Passport and ID checks by border guards are removed from air and sea travel between Schengen member states and Bulgaria and Romania, but they will remain in place for overland border crossings for now (apparently, these are being negotiated as well).

Download (PDF, 2.03MB)

EU member states must join the Schengen agreement except Ireland, which has a common travel area with the UK.

There are also four countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, that are not part of the EU but have joined the Schengen. Then, the three microstates of Monaco, Vatican, and San Marino are effectively part of Schengen, as there are no border checks for travel to/from them.

Then there is the outlier of Andorra, sandwiched between Spain and France, which is not part of the EU or Schengen, which may cause headaches for third nationals to visit this mini-state.

Conclusion

This is a welcomed Schengen update from the EU, and now we have Cyprus, which is yet to join the agreement, and eventually, they will.

It makes travel easier between these countries, especially with airlines that don’t check IDs, as you scan your boarding pass at the gate and are good to go.

If you travel by land, you usually don’t notice when you cross from one country to another, although there might be a sign somewhere.

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The exchange rate system in Argentina has been quite complicated for tourists, with official and blue dollar rates + foreign credit card rates added fairly recently, which I most recently wrote about after my trip to Buenos Aires and Medoza this past April (read more here).

For most of the past 20 years, there has been a black market rate for dollars in Argentina that meant that you could save 30% to 50% of the displayed prices by not using your credit card or withdrawing cash from the ATM but instead bringing in crisp $100 bills and exchanging the cash in one of the many “cuevas” in the city.

This had changed for my most recent trip earlier this year when

you could get quite close to the Blue Rate by paying using a foreign-issued credit card.

You can check the current foreign card ARS – USD exchange rate by scanning the QR code above.

It is reasonably straightforward now for prices displayed in Argentinean pesos. You either exchange cash at one of the cuveas (1,000 pesos per USD) or pay using a foreign-issued credit card (900 pesos per USD).

Many of the hotels, however, have always displayed their prices in USD and then converted the rate to ARS using the official rate. Then, if you pay using a foreign-issued credit card, you are exempt from paying the VAT.

When the “official” rate was 50% off the Blue Dollar rate, you could save anywhere from 40% to 50% of the displayed rates when paying using a credit card, as the ARS to USD conversion was done using the official rate and you either paid using a foreign credit card and got close to the Blue Rate or $100 notes to ARS and used those to pay for stays (+ paid the VAT).

Now, this has all changed. The official rate was devalued by 50%, and it is now within 20% of the Blue Dollar rate.

You only save 10% if settling the stay using a foreign card, but you don’t need to pay the VAT.

The official rate hovers around 800 pesos to USD, the foreign credit card rate is 900 to USD, and the Blue Rate is 1,000 to USD.

Blue Dollar in 2023:

Dollar Blues In Argentina 2023 Version – Remember To Bring Crisp $100 Notes

Blue Dollar in 2022:

Dollar Blues In Argentina (Bring $100 Notes & Don’t Use Cards)

Our Earlier Argentina Blue Dollar Coverage:

• Dollar Blues In Argentina (Bring $100 Notes & Don’t Use Cards)
• Report From Buenos Aires: TO BLUE OR NOT TO BLUE (OR HOW ARGENTINA CAN BE 33% CHEAPER
• REMINDER: Exchange Cash Locally In Argentina & Save 33% (DON’T USE CREDIT CARDS!)
• Dolar Blue Take Three: Reminder To Exchange Cash Locally In Argentina And Not To Use Credit Cards
• REMINDER: Take Cash To Argentina And Not To Use Credit Cards (Dolar Blue)
• Argentina Lifts Currency Controls – Dolar Blue Gone For Now?
• Argentina In Crisis – Dolar Blue Makes A Return?

Conclusion

There was a brief period in the 2010s when the Blue Rate temporarily disappeared, but it came roaring back a few years later.

Obviously, these hotels that are priced for foreign guests considered this exchange rate when setting the prices, and I would expect us to pay a bit more, but not 100%, as this exchange rate change would suggest (the Blue Dollar discount disappearing).

