As of May 31, the U.S. Virgin Islands has dropped all its pandemic-related entry requirements for domestic travelers, making it easier for Americans to visit these idyllic beach destinations.

The islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas have transitioned into what government officials describe as an “Open Door Phase.” Nearly two months ago, USVI officials dropped the pre-arrival testing requirement for vaccinated travelers, leaving only unvaccinated domestic travelers to show proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within five days of travel. All conditions have been eliminated, and domestic visitors no longer need to fill out the USVI Travel Screening Portal.

“The health and well-being of our residents and visitors alike continue to be our biggest priority,” said Joseph Boschulte in a statement provided to Travel+Leisure. “The Department of Tourism, along with Governor Bryan’s Office and the Virgin Islands Department of Health, have worked together to monitor the COVID cases in the territory closely and strategically to ensure the health and safety of our residents and visitors.

“Our measures have proven successful and give us the confidence to continue to ease travel and testing requirements to the territory to safely welcome visitors.”

The U.S. Virgin Islands aren’t the only American territory easing travel restrictions for domestic visitors. Puerto Rico dropped all of its pandemic-related entry requirements for domestic travelers in March. Previously, the island nation required proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test and a travel declaration form. Now, Americans can enter freely regardless of their vaccination status.

The elimination of these travel requirements adds an extra appeal for travelers interested in Puerto Rico and USVI. Americans do not need a passport to visit, but they also don’t need to test for COVID before returning home as they would if traveling internationally.

As of Sunday, June 12, the Biden administration officially dropped the mandate requiring all international travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering the U.S. The decision comes just in time for the surge in summer travel—both for Americans going abroad and foreign visitors headed to the U.S.

An official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the decision to lift the testing mandate was based on the latest science and the current state of the pandemic. Though the CDC has deemed pre-arrival testing unnecessary, the health agency also stated that it would reassess the decision in 90 days and continuously reevaluate as necessary.

“If there is a need to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement — including because of a new, concerning variant — CDC will not hesitate to act,” the CDC official told Reuters.
Leaders across the travel industry have applauded the decision as a critical component in the recovery process for the tourism industry.

“The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and speed up the recovery of the U.S. travel industry,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow.

While pre-departure testing is no longer required, non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. residents still need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country via air. This rule does not apply to U.S. citizens and residents.

Summer has always signaled the beginning of a seasonal boom in travel. This year that is truer than ever as many travelers make up for the lost time by finally going on their postponed trips or splurging on bucket list destinations. If you’ll be among the millions of people expected to travel this summer, it’s important to note that things have changed since the pre-pandemic days. More preparation and forethought are necessary to make for a smooth trip. From the airport to hit the road, these are some things to keep in mind as you head out into the world of travel this summer.
Don’t wait until the last minute to book flights, hotels, or car rentals.

This summer is not the time for spontaneity. Though the travel demand is higher than ever, the supply is still limited. Hotels are fully booked, flight prices are rising, and rental cars are scarce. If you haven’t made your summer reservations yet, don’t wait a minute more, or you’ll have to do with the leftover scraps from the travelers who booked early.
Check COVID-related protocol in your destination.

Whether traveling internationally or domestically, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the pandemic-era regulations in your destination of choice. While many cities and countries are easing restrictions, others still have mask mandates or vaccine requirements. This is especially important when planning an overseas trip, as some destinations require pre-arrival COVID testing regardless of a visitor’s vaccination status.
Don’t avoid destinations with higher regulations.

It might seem easier to go to destinations with looser COVID regulations in place, but the benefit of going to those recently opened places with a few rules still in effect is that you’ll likely have the place to yourself. There will probably never be another time when typically overcrowded destinations are empty, so take advantage of this opportunity to explore. The extra steps will be worth it.
Arrive at the airport even earlier than usual.
Between airline staff shortages, inclement weather, and fundamental errors in flight scheduling, experts believe this summer will see longer-than-usual wait times at the airport and more flight delays and cancelations. You might not avoid these issues, but you can be prepared by arriving earlier than you usually would just in case something goes wrong.
Avoid short layovers.

Direct flights are always best, but if you must book something with a layover, make sure there’s plenty of cushion time between arrival and the subsequent departure, just in case your first flight gets delayed.
Buy travel insurance.

Even in pre-pandemic times, this was always good advice, but it’s imperative now. With more flight delays, cancelations, and the risk of a trip being interrupted by a COVID-19 infection, you’ll want to protect your investment by getting travel insurance. As you look into which insurance to buy, pay special attention to the trip interruption and trip cancelation policies. In case you get COVID while overseas, these are the things that will cover you and you need to quarantine. Medical coverage is equally important.

Between staff shortages, unruly passengers, and rising ticket prices, consumers’ overall satisfaction with the air travel experience has decreased in the last year. Despite the dip in ratings, a new survey conducted by J.D. Power showcases airlines are still keeping their customers happy—at least, mostly. 

