Hola Sun Holidays has announced a partnership with new air carrier: OWG a subsidiary of Nolinor Aviation. This new strategic alliance will allow Hola Sun Holidays (as well as its sister company Caribe Sol in Quebec) to offer direct and dedicated flights to Cuba on board modern Boeing 737-400s.
Flights to Cuba with OWG will be offered from November 01. Destinations include Cayo Coco, Holguin, Santa Clara and Varadero. Online check-in, seat selection and Select Class upgrade will be some of the services offered by OWG. The new Hola Sun Holidays 2020-2021 brochure will be available for consultation on its website in mid-July and at travel agency branches in early September.
Qantas suspends international flights
Qantas has suspended sales for nearly all international flights until the end of March 2021. The carrier is no longer accepting new bookings for overseas flights to all destinations except New Zealand and some in the South Pacific. It had earlier suspended international flights through October.
Qantas is not cancelling existing international flight bookings but will not accept any new reservations. The decision comes as Australia continues to restrict international flight arrivals and maintains Australian citizens will not be able to travel overseas for the immediate future.
Sales have been suspended up to March 28 when it modifies its schedule for the northern summer 2021 season. Customers with flight bookings from October until late March do not need to make any changes or request refunds yet but Qantas has warned that it may have to cancel some of these services in the coming weeks. The suspension doesn’t impact any of its domestic schedules and Qantas is still selling international tickets through its codeshare partners.
Welcome to The Islands of Tahiti
Tahiti has announced the reopening of its borders to international tourists as early as July 15th. The destination continues to be proactive and innovative in implementing an avant-garde health protocol to protect the local population and its visitors in search of a stay free of Covid-19.
Tahiti has only recorded about sixty cases with no fatalities. From mid July, quarantine will be replaced by a protocol including 3 commitments applicable to all travellers (resident and non-resident) arriving by air:
1. Perform an RT-PCR test of SARS-CoV-2 within three days before the flight to Tahiti and present the negative result to the airline attendant upon check-in
2. Complete a health commitment form via the online platform Etis.pf, (Electronic Travel Information System). Like a health ESTA, this health surveillance system established by the government of French Polynesia monitors the traveler’s health status and allow to contact the traveler throughout his itinerary if necessary.
3. 4 days after the traveler’s arrival in French Polynesia, they will carry out a self-administered RT-PCR test of SARS-CoV-2 using the kit provided free of charge upon arrival at Tahiti Faa’a international airport.
If a traveller is tested positive during their journey in The Islands of Tahiti, they will be rapidly transported to the main island of Tahiti to avoid any spread and for medical care if necessary by the local health authorities.
Also, a guide of procedures and recommendations to protect against the Covid-19 virus has been produced specifically for the tourism sector and professionals trained, while awareness campaigns are being broadcasted on local television channels to the population.
In addition most of the Polynesian tourism professionals have agreed to adopt a common policy waiving cancellation or changes fees in favor of the visitor.
Ireland is very cautious
Ireland has said it is still not ready to welcome UK visitors without asking them to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, as coronavirus levels in Britain are too high. Speaking on the, Irish prime minister Micheal Martin said he was being ‘very cautious on international travel generally’.
Ireland is expected to announce its measures in relation to international travel on 20 July, but Martin said he is concerned about the levels of coronavirus in Britain and it is unlikely the 14-day quarantine rule will be relaxed for Brits.
The Taoiseach said the Irish government is using a similar methodology to the one used by other European Union countries to assess risk of inbound and outbound travel.
“Countries that are at Ireland’s level or below – that’s the metric that will determine our advisory to Irish citizens in terms of their travel arrangements abroad.
“In terms of people coming into Ireland, the advice on quarantine still remains and it’s under constant review.”
When asked what Britain needs to do to ‘get on the green list’, Martin replied: “Suppression of the virus is key.”
“We have watched reports where in certain parts of the UK there are still difficulties where certain areas have had to go into lockdown.”
In response to Marr’s question: “To be absolutely clear: It is too early for British people to come to holiday in Ireland without being quarantined?” Martin answered: “It is.”
Last month, a leaked Irish government memo said the UK would be excluded from the safe traveller list because of its ‘significantly poorer’ response to the pandemic.
Hawaii stays with quarantine
Hawaii’s governor said Monday he will wait another month to waive a 14-day quarantine requirement for out-of-state travellers who test negative for COVID-19, citing increasing virus cases in Hawaii, “uncontrolled” outbreaks in several US mainland states and a shortage of testing supplies.
The testing plan, as announced last month, was scheduled to take effect on Aug. 1. It’s now postponed to Sept. 1.
Many in Hawaii’s business community had been looking forward to the testing program as it would make it easier for tourists to visit and potentially boost the economy. The quarantine requirement has virtually shut down tourism to the state since it took effect in late March. Hotels have closed and the unemployment rate stands at 22.6%, the second highest in the nation.
Ige said at a news conference he and the state’s mayors, whom he consulted, understood the gravity of the choices they were presented with. On the one hand, he said, Hawaii could have an uncontrolled surge of COVID-19 if it reopened. On the other, delaying the traveller testing program would risk further economic damage.