I remember when I was in Argentina for the first time, and the exchange rate from USD to ARS was 1:3, and now it is 1:1,000. It must be challenging for the Argentineans to live in a very high inflationary environment.

It would be easier for all of us if this Blue Dollar would go away, and we wouldn’t need to travel to the country with a stack of crisp $100 bills, but old habits die hard.

I am planning to return to Buenos Aires probably this coming May. Let’s see how the situation is then, and if I need to stock up on $100 bills. .

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There is another requirement that applies to most foreign nationals other than Singaporeans, whose first implementation date has moved from December 1 to January 1, 2024, and it is the requirement to fill out a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MADC) within 3 days of arrival.

You can fill out the entry card here.

MDAC Requirement:

Notice on Malaysia’s Immigration Website:

Registration Form:

Sebastian’s Piece About the Auto Gates:

New: Malaysia’s Electronic Entry System For 10 Nationalities – Anyone Registered Successfully?

Conclusion

I am all for these digital arrival cards if it truly smoothens the arrival process and allows visitors to use automated gates instead of waiting for manual processing at the counters that must be the ultimate goal that several countries have already adopted or are in the process of implementing.

Sebastian has been back in Malaysia several times since the pandemic, but I have not. The arrival process in my previous visits has been mostly smooth, but I have been able to use the business class lanes.

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Munich Airport is closed today until noon (December 5, 2023), and there will likely be minimal operations after it reopens, possibly for days. There are thousands of passengers whose travel has been disrupted, and many are waiting for Lufthansa’s (dummy) chatbot to process rebookings.

Munich Airport’s Announcement:

⚠️Announced freezing rain during the night: air traffic will be suspended until 12 noon on Tuesday, December 5
On Tuesday, 5.12. there will be no take-offs and landings from the start of operations at 6 a.m. until 12 noon. pic.twitter.com/R8SvSeNqJD

— Munich Airport (@MUC_Airport) December 4, 2023

UPDATE: Lufthansa’s Travel Waiver Until December 9:

Lufthansa has issued a new travel waiver for flights to/from Munich that is valid until December 9. Passengers can rebook or refund their tickets without any charge.

Regular flight operations at Munich airport are still not possible after the snowfall at the weekend and flight operations at other airports in Germany are also restricted due to the weather.

Handling capacities are massively limited, for example due to frozen airport equipment or vehicles covered in snow.

Unfortunately, not all flights can take off and land as planned. There may also be flight cancellations and delays in Munich and subsequently at other airports in the coming days.

If you have a flight ticket to and/or from Munich between December 4th and 9th, you can cancel your trip free of charge.

The waiting times on the service hotline are currently longer than usual. We apologize for this.

Please be sure to check the status of your flight on Lufthansa.com or in the app before you arrive at the airport. We still recommend only arriving at the airport if you have a confirmed flight.

EC 261/2004 Duty to Care:

The European Union Air Passenger Rights (EC 261/2004) also apply in case of irregular operations beyond the airlines’ control.

Airlines are required to provide Duty to Care (accommodation & meals) in case of long delays. However, the compensation for flight cancellations and delays does not apply here.

Passengers can opt for a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed (some flights have been postponed by 20+ hours), even if their fare is nonrefundable.

Airlines must rebook affected passengers to their final destinations at the earliest convenience, even when this means moving them to competing airlines and avoiding Munich Airport altogether in case of connecting itineraries.

Conclusion

This debacle with Munich Airport has been ongoing since late last week, and it will likely be days before the airport is fully operational and planes and crews are at their usual rotations.

If you have been affected by this, remember to keep those receipts, as the European Airlines and if your travel is from the EU/EEA area, are required to provide Duty to Care even in a situation such as this, meaning paying for accommodation and meals.

If Lufthansa or any other airline refuses to rebook you expediently for flights ex-EU/EEA and community carrier flights from elsewhere, you can always buy the replacement ticket and go after the airline later for the expenses. Just remember to document the refusal.

