Amex GBT Ovation's (Ovation™) weekly client e-newsletter, the Informed Traveler, keeps readers updated on travel industry news and trends.
Following is a recap of September's top 5 (most clicked by Ovation clients) e-newsletter stories.
1. DELTA TO TRANSFORM ITS SKYMILES LOYALTY PROGRAM
Delta Air Lines has announced that it is streamlining its SkyMiles Program while also offering new and enhanced ways for members to earn toward Status. Beginning January 1, 2024, Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) will serve as the only qualifier for Medallion Status. SkyMiles Members will no longer need to track Medallion Qualification Miles or Medallion Qualification Segments. The carrier said that members can earn MQDs on flights with Delta and the carrier's partners, on purchases using Delta's co-branded credit cards, through Delta Vacations, and through other products, such as car rentals and hotel stays. The change is similar to one American Airlines made in early 2022 for its AAdvantage program. Status for 2025 will be determined by a single amount of MQD thresholds: $6,000 for Silver, $12,000 for Gold, $18,000 for Platinum, and $35,000 for Diamond.
In addition, Delta announced new guidelines for access to its Delta Sky Clubs. Beginning January 1, 2024, Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Business American Express card members will no longer have access to Delta Sky Clubs, as well as all American Express card members traveling on a Basic Economy ticket or an equivalent ticket with a partner airline. Beginning in 2025, Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business American Express card members will receive 10 club visits per program year, and American Express Platinum and Platinum Business card members will receive six club visits per program year. Members of those cards can earn unlimited club access after spending $75,000 on their eligible card in a calendar year and will have unlimited Sky Club access for both the remainder of that year through January 31 of the next year.
2. EU TO DELAY LAUNCH OF ETIAS UNTIL 2025
The European Union (EU) has once again postponed the launch date of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), reports Schengen Area-specialist website SchengenVisaInfo.com. An EU official told the website that the go-live date for ETIAS has now been delayed to May 2025 at the earliest because of issues launching the Entry/Exit System (EES) that would track visitors into Europe. The EES is another EU border security system, an automated IT system that, in the future, will register travelers from countries each time they cross an EU external border. The system has been continuously postponed alongside the ETIAS. “We had initially hoped for the EES to become operational by the end of this year or, at the latest, the beginning of the next year. Due to unforeseen delays, it has become evident that this timeline is unattainable. As a result, the implementation of the ETIAS has been rescheduled to May 2025, with the possibility of further postponement.” While the European Commission has yet to officially confirm this latest delay to the implementation of ETIAS, the postponement has been confirmed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, and the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs. “The date of the entry into operation of ETIAS is not yet known. It is expected to be announced at the end of 2023,” said the commission.
3. UK ETA ROLLOUT TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER; WORLDWIDE EXPANSION SET FOR 2024
The UK Government will begin rolling out its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) entry scheme in phases, starting in November, as part of their digitization of the UK border. This change will mean that some foreign nationals that currently do not need a visa to enter the UK will now be required to complete a pre-registration entry form before entering or transiting the UK. Nationals from Qatar will be first impacted, with an ETA required for travel to the UK on or after November 15, 2023. Travelers from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will follow, with their rollout beginning for travel to the UK on or after February 2024. Worldwide expansion is set for later in 2024.
Inbound travelers to the UK will be able to apply for an ETA online, and the application form should take only a few minutes to fill out. Individuals will need to provide valid passport data, some personal information, travel plans, and a debit or credit card. Applications will be processed automatically, and most people are expected to receive authorization within 48-72 hours. The cost of the ETA entry permit will be £10 (~$12.50), per applicant.
4. BRAZIL TO REINSTATE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR US TRAVELERS IN 2024
Brazil will reinstate visa requirements on travelers coming from the US, Canada, and Australia beginning January 10, 2024, reports Condé Nast Traveler. The decision was first announced earlier this year, with an effective date of October 1. At that time, the foreign ministry said that the decision to grant visa exemptions marked “a break with the pattern of Brazilian migration policy, historically based on the principles of reciprocity and equal treatment,” and left the option open for affected countries, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan, to negotiate reciprocal visa waivers. Only Japan reached an agreement. Therefore, beginning January 10, 2024, Americans who plan on traveling to Brazil will need to obtain a Visit Visas, or ‘Vistos de Visita’ (VIVIS). The visa will enable travelers to remain in Brazil for up to 90 days for the purposes of tourism, business, transit, study, volunteer work, etc. The process for obtaining a visa should be quick, although it is unknown at this time if applications and issuances will be handled entirely electronically. Procedures are still being finalized by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will provide additional details when available.
5. POTENTIAL US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN COULD AFFECT AMERICANS’ FALL TRAVEL PLANS
A potential government shutdown in October could disrupt Americans’ fall travel plans, reports CBS News. Although Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, are considered essential and would therefore be required to work in the event of a shutdown, they would have to do so without immediate pay, according to the White House. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre warned that this could cause "significant" delays for travelers. The strain on the US travel system would lead to more flight delays, longer screening lines, and holdups in air travel modernization. A shutdown would also halt the FAA's efforts to hire and train 2,600 new employees and would also coincide with a shortage of roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, an uptick in unscheduled air traffic controller absences led to flight cancellations and travel disruptions at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and major airports in Atlanta, Newark, and Philadelphia. Additionally, a potential shutdown may cause passport delays as some passport agencies are housed in government buildings that would close in the event of a shutdown, leading to fewer available appointments for renewals and new applications as well as processing delays.
