Up in the Air
You’ve watched everything on Netflix and Hulu and now Peacock is starting to look like a good idea. Your sock drawer couldn’t be any more organized. It’s time to get out of your house and get back on the road.
“Airfares are at a 25-year low and new routes and carriers are starting at CVG so it is a good time to plan and book that trip,” says Mindy Kershner, CVG spokesperson.
In just the past nine days, two new carriers, Sun Country Airlines and Alaska Airlines, have begun flying out of CVG. United is adding service to four new leisure destinations later this month, with Southwest, Allegiant, and VivaAerobus adding flights and destinations as well.
“There is a gradual recovery in travel demand as vaccinations increase, most in the form of leisure travel,” says Kershner. “So far this year, we are serving 52% of 2019 passenger volumes and we expect the summer to be at 70-80%.”
The choice isn’t when to go, it’s where.
Sun Country Airlines, now offering nonstop service to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, operates a total of 93 routes across 69 airports in the United States, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean. Sun Country’s passenger experience includes low-cost airfares, free in-flight entertainment and reclining seats. Fittingly for an airline based in Minnesota, Sun Country prides itself on warm and friendly customer service.
From the MSP hub, CVG travelers can take flight to Sun Country’s most recently added destinations, including Grand Cayman, Punta Gorda, Florida, and Turks and Caicos.
All About Cabin Air Quality
“The entire industry including airlines and airports have done a tremendous job enacting safe and healthy protocols,” says Kershner. “You can see what CVG has done at CVGairport.com/FlyHealthy.”
Still not sure about air travel? The quality of supplied air on board an aircraft is much better than most indoor environments.
How good is the cabin air?
The risk of transmission in the modern cabin environment is low for a number of reasons: passengers face the same direction, seatbacks act as barriers, air flow is from the top to bottom, and the air is also very clean.
20-30
Cabin air is refreshed 20-30 times an hour, which is about 10 times more than most office buildings
50/50
The air supplied on board an aircraft is half HEPA-filtered and half fresh air
99.993%
This is the bacteria/virus removal efficiency rate of the HEPA filters onboard. It includes SARS, which is similar to COVID-19
Top to bottom air flow
The direction of the air flow in an aircraft is from top to bottom, and not along the length of the aircraft
HEPA filters
Most modern jet aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. These filters have similar performance to those used in hospital operating theatres and industrial clean rooms. These HEPA filters are 99.9+% effective at removing viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Higher rate of air renewal than in other indoor facilities
The air in the aircraft cabin comprises of around 50% fresh air from outside the aircraft and 50% of HEPA filtered air. The air in the cabin is also renewed 20-30 times an hour or once every 2-3 minutes.
–International Air Transport Association
Alaska Airlines now offers non-stop service to Seattle, with award-winning service, hundreds of free movies and TV shows available on personal devices, and free texting on most flights.
Cincinnati is Alaska’s 95th nonstop destination from Seattle. From there, travelers can reach other West Coast destinations or Hawaii. But Seattle is also a gateway to Asia, through the oneworld global alliance with additional airline partners–guests can connect to nonstop flights to Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore.
VivaAerobus, Latin America’s lowest cost airline and one of the fastest growing carriers in the world, begins nonstop service to Los Cabos, Mexico on May 29.
If you’re planning to visit one of your favorite vacation destinations, later this month United begins non-stop flights to Hilton Head Island, Pensacola, Charleston, and Portland, Maine. With the news that CVG’s average fare is at a 25-year low, and nearly 10 percent less than the national average, decided to fly rather than drive to a beach destination just got a lot easier.
But if you’re looking for something a bit farther afield, see what the new carriers and expanded routes have to offer as you plan your next adventure.
Seattle
Visit Seattle
Seattle is a derivative of the Indigenous American name “Sealth.” Sealth was a chief of the Suquamish tribe at the time the first white settlers arrived in 1851.
Seattle has 147.52 miles of fresh water shoreline and 53.38 miles of salt water shoreline for a total of 200.90 miles of shoreline (source 1). Puget Sound has 500 square miles of water, 1,400 miles of shoreline and some 300 islands.
Top Attractions
Space Needle
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), formerly Experience Music Project
Pike Place Market
Museum of Flight
Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room
Local Connection: Chihuly Garden and Glass
Turks and Caicos
@wymaraturks
In the 18th century, raiders who preyed on vessels in the Mediterranean and off the coasts of Europe and Africa were often referred to as “Turks,” and the term became synonymous with pirate. Early map makers combined this with a version of the Lucayan word “cayo hico,” meaning string of islands. Together, they served as a warning to avoid the pirate islands.
The Turks and Caicos archipelago covers about 238 square miles, with about 242 linear miles of coastline.
Top Attractions
The Turks and Caicos is known for having some of the best beaches in the world.
Mudjin Harbour
Half Moon Bay
The West Caicos Marine National Park
Princess Alexandra National Park Barrier Reef
Conch Bar Caves
Local Connection: Grand Turk was the first land reached by astronaut John Glenn after the Mercury space mission in 1962.
Los Cabos
Visit Los Cabos
In Spanish, “Los Cabos” means “The Capes.”
Los Cabos consists of Cabo San Lucas, a metropolitan harbor resort city, and San Jose del Cabo, a sleepy colonial town, both connected by a 20-mile strip of land.
Top Attractions
The Los Cabos area boasts some of the best sightseeing.
El Arco in Cabo San Lucas
Cabo Pulmo Marine Park,
San José del Cabo Gallery District
Local Connection: You, when you visit.
–Tricia Suit