Good luck to everyone experiencing this lovely snowmageddon in Germany.

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The airport has reopened for limited flight operations, and airlines have restarted their operations. Passengers should consult their itineraries to see if their ticketed flights are operating or have been rebooked.

Munich Airport Announcement:

⚠️Update Dec 3
Flight operations resumed at 6 a.m.
There will still be restrictions. If you are flying today, please check the status of your flight with your airline before traveling to the airport: https://t.co/lrlSMQBLYe pic.twitter.com/M766D2xlLc

— Munich Airport (@MUC_Airport) December 3, 2023

EC 261/2004 Duty to Care:

The European Union Air Passenger Rights (EC 261/2004) also apply in case of irregular operations beyond the airlines’ control.

Airlines are required to provide Duty to Care (accommodation & meals) in case of long delays. The compensation for flight cancellations and delays, however, does not apply here.

Passengers can opt for a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed (some flights have been merely postponed by 20+ hours), even if their fare is nonrefundable.

Airlines must rebook affected passengers to their final destinations at the earliest convenience, even when this means moving them to competing airlines and avoiding Munich Airport altogether in case of connecting itineraries.

Conclusion

It is always unexpected when there is snowfall in some parts of Europe during winter, although the weather challenges in Southern Germany have been significant this weekend.

A touch of snow in London roughly at the same time last year brought the area airports to a standstill, and a fight I was on was delayed by a day.

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Airlines advise passengers not to arrive at the airport but to check their rebooking status and seek hotel accommodation.

You can access Lufthansa’s page for announcements here.

Note that this affects all airlines operating at Munich Airport, but predominantly Lufthansa, as it is its second hub.

Lufthansa’s Announcement:

Munich Airport closed for arrivals and departures

Due to heavy snowfalls, flight operations @Airport_MUC are cancelled up until tomorrow morning 6:00 am. Lufthansa kindly asks all guests not to travel to the airport and inform themselves online on lufthansa.com or on the Lufthansa App about their flight status. Limited flight operations are also to be expected tomorrow.

Due to the airport closure in Munich, many other airports in Germany, including @Airport_FRA are affected with limited flight operations. Lufthansa kindly asks all guests to inform themselves online or on the Lufthansa App about their flight status.

Thank you to all our guests for their understanding in this exceptional weather situation.

Passengers are covered by the EC 261/2004 in case of flight delays and cancellations.

If Lufthansa or any other airline has canceled your flights due to a situation at Munich Airport, you can opt for a refund even if the ticket is non-refundable.

The airlines are required to provide Duty to Care, which means accommodation and meals. You probably need to handle this by yourself and later seek reimbursement from the airline. Remember to keep those hotel and meal receipts.

This likely won’t be entirely resolved by 6 AM on Sunday when airplanes and crews are out of their usual rotations.

Conclusion

It is lovely that Southern Germany gets to enjoy some snowfall, but this has come with some consequences.

Let’s hope the airport will reopen for traffic by Sunday morning so that passengers can be taken care of.

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Thanksgiving air travel in 2023 is expected to surpass the previous record of 2019, and last Saturday, Saturday Night Live ran a humorous “Thanksgiving Week Airport Parade” skit that is worth a watch.

You can access this Skit on YouTube here.

If you don’t see the video, there might be geographical limitations where it can be shown and then use a VPN.

Conclusion

This was quite a humorous skit and covered some of the quirks we all encounter at the airport, and obviously could have been further expanded.

But we wish well for all those traveling this week and weekend. I will stay firmly put here in Rio de Janeiro before flying to Nairobi next week.

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The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that over 2 million international visitors explored Japan in September. However, outgoing traveler numbers remain 43% below their respective 2019 levels.

Airline capacity to and from Japan has rebounded, and the value of the Japanese yen is at a 33-year low, standing at roughly 150 against the dollar.

It’s remarkable that incoming visitor numbers roughly quadrupled in the 2010s.

