The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not recommending a COVID-19 testing requirement before domestic air travel, reports CNN. "At this time, CDC is not recommending required point of departure testing for domestic travel," according to a CDC statement sent to CNN Friday night. "As part of our close monitoring of the pandemic, in particular the continued spread of variants, we will continue to review public health options for containing and mitigating spread of COVID-19 in the travel space." The guidance comes after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a recent interview with Axios on HBO that the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the CDC were considering requiring a negative COVID-19 test for any travelers on domestic flights.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recorded checkpoint throughput numbers exceeding 1 million travelers per day for two days in a row over the holiday weekend, the first time since January 4th, reports The Washington Post. The traffic numbers are a significant increase after TSA reported a milestone slump last month. TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said those numbers were actually reduced by winter storms, which upset many travel plans. Nearly 4,000 Sunday and Monday flights within, into and out of the US were canceled because of a major winter storm. “We saw so many flights impacted by weather, which may have resulted in cancellations,” Farbstein said. “It could have been higher.”

The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has inspired many travelers to start planning trips for the upcoming year. Although many individuals have already begun getting vaccinated, it will still take a good amount of time before enough of the world’s population is vaccinated to make much difference in terms of restarting global travel and tourism, but there are some countries that are already making provisions to allow fully-immunized visitors. A number of destinations are choosing to either drop border restrictions for travelers who've been fully vaccinated, or ease them significantly. Click "Read More" below for a comprehensive list of the international destinations allowing vaccinated travelers as assembled by Travel Pulse.

United Airlines is partnering with air mobility company Archer to develop and eventually use aircraft with electric motors that would serve as "air taxis" in urban markets, reports Business Travel News. Per the agreement, United is providing "expertise in airspace management" as Archer develops battery-powered, short-haul aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Once the aircraft are operational and meet United's standards, the carrier and Mesa Airlines, a regional carrier among those operating United Express flights, will acquire up to 200 of those aircraft. Current technology would enable Archer's aircraft to travel distances of up to 60 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, and the company is working to increase both speed and distance capabilities, according to United. They could provide faster commutes with a smaller carbon footprint to and from airports in large cities. For example, the aircraft would cut carbon emissions by 47 percent per passenger on a trip between Hollywood and Los Angeles International Airport, one of Archer's first target markets, compared with driving, according to United. United expects it could be using the aircraft within five years.

In his latest LinkedIn Influencer article, CEO Paul Metselaar discusses “How to Sell a Business in the Middle of a Pandemic” and the essential roles his three partners played in building Lawyers Travel over 36 plus years and creating the value that American Express Global Business Travel recognized.