Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled plans for a substantial return to operations from United States and international ports this autumn.
The news follows confirmation of a resumption in sailings from Seattle to Alaska planned for August.
Later in the year, guests will once again be able to sail aboard Norwegian Breakaway, Encore, Escape, Pearl, Jewel, Sun, Spirit and Pride of America.
Trips will be on offer to explore Hawaii, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Asia and much more.
Voyages expected to operate in the United States are contingent on obtaining a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Today the company announced its redeployment plans for the following ships:
Norwegian Joy will cruise from Miami beginning October 19th, with five to 11-day Caribbean voyages.
Norwegian Breakaway will cruise seven-day itineraries to Bermuda from New York beginning October 24th.
Pride of America will offer seven-day Hawaii interisland voyages from Honolulu beginning November 6th.
Norwegian Bliss will cruise from Los Angeles for seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages beginning November 7th.
Norwegian Encore will offer seven-night itineraries from Miami to the Caribbean beginning November 14th.
Beginning November 20th, Norwegian Escape will cruise for the first time from Orlando (Port Canaveral), offering seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean.
Norwegian Pearl will sail from Miami offering Panama Canal, Bahamas and Caribbean cruises beginning December 23rd.
Beginning on January 20th next year, Norwegian Jewel will be the first ship in the fleet to offer roundtrip Panama Canal cruises from Panama City (Colón and Fuerte Amador).
Norwegian Sun will sail for the first time in Asia beginning January 28th, offering a five-day Japan itinerary from Hong Kong, before sailing a variety of 11-day cruises from Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.
Norwegian Spirit will cruise 12-day Australia and New Zealand voyages from Sydney, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning February 9th.
Further redeployments will be announced in the near future, Norwegian added.
“When we first welcome our guests aboard Norwegian Jade this July, it will be exactly 500 days since our ships last sailed,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.
“I am so happy that we’re finally getting back to what we love the most, and I’m very proud that we continue to redeploy our fleet methodically.
“We always said we wouldn’t rush to sail again, but that we’d get back to it when we felt we could do so safely while maintaining our incomparable guest experience.
In conjunction with the redeployment announcement, the line has cancelled all voyages on Pride of America until October 30th.
Norwegian Escape will also not sail before November 2nd; Norwegian Jewel will be out of action until January 9th and Norwegian Pearl has seen all voyages cancelled until December 7th.
Finally, Norwegian Spirit will not return before January 28th; Norwegian Sun through to January 18th and Norwegian Bliss until October 24th.
Along with sunscreen and masks, you’re going to need to pack patience me when you head out on your summer vacation. The travel ecosphere isn’t ready for big crowds, even though they’re coming.
As Memorial Day nears, it’s clear that while travelers are ready to go, travel companies and key agencies like TSA are playing catch-up. Rental cars won’t be the only thing hard to find: wheelchair pushers, security screeners and other airport and hotel staff are in short supply.
Many airport restaurants will remain closed until at least midsummer. Hotels will keep lots of Covid cutbacks in place, from closed lounges to no water glass in the bathroom.
Airlines say phone call volume is up, and so is wait time. It’s a triple whammy: Some customers call trying to redeem vouchers and flight credits given out for pandemic-canceled flights, others with questions about masks, required Covid-19 tests and border restrictions. And reservation centers are understaffed for the volume because of workforce reductions. Airlines are scrambling to hire.
“There’s been an added level of complexity. We do spend more time with customers when they call,” says Julie Rath, American’s vice president for customer experience and reservations.
LONDON (AP) — Boarding pass, suitcase, passport and … digital vaccination certificate?
Keen to avoid losing another summer of holiday revenue to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Union, some Asian governments and the airline industry are scrambling to develop so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports to help kickstart international travel.
They’re working on systems that would allow travelers to use mobile phone apps to prove they’ve been vaccinated, which could help them avoid onerous quarantine requirements at their destinations.
But the multiple efforts underscore the lack of one central international system to electronically verify vaccination status. The projects also face technical challenges in working together, while questions about privacy and vaccine inequality linger.
