a medical certificate stating that they have recovered within the past 6 months.
Foreign travelers who are unvaccinated are now able to enter Italy without having to quarantine however they must present a negative PCR test. All incoming international travelers must also complete an EU form. Passenger digital search form.

“After more than two years of restrictions, we have been waiting a long time for the lifting of travel restrictions in Italy. Italy is expected to end the COVID-19 emergency on March 31, so we expect flights to Italy from April 1 to be significantly higher than before the pandemic,” Dittakavi said.

If you are currently considering traveling to Italy, please check for policy updates in your particular area, as the country’s various local governments have the power to impose their own restrictions on travelers from certain foreign countries. destination.

Dittakavi also said: “The use of the Green Pass medical certificate, which is currently required for hotel stays and for all public transportation, will also be reduced from April 1 at many places, museums, restaurants, and attractions.”

A US State Department official has announced plans to close the Afghan embassy in the US next week.

25 diplomats representing the Afghan state in Washington have been directed to apply for a new visa to stay within the United States following the announcement of the embassy closure.
The U.S. diplomacy is working with them will facilitate an orderly operational closure from next week “to protect and preserve all assets of U.S. diplomatic missions until operations resume,” the senior official said. said on condition of anonymity.

The Taliban were not recognized by the international community and did not regain significant control over the diplomatic envoys of previous governments.

“We do not currently intend to recognize Taliban-appointed diplomats,” the US State Department source said. He states that there were no negotiations with the Taliban to close the embassy.
Earlier this year the Afghan ambassador to Beijing announced their resignation after months without funding from Kabul.

With air travellers returning, there are plenty of people who have earned more airline and credit card rewards program points than usual. And they have begun to started using them again. The Unite Airlines’ Mileage Plus program has set and broken multiple records in the past couple of weeks with customers cashing in their miles, said Michael Covey, the program’s head. “Demand is breaking records in an unprecedented way,” he said. The following are factors that are now becoming a good time to use points.

All Flights booked with the major airlines using points are fully refundable. If a traveller cancels their trip, they can get their points and other expenses back without loss or penalty. Tickets purchased with cash or credit card are usually treated as future credit rather than supplied a refund and there could also be fees be fees involved.
The difference between credit and refund becomes even greater the more expensive the family trip is. Some travellers are still anxious about overseas travel. That’s why using points to book international travel offers even more peace of mind, says Jamie LaLunis, who runs a website called Forward Cabin.

The biggest reason for using points now is that purchasing power may decrease in the future, LaLunis pointed out. Airline and hotel points are the currency owned by companies, so these companies can assign value to their liking by changing the cost of use. Aviation industry expert Helaine Becker points out that airlines have devalued points several times over the past few years and will continue to do so in the future.

Alaska Airlines has recently significantly increased the points required for some first-class seat reservations. Hyatt Hotels also increased their accommodation points through the recently launched off-season rate program. “Businesses know that people are accumulating huge points and demand for travel will skyrocket,” LaLunis said.
Airlines encourage customers to use points. Delta has stated that all purchases made by the end of this year will be counted toward raising customers’ loyalty program tiers. Previously, this was only done for cash purchase tickets. United is also joining “money plus miles,” which allows customers to purchase tickets using both cash and miles. This allows you to purchase tickets by adding cash to your miles without having to wait until you have enough miles to accumulate.

Travel has become less burdensome than before as many countries have eliminated coronavirus testing for vaccinated people. London, America’s most popular travel destination, repealed its mandatory testing on February 11. Thailand, Vietnam and Australia are also opening their doors to travellers. Allison Carpentier, customer loyalty manager for Alaska Airlines, said: “With international travel returning, redemption of tickets that can be purchased with points is very good.”

When the state of Hawaii announced plans to lift the mandatory indoor mask on the 8th, all 50 states in the United States have either eliminated or decided to abolish the mandatory mask rule.
Hawaii Governor David Igei said at a news briefing today that the mandatory wearing of masks will no longer take effect, the New York Times reported.

Hawaii is the last U.S. state to lift the mask mandate requirement.

“We have reduced the number of coronavirus infections (COVID-19) to a level where most people can be safely indoors without a mask,” Governor Igai said.
However, masks must still be worn indoors. The Hawaii State Department of Education lifted the mandatory wearing of masks outside schools on the same day but excluded them indoors.
Hawaii state health officials have also decided to repeal the compulsory requirement but recommend wearing a mask when indoors with crowds or with people with compromised immune systems.
It was also recommended to wear a mask in medical facilities/hospitals, schools and prisons.

In the United States, there is a movement to return to normal life before the pandemic (global pandemic of infectious diseases) after the spread of COVID-19 caused by omicron mutation has slowed significantly.

However, the use of masks in schools differs from region to region.

New York, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Dallas have either lifted or decided to lift the mandatory school mask, but are still in effect in Los Angeles (LA), Washington DC, Boston and Seattle.

Starting April 1, when applying for an application form (I-129) for a professional work visa (H-1B), the fee for supporting documents is paid by a separate check.

The United States Immigration Services (USCIS) currently reviews each fee separately when an H-1B applicant files separate applications, such as an application to change immigration status (I-539) or an application for a work permit (I-765) during however On the 25th, it was announced that from April 1st you would have to pay a separate check for all of them separately.

Since USCIS is introducing an electronic processing system for all immigration benefits applications, USCIS explained the background is that if the fee for each application is added up and submitted as one check, processing becomes impossible.

Separate announcements have been made by Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Norwegian Cruise Line this week of their plans to remove mask mandates for passengers and staff traveling on board. These plans will come into action within the coming weeks.
Royal Caribbean announced their plans to remove the requirement of indoor masks for passengers who are fully vaccinated as of Friday. The announcement comes after Carnival Cruise Line’s introduced their new policy, which eliminates the need for face masks at most venues, going into effect on March 1st.
Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have also made an announcement that they have joined the volunteer COVID-19 cruise line program and they will be removing facemask requirements for passengers beginning March 1st.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line’s announced their updated policies shortly after The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention released updated information for the volunteer opt-in COVID-19 program for cruise lines. According to the updated guidelines made by The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, cruise ships who opt into the program may lift mask mandates on board if 95% of their passengers and crew are fully vaccinated.

Both cruise lines plan to join the federal agency’s COVID-19 program.

In a Facebook post, last week the Royal Caribbean CEO and President Michael Bailey announced that 95% of its cruise ship crew and passengers over the age of 5 will be fully vaccinated in order to comply with the program and remove facemask mandates on board.

Carnival Cruise Line announced on Friday that it will also join the CDC program for cruise lines operating in the United States.