Spooky things are in full swing.
What’s scarier than getting stuck at security when your flight has started boarding? Finding out you’ve gotten stuck with a middle seat. This week’s newsletter is packed with travel news that’s out of this world – much like former Priceline negotiator, William Shatner, who became the oldest person to travel to space last week. Settle in, grab some candy – and let’s go.
The pre-check
With the US expecting some changes in travel rules and volume, Fiji welcoming visitors and two airlines embarking on new endeavors, here’s your travel news for the week.
- Bring ‘em in bring ‘em in.
Prepare for the return of tourists – it was announced last week that the US would soon be allowing vaccinated foreign travelers to enter the country, starting November 8th. This applies to both air and land travel, which means you could see a little more travel traffic in the coming months. - Speaking of holiday travel traffic…
Here’s a lil reminder to pack activities that pass the time (and book that travel ASAP if you haven’t already done so). According to a recent Forbes article, holiday air travel for 2021 is anticipated to be a tad busy. With a number of contributing factors – such as more vaccinated travelers, demand for flights and travel deals, we’d advise building on some extra time to your holiday travel plans. - Fiji has entered the group chat.
According to its tourism board, Fiji is “more than ready” to welcome foreign visitors back. Starting December 1st, the islands will be accepting fully-vaccinated travelers with negative COVID-19 PCR test results. Fiji is still considered a high-risk place to travel as reported by the CDC, so we’d pause before making any plans just yet. - United is expanding its horizons.
Quite literally – last week United announced that it will be adding five new destinations to its transatlantic service starting spring 2022, as it’s been predicted that Americans will start to seek out international travel as COVID travel restrictions change. Couldn’t hurt to start mapping out your EU travel plans soon… - There’s a new airline on the block.
Italy’s got some new wheels. As of last week, Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA) is Italy’s newest state-owned carrier. Taking over for its predecessor, Alitalia, ITA will service mainly Italian locations in addition to a few other European destinations and Tokyo.
Trending travel
Here’s what’s trending according to our data and how it can help you make the most of your trip.
Where the real haunted attractions live.
There are countless ways to get into the Halloween spirit, like watching a scary movie or going to a haunted attraction. But if you really want to take your Halloween celebration to the next level, we’d advise taking a trip to one of these 13 scary places in America. Halloween is comin’ in hot, but it’s not too late to book a last-minute trip. If you’re ready to book your spooktacular getaway, below are some ballpark prices* for where to stay near a few of the spooky locations mentioned.
City stays near spooky attractions
New Orleans, LA (near the St. Louis Cemetery): Average rate of $228
Honolulu, HI (near the Wahiawa Botanical Garden): Average rate of $256
New York, NY (near Sleepy Hollow): Average rate of $278
Philadelphia, PA (near the Mutter Museum): Average rate of $227
Baltimore, MD (near the Edgar Allan Poe House): Average rate of $201
Want to hit more than one place?
For those who are really committed to seeing some of the scariest spots in the country, we applaud you – and we mapped out the ultimate spooky US road trip. This map takes thrilling haunts to the next level. Want to just hit the East Coast or meander through the South’s most chilling attractions? Customize the map to add or subtract stops along the way. It’s sure to be the road trip of your dreams (or nightmares).
Off the beaten path
Where we share stories, tips, or hacks that might’ve been missed in your usual content feed.
A pup that took “clingy” to the next level.
One of the hardest parts about leaving for a trip is parting ways with your furry best friend. No matter how many times you try to explain to your pet that they cannot come with you, they never seem to take the hint. Icky, the 6-pound Chihuahua, decided she wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.
In a recent USA Today story, a Texas couple were on their way to Las Vegas for the weekend when they were told their luggage was just a smidge over the weight limit. When Mr. Owens went to rearrange his luggage, they found their pet dog, Icky, hiding in a pair of his cowboy boots. Though a Southwest Airlines employee offered to watch Icky after she finished checking their luggage, the couple was able to arrange for a relative to come pick up the fun-sized stowaway and return her to the pet-sitter. A happy ending for all except Icky, who really just wanted to escape to Sin City with her pawrents.
Wish we were here
Special shoutout to @jeffery.jpeg for this photo of Venice, Italy.
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*Methodology: KAYAK collected stay searches from the US locale between September 5, 2021 to October 17, 2021 for the average click price for the month of October (October 1, 2021 – October 31, 2021).