Photos You Should See – May 2021
Vaccination passports would add another digital layer to the multitude of existing coronavirus health and contact tracing apps many countries and U.S. states have rolled out. Their use domestically to reopen local economies has been hotly debated, with many opposed to requiring them for pubs, concerts and sporting events. However, there’s more momentum to use them for international travel, especially as countries like Iceland open their borders to vaccinated visitors and others like Saudi Arabia start allowing vaccinated citizens to travel abroad. The EU’s decision last week to open its borders to fully vaccinated travelers adds even more urgency.
Here’s a look at how vaccine passports work:
The first part of a vaccination passport is the user’s official or approved electronic immunization record.
The European Union, China and Japan are all working on their own digital vaccination certificates for cross-border travel. The U.K., meanwhile, updated its National Health Service app last week to let fully vaccinated users prove their status when traveling abroad, coinciding with an easing of travel rules.
Testing is under way for the EU’s digital certificate, which will also confirm COVID-19 test results or recovery from the virus and is set to go live by the end of June, allowing residents to reunite with friends and relatives living across 30 European countries. It’s still unclear where and how exactly travelers in the EU, which doesn’t have internal border checkpoints, will have their certificates checked. Officials in Brussels say that will be up to individual countries. The idea is that travelers will flash a QR code on their phones so it can be scanned at, say, an airport or train station, using an official verification app that checks with national databases, via an EU technical “gateway.”
The World Health Organization doesn’t recommend vaccination proof as a requirement for international travel, citing unequal distribution of vaccines, even as it consults on interim guidance for developing a “Smart Vaccination Certificate.”
Travelers also need a smartphone app to carry any eventual official vaccination certificates.
The EU’s project includes open source technology European countries can use to build their own official mobile wallets.
The International Air Transport Association, an airline industry group, has its smartphone IATA Travel Pass, which airlines including Qantas, Japan Airlines, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have signed up to. A rival effort, the nonprofit CommonPass, has gained traction with carriers like Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, United and Lufthansa.
Travelers can already use the apps to verify that their COVID-19 test results are accepted at their destination. Travel Pass and CommonPass are so far only available to travelers on airlines that are using them. Both can also be integrated into airline travel apps so users can verify their vaccine status when they check in online. Both are also expected to work with the EU certificates. CommonPass says users will be able to import vaccine credentials by mid-June.
Amid a pandemic-dimmed travel outlook, CommonPass CEO Paul Meyer said vaccine passports will only become more widespread. “Our expectation is it will remain a requirement for international travel.”
Business travelers like British public relations executive Richard Fogg welcome vaccine passports. Fogg’s firm scaled back plans to attend a major telecom trade show in Barcelona next month, given quarantine rules for people returning to the U.K.
“Those 10 days of quarantine will have negative business implications – there’s no way around it,” Fogg said, while acknowledging tradeoffs including concerns about data privacy.
Eymeric Segard, CEO of Geneva-based private jet broker Lunajets, noted travelers already hand over passports with personal data on arrival.
“Personally, you know, I would be happy to tell anybody, yes, I am vaccinated or no I’m not vaccinated,” he said, adding that vaccine passports would help avoid the “logistical nightmare” of multiple COVID-19 tests Europeans face when visiting other EU countries.
Phony paper COVID-19 document s sold by fraudsters have been a problem during the pandemic but developers say digital versions have safeguards that make them hard to fake.
IATA says it doesn’t verify test results or vaccination status but acts as the conduit for registered labs to securely send those details to travelers whose identity the app can match to the person who took the test or vaccination. The app scans a traveler’s face using the phone camera and matches it to passport biometric details, and there are checks to prevent someone else using their identity.
Vaccination passports are a polarizing topic, with online discussion highlighting unfounded fears that they’ll be used to control people, restrict freedom and erode privacy. Developers stress that minimal personal data is kept on phones, and the only thing that gets transmitted are encryption keys allowing information to be exchanged securely.
“If done correctly, this doesn’t bring an additional level of privacy risk because you’re just putting in a credential status of yes or no,” said Kevin Trilli, chief product officer at ID verification company Onfido, which is working on vaccination cards technology.
There’s also the question of how well various vaccine credential systems will work together and whether countries will recognize each others’ certificates. The U.K. government has warned that not many countries currently accept proof of vaccination from travelers.
“You can’t have an interoperable system on day zero,” but over time the kinks will be worked out, which helps lay the groundwork for the next pandemic, Trilli said.
