 |
MEXICO LIFEDistillery's tequila methods stay traditional yet also are innovative, sustainableAgave Azul's owners proudly say that making the classic Mexican liquor the old-fashioned way that's been handed down through generations needn't harm the environment, John Pint writes.FULL STORY |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As travel rebounds, you’re going to want to pay close attention to the terms and conditions of your airline ticket.
On May 1, Alaska, Delta and United all let their flexible travel waivers expire, restoring many of the most punitive restrictions to basic economy fares. Going forward, all newly purchased basic economy tickets on the aforementioned carriers will return to being non-changeable and non-refundable.
Pre-pandemic, one of the biggest restrictions with these deep-discount tickets was the fact that there were effectively “use it or lose it.” If you needed to change a basic economy ticket, you’d be forced to purchase a brand-new one, instead of applying the existing value to a new itinerary less a change fee.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
Then the coronavirus came stateside and major airlines made all tickets fully flexible, including those in basic economy. You couldn’t get a refund for voluntarily canceled flights, but you could still make changes as needed.
Now, with a summer of travel looming on the horizon, every major U.S. airline is reining in that flexibility. In April, American Airlines became the first to retire its global travel waiver, and just one month later, three of its largest competitors are pulling the plug as well. JetBlue is the lone holdout, as its waiver runs through May 31, 2021.
If you bought a basic economy ticket during the flexible travel waiver period, you’ll still be able to modify it without change fees. The updated policy only applies to new ticket purchases. Also note that there’s generally one big exception to the basic economy “no-changes” policy — if the airline significantly changes your flight schedule, you can make a change or get a refund for free.
While basic economy restrictions are back, change fees are not.
Late last year, United Airlines permanently eliminated most change fees, joining Southwest as the only major airline to forgo those pesky $200 (or more) charges for modifying a ticket. Within hours, American, Delta and others matched — but there’s one major restriction: basic economy tickets are excluded from the no-change-fee offer.
Related: How airline no-change-fee policies stack up against Southwest
Now that the flexible travel waivers are over, you’ll have to buy up to a regular coach ticket to enjoy the added flexibility. If you’re concerned about getting sick or needing to postpone your plans due to another wave of COVID-19 infections, then you might want to think twice about booking basic economy fares going forward — any itinerary modifications will require a brand-new ticket.
If you splurge for a standard coach fare, you’ll be able to make changes as needed, subject to a possible fare difference. You could also cancel your ticket and reuse the value later, but you aren’t eligible for a refund unless the airline significantly changes or cancels your flight.
Despite domestic travel rebounding, a recovery in long-haul international travel is still in its infancy. To offer a bit more flexibility for globetrotters, American Airlines is waiving change fees for all newly purchased international tickets originating outside North or South America bought through May 31, 2021, for all travel dates.
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy
Threaten a Delta employee? Say goodbye to your SkyMiles account and elite status
Zach Griff
3d ago
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Delta Air Lines is cracking down on unruly customers.
The Atlanta-based carrier tightened its SkyMiles program terms and conditions on Tuesday to include provisions around when a frequent flyer account might be terminated. The new provision — “documented abusive behavior” — is now grounds for expulsion from the program.
Travelers who threaten, intimidate or otherwise cross a line with Delta employees could have their accounts closed. That includes the possible forfeiture of all accumulated mileage credit, any unused and upcoming award or upgrade certificates and all other associated membership benefits, including Medallion elite status. You could also be banned from flying with Delta in the future.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
In a statement, a carrier spokesperson said:
“Respect and civility to others on our planes, at our airports, in our workplaces and in our society have always been a requirement for our people and our customers. Nothing is more important than their safety.”
In the update to its terms and conditions, Delta says examples of abusive behavior include personal threats, profanity, obscene language, insults or slurs directed to a Delta employee or ambassador. It also covers any intentional destruction to Delta property.
The new provision applies across the travel journey, from interactions with Delta’s reservations or customer care phone center to its gate agents, flight attendants, ground handlers and arrival teams.
That means that whether you’re upset about a refund or have an issue with a flight, it will be important to remain civil when speaking with Delta to avoid violating the new “abusive behavior” clause.
Delta’s “Big 3” competitors, American and United, don’t have the same specific call-out about terminating an account due to abusive behavior, though the rules are pretty open-ended. American says that “abuse or violation of applicable rules” could lead to AAdvantage account termination, while United’s rules specify that “any conduct detrimental to the interests of United” is grounds for expulsion.
Adding a call out for abusive behavior comes as the industry has seen an uptick in misbehaving flyers, per an NBC report. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received roughly 1,300 reports of unruly passengers from airlines since February, an agency spokesperson recently told The Hill.