According to the recently released J.D. Power 2022 North American Airlines Satisfaction Study, Southwest Airlines is the best carrier in the U.S. for the economy and essential economy flights.  

JetBlue Airways takes the top spot for customer satisfaction for those dishing out extra bucks for premium economy, business, and first-class seats. The carrier also scored well for the economy and basic economy fares. 

Over 7,000 travelers took part in the J.D. Power survey, which looked at ticket costs and extra fees and satisfaction with aircraft, baggage, boarding, check-in, flight crew, in-flight services, and reservation experience. 

For this survey, J.D. Power did not explicitly consider airline disruptions like cancellations or extreme delays; it’s possible that these factors influenced the travelers who took part in the survey.  

According to Mike Taylor, J.D. Power’s managing director for travel, hospitality, and retail, as more and more people returned to travel, it was to be expected that passenger satisfaction would decrease after last year’s record high. 

“When you get an aircraft that’s half to a third full, you think this is a great experience, but you can’t maintain an industry flying plane around that are only one-third of capacity,” Taylor told USA Today. “There’s been a greater demand, which means higher prices, less satisfaction, and that middle seat is more likely to be filled than it was a year-and-a-half, two years ago. And that, of course, diminishes satisfaction among airline travelers.” 

The overall rankings of the survey are: 

Economy/Basic Economy 

• Southwest Airlines (849 out of 1,000 points) 
• JetBlue Airways (828 out of 1,000 points) 
• Delta Air Lines (813 out of 1,000 points) 
• Allegiant Air (803 out of 1,000 points) 
• Alaska Airlines (794 out of 1,000 points) 

Premium Economy 

• JetBlue Airways (851 out of 1,000 points) 
• Delta Air Lines (837 out of 1,000 points) 
• Alaska Airlines (825 out of 1,000 points) 
• American Airlines (818 out of 1,000 points) 
• United Airlines (801 out of 1,000 points) 

First/Business Class 

• JetBlue Airways (878 out of 1,000 points) 
• Alaska Airlines (876 out of 1,000 points) 
• Delta Air Lines (862 out of 1,000 points) 
• Air Canada (832 out of 1,000 points) 
• United Airlines (822 out of 1,000 points) 

After over two years of keeping its borders closed to all tourists, Japan is finally taking steps toward welcoming leisure travelers.
On May 17, the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) announced that the country would undergo a “test tourism” program before further decisions about reopening to international travelers.

Japan’s “test tourism” trial will allow visitors to enter the country solely as part of the government let small group tours.
“This venture will allow us to verify compliance and emergency responses for infection prevention and plan guidelines for travel agencies and accommodation operators to keep in mind,” JTA said in a statement, according to CNN Travel.
To take part, potential tourists must be triple-vaccinated and come from Australia, Singapore, Thailand, or the U.S. The number of travelers allowed into the program has yet to be decided, but a Japanese government official told CNN that they consider allowing 50 tourists to take part.

Other requirements for these trial tourists include contracting private health insurance before arrival and following the current entry rules for Japan, including providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before departure. Travelers must also re-test upon arrival.

JTA will work with travel agencies throughout Japan to curate fixed travel itineraries in this test tourism trial. Tour leaders will also be required to accompany their tour groups.
If successful, all signs point to the test program being the beginning of Japan’s larger, phased reopening. There is no exact timeline for when Japan will fully reopen, but Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that the country will reopen this year to match its fellow G7 nations.

For now, only citizens, residents, researchers, students, residents’ family members, and business travelers with prior approval can enter the country.

Airbnb is about to become the latest travel company to do away with pandemic-era policies that protect consumers against COVID-related travel issues.  

Starting May 31, Airbnb will no longer include COVID infections as part of its extenuating circumstances policy. That means a guest or host contracting COVID-19 interrupts the company. Reservations made before May 31 for travel taking place later in the year will still be eligible for refunds.  

“The safety of our community is our priority, and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” Airbnb said in a statement last week.  

According to Airbnb, almost two-thirds of the platform listings still offer cancellation policies that vary in terms of flexibility. Precautious travelers who want to be on the safe side can always filter their search for short-term rentals that provide “free cancellation.”  

Airbnb is not the only company to relax its COVID-related policies. After a federal judge in Florida struck down the CDC’s federal mask mandate, all major U.S. airlines and other transportation companies like Amtrak and rideshare apps canceled their mask requirements. 

These changes from Airbnb and other travel companies come ahead of what they expected to be the industry’s biggest summer since 2019. They also come with several countries worldwide that have lifted or eased their COVID-related entry requirements. 

Though many people and places around the world are relaxing their safety protocol, according to Reuters’ global COVID-19 tracker, infections are still rising in 31 countries, including in the U.S. Countries reporting the newest illnesses per day are: Germany (88,163), the U.S. (57,701), France (53,262), South Korea (52,310), and Italy (51,789). 

Despite the current rise in COVID infections, Reuters’ data shows that only two countries—Taiwan and Montserrat—are still reporting conditions close to their peak number of cases.