What about people who don’t have smartphones? Or families that don’t have a device for each member? IATA and EU officials say they’re are working on solutions, including paper-based options.
For all of AP’s tech coverage, visit https://apnews.com/apf-technology
Follow Kelvin Chan at www.twitter.com/chanman
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio — Summer has come early this year to the Lake Erie islands, which are already experiencing large numbers of visitors seeking fun in the sun.
And why not, after the year we’ve had?
Easy to access but a world away, the Lake Erie islands are the ultimate leave-it-all-behind destination.
Ohio’s half of Lake Erie includes as many as 36 islands, with three receiving the vast majority of attention: South Bass (home to Put-in-Bay), Kelleys Island and Middle Bass.
Put-in-Bay, also known as South Bass Island, attracts the most interest, for better or worse.
Last year, a small coronavirus outbreak on the island generated media attention from across the state and beyond, dealing a major blow to the community’s tourism economy.
Rest assured, however, that the island’s well-known party atmosphere on the weekends will still be available for those who want it.
Or consider a quieter alternative to Put-in-Bay:
* Kelleys Island offers lots of options across its 2,800 acres, from a terrific state park to a small downtown featuring a dozen-plus places to drink and dine.
* Middle Bass Island, quieter still, is easily accessible from the mainland and nearby Put-in-Bay. Attractions here include one of Ohio’s newest state parks.
* Finally, North Bass, accessible only by private boat or airplane, features a remote four-bedroom house for rent, owned by the state.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your 2021 Lake Erie island escape:
What: Lake Erie’s most populous island has about 400 year-round residents, with up to 750,000 temporary guests arriving for day visits or overnight stays from late spring through fall. It’s about 3 miles off the mainland near Port Clinton.
Getting there: The Miller Ferry runs numerous daily trips to the island, leaving its Catawba Island dock on the mainland as early as 6:30 a.m., with return trips as late as 9 p.m. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes, and drops guests on the south end of the island, about 2 miles from downtown Put-in-Bay. Bus and taxi transportation, bike and golf cart rentals are available when you disembark. Ferry prices are $16 round-trip for adults, $3 children 6-11, under 6 free. A bicycle is $5 and a car is $38. Information: millerferry.com
The Jet Express runs trips from both downtown Port Clinton and Sandusky, transporting passengers to downtown Put-in-Bay. Port Clinton trips take approximately 25 minutes, with departures as early as 8:30 a.m. and return trips leaving the island as late as 12:15 a.m. Fares are $35 round-trip for adults, $15 for ages 12-16, $6 for ages 6-11 and free for under 5. The Jet Express doesn’t transport cars; bikes are $10.
The Jet Express this weekend is restarting service from downtown Sandusky, which was suspended in 2020. From downtown Sandusky, Jet Express passengers can travel to Cedar Point ($10 adult round-trip), Kelleys Island ($34), Put-in-Bay ($40) and from Kelleys Island to Put-in-Bay ($24). For schedules and more information: jet-express.com
Griffing Flying Service also takes passengers to Put-in-Bay, Kelleys, Middle and North Bass islands from Erie-Ottawa Airport. Fares are $95 round-trip. Information: flygriffing.com
The Boardwalk, a collection of popular eateries with great waterfront seating, on Put-in-Bay. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is a top site on Put-in-Bay.The Plain Dealer
Camping with a view at South Bass Island State Park. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
Top attractions:
* Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is a 352-foot-high Doric column built a century ago to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Ere during the War of 1812 and to celebrate the long-standing peace among the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. The visitors center and grounds are open, although the observation deck atop the column remains closed due to the pandemic. Information: nps.gov/pevi
* South Bass Island Lighthouse, in operation between 1897 to 1962, is owned by Ohio State University, which is offering tours for small groups of registered guests on Friday mornings through August; cost is $5. The grounds are open daily, dawn to dusk. The lighthouse is at the far southwest tip of the island, 2368 Langram Road. Information: go.osu.edu/lighthouse
Ohio State also runs the Aquatic Visitors Center, 360 W. Shore Blvd., with live fish and other exhibits on the Lake Erie ecosystem, plus a fishing pier where kids 15 and under can fish for free. Tours of the center are available Tuesday mornings. Cost is $5 and registration is required. Information: go.osu.edu/avc
Also: On Mondays and Thursdays, Ohio State offers tours of Gibraltar Island, just off Put-in-Bay, where the university runs a summer research program; cost is $10 for the tour, plus $6 for water taxi. See go.osu.edu/gibraltar
* Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center, 255 Meechen Road, recently completed a building expansion and renovation, adding a new live animal exhibit that includes turtles, snakes and frogs. The center is open daily through Labor Day, weekends in May and September. Admission is $3 adults, $2 seniors and children 6-11. Information: lakeerieislandswildlife.com
* Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museum, 25 Town Hall Place, includes exhibits on the War of 1812, the island’s tourism history, fishing and more. Currently on display: a special exhibit honoring the centennial anniversary of the 1919 fire at the Hotel Victory, once one of the largest hotels in the U.S. Open daily 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $7. Information: leihs.org.
* Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center, 979 Catawba Ave., offers a 208-foot-long cave to explore, plus Butterfly House, putt-putt golf, gemstone mining, a rock wall, antique car museum and more. Admission prices vary. Information: perryscave.com
* Crystal Cave, the world’s largest geode, is on the grounds of Heineman’s Winery. Tours of the cave helped save the winery from demise during Prohibition. Daily tours are $10, $5 children 6-11. Information: heinemanswinery.com
* Kimberly’s Carousel, 160 Delaware Ave., was built in 1917 and features a perch to ride on, among other animals. The ride should be operating by mid-June; tickets are $3, available at the Carriage House next door. Information: carriagehousepib.com
* South Bass Island State Park is just 33 acres, but its size packs a punch, with terrific scenery on the southwest corner of the island. Among the amenities here: a small, stone beach; public launch ramp; kayak and jet ski rentals; plus a 135-site campground that includes four cabents (cabin-tents) to rent. Information: parks.ohiodnr.gov
Also on Put-in-Bay: Parasail rides, kayak and jet ski rentals, nature trails, Adventure Bay go-kart track, plus five swim-up bars.
Major events: Put-in-Bay Pyrate Fest, June 25-27; 4th of July Fireworks, July 4; Bash on the Bay 4, featuring Blake Shelton and Keith Urban, Aug. 25-26; and more. See visitputinbay.com
Dining and drinking: You’ll have to stay for weeks to try all the possibilities here. Among the favorites: Goat Soup & Whiskey, 820 Catawba Ave.; The Forge, 451 Catawba Ave.; Mossbacks Island Grill, 371 Catawba Ave.; and The Boardwalk, 341 Bayview Ave. Or check out the chamber’s Foodie Trail, featuring more than two dozen places to eat and drink.
Golf carts are a popular way to explore both Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
Glacial grooves at Kelleys Island State Park.Susan Glaser, cleveland.com
Sunrise on Lake Erie, as seen from Kelleys Island State Park.Susan Glaser, cleveland.com
What: At about 4.5 square miles, Kelleys is the largest U.S. island in Lake Erie, nearly twice the size of South Bass. About a quarter of the island is parkland.
Getting there: The Kelleys Island Ferry makes the 20-minute trip from Marblehead multiple times daily, starting at 7 a.m., with return trips as late as 11:30 p.m. on weekends. Fares are $22 roundtrip for adults, $18 seniors, $14 children 5-11, $36 for cars, $8 for bikes. Information: kelleysislandferry.com
The Jet Express also travels to Kelleys, from Sandusky.
Top attractions:
* Kelleys Island State Park is a real beauty, with a small, sandy beach, several terrific hiking trails and the famous glacial grooves, created by massive ice sheets that scoured the bedrock 18,000 years ago. Information: parks.ohiodnr.gov
* Charles Herndon Galleries and Sculpture Garden, 114 Laylin Lane, features the works of native Clevelander Herndon, who uses often materials from the island for his creations. Information: charlesherndon.com
* Kelleys Island History Museum, 224 Division St., features exhibits about quarrying, wine production, fishing, island medical care and more. Information: kelleysislandhistorical.org
The former Lonz Winery is the centerpiece of Middle Bass Island State Park. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
What: Middle Bass is the sleepy cousin of nearby South Bass and is often used as an overflow outpost when Put-in-Bay is at capacity. It’s the former home of the historic Lonz Winery, which was purchased by the state in 2000 and turned into a park.