Until 2014, there were roughly the same number of incoming and outgoing tourists to and from Japan.

While incoming visitor numbers have rebounded, Japanese residents seem less eager to travel overseas, and some of that hesitation could be attributed to the low value of the yen.

Conclusion

Japan is again discussing how to “divert” some of the incoming tourists to destinations other than Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, as over-tourism in these cities remains a significant concern.

I recently spent two weeks in Japan, visiting Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Tourists were back in force, particularly in Osaka and Kyoto, to the extent that some places felt uncomfortably crowded.

My advice is to explore cities and areas outside of Japan’s “Golden Triangle,” although a visit to Kyoto is a must at least once. Even there, you can find pleasant experiences outside of the most heavily visited tourist spots.

Japan aimed to promote the country to incoming tourists in the 2010s, and they have now arrived.

Where there are high numbers of tourists, issues with locals often arise, as is happening not only in select cities in Japan but also in Venice and Barcelona. Additionally, it’s worth noting that arrivals from Mainland China are still nowhere near their 2019 numbers.

I’ll probably take a pass of the 2024 Cherry Blossom season in Japan.

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The airline failed to secure a significant investment to save the airline and decided to shut down operations effective immediately.

You can access MYAirline here.

Malaysian Airlines, Batik Air, and AirAsia all offer discounts to MYAirline passengers who have confirmed tickets with the airline.

If you have purchased a ticket from MYAirline or are waiting for a refund, I would advise you to get your credit card company involved and dispute the transaction.

MYAirline’s Announcement:

MYAirline Announces Suspension of Operations

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 12 October 2023 – MYAirline regrettably announces the suspension of its operations effective 12 October 2023 until further notice. The airline has come to this extremely painful decision because of significant financial pressures that have made it necessary to suspend operations pending the shareholder restructuring and recapitalization of the airline.

In a statement from the Board of Directors, MYAirline said “We deeply regret and apologize for having to make this decision as we understand the impact it will have on our loyal passengers, dedicated employees and partners. We have worked tirelessly to explore various partnership and capital raising options to prevent this suspension. Unfortunately, the constraints of time have left us with no alternative but to take this decision.”

We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and we are committed to assisting you through this situation. Kindly reach out to us at customercare@myairline.my, and our support team will be readily available to provide their assistance. In the meantime, we are advising affected passengers to not head to the airport and seek for alternative travel arrangements to their destinations.

The Board, shareholders and all of us at MYAirline will be working tirelessly to resume operations as quickly as possible but at this stage we are unable to commit to any timeline. We reiterate our sincerest apologies for any difficulty and inconvenience arising from this suspension and will do our utmost to provide any updates which become available.

Conclusion

Based on the reports in the Malaysian media, it seems that there have been many top-level departures from the airline recently, and they have also struggled to pay their suppliers and payroll, and neither of these is a good sign.

I guess this is a good reminder of how difficult it is to launch a new airline, and most of these ventures fail, but you never succeed without trying, right?

Unfortunately, there are likely many passengers who don’t see money returned unless the flights were paid using a credit card.

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We have previously covered our application and the airport inspection and TTP card issuance experiences (read more here and here). I yesterday used the program for the first time to enter the country at Haneda.

You can access Japan’s page for the TTP here.

Our Recent TTP Coverage:

Experience Report: Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Is Now Open For New Applications & Entry Via Automated Gates

Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Application Experience

Japan Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Streamlined Guide

Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program

Japan’s TTP program is not merely registering your passport information in advance and then using these automated gates, but you need to fill out an application online, upload your passport image, and wait several weeks for the preliminary inspection to complete.

Then, on your next trip to Japan, you need to buy revenue stamps and complete the final inspection at the airport or some other locations, and this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. You will be issued a TTP card on the spot that you can then use to enter and exit the country.

You can enter using the TTP card up to 15 times during its validity period.

Haneda TTP Entry Experience

You need to fill out the disembarkation card before you travel to use the gates and do it on the same TTP website.

