Strap yourself in for a very quick trip around the travel world on this beautiful summer weekend.
The Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus is impacting people all over the world, and we think travel is about to get more difficult. . .again. Whether you’re vaccinated or not, look for mask requirements to reappear here in the US and in other places around the world where they had been relaxed. And for good reason. . .this variant is more transmissible than the original strain by a factor of at least four. If you’re not vaccinated, you shouldn’t be traveling anywhere. Take that time and go get the jab. You’ll be protecting yourself and everyone you come in contact with.
France and Italy are each instituting Covid passes as a condition of entrance to museums, movie theaters, restaurants and other indoor attractions. In order to get such a pass, you must have proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid or negative test results. Look for more EU countries to mandate similar requirements.
Once you get to Europe, renting a car could be difficult and expensive, just like here in the US (Hawaii is a hot mess). They’re calling it Carmageddon. We think it just cements the case to visit just one European country and move around by air, train or bus this year.
Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash
Closer to home, Canada announced this week that it will permit fully vaccinated US citizens to enter by air or land crossing beginning August 9. But there are several requirements with which you’ll need to comply. You’ll need to upload and fill out Canada’s new ArriveCAN app, which asks for proof of full vaccination and dates. You’ll need to furnish a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival at the border. You’ll be subject to random additional testing at your point of entry. You’ll need to furnish a quarantine plan in the event you contract Covid while you’re in Canada. And when you return, you’ll need a negative PCR test within 72 hours in order to be permitted to cross back into the US. According to our friend Andrew Taylor, founder of the Canadian-based blog The Luxury Wanderer, there are further details that will emerge in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on this link for the latest.
Marriott’s new CEO, Anthony Capuano, hit the PR road this week to decidedly mixed reviews. He talked about the “emotional relationship” he’s looking for from customers, but he admits that the Bonvoy loyalty program falls short of their expectations. It was really interesting to read about his interview with TPG along with reaction to it from One Mile at a Time. We’ve been Marriott loyalists for 25+ years, with the Lifetime Titanium status to prove it. For a long time, we’ve resisted the Marriott Bonvoy-bashing posts that have popped up all over the travelblog universe. But we’ve also seen the value of their loyalty programs erode and sharply decline, especially in the four years since Bonvoy came into being.
Before Bonvoy, 250K Marriott Rewards points translated into a five-night stay at a high-end Marriott property PLUS 100K award miles at several airlines of choice. Today, the airline award miles are a thing of the past, and it takes 240K Bonvoy points for a five night stay at a mid-tier hotel. That’s why we’re migrating over to Hyatt’s World of Hyatt program. Quirky as the Hyatt program can be, with less than half of the hotel choices, the value is still there (for now). At the high end of the market, three nights in a Hyatt affiliated Small Luxury Hotels of the World property in Positano, Italy takes just 90K points (for a value of about four cents per point). That same 90K points would only get you just one night at a similar luxury Marriott property like St. Regis or Ritz Carlton, a value of less that a penny a point. And the perks at Hyatt are better as well. We used to have that emotional relationship with Marriott, but every value analysis we’ve done over the last couple of years has chipped away at it, and now it’s gone.
That’s why we’ve been strong advocates of putting most of your credit card spend on cards that have unique transferable currencies. If you’ve followed our advice and opened the Platinum Card from American Express, here are 16 things you need to do now to unlock its value.
Citi’s ThankYou program took a major step forward this past week with their announcement that American Airlines will be a 1:1 transfer partner through November 13, 2021. That makes ThankYou points the ONLY 1:1 transfer partner with AA, and there’s enough time to get the Citi Premier card and it’s 80K sign-up bonus before this window closes. Though only temporary, this moves ThankYou points from a devalued afterthought to perhaps the best travel program out there, if you’re an American Airlines customer. Read about how our friends at FrequentMiler.com see this and what it might mean for the future of the Citi and AA programs. https://frequentmiler.com/citi-offers-an-aa-exit-bail-out-or-double-down-on-my-mind/
That’s a wrap for this week. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments by leaving word in the comments section below. We hope you’re reading this poolside or beachside in one of your favorite places!
I’ve been a Marriott loyalist too. You just convinced me to transfer to Hyatt. Thanks.
Make sure you don’t let your Bonvoy points lapse. There will be times when a Marriott still makes sense for all of us.