It's the first day of Fall!  Cooler temperatures are here and soon the leaves will begin to change. I never thought that when the pandemic began in late February we would still be living in a COVID world in September, but here we are.  

Last night I met with clients in person, for the first time since March.  It was strange not to share a hug, but it certainly felt good to sit and chat, even with my mask on. These clients are traveling to Cancun in a few weeks and are excited to get away and enjoy a beautiful all-inclusive resort for a few days.  Mexico has done an amazing job at re-opening safely and implemented a laundry list of protocols to help keep guests safe.  

I wanted to share some industry updates that I thought may be of interest: 

Airline change fees - A game changer!
If you have ever had to change an airline ticket, you probably know that a fee of at least $200 was attached to the change, as well as any difference in fare.  Earlier this month, United Airlines, Delta Airline and American Airlines, all announced that they will no longer charge change fees on domestic airline tickets.  This makes it easier than ever to change plans and not incur such high penalties.  

​
New service on Jet Blue Airways from Richmond! 
Jet Blue has announced daily non-stop as follows:
~ To Tampa, Florida beginning on November 19th
~ To Las Vegas, Nevada beginning on December 18th
~ To Los Angeles, California beginning on December 18th 
Jet Blue offers great fares and excellent service! 

Gambling without a smoky haze....
Do you love to gamble but hate the heavy smoke that is often in a casino? The Park MGM Las Vegas may be for you!  When they re-open on September 30th, they will offer the first smoke free casino in Las Vegas.  Read more about their re-opening plans, here.  

Looking for your late 2020 or 2021 getaway, check out this special.....
Delta Sky Miles Members can save up to $300 and Delta Sky Miles Credit Card Members can save up to $600 when booking your next vacation with Delta Vacations before December 14, 2020.  With destinations worldwide, now is a great time to plan your 2021 vacations!  (Savings based on total package cost.) ​
​

Do you need to renew or apply for a new passport.....
Good news!  Passport processing times are almost back to their normal three to four week turnaround time.  While expedited services are not yet available, now is still a good time to renew your passport and be ready to travel in 2021.  

​What will 2021 bring....
My crystal ball is not being very cooperative when looking ahead to see what 2021 will bring for the travel industry.  I am so happy that many locations in the Caribbean have been safely re-opened for the last few months.  Several vendors are beginning escorted tours within the US next month.  Returning to Universal Studios and Disney are now options, with many modifications within both sets of parks.  There are still uncertainties as to when the cruise industry and travel to Europe will return, however I am hopeful that we will have better clarification on those areas soon.  If you are curious about a specific destination, don't hesitate to call or email me with questions.  


Out of office.....
I'm excited to end this post by saying that the office will be closed from Wednesday, September 23rd - Thursday, October 1st.  Office hours will resume on Friday, October 2nd at 5:30pm.  Other than a few days at the beach in August, this is the first vacation for Mike and I this year.  We are off to enjoy a week visiting dear friends in Maine.  Ocean views, exploring and lots of lobster are in my future!  I will be sharing photos on our Solutions Travel Facebook page, if you want to tag along! 

Until next time, 
Courtney 

​


Photo credits: Google Images  / Mike and the lobster from our last visit to Maine! 
​

With travel paused at the moment, I have been looking for ways to get out and enjoy a little bit of "normal".        I love finding new experiences in my own backyard and wanted to share this one.  About two weeks ago I stumbled across a post on Instagram advertising a Sereni Tea tea tasting at Stillwater Tea House in Suffolk. I tagged two of my friends in the post and a plan was made for tea this past weekend .  

Stillwater Tea House is located at the corner of Prentis St. and N. Main Street in downtown Suffolk.  This family run business set in an 1859 Victorian decorated home is the perfect setting for a tea house.  The owner, Amy Ford and her staff were welcoming and attentive during our tea and with current COVID19 restrictions were mindful of social distancing, wore their masks and served food individually instead of on shared stands.  

The house is beautifully decorated with Victorian furnishing and offers three different areas of seating.  When we arrived, Amy encouraged our group to explore the house and pick our own seat.  There are three seating areas: the Green Room, the Dining Room and the Pink Parlor.  We chose the Pink Parlor with a comfortable couch and chair for our group.  ​

Our tea was a tasting, which included six different teas along with savory and sweet treats.  We sampled a variety of teas, which included an earl grey, strawberry guava, blueberry crumble and a coconut flavored tea called snowflake.  All were unique and each of us picked our favorite. 

Food selections included a cucumber with vegetable cream cheese sandwich and an open faced pesto, tomato and cheese sandwich. Both were fresh and delicious!   The sweet treats stole the show, with a rich chocolate cake and bread pudding with apples and caramel bourbon sauce. I'm not a fan of bread pudding however would go back to have this again on a future visit.  It was warm, gooey and had just he right amount of fresh whipped cream to go with it! 

Afternoon tea was perfect way to spend a few hours with friends!  If you are looking for a lovely place to enjoy tea and conversation, check out Stillwater Tea House.  They are currently accepting reservations online where you can pick your seat in the house and tea service of your choice.  We were also told that some themed teas are in the works and can't wait to see what Amy and her team have in mind.  I know my friends and I will be visiting again soon!  

Until next time, 
Courtney