Getting there: Miller Ferry operates a ferry from its Catawba Island dock to Middle Bass, operating several times daily. Fares are $21 round trip for adults, $6 children 6-11. Bikes are $7, cars are $51 (reservations required for vehicles).
You can also travel to Middle Bass from Put-in-Bay aboard the Sonny-S Boat Line. For a schedule and fares: middlebassferry.net
Top attractions: Middle Bass Island State Park includes what remains of the Lonz Winery, including an open-air pavilion with lovely lake views, and a 184-slip marina available for day and overnight use. Information: parks.ohiodnr.gov
Major events: Middle Bass Island Music Festival, July 17. Information: facebook.com/mbifest
Where to stay: Options include condo and house rentals, plus primitive camping at the state park.
A lake view looking out the living room of the Lake House at North Bass Island State Park. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
What: The state bought most of North Bass Island in 2003, converting it into state parkland. The northern-most of Lake Erie’s U.S. islands, it’s not easy to get here, accessible only by private boat or plane.
There are no restaurants or stores here, but the island is open for primitive camping, backpacking, hunting and fishing.
In 2018, the state finished renovated a four-bedroom, Civil War-era house on the island, which it rents for overnight stays. Information: parks.ohiodnr.gov
The Jet Express departs from Kelleys Island en route to Put-in-Bay. The Jet returns to Sandusky this year after a year’s absence. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer
Driving 60 miles northeast of Savannah through Beaufort County, S.C., at the very end of U.S. Highway 21 lies Hunting Island State Park, gateway to St. Phillips Island. Once, a rustic getaway for media mogul Ted Turner and family, in 2017 South Carolina State Parks acquired St. Phillips with help from the Nature Conservancy.
The 4,682-acre island, accessible only by boat and recognized by the National Park Service for its intact ecosystems and near lack of human development, is portal to another era.
Turner, consummate conservationist, worked diligently in his 40-year stewardship of St. Phillips to maintain the marsh, forest, and dune ecologies just as they are. The island’s interior boasts untouched stands of mature pine, live oak, magnolia, hickory, and cherry trees. Wistful strands of Spanish moss cascade from the upper canopy. Saw palmettos punctuate the understory.
The wide beach at the Atlantic Ocean hosts no hotels or vacation rentals. Instead, sun-bleached snags of cedars, pine, and oak find resting places in the stoic, sandy flat. Ocean and sky meet without human interference.
If visiting an almost uninhabited barrier island appeals to you, then a day trip to St. Phillips is what you need. Getting to Hunting Island State Park Nature Center takes about an hour and a half from Savannah—that’s where you confirm your boat booking once you’ve registered online. The nature center details some of the area’s common species and displays a variety of native snakes, turtles, and two small alligators.
A tractor-pulled tram takes you and about 25 visitors across the road to the boat launch. Heading out of the nature center’s parking lot, on the left look for an active osprey nest. Likely you’ll hear the raptors before seeing them. And if you’re lucky, you’ll see both parents hovering and diving as they fish the marsh just outside the center. It’s an amazing opportunity to catch osprey parenting in real-time.
On the boat, a naturalist provides insight into the estuary, Turner Creek, and how the Low Country’s marshes are the cradle of the sea. Oyster beds, clams and marsh grass though seemingly small, are the mighty backbone and bio-productive powerhouses of the Atlantic Ocean. Juvenile fish species find refuge here before facing the big waves. Dolphin are common. And the boat captain always stops for dolphin photo ops.
Getting there:
Book boat tickets: coastalexpeditions.com/product/st-phillips-island-ferry/
Cost: $35 kids 12 and under; $55 adults
Parking: $16 per car at Hunting Island State Park Nature Center
When: 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
Tip: Be sure to bring: insect repellant, sack lunch, water, and towel for the beach
LONDON (AP) — Boarding pass, suitcase, passport and … digital vaccination certificate?
Keen to avoid losing another summer of holiday revenue to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Union, some Asian governments and the airline industry are scrambling to develop so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports to help kickstart international travel.
They’re working on systems that would allow travelers to use mobile phone apps to prove they’ve been vaccinated, which could help them avoid onerous quarantine requirements at their destinations.
But the multiple efforts underscore the lack of one central international system to electronically verify vaccination status. The projects also face technical challenges in working together, while questions about privacy and vaccine inequality linger.
