Welcome to The Morning Shave. We read a ton of travel articles each day for our research to share the best travel tips, tricks, and news with you. Here are the articles for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, that we think you should read.
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The Morning Shave
The UK’s Authorization Requirement and Fee for Travelers Goes Into Effect This Week — What to Know.
While there’s a small fee to get the “electronic travel authorization” (ETA), it is one more thing for travelers to remember before hopping on a plane. The requirement starts January 8th for travelers from the U.S. and dozens of other countries. Starting on April 2nd, EU countries will also need to apply for an ETA. Luckily, the fee covers all trips within a 2-year period, and it is good for stays of up to 6 months at a time.
United’s free WiFi will be for loyalty program members only.
United Airlines is introducing free Starlink-powered inflight WiFi starting this Spring. It will debut on the Embraer E-175 regional planes first, then expand to other regional aircraft throughout the year. However, inflight WiFi is only free if you’re a member of the airline’s MileagePlus loyalty program. It is free to join, but I’m skeptical that the airline won’t monitor web traffic to create a deeper profile on members.
Uber and Lyft to offer driverless rideshare cars.
If you’re tired of your rideshare driver talking on their phones or trying to force small talk during your ride, you’re in luck. While the launch date hasn’t been announced, this option will soon be available in Austin and Atlanta. Would you take a driverless rideshare, or do you prefer riding with a live person?
Plane seats are too small: Airlines continue to prioritize profit over comfort, safety.
Economy class seats are definitely getting smaller. And while cramming more seats into a plane keeps prices lower, this comes at a great cost to your comfort (and safety). I think there should be a minimum standard for seat pitch (distance between seats) to ensure a level playing field and minimize passenger discomfort. For now, travelers should “vote with their wallets” and choose to fly airlines (like JetBlue and Southwest) that offer more legroom.
Ski Patrol Strike Disrupts Vacations at Park City Resort.
I’ve seen numerous posts on IG about long lines and unhappy travelers. Even if you’re using airline miles and hotel points for your ski trip, skiing and snowboarding is an expensive sport — especially on family ski trips. Lift tickets are not cheap, and renting or buying gear will also set you back a pretty penny. If you’re looking for ways to reduce the cost, here’s how to save money on ski trips. The resorts and ski patrol need to get back to the negotiating table to settle this strike before too much of the ski season is lost.
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