There is so much that happens in the travel industry every week, and only a portion of it makes it to TravelLatte or other travel blogs. We’ll capture some of the highlights with this recurring feature, Travel News This Week. Please let us know you like it with a comment!
Photo: Jet Blue
The Gotta Get Away Blues
Jet Blue’s Win-Win(ter) Situation continues through Sunday 13 November with 25% off of base airfare on select getaways, for travel through 15 December (black-out dates apply). We’re thinking Florida beaches in the cold of winter. Oooooh yeah.
We won’t hold you up with boring details, but you can get them (details and getaways) at JetBlue.com.
Top of the List, King of the Hill, A-Number-1!
More than 300,000 readers cast ballots in this year’s Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, selecting the 1,402 best travel experiences in the world. The industry’s longest running annual survey is now considered to be the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel world. The winners are the best of the best, chosen by travelers.
Photo: Ballyfin Demesne
This year, the best of the best hotels is Ballyfin, a five-star luxury hotel in Ireland’s Slieve Bloom Mountains. The country house is cited as one of the most lavish Regency mansions on the island, decorated with Irish art and antiques. Set on 614 acres of rolling hills, the grounds include a private lake and ancient woods. Guests can enjoy everything from gourmet dining and spa treatments, to fishing, shooting, and falconry.
Ever wonder what it’s like to stay at a luxury Irish country house? It’s not cheap, but then, Ballyfin Demesne is THE best hotel in the world!
The hotel, fully restored just five years ago, received the highest overall hotel score, and debuted on the list at the very top. The 29th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards also ranks the world’s airlines, cruise lines, islands, and resorts. Full results are in the November issue of Conde Nast Traveler.
Did your Driver’s License just get grounded?
Starting next year, REAL ID may be a real problem for some fliers.
Back in 2005, Congress passed the REAL ID Act, which required states to improve the security of their driver’s licenses. The original deadline has come and gone, with several states getting an exemption.
Five of those states’ exemptions expired in October – Kentucky, Oklahoma, Maine, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. That means, unless they come into compliance by 30 January 2017, travelers with an ID or driver’s license from those states will not be able to board a domestic flight using only that ID. Washington, Minnesota, and Missouri also need an extension, or they will be in the same situation. (However, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses from Washington and Minnesota with will be accepted.) Montana and the territory of Guam are under review, but need to get an exemption also.
Not sure where this leaves you? You can check whether your state-issued driver’s license or ID will let you fly at the Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID Enforcement in Brief.
Photo: Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral says Hello / Goodbye to Oasis of the Seas
If you live in or near Fort Lauderdale, you’ll want to be at Port Canaveral on November 13th for the Sail-a-Bration at Jetty Park. The free festivities are to bid Bon Voyage to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas as she embarks on her maiden cruise out of her new home port.
The ship arrives in port this weekend (5 November) at the Cruise 1 Terminal. The terminal was custom designed for Oasis-class ships.
A day earlier, Port Canaveral welcomes Norwegian Epic, another of the world’s largest cruise ships. Epic will home berth in Cruise Terminal 10, which has been renovated to be a modern, mega-ship facility. While Epic is in port, visitors can see six cruise ships in harbor at the same time.
The Sail-a-Brations are free to attend, and will have entertainment, giveaways, and family fun. The Canaveral Port Authority asks guests bring a non-perishable food item as a donation to the Sharing Center of Central Florida. Details are at the Port Canaveral home page.
Coming Up: Ski Season!
It’s official: Ski Season is open! The question is whether it’s open where you are. For a complete list, check out the state-by-state list of current or forecasted opening dates at Liftopia.
Some of our favorites around the USA:
| Colorado | Utah | California | New England | Rockies |
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Ready to hit the slopes? Ski & Save on Your Stay with Expedia! |
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The Weekly Win
How many times does John Snow have to warn us that winter is coming? Take heed and enter Outrigger Resorts’ Travel the World Sweepstakes, so you can travel to nine beachfront resorts around the world. Because…#beaches in #winter. That’s what we call #winning!
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