The online form essentially asks for the same questions as the paper one. It would not accept the hotel’s address (could not proceed), but using the hotel’s name was enough.

You should soon receive an email confirmation that the information has been completed.

The arrivals hall yesterday morning wasn’t super busy (I didn’t take a photo – as it is prohibited), and the foreigner line was not long.

As this was my first time using the TTP card, I wasn’t sure where these (it turned out that it is just ONE machine) gates were, and I asked for advice.

The TTP gate area is furthest to the left at the Haneda Terminal 3, past the automated gates for Japanese passport holders. It was not apparent at all.

Only one of the five gates was designated for the TTP entrants, but nobody was using any of them.

The screen gives you the order of steps which you should follow. I made the mistake of inserting my TTP card first, making it stuck to the reader, and I needed help to release it.

1. Scanner reads your passport

2. You insert the TTP card

3. Fingerprints

4. Photograph

5. The machine updates your TTP card

The machine takes its time in some of these steps, and I thought there might have been an issue, but it was all good at the end, and the port opened.

I decided not to do the electronic customs form this time but filled out the paper one.

Conclusion

Japan could easily open the normal passport e-gates to visa-free nationals because the TTP secondary inspection process is rather time-consuming, and the preliminary one also takes weeks. I don’t think this product makes much sense for anyone other than those visiting Japan several times yearly.

As I have said previously, I consider this an “insurance” in case several long-haul planes arrive roughly at the same time, and there is congestion at the immigration (several reports earlier this year about excess wait times). My arrivals since October last year, when I first entered Japan after the pandemic on a “tour” visa, have been all smooth.

This, however, makes me more confident to book forward flights without excess transit time on separate tickets, like I did yesterday.

I was arriving from New Delhi on a JAL flight (the last segment of my Oneworld RTW ticket) around 6 AM and was continuing to Kagoshima. If I had not had this TTP card, I would have probably booked a 10 AM flight but decided to go with an 8:05 AM one instead (AA award at 7,500 miles and $0). There was a slight delay on arrival, but I still had plenty of time to visit the lounge at Terminal 1.

What have been your experiences using the TTP card? Please leave your comments below.

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India halted visa issuance for Canadians on Thursday, but Canada continues to issue visas to Indians. Existing visas that India has issued are valid.

The suspension of visa issuance to Canadians applies to visas issued worldwide, including e-visas that you can apply on the government website without visiting an Indian embassy or consulate.

Air Canada has issued the following Travel Waiver:

Flexible change fee waiver due to suspension of India visa services

September 21, 2023

Because of the suspension of India’s visa services, we understand that you may want to make alternate travel arrangements. If you currently have a reservation, Air Canada has implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary without penalty if:

You purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than September 21, 2023, for travel between now and October 15, 2023.

Your itinerary includes a flight from anywhere in Canada to India as a final destination.

If you are scheduled to travel during the affected period, you can retrieve your booking to change your flight one time, without penalty up to 2 hours before your departure. Please note that any difference in fare would still apply.

If you purchased your ticket with Air Canada Vacations, please reach out to them directly.

And if you require assistance, you can contact us at 1-888-247-2262 (or 1 800 361-5373 if yours is an Aeroplan flight reward).

Conclusion

It is quite unprecedented if the Indian government or its diplomats have been involved in the killing of a naturalized Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.

India has unilaterally stopped visa issuance to Canadians, which likely won’t help their cause. It is not like India is the most exciting tourist destination for those without any connections to the country.

I applied for the e-visa the other week, which was issued within 24 hours, as I am heading to New Delhi for a few days this coming week.

India’s government should hire one of the outsourcing consultancies in the country to redo the e-visa website, which reminds me of the 1990s.

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The airline has operated flights on behalf of other airlines (wet lease), and they will continue these operations and cargo flights.

You can access Air Belgium here.

The airline will operate scheduled flights to South Africa and Mauritius until October 2, 2023, and will rebook passengers on other airlines for their return sectors past that date. If passengers have not started their trips by October 3, they can expect to see a refund.

