Groundhog Day: Omicron and more

Happy Friday, all. Sadly, we can't say the same for travel. The Omicron variant is marching around the world and into the United States. As we mentioned on Tuesday, chaos reigns -- and that's even more true today.

Traveling this holiday season? Think again (maybe): Just as we began feeling confident about traveling during the pandemic with masks, double vaccinations and booster shots, we wake up to Groundhog Day. The emergence last week of the omicron variant of coronavirus continues to generate new health worries and border restrictions to curb spread. There will be no universal approach by governments, given varying approaches, vaccination rates and resources. This is a reminder that we as humble humans are still not in charge. How do we track the latest information to make the best-informed decisions? Honestly, we recommend going beyond traditional news sites, which often give the big picture but not all the nitty gritty details you need to ensure you can actually board a plane. If you're traveling, we recommend checking government and airline web sites. And the International Air Transport Association has an easy-to-use interactive map that has all the latest rules for every country in the world.  Keep in mind that -- for now -- the information’s changing hourly. The Biden administration laid out its strategy yesterday Including free COVID tests, Reuters reports. Mood in the USA? According to a Morning Consult COVID attitudes survey, 60% of U.S. adults polled last week said they believe travel restrictions on countries with confirmed cases of new variants will help curb virus spread in the United States. Will Omicron cause broader economic ripples? Here's what U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a livestreamed Reuters panel that I listened to yesterday: "We're very uncertain this point just how significant a threat it's going to be, but hopefully it's not something that's going to slow economic growth signficantly." -- Barbara

Don't forget to use your airline credits!: A hot topic among those of us who already have airline credits for flights we couldn't take due to COVID is how and when to use them -- and how to manage them. Some of you may already be planning... The topic came up a couple of weeks ago when my (masked) seatmate and I were chatting during our DCA-PSA flight, which was the first half of my Southern California trip in November. My seatmate is a travel-savvy Washington DC association executive who used to tack a few days of vacation time on to her business trips -- so if she's in LA or Hawaii, she'd fly to Asia and if she was in NY or Miami, she'd go to Europe or Latin America. Anyway, she said created a hack to avoid wasting the credits, which expire. Her hack: She set up a special Outlook folder for her credits and made periodic reminders for their expiration dates so as not to forget to plan travel before their expiration date. She isn't alone in having credits. CBS reports that airlines owe fliers some $20 billion worth of COVID-related flight refunds, citing estimates from industry experts. And in 2020 alone, U.S. fliers filed some 90,000 complaints about ticket refunds with the federal goverment vs. just 1,600 the year prior. "There has never been a year like last year for complaints about refunds," Bill McGee, aviation adviser at Consumer Reports Advocacy, told CBS MoneyWatch. "The airlines obviously made some conscious decisions not to do the right thing and give refunds — even when they were required to by law." Need to file a complaint about an airline? Here’s how. -- Barbara 

Developing story...Should airlines be forced to offer refunds? The federal government plans to mull over adopting a new rule that would require airlines and travel agencies to offer travelers refunds if they choose not to fly during a public health emergency like the pandemic. "Some of the questions we are looking to answer: should airlines be required to provide refunds, vouchers or credits in these instances? What government restrictions and health advisories are relevant? Should passengers provide any sort of documentation?" a Department of Transportation executive said, according to Travel Weekly’s report. We'll watch this story closely!

In other news...

Kayak.com's opening hotels?: If you’re like me and haven’t used the Kayak.com price-comparison site lately, check this out… The company’s really expanding beyond its traditional comfort zone -- price comparisons -- which still generate nearly all of its revenue. Kayak CEO Steve Hafner talked about the company’s evolution during a recent fireside chat, but as always, we like to cut to the chase. So, what’s new? Last spring, the online company opened its first physical property in Miami Beach -- a Kayak-branded hotel -- and it’s opening two more locations, both in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, a block apart from each other. Expect a “Soho House vibe, without the pretentiousness,” Hafner said. (For photos, click on the link above and move to the 9-minute-ish-mark.) Why should we care? When using the site to find accommodations in the future, travelers might be able to find special “Kayak-enabled” hotels alongside Hilton, Hyatts and so forth. The deals can be unlocked -- and hotel rooms even checked into contact-free -- via Kayak’s app. Would you consider being loyal to Kayak? We'll soon see. The site launched its own loyalty program, yet another indication that we’re not in Kansas anymore when it comes to the online travel world. -- Barbara