In travel news for April 4, 2022 we are going to cover airline news including a flight into Echo Rios, Jamaica, an update on masks requirements for Air Travel, and the weekends air travel problems.
There is good news for those traveling to Jamaica. Starting in November, American Airlines will start a twice weekly flight between Miami and Ian Flemming Airport in Ocho Rios. American Airlines is the first U.S. airline to provide service to Ochi. This is American Airlines third service destination within Jamaica which also includes Montego Bay and Kingston. Ocho Rios is a popular destination for travelers. Located on the north side of the island it’s home to amazing beaches, popular attractions such as Dunns River Falls, and many amazing resorts. Currently travelers to Ocho Rios have to fly into Montego Bay, then travel an hour or more overland to get to their resort.
More and more airlines are relaxing mask requirements while onboard. Airlines such as British Airlines, Icelandair, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and some smaller United Kingdom or European based airlines. Just because the mask requirement is being relaxed doesn’t necessarily mean you can fly without a mask. The way this is currently working is that on the airlines masks are not required if the destination doesn’t require it. This means that masks are required for all flights coming into the United States, regardless of airline policy. Always consult with your Travel Advisor or airline to make sure you are in compliance with current rules. Previously the Biden Administration extended the Mask Mandate for Air Travel through April 18. We will be covering any changes to U.S. policy in future episodes.
Over the weekend over 10,000 flights have been canceled or delayed making a mess of many peoples Spring Break travel. So far over 3,000 flights have been canceled, and over 7,000 flights have been delayed. There are two separate problems which are contributing to these problems, strong storms in Florida, and technology problems at SouthWest Airlines. Wait times are especially high for those trying to reach customer service over the phone. South West Airlines has been especially hard hit, being one of the largest domestic carriers and having over 40% of its traffic traveling through Florida.