An Excerpt from Aviation24 (access here):

Faced with a more than unstable socio-economic and geopolitical environment and in view of the fact that an airline has to plan for cycles of 3 to 5 years, Air Belgium’s Board of Directors has taken a number of decisions to ensure the long-term viability and growth of the company which has a staff of 500 people, namely to:

1. Concentrate on the two profitable lines of business that offer growth prospects: The activities of cargo and ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance, or wet lease), i.e. the leasing of aircraft between airlines for passenger and cargo flights, constitute two profitable lines of business with growth prospects.

2. Discontinue the scheduled Passenger business: despite the many investments by Air Belgium in recent years and the strengthening of commercial initiatives, the Passenger business is still unprofitable. After numerous studies, Air Belgium’s Board of Directors reached the conclusion that turning a profit on this front would require substantial investments in addition to those already made in recent years, which has not been possible.

3. Initiate judicial reorganisation proceedings by way of amicable agreement to ensure the company’s long-term viability and growth and to give it time to reorganise internally around these two segments.

Conclusion

You may have seen Air Berlin planes in airports where they don’t have scheduled flights or ended up on flights they have operated on behalf of others, such as British Airways.

It is interesting to see if they can pull through the reorganization because the wet lease market won’t stay hot forever (many network carriers have been short on staff and planes after the pandemic), and there are established cargo airlines.

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The fee is just 5 euros and will be collected on 30 days next year around the busy Spring and Summer weekends when they wish to see fewer visitors. There are other taxes and fees that those staying overnight pay as part of their hotel bill.

The issue is that it is still unclear what dates you need to have a ticket to visit Venice and if a limited number of tickets will be sold. I doubt that a 5 euro charge will deter anyone coming.

How will Venice police that day visitors have this ticket? Are they going to have a tourist “police” inspecting all incoming tourists to ensure they have paid the fee if required, and how is this even feasible?

It has been estimated that 75% of the tourists visiting Venice don’t stay there overnight and only contribute 20% of the overall tourism spend. It is evident that overnight tourists spend significantly more considering the accommodation and F&B costs in the city.

Venice Mayor’s Announcement:

#ConsiglioComunale | Approvato il Regolamento per il contributo d’accesso per i turisti giornalieri!

Faremo una sperimentazione con grande umiltà e cercheremo di non danneggiare nessuno.

È una delle azioni che abbiamo messo in campo per proteggere la Città del turismo di… pic.twitter.com/LJ9iSqmT9d

— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) September 12, 2023

Google Translate:

Conclusion

Venice is a magical place outside of the hours when the day tourists flock to the city. Early morning hours and late afternoon is the best time.

The city is also a place that you should visit slowly and not try to rush to the few spots to take the same photos as everyone else.

I spend a long weekend in Venice yearly, visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Grassi, and the Biennale, and wander for countless hours.

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The registered TTP users can use automated lanes when entering and exiting the country but need to apply for the program before entering Japan and then conduct the secondary inspection and issuance of the TTP card before leaving.

You can access Japan’s website for the TTP here.

The entire program has not been very clearly communicated to potential users, but the guide that previously was only available in Japanese has been translated into English, which allows you to review the requirements and process.

IN PDF:

Download (PDF, 1.5MB)

Sebastian’s Application Experience in May:

Experience Report: Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Is Now Open For New Applications & Entry Via Automated Gates

And mine in June:

Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Application Experience

Conclusion

If everything goes as planned, I will enter Japan for the first time using the automated gates in less than three weeks.

The TTP doesn’t really make much sense for an infrequent visitor because the “Preliminary Inspection” takes weeks, and the secondary one, at least in my case, about an hour. Also, you must pay a fee of 2,200 yen in revenue stamps that you must purchase before the card issuance.

I consider this TTP as an “insurance” if there are extensive lines at the immigration upon entry.

My four or five entry experiences since Japan reopened last year have been smooth, but there have been reports of excessive wait time if you happen to arrive when multiple long-haul flights land simultaneously.

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