Vaccination passports would add another digital layer to the multitude of existing coronavirus health and contact tracing apps many countries and U.S. states have rolled out. Their use domestically to reopen local economies has been hotly debated, with many opposed to requiring them for pubs, concerts and sporting events. However, there’s more momentum to use them for international travel, especially as countries like Iceland open their borders to vaccinated visitors and others like Saudi Arabia start allowing vaccinated citizens to travel abroad. The EU’s decision last week to open its borders to fully vaccinated travelers adds even more urgency.
Here’s a look at how vaccine passports work:
OFFICIAL EFFORTS
The first part of a vaccination passport is the user’s official or approved electronic immunization record.
The European Union, China and Japan are all working on their own digital vaccination certificates for cross-border travel. The U.K., meanwhile, updated its National Health Service app last week to let fully vaccinated users prove their status when traveling abroad, coinciding with an easing of travel rules.
Testing is under way for the EU’s digital certificate, which will also confirm COVID-19 test results or recovery from the virus and is set to go live by the end of June, allowing residents to reunite with friends and relatives living across 30 European countries. It’s still unclear where and how exactly travelers in the EU, which doesn’t have internal border checkpoints, will have their certificates checked. Officials in Brussels say that will be up to individual countries. The idea is that travelers will flash a QR code on their phones so it can be scanned at, say, an airport or train station, using an official verification app that checks with national databases, via an EU technical “gateway.”
The World Health Organization doesn’t recommend vaccination proof as a requirement for international travel, citing unequal distribution of vaccines, even as it consults on interim guidance for developing a “Smart Vaccination Certificate.”
TRAVEL APPS
Travelers also need a smartphone app to carry any eventual official vaccination certificates.
The EU’s project includes open source technology European countries can use to build their own official mobile wallets.
The International Air Transport Association, an airline industry group, has its smartphone IATA Travel Pass, which airlines including Qantas, Japan Airlines, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have signed up to. A rival effort, the nonprofit CommonPass, has gained traction with carriers like Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, United and Lufthansa.
Travelers can already use the apps to verify that their COVID-19 test results are accepted at their destination. Travel Pass and CommonPass are so far only available to travelers on airlines that are using them. Both can also be integrated into airline travel apps so users can verify their vaccine status when they check in online. Both are also expected to work with the EU certificates. CommonPass says users will be able to import vaccine credentials by mid-June.
Amid a pandemic-dimmed travel outlook, CommonPass CEO Paul Meyer said vaccine passports will only become more widespread. “Our expectation is it will remain a requirement for international travel.”
WHAT TRAVELERS WANT
Business travelers like British public relations executive Richard Fogg welcome vaccine passports. Fogg’s firm scaled back plans to attend a major telecom trade show in Barcelona next month, given quarantine rules for people returning to the U.K.
“Those 10 days of quarantine will have negative business implications – there’s no way around it,” Fogg said, while acknowledging tradeoffs including concerns about data privacy.
Eymeric Segard, CEO of Geneva-based private jet broker Lunajets, noted travelers already hand over passports with personal data on arrival.
“Personally, you know, I would be happy to tell anybody, yes, I am vaccinated or no I’m not vaccinated,” he said, adding that vaccine passports would help avoid the “logistical nightmare” of multiple COVID-19 tests Europeans face when visiting other EU countries.
WHAT ABOUT FAKES?
Phony paper COVID-19 document s sold by fraudsters have been a problem during the pandemic but developers say digital versions have safeguards that make them hard to fake.
IATA says it doesn’t verify test results or vaccination status but acts as the conduit for registered labs to securely send those details to travelers whose identity the app can match to the person who took the test or vaccination. The app scans a traveler’s face using the phone camera and matches it to passport biometric details, and there are checks to prevent someone else using their identity.
SECURITY AND PRIVACY
Vaccination passports are a polarizing topic, with online discussion highlighting unfounded fears that they’ll be used to control people, restrict freedom and erode privacy. Developers stress that minimal personal data is kept on phones, and the only thing that gets transmitted are encryption keys allowing information to be exchanged securely.
“If done correctly, this doesn’t bring an additional level of privacy risk because you’re just putting in a credential status of yes or no,” said Kevin Trilli, chief product officer at ID verification company Onfido, which is working on vaccination cards technology.