The FAA has been cracking down against disruptive behavior aboard planes, fining passengers who refuse to wear masks or get belligerently drunk. The agency extended a zero-tolerance policy it implemented in January following numerous incidents on flights surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
Other actions that could lead to the closure of your SkyMiles account include violating a term or condition of the contract of carriage, your ticket’s fare rules or any other regulation that applies to travel with Delta.
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy
| Datos curiosos de Oaxaca ... Puerto Escondido, la contemplación en las Bahías de Huatulco y la relajación en Mazunte y Zipolite. 10 El Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. |
| Dónde está Zipolite, la única playa nudista de México Dónde está Zipolite, la única playa nudista de México. Fascinantes playas mexicanas son de las más visitadas por turistas internacionales y nacionales ... |
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/FTFLOS2H6NEK7KJOT66P7YJCX4.jpg)
Por su atardecer, variedad de colores, diversidad de platillos, así como un lugar que las hace únicas, diversas playas de México son de las más visitadas en cualquier época del año; sin embargo, en el país existe solo una playa nudista y daremos a conocer dónde está.
Se trata de Zipolite, ubicada en la costa del Pacífico, en el estado de Oaxaca, donde miles de personas se congregan en el lugar sin timidez ni tapujos para mostrar su desnudez. Sin importar su físico, los turistas tienen la libertad legal de mostrar sus cuerpos marcados, delgados, de gran volumen, etc.
Además de ser un sitio ideal para broncear su piel, paseantes tanto nacionales como internacionales, buscan el sitio para practicar surf. Incluso, ofrecen paquetes especiales con tabla incluida para subir las olas por un buen rato.
Cada año, patrocinadores y pobladores del estado reciben a miles de turistas, quienes se dan cita en Zipolite para disfrutar del tan reconocido Festival Nudista durante el mes de febrero; sin embargo, este 2021 fue cancelado por la pandemia de COVID-19 que sigue afectando al país.
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/EYR5QELUXJEX7DBQMXWPWQYPTI.jpg)
Durante al menos tres días, se llevan a cabo actividades culturales, artísticas y hasta deportivas como: torneos de voleibol.
Al caer la noche, se ofrecen convivencias en medio de fogatas, acompañadas de bailes y cenas y tours nudistas.
Otro sitio muy visitado por los paseantes es la playa vecina de Mazunte, situada en la misma entidad, donde su principal atractivo, y que atrapa las miradas de millones es el Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga.
El fascinante lugar se creó para presumir al grupo de reptiles más antiguo que existe. Por lo que en 1994 abrió sus puertas al público. En dicho centro se exhiben todas las especies de tortugas marinas que habitan en los litorales mexicanos.
De arena blanca y agua cristalina las hermosas playas con tonalidad turquesa de Cancún, Quintana Roo, son de las más visitadas por turistas de todo el mundo.
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/RBBTXVL4DVCPVJ35NQA3I6ZAOI.jpg)
Una de ellas es la llamada playa norte en Isla Mujeres, donde se puede practicar el esnórquel con facilidad, además de tener un excelente clima y gran variedad de hoteles.
Una más de ese estado, ubicado en la Península de Yucatán es la playa conocida como “El Mirador” o Delfines, espacio donde se aprecia mejor la tonalidad turquesa del mar y ha sido recomendada para practicar surf.
Las Brisas, Boquita, Azul o Miramar, son algunos de los nombres de las playas más buscadas por miles de personas al visitar Manzanillo, en el estado de Colima.
Su clima es cálido, arena dorada y áreas ideales para descansar o disfrutar de los platillos típicos del lugar a pie de playa.
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/U36WJXS2EJHWNHWYXWCOH7S5ZQ.jpg)
Entre las actividades que se pueden realizar están surf o remar en kayak, así como deportes acuáticos, entre otros.
La Playa Audiencia se caracteriza por brindar aguas tranquilas que darán seguridad para nadar. Mientras que en la Playa Oro se puede caminar y descubrir piezas de ese metal precioso, según rumoran los pobladores.
En Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero Destino cuenta con una variedad de sitios de arena suave, ideales para descansar o caminar por la bahía para observar el atardecer.
El pequeño sitio ofrece un sinfín de hoteles frente al mar, los cuales vienen acompañados de actividades como el golf o disfrutar de un paseo en bicicleta hasta playa Linda, ubicada al norte de la entidad. Su zona selvática permite explorar y observar gran variedad de peces y aves exóticas.
En México también existen un sinfín de lugares de playa, que fueron designados como Pueblos Mágicos, y se ubican en diversos estados del país.
SEGUIR LEYENDO
