Travel & Leisure

Come y with Aer Lingus... to Orlando, Florida

BY FIONN DAVENPORT

AER Lingus has resumed its direct service from Dublin to Orlando since November 27. e airline will operate three ights a week, on Saturday, Tuesday and ursday with fares starting from €169 each way, including taxes and charges.

Bill Byrne, Executive VicePresident US at Aer Lingus, said: “We are so happy to be ying to the US from Dublin again, and this weekend we can once again connect families, friends and businesses to Florida.

“Flying to Orlando is an important step in the resumption or our services and will no doubt be very meaningful to those people with connections to the Sunshine State.” ose looking to visit the Sunshine State last week availed of the great Black Flyday o ers on ights to the US with Aer Lingus.

With 13 direct routes between North America and Ireland, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Washington, Seattle, and Philadelphia, those o ers included €100 o return ights to North America and €200 o return business class tickets valid for travel from January 1 to May 31 next.

Next March, Aer Lingus will reintroduce ights to the US from Shannon, with 14 ights a week to New York and Boston.

In order to make travel easier, Aer Lingus has partnered with VeriFLY. By downloading the VeriFLY app and uploading Covid-19 related documentation required for their destination, Aer Lingus customers can ensure that all of their Covid-19 related documentation is veri ed before travel.

Meanwhile, Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling is operating a new, twice-weekly scheduled service to Paris Orly from Cork Airport, since November 26 and is running twice weekly throughout the winter.

Vueling, part of the IAG Group that owns Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia, will operate the route on Mondays and Fridays. is follows on from Vueling’s new routes to Paris Orly from Dublin and Belfast.

Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: “We are thrilled to welcome a brandnew airline, Vueling, the Spanish low cost carrier and part of the IAG group to Cork as our newest scheduled carrier.

“ is news is exciting for business and tourism at both ends of the route and will further grow inbound tourism from this key continental market to counties across the South of Ireland,” he added.

‘With 13 direct routes between North America and Ireland...’ Ireland...’

Air chiefs call for caution over travel Covid cert

BY FIONN DAVENPORT

THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for caution in response to a European Commission recommendation that the EU Digital COVID Certi cate (DCC) should only remain valid for up to nine months after the second vaccination dose, unless a booster jab is administered.

“ e EU DCC is a great success in driving a common continentwide approach to managing the COVID-19 health crisis and in facilitating the freedom of people to travel again,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe.

“It underpins a fragile recovery in the travel and tourism sector. And it is critical that any changes to it have a joined-up approach that recognises the impact of divergent policies by individual member states and promotes further harmonisation across Europe.” e critical issue is vaccine validity and the requirement for booster shots, says IATA.

“As the immunity a orded by vaccination wears o , booster jabs are being increasingly o ered to extend and strengthen people’s immune response,” it said in a statement released today (26 November).

“However, if booster shots are mandated to maintain the validity of the DCC, it is vital that states harmonise their approach to the length of time allowed between the point of full vaccination and administering the additional dose.

“ e nine months proposed by the Commission could be insu cient. It would be better to delay this requirement until all states are o ering booster jabs to all citizens, and for a twelvemonth validity to give more time for people to access a booster dose, considering the di ering national vaccination approaches being taken.

Schvartzman feels the proposal to manage limitations on the validity of the DCC creates many potential problems.

“People who received the vaccine before March, including many health workers, will need to have accessed a booster by 11 January or may be unable to travel,” he says.

“Will EU states agree on a standardised time period? How will the requirement be harmonised with the many states that have developed COVID passes that are reciprocally recognised by the EU? Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said booster shots should be prioritised for vulnerable groups that have not had a rst dose, let alone a booster.

“Worldwide, the vaccine program still has a long way to go in many developing states and the focus should be on ensuring vaccine equity. Given that the majority of air travelers are not in the most vulnerable groups, allowing a twelve-month time period before a booster is needed would be a more practical approach for travellers and a fairer approach for vaccine equity,” he added.

A further element of concern is the Commission’s recommendation that travellers vaccinated with a non-EU approved vaccine should present a negative pre-departure PCR test. is will discourage travel from many parts of the world where infection rates are low, but the population have been vaccinated by WHOapproved vaccines which have yet to gain regulatory approval in the EU.

“Governments should prioritise policies that are simple, predictable and practical in order to ensure passengers regain con dence to travel and airlines con dence to reopen routes. e European Centre for Disease Control is explicit in its latest risk report that travel restrictions are unlikely to have any major impact on the timing or intensity of local epidemics. We appreciate that authorities must remain vigilant, but discriminating among vaccines that have been approved by the WHO is a waste of resources and an unnecessary barrier to people’s freedom to travel,” said Schvartzman.

Rocking around the Christmas tree as Yulefest bandstand lifts the soul

CHRISTMAS is all about music and Kilkenny’s Yulefest has brought the ‘ceol and craic’ centre-stage with their brand new bandstand on the Parade in the heart of the city centre. e music kicked o on Saturday at the opening ceremony and will continue all the way to December 23rd. e Yulefest Bandstand started with a chorus on Saturday as the Lady Desart Choir and the Anthony McAuley Trad Trio entertained the Christmas shoppers on the Parade. e Yulefest Bandstand will provide entertainment throughout the festive season with over 50 live local acts performing over the next month. Performers include: Patrick Rafter & Family, Code of Behaviour, Ali Comerford, e Pinsetters, e Screws, Leonard Barry, John Doyle & Andy Morrow, and many more. ere are even some special non-musical performances too.

Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and their Local Live performance programming scheme, this is a completely free event that can be enjoyed every weekend and every ursday lunchtime on the Parade. All acts so far have been well supported and the music adds nicely to the festive atmosphere on the Parade.

Mary Butler, Arts O cer for Kilkenny County Council said

“It’s wonderful to be able to support these great Kilkenny artists through this LLPPS scheme. Keeping it free and open letting everyone enjoy this event really helps us all to discover Kilkenny’s varied musical talent. ere was such a lovely atmosphere at the weekend with some great musicians with lots of people dancing and enjoying the performances. is coming weekend includes e Savage Jim Breen, Hot4 Jazz, Kairen Caine, the Pinsetters and also a newly formed Yulefest Ceili Band. Once again there will be something for all musical tastes. ere is fantastic musical talent in Kilkenny. Let’s make sure we come out and support the acts. You might even nd your new favourite sound.” e full Yulefest Bandstand programme is included in this week’s paper and more information can be found at yulefestkilkenny.ie