There’s also the question of how well various vaccine credential systems will work together and whether countries will recognize each others’ certificates. The U.K. government has warned that not many countries currently accept proof of vaccination from travelers.
“You can’t have an interoperable system on day zero,” but over time the kinks will be worked out, which helps lay the groundwork for the next pandemic, Trilli said.
What about people who don’t have smartphones? Or families that don’t have a device for each member? IATA and EU officials say they’re are working on solutions, including paper-based options.
___
For all of AP’s tech coverage, visit https://apnews.com/apf-technology
And Richard was one of the latest to fall foul of this rule at Manchester Airport on May 19. He hoped to visit a bank with personal documentation and carry out urgent works on a property near Alicante, reports Manchester Evening News.
The dad of four claims Ryanair failed to state on its website the need for either a Spanish residency permit or a letter from the Government saying the trip was essential.
Richard, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, states he was instead advised to prove he’d been tested and provide evidence of reasons for travel, before being directed during online check-in to a questionnaire hosted by the Spanish authorities.
“They needed to make it clear that the only exception to having Spanish residency is permission from the Government,” he said.
“Now Ryanair refuse to answer or address customers and their customer services helpline doesn’t even acknowledge the problem.
“They have continued to offer good and reliable services through he pandemic which should bring them plaudits and praise. Instead they manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by reverting to type and just ignoring their customers, treating them with some disdain.
“Nobody minds if you get something wrong provided you do your best to put it right. We are allowed to make mistakes during a pandemic but when you do you have to hold your hands up.”
The dad, who booked his £109 outbound ticket for Alicante on Ryanair’s website, claims he followed the guidance for travel.
These included the completion of a Spanish Government questionnaire, a PCR test, and a QR code from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Sanidad.
He also arrived at the airport, armed with letters from notary in Spain, Santander bank and a building contractor he had business with.
However, a handling agent at the airport refused Richard, telling him the airline would be fined £500 for every passenger sent back from Spain.
Richard, who is semi-retired from the insurance business, said: “All nine of us had followed the advice and directions set out by the airline.
“I could clearly evidence the trip was for business and it was urgent I travel.
“I’m not doing this for self-promotion, I’m doing this for all of us because we can’t get a response from Ryanair.
“Just ignoring us is poor – I don’t want a refund, I just want credit for another flight.”
He added: “When I try and get in touch I just get ‘Molly the Bot’, who tells me someone will get back in 48 hours. Well, I’ve spoken to Molly the Bot every day since then and she’s not referring me to anybody.”
Richard says easyJet, with whom he’d booked a return flight, has already offered an alternative date.
Without a residency permit, airlines could not allow passengers to board.
This is now no longer a requirement as Spain has opened its borders to visitors from countries that have low infection rates, including Britain.
However, the country does remain on the UK’s amber list, so returning Britons must quarantine.
Ryanair has been approached for comment regarding Richard’s case.
Speaking abnout the guidelines previously, a spokesman said: “Ryanair fully complies with Government restrictions.
“A number of passengers on this flight from Nottingham to Malaga on Friday, 21 May were denied boarding as they failed to meet the entry requirements for Spain in line with Spanish Govt regulation.
“Any passenger scheduled to travel anywhere on the Ryanair network receives an email prior to departure, advising them to check the travel advice with the relevant authorities in advance of their flight.”
Spanish and Greek islands could be added to the UK’s green list as soon as June 8, ministers have suggested, even if their mainlands stay amber.
Robert Courts, the aviation minister, told MPs that the Government would treat popular tourist islands with low Covid rates separately “where possible” as it prepares to reveal the next tranche of destinations that could be added to the quarantine-free list at the start of next month.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday: “I’ve always said that of course it’s desirable where an aircraft can fly direct to an island, for example, and that island is therefore accessible in that you don’t need to go via the mainland, that you look at that differently. That’s what we did last year as well.”
This would put the Canary, Balearic and Greek islands – all boasting eligible data for the green list – back on the map for holidays ahead of the summer season, in addition to other Mediterranean and even Caribbean isles.
Frontrunners are also understood to include Malta, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Fiji, British Virgin Islands, Finland and Caribbean islands thought to include Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos and Anguilla.
In less promising news, Austria has joined Germany in banning direct flights from the UK over concerns at the rising number of cases of the Indian variant.
